On Ten Thousand Immortals Island, the abnormal fluctuations in the price of Spirit Mist Grass had long stirred up a commotion. Li Fan inquired slightly and soon understood the situation.
As expected, someone had set a trap, ruthlessly harvesting cultivators like He Zhenghao, who sought to profit from the situation.
The destruction of the island where Spirit Mist Grass was cultivated was indeed true, and once the news was confirmed, many rushed in, eager to make a profit.
What they did not know was that the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals had recently discovered a closed paradise that had been hidden for a thousand years.
It was said that the wood attribute spiritual energy inside was abundant, filled with various rare spiritual plants.
Spirit Mist Grass was everywhere, with a single step capable of crushing several stalks.
Previously, only the high-ranking members of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals were aware of this matter.
It was only when the market turned bloody in the pursuit of Spirit Mist Grass that the news was suddenly released.
No wonder the price of Spirit Mist Grass plummeted drastically afterward.
"It seems that Dao Friend He won't be able to recover his costs," Li Fan said with a regretful smile.
"However, this big shot is rather unscrupulous in his dealings."
Li Fan checked the transaction records in the Profound Mirror.
Qingmu Huasheng True Monarch.
It was this person who first inflated the price of Spirit Mist Grass. Then, during the struggle between the bulls and bears, he delivered the final fatal blow, crashing the price of Spirit Mist Grass down.
Clearly, he was an insider who had long known the news.
Li Fan secretly mocked in his heart.
However, with a True Monarch of the Nascent Soul stage involved, those who suffered losses likely did not have the courage to seek him out for trouble.
They could only swallow their grievances and accept their misfortune.
Li Fan even maliciously speculated that the island where Spirit Mist Grass was cultivated might have been secretly destroyed by this Nascent Soul True Monarch.
"The market is truly treacherous," Li Fan shook his head.
Just as he was reveling in the misfortune of others, a message from He Zhenghao arrived.
"Dao Friend, I have sold all the supplies obtained from the departure to the Immortal Realm," He Zhenghao's voice sounded weak, as if he had been drained of energy.
"I have gained a total of 2342 contribution points. According to our prior agreement, we will split it evenly."
Though He Zhenghao suffered heavy losses in this investment venture, he did not embezzle Li Fan's share of the rewards.
Receiving 1171 contribution points from He Zhenghao, along with the remaining 125 points, Li Fan's current contribution points reached 1296, barely enough for some time.
After some thought, Li Fan chose not to enter secluded cultivation immediately but instead searched for information on Jiao Xiuyuan.
He had heard that this person could obtain a large number of Concealment Talismans from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' Talisman Hall, clearly having some connections. This was a good opportunity to buy some talismans and see if he could gather information about Sikong Yi from him.
Ten Thousand Immortals Island was roughly divided into three main parts.
The innermost core area housed the official buildings of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, such as the conference hall, martial arts hall, pharmacy, and talisman hall.
The middle area consisted of various opened cave dwellings, which could be purchased if one had enough contribution points, allowing cultivators to avoid living in the cramped spaces assigned by the Profound Mirror.
The cave dwellings were equipped with everything necessary; what could be done in the Profound Mirror space could also be done in the cave dwellings.
The outermost area mixed commercial and residential zones.
The Transmission Square and the Profound Mirror were located at the junction of this area and the central cave dwelling region.
The residences here only provided the most basic accommodation functions. Without spiritual energy amplification, they could not connect to the Profound Mirror. For cultivation, one would still need to return to the Profound Mirror space.
As for the commercial area, it consisted of shops established by various cultivators, independent of the Profound Mirror's trading system.
The prices of goods in these shops were often lower than those in the Profound Mirror, but the quality was also not guaranteed.
Jiao Xiuyuan had opened a shop here.
Following the information he found in the Profound Mirror, Li Fan arrived at the corresponding location.
Qianli Hall.
Looking up at the slightly crooked signboard, Li Fan walked inside.
The shop was not large, cluttered with various items, and a man's voice could be faintly heard.
"I'm telling you, these ten Concealment Talismans will definitely be traded at the price we agreed upon earlier. I don't care what the price is now..."
"What? You want to cancel the deal? You don't even want the deposit!"
Bang!
"Damn! Another one! Do you think Jiao Xiuyuan is easy to bully?" A man with a scruffy face and dark skin slammed the table and shouted angrily.
But soon, he wilted, mumbling to himself, "It's over, it's over. I, Jiao Xiuyuan, never do losing business, but I didn't expect to be stuck with such a large batch of Concealment Talismans..."
At this moment, he finally noticed that a customer had entered the shop.
However, he could not see the person's appearance, clearly using a Concealment Talisman.
Having seen many such individuals, Jiao Xiuyuan did not pay much attention.
"What do you want? Array talismans, magical artifacts, pills, we have it all, and bulk purchases come with discounts!" he lazily greeted.
"How much for the Concealment Talismans?" the other party asked.
Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes lit up, instantly revitalized.
"10 contribution points each. How many do you want? If you buy more than ten, I'll give you an 20% discount. If you buy over a hundred, I'll give you a 50% discount!"
Li Fan smiled, "I don't need that many, six or so will suffice."
After a pause, Li Fan added, "Moreover, your price seems off. I bought one in the Profound Mirror before coming here. The price for a Concealment Talisman that can shield against Golden Core cultivators is only around 20 points now. How come you're selling these inferior ones for such a high price?"
Jiao Xiuyuan's face twitched at the words, quickly changing his tune, "8 points each, I can't go lower. You know the cost of making talismans!"
"Alright, give me six." Li Fan did not haggle further.
Fearing Li Fan would back out, Jiao Xiuyuan hurriedly took out six Concealment Talismans.
"How will you pay?"
The Profound Mirror does not support anonymous transactions; if they traded contribution points directly, their identities would be exposed.
However, Li Fan had prepared for this before coming.
"Spiritual stones." He took out five middle-grade spiritual stones from his storage ring and handed them over.
Standard spiritual stones were manufactured by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and the Five Elders Council, with different grades, serving as the legal currency of the Immortal Cultivation World, featuring unique anti-counterfeiting restrictions.
The exchange ratio between the top-grade, upper-grade, middle-grade, and lower-grade spiritual stones was 10:1.
Within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, a single lower-grade spiritual stone could be exchanged for one contribution point in the Profound Mirror.
Thus, the five middle-grade spiritual stones Li Fan handed over corresponded to 50 contribution points.
"Don't bother giving me change for the excess."
Li Fan put away the Concealment Talismans and casually asked, "Do you accept inquiries about cultivator information here?"
Upon hearing this, Jiao Xiuyuan immediately became alert.
He sized up Li Fan and, after a long contemplation, gritted his teeth, "Sure, why not? Business has been so bad that I need to take on some private work to survive!"
"What name, what cultivation level?" Jiao Xiuyuan asked quietly.
"Sikong Yi, mid-stage Qi Refining."
Thanks to book friends 20210301220655095, Bai Simeng, and Shi Kengzhong Wudao for their rewards.
Thanks to the brothers for their recommendation votes and monthly tickets.
(End of Chapter)