The attendant maintained her professional smile.
"Of course, Young Master Ling."
With a polite gesture, she motioned for them to follow.
Without waiting for another response, she turned and began leading them deeper into the Pavilion.
Ling Wei immediately followed.
Fast.
Far faster than proper etiquette normally allowed.
"Hurry."
The attendant blinked.
Then glanced back over her shoulder.
"...Young Master?"
"We're in a hurry."
His voice was firm.
Unusually firm.
"Please move faster."
Ling Yue nearly stumbled as she hurried after him.
Lowering her voice, she whispered,
"Big Brother..."
"Not now."
Ling Wei didn't even look at her.
His mind was already calculating the remaining time.
*Fifty-three minutes.*
The creature had given them one hour.
Ling Wei had absolutely no intention of discovering what would happen if that deadline expired.
The attendant seemed to notice his urgency.
The polite smile on her face faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression.
"As you wish."
Her pace immediately increased.
The three quickly crossed the main hall before entering a quieter section of the Pavilion.
Several layers of formations separated this area from ordinary customers.
The treasures displayed here were clearly of a much higher grade.
Foundation Establishment resources.
Rare beast materials.
High-grade pills.
Spirit artifacts.
Treasures that ordinary cultivators might spend their entire lives pursuing.
The attendant finally stopped before a pair of intricately carved wooden doors.
Raising a jade token, she pressed it forward.
The formation flashed.
A soft hum echoed through the corridor.
Then the doors slowly swung open.
Inside—
rows of shelves stretched deep into a spacious chamber.
The faint scent of blood mixed with rich spiritual energy lingered in the air.
Large crystal preservation containers lined the room.
Some held severed beast limbs.
Others contained complete carcasses.
Many still radiated traces of powerful spiritual pressure despite their owners having long since died.
Ling Yue's eyes widened.
"So many..."
The attendant smiled.
"The Pavilion acquires materials from hunting groups, cultivator clans, rogue cultivators, and traveling merchants."
Her hand swept across the room.
"Most Foundation Establishment beast materials currently available in Lotus City can be found here."
Ling Wei's eyes sharpened immediately.
"Complete corpses."
The attendant nodded.
"We have several."
She led them farther inside.
Soon—
they stopped before an enormous crystal container.
Inside rested a gigantic wolf-like beast nearly four meters long.
Its body was perfectly preserved.
Even in death, traces of Foundation Establishment pressure remained.
"Foundation Establishment Iron Moon Wolf."
The attendant spoke smoothly.
"Recently acquired."
"Core removed."
"Body intact."
Ling Wei gave a brief nod.
"Next."
The attendant blinked.
Then quickly moved on.
A second container.
A third.
A fourth.
A fifth.
Foundation Establishment beast after Foundation Establishment beast.
Some complete.
Some partially harvested.
Several still retained their beast cores.
Ling Yue stared at the collection in disbelief.
Any one of these creatures represented a fortune normally beyond their reach.
Yet Ling Wei's expression only became more focused.
More determined.
"How much?"
The attendant paused.
"Which one?"
"All of them."
Silence.
The attendant froze.
Ling Yue froze.
Even a nearby Pavilion guard slowly turned his head.
"...All of them?"
Ling Wei nodded.
"All Foundation Establishment corpses."
"All Foundation Establishment beast cores."
Another silence followed.
The attendant's professional smile nearly cracked.
Even wealthy clan heirs didn't buy resources this way.
This wasn't shopping.
This was emptying an entire inventory.
She quickly recovered.
"I... see."
Her tone became noticeably more respectful.
"In that case, Young Master, I will need to consult the manager."
Ling Wei nodded immediately.
"Do it."
"Quickly."
The attendant bowed.
"Please wait a moment."
Then she turned and departed at a near jog.
The room fell silent.
Ling Yue slowly turned toward her brother.
"...Big Brother."
"Hm?"
"Are we really buying all of this?"
"Yes."
"That's insane."
"Probably."
Ling Yue swallowed.
"...What if someone asks where the money came from?"
Ling Wei became silent.
Several moments passed.
Then he answered calmly.
"Then they shouldn't ask."
Ling Yue stared at him.
"...That's your plan?"
"It's the best one I have."
She opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
Unfortunately—
she couldn't think of a better one.
Several minutes later—
footsteps approached.
The attendant returned.
But she wasn't alone.
An elderly man accompanied her.
Foundation Establishment cultivation radiated faintly from his body.
The manager.
His gaze immediately landed on Ling Wei.
Then drifted toward the storage pouch hanging at his waist.
A professional smile appeared.
"Young Master Ling."
"I hear you wish to purchase every Foundation Establishment beast material currently available."
Ling Wei nodded.
"Correct."
The manager folded his sleeves.
"The total cost will be considerable."
"No problem."
The answer came instantly.
The manager's eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Most customers at least asked for the price first.
