Chapter 94: Could This Book Be the Legendary One That Hides...

Faced with Lu Yang’s seasoned frame-up, Meng Jingzhou countered with sheer disdain: "What do you mean I scared her off? Didn't you hear what she said? She said you’d be entangled in karmic cycles with an immortal in the future."

"Ten to one, you did something so utterly atrocious that it enraged the immortals into teaming up to suppress you!"

Lu Yang waved his hand dismissively: "Completely impossible. I’ve always been perfectly aware of my own conduct and would never do anything so outrageous. It must be some excuse Luo Bu conjured out of thin air."

The two repeatedly shifted the blame onto each other, steadfastly refusing to admit it was their own fault.

Man Gu opened his mouth, wanting to suggest whether it might actually be a problem with both of them, but in the end, the words remained unsaid.

After a few days of interaction, Lan Ting had gradually grown accustomed to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou’s way of speaking; faced with their bickering, she simply let it blow past her ears.

"Look, the Wealth Abounding Commerce House is right ahead. Let me take you all inside for a look!"

By the entrance of the Wealth Abounding Commerce House stood a chubby little pig clutching a coin—the commerce house’s classic, signature mascot.

Lu Yang had long heard of the grand reputation of the Wealth Abounding Commerce House and had been yearning to explore it.

The interior decor of the commerce house was understated yet deeply sophisticated, a stark contrast to the style of those newly rich establishments that desperately flaunted their opulence.

The Wealth Abounding Commerce House had no need for ostentation; its very name spoke volumes.

Throughout the Central Continent, the title of the world's foremost commerce house was a household name, known to every soul under the sun.

The goods displayed within the commerce house left Man Gu completely dazzled: there were elixir pills meticulously refined by masters, spiritual treasures forged with the heart's blood of master craftsmen, natural treasures unearthed from perilous lands at the risk of life and limb, and talismans and arrays evolving from the simple to the profoundly complex...

Staring at the listed prices, Man Gu felt like an utterly destitute pauper who couldn't afford a single thing.

Man Gu noticed that Meng Jingzhou and Lan Ting were merely window-shopping with casual, leisurely steps, entirely unburdened by the prices, which was understandable enough.

Yet when he observed Brother Lu, whose financial standing was supposedly similar to his own, also wearing an air of complete nonchalance toward the prices, he was exceedingly astonished.

Man Gu inquired softly: "Brother Lu, the things here are so expensive, I can't afford any of them."

Of course, it was impossible for Man Gu to truly be unable to afford a single item; he meant he couldn't afford those seemingly formidable items suited for the Foundation Establishment stage.

Lu Yang looked at Man Gu in surprise: "Buy? Why would we buy things here? Look at these elixirs and magical treasures; they look flashy and expensive, but they're actually just decorative. In terms of practicality, how can they ever compare to the products from our own sect?"

Man Gu nodded, admitting this was the absolute truth; the sect's deep-fried dough sticks were cheap, solid, and incredibly chewy—more than a month had passed, and the half-stick Lu Yang had gifted to Brother Meng was still unconsumed.

"Besides, if you don't have money, can't you just earn it? With our worth, selling any random thing will bring in a fortune. Watch closely, I'll demonstrate it for you."

With that, Lu Yang approached an attendant standing quietly off to the side: "Excuse me, do you purchase spells here?"

The attendant replied politely: "Hello, yes we do. However, we only purchase techniques that our commerce house does not yet possess. We already stock all common cultivation methods. May I ask if you intend to sell a cultivation manual?"

Lu Yang nodded: "I have a transformation technique here that allows one to attack while transforming. It is an closely guarded secret of my family."

The attendant was thoroughly taken aback; having worked here for a decade, he had never once heard of a transformation technique possessing such properties.

"Please come this way. There is an auction scheduled for today, and Master Appraiser Yang Xuanling is presiding over the premises. We shall request his venerable self to appraise the value of your transformation technique."

The four were invited into a room where an elderly man wearing spectacles sat with his head bowed over a book. He looked ancient and decrepit, clearly a man of vast experience and profound knowledge, presumably Yang Xuanling himself.

The attendant whispered a few words into Yang Xuanling's ear.

"Oh? There exists such a spell? I see, you may dismiss yourself."

"Yes." The attendant backed out of the room with deep reverence.

"You four, I hear you possess a transformation technique that allows one to attack while transforming?"

"Precisely." Lu Yang produced his own "Lu's Pictorial Boxing."

Yang Xuanling fell into a brief silence: "...If my eyes haven't gone so blind as to misread words, the book clearly says Pictorial Boxing?"

