Chapter 25
Five days later, on this early morning, just as the sun parted the morning mist, a merchant caravan slowly moved forward, treading on the dew-stained official road.
The carriage wheels rolled over the gravel on the road, letting out muffled rumbles. Twenty strapping men flanked the two sides of the procession, guarding over a dozen horse-drawn carriages fully loaded with cargo. The caravan stretched out in a long line.
The carriages were packed to the brim with local specialties from Demon Subjugation City—carved mahogany boxes, silk-wrapped medicinal herbs, and tightly sealed beast pelts. All of it was covered with coarse burlap to protect against dust, dirt, and rain along the journey.
Lin Mo lay on top of the cargo pile of the very last carriage. His body sank into the soft burlap as he comfortably stretched his limbs.
The sky above was clear and translucent, a pristine blue without a hint of impurity. A few white clouds drifted lazily, stretched out and scattered, moving slowly whenever the wind blew. It was incredibly carefree.
A gentle south wind brushed past, wrapping around the moist, grassy scent of the rice paddies and blowing against his face, full of freshness.
On both sides of the official road were endless rice paddies. The recently planted seedlings glowed a tender green, undulating slightly with the terrain and rolling all the way to the foot of the distant mountains, stretching beyond the horizon.
Occasionally, a small bird would flap its wings and dart out from the waves of rice, its gray and white feathers skimming over the carriage roof before diving back into the distant field ridges in the blink of an eye, vanishing without a trace.
Hidden among the rice leaves were the calls of various insects—chirping and twittering, mixed with a faint buzzing. Intertwined with the rolling of the carriage wheels, it wasn't noisy; instead, it made the journey feel even more serene.
Lin Mo lazily stretched his waist, his fingertips brushing against the coarse burlap. His gaze chased the flying bird into the distance until it melted into the shadows of the clouds, only then slowly withdrawing his sight.
"Brother Lin Mo!"
A crisp, childlike voice broke the momentary silence. Lin Mo looked up to see the curtain of an exquisitely decorated carriage ahead being lifted. A little girl with her hair tied in two small buns popped her head out.
Her delicate, jade-like face was dusted with a thin layer of dirt. It was Yaya, the youngest daughter of Merchant Zhao.
This Merchant Zhao was a traveling trader from Qinghe City.
He spent his years traveling back and forth between Demon Subjugation City and Qinghe City, reselling local specialties from both places.
Although the journey was long, a single round trip could multiply the prices of his goods several times over, making his business quite prosperous. On this trip, unable to stop worrying about his young daughter at home, he simply brought her along.
Clutching a skewer of bright red candied haws (tanghulu) in her hand, Yaya skipped over to the carriage where Lin Mo was. Gripping the edge of the carriage, she tilted her little face up, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Brother Lin Mo, look at the candied haws Daddy bought me! They're so sweet!"
Lin Mo sat up and waved to her with a smile, his tone gentle. "Slow down, careful not to fall. Come on up."
Hearing this, Yaya nimbly stepped on the wheel spokes, climbed up the cargo pile, and sat down next to Lin Mo.
She immediately offered the candied haws to his mouth, her little voice full of sharing: "Take a bite, just taste it!"
Lin Mo lowered his head and took a small bite. The sweet fragrance of the sugar coating melted on his tongue. He smiled and nodded.
"Mhm, it really is sweet."
"Right?!"
Yaya smiled so widely her eyes turned into little crescent moons.
She also took a big bite, her cheeks puffing out. She mumbled indistinctly, "Daddy says we still have to walk for three days before we reach Qinghe City. The road is so boring. Thankfully I have Brother Lin Mo to keep me company."
Just as she finished speaking, Merchant Zhao's gentle, admonishing voice came from the carriage ahead. "Yaya, don't pester Brother Lin Mo. Let him rest properly."
As he spoke, Merchant Zhao lifted the curtain and stepped out. Dressed in a plain blue cloth robe, his face was honest and kind, and the corners of his eyes bore a shallow smile, exuding a gentle warmth.
He strolled over to Lin Mo's carriage, raised a hand to pat the burlap on the cargo, and spoke with a sincere tone: "Mister Lin Mo, you'll have to endure hardship for a few more days before we reach Qinghe City. I apologize for making you make do like this."
Lin Mo shook his head lightly, his tone indifferent but polite.
"Merchant Zhao is too polite. I should be the one thanking you for taking me in. I was heading to Qinghe City on business anyway. Being able to tag along with your caravan has actually saved me a lot of trouble."
"No need for such politeness, speaking of which, it's also fate."
Merchant Zhao laughed heartily and waved his hand.
"At first, seeing you following us all by yourself, I was secretly on guard, thinking you were a thief plotting for the cargo. Later, after asking, I found out you were heading the same way to Qinghe City. It truly is a coincidence."
As he spoke, he raised a finger to point at the strapping men at the front of the procession, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
"Look at these twenty men. They are all good hands who have followed me for years, each one strong and sturdy. Ordinary petty thieves and mountain bandits wouldn't even be able to get close. Our journey is very safe."
Then, he pointed to a broad-shouldered, thick-waisted, dark-faced burly man beside him and introduced him: "This is Head Guard Wang. He's been running trade routes with me for over ten years. He knows everything about this road like the back of his hand. With him holding the fort, nothing can go wrong."
Hearing this, Head Guard Wang gave Lin Mo an honest, simple nod in greeting.
Merchant Zhao looked at the peaceful official road before him and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Speaking of which, we really caught a good time. For the past decade or so, the Great Shang Dynasty has been strong and prosperous, bringing peace to the four seas. With fewer disputes and wars, the common folk live stable lives, and traveling merchants like us can journey with peace of mind."
"If this were in the past, burning, killing, and looting were common occurrences on this road. Let alone traveling far with cargo, even walking alone would leave one on edge. I absolutely wouldn't have dared to come out and run trade."
Lin Mo wore a faint smile, quietly listening to Merchant Zhao ramble on about the past of the trade routes, occasionally offering a soft word of agreement.
Traveling together these past few days, he had long seen that although Merchant Zhao talked a bit much, he treated people with sincerity, acted with a sense of propriety, and had a truly kind disposition.
Yaya, standing to the side, listened with half-understanding.
She simply tugged at Lin Mo's sleeve, her little body swaying gently, her eyes full of expectation.
"Brother Lin Mo, do you know how to tell stories? Tell me a story, okay?"
Lin Mo lowered his head, meeting her sparkling eyes, and smiled in agreement.
"Alright, but finish your candied haws first, don't get your clothes dirty."
"Okay!"
Yaya immediately agreed. She gobbled down the rest of the candied haws in a few bites, gripped the bamboo stick, sat obediently, and blinked her eyes, staring eagerly at Lin Mo with full anticipation.
Seeing this, Merchant Zhao also sat down leaning against the carriage, intending to listen along.
Lin Mo picked out some mild folk anecdotes and mixed in some simple, ordinary trivialities about cultivation. His tone was smooth, making the stories vivid without being obscure.
Yaya listened, completely mesmerized. Cupping her chin in her small hands, she would occasionally tilt her head to ask questions: "Brother Lin Mo, can cultivators really fly in the sky?" "Do demonic beasts bully little kids?"
Lin Mo patiently and gently answered them one by one.
Merchant Zhao would occasionally chime in with a few bizarre anecdotes he had heard while traveling, making Yaya giggle endlessly.
Her crisp, childlike laughter drifted along the official road, exceptionally pleasant to the ear.
The afternoon sun gradually warmed, and the insect calls in the rice paddies grew more cheerful.
The caravan continued to move forward leisurely. The rolling of the wheels, the chatting and laughing of the three people, mixed with the soft sound of the wind, made it exceptionally comfortable.
Leaning against Lin Mo, Yaya listened and listened until her little head began to nod as drowsiness washed over her.
Finally, she gently leaned her head on his shoulder and fell into a deep sleep. Lin Mo moved gently to steady her, then took off his outer robe and draped it softly over her, afraid she might catch a cold.
Merchant Zhao watched this heartwarming scene, the smile in his eyes deepening.
"This child has always been clingy, but she's been especially close to you these past few days."
"Yaya is well-behaved and cute, very lovable."
Lin Mo replied in a low voice, his gaze once again turning toward the endless rice paddies.
After experiencing the high-intensity slaughter in Black Wind Ridge, this ordinary, leisurely, and carefree life actually made him feel exceptionally comfortable, filling his heart with a sense of peace and stability.
The caravan trod under the warm sun, carrying a journey full of tranquility and warmth as it slowly headed in the direction of Qinghe City.
Chapter 26: Killing Intent in the Mortal World, The Prestige of the Immortal Master
At nightfall, the merchant caravan set up camp in a sheltered woodland beside the official road.
