Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 318 Transaction Successful
"An ancient elixir formula that helps with core formation?"

As soon as Li Ji'an spoke, the old man's eyes snapped open.

His divine sense enveloped Li Ji'an.

"Is what you say true, young friend?" Unable to detect Li Ji'an's unusual behavior, the old man held his breath for a moment before speaking again.

"This junior dares not deceive my senior."

"May I investigate a little?" the old man asked tentatively.

Li Ji'an looked troubled: "Please forgive me, senior. The pill formula is imprinted in the jade talisman. If you examine it... it will be equivalent to seeing the whole thing. I..."

The old man frowned, but nodded in agreement: "Young friend, rest assured, I know the rules. I will only confirm whether it is an ancient artifact and will not investigate its details. If it is indeed an ancient artifact, then please ask the guild leader to come in person, how about that?"

“This… I will do as you say, senior.” Li Ji’an finally nodded.

Actually, he wasn't afraid that the other party would see it. He had forcibly erased the ingredients of the last five ingredients of the alchemist's jade talisman he obtained from the underground cave in his previous life. Even with his own understanding of alchemy, it might take decades to test the correct formula.

Immediately, in front of the old man, Li Ji'an used his divine sense to wrap the ancient jade talisman in the storage bag.

In this way, even if the old man were to use his divine sense to probe, he would still be able to sense it.

And it can be forcibly destroyed at any time.

"Indeed! It is an ancient jade talisman, at least seven thousand years old. Young friend, please wait a moment while I invite the guild leader over." The old man scanned the jade talisman with his divine sense, and his old eyes lit up immediately. With his many years of experience in examining ancient artifacts, he easily determined its age.

Li Ji'an smiled and thanked him.

Meanwhile, in the other twelve secret rooms, everyone also put out their chips.

"A ninth-grade magic weapon—the Thunder Serpent Whip, not bad. Fellow Daoist is quite sincere. However, it doesn't quite match what my merchant guild needs."

"The Earthly Treasury Golden Pearl! Buried in a spiritual field, it can continuously improve the grade of the spiritual field. I remember that there are only three in the entire Great Swamp cultivation world. The other two are in the spiritual fields of the two giants in the Taiyi Immortal Domain. I didn't expect that this last one would be obtained by your Golden Toad Merchant Guild... Unfortunately, this one is severely damaged. I'm afraid its Daoist essence has been greatly lost. At most, it can only be effective for spiritual fields below the third grade."

"This Dao artifact is indeed rare; I have never even heard of it before. However, its effects are really not very useful for cultivators like us."

……

It must be said that those who have the courage to step into the lobby are all quite confident.

Each person brought out valuable or rather rare items for trade.

Regardless of whether or not the needs of the Fierce Tiger Chamber of Commerce were met, their sincerity was undeniable.

Bai Cailing even prepared several kinds of trading goods.

"Senior, I am determined to obtain this Azure Blood Pill, and I hope you will grant my request. Although this Crimson Flame Staff is damaged, it was once a seventh-grade magic weapon, and its value is definitely no less than half of the Three Lights Divine Water. This piece of Purple Flame Soul Gold is enough material for three soul-type magic weapons, which is attractive enough to even mid-level advanced weapon refiners. These two high-grade spirit stones were obtained by our guild at a great cost..."

In order for her Seven-Colored Spirit Crane to advance to the third rank, she not only used all her savings, but also signed a spiritual contract with the Chamber of Commerce, staking her own path in exchange for the Chamber's support.

However, despite Bai Cailing's usual haughty pleading, she failed to get the old man across from her to nod in agreement.

"I have seen your sincerity, young friend, and will report it later. As for whether it will be successful in the end, it will depend on the chairman's decision."

"Senior, if one is not enough, two will do!" Seeing that the old man did not react in any particular way, Bai Cailing focused her mind slightly, gritted her teeth, and hurriedly added.

"Oh? Any two?" The old man was somewhat moved this time.

After all, in terms of value, any one of them would be enough. If the Jade Blood Pill hadn't been sealed off so tightly by the Sacred Beast Mountain, any one of them would have been more than sufficient.

“Excellent! I hope you will grant my request, senior!” Bai Cailing affirmed.

"Alright, alright, Miss Bai, please rest assured, I will recommend you to the chairman first." The old man then made a more explicit statement.

Bai Cailing let out a slow breath, feeling somewhat relieved.

Immediately, the old man's consciousness stirred, and he began to report the situation in his secret chamber from the spot.

They made a huge profit by exchanging two high-grade third-tier spiritual resources for a third-tier Azure Blood Pill, which was in line with the expectations of the Chamber of Commerce's senior management.

He believed that among these thirteen people, probably no one could offer a higher price.

"Ok?"

However, he paused slightly after sending the message through his divine sense.

"Is there a better offer?"

The old man was unwilling to give up and reported the items traded for Bai Cailing once again.

