The twenty-ninth day of the eleventh month

No wonder Sect Leader Kang Da was so surprised; Myriad Treasures Trading Company was no ordinary business, and its status within the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty was quite extraordinary.

Just like Shopkeeper Dou of the Great Wei Bank in Great Abyss Capital, even a high-ranking official like Gui Nianzhi would have to greet him politely.

As for the business magnates scattered throughout the land, even when they met figures like Chan Master Gelie of the Snow Mountain Circuit Sect or Songyangzi, the leader of the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect, they treated them as equals, without distinction of rank or status.

This is not because the merchant guild itself possesses so many powerful True Person to contend with it, but because the owner of Myriad Treasures Trading Company and the lord of Bitter Spirit Mountain are close friends, practically sworn brothers.

The various forces of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty naturally had to follow the dwarfs, which wasn't something to be ashamed of, since all the forces under the jurisdiction of Bitter Spirit Mountain were in the same boat.

To be honest, Shopkeeper Dou of the Great Wei Branch is quite good-tempered. As long as the local True Person are in a good mood, even if some rare spiritual materials are not available in this area, they can be transferred from other branches. This is quite a rare and good thing.

Once you reach the True Person level, it becomes difficult to find scarce resources within the territory of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty. The world's rare treasures are few and far between, and few are left unattended. If you don't want to fight to the death, you'll have no choice but to painfully barter for them.

In reality, Nascent Soul True Person lives for 1,500 years. In the eyes of the ignorant, such a person is considered a terrestrial immortal. Ordinary Golden Core cultivators rarely see such a person even once every sixty or twenty years, so they are naturally extremely noble.

It is only in the last one or two hundred years, with the conflicts between various parties becoming increasingly intense, that many True Person have successively left the stage, or even perished.

Therefore, Myriad Treasures Trading Company in various regions has enough resources to control True Person, while small and insignificant merchants cannot afford to associate with them. The auction invitation in Xu Liuxian's hand may seem inconspicuous, but in reality, even ordinary cultivators would find it difficult to obtain.

Even someone as newly established as the founder of a sect as Senior Cultivator Wufeng might not have had the means to obtain this scroll. The Xu Liuxian was able to acquire one naturally surprised Sect Leader Kang Da.

Without being asked, the former readily recounted the origin of the scroll. Xu Liuxian then pushed forward Ji Yunsheng, who was standing behind him, and said, "My third brother comes from the Mixed Thunder Four Waters Sect, and this scroll has been passed down through generations."

Sect Leader Kang Da calmly accepted the invitation, then muttered, "Mixed Thunder Four Waters Sect?"

He had first encountered this sect in the "Chronicle of Shannan Circuit Sects and Aristocratic Clan" when he first entered the Daoist path. Two or three hundred years ago, it was considered a powerful force, not much weaker than the Ye Prefecture Yang Household today.

It was only because Shen Lingfeng chose the wrong side when he led his army to quell the Two Instruments Sect when the Immortal Dynasty withdrew from Shannan Circuit.

Logically speaking, the Chongming Sect should have collapsed and no disciples remained after the death of its Patriarch Zhang, two hundred years ago. Jiang Qing had told the Sect Leader Kang Da, many years ago that Ji Yunsheng came from a fallen sect, but the latter never imagined that he was actually a disciple of the Mixed Thunder Four Waters Sect.

Thinking about it this way, it makes sense that Ji Yunsheng's Thunder Method are considered authentic and rarely seen among Rogue Cultivator.

When Ji Yunsheng saw that Sect Leader Kang Da was looking at him, he cupped his hands and said, "After the sect fell into ruin, my master went into hiding and established the Mystic Thunder Sect to teach and spread the teachings, intending to avenge his great enemy in the future."

However, fate was unkind. My master's injuries were too severe, and his Dao Foundation was destroyed. Before his death, he passed down this invitation, but he never told me about its origin. After his passing, I was ignorant and confused. Although I was fortunate enough to form Dao Foundation, my bright pearl was still covered in dust.

It was only after years of fighting alongside the Alliance Leader, gaining experience and knowledge, that I came to understand such fortuitous opportunity. However, this fortuitous opportunity is too great for me to grasp, which is why I begged my elder brother to ask the Alliance Leader to spare some time to stay and examine me further.

