Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 486 Blazing Sun Stone - The Invitation of the Void King

"Fellow Daoists, today is the final part of this exchange meeting—free trade."

"After the trading in the past two days, I believe many fellow Daoists are still not satisfied."

"Therefore, everyone is free to invite each other, travel together, and choose any location they like to conduct discussions."

"I would also like to wish everyone in advance that you can make the most of this great opportunity to gather together today, and that you will achieve your goals and leave with a full heart!"

Huo Xinghuai finished explaining the process.

He turned his head and looked to his right with a smile: "The early apricots in the side garden have already bloomed today. Fellow Daoist Qingxiao, would you like to come and admire the flowers together?"

True Monarch Qingxiao nodded: "Fellow Daoist Huo has been so kind in inviting me, how could I refuse? Please go first, Fellow Daoist."

He was also preparing to order a batch of pills from Baicao City, so he readily agreed.

Upon hearing this, the other True Lords also sized each other up, pondering in their hearts who they should go to for a transaction.

After resting last night, everyone basically had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

Therefore, at this time, one is more focused on observing the movements and intentions of others.

If they can make eye contact, they'll exchange a smile and leave together to discuss terms in private.

If your preferred candidate has already left, you can either wait for them to return in the pavilion or adapt to the situation based on the remaining candidates.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, shall we go sit in the tea room up ahead?"

After Huo Xinghuai finished giving his blessings, Cui Yunxian immediately approached Xiao Chen and said, "Before the New Year, I accidentally stumbled upon an ancient Heaven-level cultivation technique."

"Its ingenious design and unique conception are both top-notch."

"After reading it, I was truly amazed and had a lot to think about."

"Therefore, I brought it here today, hoping to share and discuss it with you, fellow Daoist."

Cui Yunxian was actually lying.

She did indeed bring an ancient secret technique, and it was indeed exquisite.

However, it was not obtained by chance, but rather it was an ancient book that Huo Xinghuai specially collected for his disciple who was on the path of enlightenment.

This was so that she could refer to it and thus gain inspiration during her cultivation.

Cui Yunxian's purpose was not to share, but simply to use the book to entice Xiao Chen to come and talk to her.

Then, during the conversation, the topic of spiritual practice and enlightenment came up naturally.

This plan may sound a bit strange, but it is actually a very effective solution.

Because her previous invitation failed, Cui Yunxian made thorough preparations after returning home.

For example, in order to better understand Xiao Chen, he even specifically asked Canye Zhenjun about his movements.

Only then did they decide to use a secret technique as a starting point to bring the two sides closer.

Few outsiders know that cultivators who practice and comprehend the Dao actually need a very large amount of reading.

Enlightenment, too, varies in difficulty.

It's impossible to directly comprehend the great principles of heaven and earth simply by relying on one's own deep contemplation. However, it's extremely difficult to succeed.

Most of the time, cultivators who pursue enlightenment also need to rely on some external aids.

For example, the techniques and secret arts left by our predecessors.

Through these things, try to understand the other party's conception when creating new spells.

This improves one's cognitive level and has a similar effect to training.

Therefore, under such circumstances, cultivators who pursue enlightenment are often very interested in those uniquely designed secret techniques.

That's why Cui Yunxian chose to invite Xiao Chen in this way.

In her view, this was the perfect example of catering to someone's preferences, and it was sure to win them over.

But after she finished speaking, she didn't see the surprised look in Xiao Chen's eyes as she had expected.

Instead, he received a strange look that he couldn't quite describe.

"Um... I might not be free today, because I have to go and negotiate a deal."

Xiao Chen was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, and then politely declined, saying, "If there's a chance next time, I'll definitely go."

He had no idea what the other person was doing.

Since today is a free trading session, shouldn't the focus be on the trading itself?
Why did they suddenly start talking about a Heavenly-level cultivation technique and even want to share it with me?

He simply couldn't figure out what the other party was up to.

"what?"

Cui Yunxian was stunned when she heard Xiao Chen's almost unhesitating refusal.

Wait a minute, why would you react like that?

Don't you have any interest in ancient secret arts?
That's a very novel and special secret technique!

What's wrong with you?

After a brief moment of surprise, Cui Yunxian forced a smile: "Alright then, let's talk about it next time."

Although Xiao Chen promised to do it next time.

But why did it sound like a polite remark to her?

Cui Yunxian found this hard to understand and even had some doubts about whether the other party was a cultivator who followed the path of enlightenment.

However, she quickly adjusted her mood and rejected the absurd idea.

Judging from Xiao Chen's performance, the other party has definitely followed the path of comprehension; otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why he broke through so quickly and was able to master such powerful fire techniques.

Therefore, the problem with the failed invitation must lie elsewhere.

