Translator: AnubisTL
Li Qing, captivated by the Jade Ruyi's extraordinary inscription techniques, couldn't resist playing with it further.
Unable to immediately decipher how the spirit patterns had been inscribed within the Jade Ruyi, he decided to test their functions.
With this thought, Li Qing channeled a wisp of spiritual energy from his fingertip into the Jade Ruyi.
Buzz!
As the spiritual energy flowed in, the Jade Ruyi trembled slightly and instantly concealed Li Qing's entire aura.
The sensation reminded Li Qing of the Aura Concealment Talisman, but it was clear that the Jade Ruyi's aura concealment capabilities far surpassed those of the talisman.
With just a slight activation, he felt as if he had become completely isolated from the world, unable to even sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
"Not bad at all. This deal is..."
Just as Li Qing was about to agree with a satisfied smile, he suddenly realized that the honest and earnest young man from earlier had vanished without a trace!
Li Qing stared in astonishment at the empty space before his stall, the corners of his mouth twitching involuntarily.
The young man had slipped away unnoticed while Li Qing was engrossed in examining the Jade Ruyi.
Naturally, the Low-Grade Magic Artifact, the Golden Platform Seal, which Li Qing had just received from him, had vanished along with him.
For a moment, Li Qing didn't know whether to laugh bitterly or curse in anger. He had already intended to accept the trade.
Although the Golden Platform Seal, a Magic Artifact capable of offensive combat, was undoubtedly more valuable on the market than the Jade Ruyi, which only concealed one's aura, Li Qing was deeply satisfied with the Jade Ruyi's unique crafting method.
"I knew it," Li Qing muttered, his forehead creased with black lines. "In the cultivation world, any pretense of honesty and sincerity is just a facade to deceive others."
He couldn't help but feel that the young man had acted dishonorably.
Fortunately, the other Magic Artifacts on his stall remained untouched, so Li Qing couldn't afford to make a scene. He decided to treat it as a normal transaction.
After reassuring himself with this thought, a subtle unease stirred within him, and he couldn't help but ponder.
"That young man was only at the Early Qi Refining Realm, yet he managed to slip away right under my nose without a trace..."
Li Qing's spiritual sense had greatly improved, making his perception exceptionally sharp. Yet even with this heightened awareness, he hadn't noticed the other party slip away.
What did this imply?
Li Qing murmured to himself, "That kid must have another Magic Artifact with a similar function—one that conceals his aura. That's how he managed to sneak away while I was engrossed in playing with the Jade Ruyi, completely undetected."
This also indirectly confirmed that the Jade Ruyi's aura concealment capabilities were far stronger than he had initially imagined.
"With this Jade Ruyi and an Aura Concealment Talisman, even Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators might not be able to sense my presence."
Regardless, the trade had been worthwhile. However, the other party's behavior left Li Qing deeply uneasy.
The incident served as a harsh lesson. Li Qing resolved never to let his guard down, even in the Heavenly River Market. Who knew what kind of devastating loss he might suffer in the future?
"The world grows more degenerate by the day," he lamented. "Human hearts have lost their ancient virtues."
Over the next few months, Li Qing thoroughly cleaned out his cave abode, packing all the miscellaneous items into his storage pouch.
Li Qing carefully used the Sealing Wood Technique to safely gather the Jade Locust Sapling growing in the medicinal field of his dark chamber. No accidents occurred during the process.
During this time, Li Qing and Ye Feng had a discussion. They both agreed that the upcoming Ascension Conference would be the perfect opportunity for Ye Feng to find a suitable body to possess.
After their discussion, a wisp of Ye Feng's divine soul once again fell into slumber. Each conversation clearly took a toll on him.
In his current state, maintaining his divine soul's survival required him to remain in a deep slumber.
Even so, his divine soul had grown extremely weak.
Li Qing even doubted that even if they found a suitable body, Ye Feng's chances of successfully possessing it would be slim.
"Sigh, it seems possession isn't as easy as I thought."
If not for that luminous green vial, Ye Feng, with his Qi Refining Realm cultivation, would have had no way to preserve his divine soul. Death would have been his only fate.
After packing everything up, Li Qing stepped out of the cave abode he had resided in for nearly a year and a half.
Leaving such a spiritually rich place wasn't easy, and a pang of reluctance tugged at his heart.
"Time to go," he murmured. "With my current cultivation level, living in such a luxurious cave abode is a bit extravagant."
He had no intention of renewing the lease. Though his spiritual stones were still relatively plentiful, spending them on rent would be a poor investment.
Good steel should be used for the blade, he thought, a principle he understood better than most, given his blacksmithing background.
A few days after leaving the cave abode, the Heavenly River Sect's Ascension Conference finally began, marked by a sudden increase in inn prices from three to five spiritual stones per night.
The seven-day conference drew peak crowds to Heavenly River Market.
In the Plaza District, where rogue cultivators often set up stalls, arriving even slightly late meant finding all the spots already taken.
During this period, even Li Qing abandoned his stall selling Magic Artifacts. It wasn't that he didn't want to capitalize on the increased traffic, but securing a stall had become too difficult.
