A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

"Young friend, you're here again? What kind of secret strategies would you like to buy this time?"

The old Taoist priest Mingxin looked at the newcomer with a smile, his expression exceptionally warm.

Zhou Ping strolled over to the stall, respectfully greeted him as a senior, and then turned his attention to the various books on display.

Upon hearing the question from the old Taoist priest Mingxin, he subconsciously answered,

"I'm just taking a stroll around; I'm just wandering around the square when I have nothing else to do."

"I see. Well then, young friend, please feel free to choose. If you see a book you like, just say so, and I'll still give you a friendly price."

Master Mingxin said with a slight disappointment, but the smile on his face did not diminish at all.

"I thank you for your kindness, senior. If I need anything, I will definitely continue to buy from you."

Zhou Ping chuckled and then walked toward the next stall.

But before he could take more than a few steps, Mingxin Daoist's voice suddenly rang out again.

"Young friend, please wait! Young friend, please wait!"

Zhou Ping turned around in surprise, but before he could react, another stall owner nearby began to curse.

"Old Daoist Mingxin! Don't push your luck! The rules of Guiyuan Pavilion state that no one may interfere with another's business transactions. What do you mean by this?!"

"Bond, you little brat, don't spout nonsense! This young friend hasn't even left my stall yet, why are you in such a hurry?"

Master Mingxin glared and retorted without backing down.

Seeing the two of them looking red-faced and angry, Zhou Ping stood awkwardly in place, unsure whether to stay or leave.

"Fellow Daoist, you're about to walk right up to my stall! What's your intention in stopping me?! Do you really think the rules of Guiyuan Pavilion are just paper?!"

The monk, known as Bond, was so angry that his eyes twitched, and he bared his teeth as he retorted.

Seeing his unreasonable attitude, the old Taoist priest ignored him and spoke directly to Zhou Ping.

"Young friend, I noticed you seemed quite interested in these kinds of books before, so I brought a few with me this time. Would you like to take a look?"

Zhou Ping couldn't help but find it amusing to see Bond's expression, which looked like he had eaten a mouse, not far away.

He was indeed still near Master Mingxin's stall, a short distance from Bond's stall, so he could only smile apologetically at him and turn to look at the book in Mingxin's hand.

"A Brief Introduction to the Mind-Enlightening Formation", "A Brief Introduction to Mind-Enlightening Weapon Refining", and "A Brief Introduction to Mind-Enlightening Talismans".

Zhou Ping's eyebrows twitched involuntarily. Did this old man think he had him cornered?

"Senior, aren't you exaggerating a bit?"

The old Taoist priest Mingxin shook his head without batting an eye, and said with a self-satisfied air,

"When the right thing meets the right person, it has special value. Young friend, don't be surprised. Although my cultivation has not improved much over the years, I am particularly proud of my research into the four basic arts of cultivation."

"So, if you like it, young friend, feel free to buy it. There are absolutely no inferior or counterfeit goods among them."

Zhou Ping looked troubled and said to him helplessly,

"I appreciate your kindness, senior, but the only spirit stone I have has already gone into your pocket, so I am truly short of money."

"It's alright. In addition to trading spirit stones, we cultivators can also voluntarily engage in barter trade in Guiyuan Pavilion."

"As long as both parties are willing, no one can interfere."

The old Taoist priest seemed to have already prepared his explanation, and he calmly and slowly explained to Zhou Ping.

Zhou Ping nodded without changing his expression. His slightly dark face and somewhat dull expression gave him a blank and dazed look.

But his mind was racing. Before he even left, he had already decided on the purpose of his trip: to see if he could exchange some useless items for some spiritual plant seeds that he desperately needed.

Although he no longer finds the pills that enhance cultivation worthwhile, they are still highly sought-after and precious spiritual medicines for other cultivators.

Even the slightest improvement in cultivation level is a fatal temptation for some cultivators who have already exhausted their potential.

If they could obtain enough spiritual herbs to enhance their cultivation during their lifetime, these people might be able to attempt to break through the Foundation Establishment barrier.

If one's luck were even better and one successfully advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, then the path of cultivation would be a completely different world and a different scene, needless to say.

Zhou Ping's perspective broadened considerably because of the existence of the mysterious agarwood; otherwise, no one would be willing to sell their precious spiritual herbs so easily.

"Senior, I've heard a little about this barter system, and I actually had plans to do so this time."

"but......."

Seeing Zhou Ping's troubled expression, the old Taoist Mingxin's expression tightened, and he hurriedly asked,

"But what? Young friend, you may speak your concerns at once. In Guiyuan Pavilion, no one dares to force a sale. You don't need to worry that your things will be forcibly taken away by someone with higher cultivation."

"Senior, you misunderstand. I'm not worried about safety; it's just that you don't have anything here that I'd like to exchange."

Seeing that the old Taoist Mingxin had misunderstood him, Zhou Ping spoke up to explain.

"I see... I wonder what you intend to exchange for, young friend? I am very familiar with this place and may be able to point you in the right direction."

The joy on Master Mingxin's face slowly faded, but he still maintained a warm-hearted demeanor.

"To be honest, my master also has some knowledge of alchemy, but he was afraid that I would neglect my cultivation, so he never taught me a single bit of alchemy knowledge. That's why I am so interested in your book on alchemy."

"Unexpectedly, due to my whim and the refining method in the book, I took a Golden Spirit Seed that my master had cultivated for many years and used it to refine it. Now it has long since turned into a furnace of ash."

"What?! You actually destroyed a Golden Spirit Seed?!"

Upon hearing this, Master Mingxin was immediately startled, his face filled with disbelief.

Even a seedling of a Golden Spirit Seed is worth between ten and twenty spirit stones in the cultivation world, let alone a mature plant that has been cultivated for many years.

Even with only a few decades of experience in medicine, one can easily sell for dozens of spirit stones. If one is lucky enough to encounter a cultivator in urgent need of medicine, it is not impossible to sell for several dozen spirit stones.

This kid looks honest and kind, how could he do such a rebellious thing?

If this were his own apprentice, he might have been driven to his death by anger.

"Senior, I know I have made a grave mistake, so I came here to see if I could buy a seedling of the Golden Spirit Seed, or even just a seed."

"I hope this can calm my master down a bit. As for the mature form of the Golden Spirit Child, I wouldn't even dare to dream of it."

Zhou Ping said in a low voice, his expression somewhat bitter, but inwardly he was extremely satisfied with his performance.

"This is getting complicated. You've really gotten yourself into big trouble!"