The second exchange of the private trading banquet soon reached its conclusion, and after the owner of the Dragon Turtle Egg completed his transaction through the Myriad Dao Pavilion's managers, another Golden Core cultivator announced that he had something to offer. His voice was steady, carrying the composure of someone who understood the value of the item in his possession, and when he finished explaining what he wanted in return, the attention of several alchemists in the hall immediately sharpened.
"What I wish to trade is an ancient pill formula known as the Yuan Beast Pill. According to the records accompanying the inheritance, this formula was developed specifically for nurturing spirit beasts, and its medicinal effects should be sufficient to benefit creatures whose cultivation has reached the higher ranks. Judging from the complexity of the formula and the properties of the ingredients it requires, I believe it is approximately Rank 4 in nature."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Unfortunately, some of the spiritual herbs specified in the original recipe can no longer be found in the cultivation world, at least not through the ordinary channels available to me. I have spent years searching for suitable substitutes, but I have yet to produce a satisfactory result. Nevertheless, the formula itself contains considerable alchemical knowledge, and I believe a sufficiently accomplished alchemist might gain some inspiration from studying it. What I want in exchange are Divine Essence Pills capable of enhancing one's divine sense."
The announcement was followed by a short silence, after which several strands of spiritual awareness immediately spread through the hall.
Lin Sheng remained seated, watching the invisible exchanges with mild interest. The Yuan Beast Pill was certainly worth investigating, especially for an alchemist who wished to expand his understanding of Rank 4 medicinal formulas, but the missing ingredients presented an obvious problem. An ancient recipe could contain extraordinary principles, yet if its medicinal materials had vanished from the world, reproducing its effects might require considerable experimentation, and even a Grandmaster Alchemist would not necessarily be able to solve the problem quickly.
Still, the value of an inheritance could not be judged solely by whether its original recipe remained usable.
Alchemical knowledge was cumulative, and an ancient formula might preserve methods of handling medicinal essence, combining attributes or refining a particular type of energy that had since been lost. Even if the Yuan Beast Pill could never be reproduced exactly, studying it might help an alchemist improve another formula or discover a new approach to nurturing spirit beasts.
The request for Divine Essence Pills was also understandable.
For a Golden Core cultivator, divine sense was an indispensable tool, whether for examining treasures, controlling magical artefacts, maintaining formations or fighting opponents whose movements exceeded ordinary perception. Strengthening it could improve one's combat awareness and precision, while also making certain aspects of cultivation easier. Divine Essence Pills were therefore valuable resources, particularly to cultivators whose mental foundations had become a bottleneck.
The spiritual awareness moving through the hall gradually subsided.
A few moments later, the owner of the ancient formula spoke again.
"Thank you, fellow Daoists. I have reached an agreement with someone, so I shall leave the rest to the Myriad Dao Pavilion."
A manager promptly entered the room where the Yuan Beast Pill formula was being kept, collected the jade slip containing the inheritance and departed to complete the exchange. The transaction ended without the participants needing to reveal their identities, and the banquet moved on to the next offering.
Lin Sheng's gaze lingered briefly on the departing manager before he withdrew his attention.
Lou Guyang would certainly be interested in something like that.
The elderly alchemist had already demonstrated his interest in rare resources during the auction, and an ancient Rank 4 pill formula was precisely the kind of inheritance that could attract a Grandmaster Alchemist's attention. The missing ingredients might even make the formula more appealing, since discovering substitutes for lost medicinal materials was a problem that could occupy an accomplished alchemist for years, offering the possibility of a breakthrough in both knowledge and technique.
Lin Sheng did not know whether Lou Guyang had participated in the exchange, and there was no reason to investigate. The next item was already being introduced.
This time, however, it was Lin Sheng who intended to speak.
He had not come to the private trading banquet merely to observe other people's transactions. The Centennial Auction had provided an opportunity to acquire the Five Elements Fruit and the incomplete formation plate he needed, but the resources he truly wanted were not necessarily things that could be purchased through ordinary channels. Certain inheritances were guarded by powerful factions, while others remained in the possession of cultivators who had little interest in selling them for Spirit Stones.
A private exchange offered a different possibility.
