Chapter 157: Cultivator Xiao's Generosity!

Chapter 157: Cultivator Xiao’s Generosity!

Four figures strode into the courtyard.

Qiu Qichen finally spoke, “Cultivator Xiao, since you’re free these two days, I’ve arranged a cultivation exchange gathering with some friends. We’ll share resources and fill gaps in our cultivation arsenals.”

“The time’s set for tonight.”

“If you’re not busy, Fellow Cultivator, why not stay and join us?”

Xiao Chen naturally agreed, nodding. “No problem. I’ve got some unused items on hand too.”

“But today, I felt an urge to meditate. Fellow Cultivator Qiu, do you have a quiet room available?”

Of course, this was just an excuse—Xiao Chen had no intention of meditating.

He simply wanted to investigate the mysterious spirit pearl.

“Of course, no problem. Servant, prepare a premium private chamber for Cultivator Xiao!”

Qiu Qichen immediately summoned a maid to arrange accommodations.

Qiu’s “humble abode” was anything but modest.

Nestled at the heart of the bustling Xianghe Bazaar, it was an entire garden estate.

Towers, ponds, rockeries, temples, and a sprawling ten-acre backyard graced the grounds.

In all Xianghe Bazaar, no other courtyard matched its grandeur.

Inside, the furnishings were equally extravagant—every detail of the decor and craftsmanship flawless.

Even the meditation bed was a masterpiece: a carved, thousand-day yewwood bed with mandarin ducks inlaid in gold.

“Hmph, even the wood element is considered.”

Sitting on the bed’s edge, Xiao Chen noted its wooden composition.

If intentional, had Qiu prepared different elemental furnishings based on guests’ five elemental spirit roots?

This level of luxury was staggering. Who exactly was Fellow Cultivator Qiu?

But these details paled in comparison to the spirit pearl.

Xiao Chen retrieved the cracked pearl. Its fissure appeared sliced by a flying sword.

Channeling mana into it, a brilliant white glow flared, hinting at its extraordinary origin.

At a glance, nothing seemed amiss.

But activating his Truth-Seeing Spirit Eye, a vivid red glow pulsed from the crack.

The deeper he peered, the more intense the crimson became—blinding, even.

Leaning closer, Xiao Chen spotted a swirling mist of blood-red vapor inside.

“This… resembles Demonic Dao artifacts.”

“But there’s no demonic weapon aura or residual Demon Cultivation energy.”

“What’s going on here?”

Still, genuine demonic artifacts were tightly controlled by orthodox sects. Even fragments wouldn’t circulate freely.

Orthodox sects had their responsibilities.

Yet his spirit eye clearly detected anomalies. With the Divine Veil shielding him from illusions, there was no doubt—this was real.

After failed spiritual sense probing, he injected mana directly into the pearl.

The Divine Veil protected him from toxins, so he had nothing to fear.

But the red mist latched onto his mana like a predator, surging into his dantian.

Xiao Chen felt a needle-like prick in his core.

Scanning internally, he spotted a delicate red thread entwined around the spirit flowers of his Yu Ling Jue cultivation technique.

“What is this?”

Frowning, he noted the vanished glow—absorbed, it seemed.

Even his spirit flowers were tainted, their color altered.

Yet the Divine Veil hadn’t activated.

“So… no negative status?”

Testing his cultivation, he felt no abnormalities.

“Could the technique itself be the issue?”

He retrieved the Blood Sea Divine Flame Record from his storage bag, channeling its dark flame.

This time, the red thread reignited into mist, erupting from his fingertip.

A blood-red inferno exploded before him.

The force startled him—the Jade Pendant at his waist automatically activated, unleashing water screens to shield him like a blooming lotus.

The room’s contents were reduced to ash in an instant.

One water screen even vaporized, filling the chamber with scalding steam.

“Was it the red thread?”

Trying again, he struggled to conjure a flickering flame barely brighter than a candle.

Without proper cultivation or blood sacrifice, the mana flow faltered, extinguishing the flame.

Untrained techniques naturally underperformed.

“So that mist amplified the flame’s power tenfold?”

Surveying the ruins, Xiao Chen mused, “If a single thread could do this, a full blaze would be unstoppable.”

