Chapter 113: Obtaining the Pure Yang Five Elements Technique

Fifteen thousand low-grade spirit stones is no small sum. Even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator might not necessarily possess such wealth. If it became known that someone with a cultivation base of only the fourth layer of Qi Refining held such a fortune, even a Foundation Establishment expert might not mind taking a moment to kill and plunder.

A child carrying gold through a bustling market invites trouble, if not outright crime. No one could resist the temptation. Even though Zhou Changwang had a certain awareness of his current strength—believing he was not inferior to the average late-stage Qi Refining cultivator—he had still invited Shen Xinyue to accompany him, just to be safe.

"Rest assured. I, Fairy Luoxia, have been in the Fengmingwu market for twenty years; reputation comes first. Since you are worried, Fellow Daoist, then please let Fellow Daoist Shen accompany you." Seeing this, Fairy Luoxia had no choice but to nod, then led the way forward.

"Is the place of transaction not here?" Zhou Changwang asked vigilantly.

"The *Pure Yang Five Elements Technique* was indeed brought to the market, but it was escorted by my Senior Sister, and the item is naturally in her hands," Fairy Luoxia explained as she led Zhou Changwang and his companion forward. Fortunately, they remained within the market and did not head toward any secluded areas.

Soon, they stopped at a courtyard on a street in the southern district. Fairy Luoxia knocked on the door. After a short wait, the door opened, and a female cultivator dressed in black dharma robes, with her face veiled in black gauze, appeared before them.

"Senior Sister, this is the person I mentioned earlier who wants to trade for the technique," Fairy Luoxia said, bowing slightly to the woman in black.

"Come in." The woman in black scanned Zhou Changwang and his companion, lingering a bit longer when her gaze fell on Shen Xinyue, before speaking.

"Entering is unnecessary. If we are to trade, we can do it right here. Or, I can book a table at the Immortal Pavilion; I invite both ladies to favor us with your presence, how about that?" At this point, Shen Xinyue stepped forward and spoke. Entering someone else’s courtyard? Absolutely not. Who knew if there was an ambush inside? It was just a transaction; money and goods exchanged, and it would be over. There was no need to take risks.

In fact, even if Shen Xinyue hadn't suggested it, he wouldn't have gone in. Danger lurks everywhere in the cultivation world. It wasn't as if the market was perfectly safe; even his own courtyard had been breached by that insect king Xue Tong, so there was even more risk in a stranger's residence. He cherished his life dearly.

"You..." Fairy Luoxia’s expression changed, and she said angrily, "Do you know who my Senior Sister is? Would she covet your meager spirit stones?"

"Caution is the parent of safety," Shen Xinyue said softly, her face calm. Zhou Changwang couldn't help but look at her, secretly sighing that he had truly made the right choice in asking her to come. He could have said those words himself, but they would never have carried the same weight as when Shen Xinyue said them. There was no other reason than strength. With Shen Xinyue’s eighth-layer Qi Refining cultivation, her words carried more authority.

"Fine, then the Immortal Pavilion it is. It was my oversight; a private residence is indeed not the place for a transaction." The woman in black smiled and said, "By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Chen Xiao'er. I have heard of the name of Fairy Shen, the 'Phoenix Twin Swords'." As she spoke, as if to show respect, she removed the veil from her face, revealing a fair and beautiful visage.

"I am just an ordinary female cultivator; I have no such reputation," Shen Xinyue replied, shaking her head.

The group headed straight to the Immortal Pavilion. After ordering a few small dishes, they chose a private room and sat down. Soon, three or four delicacies were served, but no one present had their mind on the food.

Zhou Changwang spoke first: "May I ask if you have brought the technique I requested?"

"Naturally." Chen Xiao'er nodded. Without hesitation, she flipped her hand, and a jade slip appeared. The slip was slightly larger than an ordinary one, deep green in color, emitting a faint spiritual glow.

