When they reached the second floor, Jiu Shen and his two disciples saw a man in his late twenties standing guard at the entrance of the second floor. His short inky black hair was messy as if a vine that was left unattended for many years. He wasn't on the handsome side, but his face was finely chiseled that he looked like a valiant general who had gone through an uncountable number of wars. There was also an eye-catching scar that stretched from his forehead down to his left cheek, but it didn't make him look unsightly, in fact, it added a manly charm that enhanced his masculinity.
This man was wearing a set of black armor that looked even more imposing than the standard military armor of the imperial guards. Two swords were strapped on the man's back which formed an 'X' shape.
Looking at him, Lu Sulan and Can Ye were unable to discern his exact cultivation level, but after sensing his rigid and bloody aura, they knew that this man must have gone through hundreds of bitter wars, which made them look at the man in fear and respect.
"Ren Shuang greets master." The man who had his eyes shut tight moments ago immediately stood in attention and bowed respectfully at Jiu Shen.
Although Jiu Shen was surprised at Ren Shuang's sudden appearance, he managed to quickly calm himself down.
This guy should be someone that was reincarnated by the system, but looking at his fierce aura that is full of bloodshed, just what kind of world did he come from?
Jiu Shen thought to himself as he waved his right hand, producing a stream of invisible energy that wrapped around Ren Shuang, making him stand straight abruptly. "I'll get back to you later. Stay here and don't disturb us inside." Jiu Shen spoke as he patted Ren Shuang's shoulder before stepping inside the second floor.
Ren Shuang nodded his head respectfully and closed his eyes once more. He didn't even bother greeting Lu Sulan and Can Ye as if the two of them were unworthy of his attention, but the two didn't feel displeased about this since they can subtly feel that Ren Shuang was a strong expert that was possibly even stronger than Theia. Just the thought of it already made their hearts quiver.
Looking at the spacious second floor, it was no different than the store's first floor. Just that, there was a room at the far left with the word 'Refining Hall' written on the plaque right outside this room.
"System, what's that room for?" Jiu Shen asked the system with a thought.
- Ding!
- Host, that room is the Refining Hall. The Refining Hall is a perfect place for pill refining, array formation making, weapon crafting, etc.
Jiu Shen was pleasantly surprised at the system's words. With the help of that room, he can enhance his skills in pill refining, weapon crafting, etc. Although those are just auxiliary occupations, it will be a significant help to his growth if he could somehow manage to increase his skills in those fields.
Within the second floor, there were no longer any spiritual plants placed inside. However, there were several paintings on the wall that depicted different kinds of arts, each with its own beauty and charm.
"An Immortal's Painting? Interesting." Jiu Shen put on an intrigued look as he stared at the paintings on the wall. Although the paintings looked normal and plain, Jiu Shen can sense that each stroke on the paintings contained an Immortal's unique aura, so how could he not be surprised about this? Each of the paintings hid a deep secret that would be of great assistance to someone's cultivation if they managed to comprehend the meaning within. However, only those with discerning eyes would be able to see the peculiarity of these paintings. Furthermore, comprehending an Immortal Painting is too hard for those who haven't achieved godhood, so inside Jiu Shen's store, no matter how precious they were, they can only remain as ornaments that add more grandeur to his store...
Not long after, Lu Sulan and Can Ye glanced at the paintings with curious expressions. Although they could somehow feel an indistinct oddity on the paintings, they still couldn't pinpoint what is it, so they instantly lost interest after looking at them for a while.
Jiu Shen shook his head after seeing their reaction, but he wasn't disappointed by this since only those fated with the paintings can see through the secret behind them.
"Sulan, let's go inside the Refining Hall to start concocting the Crimson Astral Blaze Pill. Can Ye, you may go inside with your senior sister and watch me refine the pill." Jiu Shen said as he walked towards the Refining Hall. The Crimson Astral Blaze Pill was the pill that he had promised to concoct for Lu Sulan when he got the Frozen Cloud Glacier from her Ice Cloud Sword Sect.
The Crimson Astral Blaze Pill was a 9th-rank Pill that was mainly used to enhance a cultivator's comprehension of the element of fire. Besides, it can also enhance someone's physical body, remolding it with the fierce energy hidden inside the pill. That means, it was also a great tonic for body strengthening experts, but Jiu Shen planned to use it to awaken Lu Sulan's damaged Verdant Flames Saintly Vermilion Body.
After stepping inside the Refining Hall, the three of them felt the sudden change in the atmosphere. It was calming, serene, and tranquil, making them unconsciously forget the worries in their hearts to a certain degree.
Lu Sulan and Can Ye's expression became relaxed and calm as if they had forgotten that a dragon almost destroyed Beltran City just a while ago.
Jiu Shen frowned as he stared at an inconspicuous-looking crystal embedded on the wall. There were four such crystals inside the Refining Hall, each of which was embedded in different locations.
The crystal emitted a dull bluish light that made whoever sees them feel a gentle and soothing aura enveloping their whole body. These crystals were the reason why the Refining Hall's atmosphere was different outside.
"So that's why... It's actually the Heart Calming Bead..." Jiu Shen muttered to himself.