Chapter 96

Wang Ping looked speechlessly at Tian Min, who had become a Foundation Establishment cultivator and walked over with a delighted expression, muttering in his heart:

Do I have a three-lifetime affinity with you?

Why do I keep running into you whenever I come to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion to sell some spoils?

"Hahaha! Fellow Daoist Lan Ming! We really are fated! No need to say—I know why you're here. Come, let's go to the sixth floor to discuss in detail!"

Tian Min was extremely enthusiastic about Wang Ping's appearance and directly invited him to the sixth floor.

From the sixth floor, overlooking the Treasure Gathering Workshop, there is a different charm.

"Hahaha! I knew Fellow Daoist Lan's talent would make breaking through Foundation Establishment a certainty; moreover, it's a coincidence that we met here. Counting our encounter at the Merchant City, we've only met twice, yet I feel like old friends reuniting—don't you find that strange?"

Wang Ping, hearing that, gave Tian Min a half-smile, half-frown glance and thought: No, we've met three times.

Of course, he wouldn't voice what he thought; facing Tian Min's enthusiasm, Wang Ping remained clear-headed and didn't beat around the bush, directly asking:

"Fellow Daoist, what business do you have? Please speak!"

Tian Min had wanted to chat a bit more to deepen their rapport, but seeing the other party get straight to the point without further small talk, he waved his hands and a layer of light curtain rose in the room.

Wang Ping's expression remained calm; he merely glanced at Tian Min with a light gaze.

"I would like to invite Fellow Daoist to enter the Gu Lan Ruins together; Fellow Daoist, don't rush to refuse—first hear what reward I offer."

Wang Ping pondered for a moment, nodded, and signaled him to continue.

"I know Fellow Daoist has great talent in artifact refining, so I asked a friend in the Alliance Heartland to mail me a jade slip that records a lifetime of insights from an artifact refiner on crafting magical treasures!"

Having said that, he slapped his storage bag and placed a green jade slip on the table.

Wang Ping's expression finally changed; such notes are worth seeing for anyone—while others might see them merely as a gift, to him they are no less than an epiphany.

Observing another artifact refiner's notes and verifying them against his own is a rare opportunity for him; moreover, this is the insight of an Alliance Heartland artifact refiner, whose techniques and experience surely differ from those of the Western Droop Lands.

"How does Fellow Daoist feel about it?"

Tian Min asked with a confident expression.

Wang Ping looked at the jade slip on the table, smiled, and said: "Good stuff! However—I refuse!"

Tian Min's smile vanished instantly, and he asked incredulously: "Why? Do you think this note isn't valuable enough? If so, I can raise the price!"

Wang Ping shook his head; exchanging this note for one of his actions would be enough. His reason for refusing was that Tian Min's confident smile gave him an inexplicable sense of danger!

Why is he so confident?

It's because he has grasped Wang Ping's psychology and knows just how tempting this note is to him.

If Wang Ping had come today seeking news about this, Tian Min would have produced it, and Wang Ping would surely have agreed.

But he had never revealed this intention; Tian Min could guess it, and while that in itself isn't much, his mistake was revealing that smug, 'I know you'll definitely agree' confident smile.

This gave Wang Ping a bad feeling: today Tian Min could use a note to get him to act, and next time he could lure him with something more precious into doing something more dangerous.

He possesses a great opportunity to go to the Spirit Realm; there's no need to risk exploring ordinary ruins. This trip to the Gu Lan Ruins is merely for Tie Lanshan and them.

After this, Wang Ping decided he would no longer run to ruins; it's too dangerous.

Find a place, open an artifact forging shop, sell magic artifacts and treasures—using these spirit stones to buy the materials he needs, isn't that nice?

Therefore, Wang Ping dislikes Tian Min's method, so he refused; the reason, Wang Ping will not say.

"Fellow Daoist Tian, please take inventory of these items!"

Without answering Tian Min's question, Wang Ping directly threw out nearly forty storage bags, each storage bag's space completely full.

Wang Ping's refusal was beyond Tian Min's expectation, but his years of experience gave him deep scheming, so he still smiled and summoned people to take inventory of the items!

During this, Tian Min wryly said, "I still can't understand why Fellow Daoist Lan would refuse."

Wang Ping calmly replied, "I simply don't want to invite complications."

Tian Min understood the meaning in Lan Ming's words; the Seven Sages of the Hundred Arts are, in today's Xichui region, known to every cultivator, unknown to none.

Formations, artifacts, elixirs, talismans, beast taming, spirit cuisine, and puppets—seven kinds of the Hundred Arts.

Back then, among the Qi Refining cultivators, aside from Wu Yue the Talisman Master, the other five had all broken through to Foundation Establishment; now adding this one makes it even more extraordinary.

Their friendship is even more enviable to many cultivators, and also makes many cultivators wary.

The main reason is this person before us; in the initial Battle of the Merchant City, one battle shocked Xichui.

Some don't believe, some do; in short, even the Foundation Establishment battle cannot conceal this person's bearing.

However, afterward Lan Ming disappeared for ten years; most cultivators thought he was dead! Slain by some unknown great Foundation Establishment cultivator.

When he saw Wang Ping at the market gate today, he was extraordinarily shocked, and it was he who stopped the cultivators of the Treasure Gathering Market from going out to halt this battle.

After many years, Lan Ming's combat power still inspires awe; with a loud shout, he directly stunned a second-rank demon wolf to the ground.

A giant log directly slew You Ba's beast taming!

Now, the news that the original Lan Ming has appeared at the Treasure Gathering Market has probably spread!

"Fellow Daoist, do you know? The place I need to go is only about ten li from where Fellow Daoist Lan Ning and the others are; I can wait for you to rescue Lan Ning and a few fellow Daoists, then go there together, how about that?"

Tian Min still refuses to give up; that place is extremely important to him, but with his strength he cannot break through, needing a cultivator of extremely high combat power to lend him a hand.

Last month, he already took someone there—his very close cousin, whose spiritual power is extremely pure and profound, and who also possesses a natal magic treasure that matches his own Dao arts.

Within their clan, he has been designated a core disciple; one step further would be the young clan chief!

Even such a cultivator lost; he had originally been disheartened, but upon learning of Lan Ming's news at this time, he copied the artifact-forging jade slip that had been placed in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion in this market for who knows how many years.

With his years of experience in judging people, using the Qi Refining insights of artifact-forging predecessors as a condition, Lan Ming will surely agree.

Tian Min is extremely confident in his ability to judge people, which is why he showed that smile in front of Wang Ping!

Wang Ping calmly shook his head.

Seeing this, Tian Min couldn't help but sigh disappointedly.

"Sir! Inventory is complete; the total value of these materials and items is 135,080!"

At this moment, the cultivator who took inventory came in to report.

Tian Min nodded, smiling at Wang Ping: "Fellow Daoist, your wealth‑gathering ability truly makes me envious!"

Wang Ping gave him a strange look and said, "If you were hunted by over a hundred cultivators and still managed to stay alive, you could do it too; want to give it a try?"

Tian Ying immediately stopped, no longer speaking!