Immortal Refiner

Before long, the trade fair—which Li Qing suspected might be some kind of pyramid scheme—began. He remained silent, quietly observing everything that transpired.

The Eternal Flame Lamp flickered erratically in the dimly lit chamber. From a shadowy corner, a voice spoke.

”Fellow Daoist Radiant Light, what progress have you made on the Heavenly Star Grass I commissioned you to collect last month?”

The voice sounded feminine, but Li Qing dared not assume the speaker’s gender. This trade fair clearly prioritized secrecy, and seated on cushions warded by Restrictions, it was impossible to discern anyone’s true identity.

This trade fair is far more sophisticated than I initially imagined, Li Qing mused inwardly.

Heavenly Star Grass was a rare and valuable spiritual herb with stringent growth requirements. Beyond abundant spiritual energy, it also needed to be bathed in starlight each night.

This herb possessed remarkable restorative properties for a cultivator’s divine soul. Prolonged consumption could substantially strengthen one’s soul far beyond that of peers at the same cultivation stage.

Moreover, Heavenly Star Grass had other remarkable applications. When refined into pills, it could rapidly replenish depleted divine sense.

Cultivators specializing in the divine soul and spiritual sense could rapidly regain their combat prowess by consuming such a pill when their spiritual sense was depleted during battle.

Radiant Light, a cultivator present, spoke up. ”That place is difficult to penetrate. I’ve only managed to gather three stalks of Heavenly Star Grass so far. If you’re in a hurry, I can trade them all to you now.”

Without hesitation, the female cultivator who needed the Heavenly Star Grass replied, ”No problem!”

Apart from these two, the other cultivators also began trading among themselves.

”Fellow Daoist Brahma Dragon, the information you provided last time was very useful. I hope you can continue gathering such intelligence.”

”I recall someone mentioning they needed a pill to extend their lifespan. I’ve gathered some leads on this. There’s a chance I can acquire a Longevity Pill refined from two-hundred-year-old Earth Yellow Essence!”

”...”

Li Qing, who had remained silent, grew increasingly astonished as he listened. The items being traded were not only diverse but also of remarkably high value. Heavenly Star Grass and lifespan-extending pills—items that would cause a sensation in the outside world—were being bartered here as commonplace goods.

Moreover, Li Qing noticed that even intelligence itself was a tradable commodity, a practice everyone seemed accustomed to.

Clearly, obtaining secret intelligence in advance was highly valued by many cultivators, as it could give them a crucial advantage in upcoming major events.

After listening for a while, Li Qing quickly realized that the initial discussions at the trade fair mostly revolved around the transactions from the previous session.

Although Li Qing didn’t know how frequently the trade fair convened, he sensed the intervals were short, which he found somewhat alarming.

The items being traded were mostly either incredibly valuable or exceptionally rare spiritual objects.

Yet the fact that these transactions could be completed within a month seemed almost absurdly efficient.

As he listened to the conversations, Li Qing’s mind began to stir. Perhaps he could find suitable spirit wood or seeds here.

However, he remained patient, quietly absorbing the details of their trades.

Another thought lingered in his mind: why would the Foundation Establishment cultivator hosting this trade fair establish such a secretive organization? What benefits could they possibly derive from it?

With this question in mind, Li Qing couldn’t help but glance behind the Eternal Flame Lamp at the shadowy figure concealed in the dimness, maintaining his vigilance and caution, unwilling to lower his guard.

After a while, the first part of the trade fair finally concluded. The cultivators who had achieved their goals were visibly pleased, their voices lighter and more cheerful.

The second part of the clandestine trade fair involved stating one’s needs.

The female cultivator who collected Heavenly Star Grass spoke softly, ”As before, I still need Heavenly Star Grass—the more, the better. I can pay with Spirit Stones, but I’m also open to bartering.”

She seems quite wealthy! Li Qing thought, impressed that she planned to purchase such a precious spiritual herb long-term. He raised an eyebrow and secretly memorized her voice. She’s quite affluent! I should consider doing more business with her in the future!

”I need Essence Fusion Fruit or a Crystal Core from a Second-Tier demonic beast. A Foundation Establishment Pill would also do.”

The voice sounded sickly and listless, as if the speaker had no interest in anything but Foundation Establishment Pills.

However, the reaction of the other cultivators at the trade fair wasn’t entirely unexpected. Everyone remained silent for a long moment.

It was clear that even here, Foundation Establishment Pills remained exceedingly rare—strategic resources that would never become commonplace.

After a long silence, the other cultivators gradually began to voice their needs.

”I need a high-grade, gold-attribute offensive Magic Artifact!”

”Selling various Qi Refining Realm pills to enhance mana.”

”I want...”

Amidst the clamor of requests, Li Qing finally spoke up, clearing his throat. ”Ahem, everyone, I’m looking for spirit wood that’s between fifty and a hundred years old. The species doesn’t matter—any kind of spirit wood will do. I can pay with Spirit Stones.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Qing could clearly sense scrutinizing gazes sweeping over him. Fortunately, the cushion provided a decent barrier, giving him a sense of security.

