“ rú hé ， qì cǐ shì wù kě hái rù xiān zi de fǎ yǎn me 。” lín xuān wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
“如何，泣此事物可还入仙子的法眼么。”林轩微笑着说。
"How about it, does this item still catch the Lady's fancy?" Lin Xuan smiled.
“ qián bèi kè qì le ， huà xíng hòu qī de yāo zú cái liào ， suī shuō bù shàng liǎo bù qǐ de yì bǎo ， dàn bù lùn fàng dào nǎ ge hǎi yù ， yě dōu yǒu rén zhēng qiǎng ， běn diàn zì rán yuàn yì zuò zhè bǐ shēng yì ， ér qiě suǒ gěi chū lái de jià gé ， jué bú huì bǐ pāi mài dī ， wǔ qiān shàng pǐn jīng shí ， bù zhī dào qián bèi kě hái mǎn yì ？”
“前辈客气了，化形后期的妖族材料，虽说不上了不起的异宝，但不论放到哪个海域，也都有人争抢，本店自然愿意做这笔生意，而且所给出来的价格，绝不会比拍卖低，五千上品晶石，不知道前辈可还满意？”
"The senior is too kind. Although these materials from a late-stage transformed beast are not extraordinary treasures, they would still be sought after in any sea. Our store naturally wishes to make this deal, and we will certainly offer no less favorable terms than an auction—five thousand upper-grade crystal stones, I wonder if the senior finds that satisfactory?"
“ wǔ qiān shàng pǐn jīng shí ？”
“五千上品晶石？”
"Five thousand upper-grade crystal stones?" Lin Xuan tapped his fingers lightly on the back of the chair. From the bid, it seemed the other party was indeed very sincere.
lín xuān yòng shǒu zài yǐ bèi shàng qīng qīng qiāo jī ， cóng chū jià lái shuō ， duì fāng què shí jí yǒu chéng yì 。
林轩用手在椅背上轻轻敲击，从出价来说，对方确实极有诚意。
After all, the exchange rate for upper-grade crystal stones to ordinary ones is one in ten thousand. By this calculation, this would be a huge sum.
yào zhī dào shàng pǐn jīng shí yǔ pǔ tōng jīng shí kě shì yī bǐ yī wàn de duì huàn bǐ lì 。
要知道上品晶石与普通晶石可是一比一万的兑换比例。
Moreover, generally speaking, upper-grade crystal stones were not used as currency; even if you had ten thousand lower-grade crystal stones, there wouldn't be any place willing to trade them.
yóu cǐ tuī suàn ， zhè jué duì shì yī bǐ jù kuǎn 。
由此推算，这绝对是一笔巨款。
The reason was that the essence qi contained within upper-grade crystal stones was extremely dense and far more potent than ordinary ones. They were mostly used for alchemy, crafting, or breaking through barriers. In spirit realm transactions, middle-grade crystal stones were much more common, while upper-grade ones were rare.
ér qiě yì bān lái shuō ， shàng pǐn jīng shí kě bú shì yòng lái dàng zuò huò bì ， nǐ jiù shì zhēn ná yī wàn xià pǐn jīng shí ， yě zhǎo bú dào dì fāng duì huàn qù 。
而且一般来说，上品晶石可不是用来当作货币，你就是真拿一万下品晶石，也找不到地方兑换去。
This was indeed a pleasant surprise. In the mortal world, upper-grade crystal stones could be considered treasures, and Lin Xuan had some in his storage bracelet, but not many.
wú tā ， shàng pǐn jīng shí lǐ miàn suǒ hán de líng qì ， jí wéi nóng mì ， yuǎn chāo pǔ tōng jīng shí ， bǎi bèi yǐ shàng de yàng zi yì bān dōu yòng zuò liàn dān 、 zhì qì 、 dòu fǎ ， shèn zhì chōng jī píng jǐng dōu dà yǒu yòng tú ， shèn zhì líng jiè jiāo yì de shí hòu ， dōu shì yǐ zhōng pǐn jīng shí jū duō ， shàng pǐn shì hěn shǎo jiàn de 。
无他，上品晶石里面所含的灵气，极为浓密，远超普通晶石，百倍以上的样子一般都用做炼丹、制器、斗法，甚至冲击瓶颈都大有用途，甚至灵界交易的时候，都是以中品晶石居多，上品是很少见的。
Given how sincere the other party was, it made no sense for him to refuse the deal.
