Chapter 143 Materials

In the northeastern region of the Immortal Ruins' cultivation world, sensational news broke almost every month.

However, over the past few months, the most widely discussed topic was undoubtedly the utter destruction of the righteous sect, the Azure Feather Sect.

This sect was situated in the southwestern part of the northeast, controlling the Flower Moon Immortal City while also occupying a third-rank top-grade spiritual vein dao field, enjoying immense prestige.

Initially, a conflict erupted between the Azure Feather Sect and the White Rainbow Gate.

With a late-stage Golden Core True Person holding down the fort, the Azure Feather Sect was clearly holding the upper hand.

Yet, because the Azure Feather Sect acted with extreme overbearance, it provoked the resentment of many sect cultivators.

Moreover, once the White Rainbow Gate fell, it might soon be their turn. Thus, two sects from the southwest joined forces with the White Rainbow Gate, intending to resist the Azure Feather Sect.

At first...

The three sects merely intended to jointly hold off the Azure Feather Sect.

Unexpectedly, the Demonic Human Alliance and the Nether Bone Sect joined forces at that very moment, taking advantage of the Azure Feather Sect's undefended rear to swiftly loot its treasury, directly unearthing two third-rank top-grade spiritual veins, and slaughtering all remaining personnel left behind by the sect.

When this news broke, the master of the Azure Feather Sect was struck by a fury that shook his very soul.

However, the Azure Feather Sect had acted with tyranny over the years, causing the cultivation world of the southwest to be filled with grievances and discontent...

Seeing that the half-human, half-demon alliance and demonic sects had intervened, the three sects of the White Rainbow Gate without hesitation reached a consensus, forming a pincer movement from front and back to encircle and annihilate the Azure Feather Sect.

In the end, the master of the Azure Feather Sect had his body and soul destroyed, leaving zero possibility of reincarnation, not even a chance to seize a body and cultivate anew.

Compared to such monumental events, Li Guanxuan slaying a Nascent Soul residual soul in the Myriad Mountains seemed somewhat insignificant.

Even matters such as the incident at the Scarlet Refining Mountain Range were now largely forgotten by people.

In the long river of time within the cultivation world, only the continuous ascent of cultivation and strength would gradually attract attention.

"With Old Chen's matter settled, we can finally have some peace."

Li Guanxuan flipped through various news and rumors in the cultivation world, a smile on his face, entirely free of the heaviness and entanglement of the past.

In the cultivation world, everyone struggled for that illusory hope of attaining immortality.

For the sake of longevity, basic moral codes and ethical standards could all be cast aside.

Therefore, being able to have one or two close confidants and friends in the cultivation world was exceedingly rare, and Li Guanxuan had no desire to become a truly unfeeling person.

Besides, an unfeeling person could never truly walk the supreme path of the Joyful Dao.

"No wonder quite a few sword cultivators from the Bright Moon Sword Sect have appeared in Huajing Immortal City. It turns out that half a year ago, the Illusory Extreme Sect, the Black Rain Sect, and the Star Luo Valley had already begun ambushing the sword cultivators of the Bright Moon Sword Sect..."

Qin Jiyue was currently acquainting herself with the surrounding situation. Upon seeing this piece of news, she felt a trace of disdain in her heart.

To put it nicely, the Bright Moon Sword Sect was intolerant of evil and possessed a straightforward personality.

To put it bluntly, the Bright Moon Sword Sect was courting death and lacked common sense.

Over the years, the sword cultivators of the Bright Moon Sword Sect had traveled everywhere slaying demons and eliminating fiends, long since angering the half-human, half-demons and demonic tribes in the surrounding areas.

Furthermore, the Bright Moon Sword Sect's interpersonal relationships were subpar; among the many righteous sects, they only maintained relatively good relations with the Green Bamboo Sect.

Consequently, now that the Bright Moon Sword Sect had run into trouble, they could only come to Huajing Immortal City to seek assistance from True Person Huabai.

Li Guanxuan smiled, unconcerned.

Although he had some minor grievances with the Bright Moon Sword Sect back in the Scarlet Refining Mountain Range, those had already been resolved. As for the events currently unfolding within the Bright Moon Sword Sect, he merely regarded himself as a spectator.