Several campfires crackled, dispersing the chill of late autumn. The men, who had been traveling all day, sat around the fires, chatting idly while taking large bites of roasted mutton.
One burly man, his mouth smeared with grease, smacked his lips and muttered, "What a pity. The mission comes first; otherwise, how delightful would it be to have a few sips of wine!"
Hearing this, another man cursed jokingly, "Pockmark Qiao, shut your damn mouth. You're making me drool. Come to my place when we get back, and we'll have a proper drinking session."
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm going too, don't leave me out!"
Over the fire roasted a half-consumed sheep, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Yaya had already fallen fast asleep in the arms of the wealthy Merchant Zhao, her small hands still tightly clutching the grasshopper Lin Mo had woven for her from grass leaves earlier that day.
Lin Mo remained sitting alone on the shafts of the outermost carriage, resting with his eyes closed.
The occasional chirping of insects drifted by, and the moonlight scattered down, draping all things in a silver garment, granting him an unprecedented sense of tranquility.
However, his acute perception as a fifth-level Qi Condensation cultivator remained like a massive, invisible net, covering a radius of a hundred zhang.
Suddenly, Lin Mo's tightly shut eyes twitched slightly. He slowly opened them, his gaze falling calmly upon the pitch-black reed marshes on the right side of the official road.
The wind picked up, carrying with it a heavily disguised but still pungent stench of blood.
"Enemy attack—!!"
Before Lin Mo could speak, Boss Wang, who was guarding the outermost perimeter of the camp, let out a shrill roar.
Before his voice had faded, the sharp whistling of projectiles tearing through the air pierced the night. Seven or eight cold arrows shot out from the darkness, narrowly brushing past the faces of several burly men who hadn't yet reacted.
Instantly, they broke into a cold sweat.
"Protect the employer! Grab your weapons!"
Boss Wang's eyes were wide with fury. He drew the thick-backed broadsword from his waist and kicked over the campfire.
Amidst the flying sparks, the caravan's twenty-odd sturdy men drew their weapons, forming a tight defensive circle around Merchant Zhao's carriage in the center.
Dozens of torches suddenly flared up in the surrounding reed marshes. Nearly a hundred fierce bandits wielding gleaming swords and spears charged out like wolves and tigers, completely surrounding the caravan.
Leading them was a young man in a black leather vest with a sinister countenance. He carried no weapon; instead, he walked to the front lines with his hands behind his back, as relaxed as if he were strolling through a courtyard.
At his fingertips, a faint flame floated in thin air, dancing eerily.
Seeing that flame, the experienced Boss Wang turned deathly pale, his sword-gripping hand trembling uncontrollably. "Spirit... Spirit Fire! You're an Immortal Master?!"
"I'll give you credit for having some eyesight, mortal."
The sinister youth sneered and casually flicked the flame from his hand.
"Whoosh—!"
The flame, initially the size of a soybean, rapidly expanded in mid-air against the wind, transforming into a fireball the size of a human head, and smashed violently into the open ground right in front of Boss Wang.
"Boom!"
With a loud explosion and flying dirt, Boss Wang and his sword were blasted back seven or eight steps. He crashed heavily onto the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood, his clothes scorched black across his chest.
Had the youth not intentionally aimed slightly off-center to make a show of power, this single strike would have reduced him to ashes.
"Boss Wang!"
Merchant Zhao cried out, feeling as if he had been plunged into an ice cave.
No matter how strong a mortal's martial arts were, facing immortal techniques capable of controlling water and fire was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!
The sinister youth looked down condescendingly at the terrified crowd, seeming to greatly enjoy the thrill of holding their lives in his hands. He spoke slowly, "Half a month ago, the former leader of this Black Wind Stronghold was blind enough to provoke me. I slaughtered him in passing and took over the stronghold. Today is your unlucky day, falling into my hands."
Merchant Zhao forced down the fear in his heart, took a deep breath, clasped his hands, and shakily stepped forward, bowing deeply. "Lord Immortal Master... we are a caravan from the Zhao family of Qinghe City. We did not know the Immortal Master was cultivating here, please forgive our intrusion."
Gritting his teeth, he pulled a thick stack of banknotes from his robes and offered them with both hands. "Lord Immortal Master, mortal gold and silver might be vulgar items to you, but the goods on these carriages, along with these three thousand taels of silver, can serve as tea money from this humble Zhao. I implore the Immortal Master to show mercy and leave a path of survival for the dozens of lives here..."
"Three thousand taels?"
The sinister youth did not take the banknotes. Instead, as if hearing the world's funniest joke, he burst into arrogant laughter.
He suddenly stepped close to Merchant Zhao, his eyes revealing cruel mockery. "You're trying to dismiss me with worldly yellow and white metals? Do you think I'm one of those destitute beggars?"
"Please quell your anger, Immortal Master!" Merchant Zhao's knees buckled in terror. "If you feel it is too little, I will certainly gather more upon returning to the city..."
"No need to gather more." The sinister youth cut him off, shaking a finger, his smile turning exceedingly ferocious.
"I don't just want your goods and your money; I want the lives of every single one of you! A caravan dying out here in the desolate wilderness—who will know I did it?"
Merchant Zhao completely despaired. He knew the other party was dead set on murder and robbery, leaving no survivors.
He whipped his head around and grabbed the arm of Lin Mo, who was sitting quietly nearby. His voice was hoarse and urgent: "Brother Lin Mo! My luck has run out today; mortals cannot fight Immortal Masters! You are young and fast on your feet, I beg you... I beg you to take Yaya and leave! Use the chaos to run into the dark woods behind us!"
Saying this, Merchant Zhao unceremoniously shoved Yaya into Lin Mo's arms. With bloodshot eyes, he pulled a short dagger from his waist, his hands shaking violently.
"My brothers and I will fight to the death to stall them! As long as you can safely bring Yaya back to Qinghe City, half of the Zhao family's estate is yours! Go, quickly!!"
"Daddy! Daddy, I'm not leaving! I want Daddy!"
Yaya, having been startled awake long ago, clung tightly to Lin Mo's neck, crying until she was out of breath, rubbing tears and snot all over him.
She buried her small face in Lin Mo's chest, her tiny body trembling violently from extreme fear.
"Brother Lin Mo... Yaya is so scared... those bad men are going to kill Daddy..."
Feeling the warm tears soaking into his chest, Lin Mo looked at the honest merchant before him, who, despite his legs trembling in terror, still gritted his teeth and stood defensively in front of them.
He did not run.
He reached out a hand slightly weathered by the journey and patted Yaya's back with utmost gentleness. His voice was as soothing as when he had told her stories a few days ago. "Be a good girl, Yaya, close your eyes. Cover your ears and count to one hundred. Brother Lin Mo promises that the bad guys will all disappear, and your daddy will be fine."
Yaya sobbed. Though terrified to the extreme, out of the reliance she had developed for Lin Mo over the past few days, she obediently closed her eyes and tightly covered her ears with her two small hands.
Lin Mo looked up and handed Yaya back into Merchant Zhao's arms.
"Brother Zhao, keep an eye on her for me. Don't let her open her eyes."
Merchant Zhao was stunned. Before he could react, Lin Mo had already bypassed him, walking slowly toward the group of fierce bandits.
"Oh? A reckless fool jumping out to play hero?"
The sinister youth looked at the slenderly built Lin Mo in his coarse hemp garments and waved his hand with a face full of mockery.
"Brothers, chop him into mincemeat for me."
Seven or eight fierce bandits grinned malevolently, raising their broadswords as they charged to encircle and slash Lin Mo.
"Clang—!"
A crisp hum of a sword suddenly sliced through the night sky.
The Cold Light Sword left its sheath!
Lin Mo's pace wasn't fast; he even seemed somewhat casual. But when the first bandit's blade swung down at his head, his wrist gave a mere, effortless flick.
"Swish!"
An ice-blue sword light flashed and vanished. The bandit and his blade froze in place. In the next breath, the broadsword in his hand snapped into two pieces, a fountain of blood sprayed from his neck, and he crashed to the ground.
Without pausing, Lin Mo continued walking forward.
His swordsmanship had long since shed all unnecessary flourishes amidst the demonic beast hordes of Black Wind Ridge, leaving only the purest killing techniques.
Between his staggering footwork, every flip of his blade guaranteed a fierce bandit collapsing while clutching their throat.
Blooms of blood constantly blossomed in the night. Lin Mo was like a grim reaper strolling through his own backyard garden. His azure robes wove through the crowd without being stained by a single drop of blood.
"He's a tough one! Attack together!"
The remaining bandits finally panicked, dozens of them roaring as they swarmed forward.
Lin Mo's eyes turned cold, and he no longer deliberately suppressed his speed. With a burst of hidden energy from the "Flowing Fire Steps" beneath his feet, his entire figure transformed into an afterimage.
