Seeking immortality begins with daily intelligence reports.

When no one else opened the heavy stone door, a deep voice resounded throughout the scene, attracting everyone's attention.

"Welcome, everyone, to Linlang City!"

Li Shen stared intently at it.

The speaker made no attempt to conceal his appearance, revealing himself to be a middle-aged man.

Immediately afterwards, a powerful aura slowly spread out.

Mid-stage Foundation Establishment!

Li Shen felt a chill run down his spine, then glanced at the two beautiful women in thin pink dresses next to that man; both were at the late stage of Qi Refining.

The mid-Foundation Establishment expert remained calm and composed, glanced around, and continued with a smile:

"I am Qi Wengxuan, the host of this exchange. The rules remain the same: each party presents what they wish to exchange and explains their requirements. If both parties are willing, the transaction can proceed. I only guarantee the safety of this place; I will not interfere in the transaction process, nor do I guarantee the authenticity of the items. If any disputes arise, please settle them yourselves and do not cause trouble here, thus spoiling the enjoyment of all of you."

After speaking, Qi Wengxuan flicked his sleeves behind him, and the pressure of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator swept across the entire area once again, even more so than before, carrying a clear warning.

The vast majority of cultivators in the arena became solemn at this moment, and they all cupped their hands in greeting to express their respect for the host and the rules of the place.

Li Shen also bowed to the crowd, his posture respectful.

However, in the corner, a few people remained calm, some with their eyes closed in rest, others with slight nods, showing little reaction.

Qi Wengxuan's gaze seemed to casually sweep over those few spots, but he didn't say anything more, continuing with his smile unchanged:

"Since there are no objections, I will offer this as a starting point and take the lead!"

A faint light flashed at his fingertips, and a six-inch square jade box floated into the air.

Qi Wengxuan smiled slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the various expressions of the cultivators present, and he slowly spoke:

"This box contains a section of the [Earth Vein Crimson Ginseng], which has been refined over approximately three hundred years. This ginseng grows in a perilous place where the earth's fire veins and spiritual springs meet, and it contains pure earth fire spiritual energy. It is a fine product for fellow cultivators who practice fire and earth attribute techniques."

As soon as he finished speaking, a slight commotion arose in the room.

Even a 300-year-old purple-veined ginseng is considered a rare and precious natural treasure in the eyes of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Therefore, many people's eyes immediately turned fervent.

Qi Wengxuan seemed quite satisfied with the crowd's reaction and continued:

"I have no specific desires. If any fellow Daoist is interested in this item, I will acquire it if the quality is good."

Li Shen's heart stirred. Although this [Earth Vein Crimson Ginseng] was good, it was of little use to him.

Therefore, in order to ensure that he could obtain the spiritual materials for refining Qi Gathering Pills or Breakthrough Pills, his attitude was simply to wait and see.

After a brief commotion, several people couldn't contain themselves and began to communicate with Qi Wengxuan telepathically.

Qi Wengxuan either nodded or shook his head. After a brief interaction with the group, the six-inch square box transformed into a stream of light and fell into the hands of a young cultivator dressed in black and wearing a wooden mask. Clearly, the two sides had reached a deal.

With Qi Wengxuan's opening remarks, the atmosphere in the venue became much more lively.

An elderly man dressed in a blue robe stepped forward and took out several stones of different colors that shimmered with light, intending to exchange them for elixirs that would prolong life.

Soon someone was willing to exchange with him.

After that, under Qi Wengxuan's witness, the cultivators stepped forward one after another, displaying their magical artifacts or talismans and pills, each with their own requests.

Li Shen stood in the corner, observing intently, but had not yet seen anyone take out the spiritual materials he had requested, and he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

He really doesn't want to go on stage unless absolutely necessary.

Taking office means naturally gaining attention, and attention in this context means danger.

Just as he was pondering, a cultivator who was rather thin, whose appearance was obscured, whose voice was somewhat youthful, whose aura was not concealed, and who was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, stepped forward.

He took out a jade box, and when he opened it, there were several emerald green spiritual herbs with leaves as fine as feathers, exuding a refreshing spiritual energy.

"Featherleaf grass!"

