Chapter 135: Heartless Fruit

"What are you laughing at? Are you a fool?"

Hao Damei looked slightly surprised as he glanced at Li Mu. He had always trusted his own calculations, and his divination results rarely went wrong. Even when he divined the future of that little girl Li Ying, it was something fundamentally unchangeable. What he had not calculated, however, was that Li Mu possessed such a divine object as the Spirit Pagoda.

Li Mu quickly wiped the smile from his face and bowed respectfully to Hao Damei. "Thank you, Senior, for telling me the method. This humble person was simply feeling deeply moved and immensely pleased inside. Please do not blame me, Senior."

"Hmph," Hao Damei gave a light snort. "Knowing the method, of what use is it? Could it be that you are capable of pulling it off?"

Li Mu remained indifferent and silent, merely expressing his gratitude once again. "For this immense kindness from you, Senior, this humble person does not know how to repay it. In the future, whenever you have any task, this humble person will definitely do his utmost."

"Forget it, forget it," Hao Damei said with a faint smile. "With your cultivation at the initial realm of Pulse Refining, you can barely pass as competent. What help could you possibly be to me? Besides, even if your cultivation were on par with mine, it would still be useless."

"Does Senior have any matters of concern?"

Catching the underlying implication in those words, Li Mu hurriedly asked, "I heard that the Jade Iron Sect should no longer be able to act as an enemy towards you."

"The Jade Iron Sect? Haha, they are not worthy. The troubles I face are not something you ought to consider; go worry about yourself instead. That little girl is very good, and she has a great affinity with me. Even though she is just a little girl, you must continue to look after her well for my sake."

Hao Damei's expression suddenly turned stern.

Li Mu answered solemnly, "This is only right for this humble person to do; there is no need for Senior to worry." With that, Li Mu took out three crimson fruits and offered them to Hao Damei with both hands.

Hao Damei looked slightly surprised. "Top-grade Earth-Covering Fruits? No wonder your little bird is somewhat capable. Very well, I have great use for this item, so I will accept it."

With a wave of his sleeve, the three Earth-Covering Fruits were already swept away and stored.

Those three Earth-Covering Fruits were casually produced by Li Mu during a transmutation process. For a spiritual pet, three was the absolute limit, and feeding them any more would be useless. Previously, seeing that Hao Damei had given him a spiritual pet egg, he had used these spiritual fruits to show his gratitude. Although Earth-Covering Fruits were third-tier spiritual fruits, they were extremely difficult to obtain, and even at top quality, this gift was exceptionally heavy.

Having stowed away the Earth-Covering Fruits, Hao Damei looked at Li Mu with a somewhat softened expression.

"I have no desire to take your spiritual fruits for nothing. Take these two jade slips; give them to the little girl whenever you see fit."

"Senior has already helped this humble person immensely; I truly should not accept this." Li Mu took them with his hands and expressed his profound gratitude. Compared to treasured tools and pills, jade slips were of the greatest benefit to him. Although Hao Damei claimed they were given to his younger sister, he never explicitly forbade Li Mu from reading them.

"Do not cause such troublesome matters in the future; I am about to leave the Cloud Mountain Realm." Hao Damei flicked his sleeve and pointed, causing the restraints binding Heizi to instantly dissipate. Heizi immediately bared its fierce intent, leaping into the air with two faint flashes of dark light gleaming on its claws, and lunged straight toward Hao Damei.

The Dark-Hooked Eagle had just been provoked, and at this moment, the fierce sharpness within its eyes was blazing intensely, as keen as a blade.

Li Mu hurriedly intervened. Heizi understood instantly, quickly retracting its dark claws and docilely approaching Li Mu's side.

When he turned his head back to look for Hao Damei, the man had already vanished, leaving not even a trace perceptible to spiritual sense.

***

"Leaving no trace, utterly traceless. Senior Hao's cultivation is truly formidable. I wonder when I will ever be able to cultivate to such a level." Li Mu shook his head slightly, deeply stirred within.

The matters that brought him to the Cloud Mountain Realm had already been accomplished, and it seemed he could finally return.

However, Li Mu did not plan to do so. Last time, the Jade Iron Gathering had been forced to an abrupt halt halfway through, leaving him somewhat disappointed. This time, the promotion had gone so well—was he just going to leave again?

Absolutely not.

Now that the sense of disappointment was gone, he might as well carry out the auction thoroughly and make the name Li Tian resound far and wide.

Only by doing so could he offer a proper account to himself and to Madam Wang.

