Someone is following us.

Swoosh!

Like a streak of lightning, fierce and blindingly fast.

The sword beam unleashed by Jiang Min instantly shattered the surname-Duan man’s surging, majestic sword qi, which had been as brilliant as a golden crow illuminating the world. Charging forward unhindered, it reached right between the man’s brows—so fast that he had no time to react, so fast that even his pupils did not have time to contract. Standing at the edge of the high platform, the white-haired elder moved with even greater speed, appearing almost as if by teleportation right before the surname-Duan man. Raising a wrinkled, aged hand, the elder effortlessly intercepted and caught the sword strike with a gentle wave.

Simultaneously.

The white-haired elder tapped a finger forward.

The lingering white sword qi that had continued toward Jiang Min instantly froze in mid-air, and then slowly dissipated into nothingness.

The outcome was clear.

With a single sword strike, Jiang Min won!

Not until the white-haired elder blocked Jiang Min’s attack did the surname-Duan man finally snap back to reality. His expression stiffened, his eyes quivered slightly, and they were filled with sheer disbelief.

What an immensely powerful sword strike.

Before Jiang Min’s blade, his sword qi had been as fragile as paper... How could this be possible!

The surname-Duan man felt a lingering resentment and deep humiliation. To lose to a complete nobody in full view of the crowd was shameful enough; furthermore, having stepped forward with utter confidence on Zhao Xianliang’s behalf, failing to win the duel meant he had disgraced himself before both Zhao Xianliang and his own elder twin sister, Zhao Xianchun.

Yet, knowing nothing could be done to reverse the situation, he chose to let it go. As the white-haired elder withdrew his spiritual barrier and departed, the man reined in his emotions, regained his composure, and cupped his fists toward Jiang Min. "Fellow Daoist has achieved mastery in the sword dao, and Duan admits his defeat. May I ask where Fellow Daoist learned your craft?"

"Jiang is merely an obscure nobody, not worth mentioning."

Jiang Min politely returned the salute, then turned around, walked back to her seat, and waited for the transaction regarding the giant boulder.

Swoosh!

An uproar broke out inside the Myriad Stone Pavilion. Many cultivators were inevitably surprised by this outcome. They had assumed that since both were at the early Foundation Establishment stage and possessed sword intent, even if they weren't entirely evenly matched, there at least wouldn't be such a vast chasm between them. If anything, they might have expected the somewhat renowned surname-Duan man to hold an advantage, given that Jiang Min was a complete stranger whom no one had ever seen or heard of.

None of them expected this.

Jiang Min had instead completely overwhelmed her opponent, crushing him with a momentum that far surpassed him in both sword technique speed and raw power.

Unconsciously, they compared Jiang Min to the sword dao prodigies of the same realm they had witnessed in the past, only to realize that almost no one could compare to this single sword stroke of hers. The potency of her sword qi and the brilliance of her sword intent far exceeded the limits of a cultivator in the same realm.

A few cultivators with slightly higher cultivation bases cast thoughtful gazes toward Jiang Min, having discerned some clues, while the majority found it simply incredible, bewildered as to how Jiang Min could reach such a level. Those who were fellow sword cultivators felt an even stronger surge of curiosity about her...

The surname-Duan man returned to his seat.

Sitting cross-legged, he cupped his fists in apology to Zhao Xianliang and his companion seated opposite him, saying with a look of shame, "Duan's skills were inferior, and I have let down Brother Zhao's high expectations. As for the agreed-upon dark jade compensation, I will have someone deliver it right away."

"Brother Duan need not blame himself. That Fellow Daoist Jiang is indeed somewhat extraordinary; Xianchun noticed a few things," said Zhao Xianliang, whose entire body was shrouded in a black hooded robe, as he turned his head to look at the woman seated beside him.

***

Though this woman wore a dark robe, her demeanor was pristine and untainted, her features exquisitely delicate. A pair of shimmering black eyes rippled like clear springs, limpid and pure. As she sat quietly, her entire being seemed to be enveloped by an aura of tranquil serenity, standing in stark contrast to the noisy and clamorous Myriad Stone Pavilion.

Picking up right where Zhao Xianliang left off, Zhao Xianchun spoke slowly, her melodic voice sounding like the murmuring of a flowing spring: "That Fellow Daoist Jiang possesses a five-element spiritual root and a profound cultivation base. She has likely practiced extremely advanced mental-faculty cultivation arts as well. From her sword intent, I sensed spiritual awareness far more potent than that of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"Spiritual awareness even greater than a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

The surname-Duan man was slightly startled.

That explained why he had lost.

The realm of sword intent involved transforming spiritual awareness into the will of the sword and fusing it into the sword qi. Wasn't a duel of sword intent, at its core, a contest of spiritual awareness?

A Golden Core cultivator sitting nearby interjected, "If she has a five-element spiritual root, her foundational base is indeed far sturdier than that of ordinary cultivators in the same realm. Those five-element tribulations aren't endured for nothing. Young Duan, your defeat is not unjust; there is no need to belittle yourself."

"Thank you, Senior, for your kind comfort," the surname-Duan man replied with a wry smile, cupping his fists.

Afterward, he looked at Zhao Xianchun and Zhao Xianliang and said, "Brother Duan, Fairy Tianxi, it is truly a pity that I failed to win the duel and secure the rare stone. Once the spiritual mineral market concludes, the two Daoists must honor me by visiting the Duan family estate, so that Duan may play the host and make whatever amends I can. What do you think?"