Li Shen's pupils contracted slightly; this was precisely one of the essential materials he was lacking!

Judging from its appearance, although it is less than a hundred years old, with its mastery of refinement, it is not impossible to refine a high-grade Qi Gathering Pill.

Now it depends on what the other party wants.

The young cultivator's voice was somewhat hoarse:

"These are seven sixty-year-old Feather Leaf Grasses that I obtained by chance. I wish to exchange them for a high-grade magic weapon or spirit stones of equal value."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Feather-leaf grass is one of the main ingredients for refining Qi-gathering pills. For Qi-refining cultivators who have mastered the art of alchemy or wish to improve their cultivation, even a sixty-year-old variety is quite valuable.

However, this person demanded a high-grade magic weapon, which was quite a high requirement.

No one responded for a moment.

Li Shen knew that the opportunity would be fleeting.

And judging from the current situation, the odds of winning are quite high.

After a brief consideration, he mentally reviewed several high-grade magical artifacts that were of limited use, and then transmitted his voice to the other party:

"Fellow Daoist, I possess a superior-grade longsword, exceptionally sharp and in excellent condition. I wonder if I could exchange it for all the Feather Leaf Grass you possess?"

The young cultivator looked at Li Shen, his eyes clearly showing interest, indicating that the sword met his requirements.

But he hesitated slightly, as if he wanted to see if there were any better options.

Li Shen noticed this and added in a timely manner:

"I only seek spiritual herbs. If you agree, I can hand over this sword for your inspection before we proceed with the transaction."

"Alright, let's exchange with you, fellow Daoist!"

The young cultivator no longer hesitated, and seemingly disliked the feeling of standing in front of others, and immediately replied to Li Shen.

The two completed their transaction within the isolation barrier set up by Qi Wengxuan. After checking that the items were correct, the young cultivator quickly retreated into the crowd.

Li Shen put away the jade box, feeling reassured. He had obtained the Feather Leaf Grass; all that remained was the Azure Spirit Ginseng.

The exchange continued, and several more things caught Li Shen's attention, but none of them were what he needed.

Fewer and fewer cultivators stepped forward, suggesting that the exchange was drawing to a close.

As Li Shen was pondering whether to approach and ask to buy the Qingling Ginseng, a slightly hoarse voice rang out:

"I have something that I can exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill."

The speaker was a short, stout monk dressed in a gray robe, his face covered by a rough leather mask, revealing only a pair of small, gleaming eyes.

He flipped his palm over and produced a jade box about ten inches in size.

The box opened automatically with the help of spiritual energy, revealing three identical root-like spiritual objects, each about half a foot long, lying quietly inside.

This item has a warm, lustrous blue color throughout, with natural cloud patterns swirling on its surface, and it subtly exudes a pure, wood-attribute spiritual energy.

It was the Qingling Ginseng that Li Shen had been waiting for! And there were three of them!

His heart skipped a beat, and he almost couldn't contain himself.

Judging from the size of the ginseng and the intensity of its spiritual light, each one is probably two hundred years old, making it an excellent main ingredient for refining Qi Gathering Pills!

Inside the room, some knowledgeable people began to whisper among themselves:

"Green Spirit Ginseng? Judging by its color, it's quite old."

"This item can be used to refine Qi Gathering Pills, and the quality of the finished pills can be greatly improved."

The short, stout monk was quite satisfied with the reaction in the arena and added:

"These three plants are all over two hundred years old, and they were extremely hard to come by. However, we only need to exchange them for a Foundation Establishment Pill, just one is enough! We won't consider anything else for now."

The phrase "only exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills" was like a bucket of cold water, causing many interested participants in the arena to immediately lose their minds.

Foundation Establishment Pills are far more valuable than ordinary pills; they are the key to helping cultivators in the Qi Refining stage break through the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment.

Even if it's just one, even if the other party offers three 200-year-old Qingling Ginseng, who would be willing to easily give it up in exchange?

Li Shen took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement and turmoil in his heart.

On one hand, there are the spiritual materials urgently needed for current cultivation advancement.

On the other side is the Foundation Establishment Pill, which is equally crucial to one's future path.

How to weigh the pros and cons left him in a dilemma.