Chapter 130: Selling Treasures
Gu Mo had no knowledge of the tangled interests within Fang Jiaoyan's family, nor did he care to learn. His focus now was on setting up his botanical front line.
It was the same one and a half mu of spirit farmland, but unlike the previous location—which had only been a mid-grade Tier 2 field—this one was top-grade Tier 2. With a higher-tier spirit field, the Sunflowers would yield better-quality Solar Essence, and even the Tier 2 top-grade Peashooters would be able to unleash their full potential.
He could even slightly increase the planting density of the crops. However, to ensure quality, Gu Mo dismissed the idea of planting more for now. His current top priority was to upgrade the Tier 2 top-grade Sunflowers to Tier 3.
Once he managed to lease a Tier 3 spirit field, the upgraded Sunflowers could be immediately put to use.
Even if he couldn't lease a Tier 3 field in the short term, planting Tier 3 Sunflowers in a Tier 2 top-grade field should still allow them to condense Solar Essence surpassing Tier 2 quality.
It was just like when he planted Tier 2 Sunflowers in a Tier 1 field and still managed to produce mist-like spiritual energy.
Transplanting the plants didn't take long. Soon, the entire field was filled with a variety of plants. Gu Mo then released Xiao Li.
The little fish darted around the new environment excitedly, familiarizing herself with the area before swimming through the plants to inspect them—tending the spirit field had already become her self-appointed duty.
At the moment, the recently transplanted plants looked a bit wilted. Without delay, Xiao Li cast her innate spell. In the sky above, dark clouds began to gather, and soon a gentle spiritual rain started to fall.
With the nourishment of the spiritual rain, the plants swayed gently, rejuvenated. Even the nearby Sword Bamboo let out a joyful hum.
They had clearly never experienced a perfected-level "Minor Cloud and Rain Technique" before.
Unfortunately, Xiao Li's rank was still too low. If she could advance to a Tier 2 spirit beast, the effects of her rain spell would be even stronger. A spirit beast's innate magic scales in power along with its cultivation level.
Gu Mo had never stopped feeding her. He needed the Tier 2 Solar Essence for upgrading the Sunflowers and for his own cultivation, but half of what he currently had was still only Tier 1.
Those lower-grade Solar Essences were either used to purchase more plants—or to feed Xiao Li directly. By now, Xiao Li had already reached the peak of Tier 1 and was just one step away from becoming a Tier 2 spirit beast.
"Keep it up. Once I've got some spare Tier 2 Solar Essence, I'll give it to you," Gu Mo said, gently patting her smooth, delicate scales. He really didn't have any extra Tier 2 essence to spare, and he also had no idea how much of it would be required for Xiao Li to advance.
So for now, he had to wait. Upgrading the Sunflowers came first.
[Plop!]
Xiao Li smacked her lips happily at his promise. As her strength increased, so did her intelligence—and it was rising faster than that of most spirit beasts. Gu Mo suspected this might be a result of the Solar Essence.
Night fell.
A figure quietly slipped out of the spirit field, leaving the Lu family's grand formation and vanishing into the night sky—it was Gu Mo's Pseudo Core incarnation.
Now that the botanical front was fully set up and his true body was in a secure location, Gu Mo was ready to send out this incarnation.
While he was at it, he planned to handle some spoils of war at Cloudsky Immortal City—most importantly, to trade the high-grade abacus-type magic treasure for a high-grade flying sword. That would drastically boost his incarnation's combat power.
Though it was nighttime, the immortal city remained bustling. This was only the southern sector, yet the place was lively. And there were three other such sectors—never mind the main city itself.
Of course, entering the main city required meeting certain conditions, such as spending a set amount in one of the four satellite sectors or having sufficient cultivation strength. As a result, the main city was filled with the wealthy and powerful, accounting for nearly thirty percent of all trade volume in Cloudsky Immortal City.
They were the city's VIP clients—and Gu Mo's Pseudo Core incarnation qualified to enter. Still, the prices in the main city were steep, and without a specific need, Gu Mo had no reason to wander there.
The southern sector alone met all his current needs.
"Greetings, honored cultivator! How may I assist you?"
