209: Chapter 209 Forming a Spiritual Object! Numerous Opportunities Arise in Ascending Star City! Huge Gains!

Chapter Two Hundred and Nine: nascent soul formation spiritual item! Repeated Opportunities in Dengxing City! Massive Harvest!

Inside the secret room, it was quiet, with only the occasional faint gurgling sound from the spirit eye spring.

Lu Qiu sat upright in the main seat that originally belonged to Nangong Hai, wearing a green robe and looking calm.

The chair was carved entirely from thousand-year-old warm jade; sitting on it was warm and comfortable, with Spiritual Qi faintly seeping into his body, clearly making it a treasure as well.

He leaned back against the chair, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, producing a rhythmic "thump, thump" sound.

Nangong Hai stood to the side with his hands down, his posture respectful and his gaze lowered, like the most loyal servant.

This once-mighty Vice Hall Master of Liulian Hall, a powerhouse at the False Nascent Soul Realm, didn't even dare to breathe loudly now, for fear of disturbing his master's thoughts.

Lu Qiu held an exquisite Storage Pouch in his hand, the opening already unsealed. He was extending his Divine Sense into it, carefully examining the contents.

This was Nangong Hai's Storage Pouch.

As a Pseudo-Nascent Soul Cultivator and the Vice Hall Master of Liulian Hall, Nangong Hai's wealth was naturally incredibly vast.

As Lu Qiu's Divine Sense swept through, a look of satisfaction gradually appeared on his face, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Low-Grade Spirit Stones, over three hundred thousand of them, were neatly stacked in a corner of the Storage Pouch, forming a small hill.

Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, over five thousand pieces, their Spiritual Qi even more pure, emitted a soft glow.

Any one of these Mid-Grade Spirit Stones could be exchanged for a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and even then, they were often in high demand but low supply.

Over five thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, converted to Low-Grade Spirit Stones, would be over five hundred thousand!

What surprised Lu Qiu even more was that there were also over a dozen High-Grade Spirit Stones!

These High-Grade Spirit Stones contained extremely pure and majestic spiritual power. Each one was priceless, a dream treasure for Late Core Formation Stage Cultivators when attempting to break through their Bottleneck.

One High-Grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for a hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, which was ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

These dozen or so High-Grade Spirit Stones were worth over a hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

Just the Spirit Stones alone added up to nearly a million!

Lu Qiu clicked his tongue inwardly.

This Nangong Hai was truly filthy rich.

According to Nangong Hai, these Spirit Stones did not belong to him personally.

Most of them were to be handed over to the high-level members of the Nixing Alliance.

Besides the Spirit Stones, there were also four Magic Treasures.

The first was a longsword, deep blue throughout, its blade biting with cold. A thumb-sized blue gemstone was embedded in the hilt, emitting a faint cold mist.

Lu Qiu gave it a light flick, and the blade produced a crisp hum, causing fine ice crystals to instantly condense in the air.

It was clearly an ice-attribute Magic Treasure with impressive power.

The second was a palm-sized bronze mirror, its surface as smooth as glass, emitting a faint golden light. When Lu Qiu activated it with magical power, the bronze mirror immediately burst with golden light, forming a golden light shield in front of him.

It was a defensive Magic Treasure of good quality.

The third was a small black banner, its surface embroidered with a hideous ghost head, emitting an eerie aura.

With a gentle shake, bursts of ghostly wailing and howling were heard, unsettling the mind; it was a Demonic Path Magic Treasure.

The fourth was an all-crimson jade Seal, its knob carved into a lifelike Phoenix, emitting a scorching aura.

When Lu Qiu activated it with magical power, the Phoenix seemed to come to life, letting out a crisp cry and spreading its wings as if to fly.

It was a fire-attribute Magic Treasure that faintly resonated with his Chixiao True Fire.

The four Magic Treasures each had their own unique uses, and each would be worth tens of thousands of Spirit Stones if sold.

There were also three ancient treasures.

The first was a palm-sized small bronze bell, its body covered in profound runes, emitting an ancient aura.

Lu Qiu gave it a gentle shake, and the small bell let out a soft "dong" sound. The sound went straight into the Divine Soul, causing the mind to tremble. It was a sonic-type ancient treasure that could attack the Primordial Spirit.

The second was a string of eighteen black beads, each carved with a hideous ghost face, emitting a cold aura. Lu Qiu probed with his Divine Sense and sensed that a wisp of a yin soul was sealed within each bead; once released, they could transform into malevolent ghosts to attack enemies. It was a sinister ancient treasure.

