Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 492: Chapter 292: Visitors_2

As the largest trading company on the Beishu Continent and a native business, gathering ordinary resources, they are definitely the best partner to cooperate with.

Originally, Li Shiming didn’t want to pay any attention to this Sound Transmission Technique, but considering that the other party was already outside his cave dwelling, he thought it better to meet such a major force.

He went to the entrance of the cave dwelling and opened the passage.

To his surprise, the visitor from Skywalk Trading Company was a Golden Core Female Cultivator, at the Early Stage of Golden Core.

This Golden Core Female Cultivator was exceedingly enchanting, not at all like a businesswoman, but rather like a female cultivator from one of the three great Demon Sects, the Yin Yang Sect.

“Master Li, I apologize for the intrusion, my respects to you!” Fang Lu bowed, wearing a form-fitting robe that accentuated her curves as she bent, along with her captivating face, she had a tremendous allure to men.

However, Li Shiming was not influenced by this seduction. His gaze was clear, for he had sensed a fluctuation of Spiritual Power Pattern when Fang Lu bowed, indicating that she had activated some Secret Technique.

Perhaps, for a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator like Fang Lu, deploying a seductive Secret Technique had a very strong effect when targeting ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but this did not include Li Shiming.

Li Shiming, being at Half-step Golden Core, had a spirit strength almost comparable to a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator.

He practiced the Vajra Body Protection Divine Skill; although he had not intentionally cultivated any Buddhist mental Cultivation Techniques, the long-term influence of Buddhist chants gave him strong resistance against such mental Secret Techniques.

Moreover, Fang Lu was in Fire Cloud Valley; she dared not use her full strength in deploying the Secret Technique, to avoid detection by Fire Cloud Valley, so the Spiritual Power Pattern she mobilized was limited.

According to Li Shiming’s analysis, Fang Lu likely had no real malice in using this Secret Technique; it was an instinct. Such a Secret Technique, paired with Fang Lu’s naturally seductive body, would gain the favorable impression of the other party at first meeting.

“I am also a guest here, please come in and let’s talk in the hall!” Li Shiming said indifferently.

He led Fang Lu into the hall and they took their seats as host and guest.

Li Shiming only served Second Grade Spiritual Tea to entertain Fang Lu; his relationship with Skywalk Trading Company had not yet reached the level for offering Third Grade Spiritual Tea.

“Master Li, Skywalk Trading Company wishes to cooperate with you!” Fang Lu said with a light laugh as she sat down, directly stating her purpose.

Li Shiming was not surprised by what Fang Lu mentioned, ever since he had become an Alchemy Master, many major forces had wanted to collaborate with him, but he had always been inside Shushan Sect, so not many had the opportunity to propose their requests face-to-face.

“Fang, you might know, I am a Guest Elder at Beishu Trading Company!” Li Shiming replied calmly.

“Skywalk Trading Company is not competing with Beishu Trading Company. We want to trade with other continents, which does not involve Beishu Continent or conflict with the interests of Beishu Trading Company, so it does not conflict with your role as a Guest Elder!” Fang Lu explained with a smile.

Li Shiming was taken aback, he hadn’t expected Fang Lu to say this.

He knew that Skywalk Trading Company was a cross-continental trading company, but as far as he knew, managing cross-continental affairs required a Nascent Soul Ancestor, the level of goods transported by a Nascent Soul Ancestor would never include even the Spirit Pills produced by him as an Alchemy Master.

To be able to engage a Nascent Soul Ancestor, only Fourth Grade Spiritual Items were sufficient, and the Spirit Pills that Li Shiming refined were merely Third-grade, and at the very bottom of that category.

“You are joking, Fang!” he said, shaking his head, not understanding.

“Master Li, you underestimate your value. If you agree to cooperate with Skywalk Trading Company, the company will help you sever the relationship with Beishu Trading Company as a Guest Elder, and we will offer you double the benefits of Beishu Trading Company to invite you to become our Guest Elder!” Fang Lu continued with a charming smile.

Now, Li Shiming completely distrusted what Fang Lu said. If he really let Fang Lu help him sever the Guest Elder relationship with Beishu Trading Company, he would be completely offending Beishu Trading Company.

With the influence of Beishu Trading Company on Beishu Continent, even Shushan Sect would have issues with him.

He even worried that Beishu Trading Company, fearing he might join another trading company, would eliminate him, this uncontrollable threat.

