Chapter 182: The Transaction

“Senior,” the woman said, “if you’re heading to the Yuquan Chamber of Commerce, I could show you the way.”

The chamber’s sign was indeed conspicuous, with many low-level rogue cultivators loitering around its entrance in Blackstone City. They made a living by guiding visitors, though some had ulterior motives—like the woman speaking to Chen Luo.

He cast her a quick glance: she was strikingly beautiful.

Dressed in form-fitting black attire, this female cultivator accentuated her assets. Her entire being exuded an alluring aura—it was clear at first sight that she was no ordinary woman.

“The Yuquan Chamber is located within the Hundred Monsters Alliance grounds,” she explained. “One needs a guide to enter.”

As if on cue, the woman subtly revealed the tail peeking from behind her, betraying her true identity as a rare fox spirit. Chen Luo’s interest was instantly piqued.

“You’ll do,” he nodded, casually tossing her a spiritual stone.

The fox spirit caught it, her face breaking into a satisfied smile. This senior sure knows how to tip generously, she thought. No wonder Sixth Lai had his eye on him. However, Sixth Lai’s discernment was woefully inadequate; even Chen Luo’s cultivation realm remained hidden from him. It was little wonder he’d suffered such losses before.

Under the guidance of the fox woman, they swiftly left the market district.

The Jade Spring Chamber of Commerce wasn’t located within the market but rather in the territory of the Hundred Monsters Alliance. After passing through the marketplace streets, the number of people visibly decreased. The proportion of monster cultivators among those present increased, while any human cultivators who passed by radiated an aura of formidable power—they were clearly no pushovers.

“The market is primarily for Qi Refining realm cultivators to exchange goods,” the fox woman explained. “For esteemed individuals like you at the Foundation Establishment stage, it’s generally necessary to go to the Jade Spring Chamber of Commerce to find what you need.”

Following her lead, they passed through two checkpoints.

As she walked ahead, the fox woman continued to provide Chen Luo with information about Blackstone City.

This city, built upon a third-order spiritual vein, was unimaginably vast. Its internal power dynamics were equally complex. With his temporary identity, there were many places Chen Luo couldn’t access; he would need a local to vouch for him.

“Oh?” Chen Luo was intrigued. He very much wanted to know how this fox woman had discerned his cultivation level.

“Our clan possesses a unique ability: we can perceive ‘qi’ that ordinary people cannot see. As long as it’s not overwhelmingly strong, we can generally detect it.” As she spoke, the fox spirit briefly revealed her own aura—that of a monster cultivator at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining.

“Fascinating! Is this ability for sale?”

Chen Luo had also studied the Gaze of Qi technique, but his knowledge was rudimentary at best. He could only locate areas where humans gathered, far from being able to observe individuals with precision like the fox spirit demonstrated.

“I’m afraid not; it’s innate to our clan,” the fox spirit replied with a smile, taking the opportunity to introduce herself. “Please call me Su Linlin.”

“When your fox kin pass away, where are they buried? No ulterior motive, I simply wish to pay my respects to your esteemed predecessors.”

“That information must remain confidential. However, if fate smiles upon you, feel free to visit our territory someday. I’m sure our elders would welcome you warmly.” Su Linlin chuckled softly, clearly unfooled by Chen Luo’s question.

“The day will come indeed.”

As their conversation flowed, the pair arrived at a three-story wooden building.

Su Linlin halted her steps here.

“I can’t go any further inside,” she said, gesturing with her hand. As it approached the entrance, a layer of golden threads unexpectedly appeared at the chamber of commerce door.

Formation power.

Used to prevent anyone below Foundation Establishment realm from entering. The Jade Spring Chamber of Commerce truly only dealt in high-end business.

“Let’s stop here then.”

Chen Luo retrieved a communication talisman from his storage bag and handed it to Su Linlin. He was quite interested in this vixen, especially their fox clan’s ancestral land, which he approached with a ‘devout pilgrimage’ mindset.