zhè dǎo shì yì wài zhī xǐ ， zài rén jiè de shí hòu ， shàng pǐn jīng shí kě yǐ guī wèi bǎo wù ， lín xuān chǔ wù dài zhōng yǒu ， dàn shù liàng yě bú shì hěn duō 。
这倒是意外之喜，在人界的时候，上品晶石可以归为宝物，林轩储物袋中有，但数量也不是很多。
"As you wish, Lady."
duì fāng jì rán zhè me yǒu chéng yì ， lín xuān zì rán méi yǒu wéi nán bù mài de dào lǐ 。
对方既然这么有诚意，林轩自然没有为难不卖的道理。
"Very well, I will have someone fetch them right away."
“ jiù yī xiān zi zhī yì 。”
“就依仙子之意。”
Before she finished speaking, her delicate hands rubbed together, sending out a sound transmission talisman. The store's efficiency was commendable; within half an hour, light footsteps could be heard, and five maids each brought an jade box.
“ hǎo ， qiè shēn zhè jiù pài rén qù qǔ 。”
“好，妾身这就派人去取。”
Opening the lids revealed a radiant glow as the essence qi poured out. Each upper-grade crystal stone was about the size of a baby’s fist, flawless in appearance, like perfect gems.
cǐ nǚ huà yīn wèi luò ， liǎng zhǐ yù shǒu qīng qīng yī cuō ， jiù fā chū le yī dào chuán yīn fú 。
此女话音未落，两只玉手轻轻一搓，就发出了一道传音符。
The colors of the stones varied—representing earth, metal, water, fire, and wood.
cǐ diàn bàn shì de xiào lǜ méi huà shuō ， bú dào bàn zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， qīng yíng de jiǎo bù shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， wǔ míng shì nǚ gè zì pěng lái yí gè yù hé 。
此店办事的效率没话说，不到半盏茶的功夫，轻盈的脚步声传入耳朵，五名侍女各自捧来一个玉盒。
"Please count them," the lady said.
hé gài dǎ kāi ， guāng yùn liú zhuǎn ， chōng yíng de líng qì cóng lǐ miàn sàn fà chū lái ， shàng pǐn jīng shí tǐ jī bù guò yǔ yīng ér quán tou dà xiǎo chà bu duō ， què sī háo xiá cī yě wú ， kàn shàng qù jiù fǎng fú yī kuài wán měi de bǎo shí shì de 。
盒盖打开，光晕流转，充盈的灵气从里面散发出来，上品晶石体积不过与婴儿拳头大小差不多，却丝毫瑕疵也无，看上去就仿佛一块完美的宝石似的。
"Haha, no need for that; I trust you."
měi gè hé zi suǒ zhuāng de ruò shí yán sè gè bù xiāng tóng ” fēn bié dài biǎo le jīn mù shuǐ huǒ tǔ 。
每个盒子所装的弱石颜色各不相同”分别代表了金木水火土。
Lin Xuan did not release his spirit sense but casually waved a hand. A green glow enveloped the jade boxes, which he gathered to his waist.
“ qián bèi ， qǐng nǐ diǎn yì diǎn shù 。”
“前辈，请你点一点数。”
The other party had not counted either. In terms of demeanor, was it really beneath him to be less impressive than even a minor condensation core cultivator?
