"Greetings, Elder!"
"Greetings, Elder!"
Amid the chorus of respectful greetings, Fairy Jueqing walked alone toward the cold pine tree clinging to the edge of the cliff.
Standing with her hands clasped behind her back upon the pure white snow, a rare, intricate expression flickered across the woman's face.
Crisp footsteps sounded from behind. Without turning, she asked, "Xiaolan, when did you arrive?"
A young married woman clad in a plain white dress, her face free of any rouge or powder, walked up behind her and replied respectfully, "I arrived only today. Having completed the three-year mourning period for my late husband, it is time I came out to do my part for the Luotian Sect."
"Have they... treated you well?"
Fairy Jueqing hesitated slightly. By "they," she meant the cultivators at the Luotian Sect's mountain gate.
Ever since the decision was made to join the Luotian Sect, the surviving cultivators of the Ice Fort lineage had all visited Baili Qingchuan to varying degrees. Only she had never set foot on Mount Daqing.
Whatever delicate feelings lay behind that choice were beyond ordinary people to fathom.
Shi Lan answered without a second thought, "They treat us quite well—impartially, one could say. Perhaps it is due to my late husband's past connections, or perhaps the Supreme Elder gave instructions in secret. In any case, the sisters there do not feel much like burdensome dependents living under someone else's roof."
"Is that so... Good, that is very good."
Fairy Jueqing murmured. Seeing how smoothly the Ice Fort sisters had integrated into the Luotian Sect stirred complicated feelings within her, though ultimately relief won out.
She had taken it upon herself to defy ancestral precepts and lead the disciples to transfer their allegiance to a new sect. If she had entrusted them to the wrong person, not even dying ten thousand deaths could absolve her guilt.
Shi Lan gazed at the woman's slender, frail back and hesitated. "Then, Master, what about you?"
Fairy Jueqing said calmly, "There is no need to worry about me. You have interacted with him in the past and know how he conducts himself. As long as I do not cross his taboos, nothing untoward will happen. In fact..."
As she spoke, a ripple of magic power flashed and vanished from her body. With a sharp crackle, icicles sprouted from the snow beneath her feet.
At this sight, Shi Lan could not help clapping a hand over her mouth in a gasp, her face filled with astonishment.
Having cultivated the Ice Fort's core method, the Ten Directions Extreme Frost Path, she naturally understood what this phenomenon signified.
The bottleneck that had trapped her master for years had finally broken!
Now, her master was a grand cultivator in the late Golden Core stage!
This alone was enough to demonstrate the value Luo Chen placed on her master.
And in reality, that was precisely the truth!
To outsiders, Fairy Jueqing's submission under Luo Chen's banner to play the lowly role of greeting and seeing off guests appeared somewhat humiliating.
Yet the reality was that Fairy Jueqing was one of the few confidantes granted frequent audiences with Luo Chen. Even her cultivation abode was a tier-three upper-grade cave dwelling here on Mount Danluo.
In his idle moments, she often received medicinal pills bestowed by Luo Chen.
Her natural talent had never been poor, so stepping into the late Golden Core stage was entirely a matter of course.
Shi Lan slowly lowered her hand and said with emotion, "Now that we have all settled down under the Supreme Elder's protection, we no longer have to live precariously as we did in the past. If only Senior Aunt Canglong could awaken, that would be even better."
*Senior Sister Canglong?*
Hearing that name, Fairy Jueqing's lips curled into a rare, gentle smile.
She knew that the magic treasure Luo Chen had recently been refining was intended specifically to resolve Senior Sister Canglong's injuries.
As long as he succeeded, the day would come when her senior sister awoke.
Perhaps by then, she might have even pulled ahead of her senior sister, forming a Nascent Soul before her. What expression would her senior sister wear then?
Just as Fairy Jueqing was in high spirits, a sudden dread washed over her, and the solid ice beneath her feet burst apart.
She whipped her head around toward the great hall Luo Chen had entered earlier.
