Only after unifying the world did I realize that immortals existed in this world.

Liu Bingxuan's words made perfect sense, and Lu Junfeng couldn't help but lower his eyes and sigh inwardly.

Persuading others requires a price; without tangible benefits as a foundation, no amount of words will seem substantial. Even Liu Bingxuan couldn't persuade Xie Cangrong.

There's always something to be sacrificed.

Lu Junfeng had anticipated this.

This is unavoidable.

It should be given not only to Xie Cangrong, but also to Liu Bingxuan, the middleman.

Even though no one mentioned it, Lu Junfeng had to satisfy everyone since he needed their help.

After all, a flaw has been exposed, and a price must be paid.

When Liu Bingxuan brought up Xie Cangrong as the central figure, he understood the other party's subtext. The reason he pretended not to understand and continued the conversation was because he did not know Liu Bingxuan's position.

He didn't know whether this conversation was because Liu Bingxuan genuinely wanted to befriend him and sincerely offered him advice, or whether the shadow of that unpredictable monarch was behind it all.

If it's the former, then it's a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

If it's the latter... I hope it's not.

Not long after this incident, the emperor might not know about it, and even if he did, he might not let Liu Bingxuan know, much less predict that Liu Bingxuan would come looking for him.

Liu Bingxuan was clearly preparing to rest tonight, and his hasty preparations to meet him indicated that he was unaware of this matter. His words and actions also revealed his true feelings, including his conflict with Qi Xiu and the strategies he devised, all of which were consistent with his identity and position, without the slightest discord.

Besides, they had a very pleasant conversation during the day, so I suppose... he was overthinking it.

The ruler and his ministers of the Great Xia Dynasty shouldn't be that monstrous, nor that united, right?

What merit or ability does he possess that makes him worthy of such calculation?

"Of course! Of course!"

Thinking of this, Lu Junfeng smiled, flicked his sleeve, and a jade ring appeared in his palm. The jade ring was crystal clear, flowing with a gentle light, and a warm aura spread from it. A breeze caressed his face, and his mind became clear, as if all the fatigue in his body had been swept away in an instant.

"This item is called Zhaoyun. It was made by my master over ten years by soaking the jade marrow of the Ice Peak in water from an underground immortal pool. It can gather spiritual energy, calm the mind, and greatly benefit cultivation. Even mortals can comprehend immortal techniques, be protected from evil spirits, and prolong their lives if they wear it for a long time."

Lu Junfeng was somewhat reluctant, but he still pushed it to Liu Bingxuan.

Liu Bingxuan took the jade ring. The magical artifact was smooth and warm to the touch, and a warm current flowed through his fingers and throughout his body. For a moment, his eyes were hazy, and he was somewhat intoxicated: "There are such spiritual objects? The craftsmanship of immortals is truly breathtaking."

"Please, Brother Liu, give this to His Majesty as a token of my apology, and in return, exchange it for my junior brother's life."

However, although Liu Bingxuan loved it, he still pushed it back to Lu Junfeng and shook his head: "Brother Lu, it's not that I don't want to help you, but this won't do."

"Um?"

Is that not enough?

There are countless magical treasures for offense and defense, but those that aid in cultivation are extremely rare. This treasure was incredibly expensive to make, and if it weren't for the relationship between the Great Xia and the Taihua Sect, Lu Junfeng would never have offered it up to save Shi Yu's life.

Upon hearing this, Lu Junfeng frowned deeply: "Brother Liu, I swear to the heavens, this is the best magic weapon I possess. We cultivators have nothing of value to offer. Apart from Junior Sister Chu, none of the other disciples can provide anything better than mine."

It wasn't that he didn't want to give, but they were penniless, and everything they ate and used belonged to the Great Xia Dynasty. Apart from the magic treasures and spirit stones they possessed, they had nothing else to give.

Aside from this magical treasure, he couldn't think of anything else of value he could offer to the Great Xia Dynasty.

Liu Bingxuan shook his head and laughed, "It's not that I think this item is cheap, but Brother Lu has the wrong idea!"

Lu Junfeng frowned: "Hmm? I hope Brother Liu can enlighten me!"

"Your jade ring is priceless, but it must be given to the right person."

Looking at the shimmering jade ring, Liu Bingxuan said calmly, "Brother Lu, you have met my lord and should know him. He is not easily fooled. He does not seek personal strength or longevity. What truly moves him is the interest of Great Xia, anything beneficial to Great Xia."

"Instead of giving him this jade ring, it would be more practical to go and cause a rainstorm."

Lu Junfeng paused, recalling what Xie Cangrong had said at the banquet earlier, and nodded in realization: "Yes, Brother Liu is right!"

"Your Majesty is truly a wise and virtuous ruler."

The founding monarch, upon hearing the cultivators speak of the allure of immortality, a prospect that was extremely tempting for emperors, paid no heed and showed no interest in novel spells.

From the perspective of the nation, he was indeed a pragmatic and wise monarch.

"Brother Liu, do you mean we need to go somewhere else to provide disaster relief through rain?"

If we can save Shiyu, then we'll work overtime.

This isn't too difficult.

However, Liu Bingxuan shook his head and chuckled: "Our Great Xia is blessed by fate, and the country is peaceful and prosperous. Why would we need to save so many people from disasters? To be honest, even without the help of cultivators, Great Xia has ways to fight disasters."

I don't want this, I don't want that.

Lu Junfeng sighed helplessly, "Brother Liu, stop beating around the bush. Please tell me what His Majesty desires."

"Since that's the case, then I, Liu, will tell you the truth."

Liu Bingxuan hesitated for a moment, then said to Lu Junfeng, "His Majesty has heard about spirit stones and spirit mines from somewhere. He has mentioned them to me several times these days, saying that our Great Xia has treasures but doesn't know how to use them."

"Whether openly or secretly, we hope that Mr. Liu can accomplish this task."

"Ugh!"

Liu Bingxuan sighed helplessly, "As a subject, I bear heavy responsibilities. Brother Lu, I am of shallow knowledge. I have never even heard of spirit stones or spiritual energy. How could I possibly have such abilities? These past few days have been a real worry for me."

He looked up at Lu Junfeng with some anticipation: "I wonder if Brother Lu has any way to help my Great Xia resolve this doubt. There's no need to go to too much trouble, just open up a small amount of spirit mine so my lord can see it. If this can be accomplished, it will surely please my lord, not only saving Junior Brother Shi's life, but also completing my mission."

Lu Junfeng was taken aback upon hearing this, but in his heart he was cursing the person to the heavens.

Chu Xiangyun!!!

I really want to tear your big, sieve-like mouth apart!

Spirit ore needs to be mined, and after cultivators use the method of gathering spirit to remove impurities, it is transformed into spirit stone.

Spirit stones are an extremely important basic resource for cultivators. They are used for everything from cultivation and array formation to crafting magic weapons, talismans, and alchemy. They are the hard currency of cultivators.

Lu Junfeng was immediately struck by its beauty upon arrival, for the Great Xia Dynasty was rich in spiritual energy, dotted with spiritual veins, making it an untapped treasure trove. If it could be utilized properly, the sect's strength would undoubtedly increase significantly.

The method of gathering spiritual energy is commonplace where they are, but it's not here.

The Great Xia is a land devoid of magic, possessing treasures yet unaware of them.

However, now, Liu Bingxuan has made such a suggestion to him.

Why did Xie Cangrong find out?

It's obvious that it leaked out through a large colander!