“ hē hē ， bù yòng le ， zài xià zì rán shì xìn dé guò xiān zi de 。”
“呵呵，不用了，在下自然是信得过仙子的。”
Moreover, regardless of cultivation and abilities, Lin Xuan had some confidence in his ability to judge people. If this woman wanted to make friends with him, she would surely not undervalue herself by paying fewer crystal stones.
lín xuān yě méi yǒu jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， shùn shǒu yī fú ” yī dào qīng xiá juǎn guò ， jiù jiāng wǔ gè yù hé shōu luó dào yāo jiān le 。
林轩也没有将神识放出，顺手一拂”一道青霞卷过，就将五个玉盒收罗到腰间了。
With such assurance, he might as well appear more generous.
duì fāng dāng shí yě bù céng diǎn shù ， lùn qì dù ， nán dào zì jǐ hái bù jí yī xiǎo xiǎo de níng dān qī xiū xiān zhě ？
对方当时也不曾点数，论气度，难道自己还不及一小小的凝丹期修仙者？
Indeed, seeing how much trust Lin Xuan placed in her, a look of gratitude flashed across Dong Fang Mingyu's eyes.
hé kuàng xiū wèi shén tōng zàn qiě bù tí ， duì yú kàn rén de yǎn guāng lín xuān hái shì yǒu jǐ fēn zì xìn de ， yǎn qián cǐ nǚ jì rán yǒu yì jiāo hǎo lā lǒng ， yòu zěn me kě néng zài zhè zhǒng shì qíng shàng shě běn zhú mò ， shǎo fù gěi zì jǐ jīng shí ne ？
何况修为神通暂且不提，对于看人的眼光林轩还是有几分自信的，眼前此女既然有意交好拉拢，又怎么可能在这种事情上舍本逐末，少付给自己晶石呢？
In the elven world, the art of deception was common, but it was rare to see such honest buyers and sellers like them. After completing the transaction, both parties were satisfied with their exchanges. They chatted idly for a few more moments before Lin Xuan rose to take his leave. Dong Fang Mingyu personally escorted him out.
jì rán yǒu bǎ wò ” hái bù rú xiǎn de xiāo sǎ dà dù 。
既然有把握”还不如显得潇洒大度。
Watching Lin Xuan's figure disappear, Dong Fang Mingyu sighed, then returned to her usual demeanor and walked back into the store.
guǒ rán ， jiàn lín xuān rú cǐ xìn rèn zì jǐ ， dōng fāng míng yù yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī lǚ gǎn jī 。
果然，见林轩如此信任自己，东方明玉眼中闪过一缕感激。
She moved gracefully up the stairs to the second floor.
yào shuō ， xiū xiān jiè ěr yú wǒ zhà ， hái zhēn bù róng yì jiàn dào tā liǎ zhè me chéng xìn de mǎi zhǔ yǔ mài jiā ……， jiāo yì jié shù ， liǎng rén gè qǔ suǒ xū ， biǎo qíng dōu shí fēn mǎn yì ， suí hòu yòu xián liáo le jǐ jù ” lín xuān qǐ shēn gào cí ， dōng fāng míng yù qīn zì jiāng tā sòng chū le diàn qù 。
要说，修仙界尔虞我诈，还真不容易见到他俩这么诚信的买主与卖家……，交易结束，两人各取所需，表情都十分满意，随后又闲聊了几句”林轩起身告辞，东方明玉亲自将他送出了店去。
Upon reaching the room, she found it simple yet elegant, with only a table, a chair, and an ink-black tea table.
wàng zhe lín xuān de bèi yǐng xiāo shī ， dōng fāng míng yù tàn le kǒu qì ， suí hòu biǎo qíng rú cháng de ， màn màn duó huí dào le diàn lǐ 。
望着林轩的背影消失，东方明玉叹了口气，随后表情如常的，慢慢踱回到了店里。
"Xiu Aunt."
lián bù qīng yí ， xiàng zhe èr lóu zǒu le guò qù 。
莲步轻移，向着二楼走了过去。
Sitting on the chair was a woman in her late twenties or early thirties. Her face was covered by black silk, but her eyes shone like stars.
shí jiē ér shàng ， tā bìng méi yǒu zài dà tīng zhōng tíng liú ” ér shì lái dào yī jiān bāo fáng zhī zhōng 。
拾阶而上，她并没有在大厅中停留”而是来到一间包房之中。
This woman's appearance was undoubtedly attractive. However, her cultivation level was even more astonishing; she was at late-stage separation realm, with mana far denser than that of the tyrannical Beast Island Lord.
lǐ miàn de bù zhì sù jìng ér gǔ yǎ ， jǐn yǒu yī zhuō 、 yī yǐ ， hái yǒu yī zhāng wū hēi sè de chá jī 。
里面的布置素净而古雅，仅有一桌、一椅，还有一张乌黑色的茶几。
"Princess."
