Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 337 The Shadow Master
The Pill King of the Heavenly Azure Domain, Pure Origin Venerable!
"The old thief has indeed arrived."

Seven years ago, on the spirit ship that came here from the Tiancang Domain, Li Ji'an had been on guard against the old thief. It wasn't until his grandson Sima Yu was captured by Wu Weixiong that he was certain that the old thief was not on the spirit ship.

However, ever since he heard two years ago that the allied forces of the Tiancang Domain sects had suffered a complete defeat, and three months ago that the Huangtian Domain and Wuyai Domain had completely occupied the Tiancang Domain, Li Ji'an had anticipated that they would definitely come here.

After all, as a Core Formation cultivator, only the Tiancang Domain, Huangtian Domain, Wuya Domain, and Wanshang Domain in the eastern part of the Great Swamp cultivation world have a third-tier high-grade spiritual vein dojo to meet his daily cultivation needs.

Given his advanced third-tier alchemy skills, he is most likely to come to the Wanshang Domain.

Even if it wanted to go to the Central Ten Domains, the Myriad Merchant Domain was a necessary stop.

Sure enough, the next moment, Master Chun Yuan appeared at the window of the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce's private room.

He wore a gray robe and had an old appearance, consistent with what Li Ji'an had seen him before he took the human medicine elixir.

"Fellow Daoists, please be patient. This is the newly appointed chief alchemist of our Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce, Venerable Chun Yuan. He will represent our Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce when he travels within the region." Venerable Tong, the current leader of the Chamber of Commerce and also the president of the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce, introduced the man with a smile.

Once the other party's identity was confirmed, all the rogue cultivators in the venue offered their congratulations.

"Congratulations to the Business Alliance for receiving another powerful boost!"

"Congratulations to the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce for finding the Pill King."

"I have met Venerable Chun Yuan."

……

In contrast, the other seventeen chambers of commerce seemed to have heard about this beforehand, and had even offered their congratulations. This time, they simply smiled and bowed to Master Chun Yuan.

"The Pill King of Tiancang Domain, tsk tsk, truly enviable." An elder in the Sishui Chamber of Commerce's private room said with envy.

"President, the young master of the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce died, and afterwards it was said that Master Tong fought against another master. Could it be this Pill King?" Another elder asked Jade Flute Master, who had returned to the private room.

Master Yuxiao nodded: "That's right, it was a misunderstanding, and you could say we became friends after a fight."

"With a third-tier advanced alchemy king in charge, the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce will surely prosper for hundreds of years to come!"

Li Ji'an took in all the information from the scene with his divine sense and sighed inwardly. He was naturally not happy to see the people he hated doing well.

"Hmph, so you old dog have hidden in the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce!"

However, just as everyone was praising and flattering Master Chun Yuan, a cold snort suddenly appeared.

"It's that old man who won the bid for the mid-stage third-tier demon core!"

Everyone present immediately turned to look at that person.

"Who are you? Why don't you show your true face?" Master Tong frowned slightly.

Having just taken this opportunity to publicly announce to the region that their chamber of commerce had the Pill King in charge, they never expected someone to come out and provoke them.

This made him feel a little embarrassed.

With a "whoosh," the old man in the bamboo hat dissipated his aura, revealing his true appearance, while the disguises of the two people behind him also disappeared.

He was nine feet tall with an unusually long face. A dark cloak covered his entire body, leaving only his long face exposed.

"So it's the Shadowless Sect Leader in person. My apologies for my rudeness." Master Tong's expression changed slightly, and he smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting.

Li Ji'an frowned. Although he hadn't specifically investigated the old man before, he had roughly sensed the unusual fluctuations surrounding him.

Upon seeing the person behind the Shadowless Sect Leader, he felt slightly uneasy.

That person was none other than Wu Weixiong, with whom he had a connection.

And he is also aware of this identity he now holds.

Given Wu Weixiong's relationship with the leader of the Jueying Cult, he couldn't guarantee that Wu hadn't leaked information about him to him.