Sword light wove like a web, and screams linked together into a continuous wail. These mortal mountain bandits, who didn't even count as martial artists, were as fragile as paper targets in the face of a supreme mortal weapon that could slice iron like mud and the speed of a cultivator.
In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea.
The more than thirty fierce bandits who had charged at the front were already reduced to corpses littering the ground. Crimson blood completely soaked the dirt of the official road, the pungent metallic smell nauseating enough to make one gag.
The remaining dozens of bandits were completely terrified. Clanging and clattering, they threw down their weapons and scrambled back into the reed marshes to run for their lives, wishing their parents had given them two extra legs.
The sinister youth stood dumbfounded, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. He watched the slender youth walking toward him step by step, holding a blood-dripping longsword. Feeling the spiritual energy fluctuations that the other party was finally no longer concealing, his legs abruptly gave out.
"Mid... Mid-stage Qi Condensation?!"
He was scared out of his wits. Where was the aloof demeanor of the Immortal Master from moments ago? He frantically raised his hands, desperately squeezing the spiritual energy in his body to condense a Fireball spell.
"Too slow."
Lin Mo's apathetic voice sounded by his ear.
Before the fireball could even take shape, the back of Lin Mo's sword whipped fiercely into the back of his knees like a thunderbolt.
"Crack!"
Two teeth-aching sounds of bone fracturing rang out. The sinister youth's legs instantly broke, and with a heavy thud, he fell to his knees in front of Lin Mo, letting out a shriek like a slaughtered pig.
With a flick of Lin Mo's longsword, the icy edge rested steadily against his throat.
"Using the body of a cultivator to run to the mortal world to rob mortals, and even killing the original bandit leader to claim the mountain as king."
Lin Mo looked down at him from above, his tone calm but carrying a bone-piercing chill. "Your second-level Qi Condensation cultivation base—which immortal sect taught you?"
Feeling the lethal cold against his throat, the sinister youth wept snot and tears in terror, kowtowing madly and begging for mercy. "Senior, spare my life! Senior, spare my life! This lowly one... this lowly one is a handyman disciple from the 'Blazing Sun Sect' a hundred miles away!"
This was incredibly rotten luck. Just casually coming out to rob the road and he runs into a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator.
If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have come out tonight. Wouldn't it have been nice to just drink wine in the stronghold and play the mountain king?
Crying, he confessed everything without reservation. "Because I accidentally offended an inner sect senior brother in the sect, I couldn't survive there anymore. Afraid of being killed, I fled down the mountain overnight... This lowly one realized that although I'm bottom-tier trash in the sect, I can rule as a tyrant in the mortal realm. For a moment, my heart was blinded by greed..."
"We are all cultivators, I beg Senior, for the sake of being fellow Daoists, treat me like a fart and let me go! I'll give you all the treasures in the stronghold!"
Listening to his tearful pleas, a flash of extreme disgust passed through Lin Mo's eyes, accompanied by a hint of self-deprecating coldness.
They were both handyman disciples, both suffering bullying in their sects, their lives in constant jeopardy.
In this world, some people rolled and crawled through piles of corpses just to one day stand upright with dignity; while others chose to escape, running to the mortal realm to throw their weight around against the weak, completely turning into a puddle of mud.
"Fellow Daoists? Like you deserve the title."
Lin Mo's eyes chilled, and his wrist gave a slight flick.
"Swish!"
The Cold Light Sword easily slit the sinister youth's throat.
His pleas for mercy ceased abruptly. Both hands desperately clutched his spurting neck, his eyes bulging. He twitched on the ground a few times before going completely still.
With a turn of his wrist, Lin Mo shook the blood droplets from the blade, and the longsword returned to its sheath.
He turned around and walked toward the still-dazed caravan. The moonlight stretched his shadow, making him appear exceptionally solitary and powerful on this corpse-strewn official road.
"One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight..."
Yaya kept her eyes shut tight and her ears covered, still counting backward with a trembling voice.
Lin Mo walked over to her, squatted down, gently pulled her small hands away, and smiled warmly. "No need to count anymore, the bad guys have all been chased away."
Yaya opened her eyes. Because Merchant Zhao had intentionally blocked the gruesome scene ahead with his body, the little girl didn't see any of the bloody carnage.
She threw her arms around Lin Mo's neck, her tears turning into a smile. "Brother Lin Mo didn't lie! Yaya isn't scared anymore!"
Merchant Zhao finally snapped back to reality. Pulling along the guards who were supporting each other, he walked over to Lin Mo. With a collective thud, they all dropped to their knees, their voices trembling but full of awe:
"Thank you, Immortal Master... for saving our lives! This Zhao has eyes but couldn't see Mount Tai, completely unaware that an Immortal Master was traveling with us all this way. For the many slights, please forgive us, Immortal Master!"
Lin Mo sighed and reached out to help Merchant Zhao up.
"Brother Zhao, it was a chance encounter, yet you were willing to give me a ride, and even in danger, you thought of saving my life. I will keep this kindness in my heart."
His tone was even but carried an undeniable authority. "What happened tonight rots in your stomachs. After tonight, I am still just a passing traveler catching a ride."
Chapter 27: Parting
The bloodiness of that night was quietly washed away by the morning dew of the following dawn.
The strapping men of the caravan nimbly and properly settled the remains of their companions and buried the scattered mess on the ground.
The journey over the next three days was surprisingly smooth, yet also surprisingly quiet.
Ever since witnessing Lin Mo's phantom-like, murderous swordplay and realizing his identity as an "Immortal Master," no one in the caravan dared to casually joke with him like before.
Even though Lin Mo still wore those washed-out coarse clothes and continued to sit quietly on the cargo pile at the back of the carriage enjoying the breeze, every time the men passed by him, they would unconsciously bow their backs and deliberately lighten their breathing.
Head Guard Wang, who originally had a booming voice and loved to boast, didn't even dare to look Lin Mo in the eye.
Every time he delivered water and dry rations, his hands trembled slightly, as respectful as if he were making an offering to a deity.
The chasm between immortals and mortals, after his sword was drawn that night, lay horizontally between them, unable to be crossed ever again.
Only Yaya was an exception.
The little girl didn't understand "Immortal Masters" or mortals.
She only knew that when the bad men came that night, it was Brother Lin Mo who protected her and her daddy.
Therefore, she became even more clingy to Lin Mo than before. Following behind him all day like a little tail, she chattered away, sharing her joy even over seeing a pretty butterfly.
Lin Mo did not reject this. He continued to respond to Yaya gently, as if the Asura who had harvested dozens of human lives under the moonlight simply wasn't him.
Three days later, Qinghe City was finally in sight in the distance.
Qinghe City was far more peaceful and auspicious than Demon Subjugation City.
There were no rogue cultivators here who licked blood from the edge of a blade, nor was there the pungent stench of blood. Instead, the air was permeated with the rising steam from steamed bun shops, the faint fragrance of rouge and powder, and the lively hawking echoing through the streets and alleys.
Upon entering the city, Merchant Zhao absolutely refused to let Lin Mo leave just like that. He insisted on inviting him to the Zhao family's sprawling, deep-courtyard mansion.
"Immortal Master... oh no, Brother Lin!"
In the main hall, Merchant Zhao dismissed all the servants and personally poured Lin Mo a cup of top-grade Biluochun tea. Then, he solemnly pushed an exquisite red sandalwood box in front of Lin Mo.
The box opened, revealing a neatly stacked pile of large-denomination silver notes and over a dozen gold bars. The brilliant golden light was dazzling to the eyes.
"I, Zhao, always keep my word. This is half of the Zhao family's estate, totaling one hundred thousand taels of silver and two thousand taels of gold. If the Immortal Master hadn't intervened, everyone in the Zhao family would have long been reduced to a pile of dry bones. For such life-saving grace, these worldly possessions truly cannot repay even a ten-thousandth of it..."
Merchant Zhao's tone was sincere, even carrying a hint of awe.
Lin Mo picked up the teacup and took a light sip. Looking at the massive fortune that would drive any mortal crazy, there wasn't the slightest ripple in his eyes.
Currently lying in his storage ring were nearly a thousand mid-grade spirit stones that he had enhanced from time to time.
Taking out just a single one could be exchanged for countless worldly gold and silver in the cultivation world.
To him, these one hundred thousand taels of silver were no different from stones on the side of the road.
"Brother Zhao, I said when I first got on the carriage that I was merely hitching a ride."
Lin Mo gently pushed the wooden box back, his tone mild but unquestionable.
"I do not lack gold and silver. If you truly want to thank me, you might as well help me prepare some top-grade spices, cumin, fine salt, and the strongest good wine in your Qinghe City. I'm used to staying in deep mountains and old forests, and my mouth is going bland."
