Chapter 1938: Seven-Star Moth and the Ten Thousand Insects Ranking

The red-robed elder didn't answer. He looked at Wang Changsheng and politely asked, "This old man is Lu Tianhong. May I know your name, young friend?"

Seeing the red-robed elder's corpulent figure, Wang Changsheng instinctively thought of Huang Fugui and blurted out, "This junior is Huang Dafu. Greetings, Senior Lu."

"Go down and guard the area. Don't let anyone come up. What happened today stays strictly confidential." Lu Tianhong ordered, his tone grave.

Li Qingyang acknowledged, handed the porcelain bottle to Lu Tianhong, bowed, and withdrew.

"Senior Lu, what exactly is this item?" Wang Changsheng asked, somewhat nervously, as Lu Tianhong's demeanor suggested the Underworld River Water was no ordinary object.

"This old man was fortunate enough to have seen this item at the Heavenly Craftsmanship Convention. It originates from the Underworld and is called Underworld River Water. For high-level cultivators who practice water-attribute cultivation methods, it is an excellent material for condensing Dharma Idols. Young friend Huang, would you be willing to part with this Underworld River Water and sell it to our Seven Stars Merchant Alliance? If you don't wish for spirit stones, we can offer spiritual treasures, elixirs, formations, talismans, spirit beasts, or spirit herbs—anything is acceptable." Lu Tianhong said gravely, his tone sincere.

"The Underworld? Underworld River Water? An excellent material for condensing Dharma Idols?" Wang Changsheng was stunned. Did the Underworld River Water have such a significant origin? And it could even be used to condense Dharma Idols?

"That's right. If young friend Huang is willing to sell this Underworld River Water to our Seven Stars Merchant Alliance, you will become our esteemed VIP. You'll receive a ten percent discount on all purchases from our alliance in the future. Should our Seven Stars Merchant Alliance host an auction, you'll also receive advance notice of some of the most important items. Our Seven Stars Merchant Alliance conducts business across the entire Profound Spirit Continent, and there are many benefits to being our VIP. Of course, if you're unwilling, that's perfectly fine. We'll waive the appraisal fee; consider it making a new friend."

Lu Tianhong spoke earnestly. Underworld River Water was no ordinary item. The chances of a Soul Transformation cultivator obtaining it were very low. It was possible the other party was a Void Refinement or Integration stage cultivator. High-level cultivators often disliked being disturbed and would frequently conceal their aura, disguising themselves as lower-level cultivators to 'play the pig to eat the tiger'—such cases were not uncommon. While Underworld River Water was indeed precious, Lu Tianhong would not resort to murder and theft for it. The Seven Stars Merchant Alliance operated on a foundation of integrity. If they were to rob clients who brought treasures for appraisal, their reputation would have long been ruined.

Wang Changsheng looked pensive. If he didn't sell the Underworld River Water, it was hard to say whether Lu Tianhong would try something underhanded.

"A top-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure?" Wang Changsheng asked tentatively, unsure of the Underworld River Water's true value.

Lu Tianhong gave a dry laugh. "The amount of Underworld River Water you've presented is too little. If it were several thousand jin, that would be closer to the mark. At most, it's worth a low-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure."

"A Nine Dragon Pill? Or an elixir that aids in breaking through to the Void Refinement stage?" Wang Changsheng continued to ask.

Lu Tianhong shook his head. "The quantity of Underworld River Water is too small. To acquire a Nine Dragon Pill or an elixir for breaking through to the Void Refinement stage, you would need at least a thousand jin of Underworld River Water."

Wang Changsheng frowned, took out a blue jade slip, handed it to Lu Tianhong, and said, "You should have these materials, right?" He naturally wouldn't reveal any more Underworld River Water. Presenting a dozen or so jin was easily explainable, but thousands of jin would raise suspicions even from a fool.

Lu Tianhong scanned it with his spiritual sense, nodded, and said, "We have Profound Water Crystals and Sea Soul Crystals. Heavenly Illusion Stone is a rare illusion-type material, and we sold our last piece not long ago."

"Then the Profound Water Crystals and Sea Soul Crystals will do!" Wang Changsheng nodded. He wanted a batch of fifth-tier refining materials to upgrade the Sea-stabilizing Beads to Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures.

