“Senior, this is the Qingxu Spirit Tea you ordered, please enjoy it!”
The maid carefully held the tea tray, placing a pot of spirit tea and a set of teacups in front of Li Mu, respectfully gesturing.
Li Mu nodded, poured himself a cup of spirit tea, and while enjoying it, listened to the Tea Master recount the latest hot news happening in the Barren Ancient City area.
The Tea Master's cultivation was not high, only at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, but he had a good speaking ability, eloquently narrating events and various news occurring between Sects, Cultivator Families, and various forces, while also concealing important information… This Tianji Pavilion certainly knows how to do business.
Li Mu listened for a while and gained quite a bit.
Barren Ancient City is located at the junction of the Central Continent Spirit Domain and the Southern Spirit Great Wilderness, bordered by the Barren Abyss to the east, leading directly to the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, Wangxing Sea to the west, Tianzhu Mountain to the north, and Ancient Barren Plain to the south, gathering many forces and a mixed bag of people.
From the news recounted by the Tea Master, Li Mu learned about many new forces: Ancient Moon Sect, Sacred Fire Hall, Tianzhu Sect which venerates Tianzhu Mountain, as well as branches from major Sects in the Central Continent Spirit Domain, Sky Profound Sword Sect, Taiyi Sect, and the Eight Great Families… Three Teachings and Nine Schools all gathered here, making it much livelier than the remote Qingxuan Sect.
“Recently, the Nine Demon Sect’s activities have become increasingly rampant. After failing to attack Qingxuan Sect and Yu Ling Sect, they successively captured Heavenly Evolution Sect, Hundred Refinements Sect, and Tianquan Sect, sacrificing three large immortal cities with nearly two million Cultivators perishing as a result…”
“Sky Profound Sword Sect and Taiyi Sect have jointly issued a Demon Extermination Order and will soon march to conquer the Demonic Cave…!”
…
The Tea Master suddenly dropped a bombshell, causing an uproar among the tea house patrons.
“What! Why is the Nine Demon Sect so tyrannical? What exactly do they want to do?!”
“Oh my god! Why do these damned Demon Cultivators dare to act so perversely! Aren’t they afraid of divine retribution?!”
“What are they doing! They definitely want to unify the Southern Spirit Great Wilderness and scheme a terrifying conspiracy!”
“Sacrificing millions of Cultivators! They must be refining some powerful demonic artifact!”
…
The Golden Core cultivators couldn't help but discuss heatedly, all startled by the Nine Demon Sect's actions, and couldn't help but speculate.
Li Mu's heart was greatly shaken. He couldn't help but think of Tianjue Demon Lord, Nine Nether Demon Lord, the Undying Demon Lice Armor worn by the Nascent Soul Demon Cultivators, and the four scenes he had glimpsed in the future. His brows furrowed, and he vaguely felt uneasy.
The Nine Demon Sect acting so ostentatiously must hide some unspeakable secret. Could they be the ‘culprits’ who will cause him to fall into a desperate situation surrounded by a large army in the future?
Thinking of this, Li Mu's heart grew cold, and his desire to improve his cultivation became even more urgent. He wanted to advance to Soul Transformation as soon as possible, leave the Southern Spirit Great Wilderness, and head to the Central Continent Spirit Domain, to stay away from the great catastrophe that would occur in the Southern Spirit Great Wilderness in the future.
The Central Continent Spirit Domain has several Immortal Sects and Eight Great Families. If a catastrophe occurs, they will naturally bear the brunt first, so there is no need to worry about life-threatening danger.
Because of this explosive news, the main hall on the first floor of Tianji Pavilion became extremely lively.
The Cultivators discussed incessantly, and the Tea Master explained in detail the relevant information about the Xuantian Sword Sect’s conscription order. The generous rewards attracted many Golden Core Loose Cultivators, immediately sparking an even livelier discussion.
“A major Sect’s move is indeed extraordinary! Responding to the conscription and serving for three years can only earn ten five-order Bodhi Pills!”
“Yes! With the help of this Bodhi Pill, the chance of advancing to Nascent Soul increases by at least thirty percent!”
“Alas! Those Immortal Sects offer such prices to tempt us. Three years is too long, clearly they want us to be cannon fodder. Spirit Pills are good, but one must have the life to enjoy them!”
