Mortal: I am the young sect master of the Thousand Illusions Sect

Chapter 83 Core Formation Trading Fair

Around noon that morning, Tang Geng transformed into a red beam of light and descended from the high-level cave dwelling of the Holy Mountain, landing outside Su Mixin's cave dwelling. He came to pick her up on his way, and the two agreed to go together to the closed-door private trading meeting organized by Song Yuezi.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two set off together without further hesitation.

Two streaks of light, one red and one gold, pierced through the air together and finally landed in a bustling market area within Tianxing City.

Su Mixin looked up and saw the three characters "Xuanji Tower" engraved on the lintel of the main gate of the pavilion in front of her, written in a vigorous and ancient style.

Tang Geng stood beside him and explained patiently in a low voice: "This Xuanji Tower is the stronghold of the Xuanji Sect in Tianxing City. The Xuanji Sect is proficient in the art of array formations. The first floor has a street-facing shop that specializes in various array flags, array plates, and array-setting materials."

The two stepped upstairs, where a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Xuanji Sect, dressed in uniform outer robes, stood at the entrance to the first-floor lobby.

One of them recognized Tang Geng at a glance and immediately stepped forward.

The newcomer bowed respectfully, displaying impeccable manners: "Greetings, Senior Tang; greetings, this senior. Have you two come here for this trade fair?"

This person must be one of the Xuanji Sect cultivators who connects with the Core Formation cultivators participating in the trade fair, and he clearly knows Tang Geng.

Su Mixin and Tang Geng both nodded in response, and the man immediately bowed and led the way, taking the two of them straight up to the fourth floor.

The fourth-floor hall is spacious and quiet, with soundproofing arrays on the four walls to isolate internal and external sounds. Nearly thirty solid wood armchairs are arranged along the walls, and spiritual tea and fresh spiritual fruits are prepared on the jade table next to each chair.

At this time, more than a dozen Core Formation cultivators were already seated in the hall. Su Mixin had frequently participated in various high-level trade fairs held in the city in recent years, and he had become acquainted with four or five of them through these fairs.

He greeted each of them with a respectful bow, and the manners were impeccable. Then, he and Tang Geng chose two adjacent empty seats to sit and wait.

After about half an hour, all the Core Formation cultivators present had gathered, totaling twenty-seven people, all of whom had been living in Tianxing City for many years.

There were no verifiable Core Formation cultivators present, and no unfamiliar cultivators from outside the area had infiltrated the venue.

At the head of the main hall, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a plain-colored Taoist robe with cloud patterns slowly rose. His cultivation had reached the late stage of Core Formation. His face was clear and gentle, his eyes were calm, his spiritual power was profound and restrained, and his demeanor was indifferent.

While they were waiting, Tang Geng had already informed Su Mixin of this person's identity in advance: Song Yuezi, the true disciple of Tian Wuzi, the Nascent Soul stage Supreme Elder of the Xuanji Sect, who was the organizer of this trade fair.

Song Yuezi raised his hand and gently pressed down, instantly silencing the hushed conversations in the hall. His voice, warm and clear, resonated throughout the room: "Thank you all for taking the time to attend. This is a private meeting behind closed doors, without any third-party witnesses. Xuanji Tower will not take a cut of the transactions. Fellow Daoists are free to negotiate prices and make transactions voluntarily, whether it's barter or spirit stones. Once a transaction is settled, any subsequent grudges or gains will be borne by the individual. Xuanji Tower only provides the venue and will never interfere in any private matters. This is the unchanging rule of this meeting."

"Before the trade fair begins, please allow me to issue a missing item notice on behalf of the Xuanji Sect. If any fellow Daoist present possesses a fragment of the Void Heaven Map or any clues about it, you may discuss the details with me after the trade fair. The reward for the transaction will certainly satisfy you."

"Starting from the first fellow Daoist on my left, proceed in a clockwise direction to the left, and take turns to present your items and explain your transaction requirements."

The trade fair is now open.

The rules are simple and straightforward, aligning with the efficient trading habits of high-level Core Formation cultivators.

After a short rest, everyone took turns going up on stage to trade according to their seating order.

The first person to step onto the stage was an old-looking cultivator in the mid-stage of the Core Formation realm, dressed in a plain blue Daoist robe.

He raised his hand and took out a sealed, warmed jade box. As soon as the lid was opened, a rich medicinal fragrance spread out. Inside the box lay three perfect Cold Crow Grass plants, each seven or eight hundred years old. The grass leaves were covered with a pale blue, moist spiritual light. They could be used as the core ingredient to refine pills that could enhance the cultivation of Core Formation cultivators with ice and water attributes.

His trading request was straightforward: he only wanted a powerful, finished array formation with a mesmerizing enchantment, and he would make up the difference in spirit stones regardless of the value of the items.