Perhaps she didn't express herself clearly?
Or perhaps, today's time is simply not suitable?
While Cui Yunxian was still pondering the reason, Xiao Chen had already given her a slight smile and then strode towards Hengyi Zhenjun.

But they had only taken two steps away when...

Then another voice called out from the side: "Fellow Daoist Xiao, I have something I'd like to invite a few fellow Daoists to discuss. Shall we find another place to talk?"

Xiao Chen turned his head and saw that it was the Sword Master of Qingping.

The other person had obviously come over while Cui Yunxian was speaking, only a beat too late.

Therefore, after seeing that they had not reached an agreement, he immediately extended an invitation.

"What... could it be?"

Xiao Chen first glanced at Hengyi Zhenjun's side, and after seeing that no one was beside him, he asked, "If it's convenient, could you give a brief explanation here?"

His main goal now is definitely to exchange for pure yang spiritual objects.

However, going directly to them may not necessarily persuade them to lower their demands.

Seeing that no one was going to invite Hengyi Zhenjun, he wasn't in a hurry and chose to wait here for a while.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist Xiao, I found an ancient treasure map while searching for treasure in a secret realm."

The Sword Master of Qingping explained, "It's just that the treasure location described in the map is located in the outer sea."

"Not only are they somewhat remote, but reliable nautical charts are also lacking along the way."

"If you want to find treasure by following the map, you may inevitably encounter sea monsters or accidentally enter dangerous places."

"Therefore, I thought of inviting a few skilled people to travel together, so that we could look out for each other."

Even if one is a Nascent Soul True Monarch, it doesn't mean that one can go anywhere at will.

For example, there may be many risks in the open sea.

The main problem is that nobody knows what kind of monsters they might encounter when they venture deep into the ocean.

If you encounter an extremely powerful demon and are all alone, you'll truly be helpless.

Only by becoming a Divine Transformation Venerable can one have the freedom to go anywhere in the world.

Previously, when faced with situations requiring travel to the open sea, people would tend to invite a few like-minded individuals with outstanding practical skills to accompany them.

Speaking of which, uniting to fight against ferocious beasts is an old tradition of humankind.

"This is not good."

Xiao Chen shook his head slightly: "The inner world of the Vast Sea Secret Realm is about to open. If we choose to go deep into the outer sea now, there probably won't be enough time."

"And does Fellow Daoist Qingping not want to go to the inner realm to search for treasures?"

Logically speaking, it doesn't matter where you go to search for treasure, why go to such lengths when you can find it nearby?

Despite the potential risks within the inner sphere, venturing into the open sea would present even greater risks.

After all, within the secret realm, there are restrictions to ensure that even a Nascent Soul cultivator cannot enter, or to provide an early warning in case of a forced intrusion.

If you went to the outer sea and happened to run into a fifth-tier demon, that would be truly despairing.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao has misunderstood. The Vast Ocean Secret Realm will definitely be the priority."

The Sword Master of Qingping smiled and explained, "Actually, I haven't set a specific time yet; I'm just preparing to set off within three to five years."

"We have already arranged to meet Fellow Daoist Ling from the Demon-Slaying Sword Sect and Fellow Daoist Che Guang from the Five Thunder Temple."

"But I felt it wasn't safe enough, so I decided to find another helper. For example, someone with high magical abilities like Fellow Daoist Xiao."

"After all, we need to make full preparations before heading out to sea."

"I've come here today to invite you, fellow Daoist, to discuss whether you have any free time in the next few years."

"If it's convenient, let's pick a time when everyone is relatively free, settle our own affairs, and then take the spirit ship together to search for treasure in the outer sea."

That makes perfect sense.

But Xiao Chen still shook his head: "It is a good thing that Fellow Daoist Qingping is willing to come to me."

"Unfortunately, I'll probably be quite busy these next two years. The outer seas are far away, so I probably won't have much time to go treasure hunting."

Judging from this, the other party was clearly impressed by his martial prowess in the fight against the Yin Corpse Sect, which is why they sought him out to travel together.

Unfortunately, Xiao Chen now has to prepare for his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage.

His main task now is to find a way to increase his success rate in breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Therefore, he may have to spend a lot of time going to the new cultivation world and occasionally showing his face in the outside world with Master Cai to solidify his false identity.

One reason is to prepare for a future trip to the holy city.

Secondly, I also wanted to find out if there were any other secret techniques in the new cultivation world that could help one break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Therefore, I really didn't have much time to go treasure hunting with everyone anymore.

Therefore, he had to decline the invitation from the Sword Master of Qingping with a hint of regret.

As the two were talking, most of the True Lords in the pavilion had already left in groups.

In the blink of an eye, only a handful of people remained.

Seeing that almost everyone had left, Hengyi Zhenjun couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

He originally intended to use the Blazing Sun Stone he had to try and exchange it for a life-saving spiritual item.

