Yellow Court Daoist

"I was lucky to come across this War City deep in the North Sea, but I have no idea of its origins," Lu Qingfeng shook his head and curiously asked, "May I inquire, Han Immortal, about the origins of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace?"

Han Ling'er, upon hearing this, neither pursued his line of questioning nor answered his query.

She glanced over Yuan Gui City.

Seeing nothing of interest in the city, she stood her ground and looked towards Lu Qingfeng, "For snuffing out this demonic catastrophe in its infancy, you've made a notable contribution. Hence, I shall offer you a piece of advice. In this mortal realm, it is still best to avoid making too many enemies. The influence and power of Green Wood Valley and Six Dust Temple in the Spirit Domain is beyond what you can imagine. Also, regarding this battlefield, it originates from the 'Ice and Snow Divine Palace', and if its presence is revealed, it could bring considerable trouble."

Her words seemed filled with caution.

But she soon revealed her true intentions, "Instead of holding onto this damaged War City, which will be difficult to restore and might attract the wrath of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace in the future, why not sell it to me? Getting those genuine Immortal Crystals in hand would be quite delightful, wouldn't it?"

Han Ling'er spoke with a serene expression that belied her sincerity.

"How much are you willing to pay for this 'Yuan Gui City' then, Han Immortal?" Lu Qingfeng asked, looking at Han Ling'er.

If she could offer a good enough deal, it might be worthwhile to sell the badly damaged Yuan Gui City.

"Immortal Spirit Qi condensed into pure Immortal Crystals takes a Mahayana True Immortal a thousand years to form just one."

"How about ten?"

Han Ling'er flipped her hand revealing a fist-sized, luminous crystal in the center of her palm, radiating light from every facet. Just one glance could sweep one into its depth, overwhelmed by the endless qi, losing sense of all directions.

It was indeed an Immortal Crystal.

"..."

"The foundation of the War City comprises Immortal Soil, cultivated by a Mahayana True Immortal for tens of thousands of years in a single spot."

"Blessed by the Immortal Spirit Qi and touched by a True Immortal, this soil is perfect for cultivating Spiritual Medicine, Spirit Plants, constructing spiritual buildings, and even for cultivators to train. Acquired by a sect, it becomes an eternal cornerstone."

"Just this span of Immortal Soil stretching twenty or thirty miles is worth at least thirty Immortal Crystals."

Lu Qingfeng looked at Han Ling'er, somewhat amused and frustrated.

His cheap senior sister's heart might be a bit too dark. It seemed like she was taking advantage of his origins in the Lower Realm, assuming he did not fully grasp the concept and value of True Immortals, Immortal Soil, and Immortal Crystals, as if she planned to swindle him thoroughly.

If Lu Qingfeng was ignorant.

And if this was his first encounter with Immortal Crystals, such wonderful items, and he was astounded by the rich and pure Immortal Spirit Qi they contained.

Desiring ardently.

Indeed, he would trade for ten Immortal Crystals, perhaps even bartering for twenty. But what remorse would he feel upon ascending to the Upper Realm and learning of their true value?!

Hearing Lu Qingfeng's words, and seeing the mocking glint in the eyes of this Dutian Daoist, Han Ling'er felt her face growing hot. If she weren't a Mahayana True Immortal who could control her own feelings, she might have blushed with shame right then and there.

"Huff huff!"

Called out on her ploy directly, Han Ling'er inwardly adjusted her state of mind while appearing outwardly as unshakable as a mountain. She lightly said, "The origins of this city are unclear. Taking it off your hands, I would be assuming its risks, and naturally, its value depreciates significantly."

She spoke, then after a moment's thought, she added, "Thirty-five Immortal Crystals is my final offer. In this Mountain and Water Realm, aside from myself, you will find it difficult to find another buyer for this city. And considering the enemies you've made, it's better to acquire Immortal Crystals to enhance your strength than to cling to this dilapidated War City."

"..."

Lu Qingfeng listened and then shook his head, "I have no intention of selling the city, regardless of how many Immortal Crystals are offered."

Then why spout all this nonsense?!

Han Ling'er nearly let her anger show.

Fortunately, her composure was deep-seated, and she didn't let it surface, "War Cities are difficult to build and to repair. When you realize the difficulty in the future and wish to sell it, call upon this item."

"The price is negotiable."

Han Ling'er handed over a Jade Talisman to Lu Qingfeng.

