Chapter 18

Upon arriving at the inn, a young cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage came forward to greet them. “Honored uncles, Uncle Ba is waiting for you in a private room on the second floor. He asked me to wait here for you.” Though his cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, he was not to be underestimated. His face wore a warm, friendly smile.

Wenyuan stopped in her tracks. “Is there anyone else upstairs besides my senior brother?”

“Yes, there are a few other seniors as well, all brought by Uncle Ba.” He paused, then added, “It’s quite common for cultivators of similar strength to gather here and exchange cultivation resources.”

There were many righteous cultivators in this demonic region, and the lands abounded with places for tempering oneself. It was not unusual to acquire items that were useless to oneself but valuable to others. So, from time to time, small exchange gatherings would be held, giving everyone a chance for unexpected gains.

Ba Yicheng’s participation in this exchange meeting was a stroke of luck. Such gatherings were typically limited to acquaintances. After Ba Yicheng had settled in, he happened to run into Wei Qingtong, whose arrival time was uncertain. Though their cultivation differed—one was at the Nascent Soul stage, the other at Core Formation, and while one was the disciple of a cultivator at the Divine Transformation stage, the other was merely at the Nascent Soul stage—their ages were similar, and they had met often enough to be considered familiar.

Wei Qingtong had just been invited to a Nascent Soul exchange gathering. Although he rarely interacted with his sectmates, he still maintained a sense of kinship, and so he invited Ba Yicheng along.

Ba Yicheng, seeing the rare opportunity, readily accepted. After getting Wei Qingtong’s consent, he sent a message to Li Mengze and Wenyuan. Even if his own items might not interest them, the experience alone would be worthwhile—especially since many things found in the demonic region were unavailable among the orthodox sects.

After Li Mengze and Wenyuan ascended the stairs, the innkeeper knocked on a private room door and ushered them inside.

Inside, six people were already seated, with two empty seats clearly reserved for them.

Wei Qingtong rose to his feet. “These two are direct juniors from my sect. We happened upon each other, and I thought it would be good for them to broaden their horizons.” With that, Li Mengze and Wenyuan bowed deeply. No matter what, these people had higher cultivation and greater strength; proper etiquette could not be neglected.

After their bows, some of those present nodded slightly, others remained impassive, but none voiced any objection. This was already a good sign, a testament to both the reputation of Kunlun and the face Wei Qingtong carried.

Li Mengze and Wenyuan took their seats beside Ba Yicheng and Wei Qingtong. The other Nascent Soul cultivators showed no dissatisfaction. After all, they were direct disciples and bloodline successors of Nascent Soul cultivators themselves, and, moreover, elite disciples of Kunlun. Their cultivation might vary, but their achievements were surely outstanding—especially since, among all cultivators, sword cultivators were famed for their formidable battle prowess. A peak Nascent Soul sword cultivator could even challenge an early Divine Transformation cultivator; though unlikely to win, escape would not be a problem. It was unwise to make enemies of such people.

Besides, this was no great matter—who knew, perhaps these younger cultivators might possess something valuable to the elders.

With everyone present, the meeting began without further delay. A cultivator shrouded entirely in black was the first to speak.

“I have here a White Jade Lotus, nine hundred years old. I wish to exchange it for a supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill.” His voice was hoarse, scraping like metal against iron, sending chills through the heart. Fortunately, everyone present was well-versed in such matters; otherwise, it would have been hard not to tremble.

Li Mengze glanced at him and then focused on the tabletop, where the lotus sat in a black preservation box. Such boxes could maintain a spiritual herb’s properties and vitality, making them the best storage method for high-grade spiritual plants.

A nine-hundred-year-old White Jade Lotus was rare indeed, but it still fell short of the true treasures aged a thousand years or more. A lotus of a thousand years could easily be traded for a supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill, but nine hundred years was a bit of a stretch, bordering on opportunism.

None of those present were fools. The White Jade Lotus only grew on thousand-year-old Jade Marrow, its petals as white as jade, the blossom resembling a lotus, complete with a rhizome. Hence its name.

The petals were a key ingredient in the famed Beauty and Fragrance Pill, and when worn regularly, they emitted a lingering fragrance beloved by female cultivators. A White Jade Lotus over a thousand years old was even more precious; its petals could be used medicinally, and its rhizome served as the guide for refining the rare White Poison Pill. Such treasures rarely appeared on the market.

Upon seeing a nine-hundred-year-old specimen, some present shook their heads and sighed. If only it had matured another hundred years, it would not be stuck in such an awkward position—too valuable to discard, yet not quite enough for the desired exchange.

Li Mengze was interested, but to trade a nine-hundred-year-old lotus for a supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill would be to play the fool.

