Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 319 Jinhua Chamber of Commerce
Although the Ancient Demon Codex failed to gain favor with the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild, it is still an unparalleled treasure.

It is naturally very presumptuous of someone to ask for something so casually.

If it were someone else, a conflict would be inevitable.

However, the fact that it was Liu Qingyun who spoke made Wu Yehua happy.

This further proves that Liu Qingyun is not an undercover agent of other chambers of commerce in the Wanshang Domain. After all, someone who has been cultivating and living in the Wanshang Domain for many years would not behave in this way. If he really values ​​something, he would negotiate it through a transaction rather than beg for it.

On the other hand, it also gave him the leverage to control the other party.

"Brother Liu, you actually have an interest in this demonic book?"

Li Ji'an looked at him noncommittally: "You're unwilling?"

"No, no, Brother Liu, you misunderstand. Brother Liu saved my life, and I have not yet repaid you. How could I be unwilling? It's just that... this demonic scripture is a family heirloom of my mother's clan and is by no means an ordinary book."

"In terms of value alone, it cannot be measured in spirit stones. I have already promised a reward of 150,000 spirit stones. If Brother Liu still wishes to observe this demonic scripture, could you grant me a small request?" Wu Yehua said thoughtfully.

"Say!"

"I would like to invite Brother Liu to join my sect and become my first-rank retainer, to enjoy the third-tier spiritual vein dojo of my Jinhua Chamber of Commerce, and to be worshipped by my Chamber of Commerce." Wu Yehua immediately extended a solemn invitation.

Li Ji'an raised an eyebrow slightly, secretly amused.

The reason he asked so bluntly was to offer Wu Yehua a bargaining chip so that she could use it to entice him.

When he signed the spirit contract with the Fierce Tiger Chamber of Commerce, he did so under the identity of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce. In order for Guagua to take the Jade Blood Pill to break through to the third level in six months, he had to maintain this identity reasonably for another six months.

Previously, Wu Yehua had maintained a cold and aloof demeanor, making it impossible for him to take the initiative to join, as doing so would easily arouse suspicion.

"What grade of third-tier spiritual vein does your chamber of commerce possess? What are its constraints? What do I, Liu, need to contribute?"

"Brother Liu, rest assured, my guild's highest level is a mid-grade third-level spiritual vein, and even my own Daoist temple is a low-grade third-level one. The concentration of spiritual energy is sufficient for Brother Liu to cultivate to the Core Formation stage, and the Daoist temple is dominated by wood-attribute spiritual energy." Wu Yehua was instantly pleased. As long as the other party spoke, there was room for negotiation.

"As for the constraints and costs... Brother Liu, as my savior, we should keep everything simple."

Li Ji'an stared at him for a moment: "When will you let me see the Demon Codex?"

"Brother Liu, rest assured, as long as the retainer spiritual contract is signed, you can observe at any time," Wu Yehua readily agreed.

After a moment of silence, Li Ji'an looked towards the direction of Tiancang Domain: "Very well, then I shall respectfully comply."

"Good, good, good, Brother Liu, please come in." Wu Yehua was overjoyed and invited Li Ji'an to go to the Immortal Pool to celebrate.

Half a month later, Wu Yehua received another call from the Chamber of Commerce, ordering him to return to the Chamber immediately.

Meanwhile, two True Core cultivators from the Chamber of Commerce headquarters have arrived in Tiger Roar Immortal City to escort Wu Yehua back.

This shows that Wu Yehua, the fifth son, still holds some weight in the eyes of his father, who runs a chamber of commerce.

With two True Core cultivators protecting them, they were virtually worry-free within the Myriad Merchants Domain.

"Young Master, an elder from the Taixiao Sect of the Xuanxiao Domain requests an audience, seeking the right to use the Azure Blood Pill." Just as they were preparing to depart, the steward entered again to report this.

Wu Yehua's face darkened instantly, and he glared at the steward with disgust: "I've said it many times, the Jade Blood Pill wasn't obtained by me, it was that bitch Bai Cailing who got it. Don't bother me anymore!"

Since the competition for the Jade Blood Pill ended, Wu Yehua had been relieved of his frustration at losing the competition because of Liu Qingyun's help. However, starting the next day, people began to come to trade for the Jade Blood Pill.

Some did not meet the competitive requirements of the Liehu Chamber of Commerce at the time, while others could not provide the spiritual resources required by the Liehu Chamber of Commerce and wanted to try the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce.

However, unlike the first time competing in the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild, this time everyone is here to help their spirit beasts advance to the third tier.

During the competition among the Liehu Chamber of Commerce, some chambers of commerce may have the intention of reselling the goods. In any case, the Liehu Chamber of Commerce made it very clear that as long as the amount of spiritual resources provided is sufficient, a spiritual contract can be signed and a time can be agreed upon. At that time, it doesn't matter what kind of spiritual beast the buyer brings.

"Hmph! That bitch Bai Cailing deliberately came to disgust me, spreading rumors that I had obtained the Jade Blood Pill!" Every time a buyer came, Wu Yehua was reminded of his failed attempt to win the Jade Blood Pill and his gloom.