“ xiù yí 。”
“秀姨。”
Upon seeing Dong Fang Mingyu, this woman rose to her feet. Although her cultivation was higher, her princess status carried immense authority.
zài nà yǐ zi shàng ， zuò zhe yī míng èr shí qī 、 bā suì de nǚ zǐ ， liǎn kǒng yě yòng hēi shā zhē zhù ” bù guò liǎng zhǐ yǎn jīng ， què yǒu rú xīng chén diǎn mò 。
在那椅子上，坐着一名二十七、八岁的女子，脸孔也用黑纱遮住”不过两只眼睛，却有如星辰点墨。
"Xiu Aunt, did you notice anything during our conversation? Was Lin Xuan really an婴期 cultivator or just an old monster pretending?"
cǐ nǚ zī sè shí yǒu ** shì bù cuò de 。
此女姿色十有**是不错的。
"It's hard to say," the black-clothed woman sighed and frowned slightly with her delicate brows.
zhǐ bù guò xiū wèi gèng lìng rén jīng xīn chù mù ， lí hé hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ” lùn fǎ lì de níng hòu chéng dù ， hái yào shèng guò nà xiōng cán bá hù de wàn shòu dǎo zhǔ 。
只不过修为更令人惊心触目，离合后期的修仙者”论法力的凝厚程度，还要胜过那凶残跋扈的万兽岛主。
"Hard to say?"
“ jùn zhǔ 。”
“郡主。”
"Yes. I hid in the shadows and observed your conversation through my spirit sense, but I didn't want to risk alerting him. From what I could see, he is indeed at early-stage婴期, though his mana is twice as thick as that of a peer."
cǐ nǚ jiàn le dōng fāng míng yù ” yě cè shēn zhàn qǐ ， suī rán tā xiū wèi yào gāo yī xiē ， dàn jùn zhǔ de shēn fèn què zūn zé wú bǐ 。
此女见了东方明玉”也侧身站起，虽然她修为要高一些，但郡主的身份却尊责无比。
"Twice as much?" Dong Fang Mingyu was surprised.
“ xiù yí ， gāng gāng nǐ kě zēng kàn chū jǐ fēn duān ní ， nà lín xuān zhēn shì yuán yīng qī ， hái shì lǎo guài wù jiǎ bàn dì ？”
“秀姨，刚刚你可曾看出几分端倪，那林轩真是元婴期，还是老怪物假扮地？”
"Yes, there's no need for alarm; such cases are rare but not unheard of. The number of cultivation techniques in the world is vast, and similar records can be found in ancient texts. Only a few top-tier techniques bring about such effects, while other similar ones have significant flaws," the black-clothed woman explained with her extensive knowledge.
“ zhè bù hǎo shuō 。” hēi yī nǚ bàn què tàn le kǒu qì ， yī shuāng xiù méi qīng qīng zhòu qǐ 。
“这不好说。”黑衣女半却叹了口气，一双秀眉轻轻皱起。
"But that's still impressive; ordinary cultivators would find it hard to spot such defects and gain an advantage from them." Dong Fang Mingyu said coolly.
“ bù hǎo shuō ？”
“不好说？”
Then she changed the subject: "Xiu Aunt, if you can see through his cultivation level, why do you say it’s hard to tell?"
“ bù cuò ， gāng gāng nǐ liǎ jiāo tán de shí hòu ， wǒ yǐn zài àn chù ， yì zhí yòng shén shí guān chá zhù yì zhe ， dàn yīn wèi pà dǎ cǎo jīng shé ， suǒ yǐ bù gǎn tài guò huǒ ， biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， cǐ rén què shí shì yuán yīng chū qī ， zhǐ bù guò fǎ lì bǐ tóng jiē yào shēn hòu yí bèi yǒu yú 。”
“不错，刚刚你俩交谈的时候，我隐在暗处，一直用神识观察注意着，但因为怕打草惊蛇，所以不敢太过火，表面上看，此人确实是元婴初期，只不过法力比同阶要深厚一倍有余。”
"This..."
