Is the ultimate state of detachment from emotions really that harmful are the side effects of dual cultivation?

A strange feeling arose in his heart.

When he had asked the other party to change his appearance earlier, the other had clearly wanted to refuse, yet for some reason, had complied in the end.

Now, with this haggling, the other party's reaction also showed a clear desire to refuse, but the words that came out were an agreement.

Where there is abnormality, there must be trickery.

But not taking advantage of a bargain is for idiots.

Although Lin Yuan had doubts in his heart, his movements were not slow. He immediately counted out three hundred Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch and handed them over, smoothly taking the Jade Slip containing the Cultivation Technique from the stall.

Sinking his Divine Sense into it for a rough scan, a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

This person truly hadn't lied.

This 'Illusion Transformation Art' was indeed profound. Not only could it deeply conceal one's Cultivation, making it difficult to see through unless the observer was a full major Realm higher,

it could also change one's appearance and voice at will. It seemed tailor-made for him.

"Hey! Didn't you just say you wouldn't sell it for less than eight hundred Spirit Stones? Why did you sell it to this guy for three hundred!"

A rough, booming voice exploded beside them.

A middle-aged man with a full beard stormed over angrily, pointing at the stall owner and questioning him.

Clearly, this man had also taken a fancy to this technique earlier and had already engaged in a round of haggling with the stall owner, ultimately stuck at the price of eight hundred Spirit Stones, not a single stone less.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the technique was sold to Lin Yuan for the low price of three hundred Spirit Stones.

The stall owner abruptly clenched his fists.

"It's my stuff, I'll sell it however I want. What's it to you?"

The bearded middle-aged man was choked by his words, opening his mouth but unable to find a retort.

The suspicion in Lin Yuan's heart grew stronger.

He picked up the Jade Slip again, examining it carefully, fearing the technique might have some trap or be incomplete.

But after repeatedly probing it several times, he found nothing amiss.

"Why did you sell it to me so cheaply?"

Lin Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"Because... because..."

The stall owner seemed to use all his strength, squeezing the words out from between his teeth.

"Because I like you!"

That look in his eyes was less the joy of a successful transaction and more one tinged with resentment.

Before Lin Yuan could ask anything more, the stall owner abruptly waved his hand, swept all the remaining scattered items on the stall into his Storage Pouch, turned, and left, disappearing into the crowd without a backward glance.

"Bizarre."

Lin Yuan watched the figure's hurried departure and muttered to himself, but the hand holding the Jade Slip unconsciously tightened its grip.

...

Xue Linglong ran all the way back to her Immortal Cave on Green Bamboo Peak.

With a 'bang', the stone door of the Immortal Cave slammed shut heavily.

"Damn it! How could I run into that guy!"

"Supreme detachment... After that Dual Cultivation with him, the technique backlash, my Dao Heart is tarnished!"

"My mind is drawn to him, I obey his every word!"

She punched the stone wall, her eyes filled with frustration and unwillingness.

That damned technique backlash made it so she couldn't muster any thought of defying Lin Yuan when facing him.

Any request from him, she would subconsciously want to fulfill.

He asked her to demonstrate the technique, so she demonstrated.

He asked her to sell it for three hundred Spirit Stones, so she sold it.

This feeling of being out of her own control was driving her mad.

"And besides, it's only been a few days. How could Lin Yuan possibly have reached the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining!"

"What if... what if he establishes his Foundation, his Lifespan greatly increases... I..."

Xue Linglong didn't dare to think further. She couldn't bear the consequences.

"It seems I must make two preparations."

"I can't just wait for him to grow old and die. I must quickly gather the Materials and refine the supreme detachment pill to reshape my Dao Heart!"

A flash of determination crossed her eyes.

"But before that, I must first gather enough Spirit Stones to buy a foundation establishment pill and attempt Foundation Establishment!"

"Damn it! If I could have sold that 'Illusion Transformation Art' for eight hundred Spirit Stones, I'd have had enough for the foundation establishment pill!"

Thinking of the five hundred Spirit Stones lost for nothing made Xue Linglong's heart bleed.

Lin Yuan did not leave the market immediately.

Instead, he stopped before a stall selling Medicinal Pills.

"Senior Brother, how much for the qi gathering pills?"

The stall owner was a middle-aged Cultivator. Seeing a customer, his face instantly lit up with an enthusiastic smile.

"Junior Brother, you've asked the right person."

"Low Grade qi gathering pills, four Spirit Stones each!"

He picked up a pill, showing it off like a treasure.

"Junior Brother, look, these are the last five. Once they're gone, they're gone!"

Four Spirit Stones?

Lin Yuan's eyelid twitched imperceptibly.

He remembered clearly; the price for Low Grade qi gathering pills in this small market had never crossed the threshold of three Spirit Stones, even at its craziest.

"This expensive, and you call it cheap?"

His voice was flat, betraying neither joy nor anger.