Madam Wang had helped him immensely; if not for her, many of those matters could practically never have been accomplished. Furthermore, upon learning that he desired lower-grade spirit crystals, Madam Wang had practically scoured every possible source to gather them all for transaction with him, without ever once questioning what he intended to use such spirit crystals for.

This filled his heart with gratitude alongside a deep sense of touch; he could not act as an ungrateful ingrate.

Having made up his decision, Li Mu sat within the restrictive formation and set to work transmuting materials for his younger sister.

Although the Heartless Fruit existed only within the Demon Realm, the Spirit Pagoda was bound by no such arbitrary restrictions. As long as it existed, it could be transmuted, and transmuting a first-tier material required merely a single pagoda value.

His speed was extremely fast, and the Spirit Pagoda's synthesis was likewise rapid. Sitting there for not even a full day, he successfully transmuted a Heartless Fruit.

Time, however, remained a troublesome constraint.

"Manager Li."

Hearing Mu Tongfeng's cry from outside the door, Li Mu concealed the Heartless Fruit and slowly stepped out.

"We agreed that today we would go to Madam Wang's place to participate in the Treasure Appreciation Gathering. How could you drag your feet for so long?" Mu Tongfeng frowned in complaint. Li Mu offered an indifferent apology, and the two of them headed toward the central mansion.

The Treasure Appreciation Gathering was an appraisal convention held prior to the main auctions. It managed to invite many artifact refiners and sect managers to appraise and test treasured tools, thereby making highly accurate judgments.

Inside the central mansion, many people had already seated themselves.

"Madam Wang, today is supposed to be the appraisal day, right? When on earth will this Li Tian arrive? We've been waiting for nearly one or two hours now; this temperament is truly a bit too unhurried."

"Indeed. It's just a third-tier treasured tool—my master is capable of forging fourth-tier ones."

"Madam Wang, why don't you go have a word? No matter how good a treasured tool is, you still have to let us see its true appearance first, otherwise how can any transaction be made?"

Madam Wang smiled and said, "Will the various managers and artifact masters please wait a moment? Allow me to go take a look. Please continue to enjoy your tea."

Looking somewhat embarrassed as she stepped out the front door, she happened to run into Li Mu and Mu Tongfeng hurrying over.

***

Mu Tongfeng entered the main hall to host the guests, while Madam Wang led Li Mu into the back parlor and set up a sound-isolating formation.

Looking at Li Mu, confusion surfaced on her face. "I honestly thought you wouldn't come. Why did you come after all?"

Li Mu smiled faintly and said, "I am sorry, Madam Wang. Earlier, I was busy refining artifacts and completely lost track of time. But I promised to come, and a promise must be fulfilled."

"Judging by your attitude earlier, I didn't think you'd care to participate in something like an appreciation gathering."

Madam Wang said with a hint of annoyance, "Coming here is fine, but I know you've been preoccupied. Later when we go out, just casually explain a bit about artifact refining to them and be done with it."

"No, I must speak until the heavens and earth are turned upside down, declaring this Mourning Departure Tool to be the absolute best. Only then will it do."

Li Mu said with a smile, "I've already prepared everything."

The doubt on Madam Wang's face grew even heavier. "What's wrong with you? Today you're acting like a completely different person. How can you talk like this?"

Li Mu smiled without answering. As Madam Wang pondered, realization dawned on her and she immediately smiled. "You found that Hao Damei, didn't you?"

Li Mu involuntarily froze. "How did you know about this?"

With joy dancing across her face, Madam Wang chuckled and nodded. "Seeing that your troubled matters have been settled, I am happy as well."

It was not hard to notice that in front of someone who truly cared about him, Li Mu seemed utterly incapable of concealing his emotions; all his changes in expression were written clearly across his face, so why even bother speaking?

"Once you've found him, will you be leaving?" Madam Wang asked softly.

Li Mu nodded slightly. "After finishing that auction, I will leave."

Madam Wang looked him up and down several times, then shook her head. "With your current cultivation level, wandering the outside world will be difficult. I think it would be better if you entered the Jade Iron Sect under the identity of an artifact refiner. The sect can offer you exceptional welfare, and perhaps in a year's time, you might cultivate past the Pulse Refining stage. By that time, when you go out to wander, your situation will be much better."

"Thank you, Madam Wang, but I have already..."

Just as Li Mu was about to speak, he heard a clamor erupting from within the main hall.

"Are they coming or not? If not, we're leaving."

"They're coming, they're coming! Manager Yi, why are you in such a rush?"

Madam Wang smiled and waved her hand, looking warmly at Li Mu. "Let's go inside."