“ shēn hòu zhè me duō ？” dōng fāng míng yù yǒu xiē chī jīng le 。
“深厚这么多？”东方明玉有些吃惊了。
The black-clothed woman hesitated. After a moment's pause, she reluctantly continued, "His realm does indeed seem genuine; unless he has an aura suppression technique so subtle that I couldn't detect it. However, ordinary separation realm cultivators shouldn’t be able to achieve this. But..."
“ ń ， mí yě bù yòng jīng yí ， zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng suī rán bù duō ， dàn yě bìng fēi méi yǒu guò ， tiān xià gōng fǎ shǔ bù shèng shǔ ， zhè yàng de shì qíng gǔ jí shàng dōu shì yǒu jì zǎi de ， chú le jí shǎo shù jí pǐn gōng fǎ néng dài lái zhè yàng de xiào guǒ ， qí yú lèi sì de gōng fǎ ， dōu shì yǒu zhòng dà quē xiàn de 。” hēi yī nǚ bù kuì shì lí hé hòu qī ， jiàn wén guǎng bó yǐ jí ， suí kǒu jiě shì le jǐ jù 。
“嗯，弥也不用惊疑，这种情况虽然不多，但也并非没有过，天下功法数不胜数，这样的事情古籍上都是有记载的，除了极少数极品功法能带来这样的效果，其余类似的功法，都是有重大缺陷的。”黑衣女不愧是离合后期，见闻广博以极，随口解释了几句。
"What is it?"
“ dàn yě hěn liǎo bù qǐ ， zhì shǎo yì bān de xiū xiān zhě ， hěn nán jiāng nà quē xiàn kàn pò ， tóng yàng kě yǐ dà zhàn pián yí de 。” dōng fāng míng yù dàn dàn de shuō 。
“但也很了不起，至少一般的修仙者，很难将那缺陷看破，同样可以大占便宜的。”东方明玉淡淡的说。
"Intuition. I just have the feeling that he’s not as simple as he appears, so..."
suí hòu huà fēng yī zhuǎn ：“ xiù yí ， nǐ jì rán jiāng tā de jìng jiè kàn pò ， wèi shén me yòu shuō bù hǎo shuō ？”
随后话锋一转：“秀姨，你既然将他的境界看破，为什么又说不好说？”
Dong Fang Mingyu frowned deeply. After all, she had felt similarly about Lin Xuan too. Such cases were rare.
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
The item they entrusted him to repair was a top-tier treasure for separation realm cultivators, which led her to suspect his true intentions.
hēi yī nǚ zǐ què yǒu xiē chí yí qǐ lái le ， lüè yī chóu chú ， cái yǒu nà nà de shēng yīn chuán rù yǒu ěr duǒ ：“ cǐ rén jìng jiè què shí bù xiàng zuò jiǎ ， chú fēi tā de liǎn qì shù ， xuán miào dào wǒ yě nán yǐ chá jué de dì bù ， bù guò yì bān de lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， yīng gāi shì zuò bú dào zhè yì diǎn de ， bù guò …………”
黑衣女子却有些迟疑起来了，略一踌躇，才有呐呐的声音传入有耳朵：“此人境界确实不像作假，除非他的敛气术，玄妙到我也难以察觉的地步，不过一般的离合期修仙者，应该是做不到这一点的，不过…………”
She originally planned to probe him during the opportunity of retrieving the treasure but ended up with this outcome.
“ zěn me ？”
“怎么？”
The two women remained silent.
