Chapter 491 - 490: Get Rich in the Blink of an Eye, Goodbye Li Lingyin

The Spiritual Tea brewed with high-quality Spiritual Spring water had a refreshing taste, instantly stimulating salivation and offering a soothing effect.

Tong Xiaoxiao took a sip and her mood calmed significantly.

"Good tea."

She complimented, then she picked up each of the eight guzhengs that Li Jing had taken out for her to inspect one by one and examined them meticulously before looking back at him.

"These eight Immortal-level guzhengs, regardless of quality or appearance, are impressive. It’s fitting for Master Li, renowned for his Artifact Refinement skills. It’s a pity though, one of them is at Immortal-level eight; otherwise, it would be a matching set for sale."

"As a set?"

Li Jing looked slightly puzzled and asked,

"Musical instruments should be harder to sell, right?"

Tong Xiaoxiao frowned slightly at his words, then she revealed a sudden understanding and explained,

"Your understanding must be from your experience on Blue Star, Master Li. In our Immortal Realm, there is no such thing as musical instruments being harder to sell. In fact, musical instruments are extremely popular among female cultivators, and even many men who appreciate sophistication would often like to own one, or even several of different styles."

Li Jing was left speechless.

Indeed, he had been biased from the beginning.

On Blue Star, it’s an industry consensus that musical instruments are difficult to sell.

There was certainly a demand for them, but it paled when compared to other items.

Especially on Blue Star, most cultivators didn’t have the energy to nourish multiple items.

Most people focused on one item.

Only those who were excessively wealthy, could afford multiple items.

After hearing what Tong Xiaoxiao had said, Li Jing soon realized that what he perceived as normal on Blue Star didn’t apply to the Immortal Realm.

Without much thought, Li Jing asked,

"So, how much can these eight guzhengs sell for?"

Tong Xiaoxiao hesitated slightly before answering Li Jing’s question. She lightly pressed her red lips together and said,

"For these seven guzhengs at Immortal-level 10, I’d say three hundred thousand top-grade Immortal Crystals each, would that be satisfactory to you, Master Li?"

"..."

Li Jing was stunned.

Three hundred thousand top-grade Immortal Crystals for one guzheng!? Tong Xiaoxiao didn’t seem like she was joking.

The fact that an Immortal-level 10 guzheng could sell for such a high price was beyond his expectations.

But then he thought about it and it made sense.

Given the premise that the demand for musical instruments in the Immortal Realm was no less than other items, these seven guzhengs were all just one stage away from becoming a half-step Taoist Artifact.

Looking at it from another angle, cultivators nourish their items to the tenth level, that is the limit.

The rest of the journey must be taken by the Spirit Weapon itself.

In other words, anyone who has the ability to subdue the spirit within the instrument can easily save countless years of Artifact Refinement.

It is bound to be expensive.

Switching perspectives, on Blue Star, Treasure-level 10 items are nearly priceless precisely because they can form a connection as soon as they are acquired, and they are just one step away from developing their own consciousness.

Even if you are rich, you can’t necessarily buy a Treasure-level 10 item.

Having understood the key points, Li Jing said,

"I’m not familiar with the market conditions of the Immortal Realm, but I trust that Manager Tong won’t cheat me. If you say it’s three hundred thousand top-grade Immortal Crystals, then let’s settle for that."

Upon hearing his words, Tong Xiaoxiao chuckled.

"Master Li, rest assured, I’m not that desperate to cut off my source of income."

With that, she continued,

"To tell you the truth, I could sell these seven Immortal-level 10 guzhengs for around thirty-five to forty thousand top-grade Immortal Crystals each in a bundle to one of the ascendant forces from Blue Star that I am acquainted with, without even needing to list them for sale. As soon as I send a message, they will come and pick them up within a day."

Upon hearing Tong Xiaoxiao’s words, Li Jing was dumbfounded.

She could make a profit of fifty to a hundred thousand top-grade Immortal Crystals on a single Immortal-level 10 guzheng. It seemed like Immortal Crystals were incredibly easy to earn.

But then again, it made sense.

