Chapter 206: Controlled Cultivation Technique

Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Controlled Cultivation Technique

"Stop!" Jiang Xu cut the shopkeeper off. "I’m already at Foundation Establishment. What would I do with those useless, basic cultivation techniques? Do you have any advanced versions?"

"Foundation Establishment... So you’re a Foundation Establishment Senior!"

The shopkeeper jolted in alarm.

He couldn’t remember the last time a Foundation Establishment Senior had come to his shop to buy a cultivation technique.

But although his attitude grew more respectful and serious, his expression remained pained. He was clearly in a difficult spot.

"Senior, my shop only has the cultivation techniques I just mentioned. Oh, and a few for Demon Cultivators and Buddhist Cultivators. Would you perhaps be interested in..."

"Hold on, you run a shop that sells these, but you have nothing?" Jiang Xu felt his head spin. "Do you or do you not have a Wood Attribute Technique that can be cultivated to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection?"

The shopkeeper shook his head and answered honestly:

"No."

Judging by the shopkeeper’s expression, Jiang Xu figured he wouldn’t be getting anything more out of the man and had no choice but to change tactics.

"If you have no cultivation techniques, you must have magic, right?"

At this, the shopkeeper brightened up:

"Of course we have magic! What are you looking for? Concealing Breath Spell, Spiritual Eye Technique, Fireball Technique, Palm Thunder, Water Shield Technique..."

The shop did indeed have plenty of magic.

But Jiang Xu listened as the shopkeeper listed a dozen or so, and not a single one was what he needed. They were all Qi Cultivation-level magic.

"Listen," Jiang Xu cut in, his voice filled with impatience. "Are you messing with me?"

Cold sweat poured down the shopkeeper’s back. He had no idea what he had done to anger the man before him.

"Senior, I’m just a Junior Cultivator! How would I dare to mess with you? If I’ve offended you in some way, please, just tell me. I will offer my sincerest apologies!"

"Oh, come on. If you weren’t messing with me, why did you only list magic for the Qi Cultivation Stage? I’m at the Foundation Establishment Realm. You don’t mention a single piece of Foundation Establishment-level magic, and you still claim you’re not doing it on purpose?"

The shopkeeper let out a cry, finally understanding what was wrong. He hurriedly explained:

"Now I understand, Senior. It’s just that you’re not aware of how these things work, isn’t that right?"

"What things? Spit it out, don’t beat around the bush!" Jiang Xu’s patience wore thin.

"It’s not that I’m intentionally avoiding mentioning Foundation Establishment Realm Techniques and Cultivation Methods. It’s that this shop doesn’t carry them at all!"

"You don’t have them? In a marketplace this big, there isn’t a single piece of Foundation Establishment-level magic?"

"Uh, well, there are one or two Foundation Establishment Techniques, but they’re all support-types, and they’re extremely expensive." The shopkeeper hesitated before continuing, "Actually, it’s not just this marketplace. You won’t find any decent magic in the other marketplaces in Dinghai State either."

"How can that be? They’re not in any marketplace? You have to be lying!"

The shopkeeper smiled wryly:

"You think I want things to be this way, Senior? If it weren’t for this, my shop wouldn’t be so small. It might not be a large one, but it would at least be medium-sized."

"Just think about it, Senior. Who actually comes to the Marketplace to buy magic and cultivation techniques?"

Jiang Xu had never really considered the question.

Now that the shopkeeper had posed the question, he was stunned into silence.

"You’ve probably figured it out by now."

"That’s right. Sect Disciples have no need to come here to buy magic or cultivation techniques. They can simply trade for them within their Sect or are given access to them directly once they meet the requirements. Why would they go to all the trouble of coming here?"

"So, it’s only members of lesser Cultivation Clans and Loose Cultivators who come here to buy these things. And those people are usually just at the Qi Cultivation Realm, so what I sell is more than enough for them."

After hearing all this, Jiang Xu sensed that something was off:

"So you stock your inventory based on demand? But surely there are cultivators who reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, or others who want to plan ahead and buy the necessary cultivation methods and magic early. If the market exists, why don’t you sell to them?"

Seeing how persistent Jiang Xu was, the shopkeeper felt he had no choice. He gritted his teeth and told him the truth:

"Fine. Since you’re so determined to know the truth, Senior, I suppose it’s no longer right for me to keep it from you!"

"The truth is, I’m just an ordinary Third-class Shopkeeper for the Duo Bao Pavilion. I don’t have much authority. This shop is run entirely according to the directives from my superiors."

"The reason this shop is stocked only with basic cultivation techniques is that it’s what my superiors have mandated."

"Although most Loose Cultivators struggle to even reach the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage, there will always be a few exceptionally talented ones who get lucky and break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm."

"Once a Loose Cultivator achieves Foundation Establishment, it’s a completely different story. Since they are lone wolves with no fixed residence, if they decide to target Sect Disciples, they can commit a crime and flee a thousand miles away. Even the Major Sects would have trouble catching them."

"And once these cultivators obtain higher-level cultivation techniques, they will want to advance to even higher realms. As a result, the required cultivation resources would crush these Loose Cultivators who have no stable source of income."

"With their path of cultivation on the line, they can’t resist the temptation. They’ll only think about how to earn Spirit Stones faster, and naturally, they’ll set their sights on those wealthy Sect Disciples."

"Therefore, higher-level cultivation techniques are naturally controlled by the major sects and cannot be easily circulated. Ordinary cultivation techniques don’t matter, but for those High Grade ones, if you want to learn them, you must make a Heart Demon Oath not to pass them on."

"By the same token, magic for the Foundation Establishment Realm is just like the cultivation techniques. But unlike cultivation techniques, magic can directly threaten the lives of elite Sect Disciples."

"If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator uses an ordinary Tier One Technique, then even if an elite disciple from a Major Sect can’t win, they still have some hope of escaping."

"But if it’s a Tier Two Technique, escape becomes a vain hope. They’re almost certain to die."

After listening to the shopkeeper’s long explanation, Jiang Xu finally understood.

’So it’s just like my past life.’

’Basic cultivation techniques are like baseball bats, frying pans, or stun batons. They can do some damage, but they aren’t regulated.’

’But higher-level cultivation methods and magic are like handguns, crossbows, and other controlled weapons—they’re truly lethal.’

’To the Major Sects, Loose Cultivators are like common street thugs, while Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators are the equivalent of an organized crime syndicate.’

Jiang Xu could finally understand the reasoning behind the current situation. But understanding was one thing... ’Doesn’t this mean my plans are completely ruined?’

"So if you don’t have them, where can I get them? Do I really have to join a Sect just to get my hands on them?"