"I'm indeed being followed!"

As soon as Jia Ren left the Tianyuan Auction House, he felt like someone was tracking him. He swiftly applied the Wind Control Skill and flew away rapidly.

Outside the Tianyuan Auction House, several figures chased out, searching for Jia Ren. The aura they emitted was strong, all at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, and their identities were diverse: Bizarre Cultivators, Wu Family Cultivators, Five Elements Sect Disciples...

But there were no Foundation Establishment Cultivators among them. The target of Foundation Establishment Cultivators was the Foundation Establishment Pill; seizing that pill was their top priority, and all else paled in comparison. Had Jia Ren lingered, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, while fighting for the Foundation Establishment Pill, wouldn't have minded snatching his Evil-Repelling Jade Spirit Pendant on the side.

"Chase them quickly!"

They had just left the Tianyuan Auction House and looked around, but among the passing cultivators, there was no sign of Jia Ren.

"Where did he go?"

"He ran off so fast!"

"But you can't escape!"

A Five Elements Sect Cultivator smiled sinisterly; he had colluded with the staff of the Tianyuan Auction House and secretly placed a tracking mark on the Evil-Repelling Jade Spirit Pendant. No matter how clever your escape techniques are, you still can't escape my grasp.

He activated the tracking mark to locate the target. To his surprise, he couldn't sense the target at all. Clearly, that cunning Loose Cultivator had discovered the contingency he'd set up and destroyed the tracking mark.

"Damn it! What bad luck!"

The group exchanged glances and turned back to the Tianyuan Auction House to find another suitable target. Others were unwilling to give up, diving into the crowd in search of him but came up empty-handed.

Jia Ren blended into the throng, concealing his aura and Spiritual Power Fluctuations, suppressing his Cultivation Level to Qi Refinement Seventh Level, changing his Taoist Robe and hairstyle, and making minor adjustments to his face. In just a short time, his appearance bore no resemblance to before. Even if he walked in front of the pursuers, they would have trouble recognizing him.

The Tianyuan Auction House... I'd better visit less in the future. It's full of ravenous wolves that devour people bones and all.

The appearance of the tracking mark caused the credibility of shops associated with the Five Elements Sect to plummet. Once trust collapses, it is exceedingly hard to rebuild.

Jia Ren did not hurry back to his residence but wandered around the Market as if unconcerned. Only after repeatedly confirming that no one was following him did he leave the Inner City.

The Foundation Establishment Pill will attract a lot of trouble; I'd better hide in the Outer City for a while.

The Foundation Establishment Pill was quite rare, and to snatch it, plenty of cultivators would dare to make a move even within the Inner City. Jia Ren was unwilling to get involved and certainly did not want to be collateral damage.

Having left the Inner City, he deliberately found a secluded, uninhabited stone house in the Outer City North District, reverting to his original appearance and aura to ensure Sound Transmission Talismans could still reach him.

After the auction ended, Yang Bingzhi would deliver to him his share of Spirit Stones, as well as any possible Cultivation arts that might emerge.

Not long after Jia Ren reverted to his true appearance, a Sound Transmission Talisman flew in from afar.

Not many cultivators had exchanged Sound Transmission Talismans with him. Wang Qian was dead, Yang Shengwu had left the Great Wilderness Market... Has Yang Bingzhi left the auction so soon?

Taking the Sound Transmission Talisman, Jia Ren's expression gradually grew strange.

"Fellow Daoist, it wasn't easy to contact you! Do you know how long I've spent looking for you?! If you didn't want to trade, why did you leave behind a Sound Transmission Talisman!!!"

The voice, full of rage, echoed with no small amount of resentment.

Whose Sound Transmission Talisman is this? Jia Ren wondered. Did the original owner exchange Sound Transmission Talismans with someone else, and now trouble has come knocking?

The voice was not yet finished, its tone shifting as it continued, "Fellow Daoist, do you have any Bait Tempting Technique? The more, the better. Are you willing to sell the recipe?"

As soon as he heard the words "Bait Tempting Technique," Jia Ren couldn't help but recall the baby-faced female cultivator in the goose yellow Taoist Robe and her old servant following close behind her.

