Eleven, Transaction (Part One)

  PS: The first update is here, thanks to the help of brothers and sisters, we can occupy a corner on the new book chart. It's really competitive, with many casualties. Today, I'll continue to work hard and update three more chapters to express my gratitude. The following plot will be even more flavorful.

  ……

  This cave is also like a dead end with no back door, but it's many times larger than the small mountain cave where Qian Yu was ambushed while sleeping. The top of the cave is high and spacious, and there seems to be the sound of spring water dripping somewhere. However, the surrounding rocks are strangely shaped and obstacles can be seen everywhere, dividing the entire cave into many small blocks of space, neither feeling too empty nor cramped.

  "What a great sleep!" Quan Yu stretched his waist, secretly wondering at Shi Huan's gaze, and was able to find such a secluded good cave.

  "Hey kid, how about we make a deal?" Shi Huang seemed to have already made up his mind, and spoke directly.

  Tan Yu turned around, her eyes gleaming with a hint of confusion, looking at Shi Huan.

  Shi Guangming was also exceptionally sharp-eyed and followed his gaze to see what was coming over.

  "Hey, kid, I see your meridians are stable and your blood is strong. You've already reached the peak of this level, but do you want to go further?" Shi Huan waved his hand, and a gust of wind blew by, concentrating its force to blow away the remaining dust on a large stone, where he sat down with his legs crossed.

  "Shi Changguan, you're saying..." Qin Yu also found a flat stone in front of him, cleaned it up and slowly sat down.

  I was innocently dragged into this, and to this day I'm still confused, not knowing what they're fighting about. It's really frustrating. But then the other side suddenly wants to discuss business with me, that's a turning point.

  Shi Mou touched his own ears, "Director Shi" was a very rare and fresh title, no one had ever called him that before.

  This kid's background is indeed strange.

  "To be honest, young one, I have high hopes for you! At such a young age, you've already reached the peak of Qi refinement, truly a rare talent with a bright future ahead." Shi Huang's bloodshot eyes stared at Qin Yu.

  You think you can take care of me? Qin Yu glanced sideways, what is this old man thinking about? Since you said you want to make a deal, just say it quickly, what's the point of being so secretive and mysterious?

  "So, I'm willing to lend you a helping hand! Let you smoothly advance to the Refining Spirit... or rather, the Dark Realm. What do you think?" Shi Huan said, seeing that Tan Yu remained expressionless, and could only say out his own conditions.

  The terms "Lianqi" and "Lianshen" mentioned by Shi Hua, where Lianqi refers to the refinement of essence into energy, and Lianshen refers to the refinement of energy returning to spirit, are another system name used in the Southern China martial arts community to distinguish levels. The realms of Lianqi, Lianshen, and Liangxu correspond to the three levels of Mingjing, Anheng, and Huajing, with only different names but essentially similar.

  Tan Yun learned from Zhang Xun's lineage, although his ancestors were in the southwest of Dongchuan to establish their teachings, but the deeper roots are in the Northern Daoist tradition. And another system that he was indoctrinated with by his mother in his childhood also came from a northern aristocratic family. All the terms used to describe realms are northern conventions.

  Shi Huan was obviously from a southern aristocratic family, with completely different habits.

  "What's going on? I'd like to hear more about it." Tan Yin's heart was scornful, but he still maintained a respectful demeanor.

  "Not bad, Dark Boundary! I have the Golden Needle to Cross the Tribulation, a secret transmission of my family for ten generations. This method can help you cross the barrier of the Bright Boundary and penetrate the mysteries of the Dark Boundary." Shi Huan adapted quickly and no longer mentioned the Southern School system.

  Are you entering the dark realm? Qin Yu listened to him and found it quite interesting, "What's that, Director Shi? If you want to do favors, you should do them thoroughly; when discussing business, it's not good to sell at a bad time, but instead, you should buy one and give one as a gift, this is the proper way of doing transactions."

  Shi Guang was taken aback: "Young man, what are you talking about? I am indeed sincere in my negotiations."