Ling Wei hadn't even hesitated.
Instead, he simply reached into his storage pouch.
Then—
he withdrew a spirit stone.
The moment it appeared—
the entire room froze.
Dense spiritual energy erupted outward like an invisible tide.
The surrounding air seemed to grow heavier.
The manager's smile vanished.
The attendant's eyes widened.
Even the nearby guards unconsciously straightened.
For a brief moment—
the old manager genuinely thought he was hallucinating.
Because the spirit stone resting in Ling Wei's palm was unlike anything that should exist within a city like Lotus City.
Perfectly pure.
Flawless.
Brilliant spiritual light shimmered beneath its translucent surface.
The energy contained within it was so concentrated that merely standing nearby caused one's cultivation to stir.
The old manager's breathing became uneven.
His heartbeat skipped.
"...This..."
His voice nearly failed him.
"...Young Master..."
His eyes remained fixed on the stone.
Unable to look away.
A terrifying thought appeared in his mind.
*Where in the heavens did this boy get that?*
Ling Wei remained calm.
"Will this be enough?"
The manager's mouth twitched.
For several seconds—
he genuinely didn't know how to answer.
Eventually, he looked up.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
"...More than enough."
His voice sounded strange.
As if he wasn't entirely convinced reality was functioning correctly.
Ling Wei frowned.
"...Is there a problem?"
The manager immediately shook his head.
"No."
"No problem at all."
"If anything..."
His gaze drifted back to the stone.
"...the opposite."
A faint tremor appeared in his fingers.
"Young Master Ling..."
"...this is a top-quality standard-grade spirit stone."
Ling Wei blinked.
Ling Yue blinked.
The siblings exchanged a glance.
Neither reacted.
Which immediately told the manager something important.
*They don't know.*
The realization almost made him choke.
The attendant looked equally stunned.
Ling Wei hesitated.
"...So it's valuable?"
The manager nearly lost control of his expression.
*Valuable?*
He took a deep breath.
Then another.
Only after several moments did he regain his composure.
"Young Master..."
"...a single spirit stone of this quality could support the cultivation of an entire Foundation Establishment cultivator for years."
Ling Yue's eyes widened.
The manager continued.
"Many clans would struggle to obtain even one throughout multiple generations."
"Even if they possessed sufficient wealth, finding someone willing to sell one would be extraordinarily difficult."
Silence.
Ling Yue slowly looked at the spirit stone.
Then at her brother.
Then back at the stone.
Her throat suddenly felt dry.
Ling Wei remained outwardly calm.
Though inwardly—
his heart skipped a beat.
*That monster threw out a pile of these like trash...*
The manager wasn't finished.
"The Foundation Establishment beast remains in this room..."
His gaze swept across the preservation chambers.
"...all of them combined..."
He paused.
Then gave a bitter laugh.
"...are not worth one-tenth of that spirit stone."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Ling Yue nearly forgot how to breathe.
Even Ling Wei's expression cracked slightly.
"The beast cores as well."
"All of them."
"Every Foundation Establishment core currently possessed by the Pavilion."
His eyes returned to the stone.
"...still would not be enough."
The attendant looked as though she wanted to kneel.
The manager slowly exhaled.
Then asked carefully,
"Young Master Ling..."
"...where exactly did you acquire this?"
Ling Wei's face immediately became expressionless.
The manager instantly understood his mistake.
"Forgive me."
"I spoke out of turn."
Ling Wei nodded.
"Indeed."
The old manager coughed awkwardly.
Then quickly changed the subject.
"In any case."
"The transaction can be completed immediately."
"Good."
Ling Wei responded at once.
"I want every Foundation Establishment beast corpse."
"Every Foundation Establishment beast core."
"As many additional beast cores as the Pavilion possesses."
The manager froze again.
"...All of them?"
"All of them."
The answer came without the slightest hesitation.
The old manager stared.
Then suddenly laughed.
Not mockingly.
Not arrogantly.
Simply because after decades of managing the Pavilion, he had never heard a Spirit Refining cultivator speak this way.
"Very well."
He bowed slightly.
"The Pavilion will fulfill Young Master's request."
Immediately—
the atmosphere changed.
Attendants rushed into motion.
Formation seals activated.
Preservation chambers opened one after another.
Storage pouches appeared.
Records were updated.
Foundation Establishment corpses vanished from display.
Beast cores were gathered.
Inventory was emptied.
The entire Pavilion became a hive of activity.
Ling Yue stood silently.
Watching.
Staring.
As what amounted to a small mountain of resources disappeared into specially prepared storage pouches.
She leaned closer to her brother.
"...Big Brother."
"Hm?"
"Isn't this a bit excessive?"
She glanced at the accumulating resources.
Eight Foundation Establishment corpses.
Fourteen Foundation Establishment beast cores.
Numerous additional beast materials.
