"I assure you, this bracelet is of superior quality, or perhaps even a top-tier magic tool...."

  "I've tested it myself. It can protect the soul, resist attacks from mind-affecting spells, and defend against the negative influences of low-level evil spirits."

  "It can also emit a divine glow that envelops your face, filtering out poisonous gases and the corruption of evil energies."

  "But the most important feature is that when you wear this bracelet, it boosts your cultivation speed."

  "When cultivating with this bracelet, it automatically filters and purifies the spirit qi, saving the time that would otherwise be spent converting it into spirit power."

  "Your cultivation level is the foundation of your cultivation path. With the same amount of time spent cultivating, you can convert more spirit power. This is of utmost importance for any cultivator, as I'm sure you all understand. I went through a great deal to obtain this item."

  Ye Chen, who had just pushed his way to the back of the crowd, had been casually listening to the description of the bracelet's functions at first. But when he heard that it could enhance cultivation speed, his eyes immediately brightened.

  Although Ye Chen was already at the fifth level of Qi Refining, he was still not satisfied with his cultivation speed. He longed for a faster way to improve. Despite consuming high-grade pills every day, he was at his limit. He never imagined there could be a treasure that could boost cultivation speed. This revelation instantly excited him.

  But what surprised Ye Chen even more was that the surrounding cultivators, who had been listening intently, seemed to be discussing the speed-boosting function as well. However, Ye Chen didn't see much interest on their faces. What was going on here? Logically speaking, anyone would be eager for a way to accelerate their cultivation.

  It didn't take long for Ye Chen to figure out the reason for his confusion.

  In the crowd, a burly man spoke with a half-smile, his tone seemingly casual: "How much does it increase the speed by?"

  At these words, the vendor's expression immediately grew awkward. It was obvious that these cultivators were not easily fooled.

  "I'm at the sixth level of Qi Refining," the vendor continued, "and with this bracelet, I can increase my cultivation speed by about 5 percent."

  Upon hearing this, many cultivators who had been intrigued, like Ye Chen, immediately showed disappointment.

  Ye Chen himself furrowed his brows slightly.

  That was only a five percent increase. It was indeed a bit low. After all, high-grade pills could boost cultivation speed by over forty percent.

  Ye Chen finally understood why so many cultivators seemed indifferent. A magic tool wasn't cheap, but what about pills? If this bracelet cost twenty or more middle-grade spirit stones, one could instead buy enough pills to last for decades. For most loose cultivators, spirit stones were precious. Spending decades' worth of pill money on a magic tool that only increased cultivation speed by five percent seemed a poor investment.

  Furthermore, the bracelet's purification of spirit qi was fixed. For someone at the sixth level of Qi Refining, it might offer a decent speed boost. But for a cultivator at the seventh level, the effect would be even less. When thinking about it this way, the value wasn't as great as it seemed. The cost-effectiveness was far too low. For the same price, one could buy a few more pills of higher quality.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  ...

  "So, how much is it?" A cultivator from the crowd asked, breaking the silence. "If it's cheap, I'll buy it for my daughter. It could still be useful in the early stages of Qi Refining."

  The vendor, sensing the growing disinterest, gritted his teeth and blurted out the price: "Twenty middle-grade spirit stones!"

  At once, the crowd erupted in shock.

  "Twenty middle-grade spirit stones? Are you crazy?"

  "If this were a top-tier robe, maybe it'd be worth it. Or a weapon, perhaps. But a bracelet? It just blocks poison and boosts cultivation speed a little. Who would spend so much for that?"

  "Forget it, I can't afford that."

  "Three middle-grade spirit stones. Take it or leave it!"

  The cultivators in the crowd began to openly mock the vendor.

  The vendor, now desperate, quickly defended himself, "I went to Green Cloud Shop first. They offered me ten middle-grade spirit stones for it! I just thought it was too low and didn't sell it. Stop causing trouble, you poor fools!"

  The crowd sneered, most of them walking away. For most cultivators, even ten middle-grade spirit stones was an astronomical sum. Even for late-stage cultivators, they might only manage a few middle-grade spirit stones in an entire year of hard work.

  Just as the crowd was dispersing, a muscular man stepped forward, a glint of interest in his eyes.

  "I'll offer eleven middle-grade spirit stones. This item seems interesting enough to study... where did you get it?"

  The vendor's eyes lit up at the offer. He eagerly responded, "I found it in the mountains, in a cave. I discovered it inside."

  At these words, the surrounding cultivators looked envious. Finding the relics of other cultivators in the mountains wasn't too rare. Every year, a few lucky ones stumbled across valuable items there. But for the vendor to have snagged eleven middle-grade spirit stones from this sale was definitely a big score.

  As for the muscular man being able to afford such a price, no one was surprised. He was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator and a renowned blacksmith in Silver Moon Market. It was expected that he could easily part with so many spirit stones. The crowd speculated that he was likely interested in studying how the magic tool purified spirit qi.

  The vendor, not quite ready to give up, turned back to the crowd and called out, "Eleven middle-grade spirit stones, anyone else interested? This is absolutely the only magic tool in Silver Moon Market that can enhance cultivation speed. Miss this chance, miss a lifetime opportunity! Not only can you use this bracelet, but it's perfect for children as well. If you ever build a family, it's the perfect tool to help your descendants cultivate!"

  He went on, emphasizing its quality. Even though its effect was rather underwhelming, the vendor still felt that selling it for eleven middle-grade spirit stones was a loss.

  At that moment, from the back of the crowd, a voice rang out. "Twelve middle-grade spirit stones."

  The crowd instinctively turned to see who had bid so high. When they caught sight of the figure, many of them showed a subtle expression.

  Others, unfamiliar with the young man, quickly recognized him once someone pointed him out. It was none other than Ye Chen, the most infamous simp in Silver Moon Market. He'd given countless treasures to female cultivators, earning him the disdain of nearly every male cultivator in the area. His actions made it far more difficult for the men to cultivate successfully with the female cultivators. He'd practically become a laughingstock.

  Now, seeing him bid on this magic tool, the crowd couldn't help but sneer. This fool was probably going to give the bracelet to some female cultivator, right? Twelve middle-grade spirit stones. With that many stones, it was clear that Ye Chen was highly favored in his family. But to spend them on such a subpar item? If any of these cultivators were the head of the Ye family, they would have personally beaten the boy to a pulp for wasting such wealth on a useless trinket.

  The vendor, however, was overjoyed at the bid. The blacksmith, on the other hand, furrowed his brow in hesitation. He cautiously upped his offer by half a stone.

  But when Ye Chen immediately matched it without a second thought, the blacksmith gave up and withdrew.

  In the end, with the vendor's bright grin and the surrounding cultivators' looks of disdain for what they considered a sucker's purchase, Ye Chen called the vendor over to his family shop to retrieve the payment, completing the deal.