Li Mu was extremely satisfied to acquire another Seven-rank True Spirit material; this trip to Wanxing Island was definitely worthwhile.
As he continued to develop, the spiritual materials and resources he obtained would multiply, making everything much easier then.
Thinking this, Li Mu patrolled back and forth within the caravan, searching for useful spiritual materials and good items; he naturally wanted to screen them first.
And just as Li Mu was happily sifting through the spiritual items, unbeknownst to him, two gazes in the distance were fixed on this side, watching the long caravan, their expressions extremely grim.
"This damned Li Family! Their business is getting bigger and bigger, only collaborating with the upper-level trading companies, leaving us without even a drop of soup to drink, causing our business to shrink by seventy to eighty percent during this period…!"
One of the men had a hint of killing intent in his eyes, wishing he could rush up and tear Li Mu apart right then, but he still held back.
If he really did that, it would probably be himself who got torn apart. Moving against Li Mu was tantamount to moving against all the large trading companies on the island, the golden egg-laying chickens of every Treasure Firm!
"Manager Chang, why be so impatient? As the saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind. Li's Treasure Pavilion is flourishing now, but who knows if any accidents will occur!"
The man beside him smiled and advised, looking confident.
Chang Zhenyun was anxious to death, how could he be in such a mood? He couldn't help but be curious what this guy was up to, perhaps he had a plan.
"Brother He, do you have any good ideas?" Manager Chang looked at the other party and quickly pressed him.
If there truly was a solution, his Evergreen Trading Company might be able to revive. Thinking this, Chang Zhenyun became even more anxious.
"My method is to borrow a knife to kill! Li's Treasure Pavilion has many good things, but the people guarding the place don't seem very capable. As long as we find some Cultivators of higher Realm to cause trouble, with his cultivation, he won't be able to stop them. At that time, when these managers see that their safety can't even be guaranteed, they naturally won't choose to cooperate with him anymore."
He Liang smiled and expressed his idea. Although this idea wasn't a great one, it had to be said it was the most direct and effective. However, finding someone to do this made Chang Zhenyun a bit troubled.
To cause trouble for Li's Treasure Pavilion, a low cultivation would definitely be useless; at least a Soul Transformation Realm Cultivator would be needed.
"Brother He, you haven't already found a candidate, have you?" After much thought, Chang Zhenyun finally spoke. He Liang nodded upon hearing this, then led Chang Zhenyun away from the spot.
"Strange, I always feel like I'm being watched?" Li Mu frowned slightly at this moment, then looked behind him, and only after confirming that he hadn't found anyone strange did he relax and continue to examine the spiritual items in front of him.
"Earth Yellow Prime Essence, the grade is not bad, but this much isn't enough to exchange for finished products. How about you look for more?"
"Essence Spiritual Liquid, yes, yes, but it can only be exchanged for fifth-grade goods."
Li Mu appraised the spiritual items while giving his evaluations. Cultivators who heard they could exchange for finished products naturally beamed with joy, while those who couldn't successfully exchange for finished products looked helpless and had no choice but to sell their spiritual items.
…
Just then, He Liang and Chang Zhenyun headed to a secluded teahouse. At this moment, an old man and a young man were leisurely drinking tea in the teahouse.
Seeing He Liang bring someone in, the old man immediately smiled and said, "Isn't this little He? What, do you have business for this old man?"
"Senior Han, this time it's not me, but my close friend who has encountered trouble. He wants to ask Senior Han for help, and the benefits will naturally not be few."
He Liang smiled and cupped his hands. Chang Zhenyun, who was beside him, also nodded upon hearing this, then took out a Storage Pouch and respectfully handed it to the old man in front of him, Han Qianfeng.
He Liang had already told him on the way here that this Senior Han was a genuine Middle Stage Soul Transformation Realm expert. The reason He Liang had the chance to know him was purely luck; otherwise, with their status, they wouldn't even have the qualifications to speak to Han Qianfeng.
