68: Chapter 68 The Metal of Geng has been shrouded in dust for twenty years!

[With a thought, you activated 【Thousand Faces (Green)】.]

[Your stature, appearance, and bone structure all began to undergo a marvelous transformation.]

[A moment later, a tall, rugged-looking Loose Cultivator with a full beard and a hearty, uninhibited air appeared within the Immortal Cave.]

[You then circulated the 【Breath Concealment Technique】, raising your cultivation aura to the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage. You appeared to have a solid Foundation, yet also carried the somewhat mixed and impure aura characteristic of a Loose Cultivator.]

["Hmm, this image is good. It won't attract too much attention, but it also won't make people think I'm a soft target to be bullied."]

[Looking at your brand-new face in the water mirror, you nodded with satisfaction.]

[Your goal for this trip was to gather information.]

[In the entire Northern Region cultivation world, the places with the most well-informed news and the widest networks were undoubtedly those large Cultivator markets.]

[You decided to first head to the largest market in the Northern Region—Heavenly Star City—to scout the way.]

[You activated 【Carefree Roam (Gold)】, recalling the grand architecture of Heavenly Star City in your mind.]

[Light and shadow shifted, and in the next moment, you appeared in a deserted small grove outside Heavenly Star City.]

[You straightened your robes and then walked towards the city gate in a swaggering manner.]

[Heavenly Star City was as bustling and lively as ever, with people coming and going and Cultivators as numerous as clouds.]

[Walking along the wide streets, you felt the long-lost atmosphere of the mundane world, and your mood lightened considerably.]

[You were in no hurry to gather information; instead, you first found what looked like the most high-end restaurant and walked inside.]

["Sir, please come in!"]

[A sharp-eyed waiter immediately came forward with great enthusiasm.]

["Find me an elegant seat by the window. Bring out all the best spiritual wine and your finest spiritual dishes."]

[You casually tossed out a few Spirit Stones. They were brimming with Spiritual Qi and made a crisp, pleasant clinking sound as they landed in the waiter's hand—a generous tip.]

["Certainly! Please wait a moment, sir. The food will be served right away!"]

[A moment later, a table full of a dazzling array of food and wine was laid out before you.]

[You leisurely took a sip of spiritual wine and savored the taste of the fine delicacies. Your ears twitched slightly as you unobtrusively captured fragments of conversation from the surrounding Cultivators.]

[Restaurants had always been the fastest and most extensive hubs for information distribution.]

["Have you heard? A strange thing happened in the Crimson Trial recently!" a Cultivator lowered his voice, his tone a bit mysterious.]

["What strange thing?" His companion beside him was immediately piqued with intense interest and leaned in closer.]

["Supposedly, when the Disciples of various sects entered the Trial Grounds this time, they were all dumbfounded. Forget about Heaven And Earth Treasures, they couldn't even find a single Spiritual Plant that was slightly aged! It was as if the place had been completely licked clean by some Vicious Beast!"]

["No way? That's too bizarre! I heard that every time the Crimson Trial opens, it's a massive Opportunity!"]

["Tell me about it! The news is spreading like crazy outside now. Some say there's a problem with the Secret Realm itself and its Spiritual Qi has dried up. Others speculate that some peerless expert broke in ahead of time and emptied the entire Secret Realm of its treasures!"]

[Hearing this, the corners of your mouth almost curled up, and you nearly lost your composure and laughed out loud.]

["Cough, cough."]

["A peerless expert? That's right, it's me."]

[You chuckled inwardly; this sense of accomplishment from deceiving everyone was more intoxicating than fine wine.]

[You continued to listen intently, filtering out other scattered bits of news from the noisy chatter.]

...

[After staying in Heavenly Star City for several days and investigating all the necessary intelligence, you quietly left the bustling city.]

[You locked onto your next target—an extremely important "middleman."]

[He was none other than your Third Senior Brother, Qian Duoduo.]

[Although you were now a Core Formation True Person, you had to admit that in terms of weaving social networks and professional intelligence gathering, this "money-grubbing" Senior Brother of yours, Qian Duoduo, was indeed far superior to you.]

[You activated 【Thousand Faces (Green)】 again. This time, you transformed into a middle-aged merchant with shrewd eyes and a kindly face. Then, you deliberately chose to stage a "chance encounter" at the spiritual tea house that Qian Duoduo frequently visited.]

["Oh, isn't this Senior Brother Money from Danxia Peak of the Azure Cloud Sect? I've long heard of your great name, long heard of your great name!"]

[You greeted him enthusiastically, your face covered in the kind of friendly, wealth-inviting smile characteristic of a merchant, as if reuniting with an old friend of many years.]

["And you are?" Qian Duoduo looked at your completely unfamiliar face, a hint of doubt in his eyes.]

["My surname is Wang, and my given name is Fa. My ancestors did a bit of small-scale Ore business in the south. I've always heard that Senior Brother Money is a renowned commercial genius and a fountain of information in the Northern Region. Seeing you today, your reputation is indeed well-deserved, and your bearing is extraordinary!"]

