Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shen Mo calmly took his seat, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, memorizing the appearances and auras of everyone present. He noticed that among the cultivators present, several possessed particularly striking auras.

One of them was an old man sitting to the lower left of Xuanji Sanren, wearing a crimson Taoist robe, with a ruddy complexion and faint flames swirling around him. His cultivation was at the peak of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and he should be skilled in fire-based techniques.

The other was a cultivator sitting on the right, shrouded in a black cloak, with only half of his pale face visible. He exuded a cold aura and was also at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Another one was a plump, white monk sitting in the corner, holding a whisk, with a kind face. His cultivation level seemed to be only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but Shen Mo could sense a faint sense of Zen meditation from him, as if he had cultivated some kind of profound Buddhist teachings.

"Fellow Daoist Shen is new here and may not be familiar with all of you yet," Xuanji Sanren said with a smile, introducing, "This is Fellow Daoist Liehuo from the Chiyang Sect, this is Fellow Daoist Xuanming from the Youquan Valley, and this is Master Liaochen from the Jinding Temple..."

He introduced them one by one, and Shen Mo also stood up and bowed in greeting. Most of the cultivators who were introduced returned the greetings politely, except for the black-robed Xuanming Daoist, who merely nodded slightly with an indifferent look in his eyes.

After the introductions were finished, Xuanji Sanren smiled and said, "Now that everyone is here, let's begin the meeting. As usual, fellow Daoists can present what they wish to exchange and state their needs. If there are no objections, the transaction can proceed. Let me start by throwing out an example."

As he spoke, he took out a jade box and opened it. Inside were three fruits the size of longans, completely red, and radiating a scorching heat.

"This is a 300-year-old 'Earth Fire Jujube,' which is quite beneficial for cultivating fire-type techniques or refining certain yang-attribute pills. I would like to exchange it for a piece of 'Cold Jade Marrow,' or an equivalent top-grade wood-attribute spiritual material."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the Blazing Fire Daoist of the Crimson Sun Sect's eyes lit up, and he said, "Fellow Daoist Xuanji, I don't have any Cold Jade Marrow, but I do have a section of 500-year-old 'Thunderstruck Wood Heart,' which contains pure Yi Wood essence. I wonder if we could exchange it?"

Xuanji Sanren pondered for a moment and then smiled, "A lightning-struck wood core is rare indeed; it can be exchanged for two Earth Fire Dates."

"Deal!" Daoist Liehuo was overjoyed, and the two completed the transaction.

Next, other cultivators also brought out their treasures. Some were looking to buy materials from specific demonic beasts, some were selling rare mineral deposits, and some were exchanging cultivation techniques and insights, and the scene gradually became lively.

Shen Mo watched quietly, not in a hurry to make a move.

He discovered that the items these Foundation Establishment cultivators brought out were indeed a level higher than those he had seen in the Qi Refining stage market. Many of the materials were useful for his cultivation of the Foundation Establishment chapter of the "Flowing Cloud Dao Body" and for improving his natal magic weapon (which he had not yet refined).

During this time, several people also took out pills and talismans for trade. A female cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage took out a bottle of "Soul-Stabilizing Pills," which could stabilize the soul and resist inner demons, which aroused a scramble among several people.

Shen Mo noticed that the quality of the same-level pills refined by Li Xiaocao seemed to be slightly better than that of the female cultivator, which gave him even more confidence in Li Xiaocao's talent in alchemy.

When it was the turn of the black-robed Xuanming Daoist, he spoke in a hoarse voice, taking out a pitch-black gourd: "Three strands of 'Mysterious Yin Evil Qi,' refined for a hundred years, can defile magical artifacts and erode spiritual power. In exchange, they might become a Yin-attribute escape technique, or a treasure that can nourish the soul."

His voice was icy, carrying a chilling aura. Profound Yin Qi was a precious material for cultivating certain demonic arts, but it was also extremely dangerous. Most of the cultivators present had incompatible attributes or were unwilling to be tainted by it, so no one responded for a moment.

At this moment, Master Liaochen, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, looked at Daoist Xuanming, and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha. Fellow Daoist Xuanming, evil energy harms the body and damages one's virtue. The sea of ​​suffering is boundless; turn back and you will find the shore."