"The auction is starting. Let's go in," Li Guanxuan said.

His purpose in coming to Huajing Immortal City was very clear: to acquire more materials for refining Golden Essence Pills.

This time attending the auction, Li Guanxuan did not use any disguise or camouflage. After all, ever since he left Qing'an City, his itinerary had already been monitored to varying degrees by certain cultivators.

Moreover, his various crafts had already been exposed, leaving no necessity for concealment.

Given his current status and strength, numerous cultivators would choose to befriend him rather than try to step on him.

The era when he could be manipulated at will had long since passed.

"Li... Fellow Daoist, is it better to address you as an Alchemist or a Talisman Master?"

Just as Li Guanxuan and his wives walked inside, they ran into an acquaintance.

Hua Yangyang also practiced the Dao of Dual Cultivation. Previously, he was merely a marginal figure within the Hua family, but now his cultivation had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, securing him a definite standing in the family.

"Either is fine."

Li Guanxuan smiled, cupping his hands in greeting. "I almost forgot to congratulate Fellow Daoist Hua on breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment stage."

"It was all a matter of luck," Hua Yangyang sighed with emotion. "I used to be part of a collateral branch of the Hua family, but after the Thunder Fire Sect incident, I somehow became a direct descendant, suddenly acquiring a wealth of cultivation resources—so much so that I'm still somewhat unaccustomed to it."

"Is this what they call misfortune and fortune being intertwined?"

Li Guanxuan chuckled and shook his head, following Hua Yangyang toward a VIP viewing booth.

"You could say that, but who knows what the future holds?"

Hua Yangyang laughed heartily; he possessed a very open mind.

After all, who could predict anything in the cultivation world with certainty?

The Thunder Fire Sect, the Azure Feather Sect... how many imposing sects there had been, only to be disbanded or annihilated in the end.

"Fellow Daoist certainly has a wonderful mindset."

Li Guanxuan sat down, gazing at a graceful female host on the auction stage, and asked in a low voice:

"Let's not beat around the bush. Does today's auction feature any materials for the Golden Essence Pill? If there are, I'll stay and bid; if not, I'll leave and stroll around the vicinity, enjoying the scenery and mountains."

Li Guanxuan knew very well that the moment he stepped foot into Huajing Immortal City, the Hua family must have received the news.

Otherwise, they would not have arranged for Hua Yangyang, with whom he had a decent relationship, to personally receive him.

Quasi-third-rank alchemist, third-rank talisman master, third-rank puppet master, second-rank top-grade array master... any one of these titles was sufficient for the Hua family to hold him in high regard.

Hearing this, Hua Yangyang's eyes lit up. Then, frowning as he looked toward the female attendants standing nearby, he reprimanded:

"What are you all standing there dazed for? Do you not know how to entertain guests?"

The attendants trembled slightly and hurried forward to ask Wen Rongxin and the other two women what they would like to drink, eagerly introducing various spiritual wines and teas.

Li Guanxuan glanced at the attendants along the way and understood the situation instantly.

Aside from Hua Yangyang, there were others within the Hua family who wanted to establish a connection with him.

"The Hua family's intelligence network is quite swift," Li Guanxuan smiled.

"There's no help for it. That's a Golden Essence Pill we're talking about! Throughout the entire northeastern region of the Immortal Ruins, how many people are capable of producing two top-grade Golden Essence Pills in a single furnace?"

Hua Yangyang sighed and said, "Fellow Daoist Li, to be completely honest, this was a task assigned by the patriarch. If it's completed, my path forward will be much smoother; if not, it doesn't matter too much either, because after all, I still had to come and ask for your opinion on the matter."

"Since you're being this straightforward, I won't play games with you either."

Li Guanxuan said, "Aside from some friends who need the Golden Essence Pill, our family also requires it. Right now, due to a shortage of materials, I had to personally come to Huajing Immortal City to purchase them. Therefore...

"If the Hua family wants me to help refine Golden Essence Pills, you provide one set of materials. Regardless of how many pills come out of a single furnace, they all belong to you. In addition, you must gift me another set of materials as the refining fee. How does that sound?"