[With your silver tongue, a flurry of business-like flattery, and perfectly timed compliments, you were soon chatting happily with Qian Duoduo, calling each other brothers as if you were old friends.]

[You were well-versed in Qian Duoduo' personality and preferences, tailoring your words to his tastes at every turn. With just a few sentences, you accurately struck a chord deep within his heart.]

["Brother Wang, you are truly a kindred spirit! Come, come, today is on me. We brothers won't return until we're drunk!"]

[Qian Duoduo was coaxed into a state of elation. In a burst of high spirits, he immediately pulled you along and headed straight for the most luxurious restaurant in Heavenly Star City.]

[After three rounds of wine and several courses of food.]

[You estimated that the time was ripe.]

[You pretended to casually set down your wine cup and asked in a calm tone, "Brother Money, I've recently heard a piece of strange news. It's said that at the upcoming Heavenly Star City auction, a piece of 'geng metal from beyond the heavens' will appear. Although I'm in the Ore business and know a thing or two about ordinary Ores, I'm very curious about such a legendary divine object. Since you are so well-informed, Brother Money, could you perhaps share a detail or two to enlighten me?"]

["geng metal from beyond the heavens?" Qian Duoduo was already slightly tipsy. Hearing this, he gave a loud alcoholic burp and then lowered his voice, leaning in toward you mysteriously.]

["Brother Wang, you've certainly asked the right person! Others might not know about such a secret matter, but how could I, Money, not be aware of it?"]

["I happen to know the seller of that piece of Geng Metal! Speaking of which, he's a fellow who had some incredible luck."]

["Oh? How so?" You feigned ignorance, your eyes showing just the right amount of curiosity.]

["Hehe."]

["The story begins twenty-five years ago. At that time, an extraterrestrial meteorite, trailing a long, dazzling tail of flame, streaked across the sky and crashed down. It landed precisely in a Mortal village called 'Niuwei Village' within our Azure Cloud Sect's territory."]

["Niuwei Village?" You knew that the long-awaited main event was finally beginning.]

["Exactly! It crashed right into the wheat field of an old farmer in the village named 'Old Man Wang,' creating a crater several yards deep!"]

["That Old Man Wang went to work in the field the next morning and found a fist-sized, silver-glistening, strange stone at the bottom of the crater."]

["He was an illiterate Mortal, so how could he identify what kind of treasure this was? He just thought the stone looked very pretty, shiny and attractive, so he took it home. After wiping it clean, he placed it on his windowsill as an ordinary ornament."]

["Guess what?" Qian Duoduo paused for effect again, his eyes gleaming with drunken excitement.]

["What happened?" You followed up at the perfect time, coordinating flawlessly.]

["It stayed there for a full twenty-five years!" Qian Duoduo slapped his thigh, his voice rising with surprise and emotion. "Twenty-five years! That was the legendary, rare 'geng metal from beyond the heavens'! It was treated as a piece of junk by an ignorant Mortal and left on a windowsill to endure the wind and sun for twenty-five years! Tell me, isn't that hilarious?"]

["That's... that's too absurd!" You nodded repeatedly, your face showing a forced expression of shock and exaggeration, but in your heart, you were shouting with joy: "Well done, Old Man Wang! You're practically my second father!"]

["Until recently," Qian Duoduo paused and continued, "a passing low-level Loose Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage happened to catch a glimpse of that gleaming stone on Old Man Wang's windowsill. That Cultivator had some discernment and saw at a glance that the object was extraordinary, though he couldn't immediately identify its true origin."]

["So, he developed a bit of greed. He craftily deceived Old Man Wang, saying he liked the 'pretty stone' and was willing to buy it for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone. Old Man Wang, who had never seen a real Spirit Stone in his life, heard it could be exchanged for money and agreed without a second thought."]

["Just like that, that 'geng metal from beyond the heavens,' worth enough to shake the cultivation world, was picked up by that Foundation Establishment kid for a mere single Low-Grade Spirit Stone! What a steal!"]

["Later, that kid took the stone back to the market and had an expert appraise it. He was scared out of his wits on the spot. He knew he couldn't keep such a treasure, as it would only bring him trouble, so he used the channels of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower to put it up for this auction."]

["Tsk tsk, Brother Wang, you see, a person's fate is sometimes just that mysterious and full of variables."]

[After hearing the whole convoluted story, your heart was already blooming with joy, a feeling of happiness beyond words.]

["Brother Money, your information is truly well-informed to the extreme!" You raised your wine cup and praised him sincerely, "I admire you to the point of utter devotion!"]

["Hahaha, it's nothing, it's nothing."]

[After chatting for a while longer, you found a suitable excuse, cupped your hands, and took your leave.]

[Stealing a glance back at the ornate building as you walked out of the brightly lit restaurant, a meaningful, fox-like smile played on your lips.]