After the main character who took the blame retired, the female lead quit.

"Fine, outstanding men usually attract the covetousness of others, like bees to swarm butterflies. I don't dislike that. As for what you said before about not having a Daoist partner, is that true or false? Are you lying to me?"

Xiao Yu's heart skipped a beat, but his body honestly shook his head. Having been single for thirty years, he truly had no concept of a Daoist partner. He wanted to lie, but no girl was willing to play along with his blunder. As for... Li Yunshang? Forget it, throwing himself into it might just make it real.

The rumors about Bu Suan Tian Na are just that—rumors. In reality, the two of them have absolutely no relationship. The true meaning of being a Daoist couple should be confirmed by both the man and woman themselves, and only when there is substantial progress in their relationship can it be considered a true relationship, rather than just rumors spread by outsiders.

“Okay…” Long Wanyan nodded slightly, and the pair of coral-like, delicate dragon horns on her forehead began to retract.

“My time is running out. Thanks to that little girl, if she hadn’t used the red rope to bind me and restrain some of my dragon nature, I would have turned this entire half of the secret realm upside down. I owe her a favor, that’s a fact, but I don’t want to give in to her here, nor am I willing to compromise… Besides, she’s not capable of taking you down…”

As she finished speaking, all the scales on her body had retracted, and her drooping silver-scaled tail had also disappeared.

Her eyes were fixed on Xiao Yu. She reached out and brushed her black hair behind her ear, revealing a section of her snow-white wrist and her still-pointed dragon ears.

“Your Yin essence is of great benefit to me. I don’t think much of anyone else but you. Human nature is shy and hesitant to speak out, which annoys me. I guess he’s back to his old self. In this matter, he might be a bit weaker than others and can’t make up his mind. So I’ll take this opportunity to speak frankly.”

?

"Ye Ba, or perhaps I should call you by your real name, Xiao Yu, you..."

Long Wanyan took a deep breath. "First of all, no matter what you think, since we have already consummated our marriage, I hope we can still proceed with the matter of being Daoist partners. We can postpone the wedding for now. I can see that there are things about you that I don't know, and so do I...

She looked down at her scales receding like the tide, took a breath, and then continued:

"You can refuse, but let me make this clear first: I'm a very domineering person at heart, but I'm very gentle with my own people. In the cultivation world, it's a dog-eat-dog world. When cultivators discover resources that are beneficial to their cultivation, they will definitely try to get their hands on them. I'm the same way, even if it's just people."

Of course, this isn't a threat. I'm just clarifying how important you are to me. Besides, since you don't have a Daoist partner, wouldn't it be nice for me to be your first one?

"..."

Xiao Yu remained silent for a long while, as if he were considering and pondering, then suddenly he raised his eyebrows and said:

"Tell me, is it possible that the so-called Yin essence within me that's supposedly beneficial to your cultivation was preordained, a predetermined event, and that I'm not the one destined for it, but merely someone who happened to seize a loophole and steal his identity? If this continues, trouble will inevitably ensue sooner or later..."

"You're from the Thieves' Guild?" Long Wanyan's eyes widened in surprise.

"You know about the Thieves' Guild?" Xiao Yu asked instinctively, but as soon as he said it, he realized he had said something pointless.

The notorious reputation of the Thieves' Guild was something that Long Wanyan, as its leader, couldn't possibly be unaware of, and she probably knew far more about it than Xiao Yu did.

“I know, they’re just a bunch of thieving rats. Ye… Xiao Yu, you’re from the Thieves’ Sect, so you can explain things clearly.”

"No... Actually, the Thieves' Guild tried to recruit me, but I didn't agree. In short, the meaning was similar."

"I see..." Long Wanyan's eyes darted around, her dragon-human features almost completely disappearing, and a slight smile appeared on her lips:

"Who cares? I know that the person I've chosen now is you, and even if it's someone else, I will still choose you."

We've only known each other for about a month, and although I don't know you completely, I'm sure I don't dislike you.

No matter how precious a resource is, if I don't like it, I won't use it, even if it's highly beneficial to me. This is a fundamental issue, and you should understand that.

Long Wanyan's words jolted Xiao Yu's head, as if a hole had opened up above him and a pool of cold water had poured in. He shuddered and suddenly remembered Li Yunshang.

Logically speaking, Ye Feng and he looked almost identical. When he took the blame, he made a point of noticing that their flying swords and talents were the same, and even the location of the mole on their buttocks was identical.

Logically speaking, with Dao's guidance, Li Yunshang shouldn't have been able to distinguish between the two of them.

But... in the end, he was still discovered and killed with a single blow. Due to the unexpected turn of events, Xiao Yu had no choice but to leave the island.

This……

He paused for a moment, and just then, Long Wanyan made another move.

"The relationship between Daoist partners is about mutual contribution. I have been asking you for Taiyin Essence, which is indeed somewhat unequal. Even with things like the Sword Nourishing Gourd, it's no wonder you hesitated."