Hua Yangyang pondered for a moment and replied, "Allow me to go and discuss this with the Great Elder. Within two hours at most, I will definitely give you an answer."

"Alright."

Li Guanxuan smiled and nodded.

He was well aware that Golden Essence Pill materials were extremely precious; even the nearby Myriad Treasures Pavilion and Spirit Treasure Pavilion did not have much inventory on hand.

Moreover, the Hua family was not like the Sword Immortal Li family, which possessed a Deity Transformation patriarch—procuring materials for Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul was no easy feat for them.

"Husband, will this really be alright?" Song Zhiqiang asked with a hint of worry in her heart.

The attendants right here were, after all, informants for other factions.

"What could possibly be wrong?"

Li Guanxuan smiled to reassure her. "In the past, Master was at the peak of Foundation Establishment, and coupled with the fact that some people were nearing the end of their lifespans, they worried he might act out of desperation.

"Now, Master is a Golden Core True Person, and with the strong backing of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion headquarters, we don't need to worry excessively. As long as we don't go looking for trouble, we'll be fine."

Beside him, Qin Jiyue nodded and said, "With my husband and me joining forces, we can also fight a pseudo-Core Formation True Person."

Saying this, Qin Jiyue could not help turning her head to glance at Wen Rongxin.

At this moment, Wen Rongxin was looking around with wide-eyed curiosity. Over the past few decades, she had rarely attended such large-scale auctions, so her heart was naturally filled with wonder.

"Besides, we have Elder Sister, who can block a horde of ferocious beasts with a single punch. Ordinary cultivators who happen to run into our family had better just pray for their own lives," Qin Jiyue said with a beaming smile.

Hearing this, Wen Rongxin softly reminded her, "It's still better not to provoke trouble. Let's listen to your husband."

"Naturally."

Qin Jiyue nodded.

Having attained strength, they simply no longer needed to live as cautiously as they once did.

Their cultivation levels, crafting arts, and the innate talent revealed through accumulated foundation had already made numerous factions view them with apprehension.

Li Guanxuan had Li Guanyuan behind him, and Liu Xiaoxian had the Myriad Treasures Pavilion headquarters... only a fool would come to provoke them.

Soon, the auction commenced.

The first item up for bid was a second-rank top-grade magic tool, a long saber.

Li Guanxuan did not think much of it.

Although his artifact-refining skills had reached their peak through dual cultivation, he had genuinely not forged many items himself. According to his plan, he would progress step by step; once he reached the Golden Core stage, he would start forging spiritual treasures.

The person who successfully bid for this saber magic tool was a rogue cultivator.

Li Guanxuan actually recognized him: Ruan Dajiang, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who had risen through the ranks with four-element lower-grade spiritual roots and created his own *Great River Saber Technique*.

Wearing a bamboo hat, exuding a rugged martial-world aura, and sporting a weather-beaten face, Ruan Dajiang turned his head to look toward the VIP booth where Li Guanxuan sat.

As their eyes met, Ruan Dajiang opened his mouth as if to speak, but hesitated. With his right hand steadying the hilt of his sheathed saber, he gave a slight, respectful bow toward Li Guanxuan.

Li Guanxuan returned the bow without speaking further.

"Husband, this person's killing intent is very heavy,"

Song Zhiqiang said softly, "And he can circulate and control that killing intent effortlessly. He is a formidable saber cultivator."

Li Guanxuan looked slightly surprised.

Ever since the little green tea girl had practiced the Song family's Foundation Establishment mental cultivation method, her ability to observe people and read auras had improved significantly.

Even the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting had seen improvements in her hands.

"For a rogue cultivator to reach this stage is no easy feat. There's no need to pay him excessive attention," Li Guanxuan smiled.

"This person has always been reclusive, and when I was reviewing intelligence dossiers, I discovered he once slain a third-rank fierce beast king. His strength is not to be underestimated," Qin Jiyue could not help adding.

A moment later.

A female attendant said in a gentle voice, "Senior, Ruan Dajiang is outside requesting an audience."

