The sky had cleared for a spell during the day, but by evening the dark clouds had scurried back in and, as night fell, a steady, drizzling rain began to fall again.
After Qin Ran had prepared a medicinal bath for Li Shiyin, he emerged from her bedroom and turned to enter his own.
Before long, he had changed into jet black nightwalker’s garb and donned a black cloak. With a wave of his hand before his face, he conjured a mirror out of water. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, then wiped a hand across his face, transforming his delicate features into a fierce countenance.
Disguise techniques - an essential skill for every cultivator traveling the jianghu.
“I’m Batman!” he said in a low voice, listening to the timbre. Just the right flavor.
After double checking his temporary storage bag to make sure nothing was missing, he fastened his cloak hood and walked out the door.
Arriving in the hallway, he took one more look at Li Shiyin’s bedroom to make sure nothing seemed amiss, then shut her door behind him before leaping into the rain and disappearing into the downpour.
Shrinking technique, like fleeting years. Qin Ran practiced the most profound shrinking technique recorded in the foundational manual he cultivated—the Water Blossom Heart Sutra.
This shrinking technique wasn’t very fast, about the speed of an average one, but Qin Ran favored it uniquely because encountering water allowed it to dissolve into water, instantly maximizing its concealment.
It could be said that Qin Ran chose this foundational manual solely for the sake of this shrinking technique.
Merging into the rain, Qin Ran flew rapidly along until before long, he had descended Dan Peak and arrived in a remote corner. Checking his surroundings warily again to make sure no one else was around, he used his identity medallion to open the protective grand formation guarding the Dao Sword Sect’s mountain gate.
Flickering fleetingly visible before the mountain gate, after getting his bearings he dissolved back into the rainwater and vanished once more.
Linxian City, a city situated at the junction between North Chu Country and the Hengduan Mountains.
Like the Dao Sword Sect, it also occupied the border region where North Chu Country met the Hengduan Mountains, but one lay within the Hengduan Mountains while the other existed outside of them.
The reason the city was called Linxian or ‘Overlooking Immortality’ City was because it overlooked Immortal Fate...
Overlooked what immortal fate?
The Hengduan Mountains themselves implied immortal fate.
Commoners of North Chu Country recognized a simple understanding that immortals dwelled in the Hengduan Mountains.
Within the Hengduan Mountains lay the Dao Sword Sect, the Boundless Sword Sect—both ranked among North Chu Country’s Five Great Immortal Sects. Even Zhican Valley, first of the Five Greats, wasn’t located too far from the Hengduan Mountains. Not to mention the Hengduan Mountains were also home to fierce beasts and heavenly treasures...
Occupying such a position and bearing such a name was quite reasonable and true to its nature.
In fact, the atmosphere of cultivating immortality within Linxian City was even richer than that inside the Dao Sword Sect, let alone a certain peak.
On a rainy night like this, cultivators zipping about atop clouds and swords were still not few in number within the city. The shouting voices hawking cultivation methods, magic treasures, talismans, and array diagrams in the streets remained clamorous as ever. Walking a bit further, one might see people kneeling in muddy puddles begging wandering cultivators to take them as disciples; peerless beauties dancing in the rain, voluntarily offering themselves as furnace cauldrons...
Enveloped inside his cloak, head lowered, steps swift, Qin Ran threaded through the crowds with a clear destination in mind as he headed towards a certain teahouse in the city center, not daring to glance at the surrounding chaos.
Before long, he arrived outside that teahouse called Yuanlai or Destiny Teahouse. It had an ordinary name and ordinary decor, seemingly far removed from seeking immortality.
But Qin Ran didn’t hesitate, directly striding inside to the front counter where he took out a medallion and exchanged glances with the shopkeeper, speaking in a low, hoarse voice: “Batman.”
The shopkeeper didn’t understand what “Batman” meant, but he recognized it as the secret passphrase belonging exclusively to the alchemist master before him. He looked Qin Ran over, confirmed it matched his appearance, then bowed and addressed him: “Master You Shi.”
Next, he took out a mask from under the counter and handed it to Qin Ran. Without another word, the shopkeeper then led the way, bringing Qin Ran through the teahouse’s main hall and into the rear courtyard. After opening up an array formation, they journeyed along the passageway within for some time until finally stopping before the last stone door.
“Master You, we’ve arrived,” the shopkeeper said.
Qin Ran nodded, tossing the shopkeeper an elixir pill and raspily murmuring, “Many thanks.”
Then he personally pushed the door open and entered.
Inside was a small auction house setup—a podium up front where a man stood holding up a sword soliciting bids, and seven or eight rows of seating below, around fifty or sixty seats, of which only a dozen or so were sporadically occupied, all by people wearing masks identical to Qin Ran’s.
When Qin Ran entered, some people looked his way, but no one paid him much mind.
He found an inconspicuous spot and quietly sat down to wait.
