Maiden Galaxy

Seeing the man try to impress him, Chen Mo was silent.

However, this Wind Concealment Diving Stone, Chen Mo was indeed a bit interested. His Northern Dipper was too ostentatious. Using this stone was perfect for concealing it, and secondly, the characteristic of the Wind Concealment Divine Stone to make an attack become untraceable was quite good.

"What do you feel about trading your Wind Concealment Divine Stone for this Snakeskin Scale Armor that I'm wearing?" Chen Mo pondered, very directly saying: "It hasn't been long since I first stepped into casting. If I trade the Snakeskin Scale Armor, would you be willing?" He had forged more than a dozen sets of these Black Python Scale Armor in total. Other than giving a set to Qing Wan, Iron Blade, and his maids each, he still had many left over. Magic tools forged from Demon Beasts were originally very difficult for a Qi And Blood Warrior to obtain. Although the Black Python Scale Armor was merely an item from a Rank Two Demon Beast, it was already very good to the warriors present. Especially after they saw it withstand the palm attack of a Three Flowers Overhead without a scratch, all of the casting masters here had the urge to obtain this magic tool for protection.

"Huh, really?" The big man was a bit surprised. "You want to trade the Snakeskin Scale Armor?"

Hearing Chen Mo's decision, the other casting masters that were just in the middle of trading began to gather round. "Brother Shi Jin, your Black Python Scale Armor is definitely more precious than this stone. This trade is too big of a loss."

"We don't understand a thing at all, there's no way to use it."

"I have here some of the highest quality spirit stones. Fellow Shi Jin, do you have interest in a trade?"

Everyone coveted that python armor, coming over to speak one after another. Chen Mo did not particularly care, after all, he had forged these himself, so he was very aware of its value. Chen Mo liked to be efficient and disliked haggling, and neither did he want this man to add other tricks, only wanting a direct exchange.

"Brother, what are you going to use this stone for?" The big man curiously asked. Everyone was a sensitive Early Stage Casting Master. Seeing that Shi Jin, who was young and experienced yet displayed fully developed casting, seemed to view this Wind Concealment Divine Stone as important, he also felt this was strange. Could it be this stone had some very valuable aspect?

"I want to practice imbuing spirit, and I wanted to see if maybe this stone would work." Chen Mo shrugged.

The forthrightness of Chen Mo's answer made the big man surprised. He had originally thought that the brat in front of him would stammer a bit. "Sure, since Brother believes in me, I won't be unreasonable. I'll trade this stone with you." The big man nodded and traded the stone to Chen Mo. "I'm called Luo Kui,¹ and you have made a friend of me. Although your skills are better than mine, I, Luo Kui, am quite famous in this stretch of the Western Regions. If there's anything you need, you can call me."

Chen Mo nodded and brought out a set of Black Python Scale Armor.

Everyone was astounded.

"You have another one???"

"En, that snake quite big, so I made several sets." Chen Mo said.

Everyone's mouths hung agape. Even the unflappable Elder Ding was stupefied.

Equipment had always been the most difficult for a casting master to forge, especially, from the perspective of Early Stage Casting Masters. To forge one set of armor would require at least half a year of time, and to use a Demon Beast's materials, the forging would take even longer. Just these two Black Python Scale Armor would need at least one year each to complete. Did this mean that this young man already was at the apex of Early Stage Casting Master level two years ago?

The logic that all the casting masters felt all their lives towards forging was completely overturned by the youth in front of them.

But how could they have known that Chen Mo had used Divine Fire from the Divine Clinging Cinnabar, flames that even Late Stage Casting Masters could only dream of. Refining a piece of snakeskin was only a matter of seconds, not much time would be used at all.

"Brother, do you have more?"

"I'm willing to trade my stuff."

"Me, too."

Everyone fell over each other in their eagerness to compete.

"I actually have one last set." Chen Mo said with difficulty.

Upon hearing he still had one more, everyone became even more wild.

Elder Ding stepped forward to break up the gathering: "Soon, the ‘Jewel Picking Pavilion'² will have an auction. I think it would be better for Fellow Shi Jin to hand it over to the Jewel Picking Pavilion. When the time comes, everyone can fairly bid for it."

"That's fine, too."

Everyone thought it over and felt this solution was not bad. Finally, they looked at Chen Mo: "Brother Shi Jin, will you turn it over to the Jewel Picking Pavilion?"