"Young master, I have already announced it to the world as you requested, but the White Fairy is willing to swear a great oath against her inner demons, firmly believing that you have successfully completed the transaction," the steward replied nervously.

Wu Yehua frowned, unable to understand Bai Cailing's true intentions.

What benefit would she gain from doing this?

Just so she could get me to help her get attention?
"Forget it, we're setting off soon anyway, so don't worry about it anymore, and don't bother me with this matter again." Wu Yehua waved his hand, dismissing the butler.

Watching the butler's back disappear, Wu Yehua's eyes turned cold. He then turned to Li Ji'an and said, "Brother Liu, this old thief cannot be trusted. In order to avoid our whereabouts being discovered by the Sishui Chamber of Commerce, only this old thief knew about our departure before we set off. As a result, we encountered the assassins from the Yellow Springs Prison."

I have reason to suspect that he passed the message to my second brother.

"When you return to Golden Radiance Immortal City, be careful."

Li Ji'an nodded slightly.

Just then, the communication talisman in Wu Yehua's arms vibrated.

He took out the communication talisman directly, without avoiding Li Ji'an.

"So it was her!" Wu Yehua's face showed a hint of surprise after reading the message talisman.

The fact that Li Ji'an had discerned the message's contents stirred something within him.

It turns out that the Surabaya Chamber of Commerce won the bid to be the organizer of this year's Chamber of Commerce Roadshow because of Guo Wanzhi.

According to the intelligence sent to him by Wu Yehua's secret agent, Guo Wanzhi was personally taken by Master Yuxiao to the headquarters of the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce in Feihong Immortal City two years ago.

Subsequently, the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce noticeably changed its attitude towards the Sishui Chamber of Commerce.

According to fragmented information obtained by spies from some maids and servants of the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce, it is known that someone in the current ruling faction of the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce seems to have a past connection with Guo Wanzhi's master.

Li Ji'an could imagine Guo Wanzhi's psychological journey when she went to the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce.

She must have been very nervous at first, since she believed her identity was fake and was worried about being exposed. However, in order to stay in the Surabaya Chamber of Commerce, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

Afterwards, when the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce saw the alchemist guest jade token from his previous life, they naturally contacted the group of people who had followed Tong Xiangyu to the Golden Glory Immortal City.

Although more than 170 years have passed, there must still be some elderly members of the Chamber of Commerce who knew Li Ji'an in his previous life.

They were naturally able to immediately recognize "Li Fan's" identity.

When Guo Wanzhi heard the name "Li Fan," she must have been shocked.

How could she have imagined that her identity was actually real?

Even more unexpectedly, his master in the Biyun Sect was once a guest alchemist of the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce.

Based on what I've learned in the Wanshang Domain over the past three years, Tong Yaoyao's lineage now holds a pivotal position within the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce.

More than seventy years ago, Tong Yaoyao returned to the Biyun Sect in the Tiancang Domain to look for her old friend, "Li Fan".

Therefore, the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce would certainly not mistreat Guo Wanzhi, their old friend and disciple. "However... why didn't they keep Wanzhi? Or was the offer from Jade Flute Immortal too good?" Li Ji'an had actually considered revealing his identity as "Li Ping'an" and joining the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce.

After all, their position as the leader of the business alliance might be even more advantageous.

However, considering that the treatment he received from the Surabaya Chamber of Commerce was more than enough for the time being, and that they had even helped him apply for the Fei Hong Dojo.

Moreover, the higher one climbs, the colder it gets. Although the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce is currently at its peak, it is uncertain whether the internal struggles are even more intense.

"No rush, we'll talk about it later!" Suppressing his thoughts, Li Ji'an continued to close his eyes and rest. Right now, the most important thing was to ensure that Guagua could successfully break through to the third tier in six months.

That evening, Wu Yehua and his entourage set off back to the Golden Radiance Immortal City of Baoping Continent.

As soon as Li Ji'an left Tiger Roar Immortal City, he sensed Bai Cailing's secret surveillance. However, because she was accompanied by two True Core Stage 1 True Persons from the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce, she did not show herself.

There were no further incidents along the way, and they arrived safely two months later.

As two major immortal cities in Baoping Continent, Jinhui Immortal City, where the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce is located, is only half a month away from Hanyan Immortal City, where the Sishui Chamber of Commerce is located. If a True Core Immortal were to fly at full speed, they could arrive in six or seven days.

The two immortal cities are of similar size, but the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce has a deeper foundation and more high-level spiritual resources.

"Brother Liu, please wait a moment. I'll go see my father first." After entering the headquarters of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce, Wu Yehua instructed his servants to treat Li Ji'an well before hurrying inside to see the president of the Chamber of Commerce.

The Jinhua Chamber of Commerce is slightly stronger than the Sishui Chamber of Commerce in terms of cultivation level, but not by much. Its president formed the lower-level True Core in the past, but now, more than four hundred years later, he still has not been able to break through to the middle stage of Core Formation.

As for the strength of the patrons, it is said that there is a master at the peak of the late True Core stage, but he only has a twenty-year term of service. The Jinhua Chamber of Commerce has always used him as a deterrent and has never made him fulfill his term. He has been cultivating in the Central Ten Regions for many years.