A tyrannical wave of magic power rippled out from the hall like concentric rings. Wherever it passed, green pines shattered and white snow exploded into fine powder.
Yet an even mightier force swiftly suppressed the aftershocks of that collision, preventing it from harming a single Luotian Sect cultivator on duty.
What truly filled Fairy Jueqing with dread, however, were two flashes of light—one cyan, one red.
"That is... sword qi!"
A cyan sword qi and a red sword qi pierced straight through the hall's vaulted roof, shooting high into the sky.
The ringing hum of swords resonated without end.
Without hesitation, Fairy Jueqing flew toward the hall, joined in motion by other Luotian Sect cultivators.
Yet just as they reached the grand entrance, Luo Chen's mild voice carried out from within.
"It is nothing. Only a minor spar. You may all withdraw!"
"Understood!"
Fairy Jueqing took a deep breath, cast an awe-filled glance into the depths of the hall, and led the Luotian Sect disciples slowly away.
***
Inside the hall.
Luo Chen slowly withdrew his joined index and middle fingers, an expression of admiration on his face.
"Truly worthy of the Startled Swan of the Sword Realm. This Grandmaster falls far short!"
Lin Qingxuan pulled his right hand back inside his sleeve, his expression composed.
"Grandmaster Luo flatters me. The sword is not your primary path, yet after immersing yourself for a mere few years, you possess such pure sword qi—a rarity in this world. Furthermore, that display of suppressing the collision's aftershocks just now was where true skill lay!"
With that exchange of praise, the previously tense atmosphere immediately softened.
Pavilion Master Li, sitting between them, smiled. "One excels in swordsmanship, while the other possesses profound magic power. For a small place like the Jade Cauldron Domain to produce two peerless geniuses like you makes it truly a blessed land."
"I dare not claim equal standing with Grandmaster Luo," Lin Qingxuan said, lowering his posture.
Seeming to recall old memories of meeting Lin Qingxuan after forming his Golden Core and marching together to the pioneering battlefield, Luo Chen was in high spirits.
He laughed heartily and tapped a finger against the table.
"Now that my wish has been satisfied, let us discuss our cooperation regarding the Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid!"
At these words, Pavilion Master Li instantly perked up, and Lin Qingxuan blinked with a hint of anticipation.
Luo Chen cleared his throat and smiled. "We discussed the details of our partnership earlier. The Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion and the Luotian Sect will gather the required raw materials, sharing the costs equally. If the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect wishes to take part, you must contribute some spirit stones."
Lin Qingxuan nodded. "That is only proper!"
"Of the concocted Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid, I want fifty percent! The remaining half can be divided between you two."
"This..." Lin Qingxuan hesitated.
"Grandmaster Luo, this is not what we agreed upon," Pavilion Master Li said, his expression shifting sharply in discontent.
"Nothing was finalized previously. After all, at that time I did not know how difficult the refinement would be," Luo Chen said with narrowed eyes, casting a faint smile at the two. "Of course, if you do not wish to cooperate, I will not force it."
*Did not know how difficult the refinement would be?*
*More like you didn't know how effective the Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid was back then!*
Pavilion Master Li looked at Luo Chen's amber right eye, anger smoldering within him. "We provided the pill formula, and we provided the greater share of the ingredients. For you to take half with a single word—isn't that a bit excessive?"
Luo Chen stroked his smooth chin. "Put that way, it does sound a bit excessive."
Seeing him yield, Lin Qingxuan and Pavilion Master Li breathed an internal sigh of relief.
Business was just like that; bargaining was the essence of trade, whereas a one-sided take-it-or-leave-it deal never lasted.
Luo Chen pondered for a moment before speaking. "How about this: I will take a step back. Sixty percent goes to you, and I will take only forty."
*A sixty-forty split?*
Pavilion Master Li considered it, then turned his gaze toward Lin Qingxuan.
Lin Qingxuan sighed. "I have no objections."
Pavilion Master Li smiled. "Very well, sixty-forty it is!"
*Thump!*
Tapping the table once more, Luo Chen displayed a sincere smile.
