Immortal Road.

Lie Yunsheng clearly saw that he was in financial straits, so he made an exception and helped him out.

After spending the past two months together, Lin Shan found this young master to be quite easy to talk to, and upon seeing this, he cupped his hands in thanks.

"I would like to take advantage of the trade fair to purchase some items, but I regret that I do not have enough funds. Thank you for your understanding, brother."

"A small amount is no big deal, it's fine."

Lie Yunsheng waved his hand, seeing that the three were still standing there, and told them to hurry up and exchange their chips.

"If there are too many, even I can't break the rules. After all, we can't exchange bad money for good. Our building still focuses on the high-end market."

After he finished speaking, the servants brought the tray back.

"Chief Xiongshan, to round up your 580 blue chips, we've exchanged them for 6 purple chips, making a total of 12."

Lin Shan nodded, tossed twelve purple chips into his sleeve, and then inquired about the rules for the auction.

Lie Yunsheng was not surprised. This amount of money could probably only buy a few seventh-tier items at the Void Transformation stage. With so many good things available at the trade fair, it was definitely not enough.

If you want to have more leverage, you need to bring out some solid assets!

For ordinary items, it's best to simply exchange them. However, for items with disputed premiums, it's best to take them to a trading market or auction house to let the market test them in order to make more money.

"Don't worry, if you have any items consigned for auction, you can bring them out in advance. Our other three chief appraisers at the Void Realm of Yibao Tower will take turns reviewing and determining the value range, then give reasonable suggestions, and finally determine the auction order. You won't suffer any losses."

After saying that, he also wanted to see what Lin Shan could come up with.

Despite being a young cultivator at the Void Realm and a seventh-rank appraiser, his family background is indeed rather meager.

"Could it be displayed separately?"

Lin Shan glanced at the three Nascent Soul stage appraisers beside him. They were very good at reading people and immediately understood the deeper meaning. They respectfully withdrew.

Only Lie Yunsheng remained in the room, his face filled with curiosity.

"I'd like to see what's so important that Chief Xiong is being so cautious. Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret!"

A three-foot-long miniature flying boat was held steadily in both hands. The bow was crouched with a Xuanwu (a mythical tortoise-like creature), and the two sides were lined with Xuan birds. The ingenious design and exquisite appearance immediately attracted the other party's attention.

"This is."

"Mysterious Heavenly Treasure, Flying Magic Boat".

After careful consideration, Lin Shan decided to take out the Xuanwu Spirit Boat and sell it to raise money to solve his immediate problem.

After all, he is a cultivator of both wind and thunder elements, and speed is his strength among those of the same level. In terms of escaping, whether or not he has this boat makes little difference; it is merely icing on the cake.

If you encounter an immortal, you can't run away even if you want to; if you encounter someone of the same level, they can't catch up with you either. It's better to make a move as soon as possible.

The only concern is that this spirit boat is standard equipment of the Heavenly Court's Xuanwu Camp. Although hundreds of thousands of years have passed, it is unknown whether taking it out will lead to repercussions from the Heavenly Court.

Lie Yunsheng was a seventh-grade appraiser with unique insight and high skill level. He took the document, pondered it for a while, and then took out his appraisal tools to observe it from multiple angles before finally giving his conclusion.

"That's right, it is indeed a Xuan Tian spiritual treasure. Its quality and appearance are perfect, belonging to the best of the best. However, it is somewhat out of step with the current mainstream weapon-refining methods, making subsequent repairs a bit difficult, but it does not affect its value."

Lin Shan was slightly curious. Wasn't the other party an appraiser? How could he also understand weapon crafting?
"How did you come to see that it is out of touch with the mainstream weapon-refining techniques of our time?"

