274: Chapter 272 Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones

"Two hundred thousand."

"Top-Grade Spirit Stones."

The hall instantly fell silent.

Manager Zhou Huan's breathing hitched. He had spent decades in the spiritual plant business, and the largest transaction he had ever handled was only a few thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones. What did two hundred thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones represent? Converted to High-Grade Spirit Stones, that was twenty million! Twenty million High-Grade Spirit Stones were enough to buy an entire street in the most prosperous district of Tianyuan City!

The few attendants were even worse off; their eyes bulged, their mouths hung slightly open, and they even forgot to breathe.

Yun Ming remained expressionless on the surface, but his mind was racing through the conversion.

Two hundred thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones. According to the common exchange rate in the cultivation world—one Top-Grade Spirit Stone was worth approximately one hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones. However, because Top-Grade Spirit Stones were scarce, the black market exchange rate was often higher, with one hundred and twenty to one being common. Even at the minimum one-to-one hundred ratio, two hundred thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones were equivalent to twenty million High-Grade Spirit Stones.

He had previously inquired about prices at the Wanxiang Array Pavilion; a portable Teleportation Array cost three million High-Grade Spirit Stones. With twenty million, he could easily afford to buy six of them.

It was enough.

More than enough.

Yun Ming felt a sense of certainty, yet he still maintained his composure. He picked up his teacup and took another sip, as if that figure were nothing more than a common occurrence to him.

Seeing Yun Ming remain silent, Maid's heart tightened slightly.

Two hundred thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones; this was a price she had weighed repeatedly in her mind before coming. A Rank Six spiritual plant was indeed priceless, but two hundred thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones was already an extremely high figure—even for the treasury of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty, this was no small expenditure.

But she also knew that something like a Rank Six spiritual plant could not be measured by Spirit Stones alone. If the other party was unsatisfied with this price, she could add a bit more, but it could not exceed three hundred thousand at most. Any higher, and she would lack the authority; she would have to return to ask the Crown Prince for instructions, or... risk waking Your Majesty, who was in seclusion.

His Majesty of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty, one of the few Void Refining realm powerhouses in the current cultivation world, had been in seclusion for a hundred years, indifferent to worldly affairs. To disturb him for a mere spiritual plant—let alone a minor Maid like her being unable to bear the responsibility—even the Crown Prince would have to think twice before acting.

Maid bit her lower lip and was about to offer a higher price when Yun Ming's voice rang out first.

"Deal."

Maid was startled, and then a heavy weight lifted from her heart. However, she still maintained her cold and composed demeanor on the surface, merely nodding slightly. "Fellow Daoist is straightforward."

"However," Yun Ming's tone shifted, "I have one more condition."

Maid's gaze narrowed slightly. "Please, speak your mind."

"I want two hundred and forty thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones," Yun Ming held up two fingers and said unhurriedly, "plus an extra-large capacity storage Magic Treasure. The grade doesn't matter, as long as it's big enough."

The atmosphere in the hall froze once again.

Manager Zhou Huan's lips twitched, thinking to himself that this gentleman certainly had some nerve. Two hundred thousand was already an astronomical price, and he wanted an extra forty thousand plus a storage Magic Treasure? Wasn't this just hiking up the price on the spot?

Maid did not refuse immediately. She tilted her head slightly, seemingly weighing the feasibility of this condition. After a moment, she nodded gently.

"Two hundred and forty thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones, plus a storage bracelet with a hundred-zhang space." Maid's tone was as calm as if she were commenting on the weather. "The bracelet is only a Rank Four Spirit Treasure and has no defensive functions, but its advantage is its large space. If Fellow Daoist doesn't mind, the deal is settled."

A hundred-zhang space!

Yun Ming clicked his tongue inwardly. His current Storage Pouch was only about three square feet, and it was already packed with daily necessities and Spirit Stones. A hundred-zhang storage bracelet was practically a mobile warehouse!

"I don't mind," Yun Ming said decisively.

Maid took a palm-sized jade token from her sleeve. The token was pitch black, with fine patterns slowly flowing over its surface, and the words "Shendu" could be seen faintly shimmering. She handed the token to Yun Ming and explained, "This is a shendu token, a proof of identity for entering and leaving Tianyuan City. It can also be used for real-time communication and remote transfers. If Fellow Daoist has a shendu token, I can transfer the Spirit Stones to you now, saving the trouble of transport."

Yun Ming glanced at the jade token, reached into his robes, and pulled out a similar token. Both tokens were made of the same material, but his had a thin serial number carved on the edge.

"I naturally have a shendu token," Yun Ming said calmly. "But I'm not used to Spirit Stone transfers. Let's stick to physical payment."

He didn't explain why, but Maid was a clever person and understood instantly. Theoretically, transfer records on a shendu token were only visible to the owner, but there were many high-level Cultivators in Tianyuan City, and there was no guarantee that someone with heaven-defying means wouldn't be able to intercept or track transaction information. Two hundred and forty thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones was no small sum; once circulated through the shendu token, it would leave a trail in Tianyuan City's management System. The Golden Core Cultivator before her clearly didn't want anyone to know he possessed such a vast fortune—trading with physical Spirit Stones was clean and left no loose ends.

Cautious.

Maid silently gave him this evaluation but didn't say much else, simply nodding. "Very well."

She took back the shendu token and produced a Storage Ring from her sleeve, handing it to Yun Ming. "This storage bracelet is named 'Hanqiu.' It contains two hundred and forty thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones. Fellow Daoist may count them in my presence."

Yun Ming took the ring, and his Divine Sense delved into it. He saw a small mountain of gleaming white Spirit Stones; each stone was crystal clear and radiated dense Spiritual Qi. He did a rough count and, finding it mostly accurate, nodded.

"Then I shall trouble you, miss."

Maid carefully placed the mystic pattern jade seed sunflower into her own storage Magic Treasure, then took a jade contract from her sleeve, imprinted it with her Divine Sense, and handed it to Yun Ming. Yun Ming read it through, confirmed there were no errors, and also left a Divine Sense imprint.

The contract took effect, split into two, and each held one copy.

Only now did Manager Zhou Huan finally let out a long breath. The expression on his face was extremely complex—there was envy, sentiment, and a hint of indefinable loss. He had worked in this business his whole life, and the highest grade spiritual plant he had ever handled was only Rank Five. Today, a Rank Six spiritual plant had been traded in his shop, yet he hadn't earned a single Spirit Stone in commission.

However, having helped the big boss close this deal, there would surely be benefits for him in the future.

At this thought, Manager Zhou Huan's face was once again covered in smiles.

Maid put away the spiritual plant and turned to leave, but stopped after taking a step. She looked back at Yun Ming, appearing as if she wanted to say something.

Finally, she spoke, her voice low as if intended only for Yun Ming's ears: "Fellow Daoist, a Rank Six spiritual plant is no ordinary object. Meeting me today was your good fortune. In the future... it would be best to be more careful."

Having said that, she walked into the shadows of the back hall without looking back, her figure quickly disappearing.

Yun Ming stood where he was, looking in the direction she had left, and smiled slightly.