Xiaoyao Pavilion.

The sixty-year-old Shopkeeper Shi Yizhu swept away the gloom of not having become a Named Disciple of Shentu Yun.

When Yang Che arrived, he seemed even more enthusiastic than before, and there was even a hint of fawning in his expression.

This surprised Yang Che greatly.

"Zhang Daoist has come at just the right time. Shopkeeper Xia has instructed that if you arrive, I must notify her immediately. Please wait a moment."

Saying this, Shi Yizhu flashed past the counter and entered the inner room.

Upon entering the inner room, Shi Yizhu's expression immediately changed.

It was no longer enthusiasm and fawning, but hesitation and struggle, and even a hint of jealousy and hatred.

A cold, ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and Shi Yizhu finally took out two sound transmission Talismans, one after the other. After transmitting messages, he walked out of the inner room.

He put on an enthusiastic and fawning expression and brewed a cup of spirit tea for Yang Che.

Yang Che's expression was calm, but he couldn't help but feel suspicious in his heart.

He clearly remembered that when Shi Yizhu had previously transmitted a message to Shopkeeper Xia, he had done so directly in front of him.

So why did he have to go into the inner room this time, as if afraid he would see?

Yang Che pondered inwardly, showing no unusual expression on his face, his fingers gently tapping on the tabletop.

After about the time it takes to eat a meal, a female Cultivator in the Early Golden Core Stage, who looked ordinary and somewhat delicate, walked in.

"Senior Sister Xia."

As soon as Yang Che saw Shopkeeper Xia, he immediately stood up and cupped his hands in a respectful salute.

He believed that Shopkeeper Xia probably didn't know yet that he was Master Shentu Yun's Junior Brother, and his displayed cultivation was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, so he simply addressed her as Senior Sister to avoid trouble.

Shopkeeper Xia was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood, and a smile appeared on her face as she said, "I really didn't expect it. How long has it been, and you've actually become my Junior Brother."

The sixty-year-old man, Shi Yizhu, standing to the side, felt even more unpleasant in his heart upon seeing this scene, but he dared not show the slightest bit on his face.

Shopkeeper Xia seemed to be a very straightforward person. Without any extra nonsense, she directly took out five Advanced Low-grade Talismans and handed them to Yang Che, saying, "Junior Brother Zhang, these are the Advanced Low-grade Talismans you wanted. Now you also know that these Talismans were made by Master. Since you have also become Master's Named Disciple, then these full pattern star stones will be discounted by more than thirty percent for you."

Shopkeeper Xia calculated for a moment, then continued, "Originally, three thousand three hundred full pattern star stones, you only need to pay two thousand two hundred. You have already paid one thousand six hundred and fifty, so you just need to give me another five hundred and fifty."

Yang Che had not expected such a good thing, but after a second thought, he felt it was both unexpected and reasonable.

After receiving the five Advanced Talismans and giving Shopkeeper Xia five hundred and fifty full pattern star stones, Yang Che heard Shopkeeper Xia say again, "Junior Brother Zhang, if you need Advanced Talismans again in the future, you can directly pre-order them from Master."

Yang Che nodded. Seeing that Shopkeeper Xia was about to leave, he immediately stepped forward and whispered, "Senior Sister Xia, I would like to purchase a map to the 'Dark Demon Valley'. I wonder if Senior Sister has one here?"

"Going to the Dark Demon Valley?"

Shopkeeper Xia's expression changed slightly: "That is the most dangerous place within the Dark Abyss. Even Nascent Soul cultivators dare not enter it easily. I advise Junior Brother not to set your sights on the Dark Demon Valley."

Shi Yizhu, who was standing nearby, also changed color greatly and showed fear when he heard the words Dark Demon Valley.

But very quickly, a hint of joy, unnoticed by others, flashed in his eyes.

Yang Che cupped his hands and said, "If Senior Sister Xia has one, just sell me a copy."

A strange look flashed in Shopkeeper Xia's eyes, but after a slight deliberation, she still gave Yang Che a map Jade Slip and advised him again, "Junior Brother Zhang, I'll give you this map as a gift. However, the Dark Demon Valley is extremely dangerous. If you are just curious, it's fine to take a look at the periphery, but you absolutely must not enter it."

Receiving the map Jade Slip, Yang Che sincerely thanked her, "Thank you, Senior Sister. I will definitely keep it in mind and will not enter rashly."