I... am not one to only take; I can also give you something..."

She bit her lip, lowered her head, and all traces of her dragon-human features had vanished.

The next moment, Xiao Yu's eyes widened, and his pupils involuntarily contracted.

Chapter 51, Bartering, Spirit Stones Not Accepted

Getting back to the main point, a total of thirty-six sects participated in the Phoenix Hill Secret Realm, but after a tumultuous journey, only eighteen sects ultimately made it to the base of the Ancient Tree of Heaven.

Among them were members of some sects who were scattered. The leader of Qingyun Fuzong, Senior Sister Fuxian, and her newly accepted disciple Luo Yunqi, disappeared without a trace. Yunhe Xuanren was split in two, with only his spirit pet surviving. Xiayunzong was almost completely wiped out, and only one person from Yanghua Valley survived.

Besides, many other sects, large and small, have also disappeared without a trace. It is estimated that they were unable to evacuate in time and were swallowed up by the flames, turning into fuel for the burning of the secret realm.

These kinds of information were relatively easy to find out. After Xiao Yu finished talking and came out of the tent, he took a stroll around and got the gist of it.

To be honest, Xiao Yu hadn't heard any news about Zi Yun and the others, and Tie Yanran had also disappeared without a trace, which made his heart sink slightly.

However, given their abilities, they're probably safe and sound; they might just be trapped somewhere.

At this moment, under the flickering lights, he walked to a stall. The stall was filled with a dazzling array of items, mostly broken treasures that looked very old, as well as some spiritual materials and herbs.

"Ding! You have received the Dragon Essence Infusion, your physique has been greatly improved, and your martial arts realm has broken through to the fourth level. The power of Dragon Clan secret techniques such as Dragon Flame and Dragon Thunder will be greatly reduced when they are applied to you."

Increased attraction and affinity to dragon species (upgraded), enhanced effects of Dragon Forbidden Techniques, increased variety of dragon-related techniques usable under Dragon Forbidden Status, and unlocked Incarnation Technique, allowing one to transform into a dragon using dragon blood (specific transformation depends on blood quality).

Long Wanyan gave her more than just these things...

"Ding! You have gained the status, Dragon's Reverse Scale, which can offset one death. After the reverse scale is broken, your body will temporarily gain the Dragon Shatter status bonus (indestructible, impervious to water and fire, and your current body strength is doubled). When the reverse scale is broken, the incarnation spell will be broken. The broken reverse scale will slowly recover, depending on the body's recovery speed. Dragon blood infusion can accelerate the recovery speed of the reverse scale."

"Ding! Due to the effect of the secret technique, you are in a symbiotic state with the Dragon Lord Linglong, sharing weal and woe. Under the Dragon Forbidden State, you can temporarily borrow Long Wanyan's understanding of spear techniques and some of her supernatural abilities. Your spear techniques can only reach the level of mastery at most. At the same time, your innate flying sword talent, the Mirror Flower Snow Moon part, will also be borrowed by the other party."

Xiao Yu touched his chest with his right hand. At his heart, a hard, silvery-white scale protected his heart, just like a protective mirror.

The rewards obtained this time were substantial. Although part of Xiao Yu's Mirror Flower Snow Moon talent was lent out, the returns were extremely generous.

Sharing weal and woe, Xiao Yu was practically carried to new heights by Long Wanyan, and from this, one can glimpse even the tip of the iceberg of Long Wanyan's true strength.

The substitution effect of Long Cai Ni Lin alone is enough to give Xiao Yu a hard time. At the same time, it will be unlikely that Xiao Yu will be able to use illusions to cover up and deceive Long Wanyan in the future.

Long Wanyan's determination was ruthless enough that even Xiao Yu was temporarily captivated and decided to continue their relationship as a Daoist couple.

He now truly has a beautiful and wealthy female companion.

Xiao Yu tugged at his face, feeling like it wasn't real. But then he thought about it carefully, and realized that Long Wanyan was exactly his ideal type.

She perfectly fits his criteria for a partner: the head of a sect, high position and wealth (able to support both him and Bai Yan), beautiful (men are naturally attracted to beauty), powerful (Xiao Yu can't beat her), and straightforward (even if she knows Xiao Yu has ambiguous relationships with some women, she's not squeamish, but rather quite magnanimous; however, if Xiao Yu were to have any similar scandalous affairs with a Daoist partner like Bu Suantian in the future, Xiao Yu would certainly punish her according to family rules).

Pulling back his thoughts, Xiao Yu squatted down and casually picked up a tattered glass mask from the stall to examine it.

The mask was clear and transparent, like glass that had been burned through. The cracks did not appear broken, but instead created fine lines that shimmered with iridescent colors under the firelight.

The stall owner was a bald monk with a smooth scalp, like a peeled egg. He wore a wide, dark red monk's robe, and had dark eyebrows, red lips, and white teeth.