“If you ever need anything, you can use this talisman to contact me. As long as it’s not too far away, I’ll be able to sense it.”

“Many thanks, Senior.”

After receiving the spirit talisman, Su Linlin expressed her gratitude before turning to leave.

“Well, well, who would’ve thought we’d encounter acquaintances even here, all cozy with a little fox.” A seductive voice rang out from nearby.

Lady Bai Gu, clad in a long red dress, emerged from the side. She seemed to have just arrived as well.

Lady Bai Gu had a vivid memory of Chen Luo, the young man who dared to venture up the mountain for trade.

“Ah, this little fox is old enough to be your grandmother now,” she mused with a smile.

“So you’re the infamous Lady Bai Gu,” Chen Luo replied, his face lighting up in recognition. He hadn’t expected such a coincidence; he only knew a handful of people in this land of evil cultivators, and here they were crossing paths.

“Here for materials?” Lady Bai Gu asked, her eyes sweeping over Chen Luo. Having exchanged a ‘Heart Essence Stone’ with him before, she was well aware that Chen Luo was a pill concocting master. Her friendly approach wasn’t without its own agenda.

As they conversed, the pair effortlessly passed through the entrance’s barrier.

A faint golden glow swept over them, confirming their Foundation Establishment cultivation base, and promptly vanished.

“I’m here to buy some Blood Jade Marrow and inquire about third-order cultivation techniques,” Chen Luo said candidly.

“Third-order techniques and Blood Jade Marrow? These aren’t cheap items. Especially the third-order techniques involving Core Formation—they might not even be available in the Yuquan Chamber of Commerce.”

The two strolled and chatted as if they were old friends reuniting after years apart.

Upon entering the main gate, a breathtaking sight awaited them—a world within a world.

The Yuquan Chamber of Commerce, with its vast wealth, had set up a display formation within the pavilion. Inside, artificial mountains and flowing water created an ambiance, complete with swimming fish and spiritual herbs, resembling more a cultivation paradise than a merchant establishment.

Following the flow of water, one’s gaze would naturally be drawn to the center: a black iron sword floating in mid-air. The blade was approximately eight meters long, covered in rust that concealed intricate patterns shimmering with inner light upon closer inspection.

A fourth-rank magical artifact! Chen Luo’s Core Formation-stage brain instantly identified it.

Fourth rank?

That’s equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator’s level!

Beside him, Lady Bai Gu noticed Chen Luo’s stare and chuckled. “Impressive, isn’t it? I was similarly stunned when I first visited the Yuquan Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately, this one is merely a hollow shell; the internal engravings have been destroyed. Otherwise, such a precious item wouldn’t be on public display,” she said with a hint of regret.

“Indeed, what a pity,” Chen Luo nodded in agreement. His external brain housed a first-rank artificer, who had previously studied extensively about crafting techniques. This allowed him to discern far more than Lady Bai Gu could.

Boom!

Boom.

The sudden tolling of a bell outside caused both figures to pause simultaneously and look out the window. They caught sight of an enormous roc descending from the sky and landing at the entrance of the Yuquan Chamber of Commerce. The dense demonic energy emanating from it affected the entire area; even Lady Bai Gu wore a solemn expression.

“A late Foundation Establishment stage great demon.”

After landing, the roc pressed down on the nearby copper bell, channeling its demonic energy into it. Instantly, the peal of the copper bell ceased.

“Demonic energy forged into bells,” Lady Bai Gu remarked. “I’ve heard that the Hundred Monsters Alliance is crafting a third-rank great bell, requiring the combined strength of one hundred Foundation Establishment great demons to complete.” She turned away, her gaze no longer focused on the scene outside.

“One hundred Foundation Establishment great demons?”

If each were as powerful as this roc, the resulting third-rank magical artifact would undoubtedly be formidable.

