"Oh, I'm actually quite interested in these puppets. They'd make excellent life-saving gifts for my junior disciple. I just wonder — what is True Master Tianjing hoping to trade for?" An elderly-looking cultivator stroked the long beard beneath his chin as he spoke.
"Hehe, what I'm looking for is rather rare. It's something called a 'soul stone' from ancient times. One soul stone for one of my puppet beasts. These puppets were all crafted by hand by ancient cultivators — I'd wager there are no more high-rank puppets of this caliber left in this realm." True Master Tianjing's voice was mild and even.
"Soul stones?"
At this utterly unfamiliar name, every cultivator in the room wore a look of confusion.
They had never heard of such a thing. It was completely foreign to them.
True Master Tianjing seemed to have anticipated this reaction. He slipped a hand into his storage pouch, and when he drew it out, a thumb-sized crystal of deep green sat in his palm.
At a glance, the crystal resembled a wood-attribute spirit stone, but after sweeping it with their spiritual sense, every person present realized that what it emitted was not the wood-attribute spiritual energy cultivators were so familiar with — it was a wave of some indeterminate, bone-piercingly cold fluctuation.
"Perhaps some fellow Daoists have this item on hand but simply don't recognize it. I happen to have a piece here. You may examine it first." The old Daoist held the crystal aloft and continued in a measured tone.
"Hmm! That's peculiar. It feels somewhat like yin-soul energy, yet far more refined." A demonic-path cultivator wreathed in coils of black qi stared at the crystal with undisguised astonishment.
"I don't know exactly what lies within this crystal, but it is certainly not ordinary soul energy. Otherwise, why would I trade these puppets for a single stone?" True Master Tianjing was refreshingly direct in his reply.
"Oh! Fair point." The demonic-path cultivator, knowing better than to press further, dropped the matter.
But the moment Han Li caught a clear look at the crystal, his face beneath the mask underwent a dramatic change, his gaze flickering with barely concealed agitation.
If his eyes weren't deceiving him, this "soul stone" was nothing other than the "Yin Underworld Beast Cores" he had collected from the Yin Underworld. Of course, "beast cores" was only what the natives of that place called them — among ancient cultivators, their true name appeared to be these so-called "soul stones."
"True Master Tianjing has not only brought out so many puppets but is also seeking to amass such a large quantity of these 'soul stones.' When I consider that every puppet I saw in the Void Heaven Palace contained one of these soul stones hidden within… it seems this person…" Han Li fell into pensive contemplation.
Yet soul stones were evidently exceedingly rare. A good while passed before a single cultivator hesitantly produced one, stepped forward, and traded it for a single beast puppet.
True Master Tianjing called out a few more times, and seeing that no one else came forward, he could not entirely suppress a trace of disappointment, despite having expected as much.
He was about to put away the remaining puppet beasts when yet another person suddenly rose to their feet and walked over. The old Daoist's spirits perked up immediately, and he regarded the newcomer with a pleased surprise:
"Fellow Daoist — you have a soul stone as well?"
The one who stepped forward was none other than Han Li, who had finally made up his mind. Without a word, he turned his palm over, and a crystal of deep green appeared in his hand.
But this crystal was the size of an entire egg, and a mass of yin-cold energy — dense enough to be nearly visible to the naked eye — radiated from it. It was not remotely comparable to the small crystal the old Daoist had shown.
True Master Tianjing started in shock, then an irrepressible joy surged through his heart, though he could not keep a broad smile from breaking across his face:
"Fellow Daoist, a soul stone of this size is truly a rare find. Very well — from among these puppets, feel free to choose two to take with you. I won't let you come away at a loss."
"Two?" Han Li let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.
"What — does the Fellow Daoist think that too few? How many did you have in mind?" True Master Tianjing was not offended. His tone remained cordial.
"I'll trade this soul stone for all of the puppets you have remaining." Han Li's voice was calm and level.
"All six? Does the Fellow Daoist not think that rather greedy?" The old Daoist blinked, his brow furrowing in displeasure.
"Heh heh! As for whether it's greedy or not, True Master surely knows best. A soul stone is not judged by size alone. Besides, a stone this large is for you…" Han Li fixed his gaze on True Master Tianjing, then stopped mid-sentence, leaving the thought unfinished.
Upon hearing these words, True Master Tianjing's expression shifted subtly. He studied Han Li with a long, penetrating look, then fell silent for a moment before speaking:
"Very well. A soul stone this large is indeed exceedingly rare, and I am in urgent need of one. Let us trade as you propose."
When the old Daoist agreed, the other cultivators in the pavilion exchanged astonished glances, their eyes lingering on the egg-sized crystal in Han Li's hand. Anything capable of securing several of these rare puppets in a single trade deserved a closer look.
Han Li's expression betrayed nothing. He held the crystal out directly, then dipped his head slightly and swept his sleeve across the table — all six puppet beasts vanished without a trace.
What the other cultivators failed to notice was that, in the instant Han Li lowered his head, his lips moved ever so slightly. True Master Tianjing's eyes blazed with a sharp light, and a flicker of startled suspicion crossed his face.
By then, Han Li had already returned to his seat with the puppets.
True Master Tianjing then announced the close of the exchange. One after another, the cultivators filed downstairs and departed, and Han Li's trio slipped out among them, leaving the Crystal Dragon Pavilion behind.