The same answer was ultimately obtained.

Someone offered a price that was more valuable than the two spiritual items, Bai Cailing and the others, combined.

"Who is it? And what is it in exchange for?"

……

A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Bai Cailing, who was looking at him with hopeful eyes, with some disappointment.

Ding~
Bai Cailing's heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition rising within her: "Senior, how is it?"

The old man slowly shook his head.

“Miss Bai, you can’t blame me for that. The price offered by someone is just too tempting for our chamber of commerce, and it’s hard to give it up.”

"What? It's more valuable than two high-grade third-tier spiritual resources?" Bai Cailing stood up instantly, her emotions running high.

"That's right!" the old man nodded affirmatively.

"So, Miss Bai, if there's nothing else, you may leave."

"No, no, I must get the Azure Blood Pill! Senior, three items! I'm willing to exchange these three spiritual resources for the Azure Blood Pill!" Bai Cailing was instantly a little carried away.

The old man frowned slightly. Three high-grade third-tier spiritual resources. If this transaction were successful, their merchant guild would truly make a fortune.

However, thinking of the other item the elders had just mentioned in the trade, he shook his head with slight regret.

"Young friend, let's go back!"

"Three pieces aren't enough?" Bai Cailing suddenly felt a little suffocated.

Her original limit was two items, but she got a little impatient and added three.

After saying that, she hesitated slightly, unsure whether the other party was deliberately trying to trick her.

However, at this moment, she was quite certain that the other party was not trying to trick her.

But this also made her instantly nervous.

"Who exactly is it? And what kind of goods are being traded?"

The old man slowly shook his head: "Young friend, someone should have told you the rules before you came in."

With a "whoosh!" having confirmed the old man's attitude, Bai Cailing had a sudden inspiration, took away the three spiritual resources placed in front of the old man, and hurriedly left the secret room.

Then she stood guard at the entrance of the main hall.

When she came out, she saw several people who had come out before her.

They were all, like her, people who were eliminated after bidding.

Soon, more people emerged from the secret room.

If no one else left earlier, only two people remained. "Hmm? Could it be that that good-for-nothing really produced a divine item that the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild couldn't refuse?"

When Bai Cailing saw that Wu Yehua had not come out, her eyes turned sinister.

"Could this good-for-nothing have stolen the Chamber of Commerce's heirloom?!"

In an instant, Bai Cailing gritted her teeth!

"Useless trash! Are you deliberately going against me?"

She immediately took out a communication talisman and informed Wu Yehua's second brother, Wu Chengzhi, about the matter.

Just as he put away the communication talisman, another person emerged from the secret room.

Bai Cailing's face darkened as she looked at the newcomer with disdain: "Hmph, what treasure did your master steal from the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce?"

Li Ji'an paused, looking Bai Cailing up and down.

"You wretch, if you dare to speak disrespectfully again, I will kill you without mercy!" Inheriting the same nature as Wu Yehua, and influenced by Huang Jie's temperament, Li Ji'an narrowed his eyes and shouted without any politeness.

"..."

Bai Cailing froze on the spot.

No one had ever been so rude to her since she was a child, especially not a man.

What's more, he's a retainer of that good-for-nothing Wu Yehua.

"What did you say?" Bai Cailing, who was already furious about losing the competition for the Jade Blood Pill, came back to her senses and her killing intent surged.

As a fellow Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator, and having refined his mana over several years by the Little Fire Spirit, Li Ji'an naturally wasn't afraid of him. Moreover, since they were inside the main hall of the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild, the guild members wouldn't allow them to fight.

"Whoosh!" Sure enough, before Bai Cailing could activate her magic, a figure appeared between the two of them.

"Bai family girl, don't make a mistake. If you really dare to make a move here, even Old Master Bai can't protect you!" The newcomer's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Bai Cailing instantly calmed down, her magical power receding, but her phoenix eyes narrowed into slits as she stared intently at Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an remained silent, but returned the favor.

"Hmph, don't let me run into you outside!" Bai Cailing left behind a murderous remark and turned to leave.

Now that things have come to this, only that good-for-nothing Wu Yehua hasn't shown up yet, and the outcome is self-evident.

After Bai Cailing's figure disappeared from the hall, the Grand Elder of the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild looked at Li Ji'an and said, "Young friend, although we have signed a spiritual contract, if anything happens to you and you fail to complete the transaction on time, it will not be considered a breach of contract on our part!"

Li Ji'an suppressed his hostility and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your guidance, senior. I understand."

Unsurprisingly, when the higher-ups of the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild learned of his transaction, they all gathered in his secret room.

After establishing the spiritual contract, Li Ji'an handed over the ancient alchemist's imprint jade talisman from the abyss cave to the other party.

The jade talisman not only contained a pill formula, but also had instructions for future generations written in front of it. Furthermore, it exuded an ancient aura, and the higher-ups of the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild quickly determined its authenticity.

