Dual Realm Exchange System

The Verdant Cloud Crane remained airborne for nearly two hours.

At first, Damian enjoyed the journey, as there was something exhilarating about standing upon the back of a gigantic magical bird while forests, rivers, and villages passed beneath the clouds.

Even after everything he had experienced recently, flight still possessed enough novelty to occasionally pull his attention away from his problems.

Then something appeared on the horizon.

Damian stared in stupefaction.

"What the heck is that?"

Jian Rui followed his gaze and smiled.

"The Evergreen Immortal City, Senior."

Damian continued staring, his expression one of disbelief.

No. That was not a city.

That was an urbanized geographical region pretending to be a city.

Walls extended across the horizon in both directions, fading into haze long before Damian could see where they ended.

Inside them were buildings. Endless buildings.

Residential districts spread like enormous grids between artificial lakes, rivers, gardens, and elevated roads. Towers rose hundreds of meters into the air in the wealthier districts, while gigantic compounds occupied enough land to swallow entire towns.

Flying beasts traveled overhead while cultivators streaked through the air aboard swords, boats, and strange artifacts.

Caravans streamed through gates so large that dozens of wagons could pass side by side.

And no matter where Damian looked—left, right, or straight ahead—there was only more city.

"How large is this place?" Damian asked slowly.

Jian Rui considered the question.

"I do not know the exact measurement, Senior. It has expanded repeatedly over the centuries. The outer districts alone contain many affiliated clans, mortal sectors, market areas, and farming zones."

That... did not help.

Damian had lived in cities before, so he understood metropolitan sprawl.

But this?

Some American states felt smaller.

The population numbers hidden inside those walls became horrifying once Damian actually considered them.

Millions?

Tens of millions?

More?

Cultivation novels from Earth casually spoke about sects controlling territories with populations larger than entire countries, but reading numbers on a screen was very different from seeing civilization stretch into the horizon.

Damian suddenly understood something about cultivators.

How could they possibly pay attention to everyone?

Even if an immortal possessed perfect morality, how many millions of lives could one person meaningfully care about before the numbers became abstract?

At some point, people stopped being individuals and became populations.

That thought disturbed Damian slightly after what happened in Green Leaf Town.

Jian Rui mistook his silence for impatience.

"Senior need not worry. The Evergreen Sect occupies the central spiritual district, and the Crane’s pre-planned aerial route flies directly there. We should arrive shortly," Jian Rui reassured him.

Damian glanced at him. "Right, sure."

Apparently, this incomprehensibly enormous place was merely the Sect’s "affiliated city."

...fucking hell, Shengyuan was insane.

The deeper they flew, however, the more Damian’s attention shifted toward something far more beautiful.

The Evergreen Sect’s central territory appeared ahead.

Massive trees rose between elegant wooden halls, some broad enough that entire buildings had been constructed around their trunks. Artificial streams wound through landscaped gardens, flowering vines climbed white stone bridges, and countless medicinal plants grew inside carefully separated terraces.

Even the rooftops seemed alive, moss forming deliberate patterns across green tiles, small trees growing from elevated courtyards, and floating islands of vegetation hanging above several larger compounds, their roots trailing through mist.

The air itself changed immediately, the ambient spiritual energy becoming denser and somehow cleaner.

Fresh wood-element energy filled Damian’s senses so strongly that merely breathing felt refreshing.

His earlier gloomy mood began disappearing without effort.

"Now this is beautiful..." Damian remarked with awe.

Lin Meiyu smiled proudly. "Our Evergreen Sect believes that cultivation should not require destroying the land supporting it."

Damian folded his arms with approval. "I can respect that."

Then his expression changed.

Something was wrong.

Within that pure, vibrant wood spiritual energy existed another presence.

Faint, yet pervasive.

Cold.

Dead.

Damian’s brows knitted together, the sensation reminding him of rotting vegetation beneath beautiful flowers.

This death-like energy immediately activated his Earthling paranoia.

’Here we go.’

Hidden demonic inheritance?

Possessed Sect Master?

Nightmare Corpse Sect infiltrators?

Half the elders secretly practicing forbidden techniques while sacrificing disciples beneath the mountain?

Damian’s mind generated approximately twenty conspiracy theories before the crane even landed.

The great bird descended toward an enormous plaza crowded with disciples and visitors, and that final detail helped calm him.

There were outsiders everywhere—merchants, traveling cultivators, mortals carrying goods, and representatives wearing robes from organizations Damian did not recognize.

Nobody appeared terrified, nor were they being secretly dragged into underground sacrificial pits.

...probably.