An old servant with whom I had but a single encounter? Jia Ren mused. The effects of the Bait Tempting Technique are good... Has a return customer come back?

Times had changed; Jia Ren was no longer interested in the Spirit Stones earned from selling the bait recipe.

This person is willing to buy both the Bait Tempting Technique and its recipe, which shows its value is extraordinary. Is she trying to monopolize the bait business?

Jia Ren had considered monopolizing the bait market, but unfortunately, the Great Wilderness Market for bait was too small. Moreover, after the Bizarre Mist Maiden incident at Lake of Smoky Waves, the bait attracted no interest. Just because it wasn't marketable in the Great Wilderness Market didn't mean there were no markets elsewhere.

Perhaps I can sell the Bait Tempting Technique recipe for a good price.

Jia Ren recalled the goose-yellow-robed female cultivator's generosity and her insightful evaluation of the Bait Tempting Technique. Considering her profound knowledge of elixirs, it was highly probable she was an Alchemist. Whether I exchange the recipe for an elixir formula or a Spirit Turtle, it would be a good deal.

Putting away the Sound Transmission Talisman, he set up a meeting place.

In a relatively lively area of the Market in the Outer City, Jia Ren spotted the hunchbacked old man from a distance. The old man was alone; the female cultivator in the goose yellow Taoist Robe was nowhere in sight.

The hunchbacked old man's complexion was dark as he waited in silence for Jia Ren's arrival.

"Finding you has really been no easy task!" Upon seeing Jia Ren again, he could hardly suppress the rage in his heart. He and his master had been in the Great Wilderness Market for over a month to purchase the Bait Tempting Technique and its recipe, going from full confidence to almost despair. He had thought the Loose Cultivator who sold the recipe had died, but in a last-ditch hope, he used the Sound Transmission Talisman, and finally, contact was made!

"You wish to buy the Bait Tempting Technique? I don't have much left on me, and I don't mind selling you the recipe, but you need to show enough sincerity." Jia Ren was in no hurry, patiently waiting for the other party to make an offer.

The hunchbacked old man didn't rush to speak but gazed scrutinizingly at Jia Ren. Months have passed without seeing this young man, and he has now astonishingly reached the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. I'm afraid the price may not sway him. I had originally planned to offer only one hundred Spirit Stones, adjusting the price based on his perceived status. Different strengths naturally warrant different treatments.

"Two hundred Spirit Stones. This is no small sum for a Loose Cultivator."

"There's no need for Spirit Stones. I have a keen interest in Alchemy. If you wish to trade for some foundational Alchemy techniques, I would be quite willing."

The hunchbacked old man never expected Jia Ren to make such an audacious demand, and his expression turned cold. "Are you dreaming? Alchemy from the Yuding Sect is not something a Loose Cultivator can covet!"

At any other time, he would have turned and left without a moment's hesitation. The Bait Tempting Technique was indeed very important; otherwise, he and his master would not have spent over a month in the Great Wilderness Market looking for Jia Ren.

The Yuding Sect? Does the master behind this hunchbacked old man come from the Yuding Sect?

"Three hundred Spirit Stones, that's the highest price we can offer! Your bait is just an unranked concoction; the offer is already not low."

"Forget about the Alchemy inheritance. That's not something you can hope for." The refusal was firm, without a hint of room for negotiation.

"If you want the recipe for the Bait Tempting Technique, you could trade Rhinoceros Horn for it."

What I want is Alchemy and Spirit Turtle meat, Jia Ren thought. This is an opportunity to seek an Alchemy inheritance, so of course, I have to give it a try. If that doesn't work, I'll fall back to the second option—choosing Spirit Turtle meat to craft Turtle Spirit Ointment. Then he thought of Rhinoceros Horn. That, too, was hard to come by, yet it was a vital material for making Evil-warding Spirit Ink. My lifespan is nearing the limit for a Qi Refinement cultivator, and Turtle Spirit Ointment can only increase my cultivation speed. I'm not short on elixirs, so seeking Rhinoceros Horn seems a better option. The Talisman Cultivators' Association monopolizes Rhinoceros Horn, and I haven't found a purchasing channel yet. To obtain Rhinoceros Horn, one needs luck or to venture to other markets. The hunchbacked elder's master is from the Yuding Sect. While Rhinoceros Horn is hard for a Loose Cultivator to find, it doesn't necessarily mean it's difficult for them to acquire. If Rhinoceros Horn isn't feasible, Spirit Turtle meat will be the last choice. If none of the three plans work out, I won't continue to waste my time. This is a seller's market. I don't lack Spirit Stones and wouldn't easily part with the recipe for the Bait Tempting Technique.