Merchant Zhao was stunned. He never imagined that this Immortal Master with heaven-defying means would ignore wealth and actually just want some daily condiments like firewood, rice, oil, and salt.
But looking at Lin Mo's clear and resolute gaze, Merchant Zhao suddenly understood something. The realm of immortal figures was indeed not something a mortal merchant like him could fathom.
"Alright! Since the Immortal Master desires it, I will go handle it right now! I will definitely find you the best wine and the most complete array of spices in Qinghe City!" Merchant Zhao nodded repeatedly in excitement.
That evening, the Zhao family hosted an incredibly lavish family banquet. No outsiders were invited, only Merchant Zhao, Madam Zhao, and Yaya.
Lin Mo changed into a clean blue robe prepared by Merchant Zhao, letting down all his guard.
He took large bites of mortal braised pork and steamed fish, drank spicy, throat-burning sorghum wine, listened to Madam Zhao rambling on about household matters, and watched Yaya run around the dining table.
Merchant Zhao also learned from this that Lin Mo was actually an immortal disciple from the Azure Cloud Sect on the nearby mountain.
He repeatedly toasted Lin Mo with several cups of wine, sighing that the Azure Cloud Sect truly produced generations of immortals.
This long-lost warmth, full of the vibrant atmosphere of the mortal world... Lin Mo ate this meal feeling more comfortable than consuming any Top-grade pill.
The next morning, the thin mist carried a slight chill.
Outside the main gate of the Zhao residence, a fully loaded horse-drawn carriage was already prepared. Inside was over a hundred pounds of various top-tier spices Merchant Zhao had gathered overnight, along with dozens of jars of Qinghe City's strongest aged vintage.
Carrying his shriveled, tattered bundle on his back, Lin Mo walked up to the carriage. He made no attempt to hide anything.
Right in front of Merchant Zhao's family and several attendants, he raised his left hand and gave an empty wave toward the mountain of goods.
Swoosh—
Right under everyone's incredulous gazes, that entire carriage filled with over a hundred pounds of spices and dozens of jars of strong wine instantly vanished into thin air, as if they had never existed, leaving only an empty wooden cart.
They were entirely collected by Lin Mo into the Sumeru Hidden Moon Ring concealed within his flesh.
Hiss...
Although most of the surrounding servants hadn't witnessed the bloody battle that night, they had also heard that this was a lofty Immortal Master.
Seeing with their own eyes this unfathomable method of retrieving items from thin air, they still gasped in shock, secretly exclaiming in their hearts at the miraculousness of immortal spells.
Merchant Zhao's eyes were filled with even more awe mixed with reverence.
This method of containing Mount Sumeru within a mustard seed was something that even the rumored immortals might not all possess!
"Brother Lin Mo, where did your things go? Were they magicked away?"
Only Yaya didn't understand this awe. With red rims around her eyes, she tightly gripped the hem of Lin Mo's clothes, her tears falling like beads from a broken string.
"Yaya doesn't want you to go. Will you stay and play with Yaya, please?"
Looking at the little girl crying like a person made of tears, Lin Mo sighed slightly in his heart, a trace of softness flashing across his eyes.
Lin Mo crouched down, reached out, and rubbed Yaya's head, coaxing her softly: "Brother hid the things in an immortal's pocket. Yaya has to listen to her mom and dad obediently and grow up well."
"Brother will be right at the Azure Cloud Sect not far from here. I'll come down to see you often in the future."
"Really? You're not allowed to lie to me!" Yaya buried her head in Lin Mo's
embrace and said in a soft, sticky voice.
Saying this, Lin Mo reached into his robes and took out a Top-grade amulet he had already enhanced the day before.
As long as Yaya wore it on her body, not only would she be immune to all illnesses, but at a life-or-death juncture, it could also withstand three full-force attacks from cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage!
Lin Mo tied this safety buckle amulet around Yaya's neck with a red string and wiped away her tears: "This is a protective amulet brother is gifting you. From now on, no matter what happens, you must never take it off, understand?"
"Brother Lin! This won't do!"
Seeing this, Merchant Zhao lost his color in shock and hurriedly waved his hands.
"With one look, this item is clearly not a mortal object. You've already saved our lives once, and we are already unable to repay that. How could we possibly accept such a precious item from you?"
"Brother Zhao, no need to panic."
Lin Mo smiled faintly, reaching out to press down on Merchant Zhao's trembling wrist. "This thing is nothing to me, but in this mortal world, perhaps it can guarantee Yaya a lifetime of safety."
He looked down at the well-behaved Yaya in his arms, his gaze profound yet soft: "To meet and know each other is fate. I cannot listen to Yaya call me 'Brother' for nothing. Remember my words: wear it close to your body, and whatever you do, don't take it off."
Seeing Lin Mo's resolute attitude, Merchant Zhao's eyes turned red.
Pulling his wife along, he was about to kneel and kowtow: "Brother Lin's great kindness and virtue, the Zhao family will never forget for all eternity!"
Lin Mo gave a casual wave of his hand. A gentle wave of spiritual energy silently dispersed, steadily supporting the two of them and preventing them from kneeling down.
"I'm leaving now. No need to see me off."
Lin Mo stood up and waved at Yaya.
Then, turning around and carrying that shriveled, tattered bundle on his back, he took large strides into the bustling flow of people at the early morning market.
"Brother Lin Mo, you have to remember to come see Yaya—" came the little girl's crisp, tearful shout from behind.
Lin Mo didn't look back; he just kept his back to them, raised his hand high, and waved gently.
As he walked further and further away, the worldly atmosphere behind him, the hawking from the steamed bun shop, and the clamor gradually faded into the distance.
Chapter 28: Earth Tier Fragment
In the early morning of Qinghe City, the thin mist had yet to fully dissipate, but the streets were already bustling with the incessant sounds of hawking.
"There are still about ten days left before my leave ends, so there's no rush to go back," Lin Mo calculated silently in his heart as he walked down the street.
"Although my cultivation has reached the fifth level of Qi Refining, and a half-month of tempering—combined with absorbing spiritual energy from mid-grade spirit stones and consuming Top-grade Qi Gathering Pills—has pushed me to the peak of this level..."
"...my methods for defense, offense, and concealment are still too limited."
Although the Origin-Returning Dust Concealment Mantra could perfectly hide his aura, it couldn't change his appearance and figure.
The Heavenly Derivation Fire Seal was incredibly powerful, but it could only be used as a finishing move.
As for his swordplay, he relied entirely on the sharpness of the Top-grade Cold Light Sword and the speed of the Flowing Fire Steps to brute-force his slashes and hacks. If he encountered a cultivator in the same realm who was truly proficient in sword techniques or had formidable defenses, he would easily suffer a huge loss.
"Since I don't lack money, I need to quickly cover these shortcomings and turn my wealth into tangible combat power."
Having made up his mind, Lin Mo found a secluded alley and changed into a well-crafted cyan brocade robe. He put on a silver mask that blocked divine sense probing and precisely controlled his outward cultivation to display the early fifth level of Qi Refining.
In this cultivation world where strength was revered, blindly playing weak would only invite unnecessary trouble. Only by displaying a certain level of strength could he earn equal respect and the right to trade.
The time it takes an incense stick to burn later, Lin Mo strode into Qinghe City's largest shop—the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
He had been to this place before.
But stepping in again today, he felt deeply moved.
For no other reason than the completely different treatment.
Just as he crossed the threshold, a sharp-eyed maid in a green dress sensed the mid-stage Qi Refining spiritual pressure on his body and immediately came forward respectfully:
"Senior, how may I be of service to you?"
Lin Mo sighed in his heart. When did he ever get this kind of treatment before? Back when his strength was lowly, he was treated like a stray dog wherever he went, completely ignored by everyone.
"Find me a shopkeeper in charge. I need to buy some top-tier cultivation techniques and secret manuals."
Lin Mo focused his mind, deliberately lowering his voice to convey a sense of calm stability.
"Senior, please head upstairs."
The maid didn't dare to neglect him, directly leading Lin Mo to a quiet VIP private room on the second floor and offering him a cup of spiritual tea.
Before long, a pot-bellied, genial-looking middle-aged shopkeeper walked in with a smile, cupping his hands. "I am Zhou Fu, the manager of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion's second floor. I heard the customer is looking for some excellent cultivation techniques?"
"Manager Zhou is too polite."
Lin Mo gave a slight nod, cutting straight to the chase. "I need a disguise technique and a defensive dharma spell. The tier cannot be low—it must be at least Spirit Tier."
Hearing the words "Spirit Tier," Zhou Fu's shrewd eyes instantly brightened a few notches.
In Qinghe City, most rogue cultivators used Mortal Tier techniques. Someone who opened their mouth demanding Spirit Tier was absolutely a major client.