"Then next, let us discuss my fee for taking action!"
The pill transactions were a long-term affair, but having Grandmaster Luo personally concoct the medicine was by no means free, nor was it something an extra ten percent of the pills could settle.
In particular, part of the supply channels for raw materials depended entirely on Luo Chen's network to purchase from the Tianyuan Business Alliance.
Since he had dared to ask for fifty percent before, he certainly possessed the leverage.
Pavilion Master Li knew this as well. "On our end, we have prepared a substantial amount of empyrean qi for you, which you require. In addition, there are several decent pill formulas and body refinement arts..."
Clearly, Pavilion Master Li had specifically inquired into Luo Chen's preferences so as to cater to them.
Yet Luo Chen merely waved his hand.
"My apologies, but for the moment I am not lacking in empyrean qi. As for low-tier pill formulas and body refinement methods, heh."
Pavilion Master Li frowned, instantly recalling the situation at the Shouyang Dao Discussion Gathering.
Luo Chen must have collected enough empyrean qi there, which was why he now disdained the meager amount in Li's hands.
"Then what do you want?"
"Rest assured, I will not open my mouth like a lion demanding the sky. What I want is also the thing you lack least." Luo Chen's gaze swept over the two men as he said slowly, "Sword pills! Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth four-element sword pills at the True Artifact tier!"
Lin Qingxuan said decisively, "Impossible!"
Pavilion Master Li shook his head. "We have none!"
Luo Chen's smile vanished. "Truly impossible? Truly none?"
His gaze slowly swept across both men, heavy as a mountain, pressing down on them with immense weight.
"Earlier, I already made a concession. For you to respond like this now is truly not giving me face!"
Lin Qingxuan parted his lips, looking despondent. "Fellow Daoist, you are truly asking the impossible. A sword pill represents the condensed lifetime cultivation of a sword cultivator. Often, the sword lives while the person lives, and the sword perishes when the person falls. My Jade Cauldron Sword Sect has produced only two Nascent Soul True Persons in total; where would we find spare sword pills? Do you expect me to gift you my natal True Artifact?"
Luo Chen looked enlightened. "Put that way, am I indeed asking the impossible? Pavilion Master Li, is it the same for your Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion?"
Pavilion Master Li instinctively wanted to nod, but beneath that piercing stare, he could not bring himself to lie.
He could only explain, "My Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion does indeed possess spare True Artifact sword pills, but all were left behind by our ancestral masters and contain their wills. Only those cultivating our sect's arts can gain their recognition and inherit them as ancestral weapons. The Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid is for my personal pursuit; mobilizing the sect's manpower and resources is already crossing the line, and I cannot excessively damage the sect's interests any further."
"Everyone has their reasons, everyone has their difficulties!" Luo Chen clicked his tongue, appearing quite understanding. Yet his next words plunged the hall's atmosphere below freezing point. "In that case, I see no need to continue with this cooperation."
Silence. Utter stillness.
Pavilion Master Li and Lin Qingxuan stared at each other, at a loss for words.
Luo Chen closed his eyes and nurtured his spirit in silence, granting them ample time to reflect.
Snowflakes drifted down through the hole blasted in the roof earlier, adding a chill to the hall.
After a long while, the stifling silence was finally broken.
"Fellow Daoist Luo, my Jade Cauldron Sword Sect has a shallow foundation to begin with. Having suffered great upheaval, our strength simply falls short of our will. A True Artifact-tier sword pill is beyond what I can offer. The best I can provide is a top-grade magic treasure-tier Flawless Sword Pill of the fire element. If you take it and nurture it diligently, elevating it to the True Artifact tier is merely a matter of a single lightning tribulation."
As Lin Qingxuan spoke, his gaze swept over Hongling with an apologetic look.
Hongling bit her lip and nodded with quiet resolve.
Luo Chen opened his eyes. "I have seen your sincerity. What about you, Pavilion Master Li?"
