Mo Fan sat in the armchair in his guest room and took a sip of the now slightly cooled spirit tea.
The discussion about Soul Search was set aside for now.
After all, though he'd realized that the secrets on him that couldn't see daylight were piling up—any one of which might leave him dead without a burial plot—Mo Fan wasn't about to keep scaring himself.
Now that he knew the risks of Soul Search, he'd simply be more careful going forward and do his best to avoid catching the eye of those old monsters.
The most important thing right now was converting the resources in his hands into strength as fast as possible.
Only being strong enough himself was the real trump card against every unknown danger.
Just as Mo Fan was gathering his thoughts, a soft, rhythmic knocking came from outside the box door.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, our house has come to process your settlement."
Outside the door, a manager of the Cloud Sea Auction House had come in person.
Mo Fan straightened his robes and answered flatly:
"Enter."
The manager pushed the door open, his attitude noticeably more courteous and respectful than that of the earlier steward.
He offered up an exquisite tray with both hands, bearing the Nine Heavens Clear Dew Mo Fan had won.
Beside it sat the remaining Mid-grade Spirit Stones, after deducting the auction house's commission and the cost of his purchases.
Mo Fan counted through it all with a calm expression, and once satisfied everything was in order, waved a hand and swept it into his Storage Pouch.
The manager was in no hurry to leave.
He casually picked up the teapot on the table, refilling Mo Fan's cup while probing as though making small talk:
"The spirit material Fellow Daoist Lu consigned with us was of truly remarkable quality. To have preserved it so completely intact—even several of our chief appraisers couldn't stop praising it."
Mo Fan took the cup and replied in a tone neither warm nor cold:
"Got lucky. Came across it by chance, that's all."
"Heh heh, Fellow Daoist is too modest."
The manager's smile deepened, his tone carrying precisely the right amount of warmth.
"Come to think of it, since Fellow Daoist holds a guest token issued personally by the Young City Lord, I imagine you're not a local cultivator of our Cangqing City?"
Mo Fan had never intended to hide his origins. Being evasive would only make him look guilty.
"Azure Cloud Sect, Hundred Forging Peak. Lu Xiaoqi."
Hearing that answer, the manager's hand paused imperceptibly mid-pour.
Azure Cloud Sect!
As a manager at Cangqing City's top auction house, he naturally understood exactly how much weight the Azure Cloud Sect carried in these lands.
Though it wasn't close to Cangqing City, the Azure Cloud Sect was an established orthodox school dominating its own region, with no shortage of powerful figures and a foundation not to be underestimated.
And considering that this young man before him could casually produce a rare snake molt still carrying the residual might of a Golden Core, and also held a City Lord's Manor guest token that many clan patriarchs couldn't obtain...
An entire drama assembled itself in the manager's mind in an instant.
This "Lu Xiaoqi" was absolutely not as simple as he appeared!
Could he be the junior descendant of some reclusive Azure Cloud Sect powerhouse?
Or perhaps the offspring of some peak master, sent out specifically to temper himself?
Of course, the manager wasn't stupid enough to ask such a taboo question outright.
Still, without either of them quite noticing, his form of address had shifted from the initial "Fellow Daoist Lu" to the more intimate "Young Master Lu."
Mo Fan had no particular reaction to this, only muttering inwardly:
Didn't expect the Azure Cloud Sect brand to hold up this well outside sect territory.
Seeing Mo Fan's steady bearing, neither arrogant nor anxious, the manager grew even more certain of his guesses.
He carefully drew from his sleeve an exquisite wooden case of excellent material, carved with a cloud-sea totem, and offered it to Mo Fan with both hands.
"Young Master Lu gracing our house today counts as a rare affinity. Inside the case are several high-quality auxiliary spirit materials our house has collected, along with a special jade slip."
The manager said with a smile:
"Please don't refuse this humble gift, Young Master."
Mo Fan hadn't thought much of it at first.
Merchant guilds handing out parting gifts to court quality clients was common enough.
Then the manager introduced the jade slip with exceeding gravity:
"This jade slip is called the Cloud Sea Commerce Record."
"It is a service credential our house provides exclusively to distinguished guests—ordinary cultivators cannot obtain one. Holding it, Young Master may contact the steward in charge of our high-tier procurement directly."
The manager explained its uses in detail:
"In the future, should Young Master urgently require some rare pill, artifact, or obscure spirit material during cultivation, there will be no need to make the trip to Cangqing City personally. Simply submit the request through the Commerce Record, and our house will assign someone to locate the goods, confirm the price, and arrange the transaction."