"Hehe, you're quite sensible. Tell me, what do you want me to help you with?" Han Qianfeng said, then picked up the Storage Pouch and looked at it, finding that the Spirit Stones inside were not many, but acceptable, so he asked.
As a result, after hearing the five words "Li's Treasure Pavilion" from Chang Zhenyun's mouth, Han Qianfeng threw the Storage Pouch back without even thinking.
"Are you kidding me? A few Spirit Stones for incense, and you wish for millions of Spirit Stones?" Han Qianfeng replied coldly, then continued to drink his tea.
The young man sitting beside him smiled at this. If one looked closely, they would find that the young man's aura was no weaker than Han Qianfeng's; he was also a genuine Soul Transformation Realm expert.
"May I ask, Senior, is it a matter of price? If Senior dislikes it, I have more here." Chang Zhenyun said, taking out several more Storage Pouches. Seeing this, the young man couldn't help but nod.
"To deal with a Treasure Firm, it makes you bring out your Family's fortune. I'm very curious what the owner of the Treasure Firm did to you?" The young man, who had not spoken until now, asked.
"Cutting off someone's financial path is like killing their parents. The emergence of Li's Treasure Pavilion has caused the entire business circle on the island to become sluggish. Only Li's Treasure Pavilion dominates, and now it has even allied with large trading companies and Treasure Firms, making it impossible for other trading companies to operate. This is why we want to teach them a lesson."
Chang Zhenyun spoke with righteous indignation. It must be said that this guy was quite shameless, making revenge sound so high-sounding; he was indeed a talent.
"A bit interesting. Your name is Chang Zhenyun, right? I'm not mistaken, you have a daughter, don't you! If you have a daughter, send her to me, and I might consider helping you." The young man said.
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, clearly not expecting the young man to say such a thing. Why would he want someone's daughter instead of Spirit Stones?
"Is there something wrong with you, kid? Do you know his daughter?" Han Qianfeng looked at the young man beside him and couldn't help but ask.
He had thought this guy was planning to ask for more benefits, but it turned out he was after the person, which Han Qianfeng had not expected.
"I don't know her, but there's a slight flaw in the Cultivation Technique I mainly Cultivate, and it requires a Cauldron to cooperate. This guy's Bloodline is decent; if it's his daughter, she should be suitable. There's no other reason. Oh, and my sister is also a bit interested in Li's Treasure Pavilion!"
The young man explained. Han Qianfeng, upon hearing this, frowned slightly. He hadn't known this young man for long, so he didn't understand him at all and only now learned of his special needs.
"You should know my sister, Hong Shuang from Qingyan Brothel. My name is Hongshan. Previously, the Four Seasons Trading Company asked Qingyan Brothel to send people to investigate Li's Treasure Pavilion. As a result, the Cultivators from Qingyan Brothel suffered significant casualties, and my sister set her sights on this Family." Looking at their confused expressions, Hongshan continued to explain.
Everyone finally understood what was going on. It turned out they had already had contact, and this time was just a coincidence.
As the main instigator of this matter, Chang Zhenyun, upon hearing Hongshan's words, showed a trace of hesitation between his brows. However, as soon as he thought of the countless Spirit Stones that would pour in once Li's Treasure Pavilion was brought down, this trace of hesitation immediately vanished.
Merchants pursue profit; in the face of profit, Family ties seem less important. As long as there are Spirit Stones, what's wrong with having a few more daughters?
"Senior, as long as you can truly take down Li's Treasure Pavilion and kill that person in charge, Li Mu, I will immediately send someone to bring my daughter!" Chang Zhenyun cupped his hands and said to Hongshan.
Hongshan nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this, but then he laughed again and said, "But I'm not finished yet, don't be anxious. I want your daughter, and I also want Spirit Stones. How about this, an additional one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, what do you think, Your Excellency?"
Listening to Hongshan's conditions, Chang Zhenyun's face turned ugly for a moment. These one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones could be said to be his life savings, and taking them out truly pained him.