Orthodox sects warned of the Demonic Dao’s bizarre methods. This must be one of them.

“I need to identify this mist to prepare for future encounters.”

Though unsure of its origin, Xiao Chen had theories.

The fissure suggested it was left behind during a clash between a demonic cultivator and an orthodox sect disciple.

Its secrecy allowed it to evade detection, eventually surfacing at Xianghe Bazaar.

Tracing its source would reveal the truth.

“This won’t be easy. I’ll have to proceed carefully.”

Since no warnings existed, the Demonic Dao likely hadn’t widely deployed this technique.

It was probably an experimental method used locally—or a personal secret of some rogue cultivator.

Otherwise, such a weapon would’ve already caused chaos.

Tracking it down would require time.

Perhaps after becoming a Demon-Slaying Guard, when he had more freedom, he could investigate properly.

Pocketing the pearl, he turned to Zhang’s storage bag from the market stall.

Inside were magic artifact fragments, 723 spirit stones, two high-grade defensive talismans, a premium treasure-locating compass, seven grades of incense, and several Mystic Rank cultivation manuals.

Flipping through, he found Treasure Seeking Basics and Eight Common Treasure Seeking Methods.

“No wonder he was broke—a gambler’s habits.”

While cultivation arts were often called the “Hundred Arts,” this was a generalization.

Beyond pill forging, talismans, arrays, and alchemy, many niche techniques existed.

Treasure-seeking was one—known but obscure.

True treasure seekers used special methods to find hidden opportunities, bordering on divination but distinct.

Divination required near-impossible mastery, while treasure-seeking was accessible to all.

Yet its obscurity stemmed from two hurdles: cost and yield.

Incense like the seven grades Xiao Chen held—four from Hezhou’s Xiong Clan—cost nearly a thousand spirit stones alone.

According to Eight Common Treasure Seeking Methods, burning incense guided seekers, but expeditions lasted weeks, costing hundreds of stones.

Secondly, rewards were meager.

Most found discarded artifacts or manuals.

Yet legends of rare seekers striking gold kept the practice alive.

In short, Xiao Chen mused—it was gambling.

The incense demand kept prices high.

Even the premium sandalwood incense he received from the Chen family sold for one spirit stone per stick—still scarce.

The other manuals were worthless—destined for resale.

After an hour organizing his findings, he meditated briefly until the You Hour.

“Cultivator Xiao, the guests have arrived at the backyard,” Qiu Qichen called outside.

“If convenient, shall we begin the exchange early?”

Xiao Chen opened the door. “Apologies, Fellow Cultivator Qiu.”

“I accidentally destroyed the furniture while testing a new fire technique.”

“Your kindness in preparing the yewwood bed was wasted. How much compensation in spirit stones do I owe you?”

Qiu Qichen stepped in, stunned.

Only four scorched walls remained.

His spiritual sense scanned the room, halting at the bed’s base—a once-iron frame melted into a blackened puddle.

Yet the courtyard’s defensive formation hadn’t triggered.

Either Xiao Chen bypassed its detection… or the fire’s intensity exceeded its limits.

Either way, Qiu’s estate was defenseless against him.

Xiao Chen's true strength was far greater than he had previously revealed, placing him among the very top tier of Foundation Formation cultivators. Whether through hidden potential or concealed power, his presence now demanded serious caution.

Qiu Qichen's pupils narrowed slightly, his expression turning more serious. But he quickly masked it with a smile. "Cultivator Xiao, what are you talking about? Just some old furniture. I've been meaning to replace it with newer pieces anyway. You've actually done me a favor by clearing it out."

Xiao Chen started to protest about compensating him, but Qiu Qichen firmly refused.

"Let's head to the back garden first", Qiu Qichen suggested. "We wouldn't want to keep the other cultivators waiting."

As they stepped outside, the last crimson streaks of sunset had already vanished beyond the mountains. The evening sky deepened into a dusky indigo, distant peaks fading into shadow. Hundreds of lanterns now illuminated the back garden, their warm orange glow casting a surprisingly serene atmosphere. Several early-arriving cultivators were already seated in the three flower-viewing pavilions clustered at the center.