"Sure." Chen Mo did not mind if this Black Python Scale Armor brought the greatest benefit.

Chen Mo fiddled with the Wind Concealment Divine Stone briefly, pondering how best to set about his task. Supplementary spirit stones were also considered a type of spirit imbuement. Using it as experience to imbue spirit was not bad. Luo Kui smiled when he saw Chen Mo so happy: "Little Brother Shi Jin, if brother likes this stone, I know of a place where you can actually find more."

"More?" Chen Mo was taken aback.

"Of course." Luo Kui said.

"Where?" Chen Mo was very intrigued. The Wind Concealment Divine Stone was recorded in the Book Of Casting as only being present in the Inner Star Fields. The Outer Star Fields should not have any. Could it be the Book Of Casting had errors?

"In the deepest reaches of the Western Desert, there is a ruin. Don't tell me that Brother hasn't heard of it?" Luo Kui asked.

"Never realized it."

The fat man ambled over at this time and chuckled: "Can it be that Senior is referring to the Western Desert Tower."

"Tower?"

Luo Kui said: "That's right, the Tower."

"This Tower's been standing for several centuries. It's impossible for it to still have treasures, right?" The fat man pursed his lips, skeptical.

Luo Kui chuckled, not answering. "If Brother Shi Jin is interested, I can take you there for a look."

"Just what is this Western Desert Tower?" Chen Mo asked.

Western Desert Tower.

A ruin in the depths of the Western Regions. Nobody was sure when it came into existence, but according to the legends passed down from generations of nearby villagers, this tower could be traced back to the time of the Foreign Star Field.³

Legend said that the Foreign Star Field once had a Star General lead more than a thousand cavalry across the rolling Western Desert to invade the Outer Star Field. That time was when the Purple Rose Star Emperor had unified Star World. The Three Great Star Fields were one, and the Foreign Star Field could be said to be an enemy. The Outer Star Field had difficulties, and the Central Star Field dispatched support. That battle was waged so fiercely that the world dimmed. Legend said that the Star General who invaded the Outer Star Field was a super powerful one, repelled only after a Star General from the Central Star Field arrived.

The war back then was so wretched it turned the rich, fertile, verdant Allan Prairie⁴ straight into a blood-red desert. This was how the Western Desert came to be.

That tower was erected afterwards to stand guard over the outside of the entire Western Region.

However, there was a rumor that said the Destined Star Weapon from that Foreign Star Field's Star General had been sealed inside this tower ever since then. Firstly, it suppressed the emergence of the foreigners. Secondly, it was a show of force.

For the sake of this legend, there were countless Star Generals, cultivators, and Star Cultivators in the past who all rushed like ducks, but several hundred years later, there were no major findings. Additionally, the Central Star Field had some lingering fears towards the tower, always forbidding Thunder Tribulation Cultivators and Heavenly Sprit Star Generals from entering it. Time passed, and this tower thus became a place for cultivators at or below Three Flowers Overhead level to search for treasure.

Of course, this toward was now already a legend. After so many years, the tower gradually only retained some fame among those in the Western Province, but this was relegated to some local legends. Nobody paid attention anymore.

"Did you actually go to the tower?" The fat man said in excitement.

"I don't think I entered it, but I've apparently seen it." Luo Kui thought.

"It wasn't a mirage, right?" The fat man said in discouragement. The Western Desert often had this kind of situation, so the tower was always thought to be some trick of the light.

Luo Kui smiled, not answering, merely saying to Chen Mo: "If you need me, come find me anytime."

"Sure." Chen Mo nodded.

The fat man pursed his lips out of boredom. He watched Luo Kui leave, then cupped his fist to Chen Mo: "I was unable to see that Brother was so amazing. I'm impressed."

"I should be admiring you instead." Chen Mo already could see that this fat man's identity was not simple. Even Elder Ding was a bit deferential.

The fat man chuckled, whispering: "Brother came to this banquet to imbue spirit, right?"

"En?"

"Perfect. I know a casting master who can imbue spirit. Brother, have you any interest in a meeting?"

"You know one?"

Chen Mo looked at the fat man, seriously feeling he could not judge by appearances.

1. 羅奎 ↩
2. 揀寶重樓 ↩
3. 番外星域 ↩
4. 阿蘭草原, not sure if this is supposed to be English transliteration, but I'll assume so for now. ↩