Immortal Refiner

”Core formation spiritual material—it’s actually here!”

”Heavens! Such a high-grade core formation spiritual material... I doubt even the great immortal sects have much of this to spare. Why would they put it up for auction?”

”A full portion! Enough for a pseudo core formation stage cultivator to use.”

”Senior Qingwei, may I ask what the person offering this yin-yang spirit liquid seeks in exchange?”

”...”

Hearing the gasps and murmurs from the crowd, Senior Qingwei simply smiled kindly.

”The owner of the yin-yang spirit liquid wishes to exchange it for a third-tier demon beast inner core—specifically, one with the thunder attribute!”

Demon beast inner core!

This announcement brought awkward smiles to many faces in the crowd.

When a demon beast reaches the third tier, its crystal core transforms into an inner core, making it equivalent to a cultivator in the core formation realm.

However, most of the cultivators present who needed the yin-yang spirit liquid were only at the foundation establishment realm. How could they possibly hunt down a third-tier demon beast?

And one with the thunder attribute, no less!

Adding the thunder attribute requirement to the already demanding condition of a third-tier demon beast inner core made the terms excessively stringent.

Just like among humans, the thunder attribute was exceedingly rare even among demon beasts.

Demon beasts with this attribute typically possessed strength far surpassing their peers, and their destructive power was terrifying. Ordinary cultivators who encountered them had no choice but to flee.

For a long while, no one spoke in the hall.

Clearly, a third-tier demon beast inner core with the thunder attribute was not something easily obtained. At least, no one present could produce one.

True Lord Qingwei had anticipated this. He smiled calmly and said, ”Since no one has a thunder attribute demon beast inner core, you may now freely bid. State what spiritual objects you are willing to offer in exchange for the yin-yang spirit liquid.”

”The owner of the yin-yang spirit liquid will then inform me of their preferred exchange.”

Many cultivators, including Li Qing, breathed a collective sigh of relief. It seemed they still had a chance after all.

Most had come here determined to acquire the yin-yang spirit liquid. To have the suspense end so prematurely would have been a tremendous disappointment.

Soon, bids began to be called out one after another.

”A Millennium Ice Core! This is an unparalleled spiritual material for refining ice dao magical treasures! It can only be found in small quantities in the coldest regions!”

”I offer a third-tier formation inheritance. This inheritance includes detailed explanations of formation knowledge, as well as diagrams for a third-tier grand formation and several second-tier grand formations!”

”This old man has a Void Spirit Flower, nine hundred years old, which can enhance a cultivator’s divine sense strength.”

It was undeniable that many foundation establishment realm cultivators were going all out for this superior core formation spiritual material, revealing their hidden treasures.

Seated in his private room, Li Qing listened to the escalating bids and couldn’t help but smile wryly.

He had always considered himself quite wealthy among foundation establishment cultivators, but now he realized he had underestimated the resources of others.

Each bid was remarkably valuable, leaving Li Qing feeling somewhat inferior.

This was inevitable, however. The gathering of foundation establishment cultivators here represented not the entirety of the Great Wilderness Domain, but at least half of its foundation establishment cultivators.

Among them were not only renowned rogue cultivators but also Clan Heads from prominent cultivation clans!

Patriarch Zhao, who had once extended an olive branch to Li Qing, was also present.

The Zhao Family was a prominent cultivation clan that had once produced a core formation realm true lord. Their foundation was naturally astonishing, and they brought a formidable bargaining chip: a third-tier demon beast inner core. Unfortunately, it was a wood attribute demon beast!

Regardless, a third-tier demon beast inner core still held considerable value. Even if it wasn’t the thunder attribute core the yin-yang spirit liquid’s owner sought, it should give them pause for serious consideration.

Li Qing couldn’t help but sigh in the private room. ”Patriarch Zhao is really going all out. He must be emptying his clan’s coffers for this yin-yang spirit liquid.”

”That third-tier demon beast inner core... he must be desperate to restore the Zhao Family’s former glory as a core formation clan.”

A cultivation clan that had produced a core formation realm true lord could truly be called an aristocratic family with a thousand-year legacy. Rogue cultivators simply couldn’t match their wealth and foundation.