"I never force people to do things. If it's not possible, then leave." Hongshan said, picking up his teacup and taking a leisurely sip.
Han Qianfeng also remained silent. For a moment, the scene fell into a stalemate. Finally, as Hongshan finished his cup of tea and stood up to leave, Chang Zhenyun moved.
"Alright, I'll go arrange it for Senior right away!" Saying this, Chang Zhenyun stood up and left the teahouse. Before he left, Hongshan reminded him to bring his daughter along, as it would be convenient.
Chang Zhenyun didn't say anything to this. Watching the other party leave, Hongshan showed a cold smile. Just by killing someone and causing some trouble, he could get one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones and a Cauldron. What a fool with too much money.
"Old Han, do you want to come along? I can give you some of the resources from Li's Treasure Pavilion when we divide them up." Hongshan thought for a moment, then said to Han Qianfeng beside him.
He was not a naive young man who had just entered society; he naturally wouldn't handle this matter alone. Bringing someone along would provide a scapegoat in case of an unexpected situation.
Upon hearing this, Han Qianfeng also fell into contemplation. As the saying goes, an old man who doesn't die is a thief; how could he not guess Hongshan's meaning? He deliberated. Two Soul Transformation Realm Cultivators acting together to deal with a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator was a piece of cake. This business carried little risk.
After much thought, Han Qianfeng nodded in agreement, deciding to go with Hongshan. After all, the resources of Li's Treasure Pavilion were simply too tempting, and the risk currently seemed small. Two Soul Transformation Realm experts dealing with a Nascent Soul cultivator was not a big problem.
As for Li Mu's background, it was irrelevant. Even if he had a powerful force backing him, if Soul Transformation Cultivators wanted to escape, who could stop them? Moreover, who would offend two Soul Transformation Realm existences for a dead person?
As he thought this, time flew by, and an hour later, Chang Zhenyun returned with his daughter, and without a word, handed his daughter over to Hongshan.
"Not bad, your efficiency is quite high. Go back and wait for my news." Hongshan was very satisfied with this, and then directly led Chang Zhenyun's daughter towards a private room.
Watching his daughter being taken away, Chang Zhenyun did not say much, even though his daughter was crying heartbreakingly, he did not stop her.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. I just want you to assist me in my Cultivation. Once the Cultivation is over, I will let you go." Hongshan was a bit annoyed by Chang Zhenyun's daughter's crying and couldn't help but explain.
The little girl calmed down a bit upon hearing this, unaware that assisting in Cultivation would cost her young life.
As time passed minute by minute, Hongshan soon emerged from the private room. At this moment, his aura was even more intense than before, and a hint of red light could be seen flickering in his eyes.
"Not bad, not bad, this Cauldron is very useful. Thank you, Shopkeeper Chang." Hongshan felt the changes in his body and couldn't help but say with a smile, then got up and left with Han Qianfeng.
Seeing this, Chang Zhenyun quickly walked into the private room. His daughter had already lost her life and turned into a dried corpse lying on the ground, her distorted face seemingly narrating the fear she experienced before her death.
"Shopkeeper Chang, sacrifice is inevitable. Please accept my condolences and move on." He Liang, who was beside him, said lightly, not taking this matter to heart at all. At this moment, he was still thinking about how much benefit he could gain once Li's Treasure Pavilion disintegrated.
Meanwhile, Li Mu was not yet aware of this matter. He had already finished counting the resources provided by the major trading companies' Treasure Firms. It had to be said that these guys had even emptied their inventory to earn Spirit Stones.
As a result, the Heaven And Earth Treasure obtained this time was several times more than before. Looking at the large batch of Spiritual Materials entering the storeroom, Li Mu frowned slightly. The Puppets currently guarding the Treasure Firm seemed insufficient.
"I need to take some time to refine more Battle Puppets to strengthen the Treasure Firm's defense!" Li Mu muttered to himself, then pondered for a long time, deciding to first return to Lingyue Island to check on the spiritual plants.