The crane descended in a slow, controlled arc, its massive wings cutting through the air with a final powerful beat before it settled onto the designated landing platform.

Jian Rui noticed Damian examining the area.

"Senior, the Outer Sect is divided broadly into two sections. The western and southern districts contain the public halls, markets, mission centers, workshops, and guest facilities. Outsiders conducting business are allowed there freely. The northern residential district and several training zones are restricted to Evergreen disciples and approved guests," Jian Rui explained.

Damian nodded, finding it a sensible layout.

More importantly, nobody expected him to immediately enter the Sect’s protected core.

That reduced his concern considerably.

The youths led Damian across several broad avenues until they reached a large five-story building constructed around an ancient tree, a polished green plaque hanging above its entrance.

[Hundred Trades and Guest Hall.]

"This hall handles most external commerce, visiting cultivators, and cooperation agreements involving the Outer Sect," Jian Rui explained.

"Deacon Mu oversees several of its commercial branches."

Well, that was good then.

Once inside, Damian was quickly escorted away from the general reception area and placed inside a private guest chamber.

Tea and fruit arrived, followed by more tea.

Damian had barely taken his second sip when the door opened and a middle-aged man entered.

He possessed the exact appearance Damian would expect from someone named Deacon Mu.

A broad face, a trim beard, a healthy complexion, simple green robes, and a warm smile that looked permanently installed.

"Fellow Daoist! Forgive this Mu for making an honoured guest wait," the man greeted heartily.

Damian stood to return the greeting, but his smile almost disappeared.

’What... the hell?’

Deacon Mu was a... a goddamn living reactor.

That was the only comparison Damian could form.

Selene possessed terrifying magical density, but Mages did not generally walk around carrying enormous quantities of ambient mana inside themselves.

Their internal magical structures were refined tools, and their minds and souls manipulated the world.

Even Ophelia, despite whatever monstrous Mage level she possessed compared to Damian, did not feel like this.

Deacon Mu, however...

Spiritual energy entered his body almost constantly, and something within him refined it, filtered it, changed it, and then stored the resulting energy inside his existence.

The process reminded Damian of a remarkably efficient industrial reactor taking raw fuel and producing a specialized product.

The resulting Qi was no longer universal in the way ambient spiritual energy was.

Some possibilities had been stripped away while others had been emphasized.

Damian sensed destructive potential, restorative vitality, and wood-element characteristics.

And beneath everything was something strangely personal.

Deacon Mu himself.

His Qi carried himself within it.

His cultivation technique, body, experiences, and perhaps even personality had branded the energy, giving it a personal mark.

Interesting...

Very, very interesting.

Being near him was like sitting beside someone radiating strong heat without sweating or producing any smell.

Nothing inherently unpleasant happened, but you were simply unable to forget they were there.

Jian Rui stepped forward.

"Deacon Mu, this is Senior Damian Baines, the traveling expert we reported. Senior Damian assisted us in completing the Fierce Beast mission and has expressed interest in establishing commercial cooperation within Evergreen territory," Jian Rui introduced respectfully.

Deacon Mu’s smile widened. "So these four little fellows truly were fortunate!"

He looked at the disciples.

"Your mission report was excellent. Seven targets eliminated, no casualties, and all useful materials recovered. More importantly, you had enough sense to treat a traveling expert with courtesy instead of creating unnecessary conflict. Each of you will receive an additional eighty contribution points."

The four disciples’ mouths opened in unison, their earlier composure shattering as they stared between Damian and Deacon Mu.

Jian Rui’s expression flickered between disbelief and dawning horror, while Bo Wen looked like he was mentally recalculating every life decision that had led him to this conversation.

"E-Eighty?!" Bo Wen stammered.

"Deacon Mu, that is too generous!" Jian Rui exclaimed.

"Nonsense! Knowing how to create goodwill for the Sect is itself worthy of reward," Deacon Mu declared cheerfully.

The disciples immediately bowed with admiration and reverence.

"Thank you, Deacon Mu!"

Their excitement was obvious.

Yet after standing aside, all four glanced toward Damian with increasingly complicated expressions.

Eighty contribution points each?

For essentially introducing someone?

What exactly did Senior Damian possess that made Deacon Mu this generous?

Even Jian Rui became slightly concerned.

Deacon Mu had an excellent reputation, but still...

Cultivation resources could make good men behave strangely.

Damian himself had already reached a similar conclusion.

His two Spell Slots remained untouched, with <Burning Hands> permanently prepared in one.

His other prepared option remained available: <Mage Armor> or <Magic Missile>.

If something went wrong, he intended to fire first and apologize after escaping to Valoria.

Deacon Mu sat opposite him.

