Eternal Life Begins with Learning

"The entire body of a Tier Two Perfection Infant Carp Beast, excluding the Demon Pill, in exchange for a bottle of Flawless Elixirs to assist with Tier Two Late Stage cultivation."

The man's voice was even. After speaking, he looked out at the seated Foundation Establishment cultivators, awaiting a response.

"Are all these cultivators contacts of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion?"

Chu Mu glanced at the girl beside him, who still seemed a bit dazed, and asked casually.

"Not all of them. I'm not too sure about the specifics. My aunt arranged everything. I'm just in charge of the regular trade meets..."

Chu Mu nodded and looked again at the middle-aged man on the stage. The massive Demon Body towered like a small mountain. The hall was silent; no one had yet responded.

Chu Mu mulled it over for a moment. With a flick of his finger, a palm-sized Jade Bottle appeared, hovering before the man.

The man paused, stunned for a second, then a smile spread across his face. He reached out, took the Jade Bottle, and inspected it briefly. His smile grew noticeably wider.

The man put away the Jade Bottle and stored the Demon Body from the stage into a Storage Talisman. With another flick of his hand, the Storage Talisman shot out and hovered before Chu Mu.

At the same time, a telepathic message arrived along with it.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have any more pills for sale?"

The corners of Chu Mu's mouth turned up slightly, and he gave an imperceptible nod.

Seeing this, the man couldn't hide his delight. Looking as though he had struck gold, he strode quickly down from the stage.

Although the Telepathy was discreet, such a visible change in the man's expression could not escape the eyes of the Foundation Establishment cultivators present. Immediately, even more gazes converged on Chu Mu.

"Brother Chu, it's your turn."

Just then, the girl beside him seemed to finally snap out of it, leaning in to whisper in his ear.

Chu Mu nodded. He took a single step, and like a flash of light from a drawn blade, instantly appeared on the stage.

As he took that single step, the expressions of the more discerning cultivators in the audience changed dramatically. When their eyes met, there was a new, profound seriousness in their gazes.

As Chu Mu set foot on the stage, the gazes of the dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators present all converged on him.

The title of Artifact Refining Master carried immense weight, no matter the place.

Chu Mu stood tall on the stage. With a single wave of his hand, a series of deep rumbles echoed one after another.

In the blink of an eye, twelve ten-foot-tall, ink-black Puppets stood upon the stage. An invisible, murderous aura instantly swept through the hall.

"The Small Celestial Puppet Array, composed of twelve Tier Two Lower Grade Puppets. I will exchange it for Demon Pills of Tier Two Lower Grade or higher."

Chu Mu's words were brief; he offered no further introduction. As he finished speaking, with a mere thought, the Array Prohibitions on the twelve Puppets manifested. A faint Spiritual Light flowed between them, revealing the Spiritual Pressure of Tier Two Lower Grade, proving his words were true.

In that instant, whatever faint murmurs of conversation had remained in the trading hall vanished without a trace, crushed by the sudden, distinct display of Spiritual Pressure.

Gaze after gaze—filled with shock, joy, or disbelief—converged on the twelve Puppets.

After a moment of silence, a sudden uproar erupted as eager inquiries rang out one after another.

"If I may ask, Master Chu, how many Demon Pills are required to trade for this Small Celestial Puppet Array?"

"Master Chu, can other treasures be substituted for the Demon Pills?"

"Master Chu..."

Chu Mu's gaze swept over the cultivators in the room as he spoke slowly.

"Demon Pills of Tier Two Lower Grade or higher. Alternatively, High Tier Fire Attribute Spiritual Materials may also be acceptable, if they are suitable."

At his words, the uproar in the room subsided slightly.

"As for how many Demon Pills are needed for the exchange..."

He trailed off, then suddenly waved his hand, causing a projection to appear.

"I previously traveled to the Outer Sea for Demon Hunting and used this Puppet Array against enemies on several occasions. This is a recording of those encounters. Fellow Daoists, please watch it first, and then you can judge the array's value for yourselves!"

As he finished speaking, a projection about half a man's height materialized.

The image showed what appeared to be an island in the Outer Sea. First, the Small Celestial Puppet Array materialized, followed by a Profound Water Golden Pattern Crocodile. Even though it was only a recording, the creature's terrifying aura seemed palpable.