"Never mind," he sighed. "I'll focus on other matters for now."
Li Qing turned his attention to scripture inheritances, intending to gather techniques related to setting up Restrictions and any fragmented artifact refinement inheritances he could find.
Even if nothing else, the treasures within the secret realm alone made it worth investing more effort in this. It was definitely a worthwhile endeavor.
This knowledge wasn't as precious as the four core cultivation techniques—alchemy, artifact crafting, formation mastery, and talisman creation—and wasn't particularly difficult to acquire.
Finally, at a Formation Master's stall, he purchased a copy of the True Explanation of Restrictions.
"So that's how it is," Li Qing murmured to himself, flipping through the booklet. "The art of formations evolved from the study of Restrictions, but formations are far more profound and powerful. Their deployment requires careful consideration of celestial timing, terrestrial advantages, and the use of rare and exotic materials." His eyes gleamed with understanding as he continued reading.
As he walked and read, a young, clear voice suddenly rang out.
"Senior, would you like to buy a copy of the Ascension Conference intelligence report? You can learn about your potential rivals in advance!" A girl carrying a stack of booklets weaved through the crowd, her bright eyes fixed expectantly on Li Qing.
Li Qing shook his head. "No need. I don't plan to participate in the Ascension Conference."
"Eh, Senior, please wait! Even if you're not participating, I still recommend buying a copy. After all, there will be betting pools later. Getting this report will help you place your bets on who will successfully ascend to immortality!"
Hearing the girl's urgent voice, Li Qing raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued.
However, his interest wasn't in placing bets, but rather in learning about the Heavenly Prodigies participating in the Ascension Conference.
Sensing Li Qing's growing interest, the girl pressed her advantage. "My intelligence is comprehensive, covering all the top Immortal Seed contenders. For example, Shi Clan's disciple, Shi Nantian..."
In the end, Li Qing paid three spirit stones for the intelligence report.
The report was indeed remarkably detailed, almost excessively so. It listed the basic information of hundreds of Qi Refining Realm cultivators, including their cultivation levels, favored Magic Artifacts, and even their specialties—everything was meticulously recorded!
"Shi Nantian: Eighth Layer of the Qi Refining Realm, poised to break through to the Ninth Layer at any moment. His cultivation surpasses even many disciples of the Heavenly River Sect. Specializes in dual Flying swords, making him a strong contender for the top ten spots in the Ascension Conference!"
"Xiao Wuyah: Eighth Layer of the Qi Refining Realm. His movements are exceptionally agile, and he wields a pair of deadly golden and silver spinning wheels. Though Mid-Grade Magic Tools, their combined power rivals that of High-Grade magical artifacts!"
"Huo Lingyu: Seventh Layer of the Qi Refining Realm. Specializes in illusion techniques."
Li Qing was stunned by the sheer completeness and detail of the intelligence report. He wondered what kind of extraordinary figure could have compiled such a comprehensive document. It was truly astonishing!
Moreover, according to Shi Nantian's introduction, the report's accuracy was remarkably high, far from being mere fabrication.
At least, based on Li Qing's understanding of Shi Nantian, the man was indeed skilled in wielding dual flying swords, a fact Li Qing had personally witnessed.
While reviewing the report, Li Qing arrived at the Gathering Wind Pavilion and skillfully ordered a pot of spirit brew.
He sipped the brew as he continued to study the intelligence report on the participants of the Ascension Conference.
After a long silence, Li Qing sighed, "The cultivation world truly breeds exceptional talents. A single Ascension Conference has drawn so many legendary figures."
A fellow patron chuckled in response, "Hahaha, who can deny it? And these are just the prominent figures we know about. In past Ascension Conferences, there's always been at least one or two Dark Horses who emerge from obscurity, crushing all opponents and securing a top-ten seed."
Soon, many cultivators in the pavilion grew interested and began discussing the upcoming Ascension Conference.
"Well said! I heard there might even be a cultivator with a Heavenly Spirit Root appearing at this Ascension Conference!"
"Hiss! A Heavenly Spirit Root? Impossible! Someone with such talent wouldn't need to participate in the Ascension Conference at all. They could join the Heavenly River Sect directly!"
"Heh heh, I've heard the same. Rumor has it this Heavenly Spirit Root is already the close-door disciple of a supreme elder in the Heavenly River Sect. Their participation in the Ascension Conference is merely for experience."
"Ah, I see. For someone of that caliber, this important event is indeed just a training exercise."
Listening to the lively discussions around him, Li Qing flipped to the last page of the Ascension Conference information booklet.
The final line was a warm reminder: "The cultivation world is in constant flux. This information should only be used as a reference. Do not use it to judge a person's full strength."
Closing the booklet, Li Qing's thoughts drifted back to the trade fair he had attended earlier.
Someone had mentioned the Heavenly Spirit Root back then, but he hadn't expected the rumor to spread so widely. It seemed there was indeed some truth to it.
How could such a massive sect have such poor secrecy?
Li Qing frowned, a question forming in his mind.
(End of the Chapter)
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