Qiu Qichen led Xiao Chen to the pavilion where everyone had gathered. Seeing all the attendees present, he proposed, "It's an honor to have everyone here. Since we're all familiar with each other, let's skip the formalities and proceed as usual. Each person will present their item, explain its effects, then state what they wish to exchange for. Gold Fellow Cultivator, would you start from the east side moving westward?"

The golden-robed cultivator stood, his portly frame shifting as he bowed. "Esteemed cultivators, I have a pair of premium Flying Swords from the Eastern Territory - the Tsang-Tao Mother-and-Child Blades. As the name suggests, the mother blade contains a hidden child blade forged from sprinkled-gold stone specifically to pierce protective body auras."

He demonstrated by withdrawing the child blade, channeling a thread of mana through it to reveal golden light techniques shimmering across its surface. "I seek a defensive magic shield of equal value. If anyone has a quality shield, we can discuss. I'm also willing to add a thousand spirit stones to the exchange."

Xiao Chen shook his head slightly. While the blades were impressive, defensive artifacts had always commanded higher value than offensive ones. With the ongoing wars causing heavy losses to protective equipment, demand far outstripped supply. Even with the additional spirit stones, the offer fell short.

The other cultivators shared his assessment. No one stepped forward to exchange, so the Gold Fellow Cultivator returned to his seat. Immediately, the crimson-robed woman beside him rose. "I'm offering two hundred jin of Hundred-Forged Meteoric Iron." She retrieved a foot-square black iron ingot from her storage bag. "Excellent material for forging Flying Swords or shields. I seek second-tier cultivation Spirit Herbs - either metal-element or five-element varieties."

The Gold Fellow Cultivator's eyes had lit up at the meteoric iron, but hearing her request, he sighed. Cultivation Spirit Herbs were precious commodities, and even if he possessed any, he'd never part with them.

Predictably, no one responded. The crimson-robed woman returned to her seat without disappointment. She knew exchanges often happened later when more items had been displayed. The first few rounds typically saw little action unless someone had an urgent need.

As the rounds continued, cultivators presented rare treasures. Some exchanges occurred, but most items failed to generate immediate interest. Xiao Chen noticed the offerings fell into two broad categories - local Hezhou materials like Hundred-Forged Meteoric Iron, Water-Refined Qingyang Stone, and Xutu spirit sand; and Eastern Territory imports including the Tsang-Tao blades, a Wave-Piercing Flying Vessel, and a Portable Spirit Gathering Array board. He also spotted the Huidong Merchant Guild's mark discreetly engraved on several Eastern Territory items.

When a white-robed youth offered his Portable Spirit Gathering Array board in exchange for an Earth-Tier legacy, Xiao Chen perked up. He happened to possess an unused Earth-Tier sword cultivation legacy from Wen Shishi, acquired during their encounter in Huangfeng Valley. Now seemed the perfect time to exchange it.

Finally, all eyes turned to Xiao Chen as his turn arrived. Everyone knew his reputation, especially after witnessing the Earth-Tier legacy.

"Actually, this is my first time at an exchange meeting", Xiao Chen began. "May I ask - can one offer multiple Spirit Herbs in a single round?"

Qiu Qichen smiled. "Cultivator Xiao, your generosity does you credit! We do three initial rounds where only one item can be offered each time, to keep things organized."

Xiao Chen nodded. "Then for my first item - Iron Bone Pills. As you know, this formula from the Divine Flame Cult enhances physical cultivation. Consuming over one hundred and eight pills grants the Steel Sinew and Iron Bone technique, significantly strengthening one's body and resistance to elemental spells."

He withdrew a bottle, releasing the fragrant aroma of the pills inside. The cultivators froze in shock. Iron Bone Pills were extremely rare - the Spirit Origin Sect had only recently stabilized production for frontline troops. Yet Xiao Chen produced one hundred bottles!

Qiu Qichen's mind reeled. He'd only managed five bottles through family connections. How could someone casually produce one hundred?

"Eight taels of Rongchun spirit sand for eleven bottles?" a Daoist nun offered. Another cultivator countered with "Five-Luster Mysterious Water for nine bottles." Offers poured in rapidly, quickly clearing all one hundred bottles.

Xiao Chen successfully acquired eight top-tier wood-element Spirit Herbs, securing his cultivation needs until Foundation Formation peak.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end