A "dirty" deal with the Sword Immortal

At seven that evening, in Dormitory Room 520 of the Tree-Back Dormitory at Jinling University.

After dinner with Zi Hanyan, Jun Wangchen took a car back to his dorm. The moment he stepped through the door, he heard the helpless sighs of his three roommates, who were playing King of Glory.

"My beloved is an unrivaled hero. One day, he'll come to marry me with a movement skill, a set of level-150 damage runes, and the Supreme Treasure skin. I guessed the beginning, but I never guessed that damn monkey would greet me with a smack of his staff—and he even brought Purification! The worst part was that Cai Wenji beside me popped her ultimate and only healed herself. This is fucking bullshit!"

Zhang Zhengxiao, the eldest, was playing Luna with the Fairy Zixia skin. Just as he chained his ultimate through the moonlight marks to secure two kills, the enemy Sun Wukong, equipped with Purification, emerged from the bushes and sent him straight to heaven with three blows of his staff.

Wang Nuli, the second eldest, was controlling Second Brother Guan. After cleaving the enemy Daji to death, he gave a dry chuckle. "Don't count on Cai Wenji to heal you, Big Bro. She's only an inch tall, after all. Her heals can't reach that high."

Ke JiusI nodded and said without looking up from the screen, "Big Bro, cut those elementary school kids some slack. When I first started playing King of Glory, people tore me apart because I was terrible. Luckily, an expert started playing with me afterward. I humbly asked him for advice and learned a lot. Now I'm a completely different player—nobody can out-flame me anymore."

The other two said, "..."

You cheeky little bastard!

Listening to their conversation, Jun Wangchen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They could spout such outrageous nonsense over a game. The "three dorm clowns" certainly lived up to their reputation.

Seeing Jun Wangchen return, the three looked up to greet him, then buried themselves in the game again.

None of them pressed him about the day's events, including what exactly had happened after Master Zi invited him over.

It wasn't that they weren't curious. On the contrary, they were more curious than anyone. This was Master Zi, after all, an underworld boss in Jinling City East District. For their buddy to have dealings with someone like him, there had to be something extraordinary about him.

But as his brothers, they knew what to ask and what not to ask. As long as Jun Wangchen was still their brother, that was enough.

Seeing how absorbed they were in King of Glory, Jun Wangchen smiled helplessly and said nothing more. He sat down at his desk, took out the Groundhog Phone, and entered the Strongest Chat Group in History.

He scrolled through the chat history. Most of it was everyday chatter among Immortals, but one message caught his attention.

The sender was Li Bai, the Green Lotus Sword Immortal. He had recently explored a hidden realm in the Immortal Realm and gone to considerable trouble to obtain a bottle of Celestial Vault Wine, the Immortal Realm’s Finest Wine. Yet with such fine wine in hand, he was troubled by the lack of a good snack to accompany it. He had offered a hefty sum in the group to find one, but judging by the chat history, nobody seemed to have given him the time of day.

Li Bai earned the title of Sword Immortal in the Immortal Realm. He must have some extraordinary things on him. If I trade him some drinking snacks for a few items, I could make a killing.

With that thought, Jun Wangchen tapped Li Bai's avatar, opened their private chat, and sent a message. "Sword Immortal, are you there?"

Li Bai seemed to have plenty of free time. Almost immediately after the message was sent, he replied, "What can I do for you, fellow Daoist?"

"I heard you recently obtained a bottle of Celestial Vault Wine, but you're having trouble finding a good snack to go with it?" After a moment's thought, Jun Wangchen typed out the message.

Li Bai gave a wry smile. "Indeed. I've long since grown tired of the drinking snacks in the Immortal Realm. Celestial Vault Wine is such a rare, exquisite wine that pairing it with the same tiresome snacks would be a terrible waste."

"To be honest, Sword Immortal, I happen to have just the snack for you." Jun Wangchen didn't bother beating around the bush.

Li Bai's eyes lit up. "Fellow Daoist, is that true?"