"Jueying, you crippled my grandson and killed him on the way. I haven't even settled the score with you yet. How dare you chase me here? Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Master Chunyuan immediately flew up and glared at Jueying.

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Shadowless Sect flashed a hint of disdain in his eyes: "Oh? Perhaps you'd like to have a fight with me?"

"Hmph, don't push your luck!" Master Chun Yuan snorted coldly.

He barely managed to advance to the rank of Shangren by absorbing the spiritual resources of the entire Tiancang Domain. He mainly focused on alchemy, so his magical power was inferior to that of his peers, and his offensive and defensive skills were also lacking. Naturally, he was no match for a true Shangren like the Shadowless Sect Master, who had honed his skills through his own talent and the harsh environment.

Don't say he's no match for him. Although they are both late-stage Core Formation cultivators, even if Master Tong joins forces with him, they might not be a match for the Shadowless Sect Leader.

"Haha, please don't be angry, just give my Merchant Alliance some face." However, as the leader of the Merchant Alliance, Tong Shangren's status was one that even the leader of the Jueying Sect had to treat with caution.

This is also the source of Chun Yuan Shangren's confidence to argue with Jueying Sect Leader. Otherwise, when he passed through Jueying Grassland before, he was chased and beaten by Jueying Sect Leader.

"Don't worry, Alliance Leader Tong. I'm here only for the auction items. I was just caught off guard by this thief." The Shadowless Sect Leader's voice was indifferent, and his sharp aura subsided.

Seeing that the Shadowless Sect Leader had concealed his aura, Master Chun Yuan immediately felt confident and questioned, "Thief? Hmph, was my grandson's spiritual essence stolen by your Shadowless Sect?"

"Haha, it's just collecting interest on behalf of the cultivators of the Heavenly Azure Domain. What do you think? Do you still want to go back?" The Shadowless Sect Leader sneered.

Master Chun Yuan's face turned pale, and as his eyes shifted, he spoke indifferently: "It's just a little bit of Core Formation material, which I don't care for. However, that Black Light Umbrella was an item of my ancestor. Although it is only a seventh-grade magic treasure, it has some commemorative significance for my Sima clan. I am willing to redeem it with spiritual material."

"Black Light Umbrella!" Before the Shadowless Sect Leader could respond, Li Ji'an paused in surprise.

After capturing Sima Yu, Wu Weixiong took Li Ji'an away from everyone's sight and then gave him the Black Light Umbrella.

At this moment, Li Ji'an was not only worried because the Black Light Umbrella was on him, but also because he had many doubts because Master Chun Yuan wanted to redeem it.

A seventh-grade magic weapon generally corresponds to a True Core cultivator in the early stage. It is understandable that some True Core cultivators in the middle stage with insufficient resources would value it. However, a True Core cultivator in the late stage would definitely not care about a seventh-grade magic weapon.

As for what he said about the items belonging to his ancestors, Li Ji'an didn't believe a single word of it.

If what he said is true, he would never have allowed a Foundation Establishment disciple to take him on his journey.

If a clansman wants to give his descendants a protective artifact, the Wanfa Palace will certainly provide it; it's impossible for them to give it only to an ancestor with commemorative significance.

"The Black Light Umbrella has a secret!"

During the invasion of Huangtian Domain and Wuya Domain, as the Grand Elder of Wanfa Palace and the most prominent person in public, Chun Yuan Shangren was bound to be unable to escape Tiancang Domain due to certain restrictions.

Instead of carrying it with him, he had a younger member of his clan take it away.

Could it be that they are worried about being targeted by Huang Tianyu and Wuyayu?
Could it be that there is something in the two realms that can sense the Dark Light Umbrella, or that there are hidden methods within the Dark Light Umbrella?

Li Ji'an instantly grasped the key point.

However, whenever he obtains anything, he makes the little fire spirit pass through it first, and whether it's a soul imprint or a magical technique, it will be burned away.

