"Seeking medicine for a surface wound, or a cure for a poisoned soul, young man?" a raspy voice echoed from behind a long counter at the end of the room.

  An old man with only a few strands of hair left sat there, his thin hands grinding something in a stone mortar. His clouded eyes seemed sightless, yet Zhi Xuan knew the old man was scanning his spiritual essence with an incredibly subtle method.

  "I am looking for the Night Petal Root Fruit," Zhi Xuan said directly, without pleasantries.

  The old man’s hands stopped. An awkward silence filled the room for several moments. He slowly raised his head, trying to focus his dim vision toward Zhi Xuan.

  "Night Petal Root Fruit..." the old man repeated the words in a heavy tone. "A plant that grows in the Mountains of the Dead, providing reinforcement for the physical frame and used in body tempering."

  Zhi Xuan nodded faintly. He waved his hand and pulled out all the Divine Black Jade stored in his bag, placing them in a pouch and setting it upon the counter. "I will pay with this. I need at least dozens of them."

  The old man stared at the pouch, then slowly opened it. Instantly, a dense yet pure black radiance emitted from within, illuminating the dim corners of the room.

  "Pure Black Jade Essence," the old man whispered, his trembling fingers touching the cold stone surface. "You carry the essence treasure of Five Element cultivators, yet you use it only to seek a plant that is rarely sought after."

  The old man closed the pouch but did not immediately take it. He took a long breath, inhaling the herbal aroma settled in the air of his shop. His clouded eyes turned to the rows of wooden drawers behind him, as if counting inventory within a mind whose memories had begun to fade.

  "Dozens..." he murmured. "Young man, do you think the Night Petal Root Fruit is like common weeds on a city roadside? This old shop does have a hoard of rare plants, but dozens... that is a very heavy request."

  He stood up slowly, his bones emitting dry, cracking sounds. He walked toward one of the drawers in the darkest corner, pulled it out, and produced a small wooden box wrapped in frayed black silk. As the box opened, a cold, slightly rot-like floral scent wafted out, bringing a sensation as if time were slowing down.

  Inside, there were only five heart-shaped fruits, purplish-black with a skin texture resembling snake scales.

  "There are only five perfectly ripe fruits here," the old man said, showing the contents. "Usually, people seek them to brew an antidote for frozen inner poisons. To obtain dozens, you will not find them in any shop in Dragon Lotus City, even if you burned the entire city with your black jade."

  Zhi Xuan narrowed his eyes, his hand clenching slightly beneath his robe. "Then where can I find the rest in a short time?"

  The old man coughed slightly and sat back in his wooden chair. "If you have the gall, you must go north of this city, toward the Valley of the Wailing Wind. There lies a secret medicinal garden belonging to the Mo Family. They are the primary herbal suppliers in this region, and rumor has it they are conducting a massive cultivation of plants grown under the shadows of those cliffs."

  "The Mo Family?" Zhi Xuan repeated the name, digging through his memories for information on the Dragon Lotus City region.

  "The Mo Family is a small clan sheltering under the wing of the Heaven Sword Faction," the old man continued flatly, indifferent to sect politics. "They are holding their annual herbal auction in two days. If you truly need dozens of those fruits, that is the only place that provides such a quantity."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent for a moment. If the Mo Family was under the protection of the Heaven Sword Faction, then going there was equivalent to entering a wolf's den. Especially after the incident at the tea house last night, his face—or at least the identity of Gu Fengyan—must be at the top of the most-wanted list.

  "Take these five," Zhi Xuan said, taking the wooden box. "And this Black Jade Essence remains yours as payment for the information."

  The old man looked shocked. "You give this entire pouch just for five fruits and a bit of information?"

  "Accurate information is often more expensive than a mountain of jade," Zhi Xuan replied shortly. He placed the box into his storage bag and turned toward the door.

  "Young man," the old man called out just as Zhi Xuan’s hand touched the handle. "The Mo Family are not merely herbalists. Their elder, Mo Bei, is a very cunning man. If you go to that auction, do not show how much you need those fruits, or they will squeeze the marrow from your bones until you are dry."

  Zhi Xuan only nodded without looking back, then stepped out into the streets now filling with the dawn light. Dragon Lotus City was fully awake. Crowds of mortals and cultivators began to pack the market, yet the atmosphere felt far more tense than usual.

  "Now, I have given away all that Divine Black Jade," Zhi Xuan murmured as he walked calmly among the mortals. "If the Mo Family auction happens in two days, then Black Jade won't be enough. High-grade spiritual stones might serve better as suitable currency."

  He sharpened his divine sense and found that thousands of high-grade spiritual stones remained in his storage bag. "Not enough. I feel this auction will be larger and will not leave a cheap price."

  "I am also not a proficient Alchemist," Zhi Xuan thought, sighing softly. "Refining pills? Though I’ve done it before, they were only low-grade. Hah, wandering like this is indeed difficult without sufficient supplies. I also still need to think about where to obtain more Heavenly Jade for cultivation."

