Chapter 356: Eyesight Appraisal Meeting

The Eye-Discernment Appraisal event had no cultivation level requirements; anyone from the Qi Refinement to the Integration stage could participate. However, most cultivators at the Integration and Void Refinement stages weren't interested in such minor activities.

At the temporary branch venue of the Falling Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce, four treasures were arranged in a row, encircled by a formation that blocked spiritual sense, allowing only visual inspection. When Lu Yang and his companions arrived, a considerable crowd had already gathered. Fortunately, the distance didn't hinder judgment; a cultivator at the early Golden Core stage could discern details of objects hundreds of meters away.

"A painting, depicting a woman in armor.""Scorched bamboo with two tender green leaves.""An insect, could it be a type of Gu worm?""Looks like an iron ring worn around the neck, a decorative item?"

Lu Yang surveyed them but couldn't discern the origin of any of the items. No one present seemed to recognize the items, all observing carefully, attempting to find clues. The person next to Lu Yang raised a hand and asked, "Excuse me, is the third item a Gu worm?"

The Chamber of Commerce cultivator politely replied, "I'm sorry, I cannot answer that question."

The person pondered for a moment, then decisively stated, "The fourth item is a Gu worm. The pattern on its wings resembles a copper coin, so it must be a Money Gu, which can help its master find treasures!"

"I'm afraid you guessed incorrectly."

"Do any of you recognize these four items?" Lu Yang transmitted to Meng Jingzhou and the other three.

Lan Ting had some knowledge of the art of painting. "The first painting might contain a painting spirit, but I'm not certain."

"The bamboo looks familiar; I think I've seen this description somewhere. Wait while I check my books." Bai Ming pulled out ancient books from his identity jade token, flipping through them one after another.

Yan Tianzhi remained silent; he hadn't recognized anything.

Meng Jingzhou stroked his chin. "The fourth one should be a Gu worm. Let me try." Meng Jingzhou raised his hand and asked, "Is the fourth item a Love Gu? If you give it to someone you love, they will gradually fall in love with you."

The Chamber of Commerce cultivator was quite surprised that an item had been guessed so quickly. He placed the small insect in a wooden box and handed it to Meng Jingzhou.

"Congratulations, you guessed correctly. This is indeed a Love Gu."

The person next to Lu Yang, who was knowledgeable about Gu worms, exclaimed, "A Love Gu? A Love Gu looks like this? I remember Love Gu wings are blood-red, but these are transparent!"

The Chamber of Commerce cultivator explained, "This is a mutated Love Gu. Its wings have become transparent, but its effect remains unchanged."

"You recognized that? Have you seen one before?" Lu Yang transmitted to Meng Jingzhou.

Meng Jingzhou smugly replied, "No, I've only heard about Love Gu; I don't even know what they look like."

"Then how did you guess it?"

"It's all thanks to my careful observation."

"What did you observe?"

"When I looked at the insect, it trembled, clearly afraid of me. Why was it afraid? I thought about it, and with my dual bachelor spiritual roots and my mastery of the Bachelor's Curse Fist, the Gu worm naturally suppressed by me must be the Love Gu!"

Lu Yang didn't think this was anything to be proud of.

"Is the painting of a female general guarding a residence?" Some paintings, when hung at home, can ward off demonic invasions.

"No."

"Is the bamboo withered ink bamboo?" Ink bamboo can be ground into powder and mixed with water for painting.

"No."

"Is the iron ring a replica of the Vajra Bracelet?"

"No."

Three people in front of Lu Yang raised their hands to offer guesses, but all were incorrect. Lan Ting and Bai Ming were still flipping through books, unsure when they would find the answers.

Lu Yang secretly asked the Immortal Fairy, "Fairy, do you recognize any of these items?"

The Immortal Fairy yawned boredly. "Just some boring trifles. The woman in the painting is alive, or rather, capable of transformation. Every night at midnight, she moves and changes her clothes. Today she wears armor, tomorrow perhaps a long dress, the day after a Daoist robe, and the day after that, pajamas. She can go a whole year without repeating an outfit."

