“Venerable Tianjing is too polite, but I must admit I’m growing impatient. Why not let this old man begin first?” A brocade-robed cultivator seated beside Venerable Tianjing said with a faint smile.
“Haha, since Fellow Daoist is so eager, then let us begin with you.” Venerable Tianjing chuckled and took a few steps back, genuinely inviting the brocade-robed cultivator to proceed first.
As for the rules of the exchange gathering, every cultivator present had participated multiple times before, so there was no need for lengthy explanations.
“Well, since Brother Tianjing has spoken, this old man won’t stand on ceremony.” The brocade-robed cultivator was momentarily taken aback but then rose confidently, cupping his hands slightly to those around him before lightly patting a storage pouch beneath his robe. A flash of red light later, he held a palm-sized wooden box in his hand.
The box was made of an unknown exotic wood, entirely emerald green with faint flickering flames of red light. Two crossed talismans—one gold, one silver—were affixed to the lid, adding to the box’s mysterious aura.
At this sight, all eyes were drawn to it, each cultivator gazing at the box with varying expressions. These were all well-traveled individuals who knew at once that the contents must be extraordinary. To witness such a treasure at the very start of the exchange gathering invigorated their spirits.
The brocade-robed cultivator swept his gaze across the crowd, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes behind his mask. He then lightly tapped the two talismans, causing them to drift down. The lid opened on its own, and a fiery red object slowly rose from within—a bizarre, mist-shrouded lingzhi mushroom. The mushroom was only a few inches in size, yet it glowed red-hot, its surface smooth and crystalline, with wisps of crimson clouds swirling around it like celestial energy, unmistakably a treasure of the immortals!
Just as Han Li was staring in astonishment, someone already called out its name.
“Scarlet Essence Lingzhi! A three-thousand-year-old Scarlet Essence Lingzhi! This thing only grows within molten lava and earthfire. Ordinary people wouldn’t even get a glimpse of it, let alone obtain one. Fellow Daoist truly has remarkable means!” A black-robed cultivator sighed, murmuring in a tone that could have been either envy or admiration.
“Scarlet Essence Lingzhi? So this is the famed Scarlet Essence Lingzhi from the Frostfire Lingzhi pair. Its reputation is well-deserved—just the fiery spiritual energy it emits is proof of its rarity.” A stir ran through the crowd, with some cultivators even whispering among themselves without restraint.
The brocade-robed cultivator was momentarily surprised that the black-robed cultivator had recognized his treasure at a glance, but his expression quickly returned to normal. “Since this Fellow Daoist has already identified my item, I won’t waste words. One three-thousand-year-old Scarlet Essence Lingzhi, a top-tier material for fire-attribute spirit pills. Price: one hundred thousand spirit stones, or exchange for earth-attribute materials of equivalent grade for alchemy or artifact forging.”
“One hundred thousand spirit stones?” Han Li was momentarily stunned, his eyes flickering with surprise—not because the price was too high, but because it was far lower than he had expected. Back in the Chaotic Star Seas, a single high-tier demon core cost over ten thousand spirit stones, and this exceptionally rare lingzhi was second only to the sentient “Nine-Curve Spirit Ginseng.” Han Li felt his heart stir with temptation.
Truth be told, not counting his other rare treasures, Han Li had hundreds of thousands of spirit stones alone, all looted from the storage pouches of cultivators who had fallen to him. The most notable was the successor of the Six Paths, whose pouch contained two to three thousand mid-grade spirit stones—a windfall that far surpassed the wealth of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.
Of course, no amount of spirit stones could compare to his magic treasures, artifacts, or even his ancient treasures. Some things simply couldn’t be bought with spirit stones. If he were willing to sell the flower basket, small bell, or other ancient treasures in his possession, fetching hundreds of thousands of spirit stones would be effortless.
While Han Li was lost in thought, several other cultivators also showed interest in the lingzhi. A few stepped forward, whispering to the brocade-robed cultivator and presenting their own items for inspection.
Though others couldn’t see clearly, the brocade-robed cultivator merely glanced down before coldly rejecting them, causing the hopefuls to retreat in disappointment.