  Zhi Xuan navigated the city’s narrow alleys, letting his robe sweep the street dust while his mind whirled like a waterwheel in a storm. The need for high-grade spiritual stones for the Mo Family auction became a pressing priority, yet the pride of a Soul Transformation practitioner did not allow him to perform petty robberies in a mortal market.

  "Great Saint," Zhi Xuan whispered internally, "Back in the Sky Lotus Sect, I had unlimited access to resources. But now, as a wanderer carrying the weight of the Law of Darkness, an empty pocket is a true insult."

  Ruo Xianxue laughed softly, her voice echoing in his consciousness with a heavy tone of mockery. "A cultivator of shadows worried about pieces of spiritual stone? You possess the Ruthless Heavenly Banner that stores thousands of souls, and you have the Divine Cauldron capable of forging the essence of heaven and earth. Why not use what you have to create your own wealth?"

  Zhi Xuan stopped before a secluded stone bridge. "You mean... looting treasures from somewhere?"

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Exactly," Ruo Xianxue replied with a subtle purr. "You, a mid-stage Soul Transformation expert, are more than enough to raid several mines around this southern region. Among the Yao Gu, the Heavenly Laws are so dense that few find it easy to cultivate. Why not 'borrow' a sheep to herd?"

  "Borrow a sheep to herd?" Zhi Xuan murmured with a slight frown, then a thin smile crept onto his lips. "Great Saint, more accurately, not borrowing. Rather, helping them empty their overfilled mine warehouses so they can fill them again."

  Zhi Xuan turned his steps, no longer heading toward the market crowds, but darting toward the outskirts where steep cliffs bordered the mortal realm and the wild mountains. Under the shroud of the Ghost Hood, he became a glimpse of a shadow moving from one dark patch to another, avoiding the sharp gazes of the Heaven Sword Faction disciples who were patrolling ever more intensely.

  "If the Mo Family is the largest herbal supplier, they must have strong protectors. But for a faction that relies on trade, a spiritual stone mine is the jugular that must always pulse," Zhi Xuan thought.

  "Information about mines shouldn't be in an information pavilion," Zhi Xuan muttered. "Thus, let us seek the trade district to find a mining caravan."

  Zhi Xuan slipped back into the heart of Dragon Lotus City, but this time his steps were aimed at the western trade district, where massive horse-drawn carriages and heavy-laden beasts gathered before long journeys. The scent of animal sweat, wooden wheel grease, and road dust filled the air. Here, all sorts of goods from the corners of the southern region flowed in and out like a bloodstream.

  His Heavenly Eye glowed faintly, scanning the emblems carved on the lined-up carriages. It didn't take long for Zhi Xuan to find what he sought. At the end of a vast parking lot stood a caravan guarded by a dozen Consciousness Transformation cultivators and several in the Five Element realm. On the banner fluttering above the central carriage was embroidered the emblem of a small mountain entwined with vines—the mark of the Mo Family.

  "High-grade spiritual stones have a different density. That carriage... its wheels are sunk deeper into the ground compared to the herbal transports," Zhi Xuan murmured while leaning against a dim wooden pillar.

  He observed a middle-aged man in overseer’s clothing checking a manifest in his hand. From the low conversation between the overseer and the driver, Zhi Xuan caught several important phrases.

  "...Mist Valley Mine... supplies for the auction the day after tomorrow... ensure the Heaven Sword Faction escort arrives before dusk."

  Zhi Xuan sneered coldly. "Mist Valley. A good name for a place that stores spiritual stones."

  "Hey, have you heard that Gu Fengyan still hasn't been found?" voices came from below in timid whispers. It was from a Consciousness Transformation cultivator. "He's still roaming this Dragon Lotus City!"

  "Don't speak so loud!" hissed the cultivator beside him. "He's a Soul Transformation practitioner; he isn't an opponent for all of us. I even heard he killed a Soul Transformation expert from the Moon Lotus. If a mid-stage Soul Transformation wasn't his match, then he is incredibly strong in this city."

  "Gu Fengyan? He's nothing," laughed a burly man. "The Dragon Lotus City Hall has a late-stage Soul Transformation practitioner! That Gu Fengyan could easily be beaten by a late-stage Soul Transformation expert."

  "Not just any late-stage Soul Transformation," chimed in an old man who was enjoying a jar of wine near the caravan wheels. "Elder Cao from the City Hall possesses the Nine Mountains Suppressing the Ocean technique. They say once he stomps his foot, the entire Dragon Lotus City trembles. Gu Fengyan? At most, he’s just a brat lucky enough to survive the Ancient Demon Land."

  "True, true!" exclaimed the burly cultivator while laughing loudly, causing several people nearby to turn. "Besides, if that Gu Fengyan obtained the Heaven-Demon Calamity Banner sought by Master Taixuan, who’s to say he hasn't gone mad from it? Dragon Lotus City will never side with Gu Fengyan!"