The third was a foot-long jade ruler, white as jade and emitting a soft light. Holding it in his hand, Lu Qiu could sense the power of suppression contained within; with a gentle wave, it had the effect of imprisoning space. It was an auxiliary ancient treasure.

The value of an ancient treasure far exceeded that of a Magic Treasure. Although these three ancient treasures could not compare to the top-tier items in Lu Qiu's Possession like the space locking mirror and yinming sword, they each had their uses and were worth a lot. Selling them would bring in at least several hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

In addition to these, there were also a large number of Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and various rare spiritual Materials, neatly arranged in various corners of the Storage Pouch.

There were those for healing, for restoring magical power, for advancing cultivation, and for breaking through Bottlenecks—a dazzling and diverse array of types.

Lu Qiu's Divine Sense slowly swept over those pill bottles when suddenly, his heart skipped a beat!

In a jade bottle sealed with a Spirit Sealing Talisman, he sensed an extremely special fluctuation of medicinal power.

That medicinal power was gentle and mellow, yet it also contained an indescribable mystery, as if it could reach straight into the depths of the Primordial Spirit, making one's mind clear.

With a thought, the jade bottle flew out of the Storage Pouch and landed in his palm.

The jade bottle was pure white and warm as jade, with two ancient characters carved on the body—"Soul Soothing".

Lu Qiu's pupils constricted slightly.

He took a deep breath, peeled off the Spirit Sealing Talisman, and slowly opened the bottle cap.

A clear medicinal fragrance wafted out, instantly filling the entire secret room.

The fragrance made his mind clear and his stray thoughts vanish, as if even his Primordial Spirit was being nourished, and his whole being felt a bit lighter.

Inside the bottle lay a longan-sized, pale-golden Medicinal Pill.

Cloud patterns faintly flowed on the surface of the pill, which emitted a soft light. The light was gentle and not piercing, as if it could penetrate straight into one's heart.

soul quelling pill!

A nascent soul formation spiritual item!

Lu Qiu's heart shook violently, and an uncontrollable surprise erupted in his eyes!

This pill calms the mind and settles the soul, resisting illusions and Heart Demons, allowing a Cultivator to remain clear-headed during the turbulent Primordial Spirit phase of Nascent Soul formation, avoiding Qi Deviation.

For a Cultivator attempting to reach the Nascent Soul stage, this was a dream treasure, a ladder to a higher Realm!

The Qing Yang Pill Scripture also had records of this pill, but the Spirit Medicines required for its refinement were extremely rare, each one being a precious item that could only be found by chance.

Even if Lu Qiu wanted to refine it, he would have to spend a great deal of energy and time searching for the Materials, and he might not even be able to gather them all.

Some Materials even required venturing deep into dangerous places, risking his life to find them.

He hadn't expected that Nangong Hai would have one here!

Lu Qiu looked up at Nangong Hai, who was standing with his hands down, his eyes flashing with sharp light.

He asked slowly, his voice calm but carrying a sense of pressure:

"Was this soul quelling pill prepared for yourself?"

Nangong Hai lowered his head respectfully, not daring to look Lu Qiu in the eye.

He answered honestly, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness and unwillingness, but mostly resignation:

"Replying to Master, it was indeed. I have been stuck at the False Nascent Soul Realm for many years and never dared to rashly attempt to reach the Nascent Soul stage because I didn't have full confidence. Forming a Nascent Soul is perilous, a life-and-death struggle; I have personally seen too many fellow Cultivators of the same rank suffer Qi Deviation while attempting it, turning into a pile of dry bones. This soul quelling pill was refined by a Great Master of Alchemy from the Four Great Merchant Alliances after I spent a hundred years collecting Materials through various channels. I originally intended to take it when the time was right to increase my chances by ten or twenty percent, but I didn't expect..."

He paused and did not continue.

But the implication was clear to Lu Qiu.

He didn't expect it to benefit Lu Qiu instead.

Lu Qiu nodded, a hint of a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

In that smile, there was satisfaction, luck, and a sense of irony about the whims of fate.

Nangong Hai was already a Pseudo-Nascent Soul Cultivator, only one step away from the Nascent Soul stage.

This soul quelling pill should have been the nascent soul formation spiritual item he prepared for himself, his greatest trump card for reaching the Nascent Soul stage. Now, it had benefited him instead.

Lu Qiu was overjoyed.

He was already at the Late Core Formation Stage, and his next goal was to form a Nascent Soul.

Just for this one soul quelling pill, this trip to Dengxing City was worth it!

Even if he gained nothing else, this pill alone made the trip worthwhile!