"Please wait a moment, customer."
Zhou Fu excused himself and turned to leave. Not long after, he re-entered the private room carrying a tray covered with a red cloth.
Lifting the red cloth, two jade slips emitting a faint glow lay quietly on the tray.
"Please take a look, customer."
Zhou Fu pointed at the white jade slip on the left, introducing it with a smile.
"This disguise technique is called the Thousand Faces of a Thousand People, a Low-grade Spirit Tier spell. Once mastered, it can change not only your facial features but also your bone structure, physique, voice, and even your subtle disposition at will. Cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage and below, even if they probe inch by inch with their divine sense, will absolutely not see any flaws."
Lin Mo's eyes lit up; this was exactly what he urgently needed. Combined with the Origin-Returning Dust Concealment Mantra, he could fabricate countless perfect fake identities in the future.
"And it can even be enhanced to Top-grade Spirit Tier," he estimated inwardly.
Having interacted with the mysterious black stone for so long, Lin Mo had gradually figured out its traits.
Enhancing something from low-grade or a fragment up to top-grade within the same tier didn't consume too much spiritual energy; his fifth-level Qi Refining capacity was enough.
However, forcibly enhancing something from Mortal Tier to Spirit Tier—crossing a major tier boundary—was equivalent to deducing an entirely new technique. His current fifth-level Qi Refining spiritual energy would likely be completely insufficient to be drained for that.
For the Qi Drawing Mantra, to enhance it from Top-grade Mortal Tier to Spirit Tier, he would have to wait until the Foundation Establishment stage.
Otherwise, he would prefer to stay low-key, buy a lower-tier technique, and slowly enhance it—why go through so much trouble?
With Lin Mo's current strength, he could at most enhance a Low-grade Earth Tier fragment to around Mid-grade Earth Tier.
"This other earthy-yellow jade slip is the defensive spell Thick Earth Mysterious Armor Shield, Mid-grade Spirit Tier."
Zhou Fu's voice rose a few pitches, carrying a hint of pride.
"As long as your feet touch the earth, you can extract earth vein Qi to condense the mysterious armor. Mastered to perfection, even a full-force strike from a cultivator in the same realm wielding a High-grade magical artifact would be hard-pressed to break your defense!"
Lin Mo took the two jade slips, pressed them against his forehead, and roughly scanned the introductory descriptions. He nodded inwardly; they were indeed rare, high-quality items.
"Name your price," Lin Mo set down the jade slips and said calmly.
"Thousand Faces of a Thousand People is priced at one thousand two hundred low-grade spirit stones. The Thick Earth Mysterious Armor Shield is a slightly higher tier, priced at two thousand five hundred. Let's round it off: a total of three thousand six hundred low-grade spirit stones, or thirty-six mid-grade spirit stones."
Zhou Fu rubbed his hands together and quoted an astronomical price that would bankrupt an ordinary rogue cultivator.
"Thirty-six mid-grade spirit stones. I'll take them."
Lin Mo didn't even haggle. With a sweep of his sleeve, thirty-six crystalline, spiritually radiant mid-grade spirit stones were neatly stacked on the table.
Zhou Fu froze for a moment, then the smile on his face instantly bloomed like a chrysanthemum.
To drop so many mid-grade spirit stones so casually without even bargaining—this was definitely a true disciple from some major sect out gaining experience, or a powerful rogue cultivator hiding their cultivation!
He nimbly collected the spirit stones and respectfully pushed the two jade slips in front of Lin Mo: "Customer, you are a straightforward person! I wonder if there is anything else you need? My Myriad Treasures Pavilion will definitely do our utmost to satisfy you."
Lin Mo stored the jade slips in his storage ring.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "Manager Zhou, besides these two, I also lack a sword technique. Does your Myriad Treasures Pavilion have any Earth Tier sword techniques for sale?"
"Cough, cough, cough—!"
Zhou Fu, who was just lifting his teacup to moisten his throat, choked on a mouthful of tea upon hearing the words "Earth Tier."
He coughed violently, his originally rosy, fat face turning beet red.
"Earth... Earth Tier?!"
Zhou Fu's eyes widened, looking at Lin Mo like he was a monster.
He smiled bitterly, "Customer, you surely know how to joke. An Earth Tier technique—what kind of divine artifact that steals the fortunes of heaven and earth is that!"
He sighed and shook his head repeatedly: "Let alone our branch in this remote corner of Qinghe City, even the main branch of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in the provincial capital might not be able to bring out a few Earth Tier techniques to sell. Techniques of that level have long been tightly hoarded by major top-tier sects and cultivation noble families as foundational treasures. Who would take them out to exchange for spirit stones?"
Hearing this, Lin Mo's brows furrowed slightly.
He had actually anticipated this result, but he was still a bit unwilling to accept it. After all, he had the enhancement system in his hands.
As long as the foundation was good enough, he could turn defective goods into treasures.
"Truly not even one?"
Lin Mo stared intently at Zhou Fu. "Even if it's a fragment or a broken chapter, as long as its tier meets the Earth Tier threshold, I'll take it without hesitation. Name your price."
Zhou Fu spread his hands helplessly: "Customer, it's really not that I don't want to do business with you."
"When people buy slightly better spells, they keep them hidden and tucked away, let alone a sword cultivation technique, which possesses the sharpest killing power."
"A fragment is still an Earth Tier fragment, and it's equally priceless with no market. Even if you bought the entire Myriad Treasures Pavilion today, I still wouldn't be able to conjure an Earth Tier sword technique for you."
Hearing these words, a distinct flash of disappointment crossed Lin Mo's eyes.
It seemed he had thought too simply of the cultivation world's resource monopoly.
Ordinary Mortal Tier and Spirit Tier spells could be bought as long as one had money, but Earth Tier techniques, which truly determined a cultivator's upper limit, were completely monopolized resources that were priceless and had no market.
As for Heaven Tier techniques, he hadn't even thought about them.
"Never mind, since you don't have it, I won't bother you any longer."
Lin Mo sighed softly, stood up, straightened his robes, and prepared to open the door and leave.
"Ah, please wait a moment, customer!"
Just as Lin Mo's hand was about to touch the door, Zhou Fu's eyes rolled as if he suddenly remembered something, and he hastily called out to stop him.
Lin Mo stopped in his tracks and looked back at him: "Does Manager Zhou have another matter?"
Zhou Fu lowered his voice, quickly walked to Lin Mo's side, glanced left and right, and said secretively, "To tell you the truth, if the customer is truly interested in Earth Tier sword technique fragments, there actually is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right now."
Lin Mo's gaze sharpened: "Oh? Let's hear it."
"Three days from now, our Myriad Treasures Pavilion will host a once-in-a-decade 'Heaven-Grade' grand underground auction."
Zhou Fu's voice was suppressed to an extreme low, as if afraid the walls had ears. "Among the finale items this time, there just happens to be a sword dao fragment passed down from an ancient ruin, named the Broken Star Sword Art."
"The tier?" Lin Mo was concise.
"After a joint appraisal by several grandmaster appraisers from our main branch, if this Broken Star Sword Art were complete, it would be at least Mid-grade Earth Tier, and possibly even High-grade Earth Tier!"
Zhou Fu gulped and held up a finger. "However, this fragment is extremely severely damaged. It doesn't even contain half of its contents. It only retains the starting stance and the mental mantras for the first three moves, so it was ultimately barely graded as Low-grade Earth Tier."
Hearing this, Lin Mo's eyes beneath the mask abruptly lit up.
A fragment?
Only the first three moves?
Others might only be able to buy it back as an incomplete trump card, and there would even be the risk of Qi deviation if forcibly cultivated.
But he was different!
What he lacked was never complete techniques, but a "high-tier foundation" capable of triggering enhancements!
"What is the starting price for this fragment?"
Lin Mo forcefully suppressed the burning passion in his heart and asked in a flat tone.
"The starting price... five hundred mid-grade spirit stones."
Zhou Fu wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
"And because rumors have spread these past few days, the elders of several nearby cultivation noble families and sects have set their eyes on this item. When it actually comes to the auction, the price will likely be driven up to a truly terrifying figure."
"After all, even if it's mostly incomplete, it's still genuine Earth Tier sword Qi, enough to serve as a family heirloom for some minor clans. It's only natural that the price is exorbitant."
Zhou Fu carefully watched Lin Mo's expression and asked tentatively, "Customer, the threshold for this auction is extremely high. You need to verify funds of at least three hundred mid-grade spirit stones just to get the qualifications to enter. I wonder if you..."
"No need to test me."
Lin Mo casually flipped his hand. A specially-made jade plaque engraved with the Myriad Treasures Pavilion's secret mark and three hundred mid-grade spirit stones appeared on the table.
"Arrange a Heaven-Grade private booth for me. I will arrive on time for the auction in three days."