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao's expression changed slightly. He glanced at Third Master Jiang standing beside him and saw that the latter also had the same expression, which made him sigh inwardly.

In his memory, Ji Yunsheng was originally a rough and boisterous person, yet he could actually say such cloying things. It seems that after his cultivation level has risen in recent years, his personality has become much more restrained.

If Ji Yunsheng were still living a carefree Ji Yunsheng with his sworn brothers back then, he would never have uttered such nauseating words.

However, Ji Yunsheng's words made sense. Even Golden Core cultivators without connections coveted this thing, let alone a True Cultivator like himself. Even Xu Liuxian, who had only recently achieved the False Core Xu Liuxian, couldn't keep it.

The Sect Leader Kang Da was known for his elegant manners, so how could he accept such a generous gift without knowing why? After making some excuses, he realized he couldn't refuse, so he reluctantly accepted it.

Xu Liuxian and Ji Yunsheng finally smiled, and even Zhou Zhaoyi, the most shrewd of the three, showed no dissatisfaction.

Kang Dabao was truly moved that such a valuable gift had been given away without the three of them even asking for a promise.

Reputation may seem useless, since no matter how good one's reputation is, it can't withstand magical treasures, Daoist arts, talismans, or puppets. But in situations like these, its true value becomes apparent.

Just like the Three Administrations under the jurisdiction of the Star-Picking Pavilion, each has several Golden Core cultivators in charge. Would their vassals dare to offer such spiritual items?

The Four Friends of Cold Mountain, being Rogue Cultivator with keen insight into human nature, surely they would know that offering this invitation to newly ascended cultivators who have no connections might yield even greater benefits!

Having received the benefits, Sect Leader Kang Da did not Xu Liuxian's invitation to stay for a few days. Instead, he returned to the Kui Star Shuttle, examined the golden characters on the invitation that read "29th of the 11th month," and remained silent.

Having reached his level of cultivation, Kang Dabao had naturally heard about the Myriad Treasures Trading Company's auctions in his daily interactions with others, and knew that there were many rare and precious items that were hard to find elsewhere. He had long been interested in them.

However, even if they had considered it before, it was useless. Fei Tianqin or Fei Nanying top cultivators from the number one family in the world. Even Manager Shopkeeper Dou of Tengwen Prefecture treated them with respect, so they must have received a formal invitation.

Despite their shared history, the man and the bird never took Kang Dabao with them.

Sect Leader Kang Da knew his limits and always adhered to the principle of "accepting but not demanding," which was perhaps one of the reasons why he was favored by the Fei Household elders.

However, judging by the time, it was only about ten days until the 27th of the eleventh lunar month. Setting off now would require a hurried and careful journey. Holding the invitation in his hand, Kang Dabao, unusually eager, couldn't contain his excitement and whispered to Fei Shuhe, "Madam?"

The latter glanced at him with a charming and alluring look, and then said, "You want to go with Uncle San so you can leave me behind and have some fun on your own?"

"What are you talking about?" Sect Leader Kang Da would never admit it, after all, the noble lady of the Fei Household knew that Third Master Jiang was quite the womanizer, and being brought up in this way at this time would be disadvantageous for Kang Dabao.

Fei Shuhe chuckled softly, and without further discussion or questioning, she simply opened her mouth and arranged everything.

"Let Nanny Tang take the children back to Little Ring Mountain by flying boat first. It's rare for Xiao Si to bring Lingyi out to spend some time with you, and you're just going to abandon her like that? You're so heartless."

The fourth mistress mentioned by the beautiful woman was Zhang Qingran. Huo Ying and Yuan Xiyue were also in the house, and she ranked them as the second and third mistresses. The women listened and did not necessarily agree with this order, but for the time being, no one came to argue with Fei Shuhe.

The Sect Leader Kang Da never argued with his wife over such trivial matters. Besides, no one else could hear Fei Shuhe when she spoke, so it was impossible to say whether she had lost face.

Moreover, Fei Shuhe's arrangements were quite appropriate. Taking these people with her to Tengwen Prefecture wouldn't be too conspicuous, and Nanny Tang, who had just been transferred from the She Mountain Hall to replace Nanny Sun in protecting Fei Shuhe, was also quite reliable.