A female cultivator specializing in array formations in the audience responded and negotiated the price. After several deliberations on the price difference, the two finalized the amount and completed the transaction on the spot.

The second person to take the stage was a lone cultivator with silver markings on his face. He held a level six Xuan Shui Crocodile Demon Core, about the size of an infant's fist, in his palm, the core shrouded in mist.

This person does not seek to barter, but only sells spirit stones at a discounted price, with a starting price of 10,000 low-grade spirit stones.

Three water-attribute Core Formation cultivators took turns bidding, and finally a female cultivator in the early Core Formation stage won the demon core for 13,000 low-grade spirit stones.

The two transactions were completed swiftly and decisively, and the atmosphere in the room became increasingly lively. The remaining cultivators took turns going up on stage to exchange supplies. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the seats had been filled, and it was Su Mixin's turn to get up and go up on stage.

He walked slowly to the trading platform in the center of the hall, raised his hand and took out two large jade boxes from his storage bag, the boxes covered with spirit-sealing talismans.

Su Mixin gathered a wisp of magic power at her fingertips, removed all the sealing talismans, and the two box lids slowly opened. Two beams of spiritual light with completely different attributes rose into the air and stood on the left and right sides of the stone platform.

The left side of the sword is crimson and translucent, with flowing, blazing flames and a refined, warm spiritual light.

The right side of the sword is gilded and understated, with a dazzling sharpness, exuding a dignified and sharp aura.

Both flying swords were personally crafted by Su Mixin, and were of superior quality, belonging to the category of exquisite magic treasures.

All the cultivators' eyes were fixed on the two swords, and several cultivators in the arena showed genuine interest in them.

Su Mi's voice was clear and straightforward, without exaggerating the quality of the items, and she explained the details of the transaction directly: "The Crimson Crystal Sword is a high-quality fire-attribute magic weapon; the Golden Palace Sword is a high-quality metal-attribute magic weapon. Both swords were forged by my own hands, and after they were forged, they were sealed in boxes and nurtured. They have never been refined or controlled by anyone else, and they can even be directly refined and used as one's natal magic weapon."

"The two swords can be negotiated separately or traded together. There are two ways to trade: First, exchange them for magic weapon-grade refining main materials, such as spirit ore, monster materials, or other spirit materials; second, directly exchange them for spirit stones, and only mid-grade spirit stones will be accepted."

He paused, looked up and surveyed the entire room, and stated the core purpose of his trip: "Besides that, I am looking for clues to two extremely rare treasures, namely the Void Crystal and the Bitter Yin Spirit Water."

"Fellow Daoists, if you have stock, know the origin, or have reliable sources, you are welcome to contact me privately after the meeting to discuss the matter. The compensation will be generous and you will not be shortchanged."

Upon hearing this, many Core Formation cultivators in the room exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with confusion. Indeed, none of them had ever heard of these two spiritual objects.

After a brief silence, the four cultivators in the room took turns bidding.

A blue-robed cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation on the left was the first to make a bid, offering a piece of Crimson Flame Iron plus two hundred mid-grade spirit stones in exchange for the Crimson Crystal Sword.

The black-robed cultivator on the right was determined to obtain the Golden Sword and offered four hundred mid-grade spirit stones, showing his sincerity.

Another middle-aged sword cultivator intended to acquire both swords together, offering two rare magic treasure ores plus three hundred mid-grade spirit stones.

The last white-haired old man stared intently at the Golden Sword, deliberately raising the price to outbid the black-robed cultivator, offering four hundred and fifty mid-grade spirit stones.

The four negotiated back and forth, steadily raising the price. The bargaining was conducted in a measured manner, without any disputes or commotion. Su Mi calmly weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the middle-aged swordsman's offer was the most valuable overall. She had already made her choice.

He quietly used his divine sense to inform the other bidding cultivators that he was unable to complete the transaction, then looked at the middle-aged sword cultivator and nodded slightly in response: "Sold."

The bidders, having lost the bid, understood and gave up, showing no displeasure.

The two moved to the side of the stone platform, where they exchanged goods and spirit stones and minerals. After verifying that everything was correct, the transaction was finalized.

After Su Mixin's transaction was completed, it was Tang Geng's turn to take the stage.

He took out a level 6 giant kiss shark demon core, offering to exchange it for a high-level pill to improve his cultivation. The value of the pills varied, but he could make up the difference in spirit stones.

A mid-stage Core Formation cultivator in the audience immediately accepted the transaction. After verifying that the demon core was of the correct quality, he took out the corresponding pill, made up the small difference in spirit stones, and the two efficiently completed the transaction.

The trading session continued in an orderly fashion, with the remaining cultivators taking turns to trade on stage. The process was smooth and efficient.