The ability to mass-produce Crystal Condensing Pills, which can replace Core Formation Spiritual Treasures, is nothing short of a miracle in today's cultivation world.

What can compare to it?
Therefore, there is almost no suspense.

Even though Li Ji'an had erased several medicinal herbs from the latter half of the jade talisman in his previous life, and it would take them at least a hundred years of effort to truly figure out the complete formula for the Crystal Condensation Pill, they still immediately made the decision and confirmed the deal.

However, Guagua has not yet reached the peak of the second stage and is not suitable for the current attempt, so it is decided that he will come back in half a year to take the Jade Blood Pill.

"I want to see President Lei. Although this 'Nine Revolutions of True Spirit' only has the first three revolutions, it is definitely the supreme demon scripture of the ancient demon race, absolutely no less than the immortal scripture of our human race. If there is a fourth-order transformed demon king, it will definitely be of great benefit, and it will be more than enough to exchange for the Azure Blood Pill..."

Just then, Wu Yehua's unwilling shout rang out.

Li Ji'an turned his head and saw Wu Yehua waving an unknown scroll in his hand, being forcibly pushed out of the secret room by a force of magic.

"We request an audience with President Lei!"

"..."

"Young Master Wu, this is a sensitive area of ​​the Chamber of Commerce. You must not act recklessly." A cold snort rang out, finally calming Wu Yehua down.

"What you call the Demon Codex may indeed be a treasure of the ancient demon race that ruled this world, but... what benefit does it bring to my human race?"
Moreover, in this post-ancient era, where are there any pure-blooded demon races?
Even if a demon beast breaks through to the fourth rank now, it is still a half-demon, and it is unknown whether it can cultivate this so-called demon scripture.

Most importantly, a fourth-tier demon king... our merchant guild doesn't have the strength to trade with him on an equal footing; the risk is too great.

Wu Yehua looked at the Grand Elder, his expression disappointed, but he couldn't refute it.

This is an ancient book passed down from his mother's family, which has accompanied almost the rise and fall of his mother's family, but he has never been able to find a willing buyer.

If it were an equivalent human immortal scripture, not to mention a mere Azure Blood Pill, it could be exchanged for a real spiritual treasure.

Unfortunately... times have changed.

"A demon race immortal manual?" Li Ji'an, who was standing to the side, had a sudden thought.

In ancient times, the demon race ruled this place for millions of years with their innate bloodline. During that time, the demon race was the true ruler, and the human race was reduced to being food for the beast.

As humans, with their intelligence and wisdom, cultivated themselves in accordance with the laws of nature, they gradually surpassed the demon race and became the new rulers.

However, during this period, many exceptionally intelligent individuals emerged from the demon race, creating demon scriptures that rivaled human cultivation methods based on human cultivation techniques.

This allowed the demon race to repeatedly rise to power based solely on their bloodline and innate nature, resulting in a protracted struggle between humans and demons that lasted for millions of years.

Pure demon race members are no longer found in the cultivation world of the Great Swamp. Only after breaking through to the fourth rank do impure demon beasts possess intelligence comparable to that of humans.

Before this, they all relied on their bloodline instincts to cultivate.

If Guagua could cultivate the Demon Codex, his growth rate would definitely skyrocket.

"I wonder if Guagua can understand?"

Lost in thought, Wu Yehua apologized, appearing dejected.

"May I ask, Elder, who was the one who traded for the Azure Blood Pill?" He then asked again, unwilling to give up.

The Grand Elder of the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild glanced at him coldly, said nothing, and then his figure blurred and disappeared without a trace.

"Sigh!" Wu Yehua sighed softly.

His failure to win the Jade Blood Pill has dashed his greatest hopes, and he has already anticipated what he will face upon returning to the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce.

"Brother Liu!" However, he then looked at Li Ji'an beside him, and a glimmer of hope reappeared in his eyes.

Convincing Lau Ching-wan to join the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce became the last straw.

"Brother Liu, don't overthink it. That vile woman must have gone all out for her Seven-Colored Spirit Crane. She couldn't even compete with a demon tome from the ancient era like mine. You can imagine how much she paid for it," he quickly reassured her.

Li Ji'an looked at him expressionlessly and made no comment.

"Alright, alright, this matter is settled. I'll treat Brother Liu to a meal at the Immortal Pool to dispel your frustration." Wu Yehua prepared to intensify his efforts to win over Li Ji'an.

"No need, Fellow Daoist Wu, just cash out the spirit stones as soon as possible!" Li Ji'an replied calmly.

Wu Yehua immediately grinned slightly: "Brother Liu, it's not that I'm delaying, it's just that I can only fulfill my promise when I return to the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce. Please rest assured, Brother Liu, I will definitely not break my word."

“Then lend me your demon clan's demon scripture for a look first,” Li Ji’an said immediately.

(End of this chapter)