Chapter Eight: The Transaction

Suddenly, a gentle breeze slipped through the doorway, and the heavy pressure vanished instantly.

“Come in,” came a slow, aged voice from within.

The cultivator in blue fixed a heavy gaze on Li Mu, then closed his eyes again, a deep sense of disappointment in his heart. He had only this one chance—if the visitor had been an ordinary person, perhaps he could have extorted something, but Li Mu was not so easily fooled.

Li Mu smiled faintly, not even glancing at the man, and stepped confidently across the threshold.

Inside, the entryway opened into a spacious chamber, easily several dozen meters across. At a deep red table sat an old man, who seemed nearly a hundred years of age, his features withered as if decaying.

As Li Mu entered, the old man’s eyes immediately flickered toward the bundle slung over Li Mu’s back, and the wrinkles across his face seemed to ripple like water.

His cultivation was higher than the blue-robed cultivator at the door, and his vision sharper—he could see the latent potential in that multicolored stone Li Mu carried, a treasure he had not beheld in nearly a century, and a flash of desire crossed his eyes.

Noting the old man’s expression, Li Mu said nothing. He simply took off his bundle, retrieved the five-colored stone, and set it in his palm.

“Elder Immortal, I am Li Mu. Please, have a look.”

The old man’s expression shifted, not expecting Li Mu to be so direct.

He remained silent, merely gestured with a finger, and sent a strand of true energy forth. Instantly, the five-colored stone in Li Mu’s hand burst into dazzling light.

Red, gold, green, blue, and brown—five hues blazed side by side, each distinct and pure, unmingled. The entire chamber was illuminated, as if a rainbow bridge had appeared overhead, and in an instant, the brilliance faded in.

Everyone present hurried forward to look, murmuring in awe.

“What manner of treasure is this?”

“Who knows what the Jade Iron Sect has forged—no wonder a major sect is so different from the rest.”

Sun Qi was dumbfounded. He had seen Li Mu sell a five-colored stone the day before and witnessed the rainbow light; even then, he had been amazed, but today’s display was several times more powerful.

“This must be one of the legendary top-tier materials, surely?” Sun Qi muttered, half-stunned.

In the world of cultivation, all materials, pills, treasures, and talismans are graded: lower, middle, upper, and top. Even upper-grade items are exceedingly rare, and as for top-grade—many cultivators go a lifetime without ever seeing one.

After the old man withdrew his hand, the glow of the five-colored stone lingered a while before fading back to its dark luster.

He studied the stone intently. “What are your terms?”

Li Mu smiled, seeing things were developing as he had hoped. “Protection within the city, a little spirit crystal, a cultivation manual, three testing slots, and a single pill.”

From the look of things, this elder held a high position within the Jade Iron Sect’s branch.

The old man sighed softly. Matters of this sort might already be outside his authority.

Sure enough, several flashes of light appeared, and three more figures materialized in the chamber.

The earlier display had drawn the distinguished guests from the City Lord’s estate.

They all arrived on waves of spiritual light, flouting the rules against flying over Deyang City’s restricted zones—clearly, these were people of power and influence.

The old man respectfully greeted each in turn, “Lord Qian, Lord Yu, Lady Wang.”

The woman addressed as Lady Wang waved dismissively, “Steward Ye, no need for formalities.”

The other two merely nodded, saying little, their gazes turning to Li Mu.

Lady Wang spoke first, “His terms are reasonable. I agree.”

Her brows and temples were lined with fine wrinkles, showing she was no longer young, but her figure was alluring, and her every gesture exuded a deliberate charm.

The man called Lord Yu was tall and broad, nearly two meters in height, with thick brows and a forthright face.

He furrowed his brows. “Lady Wang, it’s not your place to speak first. Do you intend to claim this top-tier five-colored stone for yourself?”

Lady Wang glared at him, her brows arched sharply. “Yu Dashu, don’t be ridiculous. Even if I want it, all treasures within these halls belong to the sect. His terms are fair—am I not qualified to make such decisions here?”

Yu Dashu snorted. “You know what sort of pill he’s asking for? If it’s a Purifying Qi Pill or a Nine Suns Azure Spirit Pill, will you still agree?”

