57: Shipment of clones

The Jinlin Pavilion was filled with the lingering scent of sandalwood. The brief sense of relief after the transaction was quickly dispelled by the heavy bag of Spirit Stones.

Forty-six thousand three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, plus a Profound-grade VIP Jade Token, the newly acquired Formation Flag, Talisman Jade Slip, and the warm, smooth Green Jade Wolf Brush Talisman Pen, were all tucked into his Storage Pouch.

However, Lin Feng's heart was not calmed by this; instead, it was like a deep pool into which a huge rock had been thrown, causing even greater ripples.

'Sixty thousand Spirit Stones… it seems like a huge amount, but it’s merely a drop in the bucket.'

His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the Storage Pouch at his waist; the cold touch of the Spirit Stones through the fabric did not dispel the heaviness in his heart.

'The Foundation Establishment Pill at the auction will go to the highest bidder.

Those Sects and Families have deep foundations; tens of thousands of Spirit Stones are nothing to them.

Zhao Yu, the Deacon, had already hinted that the auction competition would be fierce.

With just this amount of Spirit Stones, trying to secure three Foundation Establishment Pills is wishful thinking!

Not to mention other items that might be needed…'

A strong sense of urgency gripped his mind.

The advancement of Xuanlei Island's Spiritual Vein and his own Foundation Establishment Dao all depended on this trip.

He could not lose, and he could not afford to lose!

'I must raise more Spirit Stones! The sooner, the better!' A thought flashed, and a clear yet risky plan instantly formed—to sell the remaining resources brought from Xuanlei Island in batches, changing his identity, and dispersing the risk!

He stood up and nodded slightly to Deacon Zhao Yu: “Thank you, Deacon Zhao, it was a pleasant transaction.” His tone was calm and unruffled, as if he had just completed an ordinary sale.

“You are too kind, Fellow Daoist Lin; it was a pleasure working with you.

I look forward to seeing Fellow Daoist's demeanor again at the auction in five days.” Zhao Yu smiled genially and personally escorted Lin Feng to the door of the private room.

Stepping out of the grand main entrance of Jinlin Pavilion, the bustling heat and invisible pressure once again assailed him.

Lin Feng did not join the flow of people on the main road but instead turned his steps and entered a relatively secluded side alley.

The light in the alley was slightly dim, and there were few pedestrians.

He stopped, seemingly tidying his robes, but in reality, the core runes of the thousand illusions mask in his Sea of Consciousness were quietly circulating.

An imperceptible fluctuation of Qi rippled across his face; the bone structure, muscle texture, and skin color underwent subtle yet complete changes in an instant.

After a few breaths, a tall, thin old man with a sallow complexion, high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a hint of gloom and fatigue replaced his original ordinary middle-aged face.

He hunched his back slightly, reined in all the steady aura belonging to “Lin Feng,” precisely suppressed his cultivation fluctuations to the Peak of Qi Refining, and exuded the aura of a Loose Cultivator who had long mingled in the lower strata, was skilled in calculation, and possessed a touch of ruthlessness.

'First identity, 'Old Man'…' Lin Feng silently thought, his cloudy eyes vigilantly scanning the alley entrance, confirming that no one noticed this brief “face change” before he took slightly faltering but swift steps, blending into another street leading to “Myriad Treasure Pavilion,” another large commercial establishment in the city center.

Myriad Treasure Pavilion was slightly smaller than Jinlin Pavilion but equally grand, with five stories, built mainly of warm-toned spiritual wood, with carved beams and painted pillars, and a bustling crowd in front of its doors.

The arrival of the old man did not attract much attention; Loose Cultivators dressed like him were commonplace in the market.

In the appraisal area, a shrewd-looking middle-aged shopkeeper greeted him.

“Fellow Daoist, do you have any treasures to sell?” The shopkeeper wore a professional smile, his gaze subtly sweeping over the old man.