Lin Sheng rose slightly from his seat, directing his voice through the formation that connected his room to the central hall.
"Fellow Daoists, I have nine Hundred Yuan Origin Pills that I wish to exchange. These pills can rapidly restore a Golden Core cultivator's dharmic power, replenishing at least seventy to eighty per cent of their reserves almost instantaneously, even in the middle of battle. I am willing to trade them in groups of three, so there will be three exchanges in total. What I seek in return are special divine abilities."
The moment his words reached the hall, the atmosphere changed.
Several divine senses swept towards his room, their movements carrying considerably more urgency than those directed towards the previous offerings. The name Hundred Yuan Origin Pill was unfamiliar to most of the cultivators present, but the effects Lin Sheng had described were enough to make its value immediately apparent.
A Golden Core cultivator's magical power was the foundation of their combat strength. Although powerful techniques and divine abilities could determine the outcome of an encounter, every such method consumed energy, and prolonged battles often came down to which side could maintain its strength for longer. Even a cultivator who possessed a superior cultivation method might find themselves in danger once their reserves had been exhausted, particularly when facing an opponent whose foundation was comparable to their own.
A pill capable of restoring seventy to eighty percent of one's dharmic power almost instantly could change that calculation completely.
In an ordinary battle, it might allow a cultivator to recover after expending a large portion of their energy and immediately resume fighting at close to their peak condition. During a desperate confrontation, it could provide the strength needed to launch one final attack, activate a defensive treasure or escape from an opponent who had gained the upper hand. If the pill's effects remained reliable under the pressure of battle, its value would extend beyond ordinary recovery medicines.
More importantly, Lin Sheng was offering nine of them.
Even if each transaction involved only three pills, that was enough to provide several Golden Core cultivators with a valuable reserve for emergencies.
The first strand of divine sense reached Lin Sheng almost immediately.
Fellow Daoist, I possess a sword-type divine ability known as Myriad Swords to One Point. Its inheritance is complete, and it was left behind by a Golden Core sword cultivator who specialised in condensing numerous sword attacks into a single strike. I am willing to exchange it for three Hundred Yuan Origin Pills.
Lin Sheng's interest stirred.
Myriad Swords to One Point?
The name suggested a sword art that gathered the power of multiple attacks and concentrated them into a single point, though he would need to examine the inheritance before determining its actual principles. If his guess was correct, the ability might be useful for a cultivator who specialised in swordsmanship, particularly one seeking to increase the penetrating force of an attack without wasting energy on unnecessary movements.
However, the name alone was not enough to convince him.
He replied through divine sense, asking about the inheritance's origin, the requirements for cultivation and the actual effects of the ability. The other party answered patiently, providing enough information for Lin Sheng to form a preliminary judgement, but the offer still did not quite meet his expectations.
He thanked the cultivator without accepting the exchange and continued examining the other proposals.
A second divine sense soon approached.
Fellow Daoist, I have a body-refining divine ability called As Large as Mountains. It allows the practitioner to enlarge their physical body many times over, greatly increasing their strength and the reach of their attacks. Its true value is in close combat, where the enlarged body can bring its physical advantages to bear against an opponent.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
A divine ability that enlarged the body was certainly interesting, especially for an external cultivator. Increasing one's size could enhance reach and allow physical strength to be applied across a wider area, while a sufficiently profound ability might also improve the body's ability to withstand the forces generated by its own attacks.
Nevertheless, enlargement alone did not guarantee a corresponding increase in strength. If the ability merely expanded the body without strengthening its structure, it could even become a disadvantage, making the practitioner an easier target while consuming a substantial amount of energy.
He therefore questioned the owner about the ability's limitations, its consumption of dharmic power and whether its enhancement extended to the body's density and defensive strength.
The answers were reasonably satisfactory, but Lin Sheng still hesitated.
His external cultivation had already reached the early stage of the Golden Body Realm, and his physical foundation was far beyond that of ordinary Golden Core cultivators. He did not need a divine ability merely because it sounded impressive. What he wanted was something that could complement his existing foundation, expand his options in battle or help him overcome a limitation that his current methods could not easily address.
The third offer arrived before he could reach a decision.
