I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

Without pausing, Wang Qinian responded with a smile, his tone carrying the familiarity and candor of a businessman:

"If Fellow Daoist Lin only needs a regular third-tier magic weapon, the Chamber of Commerce's warehouse still has some in stock for you to choose from."

"But if you're looking for top-quality or even the finest items, you'll need to place an order in advance, depending on when the master craftsmen in the guild will be available to start their furnaces. After all, good things always require a bit of fate and waiting."

Lin Che nodded slightly, but he already had a plan in mind.

He did not intend to reserve any ritual implements here.

He plans to use the power of the system to purchase a second-tier top-grade magic weapon to directly upgrade his rank.

The Lin family is currently in the eye of the storm, with countless eyes secretly watching them. If a high-level protective formation suddenly appears out of nowhere, it will inevitably arouse suspicion.

However, if it is just an upgrade of a personal magical artifact, the target is much smaller and less likely to attract attention.

What he truly desired were rare resources that could promote the advancement of spirit beast bloodlines.

Whether it was the Burning Heaven Sacred Sparrow that had followed him for many years, or the Azure Profound Realm Spirit.

If their bloodlines want to break through to a higher level, they need spiritual objects of the corresponding grade.

This is precisely the scarcest link in the Lin family's current distribution network.

Wang Qinian, who was slightly ahead, noticed Lin Che's calm expression, seemingly uninterested in the pre-ordered magical artifact. He naturally changed the subject and continued his introduction:

"Besides magical artifacts, the guild also keeps a variety of basic Tier 3 pills, spiritual herbs, minerals, and some good-quality spirit beast eggs, all from reliable sources."

"Oh, right,"

As if suddenly remembering, he added, "We also have some inherited items in stock, including notes and insights on alchemy and weapon crafting, and even some rubbings of cultivation manuals and supernatural techniques."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand and took out a warm, pale yellow jade slip, which he then handed over.

"Here is a list of various goods that the Chamber of Commerce has recently made available for sale, along with their reference prices. Fellow Daoist Lin may wish to take a look first. If there is anything that catches your eye, we can discuss it in more detail later."

"Thank you for your trouble." Lin Che accepted the jade slip, expressed his gratitude, and then sent a wisp of his divine sense into it.

The information inside the jade slip was categorized and presented in a dazzling array.

He quickly scanned the categories of spiritual materials and pills, looking for rare items that could enhance the bloodline of spirit beasts. Unfortunately, he only found some auxiliary materials and did not find any particularly suitable main materials.

Then, his attention turned to the area of ​​inheritance.

As expected.

Most of the cultivation techniques sold publicly are limited to the mortal and spiritual ranks; techniques above the earth rank are nowhere to be found. Clearly, the merchants regard them as their most valuable resources and will not easily show them to others.

There are some in the section on supernatural powers and secret techniques, but their quality is generally not high.

Most of them are low-grade supernatural abilities, with very few mid-grade ones, and they are priced quite high.

Given Lin Che's current perspective and aspirations, these things are indeed hard to appreciate.

He frowned slightly, shook his head gently, and withdrew his divine sense.

Seeing this, Wang Qinian, who had been observing his expression, couldn't help but smile, his tone knowing and slightly teasing:

"Look at my memory, I forgot that Fellow Daoist Lin has lofty aspirations, and ordinary things are probably not worthy of his attention."

He then changed the subject: "Fellow Daoist, have you heard that our Chamber of Commerce holds an auction every three years specifically for cultivators at the Golden Core stage or above? Judging by the dates, the next one is in half a month."

"The rare treasures and unique heirlooms that will appear then far surpass what is listed in this daily catalog. If you are interested, fellow Daoist, you might as well come and try your luck; perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised."

As the two were talking, they arrived at the door of a seemingly ordinary quiet room at the end of the third-floor corridor.

There was no plaque on the door, only fine and intricate patterns that flickered slightly like breathing.

"We've arrived. This is where Master Qin usually secludes himself to deduce formation diagrams and study formations."

Wang Qinian stopped and explained, "I just sent a message to inform you that a distinguished guest has arrived. The restrictions have been lifted now, so you should be free."

As soon as he finished speaking, the light from the array patterns flowing on the door faded, and the invisible barrier quietly disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, the heavy stone door slid open silently, revealing a crack.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, please." Wang Qinian stepped aside to gesture.

As the two stepped inside, the scene before them startled Lin Che slightly.

The interior space is much more spacious than it appears from the outside, clearly due to the use of a spatial expansion technique.

But rather than calling this a meditation room of a master of formations, it's more like a storage room.

On the ground, array diagrams of various materials and sizes were rolled up or spread out, covering almost every inch of open space.

Papers and jade pieces covered with calculation symbols and spirit patterns were scattered everywhere, some even piled up into small mountains.

The air was filled with a faint scent of spiritual ink and the peculiar smell of some kind of metal being ground.

The light comes from soft, self-rotating lighting arrays on the walls and ceiling, creating a busy yet chaotic academic atmosphere.

What surprised Lin Che the most was the small figure peeking out from behind the mountain of draft paper that was almost half-buried.

She was a petite woman, probably less than 1.5 meters tall.

Wearing a plain-colored robe that was obviously too big and stained with ink, he was squatting among the manuscript papers scattered on the floor with his back to the door.

Her black hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, with some frizzy stray hairs falling around her ears.

She was clutching a scroll of array diagrams in her hand, scratching her hair in frustration, and muttering to herself.

"...This node just isn't right!"

She suddenly let out a low, angry shout and raised her arm.

He threw the scroll far away; the scroll hit the wall with a thud and then slid down softly.

"I have to go out again, you old geezer, all you do is exploit me!"

Wang Qinian seemed quite used to this scene, his smile remaining unchanged, and he even spoke in a slightly coaxing tone:

"Master Qin, as you can see, our distinguished guest has arrived. Also, if I may remind you, you haven't paid for the materials needed for your research on the formation for over half a year. The accounting department has been chasing you for several times. If there's no income soon, the supply of materials next month might really have to be temporarily suspended."

The short figure suddenly turned his head.

He revealed a face that was still somewhat childish, yet slightly puffed up with dissatisfaction.

The eyes are round and bright.

He was glaring fiercely at Wang Qinian, gritting his teeth as he said:

"Damn it! Go! Fine, I'll go do the work, okay? All you do is threaten me with the materials!"

Lin Che's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Is this person in front of me really the formation master that Wang Qinian described as "the best within a thousand miles"?

This image and temperament are far removed from the ethereal, composed, and wise master he had envisioned.

He subconsciously looked at Wang Qinian, his eyes filled with obvious doubt and distrust.

Are you sure you haven't contacted the wrong person?

Is this person truly capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of setting up a protective formation for the Lin family?

Wang Qinian seemed to have received the message conveyed by Lin Che's gaze, but he still smiled calmly:

"Fellow Daoist Lin, do not judge a book by its cover. Master Qin's talent and skill in array formations are widely recognized within the guild."

"Her personality is... a bit unconventional, but her skills are absolutely top-notch, and she will definitely be able to meet your needs."

"You can continue your conversation. Specific details can be discussed directly with the master. I have some worldly matters to attend to, so please excuse me."

After saying that, he smiled at Lin Che with an apologetic yet encouraging expression.

Then he walked briskly out of the quiet room, closing the stone door behind him.

With a soft "click," only Lin Che and the short formation master, who was still in a huffing pose, remained in the room.

The two stared at each other, separated by the mess of drafts and array diagrams scattered on the ground, and the air was momentarily quiet.