The fairy forced me to marry into her family, so I retorted by throwing myself into the Pool of Fate

As the tall, thin monk finished speaking, the onlookers looked at each other in bewilderment. Although some still grumbled that the price was outrageous, their doubts were no longer as assertive as before.

The portly cultivator frowned, stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist, although your spiritual plant is rare, isn't the price of five hundred spirit stones a bit too high?"

"What kind of miraculous powers could a mere Jade Spirit Grass possess, even if it grows tall?"

The tall, thin cultivator slowly spoke: "Since you can afford to spend spirit stones, I'll show you what I'm capable of."

He squatted down and plucked a leaf from the Jade Spirit Grass.

Then, he raised the leaf to mid-air, suddenly grabbed both ends of the leaf with both hands, and tore it apart forcefully.

laugh!

The leaf splits in the middle.

A rich surge of spiritual energy erupted from the crack, like a hurricane suddenly exploding, stirring up dust on the ground and causing the robes of the cultivators standing in the front row to flutter wildly.

The cultivator who was closest to the source of the spiritual energy was hit directly. He subconsciously took a deep breath, and his expression changed immediately. He exclaimed, "This...this spiritual energy is so pure!"

The onlookers immediately erupted in uproar.

"How could a single leaf contain such spiritual energy?"

"I've never seen anything like this in my life. How could the Jade Spirit Grass possess such spiritual power?"

"Look at the crack in the leaf; the veins inside are gleaming with golden light."

The cultivators who had just been muttering that "five hundred spirit stones is insane" all fell silent.

The tall, thin cultivator looked around and, seeing that everyone's expressions had changed, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

He carefully collected the split leaf and announced loudly, "Now you know why it costs five hundred spirit stones, right?"

No one is disagreeing anymore.

Instead of opposing him, some people started speaking up for him.

A middle-aged cultivator stroked his beard, shook his head, and said, "In my opinion, this spiritual plant is close to being a mid-grade second-tier plant. Buying it for five hundred spirit stones is definitely worth it."

Someone nearby immediately chimed in, "It's not just about the grade. Think about it, this spiritual plant is so full of spiritual energy that it can gush out when you pick a leaf. If it were used in medicine or alchemy, its medicinal power would definitely far surpass that of ordinary Jade Spirit Grass."

Some even asserted with certainty that consuming spirit implant medicine that allows one to break through to a higher rank could increase the probability of successfully establishing one's foundation.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding cultivators looked on with even greater fervor.

The weight of those six words, "improving the success rate of Foundation Establishment," was clear to all the cultivators present.

Upon hearing this, Li Ping harbored some resentment.

Is this really necessary?

The atmosphere in the crowd had completely changed.

Just moments ago there were only doubts, but now there is overwhelming praise.

Some people talked about how rare the spirit plant was, others about the value of cultivating it in large quantities, and still others secretly began to calculate how many spirit stones they had on them.

Just then, a female cultivator stepped out from the crowd.

The female cultivator looked to be around thirty years old, with delicate features and dressed in a plain white dress.

Without saying a word, she took a spirit stone pouch from her waist and tossed it over.

"I'll take this spiritual plant."

The spirit stone bag traced an arc in mid-air, about to fall into the hands of the tall, thin cultivator.

But halfway there, the spirit stone bag suddenly tilted, as if pulled by an invisible force, and flew out diagonally with a whoosh, landing steadily in the hands of the wealthy cultivator.

The portly cultivator reached out and, without even glancing at it, tossed the spirit stone bag back to the female cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist, don't you understand the rule of first come, first served?"

The female cultivator gave a cold laugh, her eyes full of mockery.

"First come, first served? You've been standing there for ages, asking all sorts of questions, but you haven't even offered any spirit stones. What are you talking about, first come, first served?"

Although her tone was harsh, many people around her thought it made sense and nodded in agreement.

The female cultivator ignored the portly cultivator and tossed the spirit stone bag back to the tall, thin cultivator.

This time, however, the spirit stone bag veered off course once again in mid-air.

It wasn't the wealthy-looking monk who did it.

The spirit stone bag spun in mid-air and landed steadily in the hands of a male cultivator with a face as white as jade.

The male cultivator was dressed in a blue robe, with a handsome face, and looked to be no more than twenty years old.

He tossed the spirit stone bag back to the female cultivator and said calmly.

"Stop fighting over it, I'll buy this spiritual plant for six hundred spirit stones."

The voice wasn't loud, but everyone present could hear it clearly.

Upon hearing this, the onlookers couldn't help but gasp.

The tall, thin cultivator was also taken aback, then his face lit up with joy, clearly somewhat surprised.

He originally priced it at 500 spirit stones but no one wanted it, so it was a pleasant surprise that someone was willing to pay 600.

