Chapter 74: A Moment Without Rest

The abnormal fluctuations in the price of Spirit Mist Grass on Myriad Immortals Island had long been a hot topic.

Li Fan quickly understood the situation after a brief inquiry. As expected, someone had set up a scheme to heavily profit from cultivators like He Zhenghao who sought to exploit such opportunities.

The destruction of the island where Spirit Mist Grass was cultivated was true, so many people decisively entered the market hoping to make a fortune once the news was confirmed. What they didn't know was that the Myriad Immortals Alliance had recently discovered a grotto-heaven that had been sealed for a thousand years. It was said to be rich in wood-element spiritual energy and filled with various rare spiritual plants. Spirit Mist Grass, in particular, grew everywhere. You could step on several stalks with a single foot.

Previously, only the high-ranking members of the Myriad Immortals Alliance were aware of this. The news was only released suddenly when people in the market were fiercely competing for Spirit Mist Grass, almost to the point of bloodshed. No wonder the price of Spirit Mist Grass plummeted afterward.

"It seems impossible for Fellow Daoist He to recoup his investment," Li Fan said with a regretful smile. "However, this big shot's methods aren't very ethical."

Li Fan checked the transaction records in the Heavenly Arcane Mirror. It was True Monarch Azurewood Metamorphosis. This person had first driven up the price of Spirit Mist Grass. Then, during the fierce struggle between buyers and sellers, he delivered the final, fatal blow, crashing the price. Clearly, he was an insider with foreknowledge. Li Fan secretly grumbled to himself. However, with a Nascent Soul True Monarch involved, it was unlikely that those who suffered losses would dare to seek trouble with him. They could only swallow their bitterness and accept their misfortune. Li Fan even maliciously speculated that the island where Spirit Mist Grass was cultivated might have been secretly destroyed by this very Nascent Soul True Monarch.

"The market truly is treacherous," Li Fan shook his head.

Just as Li Fan was gloating, a message from He Zhenghao arrived. "Fellow Daoist, I have sold all the materials we obtained from the Li Realm," He Zhenghao's voice sounded weak, as if he had been drained. "We gained a total of 2342 contribution points. As agreed beforehand, we'll split it evenly."

Although He Zhenghao had suffered heavy losses in this investment, he didn't embezzle Li Fan's rightful share. After receiving 1171 contribution points from He Zhenghao, which added to his previous 125 points, Li Fan's current total reached 1296 points, barely enough for a while.

After some thought, Li Fan decided not to immediately enter secluded cultivation but instead searched for information on Jiao Xiuyuan. He had heard that Jiao Xiuyuan could obtain a large number of Concealment Talismans from the Myriad Immortals Alliance's Talisman Hall, indicating he had good connections. This was a good opportunity to buy some talismans and see if he could inquire about Sikong Yi's whereabouts.

Myriad Immortals Island was generally divided into three main parts, from the inside out. The innermost core area housed the official buildings of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, such as the Council Hall, Martial Arts Hall, Medicine Hall, Talisman Hall, and others. The middle area consisted of various opened cave dwellings; one could purchase a residence there with sufficient contribution points. This way, one wouldn't have to stay confined in the small spaces allocated by the Heavenly Arcane Mirror. The cave dwellings were fully equipped with all necessary amenities, offering everything that could be done in the Heavenly Arcane Mirror's space.

The outermost area was a mix of commercial and residential zones. The Dharma Transmission Plaza and the Heavenly Arcane Mirror were also located here, at the boundary with the central cave dwelling area. Residences here only provided basic lodging. They had no spiritual energy amplification and could not connect to the Heavenly Arcane Mirror. To cultivate, one still had to return to the Heavenly Arcane Mirror's space.

As for the commercial district, it consisted of shops independently run by various cultivators, separate from the Heavenly Arcane Mirror's trading system. The prices of goods in these shops were often lower than those in the Heavenly Arcane Mirror, but similarly, the quality was not guaranteed.

Jiao Xiuyuan had opened a shop here. Following the information he found in the Heavenly Arcane Mirror, Li Fan arrived at the location: Thousand Li Hall. Looking up at the slightly crooked signboard, Li Fan stepped inside.

The shop was not large, with clutter piled everywhere on the ground. A man's voice faintly drifted out. "I'm telling you, these ten Concealment Talismans must be traded at the price we agreed upon earlier. I don't care how much the price has dropped now... What? You're canceling the transaction? You don't even want the deposit?! Damn it! Another one! Do you think I, Jiao Xiuyuan, am easy to bully?!" A dark-skinned man with a full beard slammed his hand on the table and roared resentfully. But immediately, he slumped, muttering softly, "It's over, it's over. I, Jiao Xiuyuan, never do business at a loss, but now I'm stuck with such a large batch of Concealment Talismans..."

It was then that he noticed a customer had entered the shop. However, he couldn't discern their appearance; clearly, a Concealment Talisman had been used. Having seen many such individuals, Jiao Xiuyuan paid it no mind. "What are you looking for? Formation talismans, magical artifacts, elixirs – we have everything! Discounts for bulk purchases!" he greeted lazily.

"How much are the Concealment Talismans?" the other person asked.

Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes immediately lit up, and he perked up. "10 contribution points each. How many do you need? If you buy more than ten, I'll give you an 80% discount. If you buy more than a hundred, I'll give you a 50% discount!"

Li Fan smiled, "Why would I need so many? Five or six are enough." After a pause, Li Fan continued, "Besides, your prices aren't right, are they? I bought one in the Heavenly Arcane Mirror before I came. A Concealment Talisman that can block Golden Core cultivators' spiritual senses costs only 20 points now. Why are your defective items so expensive?"

Jiao Xiuyuan's face twitched upon hearing this, and he quickly changed his tune: "8 points each, no lower. You know, making talismans has a cost too!"

"Alright, give me six," Li Fan didn't haggle further.

Fearing Li Fan might change his mind, Jiao Xiuyuan quickly took out six Concealment Talismans. "How do you want to pay?"

The Heavenly Arcane Mirror did not support anonymous transactions; a direct exchange of contribution points between both parties would inevitably expose their identities. However, Li Fan had already prepared for this before coming. "Spirit Stones," he said, taking out five mid-grade spirit stones from his storage ring and handing them over.

Standardized spirit stones were created jointly by the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Council of Five Elders. They came in different grades and served as the legal tender of the cultivation world, equipped with unique anti-forgery restrictions. The exchange rate between supreme-grade, high-grade, mid-grade, and low-grade spirit stones was always 10:1. Within the Myriad Immortals Alliance, one low-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for one contribution point in the Heavenly Arcane Mirror. The five mid-grade spirit stones Li Fan handed over were thus equivalent to 50 contribution points.

"Keep the change."

Li Fan put away the Concealment Talismans and then casually asked, "Do you take requests for information on cultivators here?"

Jiao Xiuyuan immediately became wary upon hearing this. He scrutinized Li Fan, and after a long deliberation, gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, why not? My business is already losing money left and right; if I don't take on some private jobs, I won't be able to survive!"

"What's the name and cultivation level?" Jiao Xiuyuan whispered.

"Sikong Yi, mid-stage Qi Refinement."