Seeing Lin Mo acting so boldly, Zhou Fu was secretly shocked.
He wondered exactly which divine figure this was, to spend money so extravagantly.
Three hundred mid-grade spirit stones was a massive fortune equivalent to thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones. Even the elders of those cultivation noble families might not be able to pull that out without batting an eye!
"Senior's financial power is truly robust! It was my poor judgment."
Zhou Fu's attitude became even more respectful, even carrying a trace of awe.
He used both hands to push the three hundred mid-grade spirit stones back to Lin Mo. He then pulled out a special dark golden token from his robes and handed it over:
"Senior, this is the VIP token for Heaven-Grade Booth Number Three. Please keep these three hundred mid-grade spirit stones for now; they can simply be deducted when settling the bill at the auction. At the Zi hour (11 PM - 1 AM) in three days, with this token, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion will have a dedicated person guide you in through a secret passage, absolutely guaranteeing your privacy and safety."
"Thanks for your trouble."
Lin Mo accepted the dark golden token and stored it, along with the spirit stones, into his Sumeru Hidden Moon Ring. Without lingering, he turned and strode out of the private room.
Leaving the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Lin Mo merged into the bustling streets of Qinghe City, but the look in his eyes beneath the mask held an added layer of caution.
"The starting price alone is five hundred mid-grade spirit stones. If the elders of the major sects and cultivation noble families really come to fight for it, the final transaction price will likely double or triple, if not more."
He touched the storage ring hidden within his flesh and bone.
Although he had relied on the mysterious black stone to intermittently enhance nearly a thousand mid-grade spirit stones recently, he had just spent some buying spells.
If it truly came down to a bidding war against those factions with deep foundations at the auction, the money he had on hand wouldn't necessarily be enough to guarantee securing the Broken Star Sword Art.
What if he ran into some hot-headed individual who stubbornly drove the price above one thousand? Wouldn't he miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime Earth Tier fragment?
"It seems I can't stay idle for the next three days."
A flash of resolve crossed Lin Mo's eyes.
He didn't continue strolling through the streets. Instead, he went directly to find a high-end inn in Qinghe City with an extremely exorbitant price and the most stringent array protections, renting a quiet room with a private courtyard.
Tightly shutting the doors and windows, he activated the soundproofing and anti-probing arrays.
Lin Mo sat cross-legged on a futon. He poured out the tens of thousands of low-grade spirit stones he had left over from previous exchanges inside his Sumeru Hidden Moon Ring onto the empty floor, instantly piling up a dusty little mountain.
Since his funds might not be enough, he would just "create" more himself!
"For these three days, even if I exhaust my mind and spirit, I will scrape together a massive fortune that will make all the bidders feel despair! I must obtain that Broken Star Sword Art no matter what!"
Lin Mo took a deep breath.
The Fire-attribute spiritual energy in his body began to circulate madly. He pressed both hands directly onto the pile of low-grade spirit stones.
"Enhance!"
A faint, dark glow began to flash tirelessly within the silent, secret chamber.
Chapter 29: Sweeping Up Spirit Herbs, Mystic Yellow Body Tempering
Inside the secret chamber.
Lin Mo watched as the last few low-grade spirit stones in front of him turned to dust, replaced by a mountain of mid-grade spirit stones exuding dense spiritual energy.
These three days of "printing money" had directly multiplied the number of mid-grade spirit stones in his hands several times over, giving him an unprecedented level of confidence.
But he didn't rest. Instead, he flipped his hand and took out the two jade slips he had just bought.
"First, the disguise technique."
Lin Mo slowly poured his Fire-attribute spiritual energy into the white jade slip, silently commanding in his heart: "Enhance!"
Vvvmmm—!
The spiritual energy in his Dantian was drained like receding tide waters, even more exaggeratedly than when he enhanced magical artifacts.
Moments later, the milky-white glow on the surface of the jade slip transformed into a translucent, crystalline hue, and its original name underwent an earth-shattering change.
[Item: Phantom Visage Spirit-Concealing Art]
* [Quality: Top-grade Spirit Tier!]
* [Traits: Ever-changing, Soul Resonance. Not only can it perfectly simulate figures and voices, but it can also simulate a trace of the target's origin aura. Below the Soul Formation stage, unless a Soul-Searching secret technique is used at close range, it is absolutely impossible to see through the disguise.]
* [Cost for Next Enhancement: 100% of total Qi capacity at the early stage of Golden Core.]
"Not just changing the face and figure, but even the aura. This is a true divine skill."
Lin Mo put the jade slip away in satisfaction.
With this Phantom Visage Spirit-Concealing Art paired with the Origin-Returning Dust Concealment Mantra, even if he swaggered right into the Azure Cloud Sect's Inner Sect now, probably no one would be able to connect him to that wood-chopping servant.
Next, his gaze fell upon the earthy-yellow jade slip—the Thick Earth Mystic Armor Shield.
"Enhance!"
As the faint glow of enhancement flowed, this originally simple defensive shield spell underwent a qualitative leap under the black stone's deduction.
[Item: Mystic Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Physique]
* [Quality: Top-grade Spirit Tier!]
* [Traits: Uses earth vein Qi to temper the tendons, bones, and skin membrane. Once mastered, the body becomes like black iron, heavy as a suppressing mountain. Ordinary mortal weapons and magical artifacts will find it difficult to leave even a scratch.]
* [Cost for Next Enhancement: 100% of total Qi capacity at the early stage of Golden Core.]
"It actually turned into a body-tempering technique?"
A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Lin Mo's eyes.
In the cultivation world, spells were easy to seek, but body-tempering techniques were hard to come by. Most cultivators had frail physical bodies, making it extremely dangerous if an enemy closed the distance.
This Mystic Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Physique directly covered his final shortcoming.
However, when he skimmed through the specific cultivation requirements, the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.
This wasn't practicing a martial art; this was clearly "burning money."
To grasp the basics of this body-tempering technique, one needed to bathe in massive amounts of earth-attribute spirit herbs like Earth Dragon Root, Heavy Rock Grass, and Century-Old Earth Core Crystals, while consuming the essence of spirit stones to forcefully flush the body.
"It's just spirit stones, right? I have plenty of those."
Lin Mo gritted his teeth, stood up, pushed open the door of the secret chamber, changed into the plain and unremarkable face of a rogue cultivator, and stepped out onto the streets of Qinghe City once more.
Over the next few hours, Lin Mo practically ran through every large and small medicine shop and material store in the city.
"Earth Dragon Root? I'll take as much as you have."
"Century-Old Earth Core Crystal? Pack it all up."
"These auxiliary herbs, as long as they invigorate blood circulation, reduce bruising, and strengthen bones and tendons, I want them all."
Lin Mo acted like a wealthy madman, spending hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones like flowing water.
At first, the shopkeepers greeted him with beaming smiles, but later on, they realized their inventories were actually being completely bought out.
In just half a day, the entire Qinghe City's supply of related earth-attribute spirit herbs and body-tempering materials had actually been swept entirely clean.
"Fellow Daoist, I am truly sorry. Just now, a major client bought all the earth vein spirit grasses in our shop. Not even a root or leaf is left."
At the first-floor counter of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, a rogue cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining froze in place, clutching his spirit stones with a look of utter bewilderment.
"How is that possible? I just ran to four shops, and they all said they were out! Who on earth is monopolizing them?"
This kind of confusion wasn't just happening to him alone.
Many cultivators in the medicine trade noticed this bizarre phenomenon: those originally niche medicinal herbs specifically used for body tempering seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth.
"Have you heard? A 'Herb Madman' appeared in the city these past few days. As long as it's a herb that strengthens bones and tempers skin, he clears out every shop he sees. Even the largest, oldest shop in Qinghe City had its inventory emptied."
"Could it be a cultivation noble family preparing to mass-refine some sort of secret medicine?"
"With this kind of spectacle, he must have spent hundreds of thousands of low-grade spirit stones..."
People engaged in spirited discussions, even alarming the informants of some major families.
However, the initiator of it all had already returned to his heavily fortified quiet room at the inn.
At this moment, a massive bronze bathtub sat in the center of the secret chamber.
The medicinal liquid inside was pitch-black like ink and as viscous as mercury. Over a hundred shattered fragments of spirit stone essence were scattered at the bottom of the tub, exuding a terrifying spiritual pressure.
Lin Mo stripped off his upper garments, revealing a lean and capable, though not overly muscular, physique. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.
"Hiss—!"
The instant he entered the water, Lin Mo let out a muffled groan. The medicinal liquid felt like countless red-hot steel needles, madly drilling through his pores and straight into his bone marrow.
It was a heart-tearing, lung-splitting agony.
