Born with immortal seed

Chapter 153 Ask Again

“Junior Brother Zhen, I have also heard about your elder brother’s affairs… but this has nothing to do with Senior Brother Gan. When sect resources are put out for exchange, there is no such thing as first come, first served.”

Tian Kang stood in front of Zhen Er, who was clearly agitated and emotionally unstable.

"If you wish to sell this sealed magical artifact, I welcome it... but if you disrupt the order of the trade fair, I will not let you off lightly!"

Gan Guangde was a guest he specially invited. Besides valuing his position as the head of the Talisman Paper Department, which allowed him to easily decide on the purchase of tens of thousands of talismans, the Gan family behind him was also a key factor.

Gan Guangde came from a collateral branch of the Gan family of Jiufu, and his branch had been dormant for decades.

But from the moment he became an inner disciple, Gan Guangde's branch was reinstated as the main branch, and its treatment was restored to the same standard as the main branch.

For example, in the matter of exchanging for the Pure Yang Gang Sha, the resources that the Gan family of Nine Talismans paid for it were worth more than three thousand spirit stones.

This is the advantage that comes with being backed by a family of cultivators at the starting line.

"Alright, then please, senior brothers, take a look and tell me how many spirit stones my eldest brother risked his life to get back."

Zhen Er was only thirteen or fourteen years old. He had grown up under the care of Zhen Da since childhood and regarded his elder brother as his father.

Zhen Da lost his chance to establish his foundation and was bedridden, his whole body becoming haggard.

Zhen Er blamed Gan Guangde for this, and then took a bronze mirror from home to question him at the trade fair.

Although he was still young, he knew that the crux of the problem lay with the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.

If he could exchange the bronze mirror for enough spirit stones to purchase a Pure Yang Qi Fiend or other Foundation Establishment spiritual items, Zhen Da's inner knot would be untied, and his illness wouldn't be a big problem.

The bronze mirror is about the size of a palm, with a mottled surface. It is used to reflect objects indistinctly, allowing one to make out their general shape.

The four sides are decorated with simple and ancient fire patterns, making it clear at a glance that this is a treasure with a long history.

In the current trend of the cultivation world, every blank space on every magical artifact is decorated with dragons and phoenixes, along with complex interlocking runes.

It seems that otherwise, the skill of a weapon refiner cannot be demonstrated.

The bronze mirror must have been a magical artifact forged at least a thousand years ago to retain this minimalist crafting style.

Tian Kang waved his hand and channeled a stream of magic power into the bronze mirror, which spun around in a circle. The fire patterns on the four sides flickered for a moment before fading away.

"Your mirror is not only sealed, but it has also lost its spiritual energy because it was made too long ago... When I try to activate it with my magic power, it is difficult to move and is almost like a piece of stubborn bronze. How can I exchange it for a Foundation Establishment spiritual item!"

If a magical artifact is from thousands of years ago and has been abandoned in the wilderness without proper preservation, it is indeed possible for the artifact to be downgraded.

Tian Kang sensed that not only was the inside of the bronze mirror sealed, but much of the surface restriction was also missing, making it perhaps less practical than a top-grade magic artifact.

"Considering its original quality as a spiritual artifact, I can offer a price of six hundred spirit stones... Any junior brother in the audience who is interested can negotiate with Junior Brother Zhen based on this number."

"How could it only be worth six hundred spirit stones!"

Zhen Er blushed; the weapon refiner he had consulted had said something similar.

Even with the foundation-building and major repairs, and the painstaking infusion of liquid magic power, the bronze mirror was unsealed.

The magical artifact you eventually acquire may not be able to maintain its original rank.

It needs to be refined again to restore its function.

Zhen Er didn't listen at all at the time, always believing that a miracle would happen.

He kept the bronze mirror in his possession and did not seek to sell it through sect elders or Wanbaoge, because subconsciously he was still somewhat worried about it.

However, the estimated value of six hundred spirit stones was far from what Zhen Er had expected.