However, judging from the situation, this deal is clearly still somewhat unrealistic.

Therefore, even True Monarch Hengyi had to start considering whether he should lower his standards. As a rogue cultivator, he didn't expect to pass on this Blazing Sun Stone to his future disciples.

Rather than holding onto such a treasure but being unable to use it, it's better to get rid of it as soon as possible and then use it to enhance one's immediate combat strength.

If this also makes it easier to be bolder in the upcoming treasure hunt in the inner realm.

In fact, when Hengyi Zhenjun saw that aerial hunting boat the day before yesterday, he was already tempted.

Unfortunately, the price offered by that mysterious master was simply outrageous.

He doesn't have any high-level spiritual items, and even if he did, he wouldn't be willing to exchange them.

But if we were to investigate the origins of that Sky-Crossing Hunting Boat now, and then try to commission an identical one to be made and brought back...

Firstly, the chances of success might be quite high, and secondly, it's probably too late.

After all, creating such a complex custom-made magical artifact would definitely take a long time.

The best course of action now is to reach a deal directly at this exchange meeting.

The problem now is that when Hengyi Zhenjun looked up, there were hardly any people left in the pavilion.

It seems that his initial asking price was too high, so now no one is prioritizing dealing with him.

In this way, all the good things that everyone was willing to bring out have probably already been picked over.

Even if a True Lord comes to discuss things with him next, the remaining items he can still use for exchange will probably not be much better.

Thinking of this, Hengyi Zhenjun couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

At the same time, he had already begun to consider how to maximize his own interests under the current limited conditions.

He was actually a little reluctant to lower the requirements too much and give up something else in return.

But if we don't do this, it might still be difficult to sell this Blazing Sun Stone.

While Hengyi Zhenjun was struggling with this dilemma.

Suddenly someone walked over and stopped in front of him.

He looked up in surprise and saw that the person who had come was Xiao Chen.

The other party smiled at him and said, "Fellow Daoist Hengyi, I have another idea and would like to discuss it with you about the Blazing Sun Stone."

"If you don't mind relaxing the exchange terms a little."

"Let's find a place to talk, and you can hear what I think of my new terms?"

Oh, here it comes!

Upon hearing this, Hengyi Zhenjun's spirits lifted. He knew that there would definitely be people who recognized its value and wanted this piece of the blazing sun stone of excellent quality.

If it were the first day, or if Xiao Chen had just come to him immediately, he might have hesitated for a while.

However, there don't seem to be many options right now.

So Hengyi Zhenjun simply nodded and said, "That's fine, let's go talk to the north then."

Xiao Chen was overjoyed upon hearing this, feeling that the matter was most likely to succeed.

Because the other party's immediate agreement is tantamount to acknowledging the premise of 'relaxing the exchange conditions' that I just mentioned.

The two traveled together to the northern part of Baicao Island and found a secluded sea cliff.

Xiao Chen then got straight to the point, saying, "I have something good on hand. Although it can't directly protect Jie's life, it can greatly improve his ability to survive."

"Its full name is the Black Abyss Blood Escape Talisman."

"I will not hide it from you, fellow Daoist, this talisman comes from an ancient demonic sect on the other side of the Sea of ​​Compassion."

"However, it has a great advantage, which is that a sufficient amount of essence blood has been added during its production, so there is no need to use essence blood to activate it when it is used."

"As long as true essence is injected to activate it, one can escape to a place tens of thousands of miles away in an instant."

"Therefore, although this item cannot directly block enemy attacks, it can help one escape danger and shake off pursuers."

"If you're willing to relax your conditions, how about we exchange this item for it?"

Upon hearing this condition, Hengyi Zhenjun's heart stirred, and he became conflicted once again.

To be fair, talismans have a limited lifespan and are prone to various accidents.

For example, if you are suddenly attacked and don't have time to activate it.

Or they might encounter a treasure like the Sky-Crossing Hunting Boat, becoming trapped in the great formation and unable to escape.

After all, he was different from Xiao Chen; he didn't have the Night's Edge to deal with these unexpected situations.

The problem is that the Black Abyss Blood Escape Talisman does indeed help improve survivability.

Moreover, Hengyi Zhenjun had been waiting for quite a while, but no one else came to him to make a deal.

If we don't accept this condition, I'm afraid we won't even be able to find something like this when we go back.

"This item sounds pretty good."

After hesitating for a while, Hengyi Zhenjun decided to try to negotiate the price: "However, even so, the two are not equal."

"If you're going to use this as an exchange, you'll have to give me at least three Black Abyss Blood Escape Talismans."

That's obviously a bit too much.

Xiao Chen planned to keep two more for himself, but didn't intend to give away so many.

Therefore, he shook his head directly: "That won't do, just one."

"How about this, if you feel the prices are not equal, I'm willing to use spirit stones to make up the difference."