"And if it's inconvenient for Young Master to come, our house can even deliver the goods safely to any location you designate via cross-domain spirit ship or high-tier caravan."
"Even for those exceedingly scarce, one-of-a-kind items that can't be found on the market, Young Master may leave a standing purchase commission. The moment our house receives word, you'll be notified first."
Having heard the manager out, Mo Fan's eyes lit up slightly.
Good stuff!
Isn't this just the cultivation world's premium custom edition of online shopping plus delivery service?!
With this thing, it'd be far more convenient and far safer than going to a bottom-tier market like Qingmu Market.
However.
Before Mo Fan could finish being pleased, the manager's next half-sentence came down like a bucket of ice water, dousing most of his enthusiasm.
"Young Master Lu need only activate the slip with his own spiritual power and leave an exclusive imprint within it. After that, you may contact our house at any time."
Mo Fan: "..."
Spiritual power?
An imprint?!
Mo Fan rolled an enormous internal eye.
Why the hell is it always this again!
In this cultivation world that was brutally unfriendly to mortals, he currently couldn't even activate the most ordinary Voice Transmission Jade Slip for lack of spiritual power.
This Cloud Sea Commerce Record, which was obviously even higher-grade and required binding on top of that, would absolutely be another piece of premium junk he could look at but never use.
Still, Mo Fan's psychological composure had long since been honed to perfection.
He naturally wasn't going to try activating the slip in front of the manager and expose his own weakness.
Mo Fan simply reached out with an unchanged expression, picked up the Cloud Sea Commerce Record, gave it a couple of casual glances, and tossed it into the depths of his Storage Pouch.
"Much obliged."
Mo Fan lifted his teacup and spoke blandly.
"Young Master Lu is too kind."
"I'll accept it, then. If I have need of anything in the future, I'll contact your house."
Mo Fan nodded, seizing the opening to show the man out.
"Our house awaits Young Master's patronage at any time."
The manager bowed respectfully and withdrew from the room.
Walking down the corridor, the manager recalled the casual manner in which Mo Fan had accepted the jade slip, and his suspicions only firmed up further.
If an ordinary cultivator received a Cloud Sea Commerce Record—a symbol of status and privilege—which of them wouldn't have excitedly asked about it in detail, or even impatiently activated it on the spot to try it out?
But this Young Master Lu?
Two glances, then straight into the pouch.
That detachment, that composure—absolutely not an act!
Makes sense. A sect young master with a powerful backer like that—what fine things hasn't he seen? In his eyes, this Cloud Sea Commerce Record is probably just a slightly more convenient speaking tube.
The manager sighed to himself inwardly, and his assessment of Mo Fan climbed another tier.
Meanwhile, inside the guest room.
Mo Fan finished his last mouthful of spirit tea without changing expression.
He touched the Storage Pouch at his waist, mulling it over privately.
This thing is absolutely a critical channel. Once I'm back at Hundred Forging Peak, I need to figure out some way to get it activated.
Can't just let it sit in the pouch collecting dust, can I?
At the same time.
In Cangqing City, in a quiet study within the City Lord's Manor.
Young City Lord Qing Luan was bent over a stack of complicated provincial documents.
A sharply dressed steward walked in with brisk steps and reported respectfully:
"Young City Lord, word just came from the Cloud Sea Auction House. Today, someone entered their Inner Venue auction bearing one of the manor's guest tokens."
Qing Luan didn't look up immediately, his vermilion brush still marking the document.
"A guest token?"
"Yes, Young City Lord. The one you personally gave out some days ago."
At that, the brush in Qing Luan's hand paused slightly.
He raised his head, a faint flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Lu Xiaoqi?"
"That's the one."
The steward answered with his head lowered.
In truth, he wasn't quite sure how to handle this.
People who received a City Lord's Manor guest token usually possessed considerable status and mature trading channels of their own.
In the hands of such figures, the token was more often a token of goodwill—icing on the cake—something that earned them a bit of extra face while conducting business in Cangqing City.
Someone like Mo Fan, who'd used the City Lord's Manor guest token as a straight-up ticket, producing it as his primary credential to enter a high-tier auction, was genuinely exceedingly rare.
The steward didn't know how deep this young man named Lu Xiaoqi's relationship with his Young City Lord ran, which was precisely why he'd come to ask.
"Young City Lord, this person is operating under the guest token. Should this subordinate send someone to—"
Qing Luan set down his brush.
His mind went unbidden to that reckless Commandery Princess Ling'er of a few days past.
And to that plainly dressed Azure Cloud Sect disciple who hadn't retreated a single step under a Golden Core retainer's pressure, with Ling'er beside him.