The other party smiled and asked him, the owner, to activate the ship. According to the fire patterns emanating from the black birds on both sides, they formed a series of ancient seal characters, which, when translated, meant:
[Built under the supervision of the Heavenly Court's Preparation Department in the 170,000th year of Emperor Bing's reign, and delivered to the Xuanwu Camp, numbered Ding 7769]

"This is an ancient warship from the time of Emperor Bing, standard equipment of the Immortal Army camp. It is rarely seen now in the post-Emperor Bing era. It is considered an antique. Although it looks weathered, it is still sturdy and durable. It will definitely be in high demand at auction!"

Lie Yunsheng praised it endlessly, his eyes shining, clearly also very fond of it.

Lin Shan then raised his concerns:

"Wouldn't there be concerns about the consequences of auctioning off the equipment of the Celestial Army's Xuanwu Camp, potentially attracting investigation from the Heavenly Court in the future?"

"Hehe, don't worry!"

Lie Yunsheng reassured him, patting his chest and guaranteeing that it wouldn't happen!
"If this were during the reign of Emperor Bing, when the Heavenly Court was powerful and its might dominated the four seas, then no one would dare to be so blatant. But don't forget that this is now 130,000 years into the reign of Emperor Bing."

"The imperial court is in complete chaos, the world is divided into warlords, and even the immortal army is rife with corruption. It is said that some military camps cannot pay their soldiers' salaries, and the immortal soldiers and generals are taking the equipment from the camps to sell outside!"

"Our Cloud Wind Immortal Realm is a remote place, and the South China Sea is even more impoverished. There's no need to worry about attracting investigations. This kind of thing happens every year; we've gotten used to it."

Hearing the other party's nonchalant attitude, Lin Shan finally breathed a sigh of relief, as long as there were no consequences.

The celestial soldiers and generals themselves are reselling equipment; the corruption in the Heavenly Court is just too severe!

However, he took the opportunity to ask the other party for an estimate of how much this item could sell for.

"Well, based on my past experience, a normal Xuan Tian Ling Bao is worth around forty to fifty, while a high-quality one might be worth seventy to eighty."

After all, the cost of crafting a Xuan Tian spiritual treasure, including the accumulation of seventh-grade spiritual materials, the cost of hiring a craftsman, and the losses during the crafting process, is an astronomical figure.

The key point is that this thing is hard currency; you can't see it on ordinary days, and you can't buy it even if you want to.

Many cultivators at the Void Transformation stage would spend most of their lives and still not be able to acquire one, so it's normal for the price to be high.

Lie Yunsheng comes from a wealthy family and has extensive experience. Based on comparisons with similar competitors from previous years, he offers a reasonable prediction:

"Auction prices are generally higher than market prices. Given the excellent quality of your Xuanwu Spirit Boat and the backing of the Imperial Bing Era's Manufacturing Bureau, I believe someone will be willing to pay for it. Let's tentatively estimate its value at around eighty-five."

Eighty-five purple chips—that's indeed a huge sum of money!
Lin Shan calculated that he had enough of what he needed.

"Brother, I have another favor to ask. There might be something I like at the auction, but I don't have enough chips on hand right now. Could you give me some in advance?"

This means they're planning to borrow money!
Lie Yunsheng was quick-witted; as expected of someone who had been in business since childhood, he immediately came up with a solution for him.

"In principle, it's not allowed, but I can offer you a buyout agreement. This Xuanwu Spirit Boat will be valued at 85 chips, paid to you in advance. Whatever the price at the auction later is irrelevant to you. It's like Yibaolou buying it from you beforehand. Whether you make a profit or a loss, the Chamber of Commerce will bear all the profits and losses. What do you think?"

"."

Lin Shan fell into deep thought, and Lie Yunsheng did not urge him, letting him figure it out on his own.

Because he didn't know what the final price of the Xuanwu Spirit Boat would be, or which day of the large-scale trade fair he would be scheduled to appear on, there were too many variables in the next month. If the materials he needed appeared before then, and he missed out because he didn't have the money, he wouldn't be able to buy what he wanted even if he got the chips later.