He carefully resealed the jade bottle, put it into his own Storage Pouch, and checked it again to ensure everything was secure.

...

A moment later, the stone door of the secret room slowly opened.

Lu Qiu stepped out, his expression normal and his pace composed.

He straightened his robes, a faint smile on his face, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Gu Yuan was indeed still waiting outside.

This Elder Gu was leaning against the wall of the passage, his hands tucked into his sleeves and his eyes closed, seemingly dozing.

But as soon as Lu Qiu appeared, he immediately opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them like a hawk's.

That gaze quickly swept over Lu Qiu, from top to bottom and bottom to top, as if trying to find some trace of what had happened.

But Lu Qiu's expression was calm and his aura steady, showing no signs of anything unusual. He even nodded to Gu Yuan in greeting.

Gu Yuan's heart settled.

In his view, since Lu Qiu could walk out alive, he must already be "one of them."

Otherwise, with Hall Master Nangong's way of doing things, how could he let an outsider who knew the secrets of the Nixing Alliance leave alive?

Something must have happened in that secret room to make Lu Qiu completely submit.

A smile immediately piled up on his face, sincere and warm, as he quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands:

"Congratulations, Elder Lu, on gaining the favor of Hall Master Nangong. You have a limitless future ahead!"

His voice was thick with envy and flattery, as if he were truly happy for Lu Qiu.

Lu Qiu was in an excellent mood and didn't bother to argue with him.

He smiled slightly, cupped his hands in return, and spoke with equal warmth:

"Thanks to Elder Gu's blessing. We will be working together from now on. You are a Senior, so you must look after me."

Gu Yuan waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes crinkling with laughter, his expression full of flattered surprise:

"Not at all, not at all. Elder Lu is young and promising; I will have to rely on you in the future! If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me, and I will tell you everything I know. I still have some connections in this Dengxing City, so if Elder Lu needs anything, just say the word."

Lu Qiu cursed inwardly: You old thing, I'll kill you one day.

However, this Gu Yuan was still useful for now.

Gu Yuan was controlled by Nangong Hai, and Nangong Hai was already under his control.

That meant Gu Yuan was also his man.

He was at least a Core Formation Cultivator; keeping him as an errand boy to handle some chores, run errands, and gather information would be fine.

After a few more pleasantries, Gu Yuan tactfully took his leave.

Before leaving, he also warmly invited Lu Qiu to have tea at his place when he had time.

Lu Qiu stood with his hands behind his back, watching the receding figure with a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Next, it was time to find a way to obtain the opportunities pointed out by those few pieces of gold intelligence.

Previously, because he was unfamiliar with Dengxing City, he hadn't acted rashly.

He was afraid of alerting the enemy and attracting unnecessary trouble.

If he were to offend some major power in this unfamiliar place, it would be difficult to clean up the mess.

But now, with Hall Master Nangong, the Vice Hall Master of Liulian Hall, backing him up, he could act with peace of mind.

Although Liulian Hall wasn't a top-tier power on Dengxing Island, it was still considered a local hegemon.

With Nangong Hai supporting him from behind, as long as Lu Qiu didn't seek death by provoking the Island Lord's Mansion or the Four Great Merchant Alliances, protecting him wouldn't be a problem.

Even if those small and medium-sized powers suffered a loss, they would have to weigh the consequences of offending Liulian Hall.

...

Two months later.

Dengxing City, Liulian Hall station, the courtyard where Lu Qiu resided.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the spirit bamboo in the yard, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

A gentle breeze blew, making the bamboo leaves rustle and bringing bursts of fresh fragrance. The spirit eye spring in the courtyard gurgled, its misty vapors permeating the surroundings, making one feel refreshed and happy.

Lu Qiu sat upright on a stone stool in the courtyard, fiddling with a silver bead in his hand.

The bead was only the size of a baby's fist, shimmering with silver light all over, with faint arcs of electricity leaping across its surface.

With every leap, it emitted a heart-palpitating thunderous power, causing even the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

Standing before him was an old man.

The old man wore a gray robe, had a thin face, graying hair, and a face covered in wrinkles, exuding the aura of the False Core Realm.

He stood there with his hands hanging at his sides, but his gaze remained fixed on the silver bead in Lu Qiu's hand, his eyes full of reluctance and struggle, as if he were looking at a child he was about to lose.

This person was none other than Li Hun.

“Li Hun, here are the Core Formation spiritual items you need.” Lu Qiu tossed a Storage Pouch to him.

Li Hun caught it in a flurry, his movements somewhat clumsy, clearly showing his unsettled state of mind.

He took a deep breath and probed his Divine Sense into the Storage Pouch.