"There is a restriction on this jade slip. You may observe a small segment to verify its authenticity. Once the transaction is complete, I will naturally remove the restriction for you. By the way, after removing the restriction, we will stay here and give you three hours to confirm the authenticity of the rest of the technique. After three hours, unless you can prove the technique is flawed, the transaction will be considered complete, and any subsequent issues will not be our responsibility." Chen Xiao'er placed the technique on the table, pushed it forward, and spoke with a grave expression.

Zhou Changwang looked at Shen Xinyue, and seeing her nod, he picked up the jade slip. With a slight movement of his mind, the content within "imprinted" into his eyes.

"The *Five Elements Pure Yang Technique* is a top-tier Five Elements technique created by the Five Elements Daoist, who observed the Pure Yang Qi of heaven and earth and combined it with his own understanding of the Five Elements. Its circulation route starts from the Dantian, passes through..."

After a while, Zhou Changwang moved the jade slip away, nodded to Shen Xinyue, and said, "The first part of the technique is quite profound, and I cannot discern any falsehood." He then handed the slip to her. She checked it as well and said, "There is too little content to tell for sure."

"According to your previous price, it is fifteen thousand low-grade spirit stones, correct?" Zhou Changwang asked. Seeing Chen Xiao'er and Fairy Luoxia nod, he continued, "I remember Fairy Luoxia saying that if I am willing to join your Green Leaf Alliance, I can enjoy a ten percent discount, is that right?"

Fairy Luoxia looked at Chen Xiao'er and whispered, "Senior Sister, I did indeed promise him that."

"This business was negotiated by you. Since you named the price and proposed this condition, I naturally acknowledge it," Chen Xiao'er said, looking at Zhou Changwang. "If you are willing to join our Green Leaf Alliance, you will be considered one of us, and I am willing to give you a discount. Fifteen thousand low-grade spirit stones will become thirteen thousand five hundred. As long as you agree to join our Green Leaf Alliance, I will grant you this discount."

"Very well!" Zhou Changwang nodded. He had discussed this with Shen Xinyue earlier, and she had not opposed it, which was why he dared to propose this condition. He would certainly save the fifteen hundred spirit stones if he could. Moreover, joining the Green Leaf Alliance had certain benefits for him, namely resources and various trading channels. He had previously been eyed by others because he sold too many talismans, which had made him very cautious; he was keen to open up more trading channels to sell his talismans on a larger scale. Joining the Green Leaf Alliance would give him a stable outlet and earn him more spirit stones. All in all, it was not a loss.

Most importantly, the Green Leaf Alliance was not very restrictive. One could come and go as they pleased; many people simply didn't want to leave for various reasons.

Fairy Luoxia took out a token and handed it to Zhou Changwang. "This is the Green Leaf Token. After dripping a drop of your blood to bind it, just mark it with your name. The token is as good as the person; it will record your Green Leaf points. Points can be earned by completing missions or contributing techniques and resources. Within the Green Leaf Alliance, these points are equivalent to spirit stones and can be exchanged for various cultivation necessities: spirit pills, talismans, techniques, secret arts... If you have enough points, you can even hire a Foundation Establishment expert to act for you. Since I invited you to join, the more points you earn in the future, the more benefits I get. Of course, this doesn't cost you anything; it's a different calculation system that brings benefits to me."

Her explanation clarified why she was willing to offer such a large discount. After all, she could have waited until the transaction was complete before inviting him to join.

"Drip blood to bind?" Zhou Changwang took the token. Shen Xinyue reached out, took it, and performed a few hand seals, casting them onto the token. A faint light flickered on the Green Leaf Token, and traces of restriction light appeared. After carefully examining it for a while, the light faded, and she handed it back to Zhou Changwang. "There are no other hidden means. However, there are defensive and location-tracking restrictions. These are standard for such tokens. If you don't want to expose your location, just keep it in your storage bag, and it will be shielded. At the very least, ordinary detection methods won't be able to pinpoint your location through this token."