Therefore, the key is how to make the right choices!
"I'd like to know how many of the other cultivators who consigned their items for auction opted to buy them out on the spot with you?"

Lie Yunsheng answered with a smile.

"It's a 50/50 split, after all, if you don't use all the purple chips, you can exchange them for seventh-tier spirit stones after the trade fair, so no one will lose out." "That depends on how much you have on hand and how much you need certain items."

"If you're short on funds, I suggest cashing out in advance. That way, you'll have the resources to compete with others later, right?"

After careful consideration, he decided it was safer to cash out in advance.

But we're acquaintances, so surely we can haggle a bit?

Lie Yunsheng didn't argue with him too much. After all, he was an unparalleled appraisal master, and the next trade fair would require him to work hard. So he raised the valuation from 85 to 88, which was to round up the 12 chips he originally had.

The total value has reached 100 purple chips!
With this initial funding, while we can't exactly spend lavishly, it should be enough to cover materials related to domains, star apertures, and natal stars.

After unbinding the Xuanwu Spirit Boat from its master, he bid farewell to Lie Yunsheng and turned to go downstairs.

The Annihilation Avatar was still waiting below. Upon seeing him, it gestured with its eyes, and Lin Shan glanced in that direction.

He discovered that no sooner had he come down than a middle-aged cultivator at the Void Transformation stage came upstairs, presumably also to exchange chips with Lie Yunsheng.

Lord Ji Xuan!
"How did that guy fare after you made contact? Is his cultivation technique the same as yours?"

"There's no mistake, it should also be the 'Yin Yang Nirvana Scripture,' and it's very likely that it belongs to the disciples and grand-disciples of the Yin Yang Daoist!"

The Annihilation Avatar squinted, recalling the feeling from just now.

"He also mentioned something about the Great Tide of Annihilation and the Trial of Annihilation. I don't know what those things are. He mistook me for a fellow disciple."

"Oh?"

Lin Shan frowned slightly, pondering the pros and cons involved.

Yin Yang Dao Ren was the founder of the "Yin Yang Nirvana Scripture". He once appeared briefly in the illusory scene during the enhancement process on the enhancement panel, and that was the only time he appeared.

He had always known that the other party was in the Immortal Realm, but he didn't know exactly where, what level of cultivation they had, or what kind of power they had under their command.

The discovery of the Annihilation Avatar at this stage is both a danger and an opportunity for him!
If you manage to infiltrate someone's circle without being discovered, you might gain unexpected benefits, but once you are discovered, you could face utter destruction!
Considering his current situation, Lin Shan decided to remain still for the sake of stability.

"Don't get too involved for now. You can improve yourself by devouring the strange creatures. It's fine not to join any of those organizations."

"I see."

In recent days, as the large-scale trade fair draws closer, the Qiyun Ridge of Luoxia Mountain is noticeably packed with people, with long queues of outside cultivators and new faces constantly arriving day and night.

The streets were bustling with people, and many roads were so crowded that people couldn't even pass each other!
All thirty-three major markets were packed. The cave dwellings had been rented out long ago, and newcomers had nowhere to stay, so they could only set up tents outside the markets.

Fortunately, the security management of Qiyun Ridge is still reassuring. Although the Law Enforcement Hall caused a stir in the news some time ago, it was quickly refuted by the higher-ups and confirmed to be a false alarm, which reassured the lower-level cultivators.

However, many witnesses knew the truth but chose to remain silent to protect themselves.

Finally, the day before the trade fair arrived.

Lin Shan and his avatar of Nirvana arrived at a restaurant at the invitation of the staff, who were already waiting for them. Upon their arrival, the staff stood up with smiles.

"Brother Xing Shuzi!"

The clone of Nirvana was incredibly affectionate, abandoning Lin Shan's main body to approach him, showing great concern for his physical condition.

"How's your recovery going? Have you heard about what happened a while ago?"

Xing Shuzi is in good spirits and seems to be recovering well.

