Translator: AnubisTL
After leaving Moonchase Palace, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing didn't rush to the Azure Ridge Domain. Instead, they took advantage of the Great Wilderness Domain's initial stabilization to frequent various cultivator trading markets, purchasing essential supplies.
During this time, the black market proved invaluable. Zhang Da's intelligence network continuously gathered information from these clandestine markets, providing Li Qing with crucial updates.
Deep within the central region of the Great Wilderness, in an extremely remote and hidden location, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing's figures materialized.
Shen Ningbing gazed at the lush, tree-shrouded ravine ahead and murmured, "According to the letter, a secret market lies within this ravine."
Li Qing nodded slightly. "This secret market is similar to our black market, but it only allows cultivators at the foundation establishment realm or higher to enter and is even more secretive."
As he spoke, he retrieved a special token Zhang Da had sent along with the spirit letter—a device resembling a fire striker. When Li Qing flicked it open, no sparks ignited; instead, a wisp of pale blue smoke drifted out.
The wisp of blue smoke drifted into the valley, as if triggering a hidden restriction. The surrounding scenery rippled like water before rapidly transforming.
Before Li Qing and Shen Ningbing, a deep, secluded path materialized—a winding, hidden route leading to an utterly concealed place.
This secret market's sophistication was undeniable. The mere concealment method was remarkably complex, leaving both Li Qing and Shen Ningbing visibly impressed.
"Quite intriguing," Li Qing remarked.
With that, they stepped into the black market.
Since leaving Moonchase Palace, they had visited numerous trading markets for immortal cultivators, but this was their first time encountering such a clandestine market.
Li Qing couldn't help but recall the secret trade fair he had attended at Heavenly River Market, presided over by Daoist Qingyang. There, qi refining realm cultivators from various backgrounds had gathered to conduct all sorts of transactions.
As the secluded path emerged, Li Qing led the way without hesitation.
The entrance was narrow and dimly lit, but as they ventured deeper into the hidden valley, the path gradually widened, and the light ahead grew brighter.
Soon, a secret realm resembling a secluded paradise unfolded before them.
Ahead, figures were sparse, with only a handful of cultivators strolling leisurely through the area. All were at the mid-foundation establishment stage, and their faces appeared remarkably young.
Scattered throughout the realm were numerous stalls, some even manned by core formation realm cultivators!
Li Qing and Shen Ningbing's arrival immediately drew attention, but the onlookers quickly averted their gazes, showing a clear understanding of propriety. Whether they continued to observe them covertly remained unknown.
However, one bold foundation establishment cultivator, upon spotting Shen Ningbing and Li Qing, immediately hurried forward:
"Senior cultivators, is this your first time visiting this secret market?"
The speaker was a dwarf wearing an odd hat, his frame exceptionally short and stocky. Despite his appearance, his cultivation was surprisingly advanced—a late foundation establishment realm cultivator with an aura hinting at the verge of Pseudo-Core formation.
"And what if it is?" Li Qing replied coolly, not even glancing at the dwarf as he continued to scan the surroundings with his divine sense.
The stalls openly displayed here sold items of little value, offering nothing of much use to cultivators in the core formation realm.
If Li Qing were still a foundation establishment cultivator, this place would have been quite beneficial. But now that he had reached the mid Core Formation Realm, he found it difficult to muster much interest in the wares on offer.
"Senior cultivators," the man said, "I don't mean to boast, but I'm something of a know-it-all in this secret market! Whatever you're looking to buy here, I can provide accurate information."
This piqued Li Qing's interest. So, he's trying to play Hyacinth for a day, he thought.
"Heh, may I ask your esteemed name, fellow daoist? You seem remarkably confident," Li Qing asked teasingly.
"No need for such formality," the man replied. "I casually chose the daoist name Jin Bao, combining parts of my given name and my primary cultivation method."
Daoist Jin Bao, then, Li Qing thought. His daoist name is quite arbitrary, derived from his Metal dao cultivation manual and the "Bao" character in his name.
Without hesitation, Li Qing revealed his primary objective: "Daoist Jin Bao, I wish to purchase several third-tier or higher Restriction-Breaking Talismans. Do you know where I might find them?"
Indeed, Li Qing was still seeking Restriction-Breaking Talismans.
During this time, he had visited seven cultivator trading markets across the Great Wilderness Domain and even attended two auctions!