Circulating the Mystic Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Physique, the spirit stone essence and medicinal power at the bottom of the tub, guided by Earth-attribute spiritual energy, scoured his skin membrane, muscles, and bones over and over again.
Three days.
For three whole days, Lin Mo suffered through this inhuman torment almost day and night. Whenever his spiritual energy waned, he directly swallowed Top-grade Qi Replenishing Pills; whenever the medicinal power was exhausted, he added new, precious herbs.
This insane piling of resources with almost no regard for cost made his progress advance by leaps and bounds.
By the Zi hour (11 PM - 1 AM) of the third day.
"Hoo—Haa!"
Accompanied by a muffled, low shout, the medicinal liquid in the bathtub was actually sucked dry in an instant, turning into a layer of grayish-white powder that sank to the bottom.
Lin Mo's eyes snapped open. On his originally fair skin, a faint earthy-yellow dark glow now circulated.
Upon closer inspection, fine textures resembling the veins of mountains had surfaced on the top layer of his skin.
He raised his hand and used the Top-grade Mortal Tier Cold Light Sword to lightly slash across his arm.
Screech—
Instead of the expected flow of fresh blood, a muffled sound resembling a blade scraping across tough leather rang out.
Although the Cold Light Sword was sharp, because Lin Mo hadn't infused it with spiritual energy, it merely left a shallow white mark on his skin, which vanished entirely in the blink of an eye.
"Minor Accomplishment in the Mystic Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Physique!"
Lin Mo clenched his fists, feeling as if every muscle in his body was filled with an explosive power as heavy and solid as a mountain.
These three days of bitter cultivation had cost him nearly one hundred and fifty mid-grade spirit stones and enough herbs to bankrupt a minor family, but the results he obtained in exchange were astonishing.
Now, even without activating a defensive spell shield, relying purely on this physical defense, any attack from within the Qi Refining stage would find it difficult to harm him in the slightest.
If he pushed his spiritual energy to circulate the technique at full power, he was confident he could endure a casual strike even from an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator without injuring his bones or tendons.
Furthermore, during this period, eating far too many Top-grade Qi Gathering Pills had naturally pushed him to break through to the sixth level of Qi Refining.
"Now, it's truly foolproof."
Lin Mo changed into a clean black robe. His previously somewhat ethereal aura had now become increasingly profound and steady due to his physical metamorphosis.
The time for the auction had arrived.
He took out the dark golden Heaven-Grade token, feeling the array fluctuations radiating from it.
"Broken Star Sword Art, here I come."
Chapter 30: Shocking the Entire Auction
At the very beginning of the Zi hour (11 PM), the night over Qinghe City was as dark as ink.
Draped in a wide black robe and wearing that silver mask on his face, Lin Mo quietly arrived before a hidden stone door in the back alley of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
He pressed the dark golden Heaven-Grade token into the groove of the stone door. With a click, the stone door slowly slid open to both sides.
Two black-clad guards whose cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment stage stood solemnly on either side.
Seeing the dark golden token, they immediately bowed respectfully: "Honored guest, Heaven-Grade Booth Number Three has been prepared for you. Please follow me."
Passing through a dark corridor covered in high-tier isolation arrays, Lin Mo was led into a luxurious suspended booth.
Directly at the front of the booth was a massive one-way crystal glass window. From here, he could look down upon the entire underground auction hall. With the array isolation, the people below couldn't detect even a trace of spiritual energy fluctuation from him.
At this moment, the circular grand hall below was already packed with people. Every single person capable of entering this once-in-a-decade grand auction was a prominent figure from surrounding cities and cultivation noble families.
Sitting in the booth's thousand-year spirit wood chair, Lin Mo picked up the spiritual tea offered by the maid and listened with great interest to the clamor of conversation drifting up from below.
"Yo! Isn't this Patriarch Wang of Linjiang County? How is it that an old penny-pincher like you was willing to come out of seclusion today?"
A pot-bellied patriarch dressed in brocade silk greeted him familiarly, faintly exuding the formidable fluctuations of the early Golden Core stage.
"Hmph, Patriarch Chen, don't ask questions you already know the answer to. Who doesn't know the rumors the Myriad Treasures Pavilion let out? An Earth Tier fragment! My Wang family sold three fine iron mines under our name in succession just for today. Today, this Wang absolutely must obtain this Broken Star Sword Art!"
Patriarch Wang snorted coldly, equally making no attempt to hide his Golden Core cultivation.
"Old Wang, don't speak too absolutely." A silver-haired elder nearby shook his head and lowered his voice.
"Didn't you see the person standing outside Earth-Grade Booth Number Two? That's the trusted aide of Xu Sheng, an Outer Sect Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect! We are all in the Golden Core stage, but Elder Xu has the Azure Cloud Sect behind him, giving him deep foundations. If he can comprehend even a sliver of Earth Tier sword intent, his strength will inevitably surge. Weigh the consequences before you fight him for an item."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the Golden Core patriarchs from several cultivation noble families around them turned incredibly ugly, and the previously fiery atmosphere cooled down.
No matter how strong a major family was, in the face of a behemoth like the Azure Cloud Sect, which possessed mighty figures at the Nascent Soul stage holding down the fort, they still had to tuck their tails between their legs and act with restraint.
Listening to the discussion below, Lin Mo hesitated for a moment.
After all, this was an elder of his own sect; fighting him for it wouldn't be good, right?
Of course, he only hesitated for a moment before stopping. This was because Lin Mo heard the ensuing discussion below.
"I heard Elder Xu took in another disciple who just broke through to Foundation Establishment, supposedly named... named Zhang Long or something."
"Yes, he is named Zhang Long. I heard he's quite young, reaching Foundation Establishment before the age of thirty. It seems he's another youth with limitless potential."
Someone revealed an envious look: "Truly enviable. It's equivalent to having an additional Golden Core disciple in the future."
Lin Mo froze for a second.
"What? Zhang Long broke through to Foundation Establishment?"
In the next second, a ruthless look appeared on his face.
The enemy of his enemy... no, the master of his enemy is his enemy.
A Golden Core elder?
Others might fear the elders of the Azure Cloud Sect, but he—an "invisible man" with oceans of mid-grade spirit stones stuffed in his pockets, who could change his face at any time and had endless trump cards—was not afraid.
Having made his decision, Lin Mo no longer hesitated. He resolved to get that sword art tonight no matter what.
Clang—!
The crisp sound of a bronze bell echoed above the hall, and the noisy room instantly fell silent.
A vigorous, white-haired elder dressed in luxurious red robes slowly walked onto the auction stage.
Lin Mo recognized this person. It was Elder Yan, the Chief Appraiser of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, whose cultivation was also rumored to have stepped into the Golden Core stage.
"This old man is Yan Shan, serving as the manager for this auction. I'll spare the nonsense; everyone knows the Myriad Treasures Pavilion's rules. The highest bidder wins, and transactions are settled on the spot."
With a wave of Elder Yan's hand, a beautiful maid carried the first tray onto the stage. Lifting the red cloth, she revealed a resplendently glowing short sword.
"The first auction item: Mid-grade Spirit Tier magical artifact, the 'Wind-Chasing Blade'. Engraved internally with a Light-Spirit Array and a Tearing Array. Starting price: three thousand low-grade spirit stones. Each bid increment must not be less than one hundred!"
"Three thousand one hundred low-grade spirit stones!"
"Three thousand two hundred!"
The atmosphere in the auction hall was instantly ignited. Various rare spirit pills, array formations, and demonic beast cubs took the stage one after another.
...
"The second item: A Century-Old Jade Marrow Mushroom, which can be used as an auxiliary herb in refining Foundation Establishment Pills! Starting price: five thousand low-grade spirit stones!"
...
"The third item: High-grade Spirit Tier defensive array disk, the 'Six Harmonies Cloud Smoke Array'. Starting price: eighty mid-grade spirit stones!"
...
The patriarchs of major families and big-shot rogue cultivators fought until their faces were red and their ears were flushed. Hundreds and thousands of spirit stones were thrown out like flowing water, a thrilling sight to behold.
But Lin Mo, inside Heaven-Grade Booth Number Three, didn't even lift an eyelid. These things held absolutely no attraction for him.
Finally, Elder Yan pressed his hands down. The lights on the stage instantly dimmed, leaving only a single beam of light shining on the display stand in the center.
"The main event has arrived!"
Lin Mo's spirit was roused.
It wasn't just him; everyone began to quiet down, staring at the stage with blazing eyes, like wolves and tigers.
If it weren't for the massive power of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, they probably would have long since swarmed the stage to fight to the death.
"Everyone, next is the grand finale of this auction!"
Elder Yan's tone became incredibly solemn. He personally picked up an archaic red sandalwood box and slowly opened it.
A pitch-black jade slip exuding an ancient, fierce sword intent lay quietly inside.
