“I want to go take a look at that sword scar.”
As soon as Tai Lingxuan left, Ling Xi eagerly stepped forward.
Ling Xi’s weapon was also a sword, so comprehending that sword intent would greatly help her improve her swordsmanship.
“Junior Brother, don’t you also use a sword? Want to go see it together?”
Gu Qiushui noticed the boy’s indifference and lightly nudged his shoulder as she asked.
Chen Yuyang smiled and shook his head.
“Forget it, the sword intent is still too far out of my reach. Maybe when I have the chance in the future.”
Though he said that, Chen Yuyang was actually just brushing her off.
What was here might hold great value for ordinary cultivators, but for someone like him, who had trained multiple times to the half-True Immortal stage…
He could only shake his head.
“Alright then.”
Seeing the boy’s lack of interest, Gu Qiushui didn’t push further.
Instead, she grabbed his hand and led him toward the shops surrounding the plaza.
“If you’re not interested in those, why not accompany your senior sister and take a look over there?”
Chen Yuyang nodded but glanced sideways at Gu Qiushui.
“Looking around is fine, but Senior Sister, do you have any Spirit Stones?”
Gu Qiushui blushed, punching the boy lightly on the shoulder.
“You talk too much. Just looking doesn’t cost anything. Let’s go.”
Chen Yuyang smiled helplessly and followed the girl toward the shops.
Pills, talismans, magical equipment, cultivation techniques…
Here, it was all available.
But after a quick glance, the highest grade of items for sale barely reached grade four, and prices were somewhat inflated.
Honestly, there wasn’t much worth seeing…
Just as Chen Yuyang’s gaze was about to move on, he noticed that the person beside him had stopped walking.
Turning back, Chen Yuyang saw Gu Qiushui staring intently at a nine-leaf Frostfire Herb.
It was a grade-four spiritual herb with both fire and ice attributes.
The fire attribute was Yang in nature and could be refined into extreme Yang energy, which would greatly aid Gu Qiushui in harmonizing her Yin and Yang and breaking through to the next realm.
The ice attribute matched perfectly with her ice elemental spiritual root, helping her cultivation and stabilizing, even enhancing, the breakthrough.
For Gu Qiushui, there was no better heavenly material suitable for her current condition.
Unfortunately…
Seeing the price tag of one hundred and fifty top-grade Spirit Stones, she reluctantly pulled her gaze away.
A grade-four herb was just too expensive.
Even her Master wouldn’t be able to afford it by selling everything they had.
Let alone herself.
Seeing the regret on the girl’s face, Chen Yuyang felt a pang of temptation.
But he controlled the urge to buy the herb for her on the spot.
One hundred and fifty top-grade Spirit Stones was a huge sum.
He couldn’t explain where that Spirit Stone came from.
However…Chen Yuyang quickly thought of a solution.
He could wait until Senior Sister wasn’t around, secretly buy the herb, and after leaving the Ziyang Secret Realm, say it was obtained there…
With that thought, Chen Yuyang deliberately pretended not to notice the reluctance in Gu Qiushui’s eyes and instead urged,
“Let’s go, Senior Sister, I see Master is back.”
Gu Qiushui looked back, nodding slightly, and her gaze also noticed Tai Lingxuan returning to the plaza.
The two returned to Tai Lingxuan’s side.
“Master, how did the trade go?”
“Not bad at all. One Foundation Establishment Pill sold for thirty thousand low-grade Spirit Stones,” Tai Lingxuan nodded.
Chen Yuyang nodded slightly; the price was exactly as he expected and nothing surprising.
“That much!”
Gu Qiushui’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes, I was surprised too… Yuyang, thanks to you, these pills sold for eighty-seven top-grade Spirit Stones,” Tai Lingxuan continued, her eyes full of appreciation toward the boy.
Though still young, this child’s importance to the sect was growing day by day.
Thanks to his pill refining, otherwise this sect conference, the sect head would have had to pawn more assets just to supply the disciples’ needs.
Instead, there was even some surplus now.
Hearing the number, Gu Qiushui’s eyes lit up, and she immediately looked beseechingly at the boy, rubbing her hands as she asked,
“Junior Brother… how about you work overtime after we return and refine a few more batches…”
Thud!
Tai Lingxuan lightly knocked Gu Qiushui on the forehead, scolding sternly,
“You chatterbox. Do you think pill refining is some easy task? It consumes immense spirit and soul energy. What Junior Brother Yuyang should be focusing on now is not pill refining, but raising his cultivation realm.”
After the reprimand, Tai Lingxuan immediately turned to Chen Yuyang, her expression gentle.
“Of course, Yuyang, if you want to develop in the path of pill refining, I will fully support you.”
Chen Yuyang nodded lightly in agreement.
The sect was still poor.
So he would use this opportunity to elevate himself to a grade three pill refiner as soon as possible.
Among grade-two pills, Foundation Establishment Pills were already the most expensive, costing thirty thousand low-grade Spirit Stones each.
To truly profit, he would need to focus on grade three or above.
