Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 434: Chapter 263 Welcoming the Guest_2

Even without considering Li Shiming’s status as an Alchemy Master, one still needed to consider the cost of offending a Nascent Soul Ancestor who had spoken in protection of Li Shiming.

Elder Su’s words indicated the stance of Fan Ancestor; as long as it was a cultivator from Beishu Continent, there was no cultivator who dared to ignore Fan Ancestor’s protection.

“Shiming, this is my congratulatory gift!” Yin Shilan now presented a jade box to Li Shiming and said softly.

“This is mine!” Liang Yexuan also jumped out and handed over a jade box.

Li Shiming smiled as he accepted the jade boxes and, under Yin Shilan’s expectant gaze, opened the box to find fifteen pieces of unroasted Third Grade Spirit Tea Leaves, all of them a lush green.

This indeed brightened Li Shiming’s eyes, as unprocessed Third Grade Spirit Tea Leaves were even better for him than those that had been roasted.

The Spiritual Tea he processed was always of the finest quality, capable of maximizing the inherent quality of the tea.

The gift, although prepared by Master Luo for Yin Shilan, was based on hearing from Yin Shilan about Li Shiming’s skill in tea processing, prompting the preparation of this particular gift.

“I really like it; I’ll share half with you after it’s roasted!” Li Shiming said with a smile.

“Quickly, look at my congratulatory gift!” Liang Yexuan reminded from the side.

Li Shiming smiled and opened the other jade box, revealing a stalk of Third-grade Spiritual Medicine inside.

“Liang Yexuan, this is too precious!” he said, somewhat astonished.

It’s not that this gift was extraordinarily precious among all the gifts brought by guests; in fact, most of the gifts brought by Golden Core cultivators this time were Third-grade Spiritual Medicine.

Third-grade Spiritual Medicine was indeed precious, but Golden Core cultivators were still able to obtain it from dangerous places, and some unwanted Third-grade Spiritual Medicine could be given as a gift to befriend an Alchemy Master, as a token of relationship-building.

At the very least, when contacting Li Shiming later for the private creation of Third-grade Spirit Pills, one would not be easily refused.

But Liang Yexuan was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator—the gift was too significant. Li Shiming had only expected Liang Yexuan to give a normal gift that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would give, at most a bit more valuable than ordinary gifts.

“This is a gift prepared by Elder Liang, delivered through Liang Yexuan’s hands!” Master Luo explained from the side.

“Liang Yexuan, please express my thanks to Elder Liang!” Li Shiming said with understanding, smiling at Liang Yexuan.

It was not his fault for not inviting Elder Liang. Elder Liang was not a friend of Elder Su and Elder Ma; he did not know Elder Liang beforehand and thus did not consider sending an invitation to Elder Liang.

“Shiming, this is my congratulatory gift!” Master Luo also took out a storage bag and handed it over.

If it was necessary to use a storage bag, it indicated that the congratulatory gift was either large in volume or plentiful in quantity.

Li Shiming accepted the storage bag, and upon sending his Divine Thought into it, found eighteen Array Flags.

These were Third Grade Array Flags created by an Array Master, arguably the most significant of all the congratulatory gifts received so far.

Eighteen Array Flags were nearly equivalent to the value of a treasure, and not just in comparison to ordinary treasures but among the most top-tier treasures.

Although Li Shiming’s Array Formation Starlight Sea was only a step away from advancement, he had little access to Third Grade materials before this realm, let alone consider crafting Array Flags with them.

With eighteen Third Grade Array Flags in hand, he was confident that he could protect himself when encountering early-stage Golden Core cultivators outside the sect gates, holding out until a Golden Core cultivator from his sect arrived.

Of course, the precondition was having a matching level of skill in formations, or else these eighteen Third Grade Array Flags would merely be for show.

This was exactly the most suitable gift for Li Shiming, greatly aiding him.

“Master Luo, this congratulatory gift…” He was cut off midway by Master Luo waving his hand to stop him.

“Shiming, this gift is also for the sake of Shilan; you having the power to protect yourself will let Shilan rest easy!” Master Luo said, glancing at Yin Shilan.

Yin Shilan’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment at these words. Elder Su and Elder Ma, who were beside her, were curious about the gift. Li Shiming had checked the gift using his Divine Thought inside the storage bag without taking it out.

