“Perhaps reaching the legendary state of being free from all desires would allow one to resist the corruption of Mister Bai.”
“But then again, if one truly has no desires for anything…”
“Then they wouldn’t crave [Truth] anymore.”
Li Fan shook his head slightly and dismissed this unrealistic thought from his mind.
With a light tap of his index finger, he suspended the Dissociation Disc in midair. Then, he retrieved eight white, glowing crystals from his storage ring.
“If a crisis arises and I need to use a formation to attract the attention of the Tianxuan Mirror through the Dissociation Disc, there certainly won’t be enough time for me to set it up slowly. I must prepare in advance.”
With this in mind, Li Fan narrowed his eyes and began injecting the information of the [Great Reversal Life-and-Death Formation] into the eight glowing crystals.
These crystals, known as Formation Crystals, function similarly to Formation Crowns in that they can record and store formation techniques. However, while Formation Crowns can be reused multiple times, Formation Crystals are disposable.
Each Formation Crystal was inscribed with a portion of the formation’s data. Then, Li Fan arranged them to hover around the Dissociation Disc.
As Li Fan gazed at the eight flickering white crystals, he set up an additional formation around them as a safeguard against unexpected incidents.
Next was the [Tianxuan Spirit-Locking Formation].
After repeating these meticulous steps, the Dissociation Disc, now encased by sixteen glowing crystals, had become almost unrecognizable.
Carefully, Li Fan placed it into a separate, empty storage ring.
“I’m still unsure whether the Tianxuan Secondary Body remains connected to the Tianxuan Mirror. This is merely a contingency plan.”
“I must be fully prepared and give it my all.”
Leaving the secret chamber, Li Fan made his way to the Qianli Hall in Tianquan City.
The place was practically deserted, and even the shop’s sign was hanging crookedly. Not even Jiao Xiuyuan had come out to fix it.
“I heard that the business of Qianli Hall has been declining. Seems that was true,” Li Fan thought as he stepped inside.
With the growing popularity of the Tianxuan Treasure Record, cultivators could now conduct transactions seamlessly across dozens of provinces.
Trades could be made anytime, anywhere, with almost no restrictions.
Moreover, due to the widespread availability of information, product prices had become nearly transparent.
For merchants like Jiao Xiuyuan, this was nothing short of a devastating blow. Countless shops vanished overnight.
Fortunately for Jiao Xiuyuan, he ran his business primarily to support his cultivation. As long as he didn’t suffer losses, it wasn’t a life-or-death concern. True profit was not his top priority.
However, it was evident that losing his foundation for cultivation had taken a toll on him.
“What should I do…”
Jiao Xiuyuan lay listlessly behind a wooden counter covered in dust, muttering to himself.
So deep was he in thought that he failed to notice someone entering.
Li Fan knocked lightly.
Jiao Xiuyuan jolted up in shock. “A customer?”
He eyed Li Fan with suspicion, disbelief still lingering on his face.
Li Fan, in turn, scrutinized Jiao Xiuyuan’s puppet body, staring so intently that it made the latter feel uneasy.
“You…” Jiao Xiuyuan asked hesitantly.
“Daoist Jiao, would you be willing to sell this puppet body of yours? I’m open to negotiation!” Li Fan said with a smile.
Jiao Xiuyuan’s expression darkened, and he slammed the table, about to retort angrily—only to stop abruptly.
His eyes locked onto the object Li Fan had quietly taken out.
“This is…” A well-traveled merchant like him recognized it almost immediately—its aura was similar to that of the Tianxuan Mirror.
“A Tianxuan Secondary Body?” Jiao Xiuyuan was utterly shocked.
In the entire Xuanhuang Realm, the total number of Tianxuan Secondary Bodies did not exceed fifty.
Each possessed unique and extraordinary abilities, making them incredibly rare and valuable. No cultivator would willingly part with one.
A flood of information regarding different Tianxuan Secondary Bodies flashed through Jiao Xiuyuan’s mind, yet none matched the item before him.
Jiao Xiuyuan’s heart pounded with excitement. He waved his hand to close the shop’s door and warmly welcomed Li Fan.
“Of course, of course! A mere puppet body? That’s not a problem at all.”
“But, I’m curious… the item in your hands, what exactly is it?” Jiao Xiuyuan lowered his voice and cautiously inquired.
Li Fan answered without hesitation, “Tianxuan Secondary Body, Endstone Plate.”
“It can block the perception of the Tianxuan Mirror and Tianxuan Treasure Record.”
Upon hearing Li Fan’s first sentence, Jiao Xiuyuan’s eyes lit up with excitement.
But the moment Li Fan spoke the second sentence, he shuddered violently.
Instinctively, he glanced around and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
“Is this true?”
However, his expression quickly changed.
A trace of greed flashed in his eyes as he reached out, wanting to touch the item.
To his surprise, Li Fan did not stop him from doing so.
Instead, he allowed him to take the Endstone Disc into his hands.
“Hmm?” Jiao Xiuyuan examined the jade-like disc with some doubt.
He flipped it back and forth.
Moments later, his expression turned to shock.
Gripping it tightly, he looked up at Li Fan, whose expression was unreadable.
“Fellow Daoist…”
Li Fan raised a hand, cutting him off. “Daoist Jiao, what do you think this item is worth?”
“Incalculable! The stronger the Tianxuan Mirror becomes, the more desperate cultivators will be for this item, and the higher its value will be!” Jiao Xiuyuan blurted out without thinking.
“What price do you want to sell it for?” He naturally did not believe that Li Fan would trade such a precious treasure just for a mere puppet body. He immediately asked.
In that instant, a new business strategy formed in his mind.
He realized his future path—high-end, monopolized goods.
Public information about commodities?
If he was the only one in the world with this item, wouldn’t he be the one to set the price?
With his vast network of stores and unmatched publicity capabilities…
If every premium item were sold through auctions…
Although the scale of his business might shrink, his profits might not only remain unaffected but could even increase further.
Jiao Xiuyuan’s mind was filled with grand visions of the future.
But Li Fan’s next words abruptly pulled him back to reality.
“Haven’t I made myself clear? Just a single puppet body from you, Fellow Daoist.”
Li Fan’s calm and indifferent tone left Jiao Xiuyuan momentarily stunned.
Doubt crept into his heart.
“Could it be… I misjudged? Is this thing actually a fake?”
He secretly examined the Endstone Plate in his hands once again.
“Daoist Jiao, there’s no need to worry. The effects of this item are beyond question.”
“However, my request might be… a bit unusual,” Li Fan said in a deep and meaningful tone.
Jiao Xiuyuan’s expression flickered with uncertainty.
But as Li Fan continued to send him transmissions, his face changed to one of surprise.
Then, he nodded repeatedly.
Inside Qianli Hall, the two conversed for a long time.
Eventually, Li Fan left quietly without retrieving the Endstone Plate.
Likewise, he did not take the puppet body with him.