"Master Ding, could you please take a look at this? Although I believe it might be a thousand-year-old medicinal herb, I'm not entirely certain. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could verify its age." The storekeeper spoke with a humble tone and then handed over the silk box. "Thousand-year-old herb?" Master Ding found it hard to believe, yet still accepted the box. "Please take a close look! Is it truly a thousand-year-old Huangjing Zhi?" The storekeeper, excited yet slightly hurried, urged. Master Ding said nothing at first, merely narrowed his eyes, intently observing the shape, color, and even the texture of the herb inside, occasionally placing the box to his nose and lightly inhaling several times. Since the herb had been cultivated entirely by Han Li, he naturally had a clear sense of whether it was indeed a thousand-year-old medicinal plant. Thus, he remained calm and composed, sitting quietly by the side, paying no attention to Master Ding's actions. His focus was solely on how to negotiate the price with Wan Bao Building. In contrast to Han Li, Tian Zheng kept a steady gaze on the elder's every movement, no longer displaying the composed calm he had shown when first meeting him. Instead, his face now bore a complex mix of anticipation, anxiety, and uncertainty. Finally, Ding Old gently placed the box on the table, then stroked his beard and closed his eyes, meditating for a while before opening them again and speaking with calm confidence: "Congratulations, Master Tian. This is indeed a Huangjing Zhi over a thousand years old—no doubt about it. Moreover, it's a top-tier thousand-year-old herb, freshly unearthed and still retaining its full potency. I can personally guarantee that!" Upon hearing this, Tian Zheng's face lit up with joy. He then respectfully escorted the elder down the stairs and, with great enthusiasm, picked up the box containing the spirit herbs, carefully reviewing it several times. "Master Tian, don't you think it's time we discussed the terms of our transaction?" Han Li, noticing that his counterpart seemed to have completely forgotten the herb's owner still seated nearby, gently reminded him. "Oh... ah!" "...I must indeed be quite at a loss; I hope Brother Li will forgive me!" The field manager was slightly taken aback, only then realizing that this herb still did not belong to Wanbao Pavilion, and his cheeks flushed gently. "Heh, that's quite all right! However, I'd like to know how you intend to settle the transaction. Given how much you appreciate this item, I'm sure you won't let me down!" Han Li smiled lightly, gently pressing the matter. At this moment, the field manager regained his composure, placed the item back on the table, and said: "Since Brother Li has managed to bring forth this thousand-year-old herb, he must surely be no ordinary cultivator. Then I won't need to resort to the usual business tactics of deceiving you. I'll simply offer you a fair price!" He paused briefly, then continued in a sincere tone: "This herb may be exchanged for any two of the boxes I've shown you, or it may be traded for the item contained in the final box alone. Should neither of these prove satisfactory, then Wanbao Pavilion is willing to offer you the finest stones we have." "Let me purchase the spirit herb outright. Brother Li, what do you think?" Han Li sensed the sincerity in the other's words. After mentally weighing the offer several times, he found the price reasonable—within his own limits—and thus quietly inclined toward agreement. Still, before finalizing the deal, he wanted to know exactly what was inside the final silk box. But before Han Li could speak, the store manager, showing good judgment, had already lifted the lid of the box and placed it gently in front of him, smiling warmly, "What's inside this box is our store's prized treasure. It all depends on whether you know what to look for!" Han Li's curiosity was piqued. As he glanced inside, he was instantly stunned—there lay a single scroll, vividly depicting a golden long brick, glowing with a bright, lifelike radiance. Upon examining this item closely, Han Li's thoughts raced. He immediately recalled his own scroll, which featured a small gray sword. Could this be the same kind of item? "An artifact of script and charm?" Han Li exhaled deeply, then asked hesitantly. Tan looked at Han Li with some surprise, thinking this was not something that required secrecy—merely that fewer people were aware of it. It didn’t warrant any inconvenience to their current major client, so he readily agreed and clearly explained everything about the "Ji Bao." However, cultivators before the Foundation Stage lacked the technique of essence refinement; when using scroll or artifact items, they could only unleash about one-tenth to one-fifth of their potential, which seemed only marginally superior to top-tier implements. After reaching the Foundation Stage, cultivators could employ mental essence refinement, fully harnessing the power of their scroll or artifact items—though the resulting power might not match the awe-inspiring, earth-shaking might of true master artifacts, it was still sufficient to surpass all other implements. Thus, from the Foundation Stage onward, every cultivator aspired to possess a scroll or artifact, gaining a decisive advantage in combat and enabling them to look down upon others. While the power of a scroll or artifact was impressive, its use continuously consumed the inner essence power of the artifact. Once that essence was depleted, the scroll or artifact became completely ineffective. Therefore, mastering the regulation of the artifact's power became a matter of no small importance. Moreover, the creation of a scroll or artifact was far from a simple task. Since divine artifacts were originally crafted only for cultivators at the Condensation Stage, they were not only scarce but also required constant refinement throughout the day and night within the cultivator's true energy to enhance their power. They were rarely displayed, let alone used to create "spirit-artifact seals." In fact, producing a "spirit-artifact seal" was a self-sacrificing act—each time such a seal was created, the master of the artifact had to undergo prolonged re-refinement to restore its original power, a classic example of benefiting others at the expense of oneself. Therefore, it was uncommon for any cultivator at the Condensation Stage or above to undertake such a seemingly foolish endeavor. Yet, as the saying goes, "life is unpredictable." In the years leading up to their final moments, most high-level cultivators would enthusiastically and vigorously pursue the creation of these "spirit-artifact seals," all in order to leave a substantial legacy for their descendants or successors. To be aware that a divine artifact inherited from ancestors, after undergoing prolonged refinement and then passed on to a new owner, will never achieve complete harmony between the owner's spirit and the artifact's essence. As a result, the original power of the artifact will diminish by half, and the new owner must themselves attain the stage of Consolidated Dan to fully harness it. Otherwise, they will merely watch helplessly, unable to utilize even a fraction of its capabilities. Thus, compared to preserving the original artifacts intact, crafting "symbolic artifacts" proves far more suitable for their descendants. However, the process of crafting "symbolic artifacts" comes with several limitations. First, each "symbolic artifact" can only seal a maximum of one-tenth of the original artifact's power—only reducing it, never enhancing it. Consequently, even when crafted from the same original artifact, the resulting "symbolic artifacts" exhibit varying degrees of power, each unique in its own way. Second, the process of crafting such artifacts not only reduces the artifact's power but also significantly depletes the spiritual energy of the artifact's owner. Therefore, a continuous practice of crafting "symbolic artifacts" is simply unattainable. Each time a treasure artifact is forged, the master of the artifact must rest for three to five years to restore their vital energy. Even under ideal conditions—when they do not waste their true essence and have no intention of re-quenching the artifact—the recovery period remains substantial, and it can be even longer if they do. As a result, a common scene in the immortal realm unfolds: when a high-level cultivator nears the end of their life, after preparing for their transition, the most valuable legacy they leave behind is often a significantly weakened artifact, along with several sealed "symbolic artifacts" of comparable power. It is truly a matter of considerable regret!