I possess a divine ability known as Thunder Beast Arm. It allows the practitioner to condense lightning around one arm, forming a powerful attack that combines the destructive force of lightning with the strength of the physical body. It is especially suitable for Golden Body cultivators, since their bodies can withstand the strain produced by the ability more effectively than ordinary cultivators.
This time, Lin Sheng's interest was genuine.
The name was somewhat unusual, but the principle behind it was straightforward enough. Lightning possessed exceptional destructive power, and when concentrated around an arm, it could potentially reinforce a punch while allowing the practitioner to release a burst of lightning energy at the moment of impact. Such a method would be especially effective in close combat, where the distance between opponents was too short for elaborate techniques and a single decisive strike could determine the outcome.
More importantly, it was a divine ability that appeared to complement Golden Body cultivation directly.
Lin Sheng already possessed a powerful physical foundation, and although his current combat strength was close to the limit of what an ordinary Rank 4 cultivator could achieve, he could still benefit from methods that offered new ways of applying that strength. A lightning-infused strike might be useful against enemies whose defences were difficult to penetrate through brute force alone, while the sudden release of lightning could disrupt an opponent's control over their body or magical power.
He continued asking questions, probing the ability's true nature rather than relying on its description.
The owner explained that Thunder Beast Arm did not simply wrap the arm in ordinary lightning. Its cultivation method required the practitioner to establish a stable connection between their physical body and a particular form of thunder energy, allowing the lightning to circulate through the arm without destroying the practitioner's own meridians or muscles. Once mastered, the ability could be activated rapidly and used repeatedly, although its power depended on the practitioner's foundation and the quality of their control.
Lin Sheng considered the information carefully.
It was a suitable ability, but he was still not prepared to accept it immediately. He had no shortage of methods capable of increasing his physical strength, and what mattered most was whether the inheritance offered something his existing cultivation could not reproduce through other means.
The fourth offer finally attracted his attention for an entirely different reason.
Fellow Daoist, I have a soul-type divine ability known as the Rainbow Butterfly. It specialises in attacking an opponent's soul through divine sense, using a distinctive spiritual fluctuation to interfere with the target's consciousness and inflict direct damage upon their soul. It is not intended for ordinary physical combat, but against an opponent whose soul defence is insufficient, its effects can be extremely troublesome.
Lin Sheng's expression remained unchanged, but his thoughts shifted immediately.
A soul-attacking divine ability.
That was precisely the kind of inheritance he was interested in.
His own Shen cultivation was already close to the peak of the Spiritual Platform stage, supported by the Yellow Origin Star Diagram, and his mental strength was far beyond what most cultivators at his apparent realm could achieve. Yet a powerful Shen foundation did not automatically mean that he possessed an equally sophisticated method of using it offensively. He could suppress weaker opponents with his divine sense and use his mental strength to support his formations and alchemy, but a dedicated soul-attacking divine ability would provide him with a more direct way to exploit that advantage in battle.
It could also prove useful against opponents who relied on powerful bodies or defensive treasures.
A cultivator might possess extraordinary physical strength and a formidable defensive technique, yet if their soul defence was weak, a direct attack against their consciousness could bypass much of that protection. Even someone whose soul was not destroyed might suffer a momentary disruption, and in a battle between experts, a brief lapse could be enough to decide the outcome.
Naturally, the Rainbow Butterfly would not be without limitations. Soul-attacking methods were notoriously difficult to cultivate, and their effectiveness depended on the difference between the practitioner's Shen and the target's soul defences. A stronger opponent might resist the attack, while someone with a specialised defensive divine ability could reduce its effect considerably.
Nevertheless, Lin Sheng found the inheritance appealing.
He asked the owner about its cultivation requirements, whether the ability demanded a particular spiritual constitution and how much divine sense it consumed when activated. After receiving the answers, he discovered that although the Rainbow Butterfly required a reasonably strong Shen foundation, it did not depend on a rare spiritual root or a particular elemental attribute.
That made it even more suitable.
After considering the other offers, Lin Sheng finally made his decision.
I am willing to exchange three Hundred Yuan Origin Pills for the Rainbow Butterfly inheritance, provided that the inheritance is complete and contains the method required to cultivate the divine ability.