Zhen Da had told him that the bronze mirror was dug out of the silt at the bottom of the lake after the Battle of Feiyue Lake was being cleared of the battlefield, when the sunlight shone on it and reflected a few specks of bronze light.

If it weren't for the fierce battle, the disciples of the Talisman Hall would have activated the second-tier linked talisman, the Fire God Connecting Heaven Talisman, and burned the lake dry.

I'm afraid that even after another thousand years, no one may be able to discover this bronze mirror.

According to Zhen Da's speculation, the bronze mirror may have come from the time when the patriarch of the Qingfeng Sect first arrived at Black Mountain to establish the sect.

It could even be much further back in time.

"This is a high-grade spiritual artifact component. My elder brother had it verified by a second-level weapon refiner from the weapon refining hall. It's worth at least six hundred spirit stones!"

Zhen Er's voice became shrill. Tian Kang was already an inner disciple, and his words carried authority for the outer disciples.

Since he quoted this price, no one else, even if interested in the bronze mirror, would offer more than this amount of spirit stones.

Zhen Er had several targets in mind, knowing that the people sitting at the main table, though unremarkable in cultivation, all had astonishing backgrounds.

There are direct descendants of the main branches of immortal cultivation families, and direct descendants of Foundation Establishment elders.

They are all quite wealthy and can afford to spend enough spirit stones.

"Since Senior Brother Tian says it's worth six hundred spirit stones, I naturally trust him... I'll take it at that price!"

The handsome young man sitting to Gan Guangde's left held a folding fan in his hand and smiled as he spoke.

Tian Kang clapped his hands and laughed: "Junior Brother Lan is so generous, spending six hundred spirit stones like that... But don't worry, you definitely won't lose out. Go back and ask your Lan family elders to slowly remove the seal, and after some polishing, it will become a top-quality spiritual weapon."

Tian Kang himself is also a first-class high-grade weapon refiner, so he has some skill in appraising spiritual weapons.

The family that Junior Brother Lan comes from is not well-known outside the sect, and is far less prestigious than those few immortal cultivation families.

However, within the sect, especially among these disciples, they are an absolutely formidable force that no one dares to provoke.

Hundreds of years ago, a disciple surnamed Lan successfully established his foundation. Since then, the Lan family has kept in mind their ancestral teachings, and all descendants are proud to become disciples of the Qingfeng Sect.

They downplay their family ties and rely on sects for survival.

There are many families that exist within sects, but very few can achieve the same level of continuous foundation building as the Lan family.

The Lan family currently has two Foundation Establishment elders, three deacons, and countless other clan members at the manager level.

Although Lan Lun was of mediocre talent, as a member of the Lan family, even inner disciples like Tian Kang dared not easily offend him.

"I'm not selling it!"

Zhen Er put away the bronze mirror and turned to leave the trade fair.

"What kind of good thing is this... First you tarnished Senior Brother Gan's reputation, then you went back on your word and refused to sell the items. What do you take this trade fair for!"

Tian Kang had just become an inner disciple, a time of great pride and arrogance, when his first trade fair, which he was hosting, was disrupted, and a nameless anger rose in his heart.

With a swift movement, he shrank the distance between them and grabbed Zhen Er's shoulder.

With his large, brass-like knuckles, Zhen Er's face turned ashen, and he bent over in a shrimp-like shape, his fingers painful to the touch.

"Do you intend to force us to buy or sell?"

Zhen Er felt like his bones were about to break, making cracking sounds, and said through gritted teeth.

"Although you have resigned from your position in the Enforcement Hall, you still have several former colleagues with whom you had good relations. Once I file a complaint with the Enforcement Hall and expose your evil deeds, Tian Kang, you won't even be able to keep your status as an inner disciple!"

"What a joke! Trade fairs among outer disciples have a long history, and unspoken rules have long been established. You put your items on display, and Junior Brother Lan bids to buy them... I've never heard of the Enforcement Hall getting involved in this!"