The Gold Consolidation Pill…
That should be a good choice—expensive and in high demand…
Chen Yuyang quietly planned his “career prospects,” when Tai Lingxuan suddenly noticed something and raised her brow toward the center of the plaza.
…
“Hey! I was here first! You guys are so unreasonable!”
Under the stone stele engraved with a sword scar in the center of the plaza, a blue-robed girl of about fifteen or sixteen was surrounded by seven or eight men dressed in dark red garments.
“Unreasonable? Little girl, do you know which sect we belong to?”
The leader, a man barely in his twenties, sneered, pointing at the flaming red cauldron emblem on his robe.
That emblem was very distinctive.
Even Ling Xi, who hadn’t seen much of the world, immediately recognized the sect represented by that emblem.
One of the seven great sects of the Northern Region: the Dan Sect.
Judging by the name, the sect was famous for pill refining.
Its sect master was a grade six pill refiner.
And rumor had it that behind the Dan Sect was an elder who was a grade seven pill refiner.
“They’re cultivators from the Dan Sect.”
“Those guys… we better not mess with them.”
Recognizing their identities, some onlookers quickly backed away, fearing the dispute would affect them.
“I… I don’t care where you’re from… I was here first! You pushed me away, and you…”
Ling Xi’s voice weakened as she realized who she was dealing with, but she still gritted her teeth and stammered in protest.
The leader sneered immediately.
“Hmph, little girl, do you know what you’re saying?”
“This was a simple matter. I even gave you enough chances. If you left on your own accord, I wouldn’t have minded.”
“But now…”
His expression suddenly darkened, and he raised his hand, slapping the girl’s cheek.
“Impudent!”
A shout rang out as a figure appeared beside Ling Xi as if by instant teleportation.
Without a move, the aura the newcomer unleashed immediately forced the man to recoil.
His face changed drastically; staggering back two steps, he stared at the newcomer in horror.
“Master!”
Seeing the figure’s back, Ling Xi beamed, clutching the person’s arm.
“Don’t worry, Ling Xi. I’m here.”
Tai Lingxuan smiled gently at the girl and lifted her gaze—not to the retreating man, but into the empty sky.
“Hahaha, so this is Hehuan Sect’s sect master Tai Lingxuan. My apologies.”
A hearty laugh followed as a man in red robes jumped out from the crowd, clasping his hands and bowing toward Tai Lingxuan.
Those familiar would easily guess this man was an inner elder of the Dan Sect.
Though he smiled, his eyebrows revealed unease.
And for a simple reason: he could sense Tai Lingxuan’s powerful aura.
She was at the Convergence Stage…
While this Dan Sect elder was only at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul Stage.
“These few are your disciples? Why did they injure my junior disciple for no reason?”
Facing the red-robed man, Tai Lingxuan remained cold and arrogant, not weakening her aura simply because he was from the Dan Sect.
This was the change that strength brought her.
If she were still at the peak Nascent Soul stage, she wouldn’t be so high and mighty, though she wouldn’t give a good face either.
In the cultivation world, strength ruled.
Even the Dan Sect wouldn’t offend a Convergence Stage powerhouse just over a few disciples.
That was reality.
“These unworthy disciples are ignorant and disrespectful. I apologize on their behalf. Rest assured, I will punish them properly once we return,” the red-robed man bowed and apologized immediately.
Tai Lingxuan simply nodded and coldly waved her hand.
The man understood, turned, and scolded his disciples harshly before dragging them away.
With them gone, the crowd gradually dispersed as well.
“Master, you were so awesome just now!”
Gu Qiushui rushed over from outside, holding Tai Lingxuan’s sleeve with admiration.
“It really had to be you stepping in.”
“But why did Master let them go so easily? It feels like they got off too cheap. If it were me, I’d make them slap themselves a hundred times!”
Gu Qiushui’s words were met with a bitter smile from Tai Lingxuan, who shook her head without replying.
“Senior Sister, Master doesn’t want to escalate the situation. Handling it this way leaves room and face for both sides.”
At this moment, Chen Yuyang spoke calmly and explained.
“If it were as you say, forcing them to slap themselves a hundred times, then this grudge would be sealed completely.”
“That would likely turn into a fight to the death.”
“If it truly reached that point, facing a behemoth like the Dan Sect, our Hehuan Sect would vanish from history.”
Chen Yuyang’s voice was steady, but his words made Gu Qiushui break out in a cold sweat, instinctively shrinking her neck and covering her mouth, too afraid to say another word.
Hearing Chen Yuyang’s words, Tai Lingxuan’s eyes showed surprise.
This kid wasn’t young at heart—he saw things with remarkable clarity.
It was rare.
He was more mature and steady than she had been at his age.
The more she thought about it, the more pleased and satisfied she felt.
The matter was quickly resolved, and afterward, Tai Lingxuan led the three of them to find an inn to stay.
Due to the sect conference, rooms were scarce, and Chen Yuyang and the others could only get three available rooms.
The final arrangement was Gu Qiushui sharing a room with Ling Xi, while Chen Yuyang and Tai Lingxuan stayed together in a separate room.
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