Yet he had only managed to acquire three Restriction-Breaking Talismans.
Adding these to the five he had obtained from Moonchase Palace, he now possessed a total of eight Restriction-Breaking Talismans.
Eight third-tier Restriction-Breaking Talismans might seem like a substantial number, already beyond what most ordinary core formation cultivators could amass.
However, Li Qing was about to attack an immortal dao sect—a powerful force dominating the Azure Ridge Domain!
To crush them, he first needed to breach their guardian grand formation.
Therefore, Li Qing estimated he needed at least fifteen third-tier Restriction-Breaking Talismans. Only with such a quantity could he be absolutely certain of dismantling a third-tier grand formation!
Upon hearing Li Qing's request, Daoist Jin Bao frowned deeply, appearing to be deep in thought.
After a long pause, Daoist Jin Bao finally spoke:
"Restriction-Breaking Talismans are specifically designed to shake formations. Senior, I imagine a mere one or two wouldn't satisfy your appetite, would they?"
Li Qing nodded. "Indeed, I need seven Restriction-Breaking Talismans. Do you know where I might acquire them?"
Daoist Jin Bao chuckled. "Normally, that would be quite a challenge. But as it happens, there's a unique opportunity right now!"
Could this short, stocky dwarf actually have a way to obtain seven Restriction-Breaking Talismans at once? Li Qing raised an eyebrow, his respect for the man growing.
"Daoist Jin Bao, are you serious? What kind of opportunity are we talking about?" Li Qing pressed, his tone earnest.
But Daoist Jin Bao's face suddenly twisted with awkwardness.
Li Qing immediately understood. He smiled and pulled out a pouch of spirit stones—a hundred in total. "If you can make this happen, there will be a generous reward."
Seeing the spirit stones, Daoist Jin Bao immediately shook his head in protest. "Senior, you misunderstand! I wouldn't dare accept your spirit stones. It's an honor just to assist you!"
"However, I do have a small request..." Daoist Jin Bao chuckled dryly, his expression obsequious.
A small request? Li Qing's brow furrowed slightly. That usually means something quite troublesome.
"Feel free to explain. If it's not too troublesome, I might consider it," Li Qing said.
Seeing this, Daoist Jin Bao immediately replied, his voice filled with apprehension, "It's nothing overly complicated. I simply need to borrow the pill fire of you two seniors to repair a slightly damaged magical artifact!"
Repair a slightly damaged magical artifact?!
Li Qing was mildly shocked. A magical artifact was a magical artifact, even a damaged one. It was beyond the capabilities of a foundation establishment realm cultivator to activate!
He hadn't expected this late foundation establishment realm cultivator to not only possess a damaged magical artifact but also intend to repair it.
Could he have a way to activate it?!
Li Qing's eyes flickered with surprise. Indeed, it seems one can only choose the wrong name, never the wrong daoist name!
This man's daoist name, Jin Bao, was truly fitting.
"Borrow our pill fire to repair a magical artifact?"
"What kind of artifact requires the combined pill fire of two core formation cultivators to repair?"
"To be honest, I have some experience in artifact refinement. If it's just a matter of repair, I believe I could handle it alone."
As Li Qing spoke, a subtle sense of confidence rose within him.
Daoist Jin Bao's eyes lit up at these words.
"Could it be that Senior is also an artifact refiner? That's wonderful!"
"What I want to repair is a Golden Light Dart. It's not a particularly special magical artifact, but it still requires a third-tier artifact refiner to fix."
"Unfortunately, after searching diligently for days, I haven't been able to find a core formation realm artifact refiner. So I was planning to take a risk and attempt the repair myself using the pill fire of three core formation true lords!"
So that's the situation, Li Qing thought, feeling confident.
"In that case, I agree to help you. But what exactly is this 'connection' you mentioned?" Li Qing asked calmly.
Daoist Jin Bao chuckled.
"Heh heh, Senior, have you heard of Fu Xuan, the great master of talismanship in the central province of the Great Wilderness Domain?"
True Lord Fu Xuan!
How could Li Qing not know of him? Especially now, as he was desperately seeking a way to acquire third-tier formation-breaking talismans, Fu Xuan's name was deeply etched in his mind.
He had first heard the name from Crimson Hair Immortal, and later witnessed Fu Xuan's grand display at the Moonchase Grand Assembly, where he had forcefully seized a spiritual object from the hands of numerous powerful figures using the power of his talismans.