Marrow Cleansing Pills were rather common; low-grade ones could be found for sale, cleansing thirty percent of impurities and removing pill toxins. Pills of middle grade and above were rare, usually reserved by sects as rewards for meritorious disciples. High-grade pills appeared occasionally at auctions, but always ended up in the hands of powerful cultivators for their juniors, as they not only removed toxins and impurities but had a fifty percent chance to purify a spiritual root—though not as effective as the Spirit Cleansing Pill, it was still impressive. Supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills, on the other hand, could be crafted only by sixth-grade alchemists and above. Ingredients were difficult to find, and though these pills had an eighty percent chance of cleansing mixed spiritual roots, few were made.

Li Mengze happened to possess a couple of supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills, gifts from her mother upon advancing to sixth-grade alchemist. Shortly after, her mother entered seclusion, so those pills remained in Li Mengze’s possession.

After a long silence, someone finally spoke. “Wan Sou, none of us are fools. You can’t take advantage of us. A nine-hundred-year-old White Jade Lotus is precious, but not enough to warrant a supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill. If you have something else to add, best bring it out now. If someone here has what you want and the value is fair, they won’t hesitate.” The speaker, a female cultivator, let out a charming little laugh—one could tell at a glance she practiced some sort of seductive arts, as did many in the demonic sects.

Wan Sou, thus called out for trying to pull a fast one, did not lose his composure. He glanced around the room, saw that everyone shared the same sentiment, and, gritting his teeth, pulled out another jade box from his storage pouch. Setting it on the table and opening it, an alluring fragrance filled the room, and Li Mengze felt her spiritual energy stir uncontrollably. It was clearly a treasure.

Everyone looked eager, but Wan Sou swiftly snapped the box shut and said slowly, “This is the thousand-year-old Jade Marrow I found with the White Jade Lotus. With such marrow, growing another White Jade Lotus should be no challenge. Now the value should be enough, shouldn’t it?” He snorted coldly. “If it weren’t for the fact that I finally have a direct descendant and my grandson’s spiritual root is poor, I’d never part with such treasures.” With that, he slapped the jade box onto the table.

Laid out together, the items made Li Mengze’s heart stir. Perhaps she could cultivate a White Jade Lotus within her spatial treasure, and with the thousand-year-old Jade Marrow, the spiritual energy there might even change.

But she did not act impulsively. All present were Nascent Soul cultivators—if someone else wanted these and also had a Marrow Cleansing Pill, she could not risk vying with them. In terms of rarity, the Jade Marrow was even more precious than the nine-hundred-year-old lotus.

Opposite Li Mengze, a refined-looking male cultivator hesitated, then took out a small bottle from his storage pouch and placed it on the table. “I don’t have a supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill, but here’s a high-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill and a mid-grade Spirit Cleansing Pill. Used together, perhaps they could cleanse one of your junior’s spiritual roots.” He was strikingly handsome, but his complexion was deathly pale, giving him an air of frail ill-health.

Wan Sou shook his head. Though it was indeed a potential solution, the combined effect of a high-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill and a mid-grade Spirit Cleansing Pill was only about eighty percent effective, and the child would have to endure the cleansing process twice, with less impurity removed. It was hardly a fair trade.

The young man seemed to realize this as well. Seeing Wan Sou shake his head, he merely retrieved his pills without disappointment.

With that, those who had been eager to participate fell silent. A supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill was not something just anyone possessed.

Li Mengze glanced subtly at Wei Qingtong beside her, her hand slipping almost imperceptibly into her storage pouch.

Wei Qingtong gave a faint, measured nod, but to Li Mengze, it was as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

She drew out the bottle containing the supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill—fortunately, her mother had wisely stored the two pills separately, making it easy to retrieve just one, especially under the gaze of multiple Nascent Soul cultivators.

She placed it on the table and pushed it forward. “Supreme-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill.”

Even through his cloak, it was clear that Wan Sou’s head jerked up in disbelief that someone actually possessed such a pill.

With swift motion, the two exchanged items across the table. Wan Sou immediately stood. “Fellow Daoists, I have pressing matters and must take my leave.” No sooner had he spoken than he was already out the door, unable to conceal his eagerness.

The first female cultivator laughed sweetly, her tone coy and teasing. “Old Wan Sou, his life span is nearly spent and he has no juniors capable of supporting the clan. Now, with a grandchild who has a dual spiritual root—water and fire, no less, mutually counteracting—he has no choice but to offer up his treasures. Who’d have thought he’d get so lucky? None of us have what he needs, but a junior at the Foundation Establishment stage happens to have it. Their family’s luck clearly hasn’t run out.”

Li Mengze frowned slightly, displeased by the implication. Did they see her as a walking treasury? Of all people, she alone had this treasure—were they trying to make her a target for thieves?