Given the power and characteristics of the Little Fire Spirit, he was confident that no method below the Nascent Soul True Monarch level could escape the power of the Little Fire Spirit's flames.

"Could there be a hidden compartment or inscription?"

He had some suspicions, but now was not the time to covet the Dark Light Umbrella.

Without any hesitation, Li Ji'an immediately stood up and quietly retreated. Guagua was still cultivating in the underground palace beneath the Daoist temple. If a real emergency occurred, he did have a Great Teleportation Talisman obtained from killing Tong Liang, which could instantly allow him to escape the lock-on of a Core Formation cultivator, but Guagua would be left behind.

So he had to go back to the dojo first to bring Guagua along.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, please calm down. I, Han, will ensure your safety." However, just as he made a move, the voice of the Shadowless Sect Master echoed in his mind.

Ding~
Li Ji'an was greatly alarmed.

It was clear that Wu Weixiong had already reported his situation to the leader of the Jueying Sect, so at least the other party knew that he had obtained the Black Light Umbrella.

However, upon reflection, I feel relieved.

The leader of the Shadowless Sect had given Wu Weixiong a second chance at life, and the Shadowless Sect members had also witnessed the Black Light Umbrella that day, so Wu Weixiong would not deliberately conceal this matter.

"Phew~" Having figured this out, Li Ji'an felt a little relieved.

From this perspective, it's clear that the Shadowless Cult Leader was already aware of his existence.

If he truly harbored ulterior motives, he wouldn't have waited until today.

However, the tone of his voice conveyed no hostility.

Li Ji'an then sat down again.

"Oh? That seventh-grade magic treasure is so important to you? This piques my interest. Tell me, what spiritual resources do you intend to use to redeem it?" The next moment, the Shadowless Sect Master replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Master Chunyuan confirmed that the Black Light Umbrella was in the hands of the Shadowless Sect. His expression changed slightly, but he then spoke nonchalantly, "Hmph, it's just a mere seventh-grade magic weapon. Three bottles of Dragon Essence Pills will suffice."

Upon hearing this, the Shadowless Sect Leader smiled and said, "You actually spent three bottles of Dragon Essence Pills to redeem a seventh-grade magic treasure. It seems that the significance of this Black Light Umbrella to you goes beyond just commemorating your ancestors."

Master Chun Yuan's pupils contracted slightly. He was indeed a little anxious, asking for a price higher than the market price for a seventh-grade magic weapon. However, he believed that the price was due to the ancestral commemorative significance, so a higher price was acceptable. But this gave the Shadowless Sect Leader a handle to use against him.

"Hahaha, you old thief, do you think I'm a three-year-old child? Back then, when my sect sent a message to you to discuss the redemption of your kinsman's grandson, you didn't even have the intention to redeem him. But today you're specifically trying to redeem your ancestor's possessions. Is it possible that your kinsman, a living person, is less important than an inanimate object? Don't even think about redeeming him until you reveal the secret of the Black Light Umbrella!" Seeing that he was speechless, the Shadowless Sect Leader stopped teasing him and exposed his excuse in front of everyone.

“You…” Master Chun Yuan’s face instantly darkened, filled with embarrassment and anger at having his lie exposed.
-
"The Dark Light Umbrella? I wonder what it looks like? When I first met Brother Liu, the umbrella he used to kill the Earth-level assassin was a dark light-emitting magic umbrella, which happened to be a seventh-grade magic weapon!" Inside the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce's private room, Wu Yehua's heart stirred.

After Liu Qingyun left without saying goodbye, he was quite angry and searched for him privately for several months without any news. Recently, he has been recalling some of Liu Qingyun's special characteristics.

They even secretly issued a reward for his whereabouts before the auction.

One of them was a magical artifact shaped like an umbrella that gleamed with a dark light.

Hearing about the feud between the two masters, I was immediately reminded of Lau Ching-wan.

In particular, he had only seen the dark umbrella used once and never used it again.

At the time, it was assumed that he only wanted the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce to provide him with a magic weapon, and that he even kept the umbrella-shaped magic weapon to surprise Fei Hong during the Daoist debate, so he did not tell his father.