The sheer value was enough to make most Spirit Refining cultivators faint.
More importantly—
the attention it would attract.
"We're drawing too much notice."
Ling Wei's expression remained calm.
Only on the surface.
Internally, he completely agreed.
*Of course it's excessive.*
*But what choice do we have?*
He remembered the white-scaled monster.
Remembered the sealed chamber.
Remembered the deadline.
Remembered those calm, terrifying words.
*If you are not back within the next hour...*
Ling Wei suppressed a sigh.
"We don't have much choice."
His voice remained low.
"We need to move quickly."
Ling Yue fell silent.
Unfortunately—
she couldn't argue with that.
Several minutes later—
the attendant returned carrying a large storage pouch with both hands.
Her expression remained respectful.
Though traces of disbelief still lingered in her eyes.
She carefully presented it.
"Young Master Ling."
"Everything has been prepared."
Ling Wei accepted it immediately.
The attendant continued.
"There are eight complete Foundation Establishment beast corpses inside."
"Fourteen Foundation Establishment beast cores."
"As well as every additional beast core currently available for purchase."
Ling Wei inspected the pouch briefly.
Then frowned inwardly.
*Only eight?*
*Damn.*
After seeing the mountain of spirit stones Lizarius had casually tossed aside, his standards had become severely distorted.
Still—
this was probably everything Lotus City could provide on short notice.
Whether it would satisfy that monster...
Ling Wei honestly had no idea.
He decided not to think about it.
Instead, he looked toward the attendant.
"How much?"
"The total value is seventy-nine low-grade spirit stones."
Ling Wei nodded.
"Alright."
Without hesitation—
he handed over the top-quality spirit stone.
The attendant accepted it with both hands.
Then froze.
Several seconds passed.
Then she slowly turned toward the manager.
The manager awkwardly cleared his throat.
"...Young Master."
"Yes?"
"There is... a small issue."
Ling Wei frowned.
"What issue?"
The manager forced a smile.
"We cannot provide change."
Silence.
Ling Wei stared.
Ling Yue stared.
The attendant lowered her head.
"...We do not possess enough spirit stones."
Ling Yue blinked.
"Really?"
The manager looked genuinely embarrassed.
"My apologies."
"It's simply beyond the Pavilion's current reserves."
Ling Wei stared at him for several moments.
Then looked down at the spirit stone.
Then back at the manager.
Finally—
he nodded.
"Alright."
The manager blinked.
"...Young Master?"
Ling Wei waved a hand dismissively.
"Keep it."
Silence.
Everyone froze.
The attendant nearly dropped the stone.
The manager's eyes widened.
"Keep... it?"
Ling Wei nodded.
"It's not like you're going to run away."
The manager opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
"I'll continue using the Pavilion in the future."
"When you're able to provide the difference, we'll settle it then."
For the first time in many years—
the old manager genuinely didn't know what to say.
After several moments, he cupped his fists deeply.
"...The Pavilion thanks Young Master for his trust."
Ling Wei simply nodded.
Then his expression became serious.
"It would be best if this transaction remained unknown."
The manager's face immediately became solemn.
"Rest assured."
"The Pavilion values discretion above all else."
"No information regarding today's transaction will leave this room."
Ling Wei nodded once.
Satisfied.
Then turned.
"We're leaving."
Ling Yue hurried after him.
The siblings quickly departed.
The moment they disappeared from view—
silence settled over the chamber.
Attendants stood frozen.
Still trying to process everything they had witnessed.
The old manager remained motionless for a long time.
Then slowly looked down at the spirit stone resting in his hand.
Dense spiritual energy flowed from it continuously.
Perfect.
Pure.
A treasure that should never have appeared in a city like Lotus City.
The attendant swallowed.
"...Manager."
The old man remained silent.
"...Who exactly gave Young Master Ling something like this?"
The manager stared at the spirit stone.
His eyes gradually narrowed.
After a long moment—
he carefully stored it away.
Then quietly replied,
"I don't know."
A pause.
His voice became far more serious.
"...And neither do you."
The attendant immediately straightened.
"I understand."
The manager looked toward the doors through which the siblings had departed.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
For decades—
he had watched cultivators come and go.
Young geniuses.
Clan heirs.
Rogue experts.
Merchants.
Even Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Yet today—
for the very first time—
he felt as though Lotus City had unknowingly brushed against something far larger than itself.
Something ancient.
Something dangerous.
Something capable of overturning the balance of the entire region.
And somehow—
that something appeared connected to the Ling siblings.
The old manager slowly exhaled.
"...Interesting."
Meanwhile—
outside the Pavilion—
Ling Wei and Ling Yue were already moving as quickly as possible through the crowded streets.
The heavy storage pouch rested against Ling Wei's waist.
Neither sibling spoke.
Because both were thinking exactly the same thing.
*Please let this be enough.*
*Please don't make us go back for more.*