Li Xuanxuan glanced at the man sideways, then seated himself before a desk. Stroking his beard, he said bluntly, "This secret technique is a rare perception technique… Three hundred Spirit Stones and it's yours, Daoist!"

This exorbitant price was clearly inflated, but knowing that he had to finish up soon and leave, the man in black was in no mood to haggle. He rudely snapped, "That's fine! Just hand over the technique… Don't waste my time!"

Seeing that the man was uninterested in bargaining, Li Xuanxuan agreed readily. With this, his suspicion that this cultivator harbored ill intentions increased from seventy to nearly ninety percent in certainty.

Smiling, he proposed, "Your generosity is impressive, Daoist. Let us proceed to the Xiao Residence to formalize this agreement and complete the transaction…"

The black-clad cultivator's demeanor shifted suddenly; his voice turned icy and he narrowed his eyes as he demanded, "What agreement?"

Li Xuanxuan feigned confusion and explained, "Is this your first visit, Senior? When it comes to transactions involving significant amounts, it's customary to involve the Xiao Family for validation and to draft a deed. This safeguards against any discrepancies, preventing any potential losses for you..."

The cultivator, clearly impatient, retorted gruffly, "There's no need for that! Just deliver the secret technique, and that will suffice!"

Li Xuanxuan nodded, still smiling, and reassured the man once more.

"Since you're ready to pay generously, I'll have my assistants fetch the deed from Xiao Residence. It won't be much trouble..."

He gave Li Qiuyang a meaningful look, and Li Qiuyang quickly exited the store. The cultivator in black grunted coldly and clapped his storage pouch, causing an array of dharma weapons to clatter out. An assortment of dharma weapons, each glowing faintly with mana, tumbled out with a clatter.

Among them were swords, axes, and halberds. Some were in poor condition, while others were fairly usable. All of these were smeared with dried blood that crumbled and scattered as they hit the floor.

"These dharma weapons are either of the Embryonic Breathing or Qi Cultivation Realm. Do they cover the cost?"

As his words hung in the air, dark brown dust drifted gently in the sunlight. Li Xuanxuan inhaled quietly and pretended to calculate, though thoughts were racing through his mind.

This man must be a devil cultivator from the north… The thought of such a group lurking here in the Cloud Crowned Peak Market is unsettling. That thunder pearl he carries is far too potent for use against someone of my low stature; it's likely intended to destroy the market's formation eye...

His gaze lingered on the assortment of dharma weapons, knowing deep down that there was no way he could save this store. At least he had already sent Li Qiuyang away; he trusted Qiuyang was sharp enough not to misinterpret his intentions.

"What's happening? What's wrong with you all?"

"Quiet! No fighting in the marketplace!"

The commotion outside grew louder, marked by the roar of mana collisions and the metallic clanging of dharma weapons. It seemed imminent that the group would soon make their move.

Li Xuanxuan's anxiety flared, and he softly said, "This doesn't come close to the agreed three hundred, Daoist!"

"Not enough?"

The black-robed cultivator, increasingly impatient, waved dismissively and reached again into his storage pouch.

Li Xuanxuan, feigning greed, sharply instructed Li Yuanyun who was lingering nearby, "You, get out of here!"

Li Yuanyun, along with a few apprentices of the store, quickly vacated the premises, easing Li Xuanxuan's worries somewhat.

He then called out, "Daoist, may I take another look at that exceptional item you showed earlier? I've been in this business for years, and it's the first time I've seen something so precious! Such a rare item could definitely fetch a handsome price!"

"Oh?"

The black-robed cultivator paused, then burst into hearty laughter as if he had just heard the funniest joke. Regaining his composure, he pulled the black jade pearl from his sleeve and chuckled.

"You have quite the eye! Here, take it!"

He tossed the Thunder Pearl toward Li Xuanxuan, who clumsily caught it. The cultivator then demanded coldly, "Now, hand over the secret technique!"

"Of course, immediately!"

Li Xuanxuan gazed at the precious pearl with a greedy glint in his eyes while retrieving a jade slip from the storage pouch at his waist and handing it over nonchalantly.

As the black-robed cultivator delved into the jade slip with his spiritual sense, Li Xuanxuan seized the opportunity to act. With a swift sweep of his sleeve, he sent the pile of dharma weapons scattering and cluttering loudly across the floor. Amidst the ensuing cacophony of clanging, he quickly burst through the door and made his escape.

"Huh?"

The cultivator surnamed Qiu was enraged upon realizing the jade slip contained nothing more than trivial travelogs and cultivation notes.

"Such audacity!" he cursed angrily.

Furious, he stamped his foot, causing a burst of white vapor to rise that rattled the building. He lunged at Li Xuanxuan, his palm wind transforming into clouds of white qi currents that surged toward his target.

Li Xuanxuan's expression darkened as he quickly activated the shimmering golden talisman that was already in his hand, unleashing a burst of golden light that enveloped him.

As a thick aura of blood-red light erupted, he retreated swiftly like the wind.

BOOM!

Li Xuanxuan's golden shield barely withstood a few breaths against the onslaught of the white qi currents before shattering like a fragile eggshell. He could not dodge in time, and part of the skin and flesh on his hand were scoured away, leaving a sight of his white bones exposed to view.

Gritting his teeth, he stifled a cry of pain, channeling all his mana to counter the black-robed cultivator's ferocious attack. He staggered back a few steps, then propelled himself into the air.

Li Xuanxuan had always sold the talismans he crafted for Spirit Stones to send home, neglecting to prepare anything of quality for himself. Feeling secure within the market, the talismans he retained were all only of the Qi Cultivation Realm.

The moment the shield was effortlessly shattered by a simple palm strike, he deeply regretted his lack of preparation.

"GAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The apprentices, all mere cultivators in the Embryonic Breathing Realm, were caught completely off guard. One moment they were chatting idly outside the door, and the next, they were screaming in agony as white qi enveloped their bodies.

The upper torso of the apprentice closest to the door instantly evaporated, leaving only the lower half of his body behind—two stark, white thigh bones grotesquely standing on the floor.

The others met similarly gruesome fates: some were beheaded, while those who retained their heads managed only a few cries of despair before collapsing.

Li Yuanyun, who was watching the commotion on the street, was unaffected by the white qi but was drenched in cold sweat from fright and screamed in terror.

He was horrified by the sight of an apprentice, who had lost his lower body, crawling toward him with blood-red hands, leaving a trail of crimson on the ground behind him. In his terror, he jumped up and fled without looking back.

Before Li Xuanxuan could even assess his injuries, the cultivator surnamed Qiu was already advancing toward him at a rapid pace. His bamboo hat was raised high, revealing a face marred by scars. His eyes glinted fiercely as he bellowed, "How dare you deceive me?!"

Li Xuanxuan, heart racing, hurled the dark jade pearl like a lightning bolt toward the cultivator's face. At the same time, he activated the Blood Escape Technique, vanishing in a trail of crimson.

The cultivator sneered.

"Ridiculous!"

The Thunder Pearl required a specific spell and mantra to detonate it, which was why the cultivator surnamed Qiu had dared to hand it over to Li Xuanxuan without a hint of fear.

When he saw Li Xuanxuan throw the pearl without any incantation, he merely gave a cold snort and continued to advance undeterred.

BOOM!