Li Mu put a large amount of Spiritual Materials into his Storage Pouch, instructed Li Xue'er and others to take good care of the Treasure Firm, and then set off for Lingyue Island.
He did not encounter any danger along the way. However, as Li Mu crossed the sea and flew his spiritual boat out of Wanxing Island's jurisdiction, his extended Star Concealment Divine Sense immediately detected something amiss.
On a desolate small island, a necessary path leading to Crescent Moon Island, he discovered two Transformation God cultivators fishing.
Upon his arrival, the two immediately made a move.
The newcomers were clearly hostile, and it seemed they were specifically waiting for him. Li Mu could vaguely sense some killing intent from them.
With this sudden change, Li Mu frowned, his Divine Thought condensed, preparing for the unexpected.
"Who is ambushing me? Could it be those from the Treasure Firms? No, those guys have already agreed to cooperate, there's no need for them to do something like this."
Li Mu muttered to himself, his mind full of confusion. Just as he was deep in thought, a figure suddenly shot out from beneath the sea, attacking him with a crimson aura flickering in his hand.
Feeling the opponent's Soul Transformation Realm Cultivation, Li Mu flew up and quickly dodged. With a muffled bang, the spiritual boat he was riding was instantly smashed to pieces, with fragments flying everywhere.
Li Mu used the momentum to dodge far away, his Thunder Wings unfolded, releasing countless thunder snakes, instantly blasting away the spiritual boat fragments that had splattered towards him.
"Middle Stage Soul Transformation Realm, what a grand gesture!" Li Mu said as he retracted his Thunder Wings, then with a backhand, summoned five more Sixth-rank Spirit Swords.
"Who exactly are you, and why are you stopping me here?" Li Mu asked with a serious tone, his face expressionless, as he looked at the old man in front of him.
Hearing Li Mu's question, Han Qianfeng sneered, "Hehe, who I am isn't important. Stopping you here is simply taking money to resolve a problem for others. You can only blame yourself for being too ostentatious!"
With that, a half-black, half-white whisk appeared in Han Qianfeng's hand, flickering with rays of light, and he swept it fiercely towards Li Mu.
Two streams of black and white Qi erupted from the whisk, and a Formation diagram rose from the seawater beneath Li Mu's feet. In an instant, Li Mu's entire body was covered by the Formation, and he was instantly pinned to the surface of the sea, finding it difficult to even move.
"It seems I overestimated you. I should have known better than to cooperate with that guy Hongshan." Han Qianfeng looked at Li Mu, and a hint of regret flashed in his heart.
He alone was enough to suppress the opponent, but he still had to give a share to that Kid Hongshan, which was truly displeasing.
"Two Venerable Deity Transformations, hehe, you really think highly of me!" Li Mu couldn't help but chuckle softly, then stomped his foot on the Formation.
In an instant, Han Qianfeng's Formation began to shake violently. A few breaths later, the Formation completely changed, and streaks of Sword Qi erupted from it. Han Qianfeng's eyes showed a hint of astonishment as he looked at the suddenly transformed Formation.
He didn't expect that Li Mu, at such a young age and with only Middle Stage Nascent Soul Cultivation, could instantly transform his Formation into his own. This was simply outrageous!
"Are you playing the pig to eat the tiger, kid? The spokesperson of Li's Treasure Pavilion is indeed not simple!" Han Qianfeng said, waving his whisk again, and streams of black and white Qi spread out, entering the Formation to contend with it.
"Playing the pig to eat the tiger? You overestimate yourself. It's not an exaggeration to say you're looking down on people!" Li Mu said as his aura spread out. The next moment, Profound Heaven Sword Formation activated, and sharp Sword Qi shot up into the sky, instantly severing Han Qianfeng's aura.
Then, it swept towards Han Qianfeng. Just then, Hongshan's figure appeared between the two, blocking the Profound Heaven Sword Formation with a single hand. Seeing this scene, Li Mu's expression changed. This guy was even stronger than Han Qianfeng!