“Indeed! These Medicinal Pills are not easy to earn! How can the Nine Demon Sect be provoked? Fighting for three years, in the end, one might not even have the life to enjoy them!”
“That is true, however, Opportunity is right before our eyes. If we don’t fight for it, the chance of advancing to Nascent Soul is slim, and we will die under the Lightning Tribulation anyway. Brother Cao, Brother Chen, are you willing?!”
…
In the hall, the Golden Core cultivators argued endlessly, sighing repeatedly. They were extremely envious of the prices offered by the Immortal Sects but also feared the Nine Demon Sect’s fierce reputation, daring not to enlist, leading to constant disputes.
Seeing this scene, Li Mu couldn't help but frown deeply.
The few Immortal Sects in the Central Continent Spirit Domain probably realized the threat of the Nine Demon Sect and were willing to invest heavily to conscript Southern Spirit Loose Cultivators to participate in the demon-extermination war.
In the near future, a great war will break out in the Southern Spirit Great Wilderness, and various Spiritual Materials and Artifact Refining Materials will likely see a surge in prices. At that time, lives will be devastated, and even if he hides in Yin Yang Valley, he will probably suffer some impact.
Thinking of this, the Qingxu Spirit Tea in Li Mu's hand suddenly lost its flavor!
“You, take me to the Celestial Mystery Chamber. I want to buy intelligence!” Li Mu waved to the maid serving beside him, indicating.
“Alright, Senior, please follow me upstairs!” The pink-skirted maid gladly accepted, made a respectful gesture, and enthusiastically led the way.
Li Mu nodded and followed the maid upstairs, entering a secret chamber.
“Junior Martial Uncle Ren, this Senior wants to purchase intelligence. Please trouble you to entertain him.” The maid led Li Mu into the Celestial Mystery Chamber and introduced a thin old man with white hair and beard, a Golden Core Late Stage Cultivator.
“Good, good, Senior, welcome! Please take a seat.” Ren Wancheng made an inviting gesture, inviting Li Mu to sit down.
Li Mu nodded and took a seat on the sandalwood chair opposite Ren Wancheng.
Watching the maid leave and close the door of the Celestial Mystery Chamber, Ren Wancheng stroked his long white beard and looked at Li Mu, respectfully asking, “Senior, what kind of intelligence are you looking for? Tianji Pavilion’s intelligence has always been accurate, and it will surely satisfy you.”
“Hmm, I want to inquire about Spiritual Items that increase spirituality and Comprehension Ability. Does Tianji Pavilion have intelligence in this regard?” Li Mu looked at Ren Wancheng, getting straight to the point.
Due to a lack of spirituality and insufficient Aptitude, Li Mu's several Refining Skills and Symbol Making Arts were stuck at Rank 5 and could not be further improved.
There is a six-order Nine Yin Spirit Grass in the storage compartment, and a six-order nine yang spirit grass in the Celestial Void Cauldron that has not yet matured. After the Nine Yang Spirit Grass matures, taking both together will neutralize the medicinal power, and both have the characteristic of enhancing spirituality and Aptitude.
However, he couldn't put all his hopes on the two Spiritual Plants. If the spirituality they provided was insufficient and he still couldn't improve his Artifact Refining Rank, Li Mu's plan would be completely ruined.
Li Mu had stored a large amount of six-tier Spiritual Materials, waiting for his Artifact Refining Skill to reach Rank 6 to refine six-tier spirit treasures and enhance his combat power!
Therefore, one of the purposes of his visit to Tianji Pavilion today was to inquire about Spiritual Items that improve Aptitude and increase spirituality.
Upon hearing Li Mu's intelligence request, Ren Wancheng nodded knowingly and smiled, indicating, “Of course, we do. However, Heavenly Spiritual Items that increase Aptitude, spirituality, and Comprehension Ability, and improve Physique, are all rare treasures, extremely difficult to obtain. To purchase this type of intelligence, you need to consult our pavilion’s Mystic Secret Mirror to confirm the information. Senior, are you sure you want to purchase it?”
“Using our pavilion’s Mystic Secret Mirror to obtain intelligence requires consuming a certain amount of Spirit Stones, and the price is not cheap. You need to pay a portion of the fee in advance, Senior!” Ren Wancheng looked at Li Mu, adding a reminder.
Li Mu knew about Tianji Pavilion’s Mystic Secret Mirror; it was a high-tier Spirit Treasure containing the Dao of Karma. As for whether it was six-tier, seven-tier, or even higher, that was beyond his knowledge.