Li Guanxuan was slightly stunned, pondered for a moment, and said, "Let him in."

"Understood."

The attendant bowed slightly.

After Ruan Dajiang entered, Li Guanxuan felt a wave of surging martial dominance washing over him.

Even though Ruan Dajiang had reined it in tightly enough that ordinary people would not feel it, Li Guanxuan's Golden Core spiritual awareness perceived it instantly.

"I have long admired Fellow Daoist's great name, and today I am specifically taking this opportunity to pay my respects," Ruan Dajiang saluted.

Li Guanxuan returned the salute with a smile. "I've also heard of Fellow Daoist Ruan. It seems you originated as a pugilistic saber warrior in the mortal realm, later went through recommended sect trials, and after failing, wandered the cultivation world, stepping forward step by step to reach where you are today... Such inspiring diligence in cultivation is truly admirable."

"Compared to Fellow Daoist, Ruan is not worth mentioning."

Ruan Dajiang smiled with a touch of rustic honesty, then showed a troubled expression as he took several wooden boxes out of his storage ring and spoke frankly:

"These are the materials for the Golden Essence Pill that I've spent fifty-seven years collecting. There is only one set. I've never been able to find an alchemist willing to refine them for me. Coming to pay my respects today, I also hope to ask Fellow Daoist for your help in refining the Golden Essence Pill... I wonder what conditions Fellow Daoist requires."

With that, Ruan Dajiang removed the spell seals on top, allowing Li Guanxuan to inspect them.

A sweep of Li Guanxuan's spiritual awareness revealed that the medicinal herbs inside every wooden box were impeccably preserved. It seemed Ruan Dajiang had prepared fifty-seven years in advance for the sake of his future path.

Li Guanxuan said helplessly, "Fellow Daoist Ruan, it's not that I'm unwilling to help you refine them, but recently too many people need the Golden Essence Pill, and I cannot guarantee when I'll be able to get around to yours. My apologies."

"I see..."

Ruan Dajiang put away the wooden boxes with a look of regret, cupping his fists. "Ruan only needs one Golden Essence Pill. Whenever Alchemist Li has time in the future, you can send someone to notify Ruan at any time, and Ruan will come to find Alchemist Li at the very first moment."

Li Guanxuan smiled and nodded, saying nothing more.

After Ruan Dajiang left, Hua Yangyang entered, his face beaming with excitement as he announced:

"He agreed! The Great Elder agreed!"

A weight lifted from Li Guanxuan's heart, but to ensure quality control, he still asked:

"Do you have any requirements regarding the quality?"

"How could we dare have requirements? As long as they aren't substandard Golden Essence Pills, ordinary ones are perfectly fine!" Hua Yangyang hastily replied.

Being able to enlist a quasi-third-rank alchemist to help refine Golden Essence Pills was already an exceptionally rare opportunity.

Even if the other party failed the refinement and turned all the materials into a pile of medicinal dregs, they wouldn't dare utter a single word of complaint.

After all, they were the ones begging someone else for a favor.

However, judging by the fact that Li Guanxuan dared to demand a set of Golden Essence Pill refining materials as payment, the man must have had immense confidence in his ability to succeed.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a demand.

Li Guanxuan smiled, nodding slightly. "Once the Golden Essence Pills are refined, have someone deliver them to Huajing Immortal City immediately."

"Thank you, thank you, I am endlessly grateful."

Hua Yangyang grabbed Li Guanxuan's right hand with both of his, shaking it with deep emotion. "After being in the Hua family for so many years, I've finally accomplished a major task for the family. My heart feels so much more at ease now."

Then, Hua Yangyang added, "By the way, these next few days mark our patriarch's three-hundredth birthday banquet. The invitation cards were personally written by the patriarch, and he wishes to invite you all to attend. I wonder if Fellow Daoists will honor us with your presence."

Hua Yangyang produced the invitations—five in total.

They were addressed respectively to Li Guanxuan, Wen Rongxin, Qin Jiyue, Song Zhiqiang, and Liu Xiaoxian.

Li Guanxuan thought for a moment and smiled, "No problem, but Master has matters to attend to recently and might not be able to come."