No one responded. Spirit wood was notoriously difficult to acquire, either growing in perilous Forbidden Lands or being cultivated by other cultivation clans within their guarded estates. Neither source was easily accessible.

Li Qing added, ”Of course, spirit wood seeds would also be acceptable.”

Finally, someone replied, ”Any kind of spirit wood seeds?”

”Exactly! As long as they’re viable and capable of growing into living spirit wood, the variety doesn’t matter at all,” Li Qing replied eagerly, his heart quickening with anticipation.

”I can bring it to the next trade fair.”

Hearing this, Li Qing’s joy deepened. After searching so long for spirit wood, he finally had a lead!

”Then I’ll eagerly await the good news!”

Although it was just a seed, Li Qing didn’t mind planting it himself. He could simply wait patiently for it to mature.

Fortunately, he had mastered the Sealing Wood Technique, ensuring he wouldn’t be forced to abandon the growing spirit wood prematurely, potentially missing out on the treasure.

Next, Ye Feng began purchasing materials for crafting talismans, focusing primarily on demon beast hides. His eagerness to improve his talisman artistry was evident.

He then sold several Mid-Grade First-Tier talismans, his tone tinged with reluctance. Clearly, given his current skill level, producing talismans of this grade still resulted in losses.

The spirit stones he earned from the sales might not even cover his production costs!

Finally, the trading portion of the trade fair drew to a close.

Just as Li Qing thought the event was officially over, the Foundation Establishment Realm elder chuckled softly. ”Heh heh, everyone can begin now. Feel free to share any news or intelligence you may have.”

Is this going to be a tea party?!

Li Qing perked up instantly, realizing they were planning an open discussion he could listen in on.

But would anyone actually reveal sensitive information in such a setting?

Before long, someone volunteered to share their observations:

”The culprits behind the attack on the Heavenly River Sect’s Spirit Stone Mine have yet to be apprehended. The sect’s higher-ups are furious and are considering reopening the mine for excavation. They’re also working tirelessly to repair the mine’s Grand Formation.”

Could this person be a disciple of the Heavenly River Sect?!

How else would they know such internal details? This was information ordinary people couldn’t access.

Li Qing’s heart tightened slightly. He realized the composition of this trade fair’s participants was far more diverse and complex than he had initially thought.

”The news about the opening of Daoist Ling Miao’s cave abode was likely leaked intentionally.”

What did that mean? Was someone using the Lingmiao Cave Abode as bait to lure unsuspecting victims into a trap?

Li Qing’s mind raced through countless scenarios. If the earlier report was true, there might be a hidden mastermind at work.

As expected, Li Qing wasn’t the only one with doubts. Soon, someone voiced their skepticism:

”Isn’t it true that Daoist Ling Miao’s cave abode was discovered by accident? I heard other cultivators detected an unusual concentration of spiritual energy emanating from the cave complex in the mountains.”

”Heh, I don’t know if that’s true or not. That’s why I only said it was suspected.”

”But there are still some suspicious points. For example, all the other Restrictions within Daoist Ling Miao’s cave abode are intact, except for the one at the entrance that was supposed to prevent spiritual energy from leaking out. Isn’t that strange?”

The dark chamber fell silent as everyone pondered the possibility of foul play.

”Perhaps it was just a coincidence? After all, so much time has passed. It’s only natural for Restrictions to degrade a little.”

”That’s possible, but given the circumstances, it does seem suspicious. After all, the emergence of Lingmiao Cave Abode led to the deaths of Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

”If someone truly orchestrated this, the price they paid was far too steep. The spirit herbs in the cave’s medicinal field were priceless—the Blood Marrow Branch and the Void Spirit Flower alone...”

”Who knows?”

The topic of Daoist Ling Miao’s cave abode remained highly popular, given the many coveted treasures rumored to be inside.

Soon, someone brought up the recent incident involving the Flying Eagle Bandits.

Li Qing was quite concerned about the topic, but he couldn’t help glancing sideways at Ye Feng. No wonder this kid’s information is so accurate, he thought. He’s been getting it straight from the source!

He’s even trying to get a discount on my Magic Artifacts with this free information. What a clever little trickster!

”It’s practically certain that the Flying Eagle Bandits will reach the Foundation Establishment Realm,” someone said. ”The only question is how many will succeed in their Foundation Establishment endeavor by refining the Foundation Establishment Pill from that ripe Essence Fusion Fruit!”

”This is a disaster for rogue cultivators!” another exclaimed. ”If a group of Bandit Cultivators emerges with a Foundation Establishment cultivator leading them, the surrounding areas could become extremely dangerous.”

”No, you’re wrong,” a third voice countered. ”Once they reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, the Flying Eagle Bandits might not even bother with ordinary rogue cultivators anymore. If two or more of them succeed, they’ll likely target cultivation clans with weak foundations.”

”...”

As the group exchanged their opinions, Li Qing remained mostly silent, unable to contribute much of value. Of course, no one expected him or Ye Feng to offer any useful information anyway, since they were just junior cultivators who had recently joined the sect.

(End of the Chapter)

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