txolops Chapter 241 Han Li and Jin Qing
Chapter 241 Han Li and Jin Qing
The name seemed familiar. He pondered for a moment and then remembered that it was a small shop that Han Li had opened when he was experiencing the mortal world. Luo Ming's heart stirred, and his divine sense quietly spread out, like an invisible tentacle, slowly sweeping towards the small bamboo pavilion.
The interior was simply furnished with a cabinet and a few shelves. An elderly cultivator in a green robe was playing chess with a very old Foundation Establishment cultivator. The two were playing very seriously, and the game on the chessboard was already fiercely contested.
However, Luo Ming's divine sense was now incredibly strong, even stronger than that of a Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stages. He saw through the other party's disguise at a glance—the pure spiritual power hidden beneath the ordinary appearance, and the plain-looking face, were clearly the same Han Laomo waiting here for the Golden Thunder Bamboo to mature!
Luo Ming thought to himself, "If I kill this old devil Han and seize his Heavenly Bottle, will the Lord of the Samsara Palace have his eye on me when I ascend to the Immortal Realm?"
"Forget it, I have this mysterious little cauldron that can take people through time and space. Its origin is probably no less than that of the Heavenly Bottle. It's better not to get involved in any karma because of greed."
He quickly suppressed the greed that arose from his greatly increased strength. Suddenly, he realized that since Old Demon Han had not yet forged the Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword, that old guy Xuan Gu should still be trapped there. At this thought, a figure suddenly appeared in his mind—Jin Qing.
Luo Ming knew that, according to the trajectory of his previous life, Han Li would be invited by Jin Qing to participate in a treasure hunt after he had just finished refining the Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword. The deserted island was the hiding place of the Xuan Bone Old Demon. Once Xuan Bone was freed, Jin Qing and the others would suffer a terrible fate and perish on the deserted island.
Speaking of Jin Qing, Luo Ming was filled with mixed emotions. Initially, he deliberately approached Jin Qing only because he was attracted by the powerful background behind him, thinking of using his influence to seize cultivation resources and avoid risks—in short, it was all a scheme. But over the years, Jin Qing had been honest with him and helped him a lot; that friendship was genuine.
Upon closer examination, he ultimately owed Jin Qing a considerable amount of favors.
Luo Ming hovered high in the sky, silent for a long time, and finally sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and a touch of determination: "These favors, in the end, cannot be incurred carelessly; what is due must eventually be repaid."
He did not consider himself a cold-blooded person. If he knew that his friend was doomed and he had the ability to change the situation, but instead stood by and did nothing because it was none of his business, even if he could temporarily avoid trouble, this guilt would surely turn into a demon in his heart when he tried to break through to the Nascent Soul realm in the future, and would hinder his path.
On the path of cultivation, a righteous heart comes first; without eliminating inner demons, it is difficult to make any progress.
Having made up his mind, Luo Ming didn't linger any longer. A flash of azure light enveloped him, and he quietly departed, without disturbing Han Li inside the pavilion, as if he had never appeared at all.
Just as Luo Ming's escape light disappeared into the horizon, inside the Green Bamboo Pavilion, Han Li's hand holding a chess piece suddenly stopped, his brows furrowing tightly. He slowly raised his head, spreading his divine sense to its fullest extent, carefully scanning the surrounding world, his eyes filled with doubt and vigilance.
"What was that just now?" Han Li muttered to himself, his tone tinged with seriousness. "A very subtle sense of being spied on, gone in an instant, its aura unfathomable, something no ordinary Core Formation cultivator could achieve... Could it be a Nascent Soul cultivator passing by?"
He secretly probed repeatedly, but found nothing unusual. The aura of ordinary cultivators remained, as if his previous probing had been merely an illusion. Han Li's doubts deepened, but he dared not be careless. He subtly calmed his mind, lowered his aura even further, and became increasingly cautious.
Now is the crucial time for him to accelerate the growth of those golden thunder bamboos, and he cannot afford to expose them in the slightest.
On the other side, after Luo Ming left the Green Bamboo Pavilion, the escape light that had been speeding towards the Treasure Alliance suddenly changed direction and flew towards the mountains and forests to the east. Before long, the escape light stopped outside a cave.
This cave dwelling was built against the mountain, with a faint protective barrier around it, its aura concealed. It was Jin Qing's residence here. After probing with divine sense, I found it was exactly the same as before, confirming that this person still lived here.
Luo Ming did not rush forward. Instead, he reached into his storage bag, took out a pale golden communication talisman, left a few words on it, and then took out a talisman that glowed with a hazy blue light.
That blue talisman was crafted by Mingyue. She created an improved version of the Wind Escape Talisman by combining the original version with her own understanding of the wind attribute of heaven and earth.
When activated, this talisman can instantly transform into a highly concealed shadow, with a speed comparable to the escape light of an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, enough to escape the pursuit of powerful enemies in critical moments.
Mingyue's talent for making talismans is much stronger than his. Luo Ming has already passed on a portion of the talisman inheritance he obtained in the Crimson Forbidden Land to her, hoping that she can refine more high-level talismans.
If she can fully comprehend it, then the task of refining the Six Ding Six Jia Talisman that he obtained will fall to this woman.
With a flick of his finger, the Wind Escape Talisman and the Transmission Talisman passed through the outermost restriction of the cave and fell into the inner restriction, where they floated quietly.