The owner responded almost immediately.
Agreed.
The Myriad Dao Pavilion's manager soon arrived to collect the three pills, and the exchange was completed after both sides confirmed that the items matched the agreed terms. Lin Sheng received the inheritance through the concealed trading system, examined the outer jade slip and stored it away for a more thorough inspection later.
With the transaction completed, six Hundred Yuan Origin Pills remained.
The next wave of divine senses arrived shortly afterwards, though the offers were somewhat different from those of the first group. Several cultivators introduced special divine abilities, but their inheritances were incomplete, their cultivation requirements were too restrictive, or their effects overlapped with methods Lin Sheng already possessed. One was a fire-based attack that required a particular kind of spiritual constitution, while another was a defensive ability whose main advantage lay in resisting ordinary elemental attacks.
Neither was particularly useful to him.
Then a different proposal reached his awareness.
Fellow Daoist, I do not possess a special divine ability suitable for your requirements, but I can offer high-grade Spirit Stones. I am willing to pay two thousand high-grade Spirit Stones for each Hundred Yuan Origin Pill, giving you a total of six thousand high-grade Spirit Stones for the remaining three pills.
Lin Sheng fell silent for a moment.
Six thousand high-grade Spirit Stones was not a small sum. Although the Hundred Yuan Origin Pill was extremely useful to Golden Core cultivators, its primary function was still the restoration of dharmic power, and its value depended partly on how often the purchaser expected to face dangerous battles. Some cultivators would rather exchange it for a suitable divine ability, while others preferred to retain their wealth and purchase recovery medicines through ordinary channels.
The offer was therefore generous.
Lin Sheng briefly considered whether he should wait for another divine ability proposal, but none of the remaining offers had impressed him. There was little reason to exchange a valuable resource for an inheritance that might not suit his cultivation, particularly when the current offer exceeded the ordinary market value of the pills.
Spirit Stones could always be used to purchase other resources, and their flexibility made them valuable even when no immediate opportunity presented itself.
After a short pause, Lin Sheng accepted.
Very well. Three Hundred Yuan Origin Pills for six thousand high-grade Spirit Stones.
The other party agreed without delay, and a manager soon arrived to complete the transaction. The three pills were collected and verified, while the agreed Spirit Stones were delivered to Lin Sheng through the pavilion's concealed channels.
He checked the amount before storing the stones away.
The exchange had been worthwhile.
He had obtained the Rainbow Illusion Butterfly inheritance, which offered a method of attacking the soul, and had converted another portion of his pills into a substantial quantity of high-grade Spirit Stones. With only three Hundred Yuan Origin Pills remaining, he now needed to decide whether the final exchange should be used to obtain another divine ability or to acquire a different kind of resource.
He did not have to wait long for an answer.
A new divine sense entered his room, and the moment Lin Sheng examined the information it carried, his expression became slightly more serious.
The proposal was unexpected.
The other party did not offer Spirit Stones, medicinal ingredients or an ordinary divine ability inheritance. Instead, they proposed an exchange involving a special item that seemed to match his needs from his Body Refining method
Lin Sheng spent several minutes questioning the owner, carefully examining the item's origin, its requirements and the reason it had been offered at the banquet. The more he learned, the more interested he became, though he made no attempt to conceal his caution. A rare inheritance could be a valuable opportunity, but it could also conceal defects that were not apparent from a brief description, and he had no intention of exchanging his remaining pills without understanding what he would receive.
The negotiations continued through divine sense, each side making small adjustments to the proposed terms. Lin Sheng refused the first offer, then the second, explaining which parts of the exchange he found unacceptable, until the other party finally proposed terms that he considered reasonable.
After another short discussion, he agreed.
The manager entered Lin Sheng's room to collect the final three Hundred Yuan Origin Pills, and shortly afterwards, the promised inheritance arrived. Lin Sheng carefully verified the jade slip before storing it away, ensuring that the transaction had been completed according to the agreed terms.
Only then did he relax slightly.
"Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your interest. My exchange is now complete."
His voice spread through the banquet hall, bringing an end to the third trading session.