The words "Hall of Law Enforcement" still carried some intimidation, and Tian Kang's eyes flickered as he loosened his grip.

"Do you think you're the only one who knows people from the Enforcement Hall? My family also has members working there. Let's see who they believe!"

Lan Lun closed his folding fan and reached out to grab the bronze mirror.

"If you put it out for trade, I'll offer the highest price and it'll be mine! If you still want to trade for a Foundation Establishment item, just say you want to trade for a Foundation Establishment Pill!"

"You want to exchange this for a Foundation Establishment spiritual item... Can you really make that decision?"

As soon as Lan Lun grasped the bronze mirror, he felt a sharp pain in his hand, and the mirror flew into the hands of a young man not far away.

The young man was dressed in the most common blue Taoist robe, with his hair in a Taoist bun. There was not a single expensive decoration on his body; he was dressed like an ordinary outer disciple.

Lan Lun was furious and was about to point his finger at Tian Kang when Tian Kang stopped him.

"I don't know your name, junior brother... This bronze mirror has already been purchased by junior brother Lan. It would be ungentlemanly for you to interfere."

Tian Kang looked at the young man who had suddenly appeared. He had the cultivation level of the sixth level of Qi Refining, and his temperament was elegant and extraordinary. He stood proudly and was full of confidence.

He gives the impression that nothing can stump him.

"Besides, this sealed and damaged spiritual artifact is only worth six hundred spirit stones. Junior brother, your arbitrary pricing will disrupt the normal transaction."

Tian Kang was unsure of the young man's origins, fearing he might be a favored descendant of some elder.

"Was I not clear enough? I'll ask again, can you make the decision to exchange a Foundation Establishment spiritual item for this mirror?"

This young man's features could only be described as above average, but his temperament was extraordinary, free and natural.

Lan Lun was handsome, but compared to the young man, he paled in comparison and appeared utterly vulgar.

Ignoring everyone else, he walked straight to Zhen Er, and the surrounding outer disciples all moved away.

"You really can produce a Foundation Establishment spiritual item?"

Zhen Er stammered, intimidated by the young man's imposing manner, and asked in disbelief.

The price of spirit stones suddenly jumped from six hundred to a Foundation Establishment spirit item, making him feel as if he were in a dream.

"Where did this ignorant brat come from? Talking about Foundation Establishment spiritual objects? Doesn't he know that the Pure Yang Qi in the Transmission Hall was exchanged away long ago? We'll have to wait another six years before a new one is condensed!"

Lan Lun was instantly enraged when he was treated as if he didn't exist, and he pointed at Lan Lun's nose and shouted.

"Uncle Bai!"

"Elder Bai?"

Two surprised shouts from a man and a woman behind him made Lan Lun stop his next move.

"Gan Guangde, steward of the Talisman Hall, pays his respects to Elder Bai."

Gan Guangde hurriedly stood up from the table, knocking over several wine glasses, and bowed deeply.

He was now filled with immense relief. He had just been scolded by Zhen Er and was feeling depressed, so he drank several glasses of fruit wine and ignored what happened next.

Otherwise, it would truly be a terrible disaster.

Gan Guangde had met this genius elder once when he was in the inner sect.

However, given the current vast difference in their social standing, neither of them would want to invite trouble by bringing up the past.

"Greetings, Uncle-Master Bai."

Jiang Shu walked behind, called out sweetly, and stood obediently to the side.

Lan Lun suddenly felt his mouth go dry; he had realized who the person in front of him was.

Who would have thought that attending a trade fair for outer disciples would lead to encountering such a powerful figure?

Thinking of how he had just pointed his finger at an elder and angrily rebuked him, and that the elder was a prodigy with a bright future, hailed as a talent destined to form the Golden Core, Lan Lun's body trembled uncontrollably, shaking like a leaf.

With a thud, Tian Kang's legs buckled and he knelt on the ground.

(End of this chapter)