"Friend Damian, I was informed that you practice a foreign path and possess unusual goods you wish to trade. May I ask what kind of business you intend to establish?" the man asked amiably.

Before Damian answered, something invisible emerged from Mu.

Damian stiffened as a cool sensation swept across his body, penetrating the air, moving over his robes, and touching the magical structures surrounding him.

For half a second, Damian felt as though an invisible scanner had passed through him.

His eyes sharpened as he glared at Deacon Mu, who paused in surprise.

Then laughed.

"Hahaha! Friend Damian, forgive this Mu! That was truly discourteous of me," the Deacon apologized openly.

"I merely used a trace of Spirit Sense. Your cultivation is unlike anything I have encountered, and curiosity overcame my manners."

<Spirit Sense>?

[Shengyuan terminology detected.]

[Spirit Sense: A sensory ability possessed by cultivators at Qi Condensation and above that allows remote perception of spiritual and physical states.]

So that was what it was.

Interesting!

The four disciples stared at Deacon Mu reverently.

A powerful cultivator apologizing so openly to a younger-looking stranger only reinforced their impression that both men stood on completely different levels.

Damian smiled faintly. "No harm done."

Internally though, he sighed with lament.

The teenagers were easy to dupe, but this man was not.

Obviously, that probe had been a test, though a subtle one.

If Damian had not even noticed Spirit Sense moving across his body, Deacon Mu could immediately conclude that his supposed cultivation was nowhere near the level the disciples believed.

Damian sensing it did not prove he was powerful either, but it did prove something at least.

Deacon Mu poured tea. "Then let us speak business."

Damian nodded. "I possess access to goods produced by craftsmen from a distant cultivation system. I want to determine which products have demand here before establishing larger supply routes."

Direct enough to explain his intentions while vague enough to reveal nothing important.

Deacon Mu looked pleased. "A sensible approach. May I inspect samples?"

"Of course," Damian nodded as he ’reached’ into Dual-Realm Storage.

Immediately, a pale-blue crystal appeared in his hand.

The four disciples immediately focused on the spatial-storage miracle again whereas Deacon Mu focused on the crystal itself.

His expression changed as he accepted it carefully, spiritual energy circulating through his fingers.

"Hm?"

He examined it again. "Interesting!"

"What do you make of it?" Damian asked.

"This is unquestionably similar to a Spirit Stone, though the internal energy behaves strangely. It is significantly purer than an ordinary Low-Grade Spirit Stone," Deacon Mu replied with slight amazement.

Damian’s pulse quickened.

Could it be... a great success?

Deacon Mu continued with a shake of his head.

"Unfortunately, the total quality remains insufficient to reach Mid-Grade, a true pity. If the density were perhaps thirty or forty percent higher, it might qualify."

Damian nodded thoughtfully. "What would the market price be?"

Deacon Mu blinked with surprise. "...Market price?"

Damian nodded. "For selling them, yes."

Deacon Mu stared at him for a long moment, speechless.

"Fellow Daoist... who sells raw money?"

Damian went silent while the four disciples remained respectfully quiet, lowering their heads.

Deacon Mu chuckled.

"Spirit Stones are themselves one of the primary currencies of the cultivation world. Certainly, one may exchange grades, and unusual Spirit Stones could attract researchers, but selling large quantities merely for ordinary currency would be like exchanging mortal silver taels for silver taels."

Damian maintained his placid expression, but internally he was facepalming heavily.

’Well shit.’

His grand speculation of the value of Mana Crystals, in which he bought fifty-two kilograms of them, was essentially a bust.

Congratulations, he played himself.

Damian had essentially imported dollars into a country that already uses dollars, trying to peddle said dollars on the street for... dollars?

"Understood." The young man eventually nodded and moved on.

Next, Damian produced one of his purchased spell scrolls.

Deacon Mu examined the inscriptions, and his interest rose again.

"These resemble talismans, though their inscription structure is extremely unusual."

Damian explained the activation method, and after careful examination, Deacon Mu gave his assessment.

The Cantrip-level scrolls roughly compared to Low- or Medium-Grade beginner talismans depending on the spell.

Level 1 Spell Scrolls were better, some approaching High-Grade talismans used among Body Tempering and early Qi Condensation cultivators.

Useful, interesting, and definitely tradeable, but hardly revolutionary.

Damian produced several pieces of Valorian equipment next, and Deacon Mu barely concealed his disappointment.

"Mortal steel."

Even with slightly enchanted properties, the weapons lacked too much compared to proper Shengyuan artifacts, and their advantages were too limited.

Damian’s expectations continued falling.