The stall owner, however, wore an expression of 'you don't understand' and lowered his voice.

"Senior Brother, recently the Sect's Alchemy tasks have been numerous and urgent. Most of the pills the Alchemists refine have to be handed over."

"So the ones that can flow into the market are naturally fewer, right?"

"Plus, with our relationship with that Ethereal Dao Sect growing tenser, who doesn't want to keep some pills on hand for survival? With all this back and forth, the price naturally rises!"

Hearing this, Lin Yuan instantly understood.

So that's how it is.

With his current Alchemy skill, one batch of qi gathering pills yielded nine pills.

Among them, four were Low Grade, three were Medium Grade, and he could even produce two High Grade ones.

If priced according to the current market...

Low Grade: four Spirit Stones, Medium Grade: twenty, and High Grade was as high as forty!

One batch of pills would be a full one hundred and fifty-six Spirit Stones!

And the cost? A mere five Spirit Stones!

Thirty times the profit!

A golden, shining path seemed to unfurl before his eyes!

Lin Yuan's heart couldn't help but beat violently.

He lacked Spirit Stones.

"That Wei He went to search for the Earth Core Nether Fire. If I want to help him burn away the corpse poison, I must prepare Cold Marrow Crystal and profound water grass to refine and control this Earth Core Nether Fire."

"Those two are not cheap."

"Not to mention..."

"For my own Foundation Establishment, I must have a foundation establishment pill!"

Whether buying it or refining it himself, it required a large amount of Spirit Stones as support.

...

At the same time.

A thousand miles away from the Yin Corpse Sect, on a desolate mountain peak.

Two streaks of light tore through the sky, crashing heavily to the ground like broken kites, stirring up clouds of dust.

"Pfft!"

Before Yue Qingyao could steady herself, a mouthful of heart's blood sprayed out violently.

Within that bright red blood, strands of black Qi were entangled. As soon as it hit the ground, it corroded the withered earth with a sizzling sound.

Her face instantly turned as pale as paper.

"Mother!"

Su Qinghan let out a shocked cry, rushing forward to support Yue Qingyao.

"I was hit by Devil Xuanyin's Xuan Yin Palm. The Yin poison has begun to erode my Golden Core."

Yue Qingyao wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her voice weak.

"Just now, I forcefully used the Blood Shadow Escape Technique. The injury is completely beyond suppression now."

"Mother, what should we do?!" Su Qinghan's voice was choked with tears.

Yue Qingyao took a deep breath, a flash of resolve in her eyes.

"Right now, the only option is to perform the 'Phoenix Blood Nirvana Method', sealing away all of my Cultivation along with the injury."

Su Qinghan's face immediately paled.

"Mother, once this method is used, your Cultivation will fall to the Qi Refining Realm!"

Yue Qingyao shook her head: "There's no other way now. If I don't do this, I'm afraid I won't last three days!"

"But don't worry. Although this method is perilous, it can completely suppress the Yin poison of the Xuan Yin Palm!"

She looked at her tear-streaked daughter, forcing a faint smile.

"And the Demon Falling Valley will open soon."

"As long as we can enter the valley, find the yang returning lotus, and refine the nirvana pill, I will be able to break the Seal."

"At that time, not only will my injuries be fully healed, but I can also transform the refined Xuan Yin Palm power for my own use, breaking through and establishing anew!"

As she spoke, a startling brilliance burst from her eyes.

"Perhaps... I might even be able to use this to break through the shackles and catch a glimpse of the Nascent Soul Realm!"

Su Qinghan gritted her teeth and nodded.

"I'll protect you during the ritual!"

Yue Qingyao said no more, immediately sitting cross-legged and forming an incredibly profound hand Seal with both hands.

In an instant, the wind rose.

The Spiritual Qi around her instantly ran wild, transforming into a massive vortex!

That immense, irresistible pressure swept out explosively, only to collapse inward completely the next moment!

Yue Qingyao's body was enveloped in a blinding, bloody light.

Within the light, her mature, curvaceous figure began to reverse and shrink at a visible pace.

Her long, black hair lost its color inch by inch, fading to the short hair of a child.

The contours of her peerlessly beautiful face also rapidly receded, finally transforming into the face of a delicate, jade-like girl of about six or seven years old.

The light dissipated.

Sitting cross-legged on the spot was now a little girl wearing a wide Daoist robe, looking somewhat comical.

The aura of Core Formation Perfection that had surrounded her had long since vanished without a trace.

In its place was the Cultivation fluctuation of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.

But only those eyes remained.

Still deep, still calm, as if holding a sea of stars, having endured the vicissitudes of countless ages.

"Mother..."

"It's done."

The little girl spoke, her voice clear and childish, but her tone was exactly the same as before.

"The injuries are completely suppressed."

She stood up, clumsily shaking her little arms and legs, as if adapting to this new body.

"This place isn't safe. Let's return to the Sect."