While Shen Xinyue was checking it, both Fairy Luoxia and Chen Xiao'er remained calm and appeared very open. They didn't seem to mind that Shen Xinyue heard information about their alliance. Clearly, the Green Leaf Alliance was a relatively public organization, at least in the eyes of the Shuiyun Immortal Sect, with no major conflict—and perhaps even some cooperation.

"Thank you, Senior Shen." Seeing this, Zhou Changwang hesitated no longer. He took out a flying sword, pricked his finger, and dripped a drop of blood onto the token. In an instant, he felt a connection with the token, and he inscribed his name on it: "Chang Sheng" (Longevity). Using "Chang Sheng" as his name was perhaps a bit bold, but it was his ambition, and a Daoist name he had chosen for himself.

Fairy Luoxia nodded in approval. As for the name, she didn't care. Some people chose even bolder names like "Immortal Emperor," "Immortal King," or "Primordial Master." Whether one could actually achieve such heights depended entirely on one's own fortune. At least for now, the strongest person in the entire Green Leaf Alliance was only in the late Golden Core stage. As for being an Immortal Emperor or King, maybe in a million years it would be possible. Now? No one dared to have such a "dream."

Zhou Changwang then began to take spirit stones out of his storage bag. Fortunately, the private room in the Immortal Pavilion was spacious enough. With a wave of his hand, he produced all thirteen thousand five hundred spirit stones and placed them on the floor. Being cultivators of at least the mid-Qi Refining stage, they all possessed spiritual sense; a single sweep was enough to confirm the amount. Chen Xiao'er nodded and waved her hand, about to collect them all.

Shen Xinyue stepped forward and said, "Wait, the transaction isn't finished yet. Let's wait until we have confirmed the authenticity of the technique before you take the stones!"

Chen Xiao'er nodded slightly and said, "Very well." She gave up on collecting the stones and instead performed a hand seal, pointing it at the jade slip. *Hum!* A flash of light emanated from the slip, and the restriction was lifted.

"The content inside is now fully exposed. You can check it now to see if it is complete, or you can judge for yourself." Chen Xiao'er paused before continuing, "Now that you are a member of our Green Leaf Alliance, we can call each other fellow daoists and allies in the future, and perhaps we will even perform missions together. So, you can rest assured about the authenticity of this technique. I, Chen Xiao'er, have at least this much integrity; otherwise, if word spread within the Green Leaf Alliance, no one would be willing to cooperate with me on missions."

Zhou Changwang just took it and said nothing. Her words made sense, but when it came to his own cultivation, "caution is the parent of safety"—one could never be too careful, and he dared not be the slightest bit careless. He quickly probed his spiritual sense into the jade slip. One breath, two breaths, three breaths... With Shen Xinyue there, he had nothing to worry about.

After a while, Zhou Changwang collected his thoughts. The content was indeed complete. The technique consisted of two parts: the Qi Refining section and the Foundation Establishment section. He couldn't judge the Foundation Establishment part, but since he had joined the alliance and the slip looked freshly recorded, he could always check it against official records later. As for the Qi Refining section, Zhou Changwang had already cultivated his *Five Elements Art* to the Great Perfection stage. Although his previous art was lower in grade, it was still a Five Elements technique, and he could easily judge whether the operation principles and routes were correct.

To his surprise and delight, the Qi Refining section of the *Pure Yang Five Elements Technique* included a method for cultivating a "Pure Yang True Body." According to the description, if one could successfully cultivate this body, one would not only be immune to all poisons but also be able to pass the "Physical Body Gate" of the three Foundation Establishment gates without worry. As for the "Spiritual Power Gate," the spiritual power cultivated by this technique would naturally suffice. Only the "Spiritual Sense Gate" was difficult, and even this manual contained little information on it.