As Gu Mo stepped into the Cloudsky Treasure Pavilion, an attendant at the Qi Refining stage immediately bowed in deference upon sensing his aura. In the city, even among VIP clients, Pseudo Core cultivators were considered high-ranking.
"I'm here to sell treasures."
Gu Mo's tone was cool and composed. As a Pseudo Core cultivator, he naturally had to maintain that kind of presence. Any store bearing the "Cloudsky" name belonged to the city itself, and the Treasure Pavilion specialized in purchasing magic items—be it weapons, pills, talismans, techniques, or secret arts—they took it all.
"Please, this way!"
The attendant respectfully led Gu Mo to a private room—an amenity reserved for Golden Core-level clients. Lesser cultivators had to transact at the counters.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist!"
Soon, an elderly man appeared. The aura he gave off marked him as an External Core cultivator. Gu Mo wasn't surprised.
For a city the size of Cloudsky, obtaining a few Tier 3 monster cores was hardly a challenge. These cores were often given to cultivators with special talents but poor spiritual roots—people who couldn't reach Golden Core stage through normal cultivation.
This man, for instance, was clearly a top-tier appraiser. Though his spiritual roots limited him to the Foundation Establishment stage, his mastery in treasure appraisal had earned him a Tier 3 monster core from the city, allowing him to form an External Core and extend his lifespan by several centuries.
This policy attracted countless skilled individuals to Cloudsky, which in turn bolstered the city's strength.
Gu Mo knew all this because such stories were common knowledge in the city—widely publicized to draw talent.
He rose to return the old man's greeting, then began pulling out all the spoils he no longer needed from his storage ring. The elderly appraiser was slightly surprised to see a Pseudo Core cultivator bringing out a pile of Tier 1 and 2 pills, talismans, and magic tools, but he didn't question it. He carefully examined each item and provided a valuation.
Altogether, the loot sold for 800,000 spirit stones. It was a pity that the Pseudo Core cultivator who'd died to the Potato Mine and Cherry Bomb hadn't left behind any loot—otherwise, Gu Mo's profits would have been even greater.
With the clutter cleared out, Gu Mo brought out his high-grade abacus magic treasure and explained that he wanted to exchange it for a high-grade flying sword of the same tier.
"That won't be a problem."
The old man examined the abacus treasure and his eyes lit up slightly. Unique treasures like this were rare—especially one like this, perfectly suited for formation masters. And those skilled in alchemy, forging, formations, or talismans were rarely poor.
So trading it for a flying sword of the same tier was completely reasonable.
"Fellow Daoist, I have three options for you," the old man said, setting down the abacus and holding up three fingers. "First, our pavilion happens to have a high-grade flying sword in stock—we can trade it directly."
"Second, the main sector of Cloudsky City often hosts exchange gatherings for Golden Core-level cultivators. You could trade with other Daoists there."
"And third, you can attend a grand auction."
Would you like to go with the first option, or hear more about the sword in stock?
The elder finished explaining the three options and then waited for Gu Mo to make his choice. The first option was the quickest and easiest, but the downside was that the flying sword in Yun Tianbao Tower wasn't the best fit for Gu Mo's false core avatar. It was a fire-element supreme-quality sword, and since Gu Mo cultivated the Qingmu Sutra, his core power was of the wood element.
Although wood nourishes fire, and using his wood-elemental core power could enhance the fire-element sword's power, it was not ideal for Gu Mo's control. The power he input would be ignited, turning into fire-elemental energy, and Gu Mo's cultivation technique wasn't adept at handling fire-elemental forces.
The second option was relatively flexible. If he encountered a suitable array master, he could even negotiate a better deal. The downside was that trading with other cultivators meant relying on one's judgment. Once the transaction was done, there was no turning back if problems arose.
As for the third option, it had the widest range, with the highest probability of acquiring a flying sword that suited him. However, the downside was the wait. For a small auction, it would take a year, while a large auction might take five years. For a supreme-quality magical item, the large auction held in five years was the best choice.