"You have some skill, but unfortunately, that's all!" Hongshan looked at Li Mu, a hint of vigilance flashing in his eyes, but the words he spoke were not so.
The next moment, a huge force came from Hongshan's hand, instantly sending him flying.
Li Mu struggled for a long time before he could stabilize his body.
"This guy's strength is even greater than that old man's. I've met a tough opponent!" Looking at Hongshan, Li Mu's eyes showed a hint of dread. With his strength, facing one Venerable Deity Transformation alone was already difficult, let alone two!
Thinking this, Li Mu summoned the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon from the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
Accompanying a Dragon's roar, the surrounding sea instantly boiled. Seeing this change, both Han Qianfeng and Hongshan frowned deeply, unsure what Li Mu was planning.
"This kid has many trump cards, be careful." Han Qianfeng reminded him. Hongshan, on the other hand, sneered upon hearing this. Two Soul Transformation Realm Cultivators being cautious against a Middle Stage Nascent Soul cultivator? Who were they looking down on!
Without further thought, he flashed and rushed towards Li Mu, intending to finish the opponent in one go. Li Mu, seeing this, aimed one hand at the charging Hongshan.
A Dragon's phantom flashed, and the next moment, it directly knocked Hongshan flying, sending him crashing onto the sea surface and splashing a large amount of seawater.
With the appearance of the Twin-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon, both Han Qianfeng and Hongshan were deeply shaken. They hadn't expected Li Mu to be able to summon a Flood Dragon. The aura of this Flood Dragon seemed to indicate it was about to undergo the Seven-rank True Spirit Tribulation!
"Damn it, I underestimated this guy! He actually has such a trump card, but this is also a good thing. Once I deal with you, all of this will be mine!" Although Hongshan felt some apprehension looking at the Flood Dragon, he was more excited!
"You'll have to see if you have the ability! Qing Yue, kill!" Li Mu responded coldly, then with a wave of his hand, five Dragon skeletons accompanied by High-Grade Spirit Stones scattered out, instantly surrounding Han Qianfeng and Hongshan.
The Nine Dragons Immortal Slaughtering Formation activated. The moment the Earth-Grade Formation appeared, both of them were intimidated by its aura. One must know that this Formation was capable of slaying Immortals. Although its effect was greatly reduced now, it was enough to deal with Soul Transformation Realm Cultivators!
"If you tell me who is behind your attempt to kill me, I might consider sparing your lives!" Li Mu did not act directly but instead questioned them, as it would be quite troublesome for him to investigate on his own.
And Hongshan, hearing Li Mu's words, chuckled softly. A compass appeared in his hand at some unknown point, and it was spinning rapidly at this moment.
Beside him, streaks of red Qi also appeared. In an instant, a crimson storm appeared over the sea, stirring up large amounts of seawater, attempting to break through the Nine Dragons Immortal Slaughtering Formation! The grand Formation instantly vibrated continuously under the storm's impact, showing that Hongshan's strength was not to be underestimated.
"Seeking death!" Li Mu looked at the stubborn Hongshan, and anger instantly surged in his heart. He immediately activated the Formation, and sounds of Dragon roars rang out. The next moment, Dragon phantoms emerged from the grand Formation and then rushed towards the two.
The enormous Dragon phantoms, like shadows covering the sky, crashed into Han Qianfeng and Hongshan. Seeing this, Han Qianfeng cursed Hongshan as an idiot in his heart. Why provoke someone at this critical juncture?
He immediately mobilized his Spiritual Qi to condense layers of barriers in front of him, attempting to block the impact of the Dragon phantoms. However, it was completely useless. Almost instantly, the Spiritual Qi barriers were torn apart, and then the Dragon phantoms struck Han Qianfeng's chest, causing a mouthful of fresh blood to spray out, staining a large area of the sea. (End of Chapter)
