"Esteemed seniors, please don’t make things difficult for me! The senior has already brought out the Soul Bottle. He has always disliked being in the spotlight and being disturbed. We must respect his wishes and not let him be disturbed in any way," Lin Baoqing pleaded.

Having worked with Li Mu for so long, Lin Baoqing had already understood his character. Unless compelled by the situation, he wouldn’t dare to disturb Master Li.

"Esteemed seniors, let’s discuss the spiritual treasure transaction and the proper business of five Artifact Refining slots!" Lin Baoqing put away the Soul Bottle and shifted the conversation, suggesting to the Divinity Transformation cultivators.

"Since that’s the case, let Shopkeeper Lin set the rules for the transaction! If I can purchase the Cyan Cloud Sword, I can give up my Artifact Refining slot!"

"Same here!"

"I want that Dragon Tooth Spirit Blade if no one contests it!"

"Shopkeeper Lin, set a transaction protocol! If I can purchase one of the Cyan Cloud Sword, Primordial Earth Circle, or White Tiger Slaughter Halberd, I can give up my Artifact Refining slot!"

...

As Lin Baoqing finished speaking, the attention of the Divinity Transformation cultivators shifted, each voicing their requirements to him.

Lin Baoqing listened for a while, noted their needs, and after some thought, decided, "I’ve noted all your needs. How about this? I’ll also state some requirements and set some protocols, and then we can proceed with the transaction."

"For this spiritual treasure transaction, we will conduct it in the form of an auction. Each senior can quote based on their needs for each spiritual treasure."

"The seniors offering this batch of spiritual treasures enjoy collecting some High-tier Spiritual Materials, Tier Six and Tier Seven Spiritual Materials, High-tier Spirit Seeds, Spirit Plants, ..., Spirit Plants, etc. Spiritual stones are secondary, so we will also include these items in the transaction. Additionally, if there are Top-Grade Spirit Stones, they can be included as well!"

Hearing Lin Baoqing’s explanation, the Divinity Transformation cultivators continuously nodded in agreement, approving the transaction rules he set.

Lin Baoqing continued, "To ensure the smooth conduct of the transaction, we also need to formulate other rules. For example, maintaining order during transactions to prevent looting or malicious competition. Additionally, we need to specify some transaction details, such as how to pay for goods and how to deliver goods..."

Hearing these rules and suggestions, the Divinity Transformation cultivators all expressed their agreement. They understood that these rules were to maintain fairness and order in the transaction, which was very important to each of them.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Lin Baoqing continued, "Good, since all of you agree with my suggestions and rules, let’s proceed with the transaction then!"

As soon as Lin Baoqing finished speaking, the entire hall became lively, with the Divinity Transformation cultivators preparing eagerly to participate in this grand transaction.

...

Time flew by, and two days passed.

Lin Baoqing, full of joy, entered the Ten Thousand Flowers Manor again, reporting to Li Mu with his abundant gains.

"Master Li, these are the proceeds from that spiritual treasure transaction. Here are the detailed transaction results, please have a look!" Lin Baoqing respectfully handed Li Mu a Storage Ring.

The Storage Ring contained over twenty Tier Six Spiritual Treasures, each of considerable value. This was just part of his transaction’s proceeds, enough to reward him for years of hard work. The remaining spiritual treasures were scheduled for auction, promising a substantial profit.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper Lin!" Li Mu took the Storage Ring, scanned it briefly with his Divine Sense, and smiled with satisfaction.

This transaction’s results far exceeded his expectations, making him incredibly wealthy once again by trading over twenty Tier Six Spiritual Treasures. These treasures would fetch a good price at auctions, enough to ensure he wouldn’t have to worry about resources for future cultivation. The spoils he acquired from the two Ancestor Void Refining Demons made him laugh with glee.

Amid the numerous High-tier Spiritual Objects in the Storage Ring, there was also a Tier Seven Spiritual Material - the Chaos Kunchen Pearl, a Demon Pearl from a Chaos Kunchen Beast. This spiritual material was extremely old, an Ancient Treasure from the dawn of chaos. It was an essential material for refining many top-tier Magical Treasures and had various wondrous uses. Acquiring this spiritual material was an unexpected surprise.

"Oh, also this, returning it to its rightful owner!" Lin Baoqing handed the Soul Bottle back to Li Mu.