First of all, Tong Xiaoxiao had a well-established trading company, and secondly, she had a sales channel where she could just send a message and people would come with their Immortal Crystals to collect the goods.

Merely fulfilling these two conditions was beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.

Amidst his silent astonishment, Li Jing asked out of curiosity,

"Manager Tong, this ascended force from Blue Star that you mentioned, are they all pursuing the path of sound attack?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

Tong Xiaoxiao replied with a smile,

"Speaking of which, they are quite famous in the Cangming Realm. They belong to one of the Nine Great Immortal Palaces, the Immortal Music Palace, surely you have heard of them, haven’t you, Master Li?"

On hearing her words, Li Jing was taken aback.

He had information on the Nine Great Immortal Palaces through the Jade Brand given to him by the Star Plucking Elder.

Compared to the other Seventy-Two Caves and Thirty-Six Taoist Schools, the Nine Great Immortal Palaces are among the most powerful forces in the Cangming Realm, and their records are quite detailed.

Immortal Music Palace.

A purely female cultivator sect that pursued the path of sound attack.

Merely based on these two points, the Immortal Music Palace was extremely distinct.

What made it even more distinctive was that the Immortal Music Palace had a long history that could be traced back to millions of years ago.

Among the Nine Great Immortal Palaces in the Cangming Immortal Realm, they were the oldest in terms of history.

A long-standing history also meant they had an extremely ancient heritage.

If possible, Li Jing would quite like to make contact with the Immortal Music Palace.

Nothing else really bothered him.

The history of the Immortal Music Palace could be traced back to tens of millions of years ago, and their ancestors were ascendants from the Blue Star.

According to the historical evolution of Blue Star.

Tens of millions of years ago, humans most likely hadn’t even emerged...

And in fact.

Each of the Nine Great Immortal Palaces has a long history, and most of them were founded at points in history when humans hadn’t appeared in Blue Star’s history.

In this regard, Li Jing was quite concerned.

He was very curious.

Did the history of Blue Star go through a break, or was it deliberately buried, causing later generations not to know that the traces of humanity had actually appeared in the flow of history?

Of course.

The thought of going to verify this is just a thought for Li Jing.

Not to mention he is not a historian.

He is no longer on Blue Star, pursuing these things holds no real significance for him.

Forces like the Nine Great Immortal Palaces with their ancient history and sheer size, are not something that he can have contact with.

Moreover, the founders of the Nine Great Immortal Palaces are long gone. Even if he did manage to gain access to the Immortal Music Palace, he wouldn’t necessarily be able to get any conclusive information.

But with Tong Xiaoxiao, the business of her trading company is only within Phoenix Sun County, but she can recognize people from Immortal Music Palace. The relationship seems quite good, which is somewhat unexpected, to be honest.

If Li Jing remembers correctly.

The Immortal Music Palace is extremely far away from Phoenix Sun County, located on the border of the Cangming Realm.

Thinking that it wasn’t appropriate to ask casually about this matter, Li Jing chose to skip this topic and asked instead.

"What price can you give me for the immortal item of the eighth level, Manager Tong?"

"Fifty thousand top grade immortal crystals."

Tong Xiaoxiao responded without hesitation.

"Is it that much less?"

Li Jing was taken aback.

"The market in the Immortal Realm is basically like this, and I’m actually buying at a premium."

Tong Xiaoxiao shrugged and said.

"Immortal items are not rare in the Immortal Realm. They are just selling labor and materials."

Speaking of this, she went on to explain.

"Treasure-level 10 Great Perfection immortal items are an exception, then half-step Taoist items are a bit scarce. The costliest are newly made Taoist items that control more than two laws, the value can reach as high as 10 million top-grade Immortal Crystals. But specifically, it depends on what laws are controlled. In this regard, buyers are quite picky. After all, those who can spend a lot of money on half-step Taoist items are those who are both rich and powerful."

Hearing Tong Xiaoxiao talk like this, Li Jing accepted humbly and marveled at the expensive half-step Taoist items.

But it does make sense upon thinking about it.

