Joe Di said calmly, "I've just stepped into the Void Spirit Stage. If you can't discern my cultivation, it's because your own realm isn't high enough."
Void Spirit Stage?
Upon hearing Joe Di's words, all the cultivators stared at him in shock. How could this be possible? Although even cultivators at the Sea Cleaving Realm had entered the Skyveil before, that was many years ago, back when the continents were rich in cultivation resources. It wasn't unheard of to reach the Sea Cleaving Realm within a hundred years then.
But now, with depleted resources and scarce spiritual energy, a Nascent Soul cultivator entering the Skyveil is already considered a genius among geniuses. As for the Void Spirit Stage, that’s nearly impossible.
"He can't possibly be at the Void Spirit Stage! Not long ago, he was just at the Golden Core stage and was gravely injured in a siege!" a sharp voice cried out.
Joe Di recognized this cultivator as one of those who had attacked him in the blue cave mansion, the one whose arm he had severed. He hadn't expected this fellow to show up here as well.
Without waiting for that Nascent Soul, Second Level cultivator to speak, Joe Di unleashed his spiritual sense movement technique, appearing instantly beside the Golden Core early-stage cultivator. His long blade swept out, carving a gash through the air.
"He's going to kill—" The Golden Core cultivator knew how dangerous Joe Di was. Even though he was constantly on guard, he hadn't expected Joe Di to appear at his side in an instant.
"Splat!" The Golden Core early-stage cultivator hadn't even finished his last word before Joe Di's blade tore him apart.
Joe Di sneered. Did they really think that just because there were Nascent Soul cultivators present, he wouldn't dare seek revenge?
Sensing the power behind Joe Di’s strike, the Nascent Soul, Second Level cultivator’s gaze sharpened. He was certain now—Joe Di was no mere Golden Core cultivator.
Even if he was at the Golden Core, he’d be at its peak. But he was also sure—Joe Di was no Void Ascendant.
"What do you all think?" The Nascent Soul, Second Level cultivator turned his gaze to the other three Nascent Soul, First Level cultivators.
Jade Carter replied calmly, "I’ve fought him before. I’m no match for him."
The Nascent Soul, Second Level cultivator’s eyes twitched. "Jade Carter may only be at the Nascent Soul, First Level, but her strength is hardly inferior. If even she isn’t his match, then I must have misjudged—this cultivator, even if not at the Void Spirit Stage, is at least a Nascent Soul expert, possibly even at a higher realm than me."
If even Jade Carter admitted she was no match for Joe Di, the other Nascent Soul cultivators kept silent. They had no enmity with Joe Di and saw no reason to offend a powerful figure for the sake of an unfamiliar Golden Core cultivator.
Joe Di was somewhat puzzled. This woman should have been urging the others to attack him—why had she let him go?
A moment of reflection, and Joe Di understood. He possessed the Pocket World that Jade Carter desperately desired; if he were killed, it would likely fall into the hands of the Nascent Soul, Second Level cultivator. Perhaps, for Jade Carter, it was easier to reclaim the Pocket World while it remained with him.
The Nascent Soul, Second Level cultivator laughed heartily, then addressed Joe Di, "Since you’re one of us, why not join forces and break open this Ancient Sect together?"
Joe Di replied coolly, "Of course. It’s just that I’m rather poor, so before we start, I’d like to do a little business. You wealthy bigshots, you don’t need to bother with me."
After speaking, Joe Di walked to an open area. With a wave of his hand, rows of shelves appeared before the crowd.
This Ancient Sect’s grand array is a complete ninth-level defensive formation. No matter how many people are here, breaking this array would take months. Even if he led the effort, it would still take nearly a month.
Joe Di had no intention of wasting time on such futile efforts. With so many people present, he hurried to do business instead.
"Fellow cultivators, I have top-grade Ascendant Pills, Foundation Pills, Core Essence Pills..."
Before Joe Di could finish speaking, the cultivators rushed forward. Qi Refining cultivators eyed the Foundation Pills greedily, Foundation Establishment cultivators stared eagerly at the Ascendant Pills, and as for the Core Essence Pills—they were urgently needed by Golden Core cultivators for their training.
These rare pills, seldom seen even in the Grand Commerce Pavilion, were actually available here.
Especially the Foundation Pill. Though not of the highest grade, its main spiritual herb, Bloodspike Grass, is extremely rare. And the Ascendant Pill—rumor has it that the key ingredient, the Shaping Grass, has long vanished from the world.
"I want Foundation Pills and Ascendant Pills..."
"I want Ascendant Pills and Vitality Pills..."
No cultivator was in the mood to attack the seemingly impenetrable grand array anymore. Everyone crowded around Joe Di’s stall instead.
With a wave of his hand, Joe Di tossed out array banners, swiftly setting up a protective formation around his stall. He then announced loudly, "Everyone, please come one at a time. But my pills don’t accept spirit stones..."
When the crowd heard Joe Di wasn’t accepting spirit stones, their excitement finally cooled. The Nascent Soul, Second Level cultivator’s eyes lit up—Joe Di had casually set up a fourth-level array. This meant he was at least a fourth-level formation master.
If someone like Joe Di joined their efforts, the Ancient Sect’s grand array could be broken much faster.