"I choose the third option!" After a moment of thought, Gu Mo decided on the third option. Although he had a false elixir avatar, his experience was still at the Foundation Establishment stage, and knowledge and experience could only be accumulated over time. Gu Mo was still very young and lacked the confidence to outwit the seasoned old-timers of the Golden Core stage. In the absence of a suitable flying sword at Yun Tianbao Tower, attending an auction was naturally the best choice.
"Good, then please register here, Daoist friend." The elder was pleased with Gu Mo's choice. A special-type supreme-quality magical item appearing at the auction would surely add prestige, and the more remarkable items featured at the auction, the more it would showcase the power of Yun Tian Immortal City.
Therefore, for every large auction, Yun Tian Immortal City would search for enough eye-catching treasures to be included. This would generate excitement, attracting more wealthy cultivators and powerful beings to the auction, thereby driving up the bidding prices.
After the item was registered, Gu Mo paid a hefty spirit stone deposit. If he canceled the auction before the large event, the deposit would not be refunded. After registering the item, Yun Tian Immortal City would use its own channels to market the supreme-quality item to array masters. If the interest was piqued, the city would expend considerable effort on the promotion. If the item didn't appear at the auction, it would be a waste of effort and could even anger the array masters. Hence, the deposit was required to ensure the item would be delivered to the auction on time.
Once his business at Yun Tianbao Tower was settled, Gu Mo left the building and rented a cave residence suitable for his false core cultivator status.
From here on out, Gu Mo would operate in Yun Tian Immortal City under two identities: his main body would be responsible for managing the spiritual fields and upgrading plants, while the false core avatar would gather intelligence, attend Golden Core-level gatherings, and expand his horizons.
Meanwhile, in a private room of a tavern in the South City, a middle-aged man was drinking with a white-haired elder. "Lu Rong, the clan elder, you haven't fulfilled your promise. What about the Longevity Elixir..." The middle-aged man waved a jade vial in front of the elder before quickly putting it away.
At the sight of the fleeting Longevity Elixir, Lu Rong's breathing quickened. The older he got, the more afraid he became of death. Now, with his lifespan nearing its end, his desire for the elixir to prolong his life had reached its peak.
To this end, he had collaborated with the patriarch of the Xu family, secretly tampering with the life-saving item of the Lu family's patriarch, who was attempting a breakthrough to the Golden Core stage. If the patriarch succeeded, even with a false elixir avatar, the family would rise further, and Lu Rong would benefit from this. But if the patriarch failed in the breakthrough, it would mean the end of the path to Golden Core. Even with the life-saving item, the patriarch, weakened and incapable of leading the family forward, would be a burden to the family. In that case, Lu Rong thought it would be better to let him die, and he would take over leadership.
Ultimately, the patriarch of the Lu family failed in his breakthrough, and the tampered life-saving item couldn't save him. Before Lu Rong could claim the spoils, Fang Jiaoyan, the patriarch's wife, immediately listed the family's important 2nd-tier supreme-quality spiritual field for rent in Yun Tian Immortal City, which infuriated Lu Rong.
Furthermore, his efforts to convince Fang Jiaoyan to remarry had failed, meaning he would not receive the promised Longevity Elixir from the Xu family patriarch.
"Lu Clan Elder, how about this: let's sign an agreement, and I'll help you remove some obstacles?" Xu Guangquan presented a document. "Once you sign, the Longevity Elixir is yours immediately."
"This... this is impossible." Lu Rong glanced at the agreement and immediately rejected it. If he signed, it would be as if he handed over the life and death of his family to outsiders. Although he was afraid of dying, he understood that the family was his root. If the root was lost, nothing else mattered.
"I'll see how long you can hold out," Xu Guangquan sneered as he watched Lu Rong leave.
Xu Guangquan had thoroughly investigated Lu Rong and understood that he was a cowardly man afraid of death. As his lifespan grew shorter, the fear of death grew stronger, and not everyone could face that fear with composure. To survive, he might resort to any means, no matter how outrageous.
Xu Guangquan's careful plotting and the offer of a precious Longevity Elixir weren't just about Fang Jiaoyan's beauty, though she was certainly captivating. The real target was the Lu family's 2nd-tier supreme-quality spiritual field.
The Xu family had recently acquired a treasure, and it was this treasure that led Xu Guangquan to set his sights on the Lu family's spiritual field.
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