After Nanny Sun's son, who had become a squad leader in the Ying Mountain Army, died in Three Ting Prefectures, the old woman felt as if she had lost her backbone. You must know that even her son's promising future in the Ying Mountain Army was a favor she had obtained from Fei Nanying after going through countless difficulties.

Under such circumstances, Nanny Sun was heartbroken and immediately brought up the matter of retiring and returning to her hometown.

Fei Shuhe had spent many years with him, and even a stone would develop some feelings for its loyal servant. So he Sect Leader Kang Da for some rare spiritual items and gathered some supplies for him to take back to Ying Prefecture.

When Fei Granny Liu heard about this, she felt that Fei Shuhe could not be left alone, so she transferred Nanny Tang, who often served by her side and whom she considered very reliable, to take care of her.

This old woman was already at the Foundation Establishment Peak, and her influence in the inner quarters of the She Mountain Hall was much greater. She was one of the top servants among thousands of servants and could be considered a capable assistant to Fei Granny Liu. Yet, she was still willing to send her to Fei Shuhe's side.

This is because the current Sect Leader Kang Da is quite different from before, enough for this old woman to invest this much.

Even though Nanny Tang was a person of considerable influence, she did not dare to reduce her respectful demeanor in the slightest when facing Kang Dabao and his wife. After obediently accepting their orders, she led Tang Jiu and the other Double Brightness disciples, who had just returned from the arena with a full load of loot, onto the flying boat to return home.

Within Cloud Horn Prefecture, the Six-Leaf Dao Banner of the Chongming Sect was considered to have some prestige, so Sect Leader Kang Da was not worried about any misfortunes occurring along the way.

After that, Kang Dabao didn't delay and headed to Shannan Circuit Tengwen Prefecture, where Myriad Treasures Trading Company was located, with his wife, concubine, daughter, and junior brother.

That was the territory of the Two Instruments Sect, the location of Rosy Lake Mountain. Even someone as arrogant as Pu Honggu wouldn't dare to stop guests holding invitations from Myriad Treasures Trading Company who came to participate in the auction.

Myriad Treasures Trading Company might not care, but if they really did, they might even skin some Nascent Soul cultivators alive. The principle of "better safe than sorry" is not something only small, insignificant businesses understand.

As the Kui Star Shuttle broke through the clouds, and the last wisp of silver-blue flame tore through the crimson sunset, the spirit boat gradually disappeared into the sky.

---- Two Instruments Sect, Rosy Lake Mountain

Pu Honggu stood alone under the old pine tree, constantly regulating his breathing. His whole body seemed to be shrouded in a thick layer of deathly aura, which turned the pine needles on his head from emerald green to jet black.

No one knows how much time passed, but when the old cultivator exhaled his last breath, which made the old pine tree on his head tremble three times, he finally opened his cloudy eyes.

If an outsider who knew him were to see this scene, they would immediately notice that the old man had become increasingly aged recently, to the point that he no longer resembled a living person.

As a Golden Core Peak cultivator, Pu Honggu naturally understood the situation much better than outsiders. Even with numerous methods to prolong his life, he was nearing the end of his life.

In recent days, the past six hundred years of cultivation have been flashing through his mind like a film, almost without stopping, causing endless sorrow in the old cultivator's heart.

No one could have imagined that the Grand Elder of the Liangyi Two Instruments Sect, who had recently been ruthlessly suppressing the Duke of Qin state, was now in such a state of near death.

The fading of heroes and the graying of beauties are both deeply regrettable events that cannot be reversed.

However, Pu Honggu still had a lifeline. He slowly shifted his gaze to the jade bottle on the low table in front of him. A glass bottle costing as much as two Foundation Establishment Pill should be perfectly leak-proof, but the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect felt as if the bottle was constantly emanating an alluring fragrance—a fragrance that could save lives!!!

"Crack!" The old pine tree that had accompanied the Two Instruments Sect generations was suddenly snapped in half by Pu Honggu's slap, and its lush green sap spilled all over the ground.

Pine needles fell haphazardly from the sky. Pu Honggu suddenly killed the "senior pine" he had been so affectionate with not long ago. He felt no regret, but his eyes were bloodshot and he seemed to be unable to hide his jealousy when he looked at the half-cut pine tree on the ground.

