Chapter Seventy-Seven: Selling the Spiritual Armor

Unnoticed, the sun had set in the west, and the scorching white sun gradually transformed into a golden hue. The entire Donglai Spirit Island seemed draped in a thin veil of gold, adding a touch of mystery to its appearance.

As dusk deepened, some fishing boats that had set sail in the morning began to return from the waters near the island. Warriors disembarked to stretch their legs on the docks. Cultivators clad in spirit armor and carrying spirit swords, who had gone to hunt sea demons among the nearby reefs, also returned by boat—most wore disappointed expressions, evidently coming back empty-handed, while a rare few beamed with satisfaction, clearly having made a bountiful catch.

Ye Mo emerged from a small artifact workshop, a faint weariness etched between his brows. After spending the entire day, he had visited almost every workshop in the village but still had not found a way to earn more spirit stones.

Whether it was forging, alchemy, or other crafts, these were all highly technical professions—without experience, it was nearly impossible to get started. Lacking any background, he could only begin as a junior assistant in alchemy, artifact forging, talisman making, or beast taming, positions that paid just one spirit stone a month, and it would take three to five years of hard work just to become a true apprentice.

The main street of Donglai Immortal Village began to bustle. The cultivators who had returned from hunting sea demons at sea, as well as those who had been busy in the village all day, were now at leisure. The number of street stalls increased, their hawkers calling out their wares.

“It seems impossible to earn enough spirit stones in a short time within the village. There’s only one option left,” Ye Mo muttered to himself, touching the golden armor in his bundle with some reluctance.

This spirit armor, forged from the carapace of a juvenile demon crab, was rather crudely made, but as spirit armor, it could still fetch a few spirit stones. He had hesitated to part with it before, but with no other options, he had no choice but to sell it.

“I’ll sell the spirit armor first. Then, Mo Ling, Wang Hu, Yang You, Gao Jian, Huang Yi, and Tu Nu—all five guards—can each break through to the Nascent Soul stage. Once they’ve cultivated their Nascent Souls, they can earn their own spirit stones. If I can train Wang Hu and Yang You as artifact forging apprentices—or even full-fledged forgers—the help they could provide would be immense,” Ye Mo calculated rapidly.

His goal was to become a city lord-level cultivator. He would need many cultivators at his side, including artifact forgers and alchemists—so the sooner Wang Hu and the others became cultivators, the better.

With these thoughts, Ye Mo carried the golden armor into the lively street market, looking for a stall to sell it. He avoided the big shops—those places were too high-end, and their proprietors wouldn’t be interested in such a crude piece.

“This is crab armor made from golden demon crab shell, isn’t it? What a pity—the material isn’t sturdy enough, only able to withstand less than a thousand pounds of force. It must be from a juvenile crab. And the workmanship is far too rough, which means it doesn’t even qualify as a true spirit-grade armor. Even if I took it, who knows when I’d be able to sell it? Proper cultivators wouldn’t use such a low-tier piece, and as for warriors, they don’t even have spirit stones to spare!” the stall owner, who traded in armor, said as he examined the armor, shaking his head.

He belittled the armor, yet he did not return it and continued holding it.

“Even if it’s not ranked, it’s still spirit armor. Name your price,” Ye Mo replied with a cold smile. He’d seen this haggling tactic often enough—having grown up in the city’s markets, he was more than familiar with such tricks and would not be fooled.

“All right, since you’re set on selling, I’ll do you a favor. One spirit stone—I’ll take it. How’s that?” the vendor said, weighing the armor in his hands.

“That’s a rip-off. One spirit stone? Then why sell it at all?” Ye Mo frowned, reached out to reclaim the golden armor, and stood to leave.

“No need to rush, friend! If that’s not enough, make me a counter-offer. That’s how business is done—we can negotiate a price!” the stall keeper called after him, flustered.

“No need. I’ll ask elsewhere,” Ye Mo replied without looking back.

He knew the market well enough. A first-tier spirit tool with five elements could fetch a hundred spirit stones, and even a damaged one was worth ten. This ungraded demon crab armor was certainly worth more than a single spirit stone.

“Hey, friend, don’t go! Two spirit stones, is that fair?” the vendor called after him desperately.

Ye Mo kept walking, asking around at other stalls. Finally, he found one owner willing to buy the crab armor for five spirit stones—the highest offer he was likely to get in the market. If he wanted more, he’d have to set up his own stall, but he simply didn’t have the time. Besides, even if he did, there was no guarantee he could sell it quickly; for most cultivators, this armor was of little practical use. Only those truly desperate for spirit stones might consider buying it.