Nine Hundred Yuan Origin Pills had been exchanged, six for special divine ability inheritances and three for high-grade Spirit Stones, although the precise terms of the final transaction remained concealed from the other participants. Lin Sheng had obtained several resources that could broaden his options in the future, while the other cultivators had acquired a recovery medicine capable of restoring most of their dharmic power almost instantaneously.
The arrangement suited everyone involved.
Lin Sheng returned to his seat and began considering the inheritances he had obtained, but before he could examine them further, another voice rang through the hall.
"Fellow Daoists, I have something I would like to exchange."
The speaker was familiar.
Lin Sheng raised his eyes slightly.
Lou Guyang.
The elderly Grandmaster Alchemist had finally decided to offer one of his own treasures.
"I possess an Epiphany Pill," Lou Guyang announced. "It is a Rank 4 medicinal pill that can clear the mind, improve one's state of comprehension and accelerate the process of understanding divine abilities. What I seek in return is a suitable longevity item."
The hall fell silent.
For several breaths, not a single divine sense approached the elderly alchemist's room, and even the faint movements that had accompanied the previous exchanges seemed to have subsided. The Epiphany Pill was undoubtedly valuable, but the requested payment was not something that could be casually produced, even by cultivators who had accumulated considerable wealth.
Lin Sheng leaned back slightly, his thoughts already turning towards the pill.
The name alone could easily mislead someone who had never encountered one before. An Epiphany Pill did not guarantee that a cultivator would enter a genuine state of epiphany, nor could it force profound comprehension into someone who lacked the necessary foundation. Its true function was more practical, clearing distracting thoughts and stabilising the mind so that the cultivator could focus more effectively on the principles they were attempting to understand.
Under suitable circumstances, this could greatly accelerate the comprehension of a divine ability.
A cultivator who had been struggling to understand a particular principle might find the path becoming clearer after consuming the pill, allowing them to connect ideas that had previously seemed unrelated. Another might discover that their thoughts no longer wandered whenever they attempted to study a profound inheritance, enabling them to make steady progress in a field where they had previously wasted years.
The pill could not replace talent, experience or genuine comprehension, but it could help a cultivator make better use of all three.
For a Golden Core expert who had already reached the limit of their current understanding, that was an extraordinary advantage.
Lin Sheng could easily imagine the competition the Epiphany Pill would attract if Lou Guyang had asked for Spirit Stones or ordinary Rank 4 resources. Many Golden Core cultivators spent decades and centuries attempting to comprehend their divine abilities, and anything capable of making that process more efficient would naturally be sought after. Some might even be willing to offer rare inheritances or valuable spiritual materials in exchange.
Yet Lou Guyang had asked for a longevity item.
That changed everything.
Longevity items were resources capable of extending a cultivator's natural lifespan, and they could take the form of rare herbs, spiritual fruits or specially refined pills. Their effects varied considerably according to the quality of the item and the cultivation realm of the person who consumed it. A longevity herb might extend the life of a Qi Refining cultivator to approximately one hundred and thirty years, while a sufficiently rare Rank 4 longevity pill could potentially add as much as a century and a half to the lifespan of a Golden Core cultivator.
Such resources were precious precisely because they could not be replaced by ordinary cultivation.
A cultivator could spend more Spirit Stones to purchase better medicinal ingredients, obtain a superior cultivation method or seek the guidance of an accomplished master, but none of those things could guarantee an extension of their natural lifespan. Even a Golden Core expert who possessed a vast fortune would eventually reach the limits imposed by age, and once the opportunity to advance further had passed, no amount of wealth could easily reverse the decline.
Longevity items therefore occupied a special position in the cultivation world.
They were not merely resources that made life more comfortable. For cultivators approaching a major bottleneck, they represented additional time, and additional time could mean the difference between reaching a higher realm and dying before the opportunity arrived.
Lin Sheng's gaze settled on Lou Guyang's room.
The elderly alchemist had reached the peak of the Golden Core Realm and possessed a True Core containing five divine ability seeds. Such a foundation was already considerably more complete than that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, and it meant that he had reached the stage where preparations for the Nascent Soul breakthrough should take precedence over almost everything else.