The materials alone for a half-step Taoist item are unusual.

They need top-grade Heavenly Treasures such as Snow Sound-Silk as the main material.

And it’s not like you can just refine it carelessly.

Those eight guzhengs of his seemed to bring in quite the profit, but that’s based on the premise that someone else provided the materials...

Although he doesn’t know the value of a strand of Snow Sound-Silk, this kind of top-grade Heavenly Treasure must be worth at least 300,000 top-grade Immortal Crystals.

Customizing a half-step Taoist item generally requires twenty-five sets of materials plus an additional ten sets of materials as reward, and the value of the materials and rewards will not be lower than the final half-step Taoist item, it may even be much higher.

After all, it’s customized.

You can specify the direction freely.

It’s a different matter from already having been refined.

With this as a reference.

The treasure-level 10 piece that Li Jing refined can’t even break even.

Picking up the teacup and taking a slight sip, Li Jing asked out of curiosity.

"May I ask, If I happen to refine a completed Taoist item, roughly how much would it be worth?"

"A completed Taoist item, this worth becomes infinite."

Tong Xiaoxiao replied.

"However, such a thing can’t be sought intentionally, even a Taoist refining master may not be able to refine one in his lifetime."

"Ah, this..."

Li Jing blinked, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

It seems he just stepped on a piece of dogshit not long ago...

"Then there’s another problem, there are not many channels to sell a completed Taoist item."

Tong Xiaoxiao continued.

"In the Immortal Realm, there are many wealthy individuals who can take out a handful of immortal crystals from their pocket, but those who have the ability to subdue a Taoist Spirit Weapon are those venerables that strive for the Thirteen Realms, and establishing a connection with them is quite challenging. If you openly claim to have a masterless Taoist item, you may risk attracting thieves looking to kill and loot before those venerables come to seek it. Even a venerable might do such a thing."

"Moreover, even for those in the Venerable realm, subduing a Taoist Spirit Weapon is an extremely risky endeavor, that nobody dares to attempt casually. After all, a Taoist item is extraordinary, the stronger one’s power, the more they cherish their life, and nobody would joke with their own life."

After saying two things in a row, Tong Xiaoxiao stood up.

"I’ll end the casual conversation here, and go downstairs to fetch the Enclosed Crystal Ring for you, Immortal Lord."

"Alright."

Li Jing nodded, not letting the conversation extend any further.

When it comes to the issue of "zero-currency acquisition", there’s no need to continue, right?

Li Jing just asked casually.

A Taoist item, would he just sell it whenever he felt like it?

Is it not better for him or Liu Sisi to keep it?

Subduing a Taoist Spirit Weapon might be extraordinarily dangerous for others, but for him, it won’t pose much of a challenge.

Just throw it into the Little Universe.

Whether it’s a Taoist Item or an Immortal Item, let me see how you can escape!

...

A moment later.

Tong Xiaoxiao returned and pulled out ten aesthetically pleasing Enclosed Crystal Rings that met women’s aesthetic tastes and placed them on the table.

"Lord Li, these are the Enclosed Crystal Rings you ordered. They are a bit pricey being custom made - ten of them will cost a thousand top grade Immortal Crystals."

Saying this, she then took out another Enclosed Crystal Ring that looked like a finger cots.

"This one is my gift to you. Inside, there are a total of 2,444,900 top grade Immortal Crystals. You can count them, Lord Li."

"No need for such bother, I trust your word," Li Jing chuckled, accepting the finger cot. He managed to collect the other ten Enclosed Crystal Rings and stood up to leave.

"Since the transaction is complete, I won’t be a bother any longer. Once the Phoenix Sun City Lord truly gains control of the half-step Taoist artifact, I will pay a visit."

Saying this, he quietly snuck out through a window, transforming himself into a shadow.

Tong Xiaoxiao was slightly stunned by this.

Li Jing really left decisively.

After such a big deal, she deserved a chance to send him off, didn’t she?

But under such circumstances, she did not dislike it.

Indeed, in business, she preferred straightforward people like Li Jing.

