"Fellow Daoist Luo, are you all right?"
The held-back curtain of rain came crashing down once more.
The lingering heat on Red Jade Plaza seemed still to speak of the bloodless yet fierce clash that had just unfolded.
True Person Langya looked at Luo Chen with a hint of concern, though the shock in his eyes was impossible to hide.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that this loose cultivator he had met by chance along the way possessed such terrifying capability.
In a pure collision of Nascent Soul domains, he had completely suppressed the third-tier Nascent Soul Sky Splitter Stream Lord with absolute superiority.
A Nascent Soul domain was ultimately nothing more than using the resonance between one's Nascent Soul and the world to command the ambient spiritual energy corresponding to one's own attribute.
The stronger the Nascent Soul, the greater the worldly spiritual energy it could harness.
Thus, cultivation realm had long been the sole metric for measuring the strength of a domain.
For untold years, this standard had been upheld as an unquestionable truth.
Yet just moments ago, Luo Chen's performance had shattered that very rule, overpowering the Sky Splitter Stream Lord in a domain contest from only the first tier of the Nascent Soul realm—even forcing the man to draw his True Artifact.
If word of this spread, scarcely anyone would believe it!
And yet, it had happened right before his very eyes.
At that thought, True Person Langya felt a twinge of embarrassment.
He had previously thought that since his cultivation realm was a tier higher, he would surely hold the upper hand even if his spiritual sense was somewhat inferior to Luo Chen's.
Now it seemed that whether in spiritual sense or magic power, he was far weaker.
If Luo Chen had handy magic treasures of his own, then in a real duel...
*How can I harbor such thoughts!*
*The better he performs, the more secure my standing in the Canghai Alliance becomes, and no one will dare look down on me. After all, I am the one who introduced him under the banner of friendship.*
Setting aside Langya's churning thoughts, Luo Chen brushed non-existent dust from his robes, smiled, and said he was fine before striding toward Guiyuan Palace.
Along the way, not a single strand of spiritual sense pried into him.
Yet the moment he stepped foot into the palace, numerous gazes snapped toward him in unison.
With a faint smile, Luo Chen gave a Daoist salute, poised and composed. "Loose cultivator Luo Chen greets you, fellow Daoists."
Silence fell over the hall; for a moment, no one spoke.
A somewhat familiar-looking middle-aged man seated in the high seat was just about to speak when an elderly man seated beside him beat him to it.
"Wild Hermit, please take a seat!"
Shang Sihai froze for a moment, then frowned as he looked at the Netherfire Stream Lord.
Not only him, but even the Sky Splitter Stream Lord, who had entered the hall ahead of them, looked up at Netherfire in astonishment.
No one had expected that after Luo Chen demonstrated his strength, the first to welcome him would be Netherfire rather than Shang Sihai.
Luo Chen was slightly surprised, but showed no reaction on his face, openly taking a seat in one of the chairs.
True Person Langya sat down beside him.
As he took his seat, Langya sent voice transmissions through spiritual sense, introducing the people in the hall to him.
"The two above—the one on the left is the Netherfire Stream Lord, and on the right is Shang Sihai."
Luo Chen looked over. The Netherfire Stream Lord reclined half-sitting, half-lying against his chair with a sickly air, his complexion sallow and his aura tightly sealed, revealing not the slightest hint of his depth.
Shang Sihai appeared comparatively youthful, yet his features gave Luo Chen a distinct sense of familiarity.
Soon, Luo Chen realized where this familiarity originated.
Back during the Feileng City auction, Young Master Shang Junshu of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance had competed with him for the Soul Nourishing Wood.
Rumor had it that Shang Junshu's father was none other than the renowned True Person Sihai, Shang Sihai.
Since they were father and son, it was no wonder there was a resemblance.
"Below Netherfire, the first on the left is a woman named Du Feiyan, known in the Moluo Stream as the Rosy Cloud Mistress."
"The second needs no introduction—the Sky Splitter Stream Lord. His true name is unrecorded; supposedly, only Blood Nightmare Moluo knows it."
"The third is the Doom Star Stream Lord..."
Matching Langya's earlier introductions on the road with this roll call, Luo Chen aligned each figure with their legendary deeds.
Concrete impressions of these prominent figures of the Northern Sea gradually formed in his mind.
On the whole, because most of the Moluo Stream's Nascent Soul cultivators had formerly been vassals of the Yuan Demon Sect, their Daoist titles, cultivation arts, and conduct all leaned heavily toward the demonic path.