“Merely empty rhetoric for public consumption,” Lady Bai Gu scoffed, exposing their true nature. “The Hundred Monsters Alliance loves shouting such hollow slogans. In reality, there are barely eight Foundation Establishment cultivators within the entire alliance. As for this roc, who knows where they managed to scrounge up that helper from?” Her derisive laugh echoed through the chamber, laying bare their opponents’ true state of affairs.

As an evil cultivator, Lady Bai Gu naturally belonged to the Loose Cultivators Union. Most members were like her—evil cultivators—and their numbers far exceeded those of the Hundred Monsters Alliance in terms of Foundation Establishment practitioners. However, due to the unpredictable nature of evil cultivators, it was difficult for them to unite, which meant that the Loose Cultivators Union often found itself overshadowed by the Hundred Monsters Alliance. In reality, they could only mock each other verbally; when it came to sheer power, the Loose Cultivators Union ranked third.

After walking further past some rock formations and flowing water, Chen Luo finally spotted a row of shops.

Compared to the market stalls earlier, these establishments appeared much more upscale. Each storefront featured an inscribed spirit-gathering array, creating an environment with significantly higher spiritual energy concentration than outside.

“I’ll take you somewhere else,” Lady Bai Gu said. “If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, then your time at the Yuquan Chamber of Commerce will have been wasted.”

She stepped forward, guiding Chen Luo towards one particular shop.

It was an old establishment with simple interior decor: just two rows of wooden cabinets. What made them unique was the spirit talisman affixed to each cabinet, used to seal and contain the spiritual energy within.

“Old geezer, business is here.”

Upon entering, Lady Bai Gu immediately sprawled on a nearby chair, her right hand tapping the counter as if she were back in her own home.

In the next instant, the skeleton figure sitting cross-legged behind the counter lifted its head. As it moved, a dense wave of bloodlust surged forth, coalescing into a withered old man within the blink of an eye. This person was completely hairless, resembling nothing so much as a skull swaddled in deathly skin—a ghastly sight indeed.

“What’ll you be buying?” The newly formed figure ignored Lady Bai Gu, directing its gaze straight at Chen Luo.

“A third-order cultivation technique and Blood Jade Marrow,” Chen Luo stated his needs directly. He had no desire to waste time on such trivial matters; resolving everything in one go would be best.

“We don’t have them,” came the curt reply. Immediately after speaking, the figure’s blood energy began to swirl again. The painstakingly reassembled skeleton started crumbling apart once more, while the flesh on its face receded, signaling that it was about to slip back into slumber.

“Isn’t there a third-order cultivation technique here?” Lady Bai Gu suddenly spoke up.

Her words cut off the man’s dissipating blood qi like a knife.

“You’re sure you want to sell it to him?” The blood qi coalesced again as the withered figure turned his gaze towards Lady Bai Gu.

“Sell it,” she replied. “I find him quite agreeable.”

This reason was one that none of the three present believed.

“Do as you wish.”

A spirit talisman on the cabinet behind her automatically fell off, a drawer opened, and a bone scroll flew out, landing on the counter at the door.

Chen Luo didn’t reach for it immediately but instead fixed his gaze on Lady Bai Gu.

He didn’t think their relationship was so close.

This was a Core Formation stage cultivation technique!

Regardless of whether he could cultivate it or not, it was still an extremely important reference for him. Later, he could have the dry corpse’s brain help fill in the gaps of the technique, rewriting it into a practice method suitable for himself.

“One request.” Lady Bai Gu extended a single finger.

“Help me kill someone.”

“What realm?”

“The same as mine, but their identity is somewhat special.”

“Excellent!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Luo grabbed the bamboo scroll from the table and turned to leave.

He was no stranger to offending people; by the time he’d settled his score with the Demonseed Sect, whether he’d still be in this place or not was anyone’s guess. Even if they had connections reaching to the heavens, they’d first have to find him before they could do anything about it.