Inside, he saw three jade bottles neatly arranged, labeled “snow spirit water,” “heavenly fire liquid,” and “dust settling pill” respectively.

Spirit Sealing Talismans were also attached to the bottle bodies to ensure the medicinal power would not dissipate.

These were precisely the three major Core Formation spiritual items he had dreamed of!

A flash of excitement crossed his eyes, his hands trembled slightly, and his lips quivered, yet he was unable to speak.

He looked up at Lu Qiu, his eyes filled with gratitude and complexity.

“Many thanks, Elder Lu!” He bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly, his bent back remaining down for a long time.

Lu Qiu waved his hand and said indifferently, “The Core Formation spiritual items have been given to you; this bead now belongs to this Elder.”

Li Hun felt a pang in his heart and glanced at the silver bead in Lu Qiu's hand once more, full of reluctance.

That profound thunder pearl was something he had accidentally obtained from an ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave many years ago; he had kept it close to him and cherished it as a treasure.

He had imagined countless times that after forming his core in the future, he could rely on this bead to display Divine Might at a critical moment and make a name for himself.

If he hadn't been truly unable to gather the Core Formation spiritual items and saw his Lifespan nearing its end, he wouldn't have brought it out for trade.

But things had come to this, and he could only accept it.

Lu Qiu carefully examined the silver bead in his hand; it felt heavy and bone-chillingly cold, with thunderous power faintly surging inside.

He tried to activate it with magic power, and the bead instantly erupted with a dazzling silver light, a terrifying thunderous aura spreading out!

The strength of that aura made Li Hun involuntarily take a step back, his face full of horror.

Lu Qiu nodded with satisfaction and put the bead into his Storage Pouch.

“Alright, you may leave.”

Li Hun bowed deeply once more and turned to depart.

His back looked a bit lonely and desolate, but his footsteps were much lighter than when he arrived.

After all, with the Core Formation spiritual items, he could now charge toward that dream Realm.

As long as he successfully achieved Core Formation and his Lifespan greatly increased, what did losing an ancient treasure matter?

Lu Qiu watched his figure disappear outside the courtyard gate, a smile playing on his lips.

This silver bead was precisely the ancient treasure pointed out by one of the pieces of gold intelligence—the profound thunder pearl!

This bead was left behind by an ancient lightning Cultivator and could release terrifying profound lightning attacks of extreme power.

At a critical moment, it was enough to turn the tide of battle.

He watched Li Hun's receding back with a smile.

Through the intelligence personnel of Liulian Hall, Lu Qiu learned that Li Hun was preparing for Core Formation but was struggling because he lacked Spirit Stones to gather Core Formation spiritual items.

He had been stuck at the False Core Realm for nearly fifty years, his Lifespan was running out, and if he delayed any longer, he would truly have no chance.

Thus, this trade came about—exchanging the ancient treasure in his hand for Core Formation spiritual items.

With Vice Hall Master Nangong Hai behind him, Lu Qiu could naturally obtain a set of Core Formation spiritual items with ease.

Exchanging a set of Core Formation spiritual items for a powerful ancient treasure—this deal was far too profitable.

He took out the profound thunder pearl, activated his magic power, and tested it carefully.

The thunderous power contained within the bead was extremely terrifying; once released, it was enough to destroy a small mountain.

The strength of that thunderous power made even him feel a sense of palpitation.

“Not bad, another treasure gained.” Lu Qiu put away the bead with satisfaction.

Over the past two months, he had utilized the power of Liulian Hall, employing various means—either seizing or trading—to gradually obtain the opportunities from the reorganized gold intelligence.

Over two months, a total of seven or eight gold intelligence items had refreshed, and he successfully obtained six of them.

The remaining one or two involved core members of other powers, such as an Elder of the Four Great Merchant Alliances or a Guest Elder of the Island Lord's Mansion; after careful consideration, Lu Qiu decided to give them up.

After all, this was Dengxing Island, where experts were as common as clouds, and acting recklessly could easily invite trouble.

The ones he could get his hands on were all obtained through careful planning, ensuring no future consequences.

Whenever trading was an option, Lu Qiu generally would not choose to seize items by force.

There were quite a few cases like Li Hun's where they agreed to trade.

Exchanging Spirit Stones or resources for treasures allowed both parties to get what they needed, resulting in mutual happiness—why must there be fighting and killing?

Thinking about the harvest of these two months, Lu Qiu felt greatly satisfied.

He now had several more trump cards in his hand.

...

Time flew by, and Lu Qiu had already been on Dengxing Island for a year.

