The man looked to be in his early thirties, wearing a blue robe embroidered with hidden cloud patterns.

He was tall and thin, with handsome features. The candlelight at night shone on his face, giving it a delicate appearance like polished jade. However, upon closer inspection, one would never mistake him for a woman in disguise, because his entire being exuded a sense of solemn coldness.

Although Zhou Yin often had an expressionless face and was too lazy to talk, it was simply his natural personality, not something cultivated later in life.

Huang Wenjun had once tried to talk to Zhou Yin for an entire day, but the only response he got was an unchanging deadpan face and a single "hmm". At that time, he completely broke down. So aside from Zhou Yin's parents, Zhou Zhang, and a furball that couldn't be considered human, no one had been able to stay comfortably by his side without leaving, including He Yun.

However, the indifference of the man before him was completely different from Zhou Yin's.

His brows, eyes, and the corners of his mouth all exuded an aloof and proud indifference that kept people a thousand miles away. There was no blood on his body, but there was an extremely faint smell of blood.

This was a Core Formation stage cultivator.

The jade crown on his head and the beads on his wrist may not have attracted much attention from others, but the shop owner had been immersed in magic treasures for many years and had a keen eye. He could tell at a glance that these were all magic treasures that could enhance spiritual power, and their quality was not low.

This person in front of him most likely had an extraordinary background.

Zhou Yin only glanced at him before sliding his gaze away.

The shop owner hurriedly put on a smile, "This young master, you just said...?"

The man said, "I want to buy this hairpin."

The shop owner looked at Zhou Yin, then at him, a difficult expression appearing on his face.

One was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the other was a Core Formation cultivator. His scale immediately tipped in favor of the latter. However, it was first come first served, and he had taken the initiative to recommend the Poxue Hairpin to Zhou Yin.

It wouldn't be good to offend either of them. Doing business relied on harmony. If this Foundation Establishment cultivator achieved great success in the future and came to cause him trouble, he would still be the one to suffer.

"Young master, you see...?" He looked at Zhou Yin.

"I don't want the Poxue Hairpin, just exchange it for spirit stones," Zhou Yin said.

From beginning to end, he had never shown any interest in the Poxue Hairpin. It was the shop owner who had taken it upon himself to introduce it.

Since Zhou Yin was willing to give it up, naturally everyone was happy. The shop owner smiled at the newcomer, "Young master, this item, thank you for your patronage, it's thirty high-grade spirit stones."

Although the Poxue Hairpin was a high-grade magic treasure, it was only used as a decorative accessory for women to enhance their spiritual power. It could neither defend nor attack, and its practicality might not even be as good as a mid-grade offensive magic treasure.

The man didn't even look and tossed out a bag of spirit stones, took the box and left.

The shop owner opened the bag and carefully examined it, discovering that each spirit stone was shimmering with light, the essence of high-grade spirit stones.

"That young master just now must be the direct disciple of some major sect. His spending is truly generous, and that aura... tsk tsk..." The shop owner had never met such a straightforward customer.

"Hey, you said you wanted high-grade spirit stones earlier. What a coincidence, now we have them!"

Zhou Yin said, "These talismans, exchange them for one high-grade spirit stone. For the rest, you can give me some mid-grade ones."

"Alright, alright!" Having made two deals in a row, the shop owner was very happy, grinning from ear to ear.

Leaving the shop, the man from earlier had long disappeared. It was just past the hour of the rat, and Shenxian Street was still lively.

The spirit stones were all stuffed into the Sumeru Ring. Low-grade and mid-grade spirit stones could replenish spiritual energy and repair the consumption of magic treasures. As for high-grade spirit stones, they were kept for when he went into seclusion to attempt a breakthrough.

Zhou Yin had more than a dozen on him, which were given to him by the former sect master Zou Jingyuan when he went down the mountain to train. Now that the Mirror Sea Sect was about to be taken over by the Shangxuan Sect, even if he needed high-grade spirit stones, he would naturally have to wait until after they settled down for the Shangxuan Sect to distribute them.

Foundation Establishment disciples like him were numerous in the Shangxuan Sect, so it was difficult to get many spirit stones allocated. Therefore, when Zhou Yin was out and about, he held the mentality of "the more of these things the better" and gradually collected them, so that when the time came to attempt the Core Formation stage, they could come in handy.

As for after reaching the Core Formation stage, if he successfully advanced, he would be able to open the restrictions of his own cave abode and not have to worry about spirit stones.

In any case, there was nothing more pressing at the moment. Whether he went to the Shangxuan Sect sooner or later, it was all the same. So he wanted to go and take a look at that treasure appraisal conference in Luzhou.

As he walked past the stalls, a "chirp chirp chirp" sound attracted his attention.

A gray furball was jumping up and down there, but because it was restricted by a talisman, it could only hop in place.

The stall owner was a fifth-stage Qi Refining cultivator. Noticing Zhou Yin's gaze, he said enthusiastically, "This is called a Kite, a low-grade demon beast that can be used to refine elixirs."

This was a real Kite, seven parts similar to Zhou Chen, but its eyes were dull and lifeless, far from being as lively as Zhou Chen.

Zhou Yin looked at it for a while, his footsteps not stopping.

No matter how similar, in the end, it wasn't the same.

Since that day, Zhou Chen had disappeared without a trace and never appeared again.

Zhou Yin stayed in Lingzhou for a few more days, but didn't wait for it to return before setting off for Luzhou.

This day happened to be the time for the treasure appraisal conference. The Marquis of Yongning was very generous and had booked all the inns in the city to provide free accommodation for cultivators. As long as the cultivators passed the inspection when entering the city and received a voucher, they could stay at any inn with vacant rooms.

