Chapter 163: The Exchange

The cultivators’ exchange meet took place on the topmost floor, strategically arranged by Liu Wenshan to highlight status and prestige.

“Pill Master Chen, long time no see.”

As soon as Chen Luo entered, he spotted Zhu Jie, whom he hadn’t seen in quite some time.

After leaving Woodmount City, Chen Luo had maintained contact with the Loose Cultivators Union. Most of the medicinal pills he refined were sold to them, and occasionally, he would undertake pill-concocting tasks within the union. Compared to the merit point system of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, Chen Luo preferred the straightforward trading approach of the Loose Cultivators Union.

“Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refinement already?” Chen Luo’s gaze swept over Zhu Jie, instantly discerning her cultivation base. Her spiritual energy was perfectly balanced, forming a complete cycle within her body—a sign that she was now eligible to attempt Foundation Establishment.

“I finally caught up with you. Who knows, I might even reach Foundation Establishment before you do.” Zhu Jie couldn’t help but smile. She did not perceive Chen Luo’s cultivation base, as his aura concealment techniques, aided by Wan Ming’s knowledge, were now superior to those of most cultivators.

“What about you? Have you managed to obtain Mind-Focusing Grass?”

Zhu Jie was unaware that Chen Luo’s journey to Guo Mountain County with the dried-up old ghost and others had been specifically for Mind-Focusing Grass. She assumed he was still searching for it, which was a common path for many cultivators. Adequate aptitude does not guarantee sufficient resources, a challenge faced even by sect-affiliated cultivators.

One must contribute sufficiently to the sect to obtain corresponding resources. This typically takes at least ten to twenty years. Generation after generation followed this path, and those who had already advanced would not break the rules for newcomers, fearing it could jeopardize their own interests.

“How far have you progressed?” Zhu Jie asked, probing with her spiritual energy. However, she detected nothing. Standing before her, Chen Luo seemed like a dense mist, absorbing any spiritual energy that touched him. This phenomenon startled her, giving rise to an absurd thought in her mind.

“You couldn’t have…”

Zhu Jie was shaken, barely able to suppress a gasp.

Foundation Establishment!

He had actually reached Foundation Establishment.

“Do you have access to Mind-Focusing Grass now?” Chen Luo casually inquired as he found a seat.

“Your swift advancement to Peak Qi Refinement is quite surprising. Has Fellow Daoist Shi returned to Woodmount City these past years?”

“No, Old Ghost Shi hasn’t been back for many years. There have been issues at the Mass Grave Mound outside the city; numerous low-tier corpse puppets emerged. Dealing with them has consumed much of my time. As for the Mind-Focusing Grass, I’ve managed to establish some connections. Through contacts at Nine Poisons Valley, we can smuggle out one ‘loss’ every decade, albeit at a steep price.”

Zhu Jie looked utterly bewildered.

Even now, she couldn’t fully grasp that Chen Luo had reached Foundation Establishment, completely bewildered by how he managed to gather all the materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

As they conversed, several more individuals entered one after another—a group of two men and one woman.

All three were Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivators. Upon entering, each found a separate spot to sit, maintaining distance from one another to avoid potential ambushes. This was a common habit among solo cultivators, rooted in mutual distrust.

Liu Wenshan, overseeing the exchange meet, instructed someone to serve food and drink to the newcomers.

Over time, five additional people arrived. Their cultivation bases were significantly weaker, ranging from early to mid-Qi Refinement stages. Upon seeing Liu Wenshan, they respectfully greeted him. These five were local cultivators from around Shan’yin Pass.

Below, the auction for mortal warriors had already commenced, generating a lively atmosphere.

“Having wasted so much time, shouldn’t we begin the exchange meet?” one of the Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivators spoke impatiently. “I am quite busy.”

Another Late Stage cultivator chimed in, “Let’s start quickly. I left my poison halfway through refinement; any delay could ruin it.”

These two were the most powerful among the solo cultivators present. The remaining Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivator had just entered the seventh layer, clearly less formidable than these seasoned veterans.