The reason Tianji Pavilion could be ‘famous throughout the world’ was not unrelated to the power of this Mystic Secret Mirror.
If his Artifact Refining Skill could be raised to Rank 6, refining a divination-type Spirit Treasure with a seven-tier star beast remnant pearl and a six-tier spirit luck profound tortoise shell should have similar functions.
These thoughts flashed through Li Mu’s mind, and he nodded with a smile: “It’s only right. As long as I can get useful intelligence, I’m willing to pay whatever amount of Spirit Stones is required!”
“The Mystic Secret Mirror will never disappoint you, Senior. Please pay 100,000 medium spirit stones first. The price for the relevant intelligence will be calculated separately later.” Ren Wancheng looked at Li Mu, saying with full confidence.
Li Mu nodded knowingly, extended his hand, and performed a spell at the sandalwood table, taking out one thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones from his nine storage spiritual pearl.
The next second, a pile of crystal-clear, fist-sized High-Grade Spirit Stones, full of abundant Spiritual Qi, appeared out of thin air, forming a small mountain on the sandalwood table. A rich spiritual mist immediately diffused, invigorating one's spirit.
Ren Wancheng’s eyes lit up, and he quickly waved his hand to collect the pile of Spirit Stones, simultaneously verifying the count.
“The count is correct, Senior, please wait a moment for me!” Ren Wancheng looked at Li Mu and said with a smile.
Li Mu nodded, silently watching the other party.
Ren Wancheng closed his eyes, his true essence rapidly circulating within his body, emitting a mysterious fluctuation that surged towards the top of the Tianji Building. He must have been operating some special Cultivation Technique, currently contacting the Mystic Secret Mirror’s Clone.
About a quarter of an hour passed, and Li Mu waited patiently.
Ren Wancheng opened his eyes and introduced to Li Mu, “Senior, the Mystic Secret Mirror has given detailed feedback. There are a total of one hundred forty-seven types of Spiritual Items that enhance Comprehension Ability, spirituality, and other Aptitudes, ranging from third-tier to ninth-tier. Of course, the Mystic Secret Mirror lists Spiritual Items that exist in this realm. If it were outside domains, this number would be even greater.”
After speaking, Ren Wancheng took out a white Jade Slip, imbued it with his Divine Thought, and inscribed the names of the one hundred forty-seven Spiritual Items.
“Senior, please take a look. The Jade Slip records all the Spiritual Item information. If you need detailed intelligence on a certain Spiritual Item, feel free to ask me. There are corresponding intelligence prices marked later.” Ren Wancheng respectfully handed the white Jade Slip to Li Mu with both hands.
Li Mu nodded, accepted the Jade Slip, and immediately immersed his Divine Sense to examine it.
Third-tier Thousand-Year Ginseng, a thousand-year-old medicinal spirit, transforms from mortal to spirit, skilled in earth-escape techniques. After consumption, it enhances vital blood, improves spiritual essence, and slightly increases Comprehension Ability; detailed intelligence price: 50,000 Medium Grade Spirit Stones.
Fourth-tier Heavenly Wisdom Spirit Fruit, a spirit fruit produced by a Heavenly Wisdom Tree every hundred years, opens wisdom and enlightenment. After consumption, it has the effect of increasing wisdom and enlightenment; detailed intelligence price: 100,000 Medium Grade Spirit Stones.
Fourth-tier Myriad Spirit Stone Milk, milk formed by the condensation of Heavenly Spiritual Veins over ten thousand years. After consumption, it has the effect of increasing intelligence and improving Aptitude; detailed intelligence price: 150,000 Medium Grade Spirit Stones.
…
Seventh-tier Firmament Primordial Spirit Fruit, a spirit fruit produced by the Heavenly Spiritual Root - Firmament Primordial Spirit Tree, after a thousand years of growth. After consumption, it has the effect of Firmament Primordial baptism, enhancing Spiritual Root, greatly increasing spirituality and Comprehension Ability, and reversing Aptitude; detailed price: 1.2 million Medium Grade Spirit Stones.
…
Ninth-tier Creation Lightning Fruit, conceived in a place of pure Heavenly Lightning Essence, taking ten thousand years to form. After consumption, it has the effect of Lightning Spirit marrow cleansing, comprehending the Heavenly Lightning Dao, unblocking all meridians, and opening all seven orifices; detailed price: 10,000 Top-Grade Spirit Stones.