Xuanming Daoist sneered, "Monk, mind your own business! Are you going to change or not? If not, shut up!"

Master Liaochen shook his head and said nothing more.

Shen Mo's heart stirred slightly. The Xuan Yin evil energy... might be useful for studying the evil cultivation methods, or for refining certain special talismans in the future.

But he did not have what the other party needed, so he did not speak.

Soon, it was Shen Mo's turn. All eyes were once again focused on him, eager to see what good things this new face, the Qingyun Sect leader, could bring out.

Shen Mo remained calm as he took out two jade bottles and a jade box. "One bottle contains ten 'Supreme Cloud Condensation Pills,' suitable for early Foundation Establishment cultivators to enhance their mana and stabilize their cultivation level."

"A bottle of 'Liuyun Detoxification Powder' can cure all poisons and also has the effect of restraining Yin energy."

"Inside the jade box is a piece of 'Void Stone Essence,' about the size of an egg, which can be used to refine storage magic items or set up spatial arrays."

What he brought out wasn't earth-shattering, but it was practical, especially the top-grade Condensing Cloud Pill and Flowing Cloud Detoxifying Powder, which were of extremely high quality and clearly made by a skilled alchemist.

The essence of the Void Stone is also an excellent material for setting up formations and refining weapons.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, how much do I need to exchange for this Cloud Condensation Pill?" A cultivator in the early Foundation Establishment stage, dressed in a blue robe, immediately asked. He had been stuck at the early stage bottleneck for a long time and needed this kind of pill.

"Sect Leader Shen, I am willing to exchange this Void Stone Essence for three pieces of 'Geng Gold,' how about it?" Another Foundation Establishment stage elder, skilled in weapon crafting, also spoke up.

Shen Mo had already decided on his demands: "Gathering Cloud Pills, in exchange for equivalent top-grade spiritual materials of the metal or earth attributes, or detailed information about the 'Heavenly Origin Conference'."

"Use the essence of the Void Stone to exchange for either 'Star Sand' or 'Ten Thousand Year Warm Jade'."

The exchange conditions he proposed were quite practical: metal and earth elemental materials were needed for body refining or weapon crafting, while star sand and ten-thousand-year-old warm jade were top-grade materials for crafting high-level array flags and nurturing magic treasures.

The news of the Tianyuan Conference further revealed Qingyun Sect's intention to make a difference in this grand event.

In the end, Shen Mo traded five Condensing Cloud Pills for a fist-sized "Earth Essence Crystal", and used the Essence of Void Stone to exchange for two ounces of extremely rare "Star Sand" from the old weapon refiner.

As for the news about the Tianyuan Conference, several familiar cultivators provided a lot of scattered information. Piecing it together, Shen Mo gained a clearer understanding of the scale, rules, and possible opponents of the conference, and the purpose of this trip had been basically achieved.

The transaction continued in a harmonious atmosphere. Shen Mo didn't talk much, but every time he spoke, he hit the nail on the head. The pills he offered were of superior quality, and he gradually won the favor of many cultivators.

The Hermit of Xuanji spoke with Shen Mo many times, inquiring about the origin of the pills and praising the alchemy skills of the Qingyun Sect.

The gathering lasted for most of the day, and everyone gained something from it. At the end, Xuanji Sanren smiled and said, "This small gathering has been very successful. Thank you all for your presence."

"On the eve of the Tianyuan Conference, I may host another small gathering at the Xuanji Platform. I hope to have the opportunity to share drinks and discuss this important event with everyone!"

Everyone agreed, and after bidding each other farewell, they each transformed into streaks of light and departed.

Shen Mo also rose to take his leave, and Xuanji Sanren personally escorted him to the valley entrance, saying meaningfully, "Fellow Daoist Shen is young and promising, and the future of Qingyun Sect is limitless. You will surely shine brightly at the Tianyuan Assembly. If you have time in the future, please come and visit us more often."

"Fellow Daoist Xuanji, you flatter me. I will definitely visit you in the future." Shen Mo cupped his hands and transformed into a beam of blue light, disappearing into the distance.