A True Core with five divine ability seeds represented the culmination of the Golden Core Realm, but it was not the end of the path.
To reach the Nascent Soul Realm, Lou Guyang would need to prepare his Golden Core for a transformation that was far more demanding than the advancement from one Golden Core stage to another. The process required not only an abundance of magical power but also a sufficiently stable foundation, a refined understanding of one's cultivation and the ability to withstand the dangers accompanying the transformation of the core into a higher form of existence.
Even for someone at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, the bottleneck was formidable.
Many cultivators remained trapped at this stage for decades, while others exhausted their remaining years without ever finding a way forward. Some possessed sufficient wealth but lacked the necessary comprehension, while others had the talent and understanding but could not acquire the resources required for a breakthrough.
Lou Guyang had survived long enough to reach the summit of the Golden Core Realm, and as a Grandmaster Alchemist, he almost certainly understood the importance of preparation better than most.
Yet the fact that he was seeking a longevity item suggested that he believed he still needed more time.
Perhaps he intended to delay the Nascent Soul breakthrough for a few additional years, using that period to refine his foundation, accumulate resources or improve his understanding of the final barrier. Extending his lifespan would allow him to push that deadline further into the future, giving him another opportunity to prepare properly rather than risking a premature attempt.
However, the silence that followed his announcement revealed just how difficult his request would be to satisfy.
Every Golden Core cultivator present understood the value of an Epiphany Pill, but they also understood the value of longevity. A rare longevity item capable of extending a Golden Core cultivator's lifespan by a hundred years or more might be the most important resource in their possession, especially if they were already approaching the limits of their current realm.
Giving such an item away would mean surrendering a portion of their own future.
Even someone who had no immediate plans to attempt the Nascent Soul breakthrough might hesitate, because cultivation was unpredictable. A sudden injury, an unexpected opportunity or an unforeseen change in the world could force them to reconsider their plans, and having an additional century of life could provide the time needed to recover, prepare and attempt another breakthrough.
There was also the question of scarcity.
Longevity items were difficult to obtain in the current cultivation world, and the rarest varieties were often found only in major secret realms or ancient ruins. Even when such a resource appeared, its owner might have spent decades searching for it, endured considerable danger to acquire it or reserved it for a family member who was approaching a critical bottleneck.
A cultivator who possessed a longevity item would therefore be reluctant to exchange it unless the reward was truly worth the sacrifice.
The Epiphany Pill was valuable, but the price Lou Guyang demanded was far heavier than a simple exchange of treasures.
Lin Sheng remained silent, contemplating the offer.
He could understand why Lou Guyang had made such a request, and he could also understand why nobody had immediately responded. The elderly alchemist was not asking for a resource that could be replaced by spending more Spirit Stones, but for something that might represent another chance at the Nascent Soul Realm.
For a moment, Lin Sheng considered whether he possessed anything suitable.
He had accumulated a considerable number of resources through his various activities, and his cultivation methods gave him advantages that ordinary Golden Core cultivators could scarcely imagine. Nevertheless, he had no intention of revealing the full extent of his possessions merely because an interesting pill had appeared, especially when he had yet to determine whether the Epiphany Pill would offer him a meaningful benefit.
His Shen cultivation had already reached the peak of the Spiritual Platform stage, and his understanding of martial concepts had advanced to the point where he had formed the Qiankun Pseudo Domain. A pill that improved comprehension could still be useful, but its value to him would depend on whether it could assist his next stage of cultivation or help him refine his understanding of the principles he had already grasped.
More importantly, the longevity item Lou Guyang wanted was not something he would offer lightly.
Lin Sheng withdrew his divine sense and continued observing the hall.
The silence persisted.
Nobody had yet made an offer, and Lou Guyang did not appear impatient. He remained seated in his private room, waiting calmly for someone to respond, as though he had already anticipated that the exchange would not be completed quickly.
Lin Sheng's gaze lingered on the elderly alchemist's room for another moment before he looked away.
The Epiphany Pill was certainly worth acquiring, but whether anyone would be willing to surrender a precious longevity item for it remained to be seen.
And in a gathering where every participant understood the value of time, that hesitation was entirely reasonable.