  Zhi Xuan, standing behind the shadow of a wooden pillar not far away, merely listened with a flat expression behind his Ghost Hood. He felt no anger; for a practitioner who had crossed the gates of death many times, the prattle of these low-level cultivators was no more than the rustle of wind over a pile of trash.

  "Nine Mountains Suppressing the Ocean?" Zhi Xuan thought, the corner of his lip curling into a cynical arc. "A very grand name for a late-stage Soul Transformation practitioner hiding behind city walls."

  "Did you hear that, Zhi Xuan?" Ruo Xianxue’s voice flowed again, this time full of provocation. "They underestimate you. They think luck brought you out of Taixuan’s hands. Don't you want to show them that the mountain they pride themselves on is but a speck of dust beneath your feet?"

  "Let them have their delusions, Great Saint," Zhi Xuan replied through a calm mental transmission. "A dragon doesn't need to bark just because a few dogs worship a paper tiger. However, the information about Elder Cao is quite useful. It means I must move even more cleanly in the Mist Valley."

  "Besides," the burly man continued while greedily chewing a piece of dried meat, "The Mo Family has already requested protection from Elder Cao. That Mist Valley Mine is now guarded by the Golden Soul-Trapping Net formation. They say not even a mosquito can get in or out without written permission from the City Hall."

  "That formation is indeed great," said the wine-drinking old man, his face turning redder. "But what's more terrifying are the Heaven Sword Faction disciples guarding there. They are led by a genius named Zhao Wu. You know Zhao Wu, right? His White Lightning Sword once split the head of a Verdant Titan monster with a single strike."

  "That arrogant Zhao Wu?" The burly man snorted. "Well, though his personality is nauseating, his strength is recognized. With Zhao Wu and Elder Cao’s formation, the Mist Valley Mine is safer than a mortal king’s treasury."

  "Hahaha! Right! So if that Gu Fengyan has a brain, he's surely fled to the western region or hidden in whatever rat hole he can find," the low-level cultivator exclaimed with relief, as if by belittling Zhi Xuan, his own fear evaporated.

  Zhi Xuan turned his body slowly, leaving the crowd still busy with their speculations. His steps were light, without the slightest sound of friction between his soles and the stony ground of the trade district.

  "Zhao Wu... Elder Cao... Golden Soul-Trapping Net," Zhi Xuan murmured softly once he was in a quieter alley. "Very complete information for a looting plan."

  "Those children gave you a treasure map for free, Zhi Xuan," Ruo Xianxue reappeared, her shadow leaning against the alley wall with arms crossed, her nine tails flicking lazily. "But, a late-stage Soul Transformation... that might be a bit difficult for your newly recovered divine body. Nine Mountains Suppressing the Ocean sounds like an advanced technique."

  Zhi Xuan stopped his steps, looking toward the north where thin clouds shrouded the distant mountains. "I don't plan on an open battle with the entire City Hall, Great Saint. If they boast of their golden net, then I only need to be the hole within that net."

  "Oh? You wish to use the understanding of the Nine Heavens Shadow?" Ruo Xianxue narrowed her eyes, her smile widening. "Interesting. Entering a protective formation through a shadow-rift unthought of by the formation designer himself. That is a far more elegant insult than smashing the front gate."

  Zhi Xuan clenched his hand, feeling the flow of twilight-gray essence that was now more stable and cold. "They talk of justice and faction laws, yet they build wealth upon a mine that should belong to the earth. I am merely returning that balance to my own pocket."

  He then darted off as a black streak cutting through the morning air. The busy Dragon Lotus City was soon left behind as he accelerated toward Mist Valley. Throughout the journey, Zhi Xuan’s spiritual senses scanned the surroundings. He realized that the Heaven Sword Faction patrols were indeed much tighter on the main routes.

  A few hours later, the scenery began to change. The lush green forest gave way to a valley flanked by pale limestone cliffs. A thick fog—true to its name—flowed like a white river at the bottom of the valley, obscuring ordinary sight. Yet, behind that fog, Zhi Xuan could feel a strong, rhythmic vibration of energy. The thudding of massive hammers driven by spiritual mechanisms echoed between the cliff walls.

  "Mist Valley," Zhi Xuan hissed, landing on the highest peak of the cliff.

  Below, through the curtain of fog, he saw a golden glow forming a giant net, shrouding the entrance of a massive mine cave. The Golden Soul-Trapping Net formation. Surrounding it, guard tents stood in neat rows, and several points of spiritual light marked the positions of guards in alert meditation.

  "Too bright," commented Ruo Xianxue, now hovering by Zhi Xuan’s side. "This formation is powered by pure-quality spiritual stones. It doesn't just hold the physical; it filters every ripple of consciousness. If you touch it with your mental essence, that Elder Cao will feel it instantly from the City Hall."

  Zhi Xuan did not answer. He sat cross-legged at the cliff’s edge, letting the strong wind buffet his robes. "Cracking a cave is easy, but becoming a shadow that slips among the miners is what will bring me closer to the spiritual stone vein."