Then she turned, pretending to leave.

Lu Qingfeng took the Jade Talisman and hurriedly called out, "Immortal, please wait."

"Hmm?"

Han Ling'er felt a flush of pleasure but kept a calm facade, turning to face Lu Qingfeng, "Is there something else?"

"I have no current plans to sell the War City, but I have other business and would like to cooperate with the Immortal," Lu Qingfeng said with a smile.

"Other business?" Han Ling'er's gaze shifted, touching upon the Seven Star Tower and the Xuanwu Tower.

Upon seeing this, Lu Qingfeng knew his cheap senior sister had misunderstood again, and he swiftly got to the point, "Immortal may not know this, but over a thousand years ago, I was fortunate enough to refine a type of Spirit Water called 'Mingqing Spirit Water.'

"When this water is used to cleanse one's eyes, cultivators who have yet to practice Spirit Eye or Dharma Eye arts can form a 'Mingqing Spirit Eye' which can perceive the finest details, giving them an enormous advantage in combat. For those who have cultivated Spirit Eye or Dharma Eye arts, a dose of Mingqing Spirit Water can directly enhance their power by twenty percent. With long-term use, it could boost their power by as much as seventy or eighty percent."

Blue Gold Pure Liquid.

Mingqing Spirit Water.

This was a business opportunity unearthed by Qingyu from the Daluo Cave Temple, as well as Lu Qingfeng's main financial resource. However, the market and financial resources in Three Mountains and Nine Waters were limited. Lu Qingfeng had to control the amount of Mingqing Spirit Water he sold and suppress the prices.

To ensure sales.

And that was quite the loss.

If he could establish a channel in the Spirit Domain through Han Ling'er, a true immortal from the Spirit Domain, then a vast amount of Mingqing Spirit Water could continuously supply Lu Qingfeng with Spirit Stones and alchemy materials.

And making a profit from selling Mingqing Spirit Water was secondary.

Using Mingqing Spirit Water as a foot in the door to open up channels in the Spirit Domain, and then through Han Ling'er earning Immortal Crystals and precious materials to repair Yuan Gui City was the key.

At that time,

even if he was within the Three Mountains and Nine Waters, he could rapidly enhance his strength.

What would have originally taken two to three thousand years to achieve the Primordial Spirit Peak might now be possible in less than a thousand years with the support of Immortal Crystals and various Spirit Domain resources.

On the path of cultivation,

especially for Lu Qingfeng, being one step ahead is extremely good.

"Mingqing Spirit Water?"

"At least increases the power of various Spirit Eye and Dharma Eye techniques by twenty percent?"

Han Ling'er's face did not show any shock, obviously coming from a background in the Spirit Domain with exceptional experience. She simply nodded slightly and said, "Cultivators of the Spirit Domain more or less practice such techniques. If this Mingqing Spirit Water truly has the effects that you mention, and if it doesn't overlap or conflict with the effects of the Spirit Pills and Spirit Water commonly circulated in the Spirit Domain, then there's no need to worry about sales prospects."

Although Han Ling'er was a True Immortal of the Spirit Domain, she was quite hard-pressed financially.

Her daily cultivation was already on a tight budget, and now she had been granted a War City by her master. The basic infrastructure of Han Ling City had been completed, but all of it was just standard configurations.

For example, offensive weaponry.

Apart from a set of the 'Ziwei Beidou Judge Heaven Fate' Great Array, there were only forty-eight 'Star Destroying Crossbows'.

As for Daoist Soldiers,

there were only the Second-Rank Daoist Soldiers 'Star Elves' responsible for construction, and the Fourth-Rank Daoist Soldiers 'Star-picking Giants' capable of both combat and construction.

Struggling against a Fifth-Order Star Absorption Lord was already difficult, not to mention going to the frontlines and fighting countless demonic creatures in the future.

She inevitably would need to add more Daoist Soldiers, array buildings, and various offensive and defensive weapons to enrich Han Ling City's defensive system.

And for these, vast financial resources were needed.

Even.

Without expanding, once the War City began combat, it was a situation of 'when the cannons fire, gold flies'. Not to mention the high cost of the Star Destroying Crossbow bolts, merely powering the Star Destroying Crossbows and the 'Ziwei Beidou Judge Heaven Fate' Great Array would consume endless energy.

Relying solely on Han Ling City's storage and recovery, it simply couldn't support it.