This was clearly a private, small-scale auction frequented exclusively by cultivators, and even calling it an auction was somewhat inaccurate—it was more akin to a cultivation exchange club. The people gathered here either possessed formidable strength, abundant financial resources, or special abilities. Qin Ran, for example, was an alchemist.
Linxian City outwardly appeared to be a city steeped in a rich immortal cultivation atmosphere, but at the same time, it was also a mortal city. It contained many cultivators, but even more mortals; there was an immortal cultivation culture, but even more mortal culture.
Indeed, larger places selling cultivation-related goods existed within the city, along with huge auction houses, but those venues were impure—too many people, too complex.
Thus, many private, cultivator-exclusive auctions like this one could be found throughout the city...not too different from exclusive circles in modern society.
This particular auction house was one Qin Ran had joined during a previous trip selling elixir pills. After attending a few times and finding the atmosphere agreeable, he naturally gave priority to coming here when a need arose.
On stage, the sword sold for 100 low-grade spirit stones. Next, someone selling a magic treasure came up, and an upper-grade treasure fetched a price of 300 medium-grade spirit stones.
Just then, a medium-sized fellow took the stage holding a jar. In a deep voice, he declared, “Honey produced by Silver-winged Long-tailed Honeybees. I want a Gold phase foundation establishment stage cultivation method aligned with the metal element.”
Silver-winged Long-tailed Honeybees were level four demonic beasts residing in the Hengduan Mountains whose honey was toxic, but could greatly enhance the physique after detoxification.
“Geng Metal Flying Sword Art, coincidentally also Gold phase foundation establishment,” Qin Ran called out, thinking to win it for Li Shiyin’s use.
“A sword technique?” The man on stage murmured, unmoved.
Qin Ran didn’t raise his bid again. He had researched water-type spirit root techniques and gold-type sword techniques—if this guy didn’t want a sword technique, then he was at a loss.
This kind of physique-boosting substance was hard to come by. After several more rounds of bidding below that failed to satisfy the man on stage, a figure in red robes raised his hand. “Jinyuan Body Refining Technique, all the way until YuanYing stage.”
Wearing red robes? Qin Ran examined him more closely. At places like this, most people wore inconspicuous black clothing, so someone bold enough to wear red really stood out.
“A body refining technique?” The delight on the man on stage’s face was evident. “Deal!”
So he cultivated body refinement techniques—Qin Ran understood.
After those two made the exchange with the teahouse, the next person on stage was a woman declaring her urgent need for information about Silver-backed Demon Monkeys, with the price negotiable.
Qin Ran’s heart stirred slightly. The beast pack from last night seemed to contain Silver-backed Demon Monkeys, but after a moment’s hesitation he still didn’t call out a bid.
After that woman left the stage, several more people went up. Qin Ran also calmly ascended, taking out three porcelain bottles from his temporary storage bag. In his muffled voice he announced:
“Upper grade Returning Origin Pill, upper grade Gathering Spirit Pill, and middle grade Foundation Establishment Pill...”
Elixir pills and alchemists were always hard currency in the immortal cultivation world. As soon as he finished speaking, a stir rose from below.
“I recognize him—he’s that You-surnamed alchemist who exclusively sells pills,” someone suddenly whispered below.
Qin Ran’s heart skipped a beat, his gaze concentrating as it shifted to the red-robed man who had spoken. At places like this where everyone understood identities must be concealed, his actions were undoubtedly deliberate!
Moreover, how did he know Qin Ran’s surname was You...
Qin Ran’s expression didn’t waver in the slightest as he continued repressing his voice. “What I want—starry stones, body movement techniques for the sword path, gold-type sword techniques—anything works.”
Elixir pills and alchemists were truly the hardest currency in the immortal cultivation world. He had just finished speaking when a scrawny fellow below raised his hand. “You want starry stones? Your things aren’t enough.”
Starry stones were meant to forge Li Shiyin’s personal flying sword following the Nine Revolutions Star Sword Technique. Securing starry stones was the entire purpose of Qin Ran’s trip tonight, and his most important objective.
Upon hearing this, Qin Ran took out a porcelain bottle from his temporary magical storage bag and put it on the auction stage, saying: "A mid-grade Break Barrier Pill."
Immediately, there was an uproar below. Break Barrier Pills increase the chance of forming a golden core, and even these pills were being auctioned?
"Sold." The man below quickly said.
Qin Ran then handed over the pill to the auction house staff waiting at the side, to complete the transaction through them.
"Illusory Butterfly Dance Steps, a body technique of the Golden Core stage," the man in red below raised his hand and said, "I bid ten Gathering Spirit Pills."
Before Qin Ran could speak, another person asked: "How many Gathering Spirit Pills do you have?"
"How many do you need?" Qin Ran asked.
"Fifty."
"Martial technique?"
"Star Shadow Sword Technique, created by a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage."
"Okay."
Qin Ran took the Star Shadow Sword Technique instead of the Illusory Butterfly Dance Steps.
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