The Deal!

Night had fallen, but Tianxing City was still brightly lit.

As one of the largest gathering places for cultivators in the Chaotic Star Sea, this giant city seems to never truly fall silent.

Faint sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments drifted from the restaurants and teahouses in the distant commercial district, while streaks of light occasionally flashed across the streets, leaving thin trails in the night sky.

Zhou Ding emerged from the secluded courtyard of the Miaoyin Sect, his figure moving silently through the night like a wisp of smoke.

He deliberately circled around several streets, making sure no one was following him, before stopping at a quiet alleyway.

The moonlight, as silvery as silver, spilled onto the bluestone pavement. Zhou Ding stood in the shadow of a rooftop, took out the bluish-gray spirit wood box from his storage bag, and gently opened it.

Inside the wooden box, on the spirit-nourishing cotton, lay a withered, yellow bamboo section. At the broken end of the bamboo section, a few pale golden roots reflected a faint light in the moonlight, like fireflies about to go out in the dark night.

Zhou Ding looked calmly at the section of golden thunder bamboo, but a slight ripple couldn't help but stir in his heart.

He closed the wooden box, put it back into his storage bag, and a meaningful smile slowly appeared on his lips.

"Junior Brother Han... this time, you'll have to bleed a little."

Zhou Ding muttered to himself, his tone laced with a mixture of sarcasm and anticipation.

He knew that after Han Li formed his core, he had been preparing to refine his natal magic weapon.

This is almost an inevitable path for every Core Formation cultivator.

To refine a natal magic weapon that perfectly matches one's cultivation technique and spiritual root attributes during the Golden Core stage, and then nurture it with the fire of one's heart for decades to make it one with one's mind and spirit, one can walk more easily on the path to the Nascent Soul stage in the future.

Although Han Li usually kept a low profile, Zhou Ding knew his junior brother's ambition and potential well.

Han Li's natal magic weapon is a set of flying swords called "Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword". The core material for this sword formation must be spiritual bamboo containing pure lightning attribute spiritual power.

Over the years, Han Li has traveled all over the country and collected all kinds of rare materials, but he has never been able to find the most essential lightning-attribute spirit bamboo that meets his standards.

At this moment, the golden thunder bamboo with roots in Zhou Ding's hand was exactly what Han Li had been dreaming of.

Although it is half withered, its roots still remain and its thunderous aura is still present, making it more than enough to refine a natal magic weapon.

Han Li understood its value better than anyone else.

"I wonder what good things Junior Brother Han has in his possession, and how many of them he can offer in exchange for this piece of bamboo," Zhou Ding thought to himself.

Based on his understanding of Han Li, this junior brother was always shrewd and calculating, and he was more careful with good things than anyone else.

To get him to willingly part with real money, the friendship between fellow disciples isn't enough; we also need to see just how attractive the piece of golden thunder bamboo in his hand really is to him.

However, Zhou Ding was not in a hurry. He had his own way of making Junior Brother Han understand that the value of this piece of bamboo was far more precious than any spirit stone.

Zhou Ding took out a communication talisman from his pocket. The talisman was yellowish all over, with fine runes engraved on it, and it shimmered with a faint spiritual light under the moonlight.

He flicked his finger, and a wisp of spiritual energy flowed into the talisman.

The runes on the talisman suddenly lit up, as if they had come to life, moving and flowing across the surface. Zhou Ding's lips moved slightly as he imprinted a brief message and the agreed location onto the talisman with his divine sense. Then, with a gentle shake, the communication talisman transformed into a pale golden light, streaking across the night sky like a shooting star and disappearing silently above Tianxing City.

In the blink of an eye, the communication talisman had already traversed through layers of restrictions and barriers, shooting swiftly in the direction locked by Zhou Ding's divine sense.

Zhou Ding watched the talisman light disappear before turning his gaze away. He straightened his robes and turned to walk towards the inn they had agreed to meet.

The inn wasn't particularly eye-catching in Tianxing City; its secluded location and frequented mostly independent cultivators and traveling merchants—a mixed bag that ironically provided excellent cover. It was the perfect place to discuss things you didn't want too many people to know.

……

Meanwhile, at the other end of Tianxing City.

A solitary cave dwelling is hidden deep within a lush forest of spirit trees. A concealing illusion array surrounds it, making it extremely difficult to discover without a guide. Inside, in a stone chamber, a light mist hangs in the air, creating the feeling of being in a mountain morning.

A plain-looking man in a green robe was sitting cross-legged on a futon, his eyes slightly closed, his hands forming a mudra on his knees. This was Han Li.

Around him, strands of visible spiritual energy were slowly circulating along some mysterious trajectory, like invisible streams flowing around him, each strand carrying a profound and dignified aura.

That's the kind of calm and powerful aura that only appears on cultivators who have been in the Core Formation stage for several years and whose foundation is already solid.

Han Li's breathing was long and even. With each inhale, the surrounding spiritual mist would surge slightly, gather around him, and be slowly refined and absorbed.

A faint blue light flickered between his brows, a natural phenomenon that appeared when his divine sense became powerful enough.

Although Han Li's talent is mediocre, his achievements today are due to his perseverance and mental strength, which far surpass those of Tongji University students.

He was cautious by nature, meticulous in his actions, and never did anything without certainty.

Every move he makes is the result of careful consideration.

As for his natal magic weapon, that was also a goal he had been planning for a long time.

Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword.

The name of this set of flying swords had lingered in his mind for countless years.