Time passed, and another full hour went by. All twenty-seven cultivators present completed their transactions without any omissions.

Song Yuezi stood up and announced loudly that the closed-door trading meeting had officially ended, and everyone could leave in groups to discuss opportunities privately.

Throughout the entire event, no one in the room mentioned to Su Mixin that she knew the origins of the Void Crystal and the Bitter Yin Spirit Water, and that she had come up empty-handed in her search for these items.

Su Mixin sighed inwardly and had no choice but to put the matter aside for the time being.

With no intention of lingering, he and Tang Geng activated their escape lights and returned to the sacred mountain together.

Two streaks of light flew side by side across the sky, silently descending to the forty-eighth level of Su Mixin's sacred mountain cave.

Su Mixin raised her hand to remove the entrance restriction of the cave, then stepped aside and gestured for him to sit inside, her tone calm: "Fellow Daoist Tang, would you mind moving inside for a moment?"

Tang Geng readily nodded in agreement, and the two stepped into the cave side by side.

The courtyard inside the cave was quiet and secluded, with lush and verdant spiritual flowers and herbs. The two walked slowly to the blue stone table in the viewing pavilion in the courtyard and sat down facing each other.

Upon hearing the sound, the maid Qin Lian quickly stepped forward, gently placed the jade plate, and neatly arranged the prepared spiritual tea and seasonal spiritual fruits. She then picked up the teapot and calmly poured tea for the two of them.

The aroma of tea wafted through the air. Tang Geng picked up his teacup and took a sip. He then looked up at Su Mixin and chuckled with a touch of melancholy, "Speaking of which, ever since we first met at the private trade fair, you've been searching for the Void Crystal and the Bitter Yin Spirit Water. I've been helping you inquire about them from various sources, but to this day, we still haven't found a single clue."

Upon hearing this, Su Mixin stroked the edge of the teacup with her fingertips, gave a helpless bitter smile, and her eyes were full of melancholy.

This special trip to find the item has once again ended in vain. Over the past eight years, he has searched everywhere dozens of times without success. He had long anticipated how difficult it would be to find the Void Crystal, but the Bitter Yin Spirit Water is also so rare that there is no news about it at all, far exceeding his previous expectations. He began to doubt whether such a spiritual object actually exists in the Chaotic Star Sea.

Seeing this, Tang Geng softened his tone and continued in a deep voice: "Earlier, I took advantage of my official duties to enter the large library of the Star Palace in Tianxing City to look through ancient books and records. I specifically searched through the spiritual materials classics and the scrolls recording ancient secrets, but I couldn't find a single word about the Void Crystal or the Bitter Yin Spirit Water."

Upon hearing this, Su Mixin's eyes flickered, and she raised her gaze seriously, asking, "A large library within the Star Palace? Could it be that the Star Palace doesn't only have one place for storing books and records?"

Tang Geng smiled faintly and replied confidently, "Of course not. In addition to the ordinary library open to the public for us internal cultivators to consult, Tianxing Palace also has a high-level library with extremely high standards, whose files are of a much higher quality than those in the outer library."

However, access to that high-level library is extremely restricted; even ordinary Core Formation cultivators are not allowed to enter, and even I don't usually have access.

He paused briefly before revealing the key point: "But my Tang family patriarch holds the position of Nascent Soul Elder in the Star Palace and possesses a pass token, which allows me to enter the high-level library to consult the classics."

Upon hearing this, Su Mixin understood immediately. She then suppressed her urgency and spoke with sincerity and determination: "I have been searching for clues about these two items for many years without success. Now I can only ask Fellow Daoist Tang to go to the high-level library of the Star Palace to help me look for clues."

"If Fellow Daoist Tang agrees to help, my reward will be absolutely generous."

Tang Geng brought it up himself in exchange for payment, and seeing that Su Mixin was interested, he naturally agreed. He also mentioned that the names of these two spiritual objects might have changed over time.

So Su Mixin sat upright and carefully described the appearance and characteristics of the two spiritual objects, afraid that any inaccuracies in her description would delay the search.

After listening attentively to all the details, Tang Geng pondered for a moment and then slowly nodded: "I have noted down the characteristics. Once I obtain the pass, I will enter the pavilion and check the ancient books and records one by one to try my best to find clues about the origin and origin of both items for you."

However, Tang Geng's expression turned somewhat helpless as he truthfully explained, "But you will have to wait patiently for a while. My Tang family patriarch, as a Nascent Soul elder of the Star Palace, has recently been ordered to go out to carry out a sect mission and has already left the Star Palace. Since the patriarch is not returning, the pass token will be unusable."

Su Mixin nodded in understanding, suppressing her anxiety, and calmly replied, "It's alright. As long as we can find clues, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. I will remember this kindness."