  "Does Director Shi think I'm a fool? With my current foundation, advancing step by step, it's not difficult to break through the bottleneck of Mingjing within a year. As for Anjing, can it block my path? Why should I sacrifice my original potential and accept your forced ripening? If this leaves behind hidden wounds, wouldn't that be ridiculed by fellow practitioners? Director Shi, since you already know this, why bother intentionally teasing me?"

  Shi Huan stretched out his hand and had already grasped Qin Yu's wrist, listening for a moment before opening his eyes wide with a hint of embarrassment.

  He pondered and said, "It seems I didn't think this through. With your foundation, you should be from a renowned school. But don't underestimate my Golden Needle Technique, it has extraordinary effects even against masters of the dark realm."

  "This is the point where I couldn't believe it." Quan Yu seemed to smile but not quite, and directly shook his head. "No, Marshal Shi himself has been at the peak of the dark realm for many years, why can't he still surpass it and become a master of the transformation realm?"

  "This is because you're too young and inexperienced!" Shi Huan bluntly rebuked, then suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "As for me... this official has other reasons, it's not that the method doesn't work."

  Hey, what unspeakable secret would he have that's hard to wash away? Hmm, probably has something to do with Mrs. Deng, Tan Yu speculated with a hint of malice.

  "Actually, Director Shi just needs to make it clear what he wants me to do and that's it." Qin Yu reminded him, shaking his head in his heart, winning is not a good thing, winning is not a good thing! This person has no business mind at all, once he gets stuck on something, he can't get out of it. The transaction terms haven't even been discussed yet, what's the hurry? "I will weigh the pros and cons, if I can do it, I will definitely try my best."

  "My son, Shi Ya, is only fifteen years old and has just reached the prime of his youth. Now he's been bewitched by a barbarian girl and I fear he'll be in danger. As an official, it's hard to eliminate the evil influence immediately, so we can't avoid being tracked by Deng's couple. Therefore, I want to ask for your help to free my son from this emotional entanglement and escape the pursuit of the Wu Ling barbarians," Shi Huang said, his face showing a hint of warmth as he mentioned his son, but also furrowing his brow in worry. He glanced at Tan Yun, "I can teach you the complete Golden Needle Crossing Tribulation technique. Even if you reach the peak of the dark realm in the future and want to cross the tribulation, with the guidance of a superior, you'll be able to increase its effectiveness by at least 30%."

  The success rate can actually be increased by 30%? That's a heavenly moat!

  Tan Yun was secretly shocked, for he knew that advancing from the Dark Realm to the Transcendent Realm was a difficulty renowned as the Heavenly Chasm in the cultivation world, and it was truly a perilous pass of nine deaths and one life. Many top Dark Realm experts had died on the path of breaking through the bottleneck, and even more masters didn't have the courage to charge at the Transcendent Realm's barrier, spending their entire lives trapped in the Dark Realm level.

  Nine deaths and one life is an understatement, it can be said that nine deaths are certain and only one in ten survives.

  So it's no wonder that a master of the highest level is so hard to come by! At least, Qin Yu had never heard his master mention any masters of the Transformation Realm in Jing Nan.

  Even if it's extended to a larger scope, the entire Han territory, among hundreds of millions of people, the currently known powerful cultivators who have reached the stage of enlightenment are at most no more than ten, extremely rare indeed.

  If Shi Heng didn't lie, the Golden Needle Crossing Tribulation Technique passed down in his family can be called a heavenly law that defies the heavens, an invaluable secret. Compared to the three major techniques of the Tian Shi Dao Zhen Jiao, it's probably not much inferior.

  However, after thinking for half a day and turning his brain over several times, Tan Yu finally shook his head and sighed, feeling that he had the heart but not the power.

  "I've heard that the Wuling Barbarians have five great masters, and Deng Qianwan is just one of the weakest among them. He's already an opponent I'm completely unable to resist in a dark environment. To openly make an enemy of the Wuling Barbarians, please forgive me for not being able to agree. Moreover, when barbarian girls seduce young masters, they usually send insects ahead first, and it seems that Young Master has already been enchanted by her, so he may not appreciate my kindness, making it extremely difficult to persuade him. This transaction, I'm afraid I won't be able to complete."