"Hehe, it's rare for Brother Wang to show his face. I thought you'd continue sequestered in closed-door cultivation of that 'Turtle Spirit Technique' and never come out. How would I dare disturb Brother Wang's secluded practice?" The old man surnamed Fu seemed to have known the silver-robed cultivator for a long time, greeting him with great familiarity.
"The Turtle Spirit Technique — I'm stuck at the seventh layer. I don't expect to break through to mid-stage Nascent Soul in this lifetime." The silver-robed cultivator was in his fifties. After his gaze swept over Han Li, he smiled faintly and cupped his fists in greeting. "However, I heard from Deacon Zhao that a fellow Daoist who appears to be at mid-stage Nascent Soul has come to our tower, wishing to purchase the Heavenly Secret Mansion that has been sitting in our pavilion for several hundred years. And now that Brother Fu has also graced us with his presence, how could I, Wang, not come out to meet you both?"
Hearing this, Han Li immediately understood that this was the Elder Wang the white-robed middle-aged man had mentioned. A sweep of his spiritual sense told him the man was an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, though his complexion was strangely pale — clearly a result of the particular technique he cultivated.
"Brother Wang is too kind. I, Han, have long heard of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's great reputation, which is why I've come to visit." Han Li offered a faint smile and returned the greeting.
"Fellow Daoist Han wants to exchange for the Heavenly Secret Mansion? Tsk tsk — you truly live up to being an overseas cultivator. What an ambitious deal. It seems the saying that the overseas lands are rich in treasures really isn't just talk." The old man surnamed Fu remarked with some surprise.
"The overseas lands do have some relatively rare materials, but how could they compare with the vast and bountiful mainland? You two must be joking." Han Li replied noncommittally.
Naturally, Han Li's words did nothing to truly convince these two Nascent Soul cultivators, but they didn't dare press him further about the overseas lands. If a high-ranking cultivator like Han Li were to mistake their curiosity for covetous intentions, that would be no small matter.
At that moment, the middle-aged man surnamed Zhao, who had been following behind the silver-robed cultivator, stepped forward and placed two jade boxes — one large, one small — on the table in front of Han Li. He then tactfully withdrew to the side. He knew full well that now that Elder Wang from the pavilion had come forward, there was no need for him to say anything more.
"Since you're interested in our Heavenly Secret Mansion, I've brought it here along with Fellow Daoist Fu's Thunder Spirit Crystal, so you can have a look." Elder Wang tapped the slightly larger jade box with his finger and said politely.
"Brother Wang, why don't you let Brother Han see your Heavenly Secret Mansion later? Let me complete my transaction with Fellow Daoist Han first." The old man surnamed Fu grinned and cut in.
"I didn't expect Brother Fu to be so impatient. Very well, Brother Fu, go ahead. I'm also quite curious what kind of treasure Fellow Daoist Han can offer in exchange for your Thunder Spirit Crystal." Elder Wang chuckled.
Hearing both of them speak this way, Han Li smiled casually and patted his storage bag. Turning his palm over, a palm-sized dark green wooden box appeared in his hand, with two golden-silver talismans affixed to its surface.
The old man surnamed Fu noticed how solemnly Han Li handled the wooden box, and his eyes lit up.
Han Li placed the wooden box on the table and gave it a push, and it slid silently across to the old man.
The old man eagerly caught the wooden box, then brushed his sleeve across the table, sending the smaller jade box gliding smoothly over to Han Li.
Han Li showed a satisfied expression, reached out and snatched the jade box into his hand, then lowered his head slightly and opened the lid.
A burst of silvery-white light bloomed from within the box.
A flash of blue flickered through Han Li's pupils, and he could clearly see the object within the silvery glow — a chunk of silvery-white stone about the size of a fist.
Han Li studied the object for quite a while, then suddenly extended a finger. Spiritual light flickered at his fingertip, and a wavering strand of azure light appeared, flickering in and out of visibility.
With a flick of his wrist, the azure light shot straight toward the silver stone in the box.
The moment the azure light touched the object in the box, a sudden peal of thunder erupted. Several slender arcs of silver lightning surged from the stone, instantly blocking the azure light.
"Hmm, it truly is Thunder Spirit Crystal. It's just that the quality seems rather ordinary — a bit of a shame. But it will do for my purposes." Han Li exhaled softly and looked up, addressing the red-faced old man with a serious expression.
"Where would you find top-grade Thunder Spirit Crystal so easily? I went through untold hardships to chance upon this crystal inside the belly of a rare lightning-attribute spirit beast." The old man surnamed Fu had also finished examining the Red Essence Fungus in Han Li's wooden box, his face full of satisfied delight. He seemed extremely pleased with it.
"But this Red Essence Fungus of mine doesn't contain the slightest trace of impure spiritual energy — it is absolutely a top-grade spirit medicine." Han Li said calmly.