"Rhinoceros Horn? Do you wish to forge an Evil Warding Artifact? Or is it Evil-warding Spirit Ink?"

An Artifact Refiner? Or a Talisman Maker? The hunchbacked elder looked at Jia Ren with a strange expression, finding it increasingly difficult to see through the Loose Cultivator before him. In my memory, he was a bottom-tier Loose Cultivator, but in such a short time, he has undergone a dramatic transformation. Whether an Artifact Refiner or a Talisman Maker, neither can be treated as an ordinary Loose Cultivator. To sway him with Spirit Stones, I'll need to offer a high price.

"Rhinoceros Horn is rare. My master has some in stock, but whether I can trade for it, I must ask for his instructions."

"Rhinoceros Horn is very precious and costly. You can't expect to trade for an entire horn." Any item related to warding off evil is extremely expensive. The main expense of an Evil Warding Talisman lies in the Evil-warding Spirit Ink, which is derived from Rhinoceros Horn.

"Don't worry, I will make up the difference." Jia Ren didn't lack Spirit Stones; his only concern was not having a channel to acquire the horn. If he could buy Rhinoceros Horn, he wouldn't mind paying a premium.

"Within seven days, I will contact you. Don't disappear again."

Having said that, the hunchbacked elder hurriedly left. The Great Wilderness Market wasn't the Yuding Sect's territory; obtaining a supply of Rhinoceros Horn was relatively troublesome, so he had to contact his master as soon as possible.

「At a branch of the Five Elements Sect.」

Luo Yuzhu, wearing a goose yellow Taoist Robe and accompanied by a beautiful female Cultivator, stood by the misty lotus pond, taking in the lovely scenery. The pond was covered with green lotuses, and white lotus flowers were blooming, their elegant fragrance filling the air. Hundreds of red koi gathered at the edge of the pond, surfacing, waiting for the women to feed them. Dozens of bait pieces were thrown in and were quickly snapped up by the koi.

"Fellow Daoist Luo, do you still have that special bait? My koi are very fond of it," said the female Cultivator in a palace dress, a purple hairpin on her head, exuding an aloof temperament. Xue Feng'e vividly remembered Luo Yuzhu's last visit when she sprinkled the bait into the pond, creating the spectacular scene of a thousand koi gathering.

Luo Yuzhu seemed to recall something and shook her head. "I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, Fellow Daoist Xue. I obtained that item by chance, and it's all used up.

"I tried replicating it several times, but unfortunately, the results weren't even thirty percent as effective as the original."

Luo Yuzhu thought of the Bait Tempting Technique she had bought from a Loose Cultivator's stall. Initially, she treated it as an insignificant item for feeding fish and didn't pay much attention to it. Who would have thought that the koi she frequently fed in her family's pond had shown signs of advancing in grade? This unusual transformation was firmly etched in her mind. Before she even had a chance to experiment whether the Bait Tempting Technique could make Miscellaneous Fish advance in grade, her supply had already run out. As an Alchemist, Luo Yuzhu hadn't taken the Bait Tempting Technique seriously and had confidently tried to replicate it. The result, however, was a disaster. The replicated bait didn't even reach thirty percent of the original's quality. This also made Luo Yuzhu understand that there are always mountains beyond mountains and people more capable than herself; one should not underestimate others. This realization led to her journeying thousands of miles to the Great Wilderness Market, solely to procure the recipe for the Bait Tempting Technique. What was infuriating was that the Loose Cultivator selling the bait had vanished as if into thin air, and even after searching for over a month, there was no sign of him.

A streak of firelight emerged from afar, landing in Luo Yuzhu's hand.

"Master, I have found the Loose Cultivator selling the Bait Tempting Technique."

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