A pained reluctance showed in Pavilion Master Li's double pupils. "I can provide a wood-attribute True Artifact sword pill. It bears only my soul imprint, which can be erased in an instant. In addition, I can offer two Flawless Sword Pills of the water and earth elements, also at the top-grade magic treasure tier. Grandmaster Luo, this is the absolute limit of my Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion."
One True Artifact sword pill, and three magic treasure-tier sword pills.
This answer left Luo Chen somewhat dissatisfied.
Yet clearly, this was indeed their limit.
After all, Flawless Sword Pills were not nurtured by an individual cultivator's cultivation; they were forcibly forged from superior materials specifically to reward talented juniors or serve as emergency spares for cultivators in critical moments.
Just like the white-gold sword pill Luo Chen had seized from Feiyunzi—it was a Flawless Sword Pill, only Feiyunzi had used his superb weapon-refinement skills to forcibly raise it to the True Artifact tier.
Under the intent gazes of Li and Lin, Luo Chen pondered for a long time before finally tapping the table.
"Agreed!"
With that, the intent to cooperate was fully finalized.
To ease the stiff atmosphere lingering from the haggling, Luo Chen took the initiative to change the subject, asking about the current situation in the war between humans and demons.
Catering to his interests, the two gave him a broad overview.
Without hosting a banquet, once Luo Chen handed over three vials of Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid, the guests took their leave.
***
Three streaks of light flew away from Mount Danluo at an unhurried pace.
Lin Qingxuan said guiltily, "I am sorry, Hongling. I gave away the Flawless Sword Pill I prepared for you."
Hongling forced a smile. "It is fine. The sword pill I am currently nurturing is enough for my use, and whether I can successfully ascend to the Nascent Soul realm in the future remains uncertain anyway. Your improvement in strength is far more important, Senior Brother. Only with the Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid can your flaw be remedied."
Lin Qingxuan reached out and gently rubbed the woman's head, letting out a soft sigh.
"Grandmaster Luo's conduct is growing ever more overbearing!"
"Senior Brother, your hand?" When he pulled his hand back, Hongling caught sight of a faint trace of blood.
Faint, thin, yet shocking to behold.
The woman was incredulous. "Could it be an injury from that spar just now? But clearly you were the one who won the exchange of swordsmanship!"
Lin Qingxuan's right hand trembled slightly before he tucked it back into his sleeve.
"In our debate on the Dao, I won, but in the sword..."
Pavilion Master Li remarked faintly from the side, "During the battle in the Spiritless Domain, the demonic sword Grandmaster Luo wielded was no ordinary item. For him to personally demand sword pills today is almost certainly for that demonic sword!"
When saying this, Pavilion Master Li seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
In his eyes, the reason Luo Chen dared to demand so much was partly because Lin Qingxuan had fallen at a disadvantage during their swordsmanship exchange.
On the surface, Luo Chen appeared slightly inferior, but he had only practiced the sword for a short time.
Yet in truth, Lin Qingxuan had been injured—a fact that could not be hidden from Pavilion Master Li.
Lin Qingxuan shook his head. "It is more than that. At the instant our magic power collided, I perceived the immense gulf between Luo Chen and myself. He..."
A solemn look filled the cyan-robed man's eyes, as though he could scarcely believe the fathomless magic power Luo Chen had revealed beneath the tip of the iceberg.
Pavilion Master Li had not exchanged blows personally, so his impression was not as profound.
He assumed Lin Qingxuan was merely exaggerating Luo Chen's strength to mask his own setback.
"According to our agreement, of the sixty percent of Jade Emperor Clear Pupil Liquid, I take forty and you take twenty. Take it!"
A jade vial was tossed into Lin Qingxuan's hand.
With that, the two parties parted ways.
Lin Qingxuan stared at the solitary jade vial in his palm, his other fist clenching involuntarily until veins bulged on his skin.
He had given up a pill formula, given up spirit stones, and even handed over the sword pill reserved for his junior sister—and in the end, this was all he obtained?
"Senior Brother..." Hongling looked at him with concern.
The young man, with white hair beginning to show at his temples, pursed his lips. "Let us return!"
Chapter 829