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Chapter 34: ……
This protective magic tool had the appearance of a heart-guarding mirror. Apart from a few small notches, its overall structure was in good condition. However, there was a large groove behind the mirror, empty except for a gap.
The first cultivator who unearthed this heart-guarding mirror at some ruins attempted to refine it but failed to do so. He believed that the groove should be filled with spirit stones to serve as the source of the mirror's power. However, no matter what type of spirit stone he used, he couldn't activate the magic tool.
This heart-guarding mirror changed hands several times but remained unusable. Eventually, it ended up on a vendor's stall in the ghost market, considered a piece of scrap.
In the ghost market, many magic tools had intact exteriors but were damaged internally, rendering them unusable. As such, the vendor sold it to Meng Zhang at a slightly higher price than scrap value.
In the knowledge of crafting that Meng Zhang obtained in the Trial Ground, there was information about this magic tool. It was called the Billowing Sea Mirror, and its crafting method originated from the East Sea. It was unclear how one ended up in the Endless Sea of Sand.
The groove behind the mirror should not be filled solely with spirit stones, but with a mixture of sea blue stones and water-system spirit stones.
After obtaining the magic tool, Meng Zhang went to the Flying Swan Building first, but it was in vain. Since the sea blue stones were rare and produced only near the sea, which was tens of thousands of miles away from the Endless Sea of Sand, they were almost never used in this area.
Eventually, Meng Zhang found luck at the Four Seas Building. There was a steward who came from another region and happened to have two pieces of sea blue stones in his storage bag. Meng Zhang purchased them at a high price and placed an order for more sea blue stones, as they were consumables.
Since the distance between the Endless Sea of Sand and the sea was vast, the sea blue stones were quite expensive, and Meng Zhang felt like he had hit the jackpot. However, when considering the cost of the sea blue stones, he realized that his investment in this magic tool was not small.
Back in his inn, Meng Zhang mixed the two sea blue stones with a water-system spirit stone in a special way and placed them in the groove behind the mirror. Refining this magic tool was effortless and required very little effort.
After refining, Meng Zhang only needed to gently activate it, and the Billowing Sea Mirror would release a layer of sea blue light, providing complete protection to his entire body.
Meng Zhang had Wang Jia and his son attack him, but even with their full strength, they couldn't create the slightest ripple on the protective layer.
Satisfied with the defensive power of the Billowing Sea Mirror, Meng Zhang felt that he hadn't made a loss in acquiring it.
The next day, early in the morning, Meng Zhang and his party arrived at the gate of Singing Sand City. The pre-arranged caravan also arrived around the same time.
The caravan consisted of twelve humped sand lizard beasts that were easy to tame, had gentle temperaments, and were easy to care for. They were generally found in deserts and well-adapted to the climate and terrain of the area.
Each adult humped sand lizard beast had a body length of over ten zhang and a width of over one zhang. Their backs were a vast, flat space where simple bamboo and wooden structures were built. These structures could carry both cargo and passengers.
In the Endless Sea of Sand, humped sand lizard beasts were often used to transport bulk materials at low prices. The owner of the caravan, Lao Bulu, came from a family with ties to the Flying Swan Sect, making his family an external force related to the sect.
Flying Swan Sect was the dominant force in the region, but not everyone associated with the sect could rule and dominate outside; not everyone was showered with wealth from the heavens. In Flying Swan Sect, there were countless disciples who were less fortunate and fallen, let alone the peripheral forces of the sect. Members of these forces had to work hard to have a good life.
Lao Bulu was hardworking, diligent, and able to endure hardships, which had led him to achieve some success over the years.
Located over a thousand li north of Taiyi Sect, there was a massive white hidden earth mine belonging to the Flying Swan Sect. This mineral was essential in refining most magic tools and had special uses for cultivators of the Flying Swan Sect.
White hidden earth was not extremely rare, and its mining was not difficult. It was relatively cheap, with one low-grade spirit stone being enough to buy 10-20 jin of it. It was a bulk commodity with a high demand on the market.
Transporting white hidden earth from the mine was typically done on the ground since using a flying vessel would not be cost-effective. Due to the difficulty and inconvenience, Flying Swan Sect often outsourced the transportation to various caravans.
Lao Bulu, with some connections within Flying Swan Sect, took on this job and was now transporting supplies to the white hidden earth mine and returning with a full load of the mineral.
Businessmen were meticulous and efficient, so the caravan was not fully loaded on the way to the mine. It would take up extra transportation tasks along the way to avoid wasting carrying capacity and resources.
Humped sand lizard beasts were big eaters, and feeding them well came at a considerable cost. So, having a client like Meng Zhang and his cargo was a big help for Lao Bulu. Without this deal, the caravan would have had to transport a significant amount of goods and gradually sell them along the way, which would not only waste a lot of time but also increase risks. For a customer who came to them, Lao Bulu was very welcoming. He not only had some connections with Flying Swan Sect but also had a cultivation base of Refining Qi Ninth Layer in his fifties, making him not particularly concerned about a young person like Meng Zhang from a small sect.
Whether it was in his nature as a businessman or his genuine personality, Lao Bulu personally received Meng Zhang and was very approachable, developing a friendly relationship with him.
After Meng Zhang's purchased servants were placed on the backs of the humped sand lizard beasts and the cargo was loaded, Wang Jia and his son were arranged to take care of the mortal servants during the journey.
Meng Zhang rode on his Wind Chasing Horse and set off with the caravan.
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