During this year, he Cultivated while gathering opportunities through various channels.

Dengxing City truly lived up to its reputation as an inner star island; opportunities emerged one after another, and gold intelligence refreshed every few days.

Although he gave up on most of them, he would still take action occasionally when he encountered something suitable.

Now, his Foundations had become several degrees deeper.

On this day, he once again came to the secret room where Nangong Hai was located.

The secret room was still deep and hidden, and the Spiritual Qi was still dense.

Nangong Hai was still sitting cross-legged by the spirit eye spring, eyes closed in meditation, with his aura circulating and showing faint signs of a Breakthrough.

Sensing Lu Qiu's arrival, he immediately opened his eyes and stood up to salute:

“Master.”

Lu Qiu nodded and sat down in the main seat.

Nangong Hai took out a Storage Pouch from his robe, handed it over with both hands, and said respectfully: “Master, here are the things you required.”

Lu Qiu took it and probed his Divine Sense inside, inspecting it carefully.

Inside the Storage Pouch, dozens of rare spiritual Materials were neatly arranged—

Three stalks of thousand-year Soul Nourishing Grass, each emitting a faint ghostly light; they were the main Materials for refining Soul Nurturing Pills.

Two thousand-year King Lingzhi mushrooms, with thick caps and clear patterns, emitting a dense medicinal fragrance.

Five Netherworld Flowers, with petals as black as ink, emitting a cold aura; they were necessary for refining certain Medicinal Pills.

One Three-Leaf Green Lotus, with leaves as green as emerald and flowers as white as jade, emitting a refined fragrance.

A piece of Profound Ice Jade, crystal clear and bitingly cold; it was a top-grade material for refining ice-attribute Magic Treasures.

A piece of Fire Copper Essence Gold, crimson all over and emitting a scorching aura; it was a top-grade material for refining fire-attribute Magic Treasures.

Twenty Void Gazer Stones, even purer than the ones harvested last time; they were necessary for refining space-type Magic Treasures.

Three pieces of Deep Sea Profound Iron, each the size of a fist; they were common Materials for refining Magic Treasures.

...

Every single item was a material listed on his inventory, and their quality was superb, far exceeding his expectations.

He checked them over once and showed a satisfied smile.

As the Vice Hall Master of Liulian Hall, Nangong Hai's power was not inferior to the Hall Master's, so his efficiency in searching for resources was naturally higher.

With one command, his subordinates searched everywhere, finding these rare spiritual Materials one by one through various channels.

Some were purchased from market cities, some were traded from other Cultivators, and some were risked for in dangerous lands.

Now, in just one year, they were basically all gathered.

Lu Qiu put away the Storage Pouch, looked at Nangong Hai, and said indifferently: “You have done well.”

Nangong Hai said respectfully: “To serve Master is my duty. I would not dare to neglect the matters Master has entrusted to me.”

Lu Qiu nodded and asked again: “Is there any movement from the Nixing Alliance recently?”

Nangong Hai's expression turned solemn as he lowered his voice: “Reporting to Master, the Nixing Alliance is secretly gathering its forces; it is said there will be a major move soon. I am not yet clear on the specific plan, but I estimate it involves overthrowing the Star Palace. I have heard that the Myriad Laws Sect and the Six Paths Extreme Sage are doing their best to recruit high-level Cultivators, seemingly preparing for a major event.”

Lu Qiu gave a cold laugh.

Overthrowing the Star Palace? It wouldn't be that easy.

The Star Palace had ruled the Chaotic Star Sea for thousands of years, with deep roots and experts as common as clouds; how could the Nixing Alliance overthrow it just by saying so?

In the original story, although the Nixing Alliance was once powerful, it was eventually suppressed by the Star Palace, suffering a great loss of vitality.

If it weren't for the Six Paths Extreme Sage finally performing a Possession of Wan Tianming, the Nixing Alliance would have been wiped out in that battle.

However, none of this had anything to do with him.

He only wanted to Cultivate in peace and pursue longevity.

He did not want to get involved in the vortex between these two major powers.

But now, he was already in the game.

Nangong Hai was his man, and Liulian Hall was a power he secretly controlled.

If the Nixing Alliance truly made a major move, it would be impossible for him to stay completely out of it.

When the time came, whether it was the Star Palace or the Nixing Alliance, they would both treat Liulian Hall as a pawn.

“Keep paying attention,” Lu Qiu ordered. “If there is any important information, notify me immediately. Especially if it involves Liulian Hall, report it in a timely manner.”

Nangong Hai respectfully replied: “Yes. Rest assured, Master, I am keeping a close watch at all times.”