"That's a Tier Two Late Stage Profound Water Golden Pattern Crocodile..."

one of the cultivators exclaimed.

But with a flash in the projection, the Tier Two Late Stage Profound Water Golden Pattern Crocodile was instantly trapped by the Grand Array, unable to move an inch. A flash of light followed, and with a spray of blood, the image went dark.

When the image reappeared, the scene had shifted to a vast, open sea. The Grand Array was manifest, and a terrifying Demon Beast so enormous it nearly blotted out the sun appeared abruptly.

"It's a Red Eagle Beast!"

"A Tier Three!"

"It's a Tier Three Red Eagle Beast!"

"Tier Three!"

At that moment, a series of horrified gasps and shouts rang out.

The image changed once more. The Puppet Array appeared and, using the power of the Grand Array, actually managed to trap the Tier Three Red Eagle Beast within it. This held for nearly ten breaths of time before the image faded to black again.

A deathly silence descended once more.

Using Tier Two power to fight a Tier Three being...

Even though it only held for less than ten breaths, it was an unimaginable feat.

In a life-or-death battle, even a momentary lapse can mean the difference between living and dying.

Let alone being able to trap an opponent for nearly ten breaths.

And let alone doing it with Tier Two power against a Tier Three opponent...

The gap between Grand Realms was like an insurmountable chasm!

Chu Mu took in the shifting expressions of the cultivators, yet his own face remained perfectly calm. This was his exact reason for revealing the Small Celestial Puppet Array.

It was, admittedly, a rather high-profile move for him.

But... if he wanted to carve out a piece of the pie for himself in Chixia City, being high-profile was a must.

Profit could be used to win people over, but power was needed to command respect.

Both the carrot and the stick had to exist side-by-side to more thoroughly avoid unnecessary trouble.

After all, as long as there were no irreconcilable conflicts of interest, who would needlessly provoke an Artifact Refining Master with both superb skill and formidable power?

"I'll take this Puppet Array."

Just then, a voice cut through the silence, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Immediately after, a Storage Talisman shot up from the audience, hovering before Chu Mu.

Chu Mu looked slightly surprised. His gaze briefly sized up the young man who had spoken.

The man was dressed in a Golden Patterned Robe and was exceptionally handsome. He seemed to exude a faint, dignified air, yet his Cultivation was only at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.

'Flood Dragon Bloodline...'

Chu Mu accepted the Storage Talisman and probed it with his Divine Sense. His Divine Sense Perception registered one Jade Box after another, each sealed and containing a Tier Two Demon Pill. Beside the Jade Boxes, there was also a Sound Transmission Token.

The Demon Pills were authentic, and their quantity even slightly exceeded his own valuation.

'But... how could someone merely at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment have such immense wealth?'

'An heir?'

The thought surfaced in his mind subconsciously. Chu Mu's expression remained calm as he waved a hand, storing the twelve Puppets in a Storage Talisman. With a flick of his finger, he sent the talisman shooting into the young man's hand.

"I have some experience with both Artifact Refining and Alchemy. I will be residing in Chixia for the time being. If any of you Fellow Daoists have a need, feel free to contact me at any time."

Chu Mu smiled as his gaze swept across the room. His words immediately drew nods of agreement from many of the Foundation Establishment cultivators. After a dozen more communication Seals were added to his Sound Transmission Order, Chu Mu finally stepped down from the stage.

The trade meet continued, but perhaps because Chu Mu's display had been too impactful, the subsequent exchanges seemed rather unremarkable.

Ever since Chu Mu had returned to his seat, the young girl had been looking at him, seeming to want to say something but holding back.

Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and called out to him softly.

"Brother Chu..."

Chu Mu looked at the girl and asked, feigning ignorance, "What is it?"

The girl pouted, a wronged look on her face.

Chu Mu acted as if he hadn't noticed. Before the girl could speak, he changed the subject.

"The person who traded with me just now, what's his background?"

The girl faltered, her expression growing even more aggrieved. She looked so pitifully lovely it could stir compassion in anyone. But in the end, she still answered sullenly.

"He's the heir of Celestial Cloud True Master. His name is Chen Hanyun."

Chu Mu chuckled softly. 'A Golden Core Heir. No wonder he has such deep pockets...'

...

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