“Fang, then there’s nothing more to discuss!” Li Shiming picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and spoke.

This kind of initial meeting, without using the best Spiritual Tea, and the host mentioning a refusal during a tea offering, made it quite clear, it was meant to signal her to leave.

Fang Lu’s smile faded, she was the Daoist couple of the head of the Skywalk Trading Company’s Beishu branch.

To say she was a Daoist couple wasn’t entirely accurate, because the head of the Skywalk Trading Company’s Beishu branch wasn’t limited to just one Daoist couple.

Her main job at the Skywalk Trading Company was to recruit talent.

In this area, she had natural advantages, especially the cultivation technique she practiced, which made it very difficult for cultivators to refuse her recruitment methods.

When Li Shiming first met Fang Lu, he thought she was a Devil Cultivator from the Yin Yang Sect, and he was quite accurate.

Fang Lu indeed was from the Yin Yang Sect, but since she joined the Skywalk Trading Company, her previous identity had been concealed; she always presented herself as a representative of the Skywalk Trading Company.

This was also the reason she could appear within the territories of the Righteous Path forces—the Skywalk Trading Company had whitewashed her background.

Of course, although Fang Lu’s background could deceive ordinary forces of the Righteous Path, it could not hide from the intelligence systems of the three major Righteous Path sects, so she dared not venture to the gates of these significant sects.

Li Shiming had been with the sect’s gates previously, and Fang Lu had no means of dealing with him, her numerous tactics rendered useless.

Finally, upon learning that Li Shiming was attending the Alchemy Master Conference in Fire Cloud Valley, Fang Lu used the connections of the Skywalk Trading Company to find this place, and she could enter Fire Cloud Valley.

Originally, Fang Lu planned that as long as Li Shiming was willing to cooperate, after obtaining the spirit pills refined by him, she would use these pills to sabotage the relationship between Li Shiming and the Beishu Trading Company.

Li Shiming was bound by a contract with the Beishu Trading Company. Once his relationship with the Beishu Trading Company deteriorated, Fang Lu’s Skywalk Trading Company could benefit from their conflict.

Unfortunately, Li Shiming was very clear-headed, not at all the naive genius Fang Lu had imagined, giving her no opportunity to exploit.

Upon seeing Li Shiming’s gesture of sending guests away, anger surged through her, driven by malice—after all, she was a Devil Cultivator, her actions burdened with few scruples.

At that moment in the cave’s hall, only she and Li Shiming were present, and her cultivation was at the Golden Core Early Stage. Although her strength lay mainly in spiritual seduction, handling a Half-step Golden Core cultivator was effortlessly easy for her.

As long as she could control Li Shiming, using the methods of the Yin Yang Sect, she could make him do whatever she wanted.

As for consequences, if she could bring a genius like Li Shiming back to the Skywalk Trading Company, the Skywalk Trading Company would undoubtedly protect her at all costs.

Moreover, no matter how talented Li Shiming was, he was still at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Even with great potential, potential alone could not provoke a conflict at the Nascent Soul level between Shushan Sect and the Skywalk Trading Company.

As long as it wasn’t a conflict at the Nascent Soul level, Fang Lu didn’t need to worry about the consequences.

“Since Master Li would rather face punishment than toast, then come back with me!” Fang Lu’s tone changed suddenly, her seductive power fully unleashed, the Xuanyin Su Nu Technique of the Yin Yang Sect completely activated, her charm instantly magnified tenfold.

A pink aura expanded outward, about to envelop Li Shiming.

Li Shiming, whose senses were extremely sharp, knew that Fang Lu was harnessing spiritual power the moment he detected her movement and realized she had aggressive intentions.

He was extremely furious, believing that since she had come forward publicly during the Alchemy Master Conference, it would be appropriate to invite her into his dwelling as a guest.

Who would have thought that a representative of the prestigious Skywalk Trading Company would resort to violence upon meeting?

What was more terrifying, he was in the middle of the hall, which was not spacious. The expanding speed of the pink aura was fast, leaving him no space to dodge.

Even if he used ‘Step by Step Lotus,’ there was no space in the area to perform it.

A tawny shield appeared around him, naturally generated by the ‘Thick Earth Shield Pearl.’

Unfortunately, the Xuanyin Su Nu Technique deployed by Fang Lu involved spiritual manipulation, and the ‘Thick Earth Shield Pearl,’ being a Foundation Establishment artifact, offered limited protection.