A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Moments later.

Lü Zhong arrived at the top floor of the White Jade Tower.

To his surprise, the top floor was clearly several times larger than the floors below. It was at least a hundred zhang long and wide, exactly like the legendary Sumeru Mustard Seed Space.

The top floor seemed to have been divided into multiple areas for the trade meet. Each area contained numerous stalls that used Memory Stones to display their wares, accompanied by descriptive manuals.

Cultivators in all sorts of attire milled about as if they were shopping, browsing the stalls for items that caught their eye. Others gathered in private groups, haggling before making a trade.

Lü Zhong sensed their cultivation and discovered they were all Core Formation Cultivators without exception. Over two hundred Core Formation Cultivators gathered in one place—truly an incredible sight, one rarely seen on any normal day.

He browsed the stalls carefully, and while there were many fine items, none of them were what he was looking for.

He then made his way to the center of the venue, where a ten-zhang-square White Jade Platform stood. It was already surrounded by a large crowd of cultivators, most of whom were at the mid-to-late Core Formation Stage.

”For trade: a Unity Transmission Secret Talisman…”

A cultivator in a Daoist Robe stepped onto the Jade Platform, produced a palm-sized jade box from his sleeve, and displayed it for all to see. Lü Zhong followed the voice with his eyes and saw a silver Talisman lying in the box, emitting powerful waves of Spiritual Qi. It was unmistakably a Tier Four Talisman.

”I’m sure I need not elaborate on this Talisman’s function. All of you Fellow Daoists can certainly recognize it. It is the ultimate life-saving treasure for protecting your clan’s younger generation.”

”The price is one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, or Double-tailed Helical Crystals of equivalent value.”

’One hundred thousand Spirit Stones?’ Lü Zhong was taken aback. He found the price odd.

’The price wasn’t high. In fact, it was lower than I’d expected.’

’Normally, Tier Four Talismans are exceedingly rare. Compared to their Tier One, Two, and Three counterparts, they seem to undergo a qualitative change, possessing either immense power or miraculous abilities like teleportation. That’s why they’re often considered priceless, with no set market value.’

’In my opinion, the price should be at least fifty thousand higher.’ Seeing it so low, his heart skipped a beat, and he was immediately tempted.

He wasn’t the only one tempted. A cultivator immediately walked onto the stage.

Six people went up in succession, trading for a total of seven Teleportation Talismans. Two were bought by cultivators who, despite concealing their faces, wore the attire of Changchun Valley. The Daoist, who was clearly from Huayi Temple, agreed to the trade without the slightest hesitation, acting as if he only cared about the money, not the buyer.

’No wonder the Qian Nan trade fair is so popular,’ Lü Zhong thought.

When he saw a momentary lull, he went up and spent one hundred thousand Spirit Stones to buy one.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to buy more; it was simply the last Teleportation Talisman available. Seeing the final one get sold, the cultivators who had been hesitating were instantly filled with regret. They rushed toward the Huayi Temple Daoist, but he ignored them as if he were deaf, simply moving to stand aside.

Then, another cultivator stepped onto the Jade Platform.

She was an old woman in a pale green robe. Her frame was tiny and frail, like that of an eleven- or twelve-year-old child. An arm like a chicken’s claw emerged from her sleeve and pulled a white Jade Flute from her Storage Bag.

”For trade: an unbonded Magical Treasure, the Cold Jade Flute…” the old woman said in a slow, measured voice.

”I am not particularly skilled, but I know a little of the Artifact Refining Technique. I used Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade as the primary material, supplemented it with Silver Essence and Jade Marrow, and after twelve long years, I finally refined this treasure. Fellow Daoists, do not be fooled by its seemingly ordinary materials. The sound of this flute can pierce one’s Divine Soul; its power is by no means small.”

”When it was forged, this item was already a Three-layered Restriction Treasure. Its new owner need only perform a simple refinement ritual to use it as a Lifebound Treasure. In the future, even without adding more spiritual materials, it can be nurtured to the might of the Fifth-Layer Prohibition. A cultivator with an Ice Spirit Root will find its power further amplified.”

As she spoke, the old woman lightly tapped the flute with one hand. The Jade Flute immediately flared with Spiritual Light, growing to its normal size in the blink of an eye. The Prohibitions layered upon it became clearly visible as it began to play a tune.

The sound of the flute seemed to scrape at their very bones and grind their souls, and the expression on every cultivator’s face changed.

Those with unhealed injuries to their Divine Soul immediately activated Secret Skills and flashed away from the Jade Platform to avoid being harmed by the music.

Fortunately, the old woman was only giving a brief demonstration, and the music quickly stopped.

Even so, it was enough for everyone present to get a true taste of the flute’s power.

”This flute is unbonded, so I cannot activate its Divine Techniques. In fact, I was only able to demonstrate seventy or eighty percent of its true power. All of you are discerning individuals, so I trust you can judge the value of this Cold Jade Flute for yourselves. I only wish to exchange this flute for something that can advance my cultivation. Be it Pills or other Spiritual Objects, anything effective for a Core Formation Stage Cultivator will do.”

After she finished speaking, the old woman withdrew her Magical Power from the Cold Jade Flute, letting it shrink back to the size of her palm. Then she stood quietly on the Jade Platform, waiting for someone to come forward and trade with her.

Below the stage, Lü Zhong’s mind began to race.

’This flute would be perfect for Feng’Er. She doesn’t have an Ice Spirit Root, but if she powers it with her Ice Soul Spiritual Energy, the effects might be even more terrifying…’

Many others were also tempted by the treasure.

The Cold Jade Flute was an unbonded Magical Treasure. Whether one bought it for personal use or gave it to a disciple who had just achieved Core Formation to help them through their initial period of weakness, it was an excellent choice.

However, just as they made up their minds and prepared to act…

At that moment, Lü Zhong beat them to it and stepped onto the stage. He sent a voice transmission, saying, ”Fellow Daoist, would you be willing to trade this item for Tier Three Spirit Ascending Honey?”