Shopkeeper Xia nodded, gave Shi Yizhu a few instructions regarding matters within Xiaoyao Pavilion, and then left.

Yang Che had achieved his purpose for this trip, so he naturally stood up and bid farewell.

After Yang Che left, the sixty-year-old Shi Yizhu's eyes suddenly turned gloomy.

He quickly walked into the inner room and once again took out a sound transmission Talisman…

After Yang Che left Xiaoyao Pavilion, he did not immediately return to the old house. Instead, he began to stroll around Yuan Fang City.

Since he had decided to secretly infiltrate the Dark Demon Valley, he certainly had to make full preparations.

For Golden Core Stage Cultivators, since they have already begun to temper their Lifebound Treasure, most of them enter the Fang City to enhance their defenses or search for useful Materials.

For Yang Che, he naturally hoped to find some useful Materials.

Unconsciously, Yang Che once again came before the stall owner whom he had almost scared into paralysis with just a glance.

This stall owner, a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, was greatly alarmed when he saw Yang Che arrive. He immediately saluted with fear and trepidation, yet with immense respect, saying, "Senior, this Junior was blind last time. I hope Senior…"

Yang Che waved his hand, interrupting him, and said indifferently, "Do you have any dark-attributed Artifact Refining Materials here?"

In fact, he was just asking casually and didn't hold much hope.

After all, what rare Materials could a Foundation Establishment Stage stall owner possibly produce?

Unexpectedly, this Foundation Establishment Stage stall owner, after a moment of hesitation, immediately said, "This Junior has an item that is suspected to be dark-attributed, but it is kept elsewhere. Senior, please wait a moment, this Junior will go and retrieve it now."

Yang Che frowned, but still nodded.

The stall owner quickly left.

About a quarter of an hour later, the stall owner returned, and beside him was a young female Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage Early Phase.

This woman was very pure and lovely, tall and slender, wearing a well-tailored long water-green dress that revealed her fair neck, and a faint virgin fragrance emanated from her body.

"Senior, this is my younger sister. She was afraid I would be cheated, so she insisted on coming along." The stall owner, fearing Yang Che's displeasure, immediately introduced her cautiously.

Yang Che didn't care, he just asked indifferently, "Where is the item you mentioned?"

The stall owner immediately said to his sister, "Xiao Qian, quickly take it out."

The girl named Xiao Qian somewhat reluctantly took out the item.

She didn't understand why her brother was so afraid of a Cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

The stall owner snatched the item over and then respectfully handed it directly to Yang Che.

When the girl named Xiao Qian saw her brother acting like this, she pouted her rosy little mouth even more, showing a look of great dissatisfaction towards her brother.

The stall owner shook his head helplessly, the bitterness in his heart known only to himself.

And Yang Che, at the moment the pure girl took out the item, was suddenly startled, and then his gaze remained fixed on it.

It was actually a gray stone tablet!

It looked very similar to the stone tablet he had accidentally dug up near that mysterious underground ruin.

He now held it in his hand and examined it carefully.

Yang Che found that this stone tablet was only about half the size of the one he had obtained.

It was still incomplete at the top and bottom, but quite neat on the left and right.

Engraved on it were what appeared to be very ancient characters, symbols, and strange patterns, almost identical to his own stone tablet.

Yang Che's face remained calm and unruffled.

After holding the stone tablet and turning it over and over for a while, he frowned and asked, "What is this, and what is its use?"

Seeing that Yang Che also couldn't discern the origin of the item, the stall owner couldn't help but show a bitter smile and said:

"Senior, to be honest, this stone tablet was something my father fortunately obtained. Because my younger sister has some research into ancient texts, she can vaguely make out that the symbols on it seem to be a type of ancient script, but its meaning has never been deciphered. Therefore, it's useless to keep it. If it's useful to Senior, Senior can just take it."

"Brother, didn't we agree to sell it?"

Xiao Qian, standing by, really couldn't stand it anymore.

What was wrong with her usually shrewd brother?

"Xiao Qian, don't worry about it."

The stall owner suddenly said coldly to his sister.

Yang Che remained expressionless, his demeanor calm.

Seeing that the brother and sister were about to argue, regardless of whether they had planned it beforehand or if it was genuine emotion, he said indifferently, "Name your price."

Before the stall owner could speak, the pure and tall girl Xiao Qian immediately said, "One thousand full pattern star stones."

Upon hearing his sister's quoted price, the stall owner was instantly startled, his heart pounding wildly, his hands and feet trembling slightly.