“Moreover, I do have a bit of selfishness myself, I’ve also prepared ninety Array Flags and would like to exchange them for a single ‘Youthful Elixir’!” Master Luo said softly, staring into Li Shiming’s eyes.

She didn’t want to mention it publically, but she was fully aware that if she didn’t speak now, who knew how many ‘Youthful Elixirs’ Li Shiming still had in his possession.

She had seen quite a few Golden Core female cultivators arriving, who normally shouldn’t have been here.

Their presence could only mean one thing: they were here for the ‘Youthful Elixirs’.

As a female cultivator herself, Master Luo knew the attraction the ‘Youthful Elixir’ held for female cultivators; for a single elixir, they were willing to pay a price male cultivators couldn’t even imagine.

Master Luo was concerned that if any other Golden Core female cultivators proposed an exchange first, Li Shiming might trade away his ‘Youthful Elixirs’.

As for the ‘Youthful Elixir’ from Beishu Trading Company, according to rumors, a Nascent Soul female ancestor from the company had set her sights on it, and if Li Shiming showed interest in any Spiritual Objects, that Nascent Soul ancestor would rush to exchange first.

It might look like Master Luo was offering a total of one hundred and eight third-grade Array Flags, a seemingly high value, in exchange for just one ‘Youthful Elixir’, which seemed like a raw deal.

But to a Nascent Soul ancestor, these were nothing significant; as long as it wasn’t a fourth-grade item, she could easily acquire them.

It was only then that Li Shiming realized he might have sold the ‘Youthful Elixir’ to Liang Yexuan for too cheap. He glanced at her.

“I’ve already consumed it!” Liang Yexuan hastily avoided his gaze and hid behind Yin Shilan, murmuring softly.

“Master Luo, please stay a little longer after the celebration ends!” Li Shiming said to Master Luo with a vague smile.

“Of course, you should talk more with Shilan!” Master Luo clearly understood the implication in his words and smiled back.

With each guest’s arrival, Li Shiming gained a new understanding of the Cultivation World.

The Cultivation World he had experienced before valued third-grade Spiritual Objects as extremely precious and rare.

But since becoming an Alchemy Master, looking at these guests, everything they brought was third-grade Spiritual Objects.

“Store Manager Lai, welcome, welcome!” Li Shiming saw Store Manager Lai, who disembarked from a Flying Boat marked with the Beishu Trading Company logo, and approached to greet him with his two masters and Yin Shilan.

He had a relationship with Lai Da that mixed business with friendship and was one of his few Golden Core Stage friends, so his warmth was genuine.

Elder Su and Elder Ma also understood this, so after expressing their welcome, they stepped aside to interact with other cultivators, leaving Li Shiming to meet with Lai Da.

“What is this Store Manager Lai? Call me Brother Lai. I’ll call you Brother Shiming, and if you consider me a friend, then that’s how we should address each other!” Chief Manager Lai, the businessman, knew how to bridge the gap in relationships.

“If Brother Lai says so, then it is how I shall address you!” Li Shiming readily agreed.

His stature as an Alchemy Master indeed afforded him the status of a Golden Core cultivator, and in some ways, even exceeded it.

But he also understood that compared to a Late-stage Golden Core Cultivator like Chief Manager Lai, he still had some catching up to do in terms of status.

“Brother Shiming, I did not expect you to become an Alchemy Master so quickly!” Chief Manager Lai exclaimed.

“It’s all been luck, I didn’t expect it to go this smoothly!” said Li Shiming modestly.

“This must be your junior sister, right? I was in a hurry when I left and did not bring a proper gift, this talisman shall serve as a meeting gift for your junior sister!” Chief Manager Lai took out a talisman and offered it to Yin Shilan, who was standing beside Li Shiming.

Although Yin Shilan came from a wealthy background, she still felt a bit embarrassed to accept the talisman.

It was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s life-saving talisman, which not even every True Disciple could possess; only the most valued True Disciples in a sect were awarded one.

“Lan’er, accept Brother Lai’s kind gesture!” Li Shiming was not about to refuse; he knew that the Spirit Pills he had concocted for Beishu Trading Company were worth piles of such talismans.