Lu Yang stepped forward, crossed out the three words "Pictorial Boxing" on the cover, and wrote "Transformation Technique" instead.

"Now it's a transformation technique."

It was the first time Yang Xuanling had ever encountered someone so casual with naming; having spent so long in this line of work, it seemed one truly could meet any kind of eccentric.

Yang Xuanling slowly turned the pages, analyzing word by word, until he barked in anger: "This is just Pictorial Boxing!"

"How could that be?" Lu Yang feigned great shock. "This is definitively a transformation technique. Look, I’ll demonstrate it for you right now!"

Lu Yang launched into a routine of Pictorial Boxing right then and there, shifting from Man Gu into Meng Jingzhou, and then into a tiger demon, striking with majestic momentum and immense apparent power.

Yang Xuanling stared with wide eyes for a long time, utterly baffled as to how Lu Yang had achieved the transformation.

The forms executed were indeed Pictorial Boxing, the process aligned perfectly with what was written in the text, and the boy had not secretly employed any spells whatsoever.

How much should this be priced at?

Stroking his beard, Yang Xuanling assumed an air of complete understanding: "Your transformation technique indeed possesses some intrigue. It would be a waste to display it outside as ordinary merchandise. How about we put this transformation technique up for auction? There happens to be an auction starting shortly."

"That works."

At the auction venue, Lu Yang spotted an old acquaintance.

It was none other than Chi Xulong, who had mastered the divine art of spitting pebbles.

Chi Xulong made no attempt to disguise himself; just as he had once introduced himself, he acted flamboyantly and loathed disguises.

With his level of cultivation, he ranked among the notable figures across the entire Yanjiang County, so he truly had no need for concealment.

Seated beside Chi Xulong was a figure cloaked in black robes, whom Lu Yang suspected to be the assassin Shen Jinyi.

Lu Yang took the initiative to sit right next to Chi Xulong. Seeing the juvenile tofu mask worn by the other party, Chi Xulong let out a disdainful, cold snort.

For some inexplicable reason, he felt a surge of irritation the moment he laid eyes on this person.

An impeccably dressed auctioneer stepped onto the stage, evidently professionally trained; without even channeling his cultivation, his voice rang out with great resonance, clearly audible throughout the entire hall.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for coming to support us. Without further ado, let us begin immediately."

"The first auction item for today consists of three Foundation Establishment Pills."

The moment these words were spoken, a commotion rippled through the entire hall; no one expected the auction to open with such a heavyweight item.

Most of those attending the auction were in the mid-to-late stages of Qi Refinement; those in the early stages knew their financial resources were limited and would not participate.

Even cultivators of the Foundation Establishment stage felt their hearts stir—who didn't have a junior at the Qi Refinement stage in their clan?

Well, Lu Yang didn't.

He thought about it and realized that among all the people he knew, his own cultivation level seemed to be the lowest.

When the ancient ancestors first blazed the trail of cultivation, they naturally eschewed external aids and established their foundations purely on their own strength, but such a method carried immense risk, and countless souls had perished in the process.

Later on, researchers developed the Foundation Establishment Pill to enhance the efficiency of the transition; the pill not only increased the success rate but also ensured that even in the event of failure, no hidden ailments would remain, nor would one's cultivation regress.

Even Lan Ting, a disciple of the Immortal Palace, had consumed a Foundation Establishment Pill when establishing her foundation.

She sent a voice transmission asking: "Did you use Foundation Establishment Pills when you broke through?"

Lu Yang shook his head: "Our philosophy regarding the consumption of elixirs is rather advanced. When establishing our foundation, we directly ingest the raw ingredients of the Foundation Establishment Pill, utilizing our own bodies as a furnace to temper the raw materials, allowing the medicinal efficacy to thoroughly dissolve into our meridians."

"Through research, it was discovered that this method yields the highest efficiency of medicinal absorption."

"In his youth, the Seventh Elder of the Elixir Peak established his foundation a hundred times repeatedly just to arrive at this conclusion; the data is absolutely reliable."

"Back then, the Seventh Elder even earned the title of 'The Strongest Foundation Establishment Stage.' Later on, because his foundation was far too solid, the process of forming his core was exceptionally agonizing, much like suffering from gallstones."

Lan Ting: "..."

While the two were conversing, the three Foundation Establishment Pills had already been auctioned off.

"Next up for auction is a transformation technique." The auctioneer produced the book Lu Yang had just consigned.

Lu Yang let out a soft murmur of surprise, muttering just loud enough for Chi Xulong to catch his words, "Could this book truly be the legendary one that conceals..."

Chi Xulong, whose interest in the volume had previously flagged, suddenly grew alert.

(End of Chapter)