Standing beside the window, she looked out to the bustling streets, her lips curving upward.

Li Jing’s efficiency was indeed surprising.

And his Artifact Refinement skills, would shock anyone.

Even if she brought over an Artifact Refinement grandmaster, they might not be able to surpass him.

The only thing he lacked was enough fame.

Once the Phoenix Sun City Lord’s order is completed, he will have all he needs.

By then, the rise of the Ta Xue Trading Company is imminent using her ties with him!

...

While Tong Xiaoxiao was gleefully contemplating her business connection with Li Jing, someone else was swaggering around the busiest streets of Phoenix Sun County, pleased with his fortune.

What was that saying again?

No money, no safety.

Right now, Li Jing was so loaded that he was practically bursting with confidence, even his walk had changed.

He had no intention of refining any more one-time use items.

Despite it seemingly bringing substantial profits, in reality it was just chump change.

In contrast.

Once he fulfilled the Phoenix Sun City Lord’s order and gained a reputation for himself, he would profit even more from crafting custom orders.

How to establish his reputation didn’t require his concern.

Isn’t this immensely satisfying?

After wandering around the lively streets of Phoenix Sun County, Li Jing purchased many delicacies and sweet-tasting Spirit Fruits, and shoved them into the Little Universe beside Ling Ling.

Li Jing was a man who stood by his word.

He had previously promised to get Ling Ling something tasty, and he lived up to this promise as soon as he had the money.

Having fulfilled his commitment, Li Jing decided to visit the Domain Lord Mansion.

Since he had visited before with old man Zhe Xing, he had a familiar face and was recognized.

Indeed.

No sooner had he arrived than the two city guards responsible for protecting the Domain Lord Mansion recognized him and greeted him accordingly.

"Lord Li, it is good to see you well."

Greeting the two earnestly, Li Jing cheerfully returned their courtesy.

"Good afternoon, seniors, is Master Li back?"

Upon hearing someone refer to Li Lingyin as "old lady", the faces of the two city guards changed, and one of them quickly made a silencing gesture.

"Master Li, be careful with your words, you’ve met her yourself and you should know she absolutely dislikes..."

Cutting himself off midway, he swiftly slapped his own mouth, forcing himself to shut up. He quickly turned his head and glanced around.

Li Jing was startled by this sudden reaction.

Faced with this situation.

All he wanted to say was, is this necessary?

But, from this, he could tell that Li Lingyin had indeed returned from the Ningluo Realm.

Before he could express his thoughts, another city guard stepped forward.

"The Domain Lord returned earlier today. She has instructed that if Lord Li were to visit, he is to be allowed in without delay."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing raised an eyebrow.

Isn’t Li Lingyin thoughtful!

Anticipating his visit, she already gave her instructions?

So that’s why the two city guards were so warm to him.

Despite his familiar face, it wouldn’t necessarily prompt two Eleventh Realm guardians to greet him voluntarily.

Without much thought, Li Jing nodded at them in acknowledgement and made his way into the Domain Lord Mansion.

.....

Once inside the Domain Lord Mansion’s courtyard.

Li Jing was surprised to find several things that were distinctly Earth-like, even the fish pond had an electric air pump with a big diesel generator attached.

He hadn’t been able to see this during his last visit.

If he had been granted entry then, he would have realized that Lingyin came from Earth instead of Blue Star.

After all, Blue Star doesn’t use electricity, instead using Spiritual Qi as a universal energy source for everything.

What puzzled Li Jing was.

What was Lingyin’s identity on Earth before her ascension?

Why would she bring an air pump and a diesel generator with her when she ascended?

Could it be that she was a fish breeder before she transitioned?

Looking back.

She has ascended for three thousand years, yet these things are as good as new. How much effort did she put into taking care of them?

While wondering, Li Lingyin, who usually doesn’t leave her liquor gourd behind, quietly appeared next to him with a smiling face.

"There’s not much to see in the courtyard. They’re just some old things that I randomly bought before I ascended. I spent a lot of effort keeping them from deteriorating over time. But even so, most of these things are now useless."

Having said that, she took out a jade token and handed it over.

"Here, this is your Immortal Lord order. I originally intended to send it directly to Chen Tang City and make a visit. But since you came to me without any issues, just take it."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing took the Immortal Lord order, examined it for a moment, and then casually tossed it into his Little Universe.

This token.

There was nothing special about it.

It just has an irreplicable brand, which can only prove your identity.

After sizing up Li Lingyin, Li Jing asked.

"How’s the situation in Ningluo Realm?"

"It’s fine, the situation is stable now, and the new Domain Lord will soon take office."

Li Lingyin responded and said,

"As for the issue with Shadow Demon, there seem to be some leads from Donghua Immortal Palace side. For over a hundred years, Shadow Demon killed Wei Xiran and took his place, secretly collecting a mid-grade spiritual object known as ’Fragrance in the Night’. The auction he painstakingly arranged was just a front for a massive purchase."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Mid-grade spiritual object? What does Shadow Demon want it for?"

"Who knows?"

Li Lingyin shrugged her shoulders and said,

"’Fragrance in the Night’ has only a few uses, it has some medicinal value and is usually used in pill refining. If we talk about its characteristics, it’s relatively rare among mid-grade spiritual objects, a scarce type which can only reach the price of a high-grade spiritual object when the market is bad."

After a pause, she continued,

"The purpose of Shadow Demon’s collection of ’Fragrance in the Night’ is being investigated by Donghua Immortal Palace’s experts. If you’re interested, I will help you keep an eye on related news."

"Alright."

Li Jing nods.

He’s not really interested in Shadow Demon’s intentions.

What he’s interested in is...

Does the Shadow Demon has any cronies or something like that...

As he was thinking about finding another topic, Li Lingyin glanced at him and asked,

"Are you free in six days?"

?

Li Jing responded with a question mark.

"At that time, a special guest will be visiting Phoenix Sun County, and the City Lord will host a banquet in the City Lord’s Mansion."

Li Lingyin started and said,

"I’ll also be attending the banquet then. Would you like to come with me? Keep me company?"

"Well..."

Li Jing hesitated.

Accompanying Li Lingyin gave him some resistance.

You know.

She’s the domain lord of Cangming Realm.

This entire area is under her jurisdiction, not just the Phoenix Sun City Lord, all the city lords in the domain must pay her respect when they see her.

If it’s a private visit, that’s fine.

But attending a city lord’s banquet with her is a bit too conspicuous.

As if knowing his thoughts, Li Lingyin spoke.

"I understand it if you’re cautious about being new here, but being low-key all the time in the Immortal Realm is not a good thing, it’s easy to get trampled on, especially when you’re an Immortal Lord of a power that’s been recognized by Donghua Immortal Palace. I can take the heat for you for being too conspicuous in Ningluo Realm, but for the sake of Chen Tang City, you should get some fame and let people know that you’re not to be messed with."

Hearing what Li Lingyin said gave Li Jing some sense.

This isn’t about whether he wants to attract attention in public, it’s about how outsiders will perceive Chen Tang City, this emerging power.

After some thought, Li Jing asked,

"Can I hide my true face at that time?"

"No problem, as long as people know that you are the lord of Chen Tang City."

Li Lingyin nodded.

"Ok, I will accompany you then."

Li Jing responded and said,

"Speaking of the guest in six days, it’s kind of coincidental. A couple days ago, my merchant friend asked me to refine a half-step Taoist artifact for Phoenix Sun City Lord. The item has been made already and will be delivered in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Li Lingyin was stunned and raised questions in surprise.

"You know Artifact Refinement? And are able to refine a half-step Taoist artifact?"

"I just have a little knack."

Li Jing laughed and said,

"If you need Artifact Refinement in the future, you can ask me. I’ll give you a discount."

"Sounds good."

Li Lingyin gave a cheerful smile, then after a bit of hesitation asked again,

"Do you have any plans next?"

?

Li Jing.

"Take me to Chen Tang City, I want to see your Zhenyuan Tower."

Li Lingyin said with a sweet smile.

...