Tianxi was the Daoist title Zhao Xianchun used while cultivating at the Dongyuan Immortal Sound Valley.

Zhao Xianliang looked at Zhao Xianchun and said, "Everything shall be decided by Xianchun."

Following that, Zhao Xianchun calmly declined in a gentle tone: "We are truly sorry, Brother Duan. In a few days, we have other matters to attend to and cannot stay long at Yanyang Ping. We will definitely visit Brother Duan and impose upon your hospitality another day."

A trace of disappointment flashed deep within the surname-Duan man's eyes, but his smile remained flawless as he warmly replied, "It is quite alright. If the two of you ever travel to Hengyang, be sure to let Duan know. No matter where I am, I will rush back to properly host the both of you."

After concluding their conversation with the surname-Duan man.

Zhao Xianchun withdrew her gaze and said inwardly, "Xianliang, your innate perception of heavenly treasures and rare resources is as powerful as my talent for perceiving spiritual awareness. The Extreme Yin Spiritual Marrow hidden inside that stone is crucial for you to shape your Yin body; we must acquire it. I will immediately transmit a message to Ancestor Heyang, asking him to step forward and see if we can trade for this stone using treasures that interest her."

Though these were merely her unspoken thoughts within her mind, Zhao Xianliang seemed able to hear them, replying in his own thoughts, "There is no need for that. Wouldn't that mean owing Ancestor Heyang yet another favor?"

"This is a favor I owe you," thought Zhao Xianchun.

"Xianchun, our souls and minds are intertwined as one; we are the closest people in this world. There is no need to speak of who owes whom. I will send the message to Father and ask Ancestor Heyang to step forward. If we can trade for the Extreme Yin Spiritual Marrow with her, that would naturally be for the best..."

The sister and brother, conversing entirely within their minds.

Yet they behaved as though they were speaking to themselves, presenting a rather bizarre spectacle.

Across the way.

Jiang Min was unaware that Zhao Xianliang and his sister had not given up and were currently plotting how to trade the Extreme Yin Spiritual Marrow away from her.

At this moment, she was haggling with Daoist Boyi over paying the bill. Of course, Jiang Min ultimately handed five superior-grade spiritual stones to the white-haired elder. Speaking of these superior-grade spiritual stones, she had obtained them from the Cosmos Sack of the wicked True Monarch.

Taking possession of the Cosmos Sack containing the boulder filled with surging Yin energy, Jiang Min stored it away properly. She then sat back down alongside Daoist Boyi and expressed her gratitude: "I must thank Daoist for stepping in just now; otherwise, this junior really would have been forced into a battle with a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator."

***

"It was only right that I do so. Besides, even if I hadn't made a move, Little Friend probably felt entirely confident, didn't you?" Daoist Boyi chuckled.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two turned their attention back to the ongoing stone-appraisal gathering.

Following that, over a hundred more rare stones were exhibited in succession.

Even when multiple cultivators placed bids simultaneously, there were few actual duels and far more negotiations. After all, the cultivators invited by the Yanyang Chamber of Commerce were all prominent figures with established backgrounds and reputations. Often, simply announcing one's name was enough to determine the ultimate owner of a given stone.

Jiang Min purchased two more rare stones to serve as gifts for her senior martial brother and third senior martial sister.

One of the rare stones already possessed a faint trace of spiritual sentience, though it had yet to awaken true intelligence. Perhaps after nurturing it for a few decades or centuries, it would develop full awareness.

The other rare stone resembled a Taiji diagram, containing dual aspects of Yin and Yang. The spiritual energies of Yin and Yang transformed into one another within it, making for a truly marvelous sight.

Shortly after she purchased these two rare stones, a young cultivator identifying himself as Wan Qinkun appeared. He approached Jiang Min, handed her a treasure pouch, and said, "True Monarch has gathered all the spiritual minerals required by Fellow Daoist. Please inspect them."

Jiang Min’s spiritual awareness swept into the treasure pouch, quickly verifying the quantity of the minerals, and she said to the man, "Thank you for making the trip, Fellow Daoist."

By this time, the stone-appraisal gathering was drawing to a close.

The female Golden Core cultivator on the stone platform was introducing the final rare stone.

As soon as the delivery person departed, Jiang Min suggested, "Daoist, let us go take a stroll elsewhere."

"Very well, let us go," Boyi nodded.

The two departed early, stepping out of the Myriad Stone Pavilion and heading toward the bustling center of Yanyang City. Everywhere they looked were shops trading in spiritual minerals, alongside alleyways where cultivators set up their own roadside stalls to sell or exchange ores.

After walking for a while.

Daoist Boyi glanced back over her shoulder, a hint of solemnity flashing deep within her eyes.

At that moment, Jiang Min suddenly transmitted her voice to ask, "Daoist, is someone trailing us?"

Daoist Boyi was evidently quite astonished, replying via voice transmission, "You noticed?"

Even she had only sensed a vague feeling that something was amiss, yet she had been unable to pinpoint who was following them or from where. Jiang Min was only at the Foundation Establishment stage—could her spiritual awareness truly be this formidable?

"This junior merely guessed," Jiang Min replied.

"After all, the stone imbued with Yin energy that this junior purchased may have caught the eye of other interested cultivators."