Qing Luan couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Him."
Qing Luan picked up the tea cup beside him and gently nudged the lid.
"Call him a friend."
The steward had spent years reading faces in the City Lord's Manor and understood at once.
"This subordinate understands."
Qing Luan lowered his head again and picked up the vermilion brush.
"Since it was given to him, let him use it as he pleases. No need to pay it further attention."
"Yes."
The steward bowed in acknowledgment, and was about to withdraw when he suddenly remembered another minor matter.
"Ah, Young City Lord."
The steward halted and reported:
"Isn't the manor holding that celebration ceremony half a month from now? A certain guest has prepared a small token of regard for you—it was just sent over from the Cloud Sea Auction House."
Still looking down at his documents, Qing Luan asked offhandedly:
"Oh? What is it?"
"According to the one who delivered it, it's an exceedingly well-preserved Golden Core snake molt in excellent condition. That guest apparently put in considerable effort and coin at the auction to win it."
At those words.
Qing Luan finally stopped what he was doing, lifted his head, and a trace of genuine interest entered his eyes.
"A snake molt?"
"Bring it in."
The steward immediately had a long brocade case carried in.
The case opened to reveal the enormous dark red snake molt lying quietly within, still emanating a faint aura of ferocity.
Qing Luan stepped forward and ran slender fingers lightly across the tough scale patterns, carefully sensing the spiritual power and durability contained within.
"Mm. Genuinely a superb primary material for a defensive treasure. The condition is near perfect."
Qing Luan withdrew his hand and smiled, satisfied.
"Thoughtful of them."
He turned to instruct the steward:
"As it happens, I've been planning to commission one of the city's forging masters to craft me a Golden Core tier protective treasure. This snake molt's material suits that exceedingly well."
"Have it sent to the forging chamber for proper storage first."
"Yes, Young City Lord."
The steward accepted the order and directed the servants to carefully carry the molt away.
Qing Luan sat back down at his desk and resumed working through the mountain of documents.
Naturally, he had no way of knowing.
This congratulatory gift, which someone had spent a fortune at auction to buy specifically for him—
The person who had originally consigned it—
Was that very "friend." Lu Xiaoqi.
Three days later.
Outside Cangqing City, at the vast open-air skyport.
Mo Fan mixed into the bustling crowd and boarded the large cross-domain spirit ship bound for the Azure Cloud Sect.
With a low rumble, the massive ship's formation activated.
The spirit ship rose slowly, punched through the heavy cloud layer, and cruised steadily toward the Azure Cloud Sect thousands of miles away.
Mo Fan stood by the railing, watching that vast, prosperous city of Cangqing shrink in his vision until it became a blurred black dot...
His chest filled with an indescribable sense of fullness.
This trip to Cangqing City had come with a few small interludes along the way, but everything he'd wanted was now in hand.
He'd converted his goods into a mountain of spirit stones, obtained a Hundred Forging Artifact Pattern Record brimming with potential...
And even unexpectedly picked up a channel for purchasing high-tier resources—the Cloud Sea Commerce Record.
A full haul, in the truest sense.
Mo Fan was in quite a good mood. After standing on the deck in the cold wind a while, he pulled his gaze back, turned, and returned to his own cramped cabin.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he closed his eyes and sank his perception into the [ Necrotic Realm ] deep within his soul.
Deep in the Necrotic Realm.
Inside that magnificent palace built from countless white bones.
Mo You still sat quietly cross-legged upon that enormous throne of white bone.
At this moment—
Above his head floated a mass of crystalline, translucent spirit liquid, as though it contained an entire clear sky within it.
The very Nine Heavens Clear Dew Mo Fan had paid so dearly for at the auction!
The liquid gave off a faint five-colored halo in midair, and even the surrounding air grew a shade clearer as it circulated.
As Mo You slowly closed his eyes, that suspended Nine Heavens Clear Dew actually began to flow, bit by bit.
It thinned into fine threads of spirit liquid that ran down Mo You's forehead and brow, seeping slowly into his formless body like sweet rain sinking into soil.
At the same time.
Deep within Mo You's dantian.
The Nether River Bone Lotus, which had lain quietly dormant, radiating its pallid ghostly glow...
Suddenly gave a slight tremor the instant it sensed that pure qi of heaven entering the body.
A wisp of dark, pure, utterly yin aura welled quietly out from the lotus heart and interwove with the Nine Heavens Clear Dew soaking inward.
One clear, one shadowed.
The two utterly different auras circulated slowly through Mo You's body, drawing on one another.
The first metamorphosis of the formless body.
Had, at last, begun.