“Since Blood Bone Madame and Black Wind Cave Lord have spoken, let’s begin,” Liu Wenshan said, noticing that Zhu Jie and Chen Luo showed no intention to contribute. He took initiative and retrieved a blood-red jade pendant from his robes, placing it on the table.

“This is a first-tier magical artifact, the Blood Dragon Pendant, with autonomous defensive capabilities. As long as the attack strength does not exceed Late Stage Qi Refinement, it cannot be breached.”

As soon as the Blood Dragon Pendant appeared, all the solo cultivators’ attention focused sharply. The early Qi Refining cultivators’ eyes turned slightly red, almost itching to rush forward and snatch it away.

A first-tier magical artifact? Chen Luo frowned. Could such junk even be sold here? It seemed comparable to his shattered magical sword. The quality of this exchange meet was disappointingly low.

“Selling price: eight hundred spirit stones,” Liu Wenshan announced, revealing his expected value. At these words, several individuals gasped audibly and immediately withdrew from bidding.

For solo cultivators, eight hundred spirit stones was no small amount. Especially for those at early Qi Refining stage, they might struggle to save even ten spirit stones in a year, making eight hundred seem astronomically high.

“I’ll take it.”

The female cultivator, Blood Bone Madame, confidently took out her bag of holding and tossed eight hundred spirit stones across the table. After receiving the Blood Dragon Pendant, she also produced some items.

“I have a few good things here; make your offers accordingly.”

A collection of low-tier spirit talismans and minor spells appeared on the table. Due to their affordable prices, they attracted a flurry of bidding from several cultivators, creating an exceptionally lively scene.

Subsequently, the Black Wind Cave Lord and another Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivator also presented items for exchange. These ranged from spiritual objects to magical artifacts and spirit talismans, including cultivation notes seemingly unearthed from ancient tombs, all selling at considerable prices.

This gave Chen Luo a glimpse into the world of solo cultivators.

Their practices were diverse and lacked systematic organization; essentially, they trained in whatever caught their interest, markedly different from cultivators with sect affiliations like himself.

“Two portions of Yin Mountain Grass, along with insights for breaking through Peak Qi Refinement,” Zhu Jie announced, stifling a yawn.

She showed little enthusiasm for this low-level exchange meet. If not for Chen Luo’s presence, she wouldn’t have attended at all.

“Insight on breaking through to Peak Qi Refinement?”

As soon as these words were spoken, three Late Stage Qi Refinement solo cultivators immediately focused their attention on Zhu Jie. Sensing this, Zhu Jie let out a cold snort and unleashed the aura of the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refinement, dispersing all prying gazes.

Upon detecting Zhu Jie’s cultivation base, everyone retracted their intentions, no longer daring to employ any underhanded tactics.

“One thousand two hundred spirit stones.”

Blood Bone Madame made the first bid.

“One thousand five hundred spirit stones!” The Black Wind Cave Lord promptly countered. Both were at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, with their primary goal being to break through to the tenth layer, reaching Peak Qi Refinement. For them, insights on achieving this breakthrough were incredibly valuable. Conversely, the spirit plants initially mentioned by Zhu Jie garnered little interest.

“One thousand six hundred spirit stones! This item is mine!” Blood Bone Madame’s voice turned icy.

At exchange meets, transactions typically involved one-time spiritual slips, especially for insights like these. Once comprehended, they would vanish, making it impossible to describe or share accurately. Otherwise, instead of engaging in such fierce competition, Blood Bone Madame and the Black Wind Cave Lord could have simply collaborated, purchasing and sharing the knowledge together.

“Eighteen hundred spirit stones, plus a high-quality personal furnace that enhances spiritual energy!” With a wave, Black Wind Cave Lord produced all his spirit stones, accompanied by a pale-faced woman standing beside them.

This woman must be the personal furnace mentioned by the Black Wind Cave Lord.

The solo cultivators were unfazed; at their exchange meets, personal furnaces were commonly valued in terms of spirit stones. The true cultivation world was far harsher than what books depicted. Even Zhu Jie’s expression remained unchanged, seemingly accepting this bidding method as customary.

The trembling woman, being sold as a personal furnace, suddenly spotted Chen Luo and her eyes lit up with surprise.