…
One hundred forty-seven types of Spiritual Items capable of enhancing Aptitude were introduced one by one, from third-tier to ninth-tier. Each was accompanied by a general description and a subsequent detailed intelligence price. The six-order Nine Yin Spirit Grass and six-order nine yang spirit grass were also recorded within.
This intelligence transaction was too worthwhile. Li Mu obtained a lot of intelligence regarding Spiritual Items that improve Aptitude. In the future, he could focus on collecting them, no longer fearing insufficient Aptitude or spirituality.
However, each of these Spiritual Items that improve Aptitude is extremely extraordinary. Even the lowest, the third-tier Thousand-Year Ginseng, possesses the ability to shed its mortal form, become spiritual, and is skilled in earth-escape techniques. For a Spiritual Plant with such abilities, trying to capture it is no less difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.
Seeing Li Mu finish examining the Jade Slip with his Divine Sense and fall into silence.
Ren Wancheng quickly asked with concern, “Senior, how is it? Is there a Spiritual Item you are interested in? If there is a need, I can continue to inquire for you from the Mystic Secret Mirror.”
Upon hearing this, Li Mu couldn't help but show a wry smile. None of these Spiritual Items were easy to find. Even if he, alone, obtained detailed intelligence, it would probably be difficult to acquire them.
Li Mu did not want to waste time and energy on such matters. Moreover, he already possessed the Nine Yin Spirit Grass and Nine Yang Spirit Grass, two Spiritual Items that could improve Aptitude and enhance spirituality. Now, he only needed to wait for the Nine Yang Spirit Grass in the Celestial Void Cauldron to mature.
From the information listed in this intelligence, Li Mu learned the preciousness of the six-order nine yang spirit grass and Nine Yin Spirit Grass, and he couldn't help but feel more confident in their ability to improve Aptitude, increase spirituality, and raise his Artifact Refining Skill to Rank 6.
Li Mu looked at the other party and asked with a smile, “You also know the difficulty of obtaining these Spiritual Items. If I ask for detailed intelligence, acquiring them probably won’t be easy, right?”
Li Mu thought for a moment and then added, looking at the old man, “I’d rather directly issue a bounty order to your esteemed pavilion! How about it, is your esteemed pavilion willing to accept my bounty?”
Hearing Li Mu say this, Ren Wancheng couldn't help but feel a little regretful. Compared to the Spirit Stones earned from selling intelligence, accepting bounty commissions was not only more troublesome, but his commission was also much smaller.
However, as he said, these Spiritual Items are extremely hard to find. Having an organization helps somewhat, but relying on an individual to find such Spiritual Items is even more difficult.
“Of course, no problem. What Spiritual Items do you wish to put a bounty on, Senior? Their value is obvious to all, so issuing a bounty won’t be cheap.” Ren Wancheng looked at Li Mu and asked respectfully.
“I know. I’ll put bounties on all these fifth-tier and sixth-tier Spiritual Items. Is two corresponding-tier Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts for one Aptitude-enhancing Spiritual Item enough?” Li Mu nodded with a smile, looking at the other party and asking.
Hearing this, Ren Wancheng was startled, his eyes wide. He looked at Li Mu and asked in disbelief, “Senior, you can produce such high-tier Spiritual Artifacts? If a bounty for a six-tier Aptitude-enhancing Spiritual Item is successful, you’d have to pay two six-tier Spiritual Artifacts. You’re not joking, are you?!”
“No problem. If I can obtain a six-tier Spiritual Item, what’s the harm in giving two six-tier Spiritual Artifacts? Just issue this bounty order. If the Spiritual Artifacts are insufficient, I’ll make up the difference with Spirit Stones.” Li Mu said with a smile.
“Alright, this bounty is suitable for a wide-release bounty. Senior, you need to pay 300,000 medium spirit stones in advance.” Ren Wancheng nodded, confirming.
“Okay! I’ll ask for some other intelligence, and we’ll settle the bill together later!” Li Mu nodded happily and continued.
“Of course, no problem, Senior. Whatever you want to know, just ask!” Ren Wancheng’s eyes lit up, and he said expectantly.
Li Mu pondered for a moment, then asked something that shocked Ren Wancheng.