“Anyone else? This three-thousand-year-old Scarlet Essence Lingzhi took me immense effort and five to six years of hardship to obtain. One hundred thousand spirit stones is already a bargain. However, I’d prefer an earth-attribute material of equivalent value—even slightly inferior would be acceptable. But if the gap is too wide, don’t waste my time trying to take advantage.” The brocade-robed cultivator seemed genuinely eager to trade, growing impatient when no one else stepped forward.
Han Li swept his gaze across the room. Many wore expressions of greed, yet none rose to make an offer—either the price was still too steep, or they lacked suitable materials at hand.
Even the Fire Dragon Child beside him wore a look of regret. His cultivation was purely fire-attribute, making this Scarlet Essence Lingzhi highly suitable for him.
Taking all this in, Han Li saw the brocade-robed cultivator sigh and begin resealing the lingzhi. Just then, he transmitted a message: “Fellow Daoist, hold on a moment. Might you be interested in earth-attribute demon cores?”
The brocade-robed cultivator paused mid-motion, scanning the room until his eyes landed on Han Li. He transmitted back, surprised, “You have demon cores? But for this Scarlet Essence Lingzhi, I’d require at least a seventh-tier demon core—or two sixth-tier ones.”
Han Li pondered this. Though he had used most of his demon cores for pill refining, he had kept a few of the rarest and highest-tier ones for emergencies. Trading a seventh-tier core for the lingzhi seemed worthwhile—after all, the lingzhi could be further nurtured with the green liquid, while demon cores could not.
As for their relative value, it was hard to say. In the Chaotic Star Seas, seventh-tier demon cores were rare, but they paled in comparison to the Scarlet Essence Lingzhi. However, in the Heavenly South, even fifth or sixth-tier demon cores were nearly impossible to find, given the scarcity of high-tier demon beasts. Thus, trading a seventh-tier core for the lingzhi was fair.
Having made up his mind, Han Li abruptly stood and walked toward the brocade-robed cultivator.
This move startled both Lü Luo and the Fire Dragon Child, who stared at him in surprise.
Han Li reached the brocade-robed cultivator in a few strides, flipped his hand to produce a jade box, and tossed it over without a word.
The brocade-robed cultivator remained composed, opening the box and carefully examining its contents for a long while before his eyes lit up with delight.
“Deal!” He waved his hand, resealing the Scarlet Essence Lingzhi in its wooden box and handing it to Han Li. At the same time, he swiftly stored Han Li’s jade box in his own pouch.
Han Li nodded, stowed the wooden box away, and calmly returned to his seat.
Lü Luo and the Fire Dragon Child exchanged astonished glances but tactfully refrained from questioning Han Li, merely offering congratulations via transmission. Han Li responded casually, betraying no emotion.
However, he soon noticed many Nascent Soul cultivators in the room reevaluating him. Clearly, his unexpected acquisition of the Scarlet Essence Lingzhi had piqued their interest.
Han Li paid it no mind. With his current abilities, unless he encountered a late Nascent Soul cultivator, even mid-stage Nascent Soul opponents would find it difficult to threaten him.
“Excellent. Now that the previous Fellow Daoist has concluded his exchange, shall we proceed with the next participant?” Venerable Tianjing smiled, gesturing to a female cultivator seated near the brocade-robed man.
“Of course. Allow this humble one to present her treasure next,” the woman in pale green robes said gracefully, rising with elegance.
“I lack the fortune of the previous Fellow Daoist to possess such a rare treasure, but I am skilled in artifact forging. I’ve crafted an unbound Immortal-Binding Ring—once a simple ownership ritual is performed, it can serve as a lifebound treasure. Without boasting, though this treasure was made from common materials like refined gold, its power is formidable. It excels at both restraining enemies and self-defense, making it a versatile offensive and defensive treasure.” As she spoke leisurely, her sleeve trembled slightly.
A white ring, several inches in size, shot out from her sleeve, expanding and shrinking intermittently.
Without further ado, she pointed at the ring, causing it to tremble and rapidly expand to a zhang in size, its silver-white runes glowing with astonishing spiritual energy.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage