The Liquid of Blazing Flame was valued at only 8,000 spirit stones per portion, making two portions worth just 16,000 spirit stones—a relatively low value among third-rank spiritual treasures.
"As expected, it's this item," Elian remarked with a smile.
"One of the main purposes of my trip here is to acquire Liquid of Blazing Flame. Sell these two portions to me."
"If you need it, how could I sell it to you?" Wei Xuyuan replied, offering to gift the items to Elian.
Elian, however, insisted on handing over the spirit stones, smiling as he said, "Managing a clan is no easy task. Unlike the method for refining a life-bound magical treasure, which can be replicated, I cannot accept this gift freely."
"Besides, even if you're not thinking of yourself, you should consider the Wei Clan's welfare."
"This…"
Wei Xuyuan hesitated for a moment before finally accepting the spirit stones.
With the transaction complete, Elian felt considerably better. The exchange gathering had not yet begun, and he had already secured two portions of Liquid of Blazing Flame—an auspicious start.
"I hope this trip will allow me to purchase everything I need," Elian thought.
His primary goals for the trip were to acquire Fire Crystals and Liquid of Blazing Flame. Additionally, he aimed to purchase Five Elements Crystals, Creation Cloud Pills, and various techniques and materials.
Three days later, the Purple Mansion Exchange Gathering of the Chu Kingdom officially began.
The event was hosted at the Cangqiong Pavilion, under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Sky Sword Sect.
Elian and Wei Xuyuan entered the pavilion and found that more than fifty Purple Mansion cultivators were present.
The Chu Kingdom, with only about 130 Purple Mansion cultivators in total, had a significant turnout for this gathering. Fifty attendees made it one of the better-attended events in recent times.
Although it was Elian's first time participating in the gathering, he recognized several familiar faces among the crowd, including Lin Qianshu from Tianxu Mountain, Pan Boyuan from the Pan Clan, Xu Daoyuan from the Xu Clan, and Yang Yuanhe.
Upon seeing Elian, these individuals greeted him courteously, and the group began chatting together.
Lin Qianshu even offered a slight bow and said with a smile, "Greetings, Martial Uncle." (Jiang's disciple, that's why she called him Uncle :D)
"No need for such formalities," Elian replied politely, though the seniority was unexpected.
"It's only proper," Lin Qianshu smiled and continued, "Martial Uncle, as this is your first time at the exchange gathering, allow me to introduce everyone."
Lin Qianshu, who had broken through to the Purple Mansion years ago, was familiar with most of the kingdom's Purple Mansion cultivators.
As she introduced them one by one, Elian quickly learned the backgrounds of the attendees.
Among the more than fifty Purple Mansion cultivators present, around twenty were at the mid-Purple Mansion stage, while only three had reached the late stage.
Of the three late-stage cultivators, the strongest was Ling Changkong of the Celestial Sky Sword Sect. A powerful pseudo-Core Formation cultivator, Ling Changkong was 350 years old and had already made one attempt at forming a Golden Core.
The second was Yan Mingxu, the patriarch of the Yan Clan, a top-tier Purple Mansion clan in the Chu Kingdom. Yan Mingxu was at the ninth level of the Purple Mansion and just 300 years old. It seemed likely he would reach perfection in the Purple Mansion stage within twenty years and begin attempting Core Formation.
The third was Ye Jinshu, a female cultivator and steward elder of the Purple Abyss Sect. At the eighth level of the Purple Mansion, Ye Jinshu was more than sixty years older than Jiang Linglong and had already surpassed 350 years of age. While her chances of forming a Golden Core were slim, they were not entirely impossible.
The Purple Abyss Sect possessed the formula for a third-rank Longevity Pill. Each pill extended lifespan by thirty years, and purchasing three could provide up to 90 years of life, giving her a glimmer of hope for Golden Core within her lifetime.
In fact, most Purple Mansion cultivators, apart from a few impoverished rogue cultivators, could live up to 500 years by relying on Longevity Pills. Golden Core cultivators, while officially limited to an 800-year lifespan, could extend their lives to over 1,200 years through various methods—albeit at great expense.
As Lin Qianshu continued her introductions, the exchange gathering officially commenced.
As the host, Ling Changkong was the first to step forward. Smiling, he said, "I have three treasures to present for consideration."
He then displayed three precious items.
Elian looked up and saw that the first item was two pills wrapped in violet mist with cloud patterns. The second was an ancient jade scroll containing a technique. The third was the method for refining a unique magical treasure.
"Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pill," someone exclaimed in surprise.
These pills were known for aiding Purple Mansion cultivators at the sixth level in breaking through to the late stage. Each pill was worth a staggering 100,000 spirit stones, and Ling Changkong had brought two.
Ling Changkong surveyed the room, noting the interest among the attendees, and smiled.
"Let me introduce these three treasures," he began.
"The first is the Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pill, the second is the Qingxu Longevity Technique, and the third is the method for refining the Formless Immortal Sword."
"The Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pill likely needs no further explanation. As for the Formless Immortal Sword, it requires Formless Treasure Metal for refinement. Since this material is exceedingly rare, I decided to present the method here."
Before he could finish, someone interrupted, "What about the Qingxu Longevity Technique?"
"An excellent question."
Ling Changkong stroked his beard and explained, "The Qingxu Longevity Technique is a remarkable method for extending one's lifespan."
"It can be cultivated up to the ninth level of the Purple Mansion, and once mastered, it imbues one's spiritual power with vitality, extending lifespan by sixty years."
"However, this technique produces overly gentle spiritual power, reducing offensive strength and increasing the difficulty of Golden Core by a factor of two."
The crowd showed mixed reactions. The drawbacks of such techniques—reduced combat ability and diminished chances of breakthrough—were well-known.
Even so, many were interested. For those nearing the end of their lifespan without hope of Golden Core realm, an extra sixty years was highly appealing.
Seeing the interest, Ling Changkong nodded and added, "To be transparent, I plan to attempt Golden Core again in twenty years."
"The purpose of presenting these treasures is to acquire tribulation treasures. If anyone can offer a high-grade third-rank magical treasure, they may choose one of these three items."
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D