The Canghai Alliance side, however, was a motley assortment.
There was Shang Sihai, who had risen from commerce and was a consummate diplomat smooth on all sides.
There was Madame Mi, whose peach-blossom eyes gave her an aura very much like that of a Hehuan Sect cultivator.
And there was Old Ghost Nanqi, mysterious in origin and utterly capricious in temperament.
Inside the cavernous hall, there were no servants in attendance, only a dozen or so Nascent Soul True Persons.
Yet with the subtle clashes of their qi, the grand hall felt stifling, oppressive, and heavily crowded.
Above, the Netherfire Stream Lord exchanged a glance with Shang Sihai. The latter nodded and tapped the table lightly.
As everyone's eyes converged on him, Shang Sihai spoke with a pleasant smile:
"After a century of chaotic warfare, the arms are now laid down. For those of us pursuing the Dao and seeking truth, this is a joyous occasion.
"Yet with the Demon Coalition invading from without and endless friction persisting from within, these are hardly peaceful times.
"Hence, we have gathered privately today to foster goodwill, resolve misunderstandings, exchange insights on the Great Dao, and trade resources."
At this point, he paused, his expression turning slightly solemn.
"This Northern Sea is neither small nor large. None of you would wish to step outside only to find enemies at every turn, having to tread on eggshells in everything you do, would you?"
Even if some present privately scoffed at his words, they still nodded along in cooperation.
Seeing this, Shang Sihai smiled faintly.
With a consensus established, things would proceed smoothly.
"For this opening exchange, allow me to cast a brick to draw a jade!
"I have a good friend named Ying Yuanjun, Daoist title Master Yinglong. He once commanded a sea domain to spread his lineage, but demonic beasts attacked, destroying his sect. He is currently residing at a branch of our Four Seas Merchant Alliance. In order to rebuild his sect, he requires a vast amount of spirit stones.
"As such, he has entrusted me with a batch of fourth-rank spirit herbs to trade."
With a flick of his wrist, a palm-sized gray cloth pouch appeared.
Hearing mention of fourth-rank spirit herbs, the crowd had already perked up; seeing this gray pouch, any lingering doubts vanished.
"That is a prized treasure of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance, known as the Sumeru Pouch. It contains an internal space and excels at transporting bulk goods. It can even hold living things like spirit beasts and medicinal herbs for short periods. A truly renowned spatial treasure in the Northern Sea," True Person Langya's voice sounded in Luo Chen's ear.
Luo Chen could not help but glance at the gray pouch with a flicker of interest.
He wondered how this pouch compared to his Penglai Octagonal Pavilion.
Still, an item with such diverse functions might excel at versatility, but surely lagged in specialization; when it came to preserving spirit herbs, it was likely far inferior to the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion!
The next moment, Luo Chen's attention was drawn elsewhere.
"Fourth-rank Vast Spirit Grass! Imbued with Vast Prime Qi, said to be the form of energy closest to the origin qi of heaven and earth. It is exceptionally adaptable—most high-tier pills under heaven can incorporate it as an ingredient, and legend has it that even Soul Formation grandmasters use this grass when concocting pills.
"There are one thousand two hundred stalks in total, the accumulated savings of Fellow Daoist Ying over many years. What's more, they have not yet been harvested from their soil, so their medicinal potency remains entirely intact!
"One hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones per stalk. If any fellow Daoists are interested, you may state your numbers."
There was no auction, no bidding war for the highest price.
Instead, the price was set flatly at a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones a stalk.
This was already a steep premium. Setting the value of a single fourth-rank spirit herb on par with a medium-grade magic treasure was about as high as one could reasonably go.
For a moment, those in the hall stirred.
Soon, responses came.
"Give me ten stalks!"
"I'll take fifty. I've been studying an incomplete pill recipe lately and couldn't find a suitable substitute for the primary material. Vast Spirit Grass might make a fine replacement."
"Forget it, this old man knows nothing of the alchemical path; I won't join in."
"I want a hundred stalks!"
At those words, the crowd turned to look at the woman dressed in a gown of seven-colored clouds.
It was Rosy Cloud Mistress Du Feiyan, one of the few Stream Lords within the Moluo Stream adept at the art of alchemy.
Her unshakeable standing in the Moluo Stream had a great deal to do with her remarkable alchemical skills.
Shang Sihai watched with satisfaction. The main reason he had brought out the Vast Spirit Grass as the first trade item was to avoid an awkward silence.