If it weren't for the fact that he was holding a list of beauties in his hand, his flat chest, and lying on the rocking chair reading it with great interest, he would have revealed a hint of slovenliness.

Xiao Yu thought the woman in front of him was a nun as beautiful as an angel.

Seeing Xiao Yu squat down and start playing with the items on his stall, the handsome monk didn't even lift his eyelids, completely absorbed in the book in front of him, while still saying:

"We only accept barter; we do not accept spirit stones..."

This was within Xiao Yu's expectations.

Because the fire circle in the secret realm shrank, all the cultivators who came to explore the secret realm were forced into one area.

They couldn't get out, and they couldn't go in either.

Hmm... According to Xiao Yu's investigation, ahead, or rather at the very bottom of the ancient tree that reaches the heavens, guards a desiccated monster engulfed in white flames. Those silvery-white flames are incredibly malevolent; even a slight brush or touch can damage one's soul, and they will not go out unless the object they are burning is completely consumed.

No one dared to risk their lives, so everything piled up and got stuck here.

The so-called exchange is when the secret realm ends and the cultivators gather together to display their spoils. Those who like each other can exchange their magical artifacts and spiritual items for each other's items, provided they are of the same grade. The price difference can be made up with spirit stones or an additional low-grade magical artifact.

After all, opportunities are complex, and the treasures and spiritual materials obtained in secret realms may not be suitable for oneself. For example, if a cultivator who mainly cultivates fire-type magic obtains an earth-type magic weapon, although he can use it, the effect is greatly reduced, and it is of little use to the cultivator's own cultivation.

At this point, he can use this earth-elemental magic tool to exchange for a magic tool or spiritual material that is suitable for him to drive.

Of course, you can also go directly to Wanbaoge to sell the magic weapon and exchange it for spirit stones. However, compared to that, it is more convenient to exchange items. If you happen to see a spirit item that is extremely suitable for you, you can save the time of bidding and get it at a lower price.

Therefore, after each secret realm ends, a barter fair will usually be held nearby. The items in the fair don't necessarily have to be treasures obtained from the secret realm; items obtained outside the secret realm can also be traded.

Each time it is held, the venue is extremely lively. Since it is organized spontaneously by cultivators, if they make a mistake and end up finding a magical artifact or spiritual object that is far undervalued, they will make a huge profit.

Some of the independent cultivators in the inn outside the secret realm came specifically for the barter event that would take place after the secret realm ended.

This is the current situation. Since we can neither go out nor go in, we might as well conduct a barter trade here. Interested cultivators can set up their unwanted magical artifacts and spiritual items in an open space and wait for other cultivators to come and exchange them.

Xiao Yu didn't obtain many treasures in the Fengqiu Secret Realm, but that doesn't mean others didn't get a single one like him.

After going around, there were no fewer than a dozen stalls like the bald monk's, and they had a wide variety of goods.

The Phoenix Hill Secret Realm is filled with flames, and most of the spiritual materials and objects that grow there are of the fire attribute. As for the magical artifacts, most of them are broken due to their age.

The mask in Xiao Yu's hand was it; he gripped the edge of the mask, a ripple of emotion flashing in his brown eyes:

"A fragment of a flawless, crystal-clear surface."

foreign body.

There are six pieces in total. It is a set of chainmail made of various metals, including Thousand Transparent Spirit Fire Essence, Black Iron Forged Thousand Times, Gold Essence Forged Thousand Times, Deep Sea Essence Forged Thousand Times, etc.

This is for wearing on the face.

The current effect of this fragment is: Fire and Water (avoids fire, is immune to flames, and can move freely in fire as if taking something out of a bag).

Note: The mask itself has the effect of concealing one's aura and can evade the detection of others' spiritual senses. However, due to slight damage to the face, the effect is somewhat reduced.

gold……

A glint flashed in Xiao Yu's eyes. If the grades of treasures were divided into white, green, blue, purple, gold, orange... this one was undoubtedly gold grade.

However, due to its inherent damage and the presence of broken pieces, it can only be described as a pale gold color, with a hint of gold within a purplish hue.

Without a doubt, with the system at his side, Xiao Yu could easily discern the quality of a treasure compared to other ordinary cultivators.

Xiao Yu held the mask, pondered for a moment, then put it down. He then picked up a string of intricately patterned prayer beads and examined them.

The bald monk's stall was filled with various items: alms bowl, wind chimes, Yunzhi fire essence, precious umbrella, ice jade Buddha, gold-inscribed soap cloth, and more.

"Change it if you want, otherwise get out. What brings you here like a wooden statue?!"

The bald monk closed the book, tilted the rocking chair behind him, and with a quick glance at his handsome face, urged him on.

“Okay…” Xiao Yu was sparing with his words, and took three items from his stall at first glance: the mask, the wind chime, and the Yunzhi essence.

Place these three items together: the dark blue talisman, the pearl string with a crack, and the ever-burning lamp with a missing wick, and then set them aside.