At that moment, a connection suddenly formed in his mind.

"Could Liu Qingyun be a member of the Shadowless Sect?"
-
With the Alliance Leader Tong present, the conflict between Master Chun Yuan and the Sect Leader Jue Ying was quickly resolved.

The three members of the Shadowless Cult were also invited to a VIP box on the fourth floor, which was considered a great honor.

The auction then continued.

However, with the bidding of Master Chun Yuan's 150,000 spirit stones, some of those who were initially interested gave up competing with him.

After all, even if one is not afraid of the cultivation level of the person above and the prestige of the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce, one must still treat his status as a third-level advanced alchemy king with caution.

There's no guarantee that we won't have to ask for their help in the future.

However, just as the insect-catching net was about to fall into the hands of Master Chun Yuan, Li Ji'an sent a telepathic message to the leader of the Jueying Sect, asking him to help with the bidding.

Although the insect net was useless to him, it was something that Master Chun Yuan could not obtain.

Otherwise, it will pose a great threat to him in the future.

"151,000!" The leader of the Shadowless Sect did not refuse Li Ji'an's request and quickly joined the bidding.

Master Chun Yuan's smile, which was already preparing to put the item away, instantly froze.

The humiliation of having his spiritual flame devoured years ago was like a thorn deeply embedded in his heart.

After years of investigation, he determined that the person from that time was definitely not Fu Xiaochen, because he later found Fu Xiaochen's soul lamp and confirmed that his soul had been scattered.

Based on his brief encounter with that thief years ago, he could confirm that the thief's highest level was no more than the early stage of True Core.

And he, a dignified late-stage Core Formation cultivator, was actually let slip away from his grasp.

What a shame!
Therefore, the moment he saw the insect net, he was determined to get it.

If he encounters that thief again, we absolutely cannot let him escape!

However, now the leader of the Shadowless Cult has intervened again.

Gritting his teeth, Master Chunyuan bid again.

Compared to him, the Shadowless Sect Leader bid on behalf of Li Ji'an without spending his own spiritual resources, so his bidding was more relaxed and casual, and he only added one thousand to Chun Yuan Shangren's bid each time.

Seeing that the Shadowless Sect Leader was deliberately targeting him, the Pure Yuan Elder raised the price a few more times before giving up, intending to make the Shadowless Sect Leader bleed a lot.

Yet, the leader of the Shadowless Sect remained calm and composed even after taking over the high-level position.

Li Ji'an frowned inwardly and placed the same blame on Master Chun Yuan.

The auction then returned to normal.

The three-grade magic treasures promised by the organizers on the first day finally made their appearance.

The third-grade magic treasure corresponds to a Nascent Soul True Monarch and was traded by the Nine Cauldrons Merchant Guild from the Central Ten Domains.

However, the price was too high, and the True Lord was not present at the event, so after the audience got a glimpse of it, the auction ultimately failed.

The atmosphere of bidding reached a fever pitch once again when the final item was brought to the table.

The grand finale is a high-level Tier 3 behemoth puppet!
Tong, the leader of the alliance, personally invited a burly man to the stage to give a demonstration and explanation.

The man came from the desolate and frigid land at the westernmost edge of the Great Swamp cultivation world, where spiritual veins are scarce, with only two fourth-order spiritual veins in the entire west, and the cultivation civilization there is not as advanced as that in the east.

However, the unique environment there has given rise to two super religions that cannot be ignored.

One of them is the Thousand Machines Sect, to which the burly man belongs. They specialize in puppetry, and the spiritual vein where they are located is suspected to be the ancient site of the Thousand Machines Sect.

The Thousand Machine Sect, dating back to ancient times, is mentioned in many ancient books. It has been passed down for hundreds of thousands of years and is even said to have created a super puppet army formation comparable to a celestial being.

The second is the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, which specializes in poisonous insects and substances, and is said to have no other poison formulas in the world.

(End of this chapter)