"Of course. I'll send it to you right now." As he typed, Jun Wangchen took a packet of Spicy Strips from the dorm's stockpile, then scanned it and sent it to Li Bai as a red packet.

On the other end, Li Bai's curiosity was immediately piqued by the unfamiliar item he received. "Fellow Daoist, what is this?"

"These are called Spicy Strips. When you bite into them, a salty, spicy flavor fills your mouth. Even after you swallow, the fragrance lingers for ages. It's worth mentioning that they're extremely scarce in our world. Even a hundred bottles of Celestial Vault Wine might not be enough to trade for one packet." After a little thought, Jun Wangchen spun his tale.

"Even a hundred bottles of Celestial Vault Wine might not buy them? To think such a divine delicacy exists! Wait a moment, fellow Daoist. Let me try them!" Startled, Li Bai typed a quick reply and immediately tore open the packet.

An enticing aroma rushed into his nose. Even someone like him, who had tasted delicacies from all over the world, felt his mouth begin to water.

He picked up a small piece and began chewing. Then he abruptly froze, his eyes widening in astonishment.

There was actually something this delicious in the world?

Having tasted the Spicy Strips, Li Bai hurriedly typed a reply. "Fellow Daoist, these Spicy Strips truly are delicious. Do you have any more? One packet may not be enough to go with my wine."

Reading the message, Jun Wangchen's lips curled slightly. "Sword Immortal, as I said, Spicy Strips are extremely scarce here. Even a hundred bottles of Celestial Vault Wine might not buy them."

"What a pity." Li Bai sounded disappointed.

Knowing the moment had arrived, Jun Wangchen changed tack. "Actually, there's no need to be discouraged, Sword Immortal. There's an auction for Spicy Strips coming up here, and I can attend on your behalf. But they're so scarce that if you want to bid, you'll need to give me something valuable to trade. Otherwise, even if I attend the auction, I might not be able to get any!"

"Something valuable?" Li Bai paused, a headache brewing. "Fellow Daoist, if even a hundred bottles of Celestial Vault Wine might not buy these Spicy Strips, they must be a priceless treasure. I really would struggle to find something of equal value to trade!"

Jun Wangchen slapped his forehead. Damn it! I was so busy talking up the value of the Spicy Strips that I forgot about equivalent exchange.

After pondering for a moment, something occurred to him, and he replied, "Don't worry about that, Sword Immortal. By value, I mainly mean how unique the item is. If you offer something nobody else has, you'll get priority in the trade. After all, rarity determines value!"

"Unique?" Li Bai murmured, frowning. "I don't have any unique items worth offering. How about I open my Storage Space and let you take a look? You can choose something for me."

At those words, Jun Wangchen grew excited.

Several years earlier, the verses Li Bai had carved into the Vermilion Bird Gate with his Drunken Sword had caused a sensation throughout Chang'an City, even winning the Empress's favor. After refusing an official post at court, Li Bai set off to test his sword against the world. By the surging Yellow River, he comprehended supreme Sword Intent and became the foremost expert in the Great Tang.

After ascending to the Immortal Realm, he had swept across it on his flying sword with his supreme swordsmanship, earning the title of Sword Immortal. Countless experts had challenged him, some even joining forces to surround him, but in the end, they had all fallen to a single stroke of his sword.

Who knew how many people had sought to become Li Bai's disciples? The gifts they offered were beyond counting. Now Jun Wangchen had a chance to choose an item from Li Bai's Storage Space. It was like a dream.

Without hesitation, Jun Wangchen typed his agreement. Once Li Bai opened his Storage Space, he eagerly scanned the items inside.

"The Undying Longevity Scripture. At its peak, you become deathless and indestructible... That's awesome, but it's way too difficult. I'd probably die before I reached the peak."

"The Corpse-Bone Immortal Art. At its peak, you can control all corpses and bones... This one's good too, but you have to turn yourself into a skeleton along the way. That doesn't really suit my handsome face."

