Chapter 73: Small Exchange Gathering

After the incident of the Lingyu Gate’s herb garden being raided.

The Jin Yun Valley and Lingyu Gate sects jointly issued a higher-level bounty: any cultivator providing information on the bandits’ whereabouts would receive a substantial reward.

It seems they’re determined to see this through to the end.

……

A month later.

Qin Ming was casting the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique over his spirit fields, irrigating them.

His message talisman stirred with activity.

“Brother Qin, our agreed-upon small gathering will take place tomorrow. The Feng brothers have returned from their beast hunt.”

“Brother Qin, please prepare some items—you may exchange and discuss them then.”

The message came from Yan Danshi, his neighbor in the adjacent courtyard.

Qin Ming replied, then considered what to bring for tomorrow’s exchange.

The next day.

Qin Ming attended the gathering as invited.

When he entered Yan Danshi’s courtyard, the cultivators from the other courtyards had all arrived.

“Come, come, everyone—let me introduce you: this is Qin Ming, my neighbor in the next courtyard, a mid-grade spirit cultivator.” Upon entering, Yan Danshi warmly introduced him to the gathered cultivators.

Qin Ming greeted each one in turn.

The Feng brothers both cultivated to Qi Refining eighth level; the bald elder was Feng Yuan, the other, a muscular man with a scar on his face, was Feng Fan.

Having spent years hunting beasts outside, they carried a rugged, uncouth air.

Their speech and mannerisms were bold and casual.

The cultivator from the Ding-sized courtyard, Huang Xishan, was in his forties.

Due to years spent around furnaces, his skin was a deep bronze, his cultivation base at Qi Refining ninth level, and he served as chief alchemist at the market’s Artifact Hall.

As a high-grade alchemist, Huang Xishan had become the center of this gathering.

Several others clustered around him, cultivating familiarity.

After all, befriending such a master alchemist meant one might one day need his services to customize a magic treasure.

“Honestly, friends, my alchemy orders are booked through the end of next year.”

“But if any of you here have urgent needs, I can expedite your order—I’ll give you a ten percent discount.” Huang Xishan sat in a rattan chair, his expression haughty, speaking coolly.

At once, the Feng brothers conceived the idea of commissioning him to forge a magic treasure.

After all, they hunted beasts constantly and had no shortage of beast materials to offer.

Their demeanor toward Huang Xishan grew even more deferential.

They addressed him as “Master Huang” with exaggerated warmth.

The final cultivator, from the Bing-sized courtyard, was Lin Zixiao—dignified and imposing, around twenty years old, perhaps four or five years older than Qin Ming.

A strikingly handsome man, with a cold, refined face and long hair loosely tied behind his head with a thin cord.

More remarkable still, he was a rare mid-grade formation master.

Lin Zixiao’s personality was remarkably easygoing; he smiled warmly as he greeted everyone present.

The cultivators sat on rattan chairs in the courtyard, sipping tea and chatting.

As a mid-grade spirit cultivator, Qin Ming’s status was slightly inferior to those gathered here.

Added to that, he was a spirit farmer under service to the Lingyu Gate.

And his magic power was only at Qi Refining fifth level. Their attitude toward Qin Ming was lukewarm—neither seeking to engage him nor avoiding him.

After an hour of idle chatter, the exchange began.

Yan Danshi smiled warmly. “Since I proposed this gathering, I’ll go first.”

He produced two vials of pills. “These two vials: one is Gen Xue Pill—a miraculous healing elixir that can regenerate flesh and blood from non-fatal wounds.”

“The other is Ju Ling Pill—a mid-to-late stage spirit-enhancing elixir.”

“If any of you have sufficient spirit stones or equivalent items, feel free to trade.”

Qin Ming glanced curiously at the Gen Xue Pill—he had never seen such a healing elixir before. It was recorded in the pill compendium as one of the few difficult mid-grade elixirs to brew.

The Ju Ling Pill, however, was of ordinary quality.

Still, it proved Yan Danshi had considerable skill in pill-making, for he could brew several of the most difficult mid-grade elixirs.

Soon, the Feng brothers purchased both vials with spirit stones.

Next came the Feng brothers’ turn to display their trade items.

Feng Yuan pulled from his storage pouch a beast core and a pair of claws, placing them on the table. “These are the core and claws of a late-stage Stage One beast, the Blackwater Crocodile. My brother and I struggled hard to kill it. If any of you have something valuable, show it—we’ll consider trading.”

He watched the others’ reactions.

“I have a mid-grade magic treasure—a Binding Beast Rope. If you agree, we can trade.” Huang Xishan seemed deeply interested in the two items.

Feng Yuan and Feng Fan exchanged glances, hesitated, then said: “Master Huang, could you add something more? These are late-stage Stage One beast materials—useful even for forging high-grade magic treasures.”

“That’s my limit.” Huang Xishan fell silent, his expression slightly displeased.

The Feng brothers looked awkward.

At that moment, Lin Zixiao took from his storage pouch a formation array and smiled. “I have a Small Li Huo Formation—a mid-grade offensive array. Would you trade your two materials for it?”

“It’s the Small Li Huo Formation!” The Feng brothers’ faces lit up; they nodded eagerly in agreement.

Even Huang Xishan’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Qin Ming understood the Small Li Huo Formation—it was said to be the most devastating offensive array among all mid-grade formations, with wide-area destructive power.

Crafting such an array required an exceptionally high level of formation mastery.

I didn't know Lin Dao you could even craft the Small Li Huo Formation—remarkable! Yan Danshi gave him a thumbs-up in admiration.

The other cultivators echoed their praise, raising their estimation of Lin Zixiao.

Lin Zixiao smiled modestly. “Just minor tricks—nothing worth mentioning.”

The Feng brothers happily accepted the Small Li Huo Formation’s array plate from Lin Zixiao and completed the trade.

The cultivators grew even more curious and eager to see what Lin Zixiao would offer next.

After stowing the beast materials,

Lin Zixiao calmly withdrew from his storage pouch a palm-sized chessboard, densely covered with black and white stones.

At its appearance, everyone was baffled.

Each wore a look of confusion.

Qin Ming studied the board curiously, pondered for a while, and still could not identify it.

Among them, only the high-grade alchemist Huang Xishan wore a look of deep, troubled thought.

After a long silence,

his eyes suddenly widened. “Could this… could this be the lost Two-Yin Two-Yang Inversion Illusion Formation?!”

PS: Thank you, dear cultivators, for your monthly votes and recommendations—grateful!

(End of Chapter)