He knew of the existence of this sword formation from the Qi Refining stage, and knew that it would ultimately require spiritual bamboo containing lightning-attribute spiritual power to reach its full potential.

Over the years, he has collected a lot of lightning-attribute materials, but he has never found a main material that truly satisfies him.

He had seen the legendary Thunder Bamboo in several markets, but the quality of those bamboos was too ordinary. They were fine for crafting ordinary magical artifacts, but as the core material for a natal magic weapon, they would likely affect the upper limit of the entire flying sword set. Han Li was unwilling to settle for second best. He knew that a natal magic weapon was different from an ordinary magical artifact; once crafted, it was intertwined with his life, sharing both honor and disgrace, and there was almost no possibility of replacing it in the future.

If the main materials are substandard, then the future potential of this flying sword set will be capped.

Han Li didn't want his sword formation to lose at the starting line.

As he was pondering this matter, suddenly, the barrier outside the stone chamber trembled slightly.

Han Li opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance appearing briefly before he reverted to his ordinary, unremarkable appearance. He scanned the area with his divine sense and detected a communication talisman hovering outside the cave's protective barrier, carrying an aura he found extremely familiar.

"Senior Brother Zhou?"

Han Li was slightly taken aback. He pointed a finger, and a stream of spiritual energy passed through the restriction, connecting with the communication talisman. A flash of light appeared, and a concise message flooded into his mind.

Zhou Ding arranged to meet him at a place called "Laifu Inn" in the east of the city, saying that he had an important matter to discuss.

Han Li frowned slightly. Although Senior Brother Zhou and he belonged to the same lineage, they hadn't seen each other frequently since they had both been busy with their own things. Especially since Zhou Ding's cultivation had recently improved, and he seemed to have broken through that crucial bottleneck, he was even busier than usual.

He suddenly took the initiative to meet with me, and specifically emphasized that we had "important matters to discuss," which was quite inconsistent with Zhou Dingping's usual unhurried nature.

"What's the matter that's so important?" Han Li wondered to himself.

The matter that prompted Zhou Ding to make a special appointment must be extraordinary.

After a moment's thought, he took out a blue robe and changed into it. He tidied his appearance and then left the cave, transforming into a hazy streak of light that quietly blended into the night of Tianxing City.

……

Laifu Inn, Room No. 3 (Di Zi).

This is a room that is not spacious, but it is extremely clean.

A square table was placed by the window, on which sat a pot of hot tea and several plates of delicate tea snacks.

Outside the window was a back alley, rarely frequented by people, with only the moonlight shining obliquely in, casting a tranquil light and shadow on the floor.

Zhou Ding was already seated at the table, waiting. A cup of tea sat before him, which he sipped slowly, his gaze fixed on the night sky through the window, lost in thought. Hearing a gentle knock on the door, he put down his teacup and called out, "Please come in."

The door was pushed open from the outside, and Han Li appeared in the doorway. He glanced around the room, and seeing that only Zhou Ding was there, he smiled slightly and stepped inside: "Senior Brother Zhou, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Zhou Ding stood up with a smile and pointed to the chair opposite him: "Junior Brother Han, you're too kind. I just arrived recently. Please have a seat."

After Han Li took his seat, Zhou Ding picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea for Han Li, and pushed it in front of him: "This is a new spiritual tea from the Miaoyin Sect, called 'Biluochun Dew.' It is said to be produced on a spiritual island in the Inner Star Sea, with only a few catties produced each year. Junior Brother Han, please try it and see how it tastes."

Han Li took the teacup and examined it. The tea was a vibrant green, clear and bright, with a delicate aroma wafting from it—clearly no ordinary tea. He took a small sip; the tea was mellow and sweet, with a unique aftertaste that invigorated him. He nodded and casually remarked, "Good tea. Senior Brother Zhou certainly knows how to enjoy life; this tea must have been quite expensive."

Zhou Ding laughed heartily: "I only try it occasionally. If Junior Brother Han likes it, I'll have someone send two catties to your cave later."

Han Li set down his teacup, turned his gaze to Zhou Ding, and his smile slowly faded. He remained silent for a moment before asking, "Senior Brother Zhou, there's no need for beating around the bush between us. You specially sent a talisman to invite me here so late at night; it can't be as simple as just inviting me for tea, can it? What exactly is the matter?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ding did not answer immediately. He picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and seemed to be carefully considering his words. After a moment, he put down the teacup, looked at Han Li, a meaningful glint in his eyes, and spoke calmly yet decisively, getting to the point: "Junior Brother Han has been in the Core Formation stage for several years now, so your cultivation level must be quite stable. I wonder if you have begun to refine your natal magic weapon, the 'Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword'?"

Upon hearing this, Han Li paused slightly in his tea-serving hand.

He looked up at Zhou Ding with a hint of surprise and inquiry in his eyes.

Zhou Ding's sudden and precise question about this matter at this time clearly indicates that he had a specific purpose.

"Why did you suddenly ask about your natal magic weapon, Senior Brother Zhou?" Han Li asked casually, his gaze fixed on Zhou Ding's face.

Zhou Ding didn't answer directly. He smiled, a smile that was quite unfathomable. He slowly poured himself another cup of tea before speaking unhurriedly, "Junior Brother Han, don't overthink it. I was just asking casually. But... since we've come this far, I do have something that might..." He drawled, "something that could be helpful for your sword forging."

He stopped talking after saying that.

A night breeze blew through the window, causing the candlelight on the table to flicker gently, casting alternating light and shadow on Zhou Ding's face.

The confident smile in his eyes was particularly intriguing in the candlelight.