Just a sliver of leaked sword Qi was enough to make the faces of some Foundation Establishment cultivators in the front rows sting with pain, sending chills down their spines.
"Obtained from an ancient ruin: the fragmented Broken Star Sword Art!"
Elder Yan's voice echoed through the hall.
"Following appraisal by the main branch, the complete state of this sword art should be above Mid-grade Earth Tier! Although it is currently mostly incomplete, leaving only the starting stance and the first three moves, the fierceness of its sword intent still firmly suppresses all Top-grade Spirit Tier techniques, and thus it is graded as Low-grade Earth Tier!"
"The starting price for this technique is five hundred mid-grade spirit stones! Each bid increment must not be less than ten mid-grade spirit stones! Let the bidding begin!"
Five hundred mid-grade spirit stones! This was equivalent to fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones; even for Golden Core cultivators, this was an massive sum!
The entire hall fell silent for a brief moment before erupting into incredibly frenzied bidding.
"Five hundred and fifty!" roared Patriarch Wang of Linjiang County, his eyes bloodshot.
"Six hundred!" Patriarch Chen followed closely behind.
"I bid seven hundred!"
"Seven hundred and fifty mid-grade spirit stones!"
The price skyrocketed. In just a few breaths, it approached the eight-hundred mark.
Many Golden Core cultivators with shallower foundations could only slump back in their chairs helplessly, giving up with faces full of bitterness.
Just as Patriarch Wang gritted his teeth and was preparing to shout "eight hundred and fifty," the window of Earth-Grade Booth Number Two was suddenly pushed open.
A sinister old man wearing the robes of an Azure Cloud Sect elder stood at the window, surveying the entire hall from above, completely unapologetically releasing the terrifying spiritual pressure of a Golden Core powerhouse.
"This old man is Xu Sheng, Outer Sect Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect."
Elder Xu snorted coldly, his voice like muffled thunder, making the eardrums of many people below ache.
"This fragment is of great use to this old man's comprehension of the sword dao. This old man bids one thousand mid-grade spirit stones! I ask that all fellow Daoists give this old man, and the Azure Cloud Sect, some face."
The entire hall fell dead silent.
Patriarch Wang and Patriarch Chen's faces turned ashen. Their fists were tightly clenched, but they forcefully held their tongues.
One thousand mid-grade spirit stones was already the absolute limit of liquid cash they could produce. Furthermore, who dared to thoroughly offend an Azure Cloud Sect Golden Core elder with actual power just for a fragment?
Looking at the quiet hall, Elder Xu stroked his beard in satisfaction.
"One thousand mid-grade spirit stones, is anyone else raising the bid? Since there is no one..."
On the stage, Elder Yan frowned slightly. As fellow Golden Core cultivators, Xu Sheng was using his power to suppress others.
Although the Myriad Treasures Pavilion didn't fear him, it wasn't good to completely tear up their relationship over a fragment. He was just preparing to drop the hammer.
Right at this moment, the window of Heaven-Grade Booth Number One was suddenly pushed open!
"Hahaha! Old Ghost Xu, what great prestige you have! How much is the Azure Cloud Sect's face worth? My Blazing Fire Sect doesn't buy it!"
Accompanied by a wild, uninhibited laugh, an incredibly scorching, violent Golden Core spiritual pressure shot into the sky, directly clashing equally with Xu Sheng's aura.
A burly old man with a full head of crimson hair appeared at the window and shouted loudly: "One thousand one hundred mid-grade spirit stones! This old man also wants this Broken Star Sword Art!"
"It's Elder Crimson Flame of the Blazing Fire Sect!" Someone below immediately recognized the old man's identity and cried out in shock. "No wonder he dares to challenge the Azure Cloud Sect.
The Blazing Fire Sect and the Azure Cloud Sect have been mortal enemies for over a hundred years!"
Xu Sheng's expression sank, killing intent fully revealed in his eyes: "Old Thief Crimson Flame, you insist on opposing this old man? One thousand two hundred!"
"One thousand three hundred! This old man just happens to have plenty of spirit stones today, I'll piss you off to death, you old scoundrel!"
Elder Crimson Flame sneered repeatedly, not yielding an inch.
Just as the two Golden Core elders were at each other's throats and the entire hall thought this would become a struggle between the two sects...
"One thousand five hundred."
Suddenly, a hoarse, deep, and somewhat casual voice drifted out unhurriedly from the highest tier, Heaven-Grade Booth Number Three.
The moment this understated number was spoken, the entire hall seemingly exploded!
"There's another expert?"
"One thousand five hundred mid-grade spirit stones?! Have they gone mad!"
"Another big shot from a Heaven-Grade Booth has made a move! They aren't even giving face to the Golden Core elders of the Azure Cloud Sect and Blazing Fire Sect!"
"Heavens, raising it by that much all at once, what kind of fierce dragon crossing the river is this?"
The smiles on Xu Sheng and Elder Crimson Flame's faces froze simultaneously. Xu Sheng abruptly looked up at Heaven-Grade Booth Number Three, a flash of humiliating anger and ruthlessness crossing his eyes.
His massive Golden Core divine sense pierced toward Heaven-Grade Booth Number Three like a sharp sword, only to be completely blocked by the arrays outside the booth, vanishing like a clay ox entering the sea.
"Friend upstairs, leave some leeway in all things," Elder Xu gritted his teeth, forcefully suppressing his anger.
"This old man is from the Azure Cloud Sect..."
"Two thousand."
Lin Mo didn't even have the patience to let him finish his nonsense. The hoarse voice drifted out again, directly raising the price to a despair-inducing number.
That tone was as casual as tossing away two heads of cabbage.
Not only did Elder Xu's face instantly turn the color of pig liver, but even Elder Crimson Flame in Heaven-Grade Booth Number One gasped and resentfully closed his window.
Two thousand mid-grade spirit stones! Even if they emptied the entire net worth of these two powerful elders and liquidated all their assets, they absolutely could not scrape together this much liquid cash!
"You... Good! Very good! Your Excellency possesses immense financial power, this old man will remember this!" Elder Xu flicked his sleeves and left, slamming the booth window shut with a bang.
The patriarchs in the hall all gasped, their gazes toward Heaven-Grade Booth Number Three filled with awe.
"Just what kind of divine figure is this?"
To use money to directly smash two Golden Core elders into silence—such arrogance and wealth was simply unheard of.
"Two thousand mid-grade spirit stones, sold!"
With the final strike of Elder Yan's hammer, the Broken Star Sword Art thoroughly belonged to Lin Mo.
The time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, inside Heaven-Grade Booth Number Three.
Lin Mo straightforwardly transferred two thousand mid-grade spirit stones and accepted the pitch-black jade slip from the hands of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion manager.
After confirming it was correct, he stored it close to his body.
"Honored guest, Elder Xu Sheng's people have already secretly locked down several streets outside the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Do you need us to arrange for experts from the main branch to escort you out of the city?" the manager asked respectfully.
"No need. I have my own measure of things."
Lin Mo waved his hand. After the manager withdrew, he immediately sat cross-legged. The Top-grade Spirit Tier Phantom Visage Spirit-Concealing Art roared into operation within his body!
His bones let out a series of extremely subtle shifting sounds.
Lin Mo's originally upright figure began to hunch, and the muscles on his face wriggled, instantly transforming him into a shriveled old man with a face full of wrinkles and cloudy eyes.
Even more terrifyingly, under the dual effects of the Origin-Returning Dust Concealment Mantra and the Phantom Visage Spirit-Concealing Art, his thick sixth-level Qi Refining aura actually twisted and turned into a third-level Qi Refining Wood-attribute aura that carried a faint scent of decay!
At this moment, even the frequency of his divine soul fluctuations was entirely different. Even if a Golden Core cultivator were to sweep over him face-to-face with divine sense, they would absolutely not spot any flaws.
Changing into a dark, tattered rogue cultivator's robe, Lin Mo hunched his back and pushed open another secret passage at the rear of the booth.
The time it takes an incense stick to burn later.
At the exit in the back alley of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, two Inner Sect disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect at the Foundation Establishment stage were staring intently at every black-robed person walking out, like hunting dogs. Their divine sense swept over every passerby like radar.
A hunched, skinny old man—whose cultivation was only at the third level of Qi Refining and reeked of poverty—slowly shuffled past them, coughing violently twice.
The divine sense of the two Foundation Establishment disciples swept over him, discovering it was just a low-tier piece of trash nearing the end of his lifespan. Covering their noses in disgust, they waved their hands: "Go, go, go, where did this old beggar come from? Get lost, don't get in the way of the Azure Cloud Sect's business!"
"Cough, cough... Yes, yes, this old man will leave right away."
The skinny old man nodded and bowed submissively, hobbling his way into the late-night streets of Qinghe City.