Having done all this, Luo Ming didn't linger. His body shone with a surge of azure light, transforming into a swift beam of light as he turned and sped towards the Treasure Alliance in the heart of the town.
He glanced in the direction of the Golden Green Cave and thought to himself, "With the help of this talisman, I believe Brother Jin will be able to avoid being killed by that Xuan Bone, which can be considered as repaying the favor I did back then."
As for the entanglement between Han Li and Xuan Gu, Luo Ming didn't take it to heart. Old Demon Han had profound luck and ruthless methods; even without his intervention, he could resolve the crisis smoothly. There was no need for him to meddle and cause trouble.
Right now, the most important thing is to go to the Treasure Alliance to find spatial magic treasures and solve the problem of having too many spirit beast bags.
After all, with so many spirit beast pouches around his waist, anyone could tell that he had quite a few spirit beasts. If he were to fight someone, the other person would instinctively be on guard, making it difficult for him to launch a sneak attack.
A streak of azure light streaked across the sky above the town, quickly arriving outside the Treasure Alliance's shop in Tianxing City.
It was a magnificent pavilion, constructed entirely of spirit wood, surrounded by a rich spiritual energy. Cultivators guarded the entrance, and the guests coming and going were all well-dressed and exuded extraordinary auras—a scene of bustling prosperity. Luo Ming, having recovered to the Core Formation realm, calmly stepped through the imposing gates of the Treasure Artifact Alliance.
Upon entering, even with his extensive knowledge, he felt a slight ripple in his heart. The first-floor hall was extremely spacious, and the soft yet bright pearly light was not from any ordinary object, but from a kind of "bright pearl," illuminating every corner with exquisite detail, further enhancing the hall's radiant glow.
On both sides are rows of transparent crystal display cases, displaying a dazzling array of magical artifacts, from low-level flying swords and magic shields to auxiliary tools with various functions. All of them are radiant with spiritual light and of excellent quality. Even the most ordinary items would be enough to make ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators fight over them.
Cultivators came and went in an endless stream, and those of lower rank showed envy and longing. Even just looking at them was an eye-opening experience.
"Even this outermost layer is so impressive, and everything on display is of the highest quality. The Treasure Artifact Alliance has become a behemoth second only to the Fengle Merchant Alliance, and specializes in the crafting of magical artifacts. It is indeed a company with profound resources."
Luo Ming nodded to himself, his anticipation for the trip growing stronger. If he could buy what he needed here, that would be the best outcome.
He didn't linger on the first floor. His gaze swept over the stairs leading upstairs, where faint fluctuations of a restriction were present, clearly indicating that it wasn't for ordinary customers. A quick-witted Qi Refining stage attendant in blue robes had already noticed this composed and dignified Core Formation senior. He stepped forward and respectfully bowed, saying, "Senior, what brings you here? May I show you the way?"
"What I need, I'm afraid it's not on the first floor. Lead the way," Luo Ming said calmly.
"Senior, please follow me to the third floor. That floor is exclusively for seniors in the Core Formation stage." The waiter understood and, not daring to ask any more questions, quickly stepped aside to lead the way.
Passing through a water-like barrier of light, the environment instantly became serene. The second floor was already furnished with private rooms, while the third floor was even more exquisite.
This place is slightly smaller, but much quieter, divided into several independent meditation rooms, each protected by an array to block out sound and spiritual detection, ensuring excellent privacy. The air is filled with the calming fragrance of sandalwood, and the spiritual energy is far richer than on the first floor.
The waiter led Luo Ming into a quiet room, served him some spiritual tea, and then bowed and withdrew, saying, "Please wait a moment, senior. The steward will be here shortly."
The quiet room was elegantly furnished, with tables and chairs made of spirit wood. Ancient landscape paintings with profound artistic conception hung on the walls. They seemed like ordinary objects, but in fact, there was a spiritual light flowing between the brushstrokes. They were obviously made by cultivators and had the effect of calming the mind.
A moment later, the door to the meditation room was pushed open, and a slightly plump, round-faced middle-aged cultivator walked in with a smile. His face was ruddy, and he smiled before speaking. His small eyes gleamed with shrewdness; his cultivation was at the early stage of Core Formation, and he was one of the stewards specifically responsible for receiving Core Formation guests.
"Haha, I apologize for keeping you waiting, fellow Daoist. My surname is Qian, and I am a steward of this alliance. May I ask how you are addressed? Is your visit to our alliance to purchase magical treasures or to seek out rare materials? I am not boasting, but in this Tianxing City, apart from those few legendary heaven-defying items, my Treasure Alliance dares not say that we have everything, but we can definitely satisfy the vast majority of fellow Daoists!" Steward Qian's voice was loud and clear, his words enthusiastic yet confident, clearly indicating that he was a seasoned businessman.
Luo Ming put down his teacup and nodded slightly: "Steward Qian, you are too kind. My surname is Luo. I have come here to look for a few things."
"Fellow Daoist Luo, please speak freely!" Deacon Qian patted his chest, beaming with a smile.
After a moment's hesitation, Luo Ming decided to test the waters first and said directly, "In that case, I will speak frankly. Does your alliance have any 'Geng Essence' for sale? Even if it's only the size of a fingernail, I am willing to pay a high price to purchase it."
"Geng Jing?!" Deacon Qian's smile froze instantly, then turned into a clear wry smile and embarrassment. His previous arrogance vanished by more than half, and he waved his hands repeatedly.