Therefore, cultivators could be seen everywhere in Luzhou. Naturally, there were many low-level cultivators who came to join in the excitement, but there was also no shortage of Core Formation experts. It could be said to be a grand gathering.

There might even be a few Nascent Soul cultivators, but at that level, as soon as they arrived, they were probably received by the Marquis of Yongning, who had gotten the news, and taken to a separate courtyard for special reception.

Among the Marquis of Yongning's properties, there were quite a few mansions and courtyards. The largest Peach Blossom Mountain Villa was specifically used as the venue for the treasure appraisal conference. Although it was not the season for peach blossoms to bloom, who knew what method Sima Liang had used to make the entire mountain villa shrouded in a sea of red and white flowers all year round, making the Peach Blossom Mountain Villa quite famous.

According to rumors on the streets, as long as one put up their own treasure, regardless of whether the Marquis of Yongning wanted to buy it in the end, all participants would receive a high-grade spirit stone as a gift.

Zhou Yin was skeptical of this claim, because if that were the case, many people would casually put up a low-grade magic treasure and end up not being chosen, yet still get a free spirit stone.

In fact, when he arrived, he found that the Marquis of Yongning was indeed not that foolish.

At the entrance of Peach Blossom Mountain Villa, there were people on guard duty, responsible for initial appraisals. Visitors needed to present the magic treasures they wished to sell to the guards for assessment. If they were low-grade treasures, the people from the Marquis of Yongning's Mansion would turn up their noses, naturally barring entry.

In front of Zhou Yin, there was a Qi Refining stage cultivator who tried to bluff his way in with a low-grade magic treasure, but was politely turned away and left disgruntled, unable to make a scene. This was because the person the Marquis of Yongning invited to stand guard was a Core Formation stage cultivator.

Perhaps due to that minor incident, when the guard saw Zhou Yin, his expression had not yet recovered.

"What magic treasure do you wish to put up?"

Zhou Yin removed his hairpin, flipped it in his palm, and it instantly transformed into the Lingyin Sword.

Inside his Sumeru Ring were the Jade Spirit Rhinoceros Horn and the Heaven Washing Brush, but Zhou Yin could not possibly take out either of them, so he only had the Lingyin Sword.

This mid-grade magic treasure was neither overly ostentatious nor would it result in him being driven away like the previous person for failing to present a decent treasure, making it the most suitable choice.

As expected, the Core Formation cultivator took a look at the Lingyin Sword, grunted in approval with a slight nod. Someone immediately came forward with a box, placing the hairpin inside, while a maidservant handed him a wooden tablet and led him inside.

"Please follow this servant."

Peach Blossom Mountain Villa occupied a vast area. Even though there were already many people qualified to attend the gathering, the hundreds of cultivators, along with the villa's own servants, did not make the place seem crowded.

The treasure appraisal gathering was held in the Cold Moon Pavilion amidst the peach forest. Peach blossoms fluttered and danced, casting layered shadows. Beautiful maidservants carrying peach blossom wine weaved between the seats, pouring drinks for the cultivators. Not far away, several young ladies played zithers under the trees, making it seem more like a poetry gathering.

By the time Zhou Yin took his seat, the treasure appraisal gathering had already begun. Even though the seats to his left and right were filled with people, they gradually ceased their conversations and turned their attention to the center, eager to see what astonishing treasures would be presented this time.

The Yongning Marquis had already arrived but did not show himself. While Zhou Yin and the others sat on the first floor of the hall, the Marquis was behind a gauze curtain on the second floor, his features indiscernible.

A sharp-featured middle-aged man walked to the center and declared in a clear voice, "Thank you all for coming from afar to participate in the treasure appraisal gathering. On behalf of the Marquis, I express our welcome. The scenery here is pleasant, so if you don't mind, feel free to stay for a few more days and enjoy the villa's beauty."

He paused, then continued, "This time, thanks to your presence, there are several hundred treasures submitted. To avoid wasting your time, the Marquis has arranged for these treasures to be further screened, leaving only a few dozen, which will now be presented one by one."

Zhou Yin's Lingyin Sword did not pass the second round of screening, so it did not appear here. When he returned, he would return the wooden tablet, collect his spirit stone, and retrieve his Lingyin Sword along the way.

The treasure appraisal gathering in Luzhou City was held once every ten years, and this was the third time.

The "treasures" in the previous two gatherings were limited to rare and precious items in the mortal world. Only this time were they seeking magic treasures from the cultivation world.

Magic treasures in the cultivation world were divided into high, medium, and low grades. Many powerful treasures were regarded as vital by cultivators, and even if the Yongning Marquis offered a fortune, they could not be bought. However, this was not absolute.

The reason being: some treasures, although precious, had limited uses, like the Poxue Hairpin; some treasures had unknown origins or came through improper means, and their owners were unwilling to attract enemies because of them, so they discarded these hot potatoes.

As a result, the Yongning Marquis benefited.

He had a penchant for collecting treasures and specially set aside a place called the Linlang Pavilion to store the rare treasures he had collected over the years. The Linlang Pavilion housed the world's most extraordinary treasures.

Even if it did not contain magic treasures from the cultivation world, there was no shortage of people coveting it, using all means to openly rob or secretly steal. However, over the years, no one had ever managed to take a single item from it, and instead lost their lives.

As time passed, the reputation of the Linlang Pavilion spread far and wide, and fewer people came to steal.

"This first magic treasure is called the Flying Cloud Shuttle..."

The person at the front droned on with his introduction, but Zhou Yin only glanced at it before his attention shifted elsewhere.

Not far away, behind a tree, stood a person.

It was the man who had bought the Poxue Hairpin at the shop that day.

Author's Note:

There have been many place names appearing so far, such as Yunzhou, Songzhou, Luzhou, Lingzhou, etc. However, everyone doesn't need to remember them; I will remind you when necessary.