Translator: AnubisTL
Li Qing considered Wan Shengtian's proposal briefly before politely declining with a smile.
While the Spirit Treasure Realm was indeed impressive, it was ultimately the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild. Li Qing felt that it would be inappropriate for an outsider like himself to remain there for an extended period.
"I appreciate Senior Wan's kindness," Li Qing said with a light smile, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture. "However, I still prefer my freedom."
Wan Shengtian didn't press the matter further. His offer had merely been a recruitment tactic; if successful, the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild would gain a Foreign Surname Retainer with unparalleled mastery of artifact refinement. If not, it wouldn't be a significant loss.
"Heh, let's not dwell on that," Wan Shengtian chuckled. "Little Friend Limitless, you'll need to wait a few days. I've already ordered the primary materials for your artifact refinement from our branch guilds."
Thus, Li Qing settled into the Spirit Treasure Realm under Wan Shengtian's arrangements.
The spiritual energy here was comparable to that of his Lingyun Sect. While it wasn't as pristine as the ancient lands of antiquity, it was more than sufficient for a nascent soul realm cultivator to cultivate without issue.
In the days that followed, Wan Shengtian personally guided Li Qing through the Spirit Treasure Realm, allowing him to truly grasp the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild's formidable foundation.
It wasn't just the guild's vast treasury, overflowing with rare treasures and exotic artifacts, that impressed Li Qing. Even the realm's pavilions, terraces, and suspended towers opened his eyes to new horizons.
These floating structures weren't unoccupied; they housed the Foreign Surname Retainers, cultivators hired by the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild. Most were in the nascent soul realm, with the weakest at the late-stage core formation realm.
This terrifying force, if unleashed in full, would leave the Human Realm virtually defenseless against any immortal dao faction.
No wonder the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild could dominate the Human Realm's great domains, expanding its business far and wide while maintaining unwavering neutrality.
Of course, these Foreign Surname Retainers rarely interfered in external affairs. Many were skilled artisans, each specializing in a particular cultivation technique—Pill, Artifact, Formation, or Talisman—and contributing their expertise to the guild's endeavors.
Their presence in the Spirit Treasure Realm wasn't solely for cultivation. They were also deeply immersed in their respective cultivation techniques, continuously refining their skills and providing the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild with a steady stream of innovations.
Pill refiners were pioneering new pill formulas, formation masters were delving into formation arts, and Talisman Masters were refining new types of talismans.
Compared to this, the Lingyun Sect's foundation seemed shallow indeed. No wonder this merchant guild had thrived in the Human Realm for over twenty thousand years without decline!
Li Qing sighed inwardly, realizing the Lingyun Sect still had a long way to go. This was the true pinnacle of immortal dao power.
"Heh heh, you must be Fellow Daoist Limitless? I've long admired your reputation. It's a pleasure to finally meet you today!"
A kindly-faced old man emerged from a pitch-black pavilion.
Li Qing recognized him instantly: Old Man Tianxing, who had made a name for himself at the grand auction.
This man was a renowned formation master in the Human Realm, his mastery of formation arts bordering on the fifth-tier. Li Qing held him in deep admiration.
"Fellow Daoist Tianxing! A pleasure to meet you as well!" Li Qing quickly returned the greeting with a smile and clasped his hands in a respectful bow.
"I heard Senior Wan invited an artifact refiner with unparalleled skill. They say a spirit treasure worthy of the Spirit Treasure Realm will soon be born, truly living up to the realm's name."
"This old man will be watching with bated breath! Hahahaha!"
Old Man Tianxing's demeanor was warm and welcoming. He was naturally eager to forge connections with someone of Li Qing's caliber.
"Senior Wan flatters me," Li Qing replied with a modest smile, shaking his head. "While I have indeed made some progress in artifact refinement, I dare not guarantee I can refine a spirit treasure."
Just then, a woman's impatient voice suddenly rang out:
"Old Man Tianxing, hurry up and bring me the Boundary Stone Fragment! I've finally made some headway with the ascension platform's foundational array patterns!"
A woman emerged from another crimson pavilion, her figure fiery and her aura fiercely untamed. A beast-hide skirt draped across her hips, accentuating her long, slender legs with dazzling effect.
"Hmm? Who's this? Could this be the new formation master Wan Shengtian hired?" The wild woman raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Li Qing like a predatory leopard sizing up its prey.
"Heh, Fellow Daoist Jialuo, you've been cooped up in your pavilion lately, so you wouldn't know. This is Fellow Daoist Limitless, the artifact refiner Senior Wan invited to refine a spirit treasure for him!"
Old Man Tianxing introduced Li Qing and the wild-looking woman in a few brief words, making their identities clear.
The woman was True Monarch Jialuo, a formation master renowned in the Human Realm, on par with Old Man Tianxing himself. It seemed both had now been recruited by the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild as their formation art retainers.
Upon learning Li Qing was an artifact refiner, Jialuo quickly lost interest, only glancing at him a few more times after hearing he could refine spirit treasures. Even then, she showed little genuine curiosity.
Li Qing, however, silently committed Jialuo's earlier words to memory:
Boundary Stone Fragment, Ascension Platform
He recognized the former—boundary stones were rare spiritual objects used to create independent spaces, their fragments capable of refining top-tier spatial treasures.
But the so-called "ascension platform" truly piqued his interest.
In the Human Realm, ascension likely meant breaking through the void to ascend to the spirit realm.
Could Wan Shengtian have invited these two renowned artifact refiners from the Human Realm specifically for this purpose?
"Hmm, follow me then!"
"Fellow Daoist Limitless, if you don't mind, why not join us?"
After speaking, Old Man Tianxing led the way into the pavilion, showing no concern about revealing his secrets.
Li Qing pondered for a moment before deciding to follow, driven by his curiosity.
The interior was in disarray, with scrolls inscribed with array patterns scattered across the floor and shelves cluttered with jade slips and formation flags—a scene befitting the residence of a formation master.
Soon, Old Man Tianxing retrieved a small stone radiating intense spatial power from his storage bag.
The stone was remarkably small, barely larger than a fingernail.
"Is this the Boundary Stone Fragment?" Li Qing asked, his eyes fixed on the fragment in Old Man Tianxing's hand. "And what is the ascension platform? Is it a device to aid ascension to the upper realm?"
Old Man Tianxing handed a bamboo slip and the Boundary Stone Fragment to True Monarch Jialuo. Her eyes lit up at the sight of these artifacts related to formation art, and she immediately departed without a moment's hesitation.
(End of the Chapter)
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