"It has no attack power; it's just for novelty. I can also change my clothes every day." The Immortal Fairy tried to prove she was better than the painting.

Lu Yang eyed the disheveled Immortal Fairy, who had just woken up, with a look of disdain. "You really should change your clothes. What about the black bamboo?"

"That's Thunder-Struck Bamboo. If bamboo is struck by lightning and then rejuvenates, growing new leaves, it's called Thunder-Struck Bamboo. Iron-Eating Beasts love to eat this. If you take Thunder-Struck Bamboo to the Demon Realm, you can attract an Iron-Eating Beast to be your mount."

"I recall there are Iron-Eating Beasts on Confucian Peak."

"Those are ordinary Iron-Eating Beasts; they can't eat Thunder-Struck Bamboo. I'm referring to Iron-Eating Beasts with cultivation, what are now called Ancient Iron-Eating Beasts."

"What about the iron ring, Fairy? Do you recognize it?"

"Oh, that's junk. It's useless."

"Junk?"

"Yes, junk. Haven't you heard the saying, 'A good chef needs good dinnerware'?"

"I thought it was 'a good chef needs good kitchenware'?"

"It's all pretty much the same. After I became an Immortal Chef, I realized there was no dinnerware worthy of me. Plates, bowls, and chopsticks would simply melt upon touching my food. So I asked Ying Tianxian to craft a set of dinnerware for me. He was initially reluctant, but under my coercion and persuasion, he finally agreed to refine them. The refining process was incredibly difficult. He tried materials like ceramic, iron, and wood, but all attempts failed. This iron ring is a byproduct of those failures. I once poured my perfectly brewed soup into a plate, and it just leaked out."

Lu Yang was speechless. This was the first time he'd heard that even dinnerware needed to be crafted by Immortals. Still, since it was refined by Ying Tianxian, it must be sturdier than the flying sword Qilin Immortal used to trick his wife, right?

Lu Yang raised his hand and said, "The iron ring is part of a dinner plate."

The Chamber of Commerce cultivator was greatly astonished. The iron ring was the hardest to guess among the four items, yet someone had guessed correctly.

"Congratulations, cultivator, you've guessed correctly."

"A dinner plate? What a joke! That thing looks exactly like a Vajra Bracelet!"

"Exactly! Even if it's not a Vajra Bracelet, it should be some other weapon!"

The Chamber of Commerce cultivator unhurriedly explained, "This cultivator is correct; the iron ring is part of a dinner plate. According to an appraisal master's speculation, someone, for an unknown reason, refined an extremely sturdy iron dinner plate. Later, the plate was corroded by a venomous substance, dissolving its center and leaving only the rim, which is the current ring. As for what kind of venomous substance it was, that remains unknown; no known toxin can achieve such a degree of corrosion."

Hearing the Chamber of Commerce cultivator's explanation, the Immortal Fairy stomped her foot in anger. "How blind! My food is a great tonic, and they dare to describe it as a 'venomous substance'!"

Lu Yang dared not speak. What if he said the Immortal Fairy's food was poisonous, and she, to prove him wrong, cooked him another meal?

Lu Yang took the iron ring. Bai Ming and the others transmitted to him, "What sharp eyes! You could even figure that out."

"Be careful holding the iron ring; there might still be toxic residue." Lan Ting worried about Lu Yang's safety, as even a tiny bit of such a toxin could be fatal.

"Good eye." Lu Yang responded with a smile.

Just as everyone was about to continue guessing, an explosion suddenly resounded from not far away, and a powerful aura swept over like a tide, enveloping the entire gathering. Lu Yang sensed fury and killing intent in the aura. "Fairy, what cultivation level are they?"

"Peak Integration stage, two people. They seem to be what you call ancient cultivators."

Lu Yang squinted. The newcomers didn't seem friendly. Bai Ming reacted as if facing a formidable enemy. "That direction... is it a secret realm?"