"Hehe, Brother Ji, you seem to be having a good time these past two months. Don't worry about my affairs, I'm doing fine. It's Elder Chuyun and Master Huangsha who are truly incorrigible; they're using the same old tricks to ambush others again."

Although he was recuperating, Xing Shuzi was not oblivious to what was happening around him and had heard some rumors.

After chatting with the crickets privately for a while, the group returned to their main topic.

"The major trade fair starts tomorrow. I wonder how many chips you two have exchanged? Do you have any specific targets?"

Lin Shan and the avatar of Nirvana exchanged a glance and each became modest.

He claimed that his family's resources were too meager, and he could only exchange for less than ten coins, which would probably only be enough to make two or three moves, just going through the motions and participating for the sake of participation.

Xing Shuzi clearly didn't believe it. I know that the kid Jie Mie Dao Ren is poor, otherwise he wouldn't be running a black market under my wing. But you, Xiong Shan Shang Ren, are an expert appraiser!
What is the concept of a Supreme Appraisal Master?
If you join a larger chamber of commerce, you'll receive a seventh-grade spirit stone as a monthly offering. If you work day and night for several years, you could theoretically save up enough to buy a Xuan Tian spirit treasure. This is no joke!

The profession of appraiser, in particular, requires a great deal of experience and keen eye. Even after most of one's life, one may not be able to make it. The number of such appraisers is even rarer than that of supreme alchemy masters, so it is normal that their salaries are extremely high.

Do you think I'd believe you if you said you were poor?
"The real reason I came here is to borrow some money from you two. We'll just browse around the trading market, focusing on the auction, searching for domain treasures to repair our domains, and recovering our strength as soon as possible so we can take our revenge."

Borrow money?

Lin Shan and his annihilation clone both showed surprise at the same time.

"You're a supreme alchemy master, your net worth is probably several times that of all of us combined, and you still want to borrow money from us?"

Xing Shuzi could only manage a wry smile.

"What supreme alchemy master? I only know one kind of seventh-grade pill, the Chaoling She Pill. You all know that!"

"Besides that, the other sixth-tier pills, which are for Nascent Soul stage cultivators, were exchanged for chips at the Purple Spirit Merchant Guild. They gave me tens of thousands of blue chips, saying they couldn't exchange them for purple chips!"

"I, a dignified Void Realm cultivator, have a bunch of small chips, yet I can't even participate in the auction for a seventh-tier spiritual item? Does this sound reasonable?!"

At this point, the old man couldn't help but spit out saliva, his beard trembling with anger.

In his excitement, he threw the large sack onto the table, scattering countless small blue round cards with a clatter, startling the guests at the surrounding tables and the restaurant staff!
When I saw tens of thousands of chips piled up like a mountain, and they were all blue chips, I was so shocked that I almost bit my tongue off!

What kind of tycoon is this? You didn't steal the merchant guild, did you?

"What are you looking at? Get out of my way!"

Xing Shuzi was furious and took out all his grievances on the passersby. His powerful aura as a Void Realm cultivator flashed through the restaurant, startling everyone who quickly turned their heads away, though they couldn't help but steal a glance out of the corner of their eyes.

Lin Shan and his annihilation clone were slightly startled upon seeing this.

This old guy is quite rich!
If we convert that proportionally, wouldn't that be hundreds of purple chips?
But even a fool could guess that the Chamber of Commerce isn't stupid; why would they give him the exchange?

If you're a long-time customer with connections, exchanging a few tokens like Lin Shan does is fine, but even Lie Yunsheng wouldn't do that with hundreds of purple chips!
"My two brothers, I'm in dire need of help! We'll settle this score with Elder Huang together in the future. If my domain isn't restored, who will stand up to Daoist Chuyun?"

Xing Shuzi's destitute appearance was heartbreaking. Lin Shan had never seen such a poor Supreme Alchemy Master. How could this ally be even poorer than himself?
This rabble thinks they can take on the elders of two great immortal cities? (End of Chapter)