Currently, the resident combat force in the Chamber of Commerce is mainly composed of those in the early and mid-stages of the True Core realm.

"Fellow Daoist Fatty, is it you who saved my fifth brother?" After a short while, a joyful voice rang out.

Then a woman who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, but whose actual bone age was around thirty, ran out happily.

Li Ji'an frowned slightly, but then relaxed.

He was now disguised as Liu Qingyun, and indeed deserved the title of fat Taoist priest.

"Liu isn't fat, he's just a bit muscular!"

"Hehe~ Fellow Daoist is quite humorous." Wu Miaozhen lightly covered her cherry lips and laughed heartily.

"I am Wu Miaozhen, Xiaohua's fourth sister. I thank you for saving my life, fellow Daoist."

Li Ji'an glanced at him, accepted his bow, and casually cupped his hands in greeting: "I am Liu Qingyun, a cultivator from out of town."

"Fellow Daoist Liu, I heard that you defeated a True Person while only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and that you were a sword cultivator from the Yellow Springs Hell, known for your ruthlessness. Is that true?" Wu Miaozhen, ever the friendly one, exchanged a few words with Li Ji'an and immediately approached him at the table, placing her hands on the table and asking with an expectant look on her face.

Li Ji'an leaned back slightly to maintain his distance: "I, Liu, am not that capable. I am merely a fake Core Formation cultivator who has been severely injured by Fellow Martial Arts' secret treasure."

"That's still impressive. I've always heard that the Earth-level assassins in the Yellow Springs Hell are very powerful; they've even killed True Core Realm cultivators before." Wu Miaozhen was emotional, and her body subconsciously leaned down, taking another step closer to Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an no longer avoided her, but looked at Wu Miaozhen in front of him with a puzzled expression.

As previously known, he has not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage and is currently at the peak of Qi Refining.

Moreover, judging from the close proximity, it is obvious that his Qi cultivation foundation is very solid, and he is almost certain to succeed even without using the Foundation Establishment Pill.

He was somewhat puzzled as to why they had not yet begun the foundation-building process.

Of course, whether it's earlier or later isn't that important.

The Myriad Merchant Domain is different from the Celestial Azure Domain.

Furthermore, given their status, they don't need to rush to demonstrate their strength or strive for more resources.

"Hearsay is not necessarily reliable!" Li Ji'an said calmly.

"Is that so? Then, Fellow Daoist Liu, do you think it's possible for that Earth-level assassin to kill a True Core cultivator?" Wu Miaozhen asked again, a hint of disappointment flashing across her face.

“Liu cannot be assessed!” Li Ji’an replied casually.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, please say something!" Wu Miaozhen grabbed Li Ji'an's arm and shook it.

Li Ji'an immediately withdrew his hand, a hint of anger showing on his face: "Fellow Daoist, please have some self-respect!"

Ordinary cultivators are very averse to physical contact.

Because once there is physical contact, many methods of concealing one's aura may be exposed.

Of course, with Li Ji'an's peak True Core stage divine sense, such a possibility does not exist.

He was merely conforming to the habits of ordinary cultivators.

"Hmm?" However, just as he withdrew his hand, a thought suddenly struck him.

He clearly sensed a strange energy fluctuation probing into his mind the moment Wu Miaozhen came into contact with him.

This energy fluctuation was very unfamiliar; it was neither qi and blood nor magical power. It resembled the soul, but it was different from the soul of human cultivators.

Moreover, its strength exceeds that of anything I have ever come into contact with.

Even Ning Sujin's primordial spirit is inferior.

In an instant, Li Ji'an's heart leaped into his throat, and he became extremely wary of the female cultivator in front of him who had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Miaozhen, you must not be disrespectful to your benefactor!" Just then, a group of people strode over.

The leader was quite wealthy, like a double version of Lau Ching-wan, and had an unusually kind smile, looking harmless. He had his magical power completely concealed, so Li Ji'an did not feel any pressure from a True Core cultivator. He was Wu Yishan, the leader of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce.

"On behalf of my son, I thank you again for saving my life!" Wu Yishan bowed to Li Ji'an as he entered.

Li Ji'an quickly composed himself, stood up and returned the greeting: "President Wu, you flatter me. I was only doing this for the reward that Fellow Daoist Wu promised."

"Hahaha, no matter what, it was Fellow Daoist Liu who saved Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua, hurry up and fulfill your promise." Wu Yishan said with a smile.

Even when facing Wu Yehua, he had a smile on his face.

However, Li Ji'an had already noticed the red, swollen handprint hidden under Wu Yehua's disguise on his face, as well as Wu Yehua's expression that was even more unsightly than crying.

Immediately, Wu Yehua forced a smile and presented a storage bag with both hands: "Brother Liu, this is the reward I promised you for saving my life, a total of 150,000 spirit stones. Please accept it."

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Ji'an's eyes. Without any hesitation, he took it from her.

And in front of several people, he carefully checked the number of spirit stones.

This action made Wu Yehua feel ashamed, but Wu Yishan next to him nodded slightly.

(End of this chapter)