He squatted down, quickly wrapped the Jade Spirit Grass, roots and all, in a coarse cloth, held it up with both hands, and was about to hand it to the male cultivator with a face as white as jade.

But at this moment, the female cultivator and the portly male cultivator objected.

The two stepped forward simultaneously, blocking the tall, thin cultivator.

The tall, thin cultivator's face darkened, and he angrily said, "What? You won't let us sell it anymore?"

The female cultivator shook her head, her tone calm: "I'll offer six hundred and fifty."

Upon hearing this, the portly male cultivator snorted coldly: "Seven hundred."

The tall, thin cultivator opened his mouth, nearly dropping the jade spirit grass he was holding.

He looked at the two people in front of him, unsure of who to sell to.

Before he could even sort out his thoughts, the white-faced male cultivator stepped forward again and said calmly, "I'll offer eight hundred spirit stones."

Seeing the three of them locked in combat, the crowd erupted in excitement. The cultivators behind them tiptoed to squeeze in, while those in front stared wide-eyed, afraid of missing any detail.

Some people craned their necks to count the price tags, some whispered among themselves guessing who would be able to acquire the spiritual plant, and others sighed inwardly that the price was almost enough to buy two high-grade magic artifacts.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the three of them raised the price one after another.

"Eight hundred and fifty," the female cultivator retorted defiantly.

"Nine hundred." The portly male cultivator spoke calmly and unhurriedly.

"Nine hundred and fifty."

"One thousand." The portly male cultivator's voice suddenly rose, as if he had made some kind of decision.

When this number was announced, the entire room fell silent for a moment.

A thousand spirit stones? When did a single Jade Spirit Grass become worth a thousand spirit stones?

The tall, thin cultivator, seeing that he had a good opportunity, didn't wait for them to raise the price further and stuffed the Jade Spirit Grass into the arms of the portly male cultivator.

"One thousand spirit stones, deal."

The portly male cultivator took out spirit stones to pay the bill, exchanging money for goods quickly.

The portly male cultivator carefully took the Jade Spirit Grass and put it into his storage bag.

He was about to ask a question, but before he could even speak, he saw the tall, thin cultivator collect the spirit stones, flash into the crowd, and disappear in the blink of an eye.

……

……

The tall, thin monk walked swiftly through the streets and alleys, and soon left the city center.

He did not linger in the market, but headed straight for the dock.

The dock was bustling with people, even more so than usual.

The tall, thin cultivator mingled in the crowd, head down, and silently found a ferry. He paid with spirit stones and sat down in a corner at the stern.

As the ferry slowly departed from the shore, the outline of Xikou Market gradually blurred in the misty water.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the boat arrived at a relatively remote area of ​​the sea.

The tall, thin monk looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, silently slipped into the water from the stern of the boat.

The seawater was icy cold, so he used his spiritual power to protect himself and swam for about fifteen minutes before the outline of a small island appeared ahead.

The island is extremely small and deserted, covered only with jagged rocks and sparse shrubs.

The tall, thin monk swam to the edge of the island and found a small boat hidden behind a reef.

He leaped onto the small boat, rowed, and headed straight east.

The sea became increasingly open, and fewer and fewer ships appeared around it. Eventually, there was no other ship in sight.

Arriving at a more secluded area of ​​the sea, the tall, thin cultivator stopped his small boat, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then jumped into the water again.

The seabed is full of reefs and strange rocks, among which a huge rock stands out, reaching two or three zhang in height.

The tall, thin cultivator swam to the boulder, and with a whoosh, he passed right into it and disappeared.

After about half a cup of tea's time, two more figures suddenly appeared in the sea.

The two men, one tall and one short, both wore straw hats, their faces obscured.

The taller one stared at the boulder for a long time, then suddenly a look of delight appeared on his face.

"So this is where it was."

The two exchanged a glance, rubbed their hands together, and without hesitation followed him into the boulder.

The seawater returned to calm, and the boulder still stood on the seabed, as if nothing had happened.

……

……

The next day, Li Ping got up very early and went to Tie Fuhai to deliver a batch of pills.

Back on the streets of Fangshi, I saw that there were several more patrol teams on the street, and the atmosphere was much more tense than yesterday.

Li Ping's heart stirred, and his gaze swept across the street, where he saw a Mu family disciple following behind the patrol team, looking back and forth with a solemn expression.

He stepped forward and stopped the disciple: "Fellow Daoist, has something happened?"

The man, stopped, immediately looked displeased and frowned, asking, "Who are you?"

Without wasting words, Li Ping took out the Mu family's identity jade token from his waist and showed it to him.

Upon seeing the jade pendant, the man's expression immediately softened: "So you're one of us. I apologize for the earlier offense. You look unfamiliar; are you new here?"

Li Ping nodded, then asked, "What exactly happened? Why are there patrols everywhere?"