"Hundred Refinements into Steel. At its peak, the more you get beaten, the stronger you become... This could work, but having to take a beating to level up is a little humiliating."

Jun Wangchen mainly examined the cultivation manuals. As he looked through them, he found plenty of powerful techniques, all of them the supreme cultivation methods of various sects. Yet good things often came with thorns. As exceptional as these manuals were, they all shared one requirement—only Immortals could practice them!

What did "only Immortals could practice them" mean?

It meant that you had to be an Immortal to cultivate them!

What was an Immortal?

A Cultivator who had progressed through the Qi Condensation Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, Golden Core Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, Soul Separation Stage, Integration Stage, Mahayana Stage, and the other realms, then survived the Heavenly Tribulation and successfully ascended!

I'm still a damn mortal, not even a Cultivator yet! What the hell's the point of getting these manuals if I can't practice them?

"Looks like cultivation manuals are off the table. I'm only a mortal, after all. If I could cultivate, maybe I could... Wait, cultivate?" Jun Wangchen sighed and muttered to himself, then suddenly jolted as something occurred to him.

Honestly, the Immortal Phone's value went without saying. If he wanted to keep it secret, he could either keep his mouth shut and never reveal it to anyone, or gain enough strength to protect it.

Of the two, the latter was clearly safer. With enough strength, even if the Immortal Phone was exposed someday, he could still defend it.

At the same time, sufficient strength would let him advance rapidly. Even if the Immortal Phone was suddenly taken back one day, and all the abilities it had granted him were stripped away, the cultivation realm and strength he had attained through training would still be his. With that power, he could still stand at the pinnacle of the world.

Thus, increasing his strength through cultivation was clearly his most urgent and ideal course of action.

And while browsing Li Bai's Storage Space just now, he had happened to see a manual specifically meant to help mortals cultivate—the Mortal's Cultivation Art!

With that thought, Jun Wangchen chose the manual without the slightest hesitation and typed back, "Sword Immortal, I've made my choice."

"The Mortal's Cultivation Art?" Looking at the item Jun Wangchen had selected, Li Bai couldn't help feeling surprised.

"I didn't expect you to have such a discerning eye, fellow Daoist. To think you would choose this manual."

Jun Wangchen paused. "Sword Immortal, this manual seems insignificant compared with the supreme techniques of those sects. Is there something extraordinary about it?"

Li Bai nodded. "There certainly is. When this manual first appeared in the Immortal Realm, it caused an enormous uproar. Anyone who practiced it was virtually invincible against others at the same cultivation realm.

"Unfortunately, it was meant for mortals. Anyone who has come into contact with the Immortal Realm's immortal energy cannot practice it. It also has to be practiced somewhere without even a trace of immortal energy. Its requirements for both the practitioner's constitution and the cultivation environment are extremely strict.

"And almost everyone who can survive in the Immortal Realm has already come into contact with immortal energy, never mind finding a place completely devoid of it. That's why, in the ten thousand years this manual has existed in the Immortal Realm, only three mighty experts have successfully cultivated it."

Jun Wangchen grew even more excited. It was intended for mortals—and he was one. It also required a place entirely devoid of immortal energy—and Earth happened to fit that description. This cultivation manual might as well have been tailor-made for him!

Suppressing his excitement, Jun Wangchen typed, "Sword Immortal, I think this manual is quite unique. It should fetch some Spicy Strips at the auction. If I manage to trade for them, I'll contact you in three days."

"All right. Many thanks, fellow Daoist. I'll go practice my swordsmanship and await your good news." Li Bai sent several fist-in-palm salute emojis, then went offline.

Jun Wangchen couldn't help admiring him. Li Bai already stood unrivaled in the way of the sword, yet he still insisted on practicing. With perseverance like that, he more than deserved his title of Sword Immortal.

Clearing the stray thoughts from his mind, Jun Wangchen wasted no more time. He eagerly tapped his wallet and opened the Mortal's Cultivation Art.

Manual: Mortal's Cultivation Art. Learn?

"Learn!"