Lady Wang was momentarily at a loss for words.

The Purifying Qi Pill and the Nine Suns Azure Spirit Pill were both third-tier or higher, each worth more than a top-tier five-colored stone. Even the Jade Iron Sect would struggle to provide one.

The City Lord spoke slowly, “I am Qian Yudi, City Lord of Deyang. Young man, what pill and what manual do you seek?”

Though he appeared middle-aged, his eyes bore a weighty solemnity, showing maturity and gravitas. His words were calm and clear.

Li Mu could tell these were people of even higher rank than Steward Ye, yet their manner lacked any oppressive force. On the contrary, they gave off a sense of steadiness.

It was a curious feeling—the higher their cultivation, the easier they were to approach.

Li Mu answered loudly, “Greetings, City Lord. I would like one Marrow Cleansing Pill, and as for the cultivation manual, any that allows one to reach the Spirit Building stage will do.”

Qian Yudi nodded, while Lady Wang revealed a look of relief.

The Marrow Cleansing Pill was second-tier—valuable, but not excessive. Its market price was about a thousand lower-grade spirit crystals, and for the Jade Iron Sect, it was easily procured.

Qian Yudi glanced at Yu Dashu. “Brother Yu, what do you think?”

Yu Dashu looked at Li Mu. “Can we avoid sending someone from the sect? I feel there’s something fishy here. How could an ordinary mortal possess a top-tier material?”

Lady Wang also looked at Li Mu, her eyes showing some doubt.

Li Mu could not repeat his previous story. He spoke straightforwardly, “I was once a slave and, by luck, found this five-colored stone in a mining tunnel. That’s why I came to Deyang City, hoping for a chance at cultivation.”

In the mortal world, only immortal slaves have the opportunity to encounter such materials. Any other story would be less believable, and Li Mu’s words were forthright.

“An immortal slave?” Qian Yudi’s tone grew heavy. “From which sect?”

Li Mu shook his head. “I don’t know. I only saw purple robes and a white jade badge.”

With a wave, Qian Yudi set up a simple sound-proofing formation around Li Mu.

“So, you were an immortal slave. By rights, the five-colored stone should belong to the sect that owned you. Now that it’s in our hands, will it bring trouble?” Lady Wang’s face changed slightly.

At this, Yu Dashu actually laughed. “Ha! An indentured immortal slave daring to bring us such a treasure—he has some guts. I say we accept. Trouble? Ha! I wish we’d get some.”

Qian Yudi was calm. “It’s not ideal. If we keep this five-colored stone, we may attract some trouble, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.”

Lady Wang nodded. “Still, it’s a good deal, even if it draws other sects’ attention.”

After some discussion, Steward Ye hurried off to prepare the pill and manual. Qian Yudi removed the formation and spoke gently to Li Mu. “We accept your terms. The items will arrive soon. As for your safety, you need not worry—here in Deyang City, with the Jade Iron Sect, no one will dare touch you.”

Seeing things progressing favorably, Li Mu smiled with joy and promptly handed over the five-colored stone.

Qian Yudi took the stone, examining it for a moment before passing it to Lady Wang and Yu Dashu in turn.

After each had inspected it, they all nodded in excitement.

Lady Wang’s face was radiant. “Let my Qing’er use it for now. When the City Lord returns, we’ll hand it over to the sect.”

Qian Yudi and Yu Dashu both nodded in agreement. “Using the spiritual energy of a top-tier five-colored stone for cultivation—the sooner, the better. It can cleanse the dantian and greatly aid the Spirit Building stage. This child, Wang Qing, will have a much higher starting point than most.”

“Heh, a top-tier five-colored stone can increase one’s foundation by several levels. I’d like to try it myself,” Yu Dashu joked.

Lady Wang chided him, “Oh, stop. Even we cultivators in the vein-tempering stage can absorb spiritual energy from it, though it takes time. It’s quite useful.”

“Just joking,” Yu Dashu replied.

With the five-colored stone in hand, the group fell into their own conversation, completely ignoring Li Mu.

Li Mu didn’t mind, quietly memorizing every word they said.