In a protracted battle, one must also be prepared with Immortal Crystals to ensure safety.

Therefore.

One could never have too much money.

This was also why Han Ling'er saw Yuan Gui City wanting to buy low and sell high, to earn that unconscionable, dirty money.

But unavoidably—

With Han Ling City desperately in need, Han Ling'er could only think of ways to gather funds.

If it were the past, encountering a Lower Realm cultivator like Lu Qingfeng wanting to do business with her, Han Ling'er may truly not have bothered. But now, she had enough patience.

Seeing Han Ling'er interested, Lu Qingfeng was delighted and quickly said, "Immortal, don't worry — a trial will show its worth."

Mingqing Spirit Water was indeed hugely profitable.

Although Lu Qingfeng also had other sources of income, in terms of simplicity and directness, 'Mingqing Spirit Water' took precedence, and was also the most secure.

"Mingqing Spirit Water comes in three grades."

"The first grade is the thousand-year batch, which can help those at Core Formation and below to increase the power of Spirit Eye techniques by twenty percent. With long-term application, the power can increase by seventy to eighty percent."

"The second grade is the ten-thousand-year batch, still offering a twenty percent increase but effective even for Primordial Spirit True Ones. With long-term application, it can increase power by forty to fifty percent."

"The third grade is the ten-thousand-year batch, providing a twenty percent increase effective for Mahayana True Immortals. With long-term application, it can boost power by about thirty percent."

Lu Qingfeng took out a hundred batches of the thousand-year Mingqing Spirit Water, ten batches of the ten-thousand-year Mingqing Spirit Water, and a batch of the ten-thousand-year Mingqing Spirit Water from his sleeve and handed them all to Han Ling'er, "Immortal Han, you can test these first. If they meet your expectations, we can discuss the price later. These three grades of Mingqing Spirit Water are just the Basic Version. I've been dedicatedly researching over the years and have developed several advanced versions, with even stronger effects, and they are extremely difficult to decipher. Immortal, you don't have to worry about losing this unique business opportunity to others."

This was to calm Han Ling'er.

And because Lu Qingfeng worried that with countless channels in the Spirit Domain, someone might have deduced the formula for Mingqing Spirit Water from the Alcohol Liquid, making Han Ling'er lose interest in cooperation. Or it might be that Han Ling'er would be tempted to decipher it herself and go solo, so he was providing a preventive measure.

After all, the Spirit Domain was far away, not within Lu Qingfeng's control.

But what he said was not false.

Mingqing Spirit Water was indeed difficult to decipher, and the so-called Basic Version he provided was made with a formula that had been enhanced once with the 'Yellow Court Scripture,' nearing perfection and extremely difficult to crack.

Even if the Immortal Sects and Alchemy Grandmasters spent time, energy, and money to crack it, Lu Qingfeng still had versions enhanced two times, three times, four times, repeatedly... countless iterations available, enough to keep the 'Mingqing Spirit Water' he produced competitive in the market.

"I will give you a response as soon as possible."

Han Ling'er caught the implication, nodded slightly, and in the next moment, turned into a rainbow and departed.

Seeing this, Lu Qingfeng called out to the sky, "I will await your return to the city, Immortal Sister."

As the voice faded,

Han Ling'er had already vanished.

"With such a greedy nature, yet she can generously give away three Immortal Crystals."

"This senior sister is indeed worth getting close to."

Lu Qingfeng watched Han Ling'er leave, thinking of those three Immortal Crystals, his regard for her grew. After Han Ling'er disappeared from sight, he turned and walked towards the City Lord Mansion.

As he walked, he continued to plan, "Han Ling'er sits on a War City, a gluttonous beast that swallows money; she won't give up any opportunity for financial gain. With 'Mingqing Spirit Water' paving the way, I can later sell enhanced versions of the Yellow Dragon Pill, the Spirit Clearing Powder, and other Basic Elixirs."

"The profit is not small, and the demand is extremely high."

"If managed well, the profits will be no less than those from the 'Mingqing Spirit Water.'"

Having lived through many lives,

Lu Qingfeng was well aware that the largest demand was for these Basic Elixirs that were not of entry-level grade. Thinking of the vast market of the Spirit Domain, a smile grew even wider on Lu Qingfeng's face—

"The Dutian Lineage has nurtured alchemists for many years, finally ready to be put to use."

...