Transactions between high-level cultivators were mostly barters of goods for goods.
By accepting settlement in spirit stones, most people could afford to take part.
However, compared to the total of one thousand two hundred stalks, moving only one or two hundred was frankly underwhelming.
His friend was in dire need of spirit stones, and he didn't have the time to slowly sell off this batch through the merchant alliance.
*It seems I somewhat overestimated their wealth.*
Shang Sihai felt a twinge of regret, thinking he would likely have to seek out the few high-tier alchemists of the Northern Sea to offload the rest.
Just when most had fallen quiet, a voice that Shang Sihai never anticipated rang out:
"Since everyone else is done, this hermit will take all the remaining Vast Spirit Grass!"
Shang Sihai froze, staring at the exceptionally youthful white-robed man.
"Wild Hermit, are you serious?"
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "With so many fellow Daoists as witnesses, how could this be false?"
At that moment, everyone held their breath, gazing at Luo Chen in disbelief.
The remaining Vast Spirit Grass amounted to a full thousand stalks!
At a hundred thousand each, that was over a hundred million spirit stones!
Those present, having accumulated wealth over many years, considered themselves decently well-off. But for anyone to produce so many spirit stones all at once would surely drain their reserves to the marrow.
Even a Nascent Soul cultivator like Old Ghost Nanqi, who had only recently gained a territory and had not managed it long, likely could not produce such a sum at all.
Shang Sihai took a deep breath and cupped his hands to Luo Chen. "In that case, on behalf of my good friend, I thank you for your magnificent generosity, fellow Daoist."
Afterward, he led Luo Chen to a side hall and brought out all one thousand stalks of Vast Spirit Grass.
Looking at the white spirit grass resembling rice seedlings, still planted in shallow soil on the floor, Shang Sihai explained, "The reason this batch was priced so high is that the roots remain unbroken. If you possess suitable cultivation methods, you could even nurture a batch of seedlings from them."
Luo Chen nodded. With his expertise in spirit plant cultivation, he naturally recognized the signs.
Without another word, Luo Chen retrieved a hundred million spirit stones from his storage ring, packed them into a storage pouch, and handed it to Shang Sihai.
"Wild Hermit, do you have a suitable magic treasure to store these herbs? I have a few spatial treasures here. Though their quality cannot compare to a Sumeru Pouch, they can serve temporarily."
Luo Chen smiled slightly. "No need for Fellow Daoist to trouble yourself."
Shang Sihai raised an eyebrow, said no more, and exited the side hall.
Once he had gone, Luo Chen looked at the Vast Spirit Grass, a radiant smile spreading across his face.
Never would he have imagined that coming here in pursuit of Soul Essence, he would end up obtaining Vast Spirit Grass instead.
This very spirit grass was one of the alternative primary ingredients for a fourth-rank qi-refining pill used by Nascent Soul cultivators, recorded among the Heaven Refining Demon Lord's thirty-six pill recipes!
When used in alchemy, it could produce a fourth-rank pill called the Vast Prime Pill, which aided cultivation.
Originally, Luo Chen had not entertained thoughts of cultivation pills.
With his present physique and spiritual roots, even without taking pills, he had full confidence that he could cultivate to the late Nascent Soul stage within two to three centuries.
He was only lacking somewhat in cultivation techniques.
One could say that Luo Chen's current aptitude was unequivocally that of a genius!
Nevertheless, having cultivation pills as a supplement would make things even better!
"Truly, to obtain it without lifting a finger!"
Luo Chen produced a formation plate, set up a concealment formation, and then used the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion to collect the entire batch of medicinal herbs.
Outside the side hall, Shang Sihai walked with slow steps.
When the formation rippled into existence, he felt a flicker of surprise.
And then he saw Luo Chen reappear in his line of sight.
At that moment, certain suspicions in Shang Sihai's heart were fully confirmed.
"Fellow Daoist, let us head back together!"
...
Inside the main hall, the trading among cultivators was still underway.
Yet from time to time, various gazes fell upon True Person Langya.
Some even quietly transmitted messages through spiritual sense, inquiring into Luo Chen's background.
True Person Langya, however, could only wear a bitter smile, knowing nothing about anything they asked.
Indeed: a newcomer to the Nascent Soul realm who showed no fear of the renowned Sky Splitter Stream Lord, and now casually produced over a hundred million spirit stones in one breath...
You claim he is a loose cultivator?
Who would believe that?
Not a soul!