"No problem. Young friend Huang, please wait a moment. This old man will be right back." Lu Tianhong agreed, put down the porcelain bottle, turned, and left.

Not long after, Lu Tianhong returned, holding a green storage ring and a silver token. The token, emblazoned with the characters "Seven Stars" on its front, shimmered with spiritual light.

"Young friend Huang, here are the items you requested. This is our Seven Stars Merchant Alliance's VIP token. With it, you'll receive a ten percent discount at all our alliance's establishments and enjoy many other conveniences. If you acquire more Underworld River Water in the future, please give our Seven Stars Merchant Alliance priority." Lu Tianhong spoke sincerely, handing the storage ring and token to Wang Changsheng.

"No problem." Wang Changsheng thanked him, put away the storage ring and token, stood up, and departed.

Li Qingyang approached, looking somewhat agitated. "Senior Lu, should we send someone to follow him? To ascertain his origins?" Li Qingyang asked cautiously.

"Our Seven Stars Merchant Alliance operates on integrity. Do not employ such underhanded tactics. Furthermore, issue an order: anyone who dares to damage our alliance's reputation will face my immediate wrath." Lu Tianhong said coldly, his face filled with a grim aura.

Li Qingyang shivered, then quickly assented.

"Times are different now. In recent years, a Void Refinement cultivator has emerged who specifically disguises himself as a low-level cultivator, deliberately revealing treasures to entice others into murder and robbery, then openly counter-killing them. Do you truly believe such an item would appear in an ancient cultivator's cave dwelling? It's more likely some prodigal son from a major power stole items from their treasury to sell. Such situations are not unheard of." Lu Tianhong stated gravely.

"Senior Lu is right. This subordinate understands. There's no need to register this item." Li Qingyang said in a fawning tone.

"No, that's not necessary. Just focus on presiding over the auction. If you manage to acquire what the Vice-Alliance Master desires, it will be a monumental achievement. Now, I have other matters to attend to. Don't disturb me unless it's important." Lu Tianhong instructed. He wasn't being entirely selfless; Underworld River Water was suitable for high-level cultivators practicing water-attribute techniques to condense Dharma Idols, but he cultivated fire-attribute techniques, so he had no use for it.

Arriving on the eighth floor, Lu Tianhong flicked his sleeve, and a yellow light shot out—a palm-sized moth. Its body bore seven silver spots, and judging by its spiritual power fluctuations, it was clearly a fifth-tier spirit insect. This was a Seven-Star Moth, adept at tracking and concealment, ranked five hundred and thirty-fifth on the Myriad Insects List. The Profound Sun Realm had many unusual insects and exotic beasts. There were hundreds of millions of recorded spirit insects alone, but the Myriad Insects List only cataloged over ten thousand of them. Spirit insects on the list possessed unique divine abilities; while their ranking wasn't absolute, it still indicated high value.

Lu Tianhong transferred a wisp of his spiritual consciousness into the Seven-Star Moth. With a gentle flutter of its wings, the seven silver spots on its body glowed brightly, and it abruptly vanished.

Outside the Seven Stars Building, Wang Changsheng strolled along the street, pausing now and then. An hour later, he appeared at Profound Moon Peak. As long as one possessed a Sea-stabilizing Palace identification token, they could freely enter and exit Profound Moon Peak, as the mountain guardians recognized tokens, not individuals. Wang Changsheng strode towards Profound Moon Peak. He couldn't guarantee that Lu Tianhong hadn't done anything underhanded, so returning to Profound Moon Peak was his best course of action.

Seven Stars Building, eighth floor. A look of sudden understanding appeared on Lu Tianhong's face. "So, it's someone from the Sea-stabilizing Palace. What a prodigal son, selling off his family's inheritance without a care! It's probably some good-for-nothing who stole items from his sect's elders to sell. It seems we can't sell this to a Sea-stabilizing Palace cultivator; if they were to investigate, it would cause significant trouble. However, we could sell it to someone from the Divine Weapon Sect."

He took out a light blue magic disc, channeled a spell into it, and said, "Madam Sun, this old man has acquired some Underworld River Water. Are you interested?"

"What? Underworld River Water? Is that true?"

"Why would this old man lie to you? Let's meet at the usual spot in half an hour." Lu Tianhong put away the blue magic disc. A silver light shimmered in the air, revealing the Seven-Star Moth, which then flew into his sleeve and disappeared from view.