The man looked around, took a step closer, and lowered his voice: "It's like this, last night, three people were fighting in the street, all the way from the dock to the city center."

The commotion was so great that it alerted the patrol team.

"A three-person robbery?" Li Ping's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yes," the man continued, "The three of them fought and shouted all the way, saying that they had discovered a celestial cave and that someone wanted to kill them to cover their tracks and take all the opportunity for themselves. Everyone on the dock heard it."

Li Ping seized on the key point and asked, "What did those three people look like?"

The man thought for a moment and said, "I heard from the brothers on night patrol that one of them was tall and thin, and the other two looked fierce. They were all unfamiliar faces and not regulars at our Xikou Market."

Tall, thin men, and two menacing-looking strangers.

Li Ping sneered inwardly; it was indeed the tall, thin cultivator who sold spiritual plants yesterday.

Yesterday, it seems the tall, thin monk was being followed, and the person following him wanted to get a share of the spoils, which led to the fight.

He composed himself, his face remaining impassive, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Thank you for informing me, fellow Daoist. I will not disturb your patrol any longer."

The man responded and added, "Be careful, family members. Things haven't been peaceful in the market lately."

After saying that, he turned around and continued walking forward with the patrol team.

Li Ping stood there, watching the patrol team disappear into the distance, and began to make plans in his mind.

The scene Mu Fangxu staged yesterday attracted two followers. Those two were able to find that boulder and even fight in the street, so their cultivation level must be quite high.

The news of the immortal's cave dwelling can probably no longer be suppressed.

He continued to wander around the market.

This turn further confirmed his judgment.

In teahouses, taverns, outside pill shops, and beside magical artifact stalls, groups of cultivators gathered, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

"Have you heard? There was a commotion at the docks last night. Three people got into a fight in the street, talking about some kind of immortal cave."

A celestial abode? Really?

"It's absolutely true. I heard that someone was selling spirit plants that could help people break through to higher ranks on the street yesterday, so they must have been brought out from that cave."

"My God, how many treasures must be inside that cave?"

"That makes perfect sense. Spiritual plants that can break through their grade are unheard of in our outer seas, and only immortal caves can explain it."

Li Ping heard similar discussions almost every few steps he took.

Many voices can melt metal; three men can make a tiger.

With yesterday's events providing further evidence, many people are already eager to try it out, wishing they could set sail right now to search for that so-called immortal abode.

Once the wind picks up, it spreads like wildfire and cannot be contained.

Within a single day, everyone in the entire market knew about the immortal's cave.

That evening, seven or eight small boats at the dock set sail overnight.

The monks on the ship traveled in small groups, some carrying lanterns and others holding compasses, gradually disappearing into the night.

Wealth can be very tempting.

The next day, even more people went out to sea.

The dock, which used to be crowded from morning till night, is now mostly empty.

Some of the independent cultivators who used to sell seafood at the docks had gone out to sea to try their luck, leaving only a few old vendors guarding the empty docks.

On the third day, another robbery broke out on the sea outside the ferry.

The scale of this battle was even larger than the night before last, with seven or eight cultivators fighting each other over a single spiritual plant.

After inquiring, I learned that those cultivators had found a cave in the sea, where there were spiritual plants that could help them break through to higher ranks.

Several people fought fiercely over this spiritual plant, from the island to the sea, and then from the sea to the ferry crossing.

In the end, it was the patrol team that stepped in and forcibly intervened in the robbery to calm the situation down.

But while the fighting subsided, another piece of news was inadvertently leaked out.

The location of the spiritual plant discovered by the cultivators was reported and quickly spread throughout the entire market.

This was like pouring oil on a fire.

The cultivators who were initially observing could no longer sit still, and they called their friends and family, setting sail in groups.

There were lone cultivators sailing small boats, groups of three or five practicing Qi, and even disciples of the Mu family.

The dock became a gathering point, where cultivators from all walks of life called out to their companions, and one after another, ships cast off their moorings and set sail for that sea area in a grand procession.

The once bustling market town suddenly became somewhat deserted.

For the next three days, news of cultivators finding spiritual plants kept spreading back to the market.

Although the spiritual plants found varied in size and quality, they were all much larger than usual, and the selling prices ranged from two or three hundred spirit stones to several hundred spirit stones.

At this point, the matter of the immortal cave dwelling had completely taken hold.

Throughout the entire market town, from top to bottom, everyone spoke of the immortal's grotto.

After meals, everyone discussed whether there were any more spiritual plants in that sea area, what treasures were in that cave, and what good things someone had found.

No one questioned whether the cave was real or not.

No one doubted where those spiritual plants came from anymore.

Li Ping watched the changing winds and clouds, thinking to himself.

Mu Fangxu's play is almost finished.