Hengyi Zhenjun was originally thinking that since three cards weren't enough, why not try asking for one more?

But after hesitating for a moment, he backed down: "One magic talisman will do, but I'll have to add another ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones."

Based on his observations, Xiao Chen wasn't the type of person who liked to haggle.

Therefore, gradually testing the waters might backfire.

Hengyi Zhenjun was also a little worried that the deal might not go through in the end, so he simply asked for a sum of spirit stones.

"No problem, let's do it that way!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen immediately agreed, first handing over the talisman, and then directly taking out ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones: "The spirit stones are here as well, please check them, fellow Daoist."

Hengyi Zhenjun accepted the talisman and carefully put it away.

Then he took out the Blazing Sun Stone, glanced at it with a hint of regret, and handed it over.

If he had enough time, he might be able to exchange this magical item for something better.

However, time is extremely limited for any cultivator.

In order to have some self-protection when entering the inner realm this time, the best choice is to agree to this deal.

Having successfully completed the deal, the two chatted casually along the beach for a few more minutes before turning back to the city lord's mansion.

There was actually more than one wave of trading today.

After the first meeting, we can come back and continue with the second and third meetings if needed.

As long as there is enough time, and as long as there are people willing to continue talking, it doesn't matter if it lasts for several more days; Huo Xinghuai doesn't mind at all.

Of course, in reality, there aren't that many deals that people can actually make.

Basically, by the second round, it was already the cultivators who had completed their transactions by Hengyi Zhenjun and then wanted to specifically supplement their supplies with talismans and elixirs.

It was only noon, and everyone had already returned to the pavilion.

It's clear that everyone's negotiations were very quick, and whether or not an agreement was reached, it didn't take much time.

This is quite normal, given that there was ample time to consider this exchange meeting.

Even before today's discussions, most people had already thought through their terms, so the negotiations naturally went much faster.

"All of you fellow Daoists have returned, so I suppose...."

Huo Xinghuai, seeing that everyone had arrived, was about to say something to conclude the meeting.

Suddenly, a disciple rushed in to report: "Reporting to the city lord, a fourth-level Zen master has arrived outside and says he is looking for someone."

Ok?
Everyone present was surprised upon hearing this.

Many people turned to look at Huo Xinghuai—you actually invited Buddhist monks?

Little did they know, Huo Xinghuai was also a little confused at this moment.

There are no Buddhist temples in the Storm Sea.

There are very few golden Arhats on ordinary days, and they are rarely seen most of the time. They have only become more active in the last two years.

He certainly couldn't possibly know the Fourth-Level Zen Master, let alone invite him to the exchange meeting.

However, since guests have come to the door, it's not appropriate to simply turn them away.

Huo Xinghuai first apologized to everyone present, and then led his disciples out to greet them.

Let's see what's going on.

Before long, he returned to the pavilion with a strange expression.

Behind them followed an old monk wearing a moon-white kasaya and holding a purple-gold alms bowl, who looked kind and benevolent.

"This is an envoy sent by Dapudu Temple. He has come on the orders of the Void King to seek out Fellow Daoist Xiao."

Because Cibeihai and Sanshandongtian share the name Pudu Temple, outsiders sometimes use Dapudu Temple to distinguish which of the three Sanshandongtian temples is the one in the temple complex.

Huo Xinghuai explained the situation to everyone, and then stepped back slightly.

His words startled everyone even more.

Whether or not they knew about Vajra Vidyaraja before, everyone knew that in Buddhism, only fifth-level cultivators were called Vidyaraja.

Many people turned to look at Xiao Chen.

Especially the two mysterious True Lords, who were looking around, their eyes darting about, their thoughts unknown.

"I have come by order of the King of Ming to invite Layman Xiao to my Pudu Temple for tea and to be my guest."

The old monk didn't care about the gazes of the crowd, but only stared at Xiao Chen in the crowd: "The temple will bear all the costs of the boundary-breaking stones needed for the round trip."

"Please gather your belongings and come with me."

Ok?
Will the Vajra King of Emptiness take the initiative to see me?

Xiao Chen was somewhat surprised upon hearing this, not understanding why the other party would specifically send someone to find him.

Normally, it would be extremely difficult for a Nascent Soul True Monarch to pay homage to a fifth-level cultivator, and they would usually be too lazy to do so.

Such a situation involves someone taking the initiative to invite you, and even being willing to bear the burden of the boundary-breaking stone.

That cannot be described merely as rare; it is an absolutely once-in-a-millennium event.

The key issue is that besides eliminating the Yin Corpse Sect and the Heavenly Sound Sect, I haven't done anything else significant lately.

Surely it can't be because of the Yin Corpse Sect, right?

Or is it that the Tianyin sect is actually related to the Pudu Temple?
Oh... that can't be, right?

(End of this chapter)