"Senior Shen, please help me guard. I will try practicing this technique!" Zhou Changwang said, looking at Shen Xinyue. She nodded and stood by his side. Chen Xiao'er and Fairy Luoxia naturally said nothing; the transaction only counted as complete after Zhou Changwang confirmed it.

This was because trust had not yet been established. To show sincerity, they had promised three hours for verification, so they would not stop him. Zhou Changwang began to study the Qi Refining section and started practicing. The *Pure Yang Five Elements Technique* was indeed a top-tier art; its circulation routes were infinitely more complex than his previous one, and even with his foundation, he stumbled frequently.

One incense stick of time, two, three... Fortunately, the route was complete. Following the instructions, it took him a full hour and a half to complete the first cycle. He immediately looked at his attribute panel:

*Technique: Pure Yang Five Elements Technique (Entry 1/100)*

Seeing this, Zhou Changwang finally relaxed. He trusted his attribute panel more than his own judgment. The fact that the panel showed experience points meant the technique was authentic. He opened his eyes and stood up.

"The technique is correct; it works!"

With that, the transaction was officially concluded. Only then did Chen Xiao'er smile and say, "Since you are satisfied, I will take these spirit stones!" Shen Xinyue did not stop her. Chen Xiao'er waved her hand, and the stones vanished into her storage bag. Before leaving, Fairy Luoxia said, "At the end of every month, our Green Leaf Alliance holds a black market trade fair at a random location. If you wish to attend, just find me or activate the Green Leaf Token. As long as you are within ten miles, the token will guide you to the location."

"Many thanks for the reminder!" Zhou Changwang bowed.

He then looked at Shen Xinyue and said, "Senior, thank you for your help. Without you, this transaction wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

"I can't take credit for that. They were very open throughout; you likely would have finished the transaction successfully even without me," Shen Xinyue replied, shaking her head.

"That's hard to say. Without you there, who knows what might have happened," Zhou Changwang disagreed. In the cultivation world, strength is respected. Only with strength do others treat you as an equal. If he had come alone, with only his fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivation, while they were at the sixth and eighth layers, their behavior might have been quite different.

"Indeed, human hearts are hard to fathom." Shen Xinyue pondered for a moment and nodded, then warned, "By the way, keep an eye on Chen Xiao'er. If I'm not mistaken, she is the 'Spider Silk Fairy' who recently fought two eighth-layer cultivators alone in the Shenfeng Valley market and killed them both. Her strength is immense. Don't be fooled by her calm demeanor; she is ruthless when it comes to killing."

"Understood!" Zhou Changwang felt a chill. He knew of the Shenfeng Valley market, which was five hundred miles away. If she could kill two peers, her combat power was indeed formidable. He would avoid provoking her if he could.

Since they hadn't eaten due to the transaction, Zhou Changwang ordered a fresh table of food for Shen Xinyue. However, she was busy with her duties at the Shuiyun Pavilion and soon departed. He didn't insist, but he did have the waiter pack up the remaining food. Being from a poor background, he couldn't bear to waste the spirit stones he had spent.

...

Returning to his manor, it was already evening. Looking at the sunset, Zhou Changwang felt incredibly energized. "The *Pure Yang Five Elements Technique* is in hand. Now I can switch my cultivation and truly practice this top-tier art."

Although he had spent thirteen thousand five hundred spirit stones—leaving him with only a little over three thousand—he was very satisfied. During his practice in the private room, even though he was clumsy, he had already achieved thirty percent of his current speed. That was already significant.

"Now, it's time to practice diligently and bring this technique to the Proficiency and Mastery stages!"

He entered his cultivation chamber, sat cross-legged, and calmed his mind. He recalled the circulation route and began to move his internal energy. One hour later, he completed the first cycle.

*Pure Yang Five Elements Technique +1*

A large amount of heaven and earth energy surged into his body, transforming into his unique Pure Yang Five Elements spiritual power.