Thinking of needing Joe Di’s help, he swallowed his discontent.
Seeing the crowd finally calm down, Joe Di spoke again, "Besides these pills, I also have Soulcore Fruit!"
With that, Joe Di placed a jade box on the top shelf. "Inside is the Soulcore Fruit."
If the earlier items only made Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators envious, with Golden Core cultivators wanting Core Essence Pills at most, now even Golden Core cultivators were staring with red eyes.
Soulcore Fruit—this treasure can be refined into Soul Condensation Pills. And what are Soul Condensation Pills? They’re the pills that allow Golden Core cultivators to break into the Nascent Soul stage. The reason these pills are so rare is simply because there’s no Soulcore Fruit.
Why were Golden Core experts able to enter the Skyveil in the past? It was because these spiritual herbs were everywhere, and advancement was not so difficult. Nowadays, no matter how talented you are, if you hit a bottleneck without the aid of pills, you can only rely on time. If your essence blood fades before you break through, you’ll die of old age.
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"Senior, may I ask what you need?" someone asked impatiently.
Joe Di pressed his hand down to quiet the commotion and raised his voice, "Recently, I've reached a bottleneck in my cultivation. It's very difficult to make further progress, so I want to focus on body refinement. Today, I am only trading for body refinement techniques. Don't bring me inferior techniques—I already have plenty. What I need are top-tier body refinement methods. If your technique is good enough, you can name your price."
To obtain a top-tier body refinement technique, Joe Di couldn't afford to hide his valuable items any longer.
Upon hearing Joe Di's request for a body refinement technique, Cheng Bijun and Zong Min immediately understood—Joe Di was here for that flame. Even with Joe Di's strength, he needed a body refinement technique to enter Flame Mountain. It seemed that even if they stayed, their chances were slim.
Most of the cultivators were disappointed when they heard Joe Di wanted a body refinement technique. Very few possessed such techniques. Clearly, Joe Di had brought out many treasures, yet they had no chance to obtain them. As for trying to rob this senior—well, that would be suicide. Even Nascent Soul cultivators didn't dare provoke him. If this senior wanted to kill them, it would be as easy as a slap.
"Senior, does it have to be a body refinement technique?" a Foundation Establishment cultivator asked, unwilling to give up.
He had come to the Skyveil for the chance to form his Golden Core. For this Skyveil quota, he'd exhausted his resources. Now, the opportunity—the Ascendant Pill—was right before him, yet he didn't even qualify to buy it. What could be more disappointing than this?
Joe Di swept his divine sense over the Foundation Establishment cultivator, gauging his cultivation level.
Though he knew this cultivator longed for the Ascendant Pill, Joe Di wasn't running a charity. Many cultivators desired the Ascendant Pill, but he couldn't help them all.
"Not necessarily. If you have a technique, artifact, or... oh, if you have a method for tempering divine sense, you can also obtain any pill from me." Joe Di said calmly.
Upon hearing about a divine sense refinement method, the Foundation Establishment cultivator was thrilled. He hurriedly produced a damaged jade slip and handed it to Joe Di, saying, "Senior, this is a broken technique I obtained. Please take a look."
Joe Di took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense. It was indeed damaged—who knew how many years it had endured? Much of the writing was blurred. If Joe Di's divine sense weren't so powerful, he wouldn't be able to decipher even a tenth of its contents.
Even so, Joe Di could only make out about sixty percent of the contents, but that was enough to shock him.
Seeing the contents of the jade slip, Joe Di realized just how precious it was.
The opening lines of the jade slip read: "Daoists cultivate the soul, body refiners cultivate the flesh. The strongest flesh is ultimately lost to the passage of time—like the Wu Clan, the Hong Clan, and the Qi Xi Clan. Those who perfect the soul dare not seek longevity equal to heaven and earth, yet attain the true essence of Dao... This is a divine forging technique: divine soul, divine sense, and the ultimate transformation of the body into soul..."
It turned out to be a divine forging technique. Truly, "the flowers you plant do not bloom, but the willows you do not intend to plant thrive"—he hadn't expected such a treasure. His Star Vein could also temper his divine sense, but it was mainly for refining true essence. It couldn't compare to a genuine divine sense refinement technique. This divine forging method was exactly what he needed.
If he had to choose between a top-tier body refinement technique and this divine forging jade slip, he'd pick the jade slip without hesitation.
Joe Di didn't continue reading. He suppressed his excitement, put away the jade slip, and said calmly, "This is useful to me. Here is your pill."
With that, Joe Di picked up a jade bottle and handed it to the Foundation Establishment cultivator. Inside were three Ascendant Pills.
He understood exactly why the cultivator was willing to trade the jade slip. If he were in the same position, he'd make the exchange too. The cultivator must have memorized and copied the contents long ago. The value of keeping the jade slip on him couldn't compare to trading it for Ascendant Pills.
In terms of value, all the treasures he'd offered up couldn't compare to this jade slip. Still, he couldn't offer too much in return, or it would raise suspicion.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator swept his divine sense over the jade bottle and immediately said, "Thank you, Senior."
He knew the jade slip was valuable. He'd already memorized its contents. Even if he further tempered his divine sense with it, it wouldn't help him break through to the Golden Core. Trading it for Ascendant Pills—he couldn't be happier.
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