”Senior Brother, you should make your bid soon,” Shen Ningbing urged anxiously from beside him, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. She didn’t want to see the yin-yang spirit liquid fall into someone else’s hands.

Hearing this, Li Qing couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

He was inwardly conflicted. What could he possibly offer in exchange for this core formation spiritual material?

Since the auction began, he had been racking his brain, but no solution had come to him.

Now, someone had offered a demon beast inner core, another a spiritual flower that enhanced divine sense, and yet another a Third-Tier cultivation art inheritance.

Each of these items was of extraordinary value.

It wasn’t that Li Qing lacked comparable treasures—he possessed both the Primordial Chaos Stone and the Netherworld Cold Fire—but neither was something he could part with, nor would he ever consider doing so.

As the bidding gradually dwindled, Li Qing spoke up. ”Junior sister, place a bid for me. I have an eight-hundred-year-old Soul Return Grass.”

Indeed, this Soul Return Grass was the same one he had obtained from the Shangqing Sect elders two years prior.

This spiritual herb had a niche use: it could only be used to refine the Soul Return Pill. In terms of sheer value, it paled in comparison to the other spiritual objects present.

”Senior Brother, are you sure? This Soul Return Grass...”

Shen Ningbing opened her mouth to speak, fully aware of the Soul Return Grass’s value. Even a thousand-year-old specimen couldn’t compare to the yin-yang spirit liquid, a core formation spiritual material.

Unless they happened to find someone who desperately needed it, this single Soul Return Grass would never be enough to trade for the yin-yang spirit liquid.

But what were the chances the owner of the yin-yang spirit liquid would need Soul Return Grass? It was practically impossible—such coincidences rarely occurred.

”Junior Sister, please make the bid for me. I don’t have any other valuable items to offer,” Li Qing said calmly, his gaze sweeping over the auction hall below.

Since Li Qing had made up his mind, Shen Ningbing had no choice but to comply, despite her reservations.

A moment later, a voice as cold as frost echoed from the private room above:

”A nine-hundred-year-old Soul Return Grass—a spiritual herb suitable for refining the Soul Return Pill. I offer this in exchange for the yin-yang spirit liquid.”

The voice carried the faint pressure of a core formation realm cultivator, causing many below to stiffen slightly before looking up toward the private room.

”Why would a core formation true lord even bother competing with us for the yin-yang spirit liquid?”

”Probably for their descendants. This is going to be tough.”

”I never imagined a core formation realm cultivator would covet this yin-yang spirit liquid. Sigh!”

”Hmph, who cares? This is an auction hosted by the Taiyi Sect. Do you think they’d let anyone bully us with their status?”

”Exactly! It’s a fair competition. Whoever offers the spiritual object that moves the yin-yang spirit liquid’s owner wins!”

Though everyone was wary of the core formation true lord, they still invoked the Taiyi Sect’s authority, assuming that even a core formation true lord wouldn’t dare cause trouble under the great immortal sect’s prestigious name.

Indeed, the auction for the yin-yang spirit liquid proceeded smoothly, largely unaffected by Shen Ningbing’s interference.

Finally, as the bidding gradually ceased, True Lord Qingwei, who had been observing from the platform with a silent smile, spoke after a long pause, as if receiving instructions:

”The owner of the yin-yang spirit liquid wishes to exchange it for a nine-hundred-year-old Void Spirit Flower!”

As the dust settled, the foundation establishment cultivators who had failed to secure the yin-yang spirit liquid wore expressions of disappointment.

In the end, I was just one move short, many thought. If only I had a thunder attribute demon beast inner core! What a pity!

The cultivator who had offered the Void Spirit Flower, however, laughed heartily, as if obtaining the yin-yang spirit liquid guaranteed his core formation.

In the private room, Shen Ningbing gripped her icy-smooth hand tightly, her gaze complex as she turned to Li Qing. A cold glint flashed in her beautiful eyes.

”Senior Brother Li, we lost the bid. Should we...”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but Li Qing understood her meaning perfectly: kill and plunder.

Li Qing had considered this option. With Shen Ningbing’s current strength, taking down a cultivator who hadn’t yet reached core formation would be effortless.