“ zhí jué ， wǒ jǐn jǐn shì zhí jué cǐ rén bú shì biǎo miàn nà me jiǎn dān de ， suǒ yǐ ……”
“直觉，我仅仅是直觉此人不是表面那么简单的，所以……”
"Let it be; as long as he doesn't interfere with us. Even if he conceals his strength, what difference does it make? If he can match me in power, he would still be insignificant before the King," the black-clothed woman's soothing voice echoed.
dōng fāng míng yù tīng le ， yě bù yóu de zhòu méi yǐ jí ， nòng le bàn tiān ， bù guò shì háo wú gēn jù de gǎn jué ér yǐ ， dàn tā yě bù hǎo shuō shén me ， bì jìng xiù yí de wéi rén tā qīng chǔ ， méi yǒu bǎ wò ， jué bú huì suí kǒu wàng yán de 。
东方明玉听了，也不由得皱眉以极，弄了半天，不过是毫无根据的感觉而已，但她也不好说什么，毕竟秀姨的为人她清楚，没有把握，绝不会随口妄言的。
"Hmm, Xiu Aunt is right. I understand the importance of this matter; I won't cause any trouble."
hé kuàng zì jǐ duì zhe nà wèi lín qián bèi ， bù yě tóng yàng gǎn jué kàn bù tòu me ？
何况自己对着那位林前辈，不也同样感觉看不透么？
By now, Lin Xuan was already outside the market district. He held an ink-black jade tube in his hand, which indicated the location of the auction.
yǐ qián zhè yàng de shì qíng kě shì bù duō 。
以前这样的事情可是不多。
This item had been obtained from Dong Fang Mingyu.
duì fāng suǒ wěi tuō xiū fù de bǎo wù ， jiù lí hé qī xiū shì lái shuō ， yě shì dǐng jiān zhī wù ， zhèng shì yóu cǐ ， yǐn fā le tā de cāi yí 。
对方所委托修复的宝物，就离合期修士来说，也是顶尖之物，正是由此，引发了他的猜疑。
Lin Xuan had already refined Master Zheng's soul into a beast talisman and let it dissipate on Penglai Mountain. The beast's fur and bones were sold to the store just now.
yuán běn xiǎng jiè tā qǔ bǎo zhī jī ， yī tàn jiū dì ， méi xiǎng dào zuì hòu ， què shì zhè yàng de jié jú 。
原本想借他取宝之机，一探究地，没想到最后，却是这样的结局。
However, Lin Xuan did this for a reason.
"How about it, does this item still catch the Lady's fancy?" Lin Xuan smiled.
"The senior is too kind. Although these materials from a late-stage transformed beast are not extraordinary treasures, they would still be sought after in any sea. Our store naturally wishes to make this deal, and we will certainly offer no less favorable terms than an auction—five thousand upper-grade crystal stones, I wonder if the senior finds that satisfactory?"
"Five thousand upper-grade crystal stones?" Lin Xuan tapped his fingers lightly on the back of the chair. From the bid, it seemed the other party was indeed very sincere.
After all, the exchange rate for upper-grade crystal stones to ordinary ones is one in ten thousand. By this calculation, this would be a huge sum.
Moreover, generally speaking, upper-grade crystal stones were not used as currency; even if you had ten thousand lower-grade crystal stones, there wouldn't be any place willing to trade them.
The reason was that the essence qi contained within upper-grade crystal stones was extremely dense and far more potent than ordinary ones. They were mostly used for alchemy, crafting, or breaking through barriers. In spirit realm transactions, middle-grade crystal stones were much more common, while upper-grade ones were rare.
This was indeed a pleasant surprise. In the mortal world, upper-grade crystal stones could be considered treasures, and Lin Xuan had some in his storage bracelet, but not many.
Given how sincere the other party was, it made no sense for him to refuse the deal.
"As you wish, Lady."
"Very well, I will have someone fetch them right away."
Before she finished speaking, her delicate hands rubbed together, sending out a sound transmission talisman. The store's efficiency was commendable; within half an hour, light footsteps could be heard, and five maids each brought an jade box.
Opening the lids revealed a radiant glow as the essence qi poured out. Each upper-grade crystal stone was about the size of a baby’s fist, flawless in appearance, like perfect gems.
The colors of the stones varied—representing earth, metal, water, fire, and wood.
"Please count them," the lady said.