“Hmph,” Lin Feng snorted, his voice hoarse and dry, with a hint of impatience, “Of course, I have good things, that's why I came to your Myriad Treasure Pavilion.

Look at this!”

He somewhat roughly pulled out two bundles of processed beast hides and a sealed Jade Box from a worn Storage Pouch at his waist, slapping them heavily on the counter.

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow slightly, not minding his attitude, and skillfully untied the beast hide bundles.

The deep purple scales, tough hide, and the remaining pure lightning attribute Qi made his eyes light up.

“Benlei Beast hide? Judging by the thickness of these scales and the lightning patterns… it's Peak Qi Refining grade! And it's well-preserved!” The shopkeeper picked up a piece for careful inspection, then opened the Jade Box, and a sweet fragrance, slightly weaker than the batch at Jinlin Pavilion but still refreshing, wafted out.

“This is… jade emperor honey? Good quality!

Fellow Daoist, where did this batch of goods come from?” He asked casually; this was the commercial establishment's routine inquiry.

A hint of vigilance and displeasure flashed in the old man's eyes, and he grumbled in a muffled voice: “What? Does Myriad Treasure Pavilion need to dig into the roots when acquiring things? I got this by risking my life at sea! Just name your price; if it's suitable, I'll sell; if not, I'll find another place!” He made a move to put the things away.

“Fellow Daoist, calm down, calm down!” The shopkeeper quickly compensated with a smile, “It's just routine, Fellow Daoist, please don't be offended.

The goods are good, and our Myriad Treasure Pavilion will certainly take them!” He quickly estimated, “This Benlei Beast hide, being of superior quality, is priced at twelve thousand Spirit Stones.

This jade emperor honey, three bottles, slightly inferior in quality, is priced at eight thousand Spirit Stones.

A total of twenty thousand Spirit Stones, what do you think, Fellow Daoist?”

Lin Feng quickly calculated in his mind: the price was slightly lower than Jinlin Pavilion's, but still within an acceptable range.

A struggling and pained expression appeared on his face, and after a long moment, he gritted his teeth and said, “Twenty thousand it is! Give me the Spirit Stones, quickly!” He looked as if he was in urgent need of money.

“Excellent!” The shopkeeper quickly counted the Spirit Stones, put them into an ordinary Storage Pouch, and handed it over.

The old man snatched the bag, shoved it into his embrace without even looking, snorted coldly, turned, and left without any hesitation.

After leaving Myriad Treasure Pavilion, Lin Feng did not immediately go to the next establishment but instead wandered aimlessly on several bustling streets, occasionally stopping to look at street stalls or entering some inconspicuous small shops.

His powerful Divine Sense, like an invisible spider web, quietly spread out, perceiving everything around him.

'Two… faint auras, Qi Refining fifth or sixth layer, clumsy methods… they should be low-level scouts sent by Myriad Treasure Pavilion.' Lin Feng sneered inwardly.

This kind of tailing was invisible before his powerful Divine Sense.

He deliberately walked into a crowded small shop selling low-grade Talismans, made a few turns in the crowd, and, using the shelves as cover, easily shook off the two clumsy tails.

After confirming that no one was following him, he found an empty corner.

The thousand illusions mask activated again!

The hunched figure of the old man seemed to grow taller, his sallow skin became dark and rough, and his gloomy features merged into the face of a weather-beaten, taciturn, hat-wearing Loose Cultivator strongman.

His aura was also adjusted to the ninth layer of Qi Refining, exuding a fierce and dull temperament of someone who made a living at sea.

A more worn Storage Pouch, smelling of the sea, replaced the one at his waist.

'Second identity, 'Sea Reef'…' He pulled down the brim of his straw hat and strode towards another reputable large commercial establishment—Gathering Source Pavilion.

Gathering Source Pavilion's style was more practical, and the flow of people was more mixed.

An amiable old steward with a kind smile greeted Sea Reef.

“Brave man, do you have any sea goods to sell?” The old steward asked kindly.