In particular, when Shang Sihai returned and realized Luo Chen even possessed a spatial magic treasure capable of holding live herbs, he became all the more convinced that this man was no loose cultivator, but a powerhouse from some formidable faction walking the world under an alias.
Consequently, in the trades that followed, everyone paid special attention to Luo Chen's movements.
This time, however, they were left disappointed.
No matter what rare and unique treasures were brought out, Luo Chen sat motionless, showing not a shred of interest.
High-tier medicinal herbs, rare ores, carcasses, bones, and inner cores of powerful demonic beasts, and even damaged True Artifacts—he showed not the slightest desire to make a bid.
One had to understand: although a True Artifact was standard equipment for a Nascent Soul True Person, not every Nascent Soul actually possessed one.
During the tribulation, one could harness the power of lightning tribulation to upgrade a high-grade magic treasure into a True Artifact.
Yet that required time and immense strength!
Not everyone had the capability to advance a treasure's grade while simultaneously enduring the heavenly tribulation.
Many True Persons' True Artifacts were nurtured bit by bit over long years of subsequent cultivation, using their Nascent Soul to channel the power of heaven and earth.
For the Wild Hermit to show no interest even in a True Artifact, he likely already possessed one well suited to him.
This only further confirmed their suspicion that Luo Chen hailed from a monumental background.
Luo Chen kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his mouth, and his mouth on his heart, sitting there in utter serenity.
He truly had no interest in these traded resources.
From his trip to the Land of the Fallen Demon, he had acquired a vast surplus of high-tier materials, whether herbs or ores.
As for weapons, he did lack them.
Yet he did not lack damaged goods, nor items that did not match his own attributes.
He was waiting for only one thing now.
That was Soul Essence!
True Person Langya had not lied to him; people indeed brought out Soul Essence to trade.
However, the quantities were pitifully small, falling far short of satisfying his needs.
Old Ghost Nanqi, on the other hand, had been steadily buying it up, which drew Luo Chen's keen attention.
*Could he also possess a method to utilize Soul Essence?*
Just as the first segment of trading was drawing to a close, the Netherfire Stream Lord, who had remained silent for so long, finally straightened his back slowly.
"This old man has a substantial quantity of Soul Essence for sale."
A glazed treasure bottle appeared in his hand.
At that moment, Old Ghost Nanqi shot straight to his feet.
"Fellow Daoist, trade it to me!"
The Netherfire Stream Lord glanced at him. "Do you know what I want?"
Old Ghost Nanqi chuckled hoarsely. "Nothing more than resources to cure your injuries. I have here a third-tier Flame-devouring Gu capable of swallowing sourceless fire. Paired with Fellow Daoist Sky Splitter's Nine Nether Untainted Wind, it will surely rid you of your affliction the moment the remedy is applied. What do you say to that?"
The Netherfire Stream Lord's gaze drifted toward the Sky Splitter Stream Lord.
The other gave a soft snort, but did not deny it.
"It seems you have indeed made thorough inquiries. However..."
The moment the word 'however' left his lips, Old Ghost Nanqi's expression darkened instantly.
He had spent so much effort reaching an arrangement with the Sky Splitter Stream Lord solely to exchange for the vast accumulation of Soul Essence Netherfire had gathered over centuries. Could something go wrong now?
The Netherfire Stream Lord's gaze turned upon Luo Chen. "Wild Hermit, would it be convenient to speak with this old man in private?"
A look of surprise crossed Luo Chen's face.
Just moments ago, he had been pondering how hefty a price he would need to pay to outbid Old Ghost Nanqi for the Soul Essence, never imagining that Netherfire would take the initiative to approach him instead.
Since that was the case!
"Naturally, it would be my pleasure!"
The Netherfire Stream Lord rose unhurriedly, grasping the glazed treasure bottle, and walked toward the exit step by step.
Wherever he stepped, charred footprints were left behind on the floor.
Luo Chen's eyes fell upon those footprints, deep in thought.
Inside the hall, Old Ghost Nanqi wore a somber scowl, having never anticipated that his well-laid plans would be cut in on by an outsider.
Watching this unfold, the Sky Splitter Stream Lord was initially baffled, but upon reflection, a guess surfaced in his mind.
And because that guess hit remarkably close to the truth, his astonishment only deepened.
*Old Monster Netherfire's gall is truly immense—he would rather trust an outsider of unknown origin than trust me?*
*Besides, how could he be so certain this Wild Hermit possesses such capability?*
Chapter 723