Immortality begins with equipping a worn-out talisman pen.

Wang Xuanyue's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant.

"The Liu family has been hiding their true intentions too well."

"Who would have thought that a illegitimate son of the Liu family who disappeared thirty years ago would quietly succeed in building a foundation and have been hiding in a caravan all this time?"

"Clearly, the other party has a top-grade magic artifact to conceal their aura, and our people cannot detect anything unusual at all."

The black-robed cultivator sneered repeatedly.

"I don't care about any of that. In order to escape the encirclement and killing of those Foundation Establishment cultivators, I have lost a lot of my essence and blood, and my vital energy has been severely damaged."

"Someone has to pay for this."

As he spoke, he extended a thin, dry finger.

"I need the blood and qi of one hundred early-stage Qi Refining cultivators."

The cave fell silent. Wang Xuanyue's eyes twitched slightly as he cursed inwardly.

What did he mean by "damaging his essence and blood" or "severely injuring his vital energy"? When the old man saw that things were not going well, he was the first to use Blood Escape to escape, running faster than a rabbit.

Now they're just using this as an excuse to squeeze more money out of themselves.

But he couldn't refuse.

Wang Xuanyue suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice:

"In the past few months, too many miners have died in accidents at the mine. If another hundred people disappear without a trace, the market will definitely become suspicious."

"Give me a little more time."

The black-robed cultivator remained silent for a moment, then let out a sinister laugh.

"it is good."

"Then I'll give you three more days. If you don't have enough people, we can hire more. Right now, Black Stone City is in a state of panic, and what we don't lack is rogue cultivators who want to earn spirit stones."

At this point, his voice became more fervent as he offered words of comfort:

"Moreover, we have almost gathered enough spiritual items from the market this time. In a few more days, the Breaking Formation Wedge will be completely refined."

"Once that ruin is opened, you, Wang Xuanyue, will have done a great service."

Beneath the black robe, a pair of scarlet eyes narrowed slightly.

"At that time, the sect leader will certainly not treat you unfairly. You have been stuck in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage for many years. Don't you want to see what lies ahead? Even the Golden Core stage is a piece of cake for my Xuan Yin Sect."

......

The Black Stone Market suffered the most severe losses, and the shops, large and small, within the market were the hardest hit.

Although the Bai family made a special trip to apologize afterward and even allocated several prime locations to compensate the Liu family, they ultimately couldn't take care of all the vendors, especially the small and medium-sized shops that already had little financial foundation.

Rumors of the Bai family's ineffective supervision spread quickly, causing much discussion both inside and outside the market.

Just then, news of a series of mining accidents came from the Wang family mine.

One misfortune after another cast a shadow over the entire Blackstone City.

Many independent cultivators even packed their bags and went to other markets to make a living.

Soon, the rumor that "Black Stone City has bad feng shui" spread like wildfire.

In an effort to salvage their plummeting popularity, the Bai family spared no expense.

Not only did they waive a year's rent for all the affected shops, they also specially organized a charity auction.

It is said that the Bai family took out many spiritual materials and treasures from their family treasury, and even obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill from Danxia Peak as the final item to be auctioned.

Furthermore, a portion of the spirit stones obtained from this auction will be used for the restoration of the market.

The news caused an uproar throughout the entire Blackstone Market.

The rogue cultivators who were originally preparing to leave all turned back, and even the immortal cultivation families from several surrounding markets sent their members to come.

Most people's goal is that Foundation Establishment Pill.

In just a few days, the flow of people in Black Stone Market has not decreased but increased, and it is even more lively than at its peak in the past.

Everywhere you look, you can hear the monks talking.

"Have you heard? The Bai family's grand finale item at this auction is actually a Foundation Establishment Pill!"

"Foundation Establishment Pill? What does such a treasure have to do with us low-level rogue cultivators? We don't have enough talent, and we don't have enough spirit stones. I'm afraid we'll never be able to establish our foundation in this lifetime."

"That's typical of people with a lower-level mindset. I've heard that true high-level people, even if they don't have great talent, can eventually change their fate through hard work. Who knows, they might just hit the jackpot one day."

Feeling the growing popularity of the market, Li Mufeng has been extremely busy these days.

Wanfuzhai's business is several times better than usual.

As one of the few shops in the market that was not damaged, Wanfuzhai made a fortune from the turmoil thanks to its ample stock of talismans.

The only one who suffered was Li Mufeng.

These days, he paints almost from morning till night, and his hands are about to break from painting.

Fortunately, Liu Yan'er was a woman of her word, and she really did give out the share, so Li Mufeng was happy to draw more.

On this day, Liu Yan'er walked into the backyard with a beaming smile.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you must have already heard about the Bai family's auction, right?"

Li Mufeng nodded. He would naturally attend the auction, as there was a chance to find equipment with rare attributes.

Seeing this, Liu Yan'er's smile deepened.

"I just returned from Jubao Pavilion. My father meant that Fellow Daoist Li has been diligently working at my Wanfu Zhai for many years. Especially recently, he has made great contributions."

"The Liu family has several seats in the VIP section at this auction. My father specifically asked me to inquire whether Fellow Daoist Li could reserve one of them."

Upon hearing this, a look of joy flashed in Li Mufeng's eyes.

It seems that the steady management over the years has finally won the approval of the Liu family.

He was already quite interested in this auction.

If it's such an unprecedented event, we might actually encounter the inner core of a second-tier demon beast, or even the Frost Soul Iron needed to upgrade [Spirit Embryo - Forgetful River].

By attending with the Liu family, he could confidently purchase any equipment he liked without having to conceal his identity or worry about offending others, unlike ordinary rogue cultivators.

Thinking of this, he immediately cupped his hands in greeting.

"In that case, thank you for your kindness, Patriarch Liu."

Liu Yan'er gave a soft hum, feigning anger, and said:

"Aren't you going to thank me? Do you know how many good words I said to Father to get you this seat?"

Li Mufeng was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then cupped his hands and smiled:

"Then thank you very much for your kindness, Manager Liu."

Liu Yan'er nodded in satisfaction, her phoenix eyes curving slightly and a faint smile playing on her lips.

Over the years, she has been known in the market for her skillful and adept social skills.

No matter who she is facing, she always presents a bright, generous, friendly and warm demeanor, and can win people's favor with just a few words.

However, if anyone thinks that the manager of the Liu family is approachable because of this, then they are sorely mistaken.

Although she was warm and welcoming, she always maintained a perfect distance, keeping her boundaries impeccable. She never showed favoritism to anyone, let alone pleaded for them.

This time, for the sake of a VIP seat, she actually went to the head of the family to speak on behalf of Li Mufeng.

If the cultivators in the market who admire Manager Liu knew this, their jaws would probably drop in astonishment.

Having spent many years with Li Mufeng at Wanfuzhai, Liu Yan'er gradually developed a liking for his down-to-earth and steady personality. Moreover, Li Mufeng's cultivation level was now at the late stage of Qi Refining, and he was also an experienced mid-grade talisman master. In addition, he was indeed very handsome.

No wonder she would go through the back door for Li Mufeng.

......