Mana Crystals? Currency.

Spell Scrolls? Talismans with foreign flavor.

Equipment? Mostly mortal junk.

Great! Wonderful!

He was beginning to understand why cross-world trade required experimentation.

Finally, Damian reached for the products he considered least exciting.

Three small bottles appeared, one red, one blue, and one green.

Deacon Mu glanced at them casually, not expecting much after back-to-back disappointments in a row.

"What are these, Fellow Daoist?"

"Basic potions from my hometown," Damian responded casually.

Damian lifted the red vial. "This is a Vial of Healing. For someone below the Qi Condensation realm, it rapidly heals any physical injuries. Severe injuries are also treatable to any degree, though stronger beings experience diminishing effects."

Deacon Mu stopped moving, his smile disappearing.

"...What?"

Damian looked at him with a raised eyebrow, wiggling the red vial in his grip. "Healing potion."

"I heard that. But Fellow Daoist, you said it heals internal injuries as well?" Deacon Mu asked with bated breath.

Damian pondered then nodded confidently. "For people within the appropriate strength range, yes."

"How quickly?" Deacon Mu was even more rushed at this point.

"Usually moments?" Damian answered slowly, beginning to realize something was wrong.

Deacon Mu stared at the red vial with solemnity, his hands clenched into fists.

Damian slowly lifted the blue vial. "This is a Vial of Restoration. It restores exhausted Mental Energy within the same general limitation."

Deacon Mu’s eyes widened further. "It... it cures mental exhaustion?!"

"Essentially," Damian affirmed with a nod.

Damian finally lifted the green vial. "And this is a Vial of Vigor. It restores physical stamina and reduces muscular exhaustion."

Silence.

Deacon Mu seemed to be slightly trembling as he leaned forward.

"All of this occurs... immediately?"

Damian frowned. "As soon as you drink it, yes."

Deacon Mu stared at the three bottles as though Damian had placed divine treasures on the table.

The four youths became equally confused.

After all, they had watched Damian drink Vials of Vigor throughout their journey so they had assumed they were merely some peculiar foreign medicine.

Deacon Mu reached toward the Healing Vial, then stopped before touching it.

"Would Fellow Daoist be willing to sell me one bottle of each?" Deacon Mu asked with cupped fists.

Damian raised an eyebrow. "For testing?"

Deacon Mu nodded. "For immediate testing!"

Damian shrugged. "Certainly, why not?"

Deacon Mu sucked in a deep breath, ready to pay a huge amount. "How much?"

Damian smiled. "This is market research. Consider the first samples complimentary."

Deacon Mu’s expression became extraordinarily serious. "No, Fellow Daoist, we cannot do this."

Damian paused as Deacon Mu took out three small pale stones from his sleeve.

"Business should begin as business. I will pay three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones for the samples for now. If their effects are as you claim, we will discuss proper pricing afterward."

Damian looked at the glowing azure stones, then at Deacon Mu.

"Deal."

The Deacon swept the three potions into his sleeve and stood so quickly that his chair scraped backward.

"Jian Rui!"

The young swordsman jumped. "Yes, Deacon!"

"Remain here with our honored guest. Ensure the Fellow Daoist receives anything he requests. Tea, food, a private cultivation room, even access to the guest baths if he desires. If anyone from this hall gives him trouble, report their name directly to me!"

Jian Rui was shocked but quick to salute. "Yes, Deacon!"

Deacon Mu looked back toward Damian. "Fellow Daoist, please wait here. This Mu will return shortly."

"Of course," Damian assented with a casual smile.

Deacon Mu walked rapidly toward the door then apparently decided walking was insufficient because the moment he crossed the threshold...

WHOOSH!

He vanished like a fired bullet, causing the room to become silent.

Bo Wen stared at the doorway, Lin Meiyu stared at the table, Shen Lian stared at Damian, and Jian Rui seemed unsure whether he should stand straighter.

Damian slowly looked at the three bottles’ former position with interest.

A healing potion, a mental recovery potion, and a stamina recovery potion.

All beginner goods in Valoria that cost almost as much as buying fifteen days’ worth of bread for daily commoner meals.

These were items that when he tried to pay back the four ladies, they literally laughed at him, like a person on Earth saying they would pay you back for a common bottle of mineral water.

He had purchased them almost as an afterthought, more for himself than for mass selling.

Meanwhile, more than half his first trade inventory consisted of Mana Crystals because he had confidently assumed condensed supernatural energy would become the cornerstone of his Shengyuan business.

Damian leaned back, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

Perhaps...

Just perhaps...

He had been paying attention to the wrong merchandise from the beginning!

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