"The method for refining the Crimson Realm Life-Prolonging Pill!! Daoist Peng, you son of a bitch! Are you dead or alive right now?!"

As the old cultivator roared, even the jade hairpin on his head seemed unable to suppress the resentment emanating from it. His hair suddenly exploded, and his white hair cascaded down like a waterfall, making him appear both terrifying and pitiful.

Pu Honggu was well aware that as long as he tilted his head back and swallowed the pill in the jade bottle, he could solve his immediate problem.

Even if one does not obtain the method of refining it and cannot fully obtain the effects of the Crimson Realm Life-Prolonging Pill, it is still difficult to obtain two Jiazi (60 years) of lifespan. One or even half a Jiazi of lifespan is not impossible. It is still much more worthwhile than turning into a pile of ashes now.

But he was also afraid. He knew his own situation. It was already a great difficulty for Nascent Soul Formation to gain another two 60 years of lifespan to form a Nascent Soul. If he could gain any less, it would be impossible.

Taking the Crimson Realm Life-Prolonging Pill would indeed prolong one's life, but what torment it would be to live in the same pain as today for the next few decades!

No one could answer the question in Pu Honggu's mind. A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a familiar yet unfamiliar scent of pine, which only made him more agitated.

It was unclear when, but a cultivator in brocade robes, who hadn't been seen in a long time, stepped into the summit of Rosy Lake Mountain. Seeing Pu Honggu's disheveled state, his heart immediately ached.

"When you were young, Senior Brother led the sect against the beast tides and protected countless people, yet you still ended up like this."

However, what moved him was not the matter of the Crimson Realm Life-Prolonging Pill.

This matter was kept extremely secret, and Pu Honggu dared not reveal a single word about it. It was known only to him and Daoist Peng, and he had not even told his close junior brothers.

Upon hearing that someone had arrived, the old cultivator didn't rush to hide his disheveled state. He simply muttered in a low voice, "I haven't tidied myself up properly; I'm afraid I've made a fool of myself, Junior Brother Li."

"Senior brother, what do you mean by that?!" Li Yun's face immediately showed panic, and his expression was genuine.

It should be noted that the newly established Office of the Duke of Qin is located right next to the Two Instruments Sect. If the Liangyi Pu Honggu, this pillar of strength, Li Yun can easily foresee how difficult things will be for the Two Instruments Sect in the future.

"Ahem, how did things go?" Pu Honggu seemed extremely tired, and his cloudy eyes closed again.

Li Yun calmed herself down and replied softly, "A new batch of 'fortuitous opportunity' has been forged, and another group of people should emerge this year."

Pu Honggu listened with a listless expression, seemingly devoid of energy. He nodded almost imperceptibly in front of Li Yun, then said in a low voice, "In the past ten years, nearly a hundred people have newly advanced to the Foundation Establishment. Our family's number of True Cultivator has increased by almost one-third compared to before. The outside world may have already noticed this. It is indeed too ostentatious. Let's put it aside for now."

"Yes, Junior Brother understands. I'll make the arrangements after I go down." After hearing Pu Honggu's words, Li Yun's eyes also showed some worry. If such a matter were exposed, the Two Instruments Sect would definitely become the target of everyone's criticism.

"I have already secured the assistance of an old acquaintance. We will gradually bestow fortuitous opportunity upon our disciples. Once the number of True Cultivator reaches five hundred, and this old acquaintance cultivates the Heartless Dao Soldiers, then our Two Instruments Sect may be able to contend with Nascent Soul True Person, preventing us from becoming mere fish on the chopping block! Wait... cough!"

Although Pu Honggu was unharmed, he still coughed for a while before stopping. Opening his eyes, he saw Li Yun's concerned gaze and comforted him with a smile, "Junior brother, don't panic. I won't die anytime soon!"

"Senior Brother"

"Heh, please settle things at home, junior brother. I need to go out for a while now." After saying this, Pu Honggu did not avoid Li Yun. He simply took out a black invitation card and stared at the gold characters on it for a long time without saying a word.

(I'll be visiting three schools in Wuhan tomorrow, and then heading back to Ningbo tonight to finish this business trip. I should be able to update normally the day after tomorrow.)