"Haha, no need for that; I trust you."
Lin Xuan did not release his spirit sense but casually waved a hand. A green glow enveloped the jade boxes, which he gathered to his waist.
The other party had not counted either. In terms of demeanor, was it really beneath him to be less impressive than even a minor condensation core cultivator?
Moreover, regardless of cultivation and abilities, Lin Xuan had some confidence in his ability to judge people. If this woman wanted to make friends with him, she would surely not undervalue herself by paying fewer crystal stones.
With such assurance, he might as well appear more generous.
Indeed, seeing how much trust Lin Xuan placed in her, a look of gratitude flashed across Dong Fang Mingyu's eyes.
In the elven world, the art of deception was common, but it was rare to see such honest buyers and sellers like them. After completing the transaction, both parties were satisfied with their exchanges. They chatted idly for a few more moments before Lin Xuan rose to take his leave. Dong Fang Mingyu personally escorted him out.
Watching Lin Xuan's figure disappear, Dong Fang Mingyu sighed, then returned to her usual demeanor and walked back into the store.
She moved gracefully up the stairs to the second floor.
Upon reaching the room, she found it simple yet elegant, with only a table, a chair, and an ink-black tea table.
"Xiu Aunt."
Sitting on the chair was a woman in her late twenties or early thirties. Her face was covered by black silk, but her eyes shone like stars.
This woman's appearance was undoubtedly attractive. However, her cultivation level was even more astonishing; she was at late-stage separation realm, with mana far denser than that of the tyrannical Beast Island Lord.
"Princess."
Upon seeing Dong Fang Mingyu, this woman rose to her feet. Although her cultivation was higher, her princess status carried immense authority.
"Xiu Aunt, did you notice anything during our conversation? Was Lin Xuan really an婴期 cultivator or just an old monster pretending?"
"It's hard to say," the black-clothed woman sighed and frowned slightly with her delicate brows.
"Hard to say?"
"Yes. I hid in the shadows and observed your conversation through my spirit sense, but I didn't want to risk alerting him. From what I could see, he is indeed at early-stage婴期, though his mana is twice as thick as that of a peer."
"Twice as much?" Dong Fang Mingyu was surprised.
"Yes, there's no need for alarm; such cases are rare but not unheard of. The number of cultivation techniques in the world is vast, and similar records can be found in ancient texts. Only a few top-tier techniques bring about such effects, while other similar ones have significant flaws," the black-clothed woman explained with her extensive knowledge.
"But that's still impressive; ordinary cultivators would find it hard to spot such defects and gain an advantage from them." Dong Fang Mingyu said coolly.
Then she changed the subject: "Xiu Aunt, if you can see through his cultivation level, why do you say it’s hard to tell?"
"This..."
The black-clothed woman hesitated. After a moment's pause, she reluctantly continued, "His realm does indeed seem genuine; unless he has an aura suppression technique so subtle that I couldn't detect it. However, ordinary separation realm cultivators shouldn’t be able to achieve this. But..."
"What is it?"
"Intuition. I just have the feeling that he’s not as simple as he appears, so..."
Dong Fang Mingyu frowned deeply. After all, she had felt similarly about Lin Xuan too. Such cases were rare.
The item they entrusted him to repair was a top-tier treasure for separation realm cultivators, which led her to suspect his true intentions.
She originally planned to probe him during the opportunity of retrieving the treasure but ended up with this outcome.
The two women remained silent.
"Let it be; as long as he doesn't interfere with us. Even if he conceals his strength, what difference does it make? If he can match me in power, he would still be insignificant before the King," the black-clothed woman's soothing voice echoed.
"Hmm, Xiu Aunt is right. I understand the importance of this matter; I won't cause any trouble."
By now, Lin Xuan was already outside the market district. He held an ink-black jade tube in his hand, which indicated the location of the auction.
This item had been obtained from Dong Fang Mingyu.
Lin Xuan had already refined Master Zheng's soul into a beast talisman and let it dissipate on Penglai Mountain. The beast's fur and bones were sold to the store just now.
However, Lin Xuan did this for a reason.