“Elder Brother Chen!”

Upon hearing this, both Chen Luo and Zhu Jie were taken aback. Zhu Jie did not expect the furnace to know Chen Luo, while Chen Luo simply couldn’t recall who she was.

“It’s me! Ning Ling.” Seeing Chen Luo’s lack of recognition, the woman hastily added.

The Black Wind Cave Lord’s gaze turned cold, and with a swirl of black spiritual energy in his hand, the pleading woman clutched her chest, her face paling as she curled up on the ground, unable to speak further.

Ning Ling?

After racking his memory for some time, Chen Luo finally recalled who she was.

Back when he journeyed with Du De and others to the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, disguised as villagers from Blackwood, they had formed a fellowship along the way and met three companions. Among them was a woman named Ning Ling. Her spiritual root aptitude was also low-tier, and she had discussed with Chen Luo the likelihood of various Qi Refinement cultivators breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

At that time, he felt her background must have been exceptional, but now it seemed her knowledge was quite limited. The judgments she made were primarily based on her own understanding, which, from Chen Luo’s current perspective, held little credibility. Immortal cultivation is not solely determined by aptitude; resources and fortune play significant roles as well.

Wealth, techniques, companions, and environment - any one of these can influence reaching Foundation Establishment.

“Your friend?” Zhu Jie asked.

Upon hearing this, the Black Wind Cave Lord’s expression changed, instinctively edging closer to the entrance. He knew Zhu Jie was a cultivator at Peak Qi Refinement, having witnessed her power earlier. If Zhu Jie chose to rescue the woman, he would be unable to stop her.

“Just a passing acquaintance,” Chen Luo nodded in response.

“Alright then, I’ll take this woman.”

Zhu Jie waved her sleeve, sending the ‘Peak Qi Refinement Comprehension Spiritual Slip’ flying into the Black Wind Cave Lord’s hand. Since Liu Wenshan, a member of the Loose Cultivators Union, organized this exchange meet, she wouldn’t disrupt their event.

“Many thanks.”

The Black Wind Cave Lord’s face lit up with surprise, promptly handing over the spirit stones and token. Then, he pressed the spiritual slip against his forehead, immediately beginning its assimilation. Witnessing this, Blood Bone Madame clenched her teeth in frustration but, constrained by Zhu Jie’s cultivation base, could only suppress her discontent.

After securing the woman, Zhu Jie didn’t even glance at her before tossing the control token to Chen Luo.

Personal furnaces were typically implanted with controlling insects—a common method used by solo cultivators in their transactions.

“Elder Brother Chen, thank you so much.”

Ning Ling, now rescued, expressed her immense gratitude, feeling overwhelmed with joy. She had nearly lost all hope, never expecting to be saved here. As she looked at Chen Luo again, a sense of self-doubt crept into her heart.

‘This is the brilliance of a mid-grade three-spiritual root talent. If I possessed such aptitude, I wouldn’t have ended up in this predicament.’

Chen Luo paid her no heed and casually retrieved two items from his bag of holding: a gourd containing low-grade Qi Nourishing Pills, along with a disc-shaped magical artifact found in Elder An’s bag. Based on its spiritual energy fluctuations, it appeared to be a high-grade first-stage artifact suitable for Peak Qi Refinement realm.

“I wish to purchase maps of the regions beyond the pass and information about baleful spirit sanctuaries. If you can provide additional details on areas outside the pass, I am willing to acquire them at market price.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s attention focused on him.

Especially Blood Bone Madame and Black Wind Cave Lord.

Both had ventured beyond the pass and possessed extensive knowledge of those regions. Their breakthroughs to the ninth layer of Qi Refining were due to fortuitous encounters they experienced there.

“May I inquire what offerings you have, fellow daoist? Information about the lands beyond the pass does not come cheap.”

Blood Bone Madame scrutinized Chen Luo, attempting to discern his cultivation base. However, no matter how she probed, all her spiritual energy vanished upon touching him. The same occurred with Black Wind Cave Lord standing nearby. This realization instantly made both aware of the formidable strength of the individual before them.