Li Mu was slightly startled, taking the Soul Bottle. He seriously activated his Divine Sense, utilizing his innate divine technique - Recognize Ten Thousand Spirits.

Under Spirit Recognition, Li Mu discovered the unusual aspect of the Soul Bottle. The azure Soul Bottle was stained with an extremely thin and almost transparent dust, which turned out to be the Illusory Demon Butterfly Powder.

[Illusory Demon Butterfly Powder]

[Grade: Tier Four Spiritual Object]

[Attributes: Spirit Breath Concealment, Twin Butterflies Tracking Souls, Hidden Spirit Traceless, Follow for Ten Thousand Miles.]

[Status: Spirit Powder Dispersed, Soul Breath Attached.]

[The spirit powder emitted by a Tier Four Illusory Mother Butterfly, specially refined for tracking souls, can be positioned within a thousand miles by a mate male butterfly, and tracked for ten thousand miles.]

Seeing the butterfly powder attached to the Soul Bottle, Li Mu’s expression was slightly dazed. This tiny speck of dust, small and almost undetectable, was so concealed that it was difficult to spot with the naked eye. Without his innate divine technique of Recognize Ten Thousand Spirits, it would be difficult to detect such a hidden thing.

Seeing Li Mu’s peculiar expression, Lin Baoqing couldn’t help but feel a little worried and quickly asked, "Master Li, what’s wrong? Is there a problem?"

Li Mu turned to look at Lin Baoqing, seriously asking, "Shopkeeper Lin, besides you, who else has handled this Soul Bottle?"

"Besides me, there was an Elder Zhuang," Lin Baoqing replied, a bit displeased, "If it weren’t for him mentioning the origin of the spiritual treasure, we wouldn’t have encountered so much trouble this time!"

"What’s wrong, is there something amiss?" Seeing Li Mu’s tense expression, Lin Baoqing couldn’t help but ask with concern.

Li Mu sighed and said gravely, "This Soul Bottle has something that shouldn’t be there on its body. It seems Elder Zhuang isn’t as simple as he appears!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Baoqing’s expression changed dramatically, and he felt a sense of panic. Why would Elder Zhuang do such a thing? What is really going on?

"Master Li, are you suggesting that Elder Zhuang is connected with the Nine Demons Sect?" Lin Baoqing asked Li Mu, worried.

"It’s possible!" Li Mu, noticing Lin Baoqing’s concern, smiled and reassured him, "Shopkeeper Lin, don’t worry too much. Since we’ve discovered this issue early, let’s see how we can resolve this hidden danger."

Lin Baoqing nodded, indicating for Li Mu to continue. Although still somewhat worried, he understood that finding a solution was the top priority.

After a moment of contemplation, Li Mu spoke, "First, we need to clarify the identity and background of this Elder Zhuang. If he really has ties to the Nine Demons Sect, it might be appropriate to hand the Soul Bottle over to the Profound Celestial Sword Sect or Taiyi Sect for handling."

"This Elder Zhuang is an ancestor of the Zhuang family from a Cultivation Clan in the Southern Wilderness, having established themselves for over a millennium at Cloud Sea Peak of the Southern Wilderness. Due to the upheaval of the Nine Demons Sect, their family relocated to Desolate Ancient City for refuge. The Zhuang family is renowned in the Southern Wilderness Cloud Sea area for their skills in Talisman Making and Alchemy," Lin Baoqing explained to Li Mu.

"The background checks out," Li Mu nodded and suggested, "In that case, let’s leave this matter for the Profound Celestial Sword Sect to handle!"

"What should we do next?" Lin Baoqing asked.

After a brief reflection, Li Mu replied, "We will act as if nothing happened, proceed with the spiritual treasure transaction as planned. As for this Soul Bottle, after I leave, please pass it on to Steward Fang, detailing the transaction of the spiritual treasures... Remember not to reveal my identity! Let them handle it as they see fit, and we’ll just push the problem away."

"Understood. I will take care of it." Lin Baoqing nodded, understanding the importance of following Li Mu’s instructions. He was determined to resolve this matter without delay.

Li Mu nodded, seemingly satisfied by Lin Baoqing’s understanding. He then used his Divine Sense to transfer the Yin Soul from the Soul Bottle to another bottle, and handed the Soul Bottle back to Lin Baoqing.

As Lin Baoqing took his leave, bringing the Soul Bottle with him, Li Mu fell into deep thought, the unexpected turn of events leaving him cautious and contemplative.

"""