Having sold the demon crab armor for five spirit stones, Ye Mo bought five Vitality Pills. As he was about to leave the market, he caught sight of a familiar figure.

“Mo Ling, what are you doing here?” Ye Mo asked in surprise.

“I just came from the other street, on my way back to the ship. Ye, you… sold the spirit armor?” Mo Ling asked, noting his empty bundle and looking conflicted.

She knew the origin of the golden armor well. To other cultivators, it might not mean much, but for Ye Mo, it held special significance. It was this very armor that had helped him survive the most perilous days on the deserted island.

“I sold it. There’s no real danger in Donglai Immortal Village, so the armor wasn’t of much use. I exchanged it for five Vitality Pills—one for each of you: you, Wang Hu, Yang You, Gao Jian, and Huang Yi. This way, you can all reach Nascent Soul and become cultivators as soon as possible,” Ye Mo replied with a smile.

“That’s not necessary! I ran into my grandfather in the village this morning. He’s already given me a Vitality Pill. Once I reach the peak of the ninth Qi Refinement layer, I’ll be able to take it,” Mo Ling said, clearly moved.

“Really? You found Elder Mo? He’s in the village?” Ye Mo was startled.

“Yes, but he’s injured and recovering at an inn—he’s sleeping right now,” Mo Ling replied, a hint of worry on her face.

“In that case, I won’t disturb him for now. Will you stay at the inn with Elder Mo, or return to the ship?” Ye Mo asked after a moment’s thought.

“I’ll come back to the ship first,” Mo Ling decided.

Ye Mo and Mo Ling returned to the ship. Soon, the deputy shipmaster, Chang Fei, came to report: over a hundred warriors had already left, seeking their own fortunes.

“Immortal Master! The poison master Lin Zhi took his dozen followers and left. I heard a cultivator admired his skills and recruited him as a poison-making apprentice. Some other warriors didn’t want to stay on the ship and went into the village to look for menial work,” Chang Fei summarized after his detailed report.

“The poison master is gone?” Ye Mo felt a pang of regret. He didn’t mind losing ordinary warriors, but Lin Zhi’s talent was truly exceptional—his departure was a real loss.

“We can’t keep hundreds of warriors idling on the ship forever. They’ll have to seek their own immortal fate—there’s only so much I can do. Apart from the necessary crew, I plan to dismiss the rest. Chang Fei, call Wang Hu and Yang You here,” Ye Mo said seriously after a moment’s thought.

“Yes, I’ll see to it right away!” Chang Fei didn’t ask any questions; he had expected this moment would come.

In Ye Mo’s cabin on the second deck, he sat facing Wang Hu and Yang You.

“We’ve known each other the longest. Back on that deserted island, we survived together through thick and thin. Now, with things so uncertain on the ship, I’ve decided to dismiss the warriors. What are your plans? If you choose to make your own way in the village, I’ll give you a handsome sum of gold and silver,” Ye Mo said, seated in his chair.

“Ye, what are you saying? Back on the island, you saved our lives—without you, we’d have died long ago. I swore then to follow you. My life is yours, Ye. Wherever you go, I go!” Wang Hu exclaimed, falling to one knee.

“I feel the same as my senior brother,” Yang You echoed, kneeling as well with firm conviction.

“Get up,” Ye Mo quickly helped them to their feet. “I haven’t found a path forward in this village, so I wasn’t sure if you’d want to keep following me—that’s why I asked. Since you do, I won’t let you down. I sold the golden armor and got several Vitality Pills—for each of you, one apiece.”

With that, he took out a small bottle, poured two pills the size of longan fruit into his palm, and an intense fragrance of spiritual energy filled the room.

Wang Hu and Yang You stared wide-eyed at the pills, swallowing involuntarily. These were the coveted treasures that allowed mortals to leap the dragon gate and become immortals.

“Ye, these… these are for us?” Wang Hu asked, his voice trembling with excitement.

Vitality Pills—the dream of countless warriors. The two brothers had left their family’s smithy to seek immortal fortune on Donglai Spirit Island, dreaming of becoming immortals, though it always seemed a distant fantasy. They never imagined they’d have a real chance.

After all, their own foundations were weak—they were but ordinary warriors.

“We’ve been through hardship together. If you choose to follow me, I won’t treat you poorly. These two pills are yours—use them to reach Nascent Soul. But your cultivation is still low: train until you reach the peak of the ninth Qi Refinement layer, then take the pill. You’ll become true cultivators and no longer be mere mortal warriors,” Ye Mo explained.

“Ye, we can only repay your kindness with our lives. But these pills are too precious—let us return them to you for safekeeping. With our weak cultivation, it isn’t safe to carry such treasures,” Yang You said, deeply moved.