Unfortunately, after leaving Moonchase Palace, Li Qing had tried to track down this elusive figure, but to no avail.
True to the rumors, this individual was like a dragon in the Great Wilderness Domain—his head seen but his tail hidden. He had no fixed abode, making him arguably the most elusive Core Formation True Lord in the entire region.
Even Li Qing's mobilization of the Black Market Intelligence Network had failed to uncover a single shred of information about him.
Yet, to his surprise, Daoist Jin Bao seemed confident in his ability to locate this enigmatic master of talismanship!
"Of course I know of him," Li Qing replied, his curiosity piqued. "But True Lord Fu Xuan's movements are shrouded in mystery. Do you have a way to find him?"
Daoist Jin Bao chuckled mysteriously. "Heh heh, this humble one isn't much, but I happened to earn a small favor from Senior Fu Xuan recently!"
"If it's just a matter of introducing you to him, I don't foresee any major issues."
"..."
And so, Li Qing and his companion, having just arrived at this secret market, were led away by Daoist Jin Bao.
During their journey, Li Qing couldn't resist asking how Senior Fu Xuan had come to owe him a favor.
Daoist Jin Bao didn't hide the truth. He explained, "Some time ago, I sent a disciple to Senior Fu Xuan. Now that Senior Fu Xuan has an heir to his legacy, he owes me a favor."
Hearing this, Li Qing didn't press further.
Generally, when cultivators reach the core formation realm and realize they have little hope of achieving nascent soul formation, they begin searching for a worthy heir to their inheritance.
As core formation realm cultivators, their standards for successors are naturally high, especially for someone like Fu Xuan, who is exceptionally skilled in a particular cultivation art.
The requirements for his heir extend beyond mere cultivation aptitude; they demand even more rigorous qualifications in the art of talisman crafting.
Li Qing had often pondered what he would look for if he were to take on a Personal Disciple someday. He suspected he would have similar considerations.
Of course, with his vast lifespan, he hadn't yet given serious thought to such matters.
Over the next few days, the trio traveled tirelessly, finally approaching a city teeming with cultivators.
This place had once been the territory of the orthodox sect Jade Bamboo Valley. After the valley's destruction, it naturally fell under the jurisdiction of the Ghost Sword Sect.
Though it had weathered a great calamity, the city still radiated a palpable spiritual energy.
With the great wilderness now stabilizing, a considerable number of cultivators had gathered here.
"Senior Fu Xuan shouldn't have left so soon," Daoist Jin Bao murmured, his feet resting on a golden alms bowl as he floated leisurely through the air. "If he's not here, I'll have to use the contact method he taught me."
This city differed greatly from ordinary mortal settlements. Lacking city walls, its structures were built directly onto two adjacent towering mountains.
From afar, the mountains appeared shrouded in mist and ethereal immortal energy. But upon closer inspection, one could see countless buildings clinging to their slopes: pavilions, terraces, halls, and palaces, each more dazzling than the last.
Among these structures, cultivators moved freely, some soaring through the air on magic artifacts, others treading on empty space, demonstrating their formidable cultivation.
Truly, this was a rare and sacred land!
Naturally, such a spiritually rich place would be teeming with cave abodes.
Daoist Jin Bao, holding a special invitation, led Li Qing and his companion straight to a cave abode perched atop one of the towering mountains.
Daoist Jin Bao, holding a formal invitation, arrived before a simple cave abode at the mountain's peak. He respectfully called out:
"Senior Fu Xuan, this humble one, Jin Bao, has come to pay his respects!"
After a moment, a slightly impatient voice echoed from within:
"What is it now? I've already told you I won't find two core formation cultivators to help you repair that Golden Light Dart, haven't I?"
As the voice spoke, it seemed to sense two extraordinary auras outside the cave abode. The impatient tone vanished, replaced by surprise and uncertainty.
"Well, I'll be... You actually managed to bring two core formation cultivators to repair a damaged magical artifact?"
The voice carried a hint of astonishment, clearly not expecting Daoist Jin Bao, a late foundation establishment realm cultivator, to possess such capability.
After a brief pause, the voice finally spoke again, more calmly:
"Very well, then. Come in."
As the words faded, several talisman papers peeled away from the cave abode's entrance.
In an instant, the restriction guarding the cave abode vanished completely.
(End of the Chapter)
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