But he slowly shook his head. ”Not yet. Let’s wait a little longer.”

This left Shen Ningbing utterly bewildered. She couldn’t understand why Li Qing wanted to wait. The yin-yang spirit liquid had already been claimed—what was there to wait for?

As the auction continued below, Li Qing remained in a meditative posture, his eyes closed.

After a while, several divine sense transmissions suddenly echoed within the private room.

”Fellow cultivators, I’m interested in this Soul Return Grass. Besides the yin-yang spirit liquid, what else are you willing to trade?”

”Soul Return Grass? This old man would like to see such a rare and peculiar spiritual herb. How about a high-grade spirit stone? Are you willing to trade?”

Hearing these transmissions, Shen Ningbing’s red lips parted in astonishment, and she stared at Li Qing in disbelief.

Beside her, Li Qing finally wore a relieved smile.

”Junior sister, tell them I only want the yin-yang spirit liquid. If they don’t have it, I won’t offer the Soul Return Grass for trade.”

Though utterly confused, Shen Ningbing complied. Using her core formation realm divine sense, she relayed Li Qing’s responses to each transmission.

After she finished, the private room fell silent again, presumably as the senders considered their options.

”Senior brother, what’s going on? Did you know someone would contact us?” Shen Ningbing asked in a curious whisper.

Li Qing slowly opened his eyes, pointed to the grand hall below, and said, ”This auction is far more complex than it appears. In the second half, while everyone seems to be bidding on the items on the auction stage, we cultivators bidding from below are essentially showcasing our own spiritual objects.”

”For example, the cultivator who just announced possessing a Millennium Ice Core—that’s a vital material for refining ice dao magical treasures. Didn’t you consider any other possibilities?”

Shen Ningbing froze for a long moment, realizing she had indeed noted the cultivator with the Millennium Ice Core.

”Like... killing him to seize the treasure?”

Li Qing’s expression turned wry. He sighed, ”Junior sister, your bloodlust is too strong. This isn’t our Azure Ridge Domain; this is the Great Wilderness Domain!”

”Cultivation isn’t just about fighting and killing. It’s also about human relationships and social etiquette!”

”You don’t always have to fight for what you want. You can also trade openly and fairly. ’Business is business, but goodwill remains’—I hope you understand this principle.”

Li Qing felt a headache coming on. He suspected Shen Ningbing’s fierce temperament had been cultivated from spending too much time with Ancestor Bing Yun.

Hearing Li Qing’s lecture, Shen Ningbing lowered her head, feeling somewhat embarrassed. ”Well... I didn’t have anything else to trade at the time.”

Li Qing shook his head. ”Ah, Junior Sister, while we cultivators don’t believe in karmic retribution, if you wish to pursue higher realms in this life, you will inevitably face trials like the Great Heart Demon Calamity or the Karmic Fire of the Mortal Realm.”

”Killing too many people stains you with karmic debt, and excessive malevolent energy is never a good thing.”

”We’re not demonic path cultivators, after all!”

At that moment, Li Qing couldn’t resist adopting the air of a senior brother, lecturing Shen Ningbing, his junior sister who was actually at a higher cultivation realm than him.

”Senior Brother’s words are wise,” Shen Ningbing replied softly, like a meek wife afraid to argue back. ”Ningbing will remember them.”

Li Qing spoke earnestly, ”You can send a divine sense transmission to the cultivator with the Millennium Ice Core. Tell him you want the core and offer to owe him a favor or compensate him with something valuable later.”

”A favor from a core formation realm cultivator is incredibly precious. Don’t underestimate your own worth right now.”

Only then did Shen Ningbing realize the significance of this. She gave Li Qing a grateful look and immediately sent the transmission as he suggested.

Below, the cultivator with the Millennium Ice Core received Shen Ningbing’s transmission and immediately became flustered, nervously glancing around.

At the same moment, another divine sense transmission entered Li Qing’s private room.

”The value of the Soul Return Grass cannot compare to the yin-yang spirit liquid. However, this old man is willing to exchange information related to the yin-yang spirit liquid for this spiritual herb. What do you say?”

(End of the Chapter)

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