Chapter 155: The Storm Over Treasure Exchange

"Did it work?" As soon as Lin Xiaobao came out, Gu Yixiang walked over.

"How could I dare mess up anything promised to Fairy Sister?" Lin Xiaobao smiled as he produced three jade bottles and handed them to Gu Yixiang.

Gu Yixiang was momentarily startled before taking the jade bottles. "You little smooth-talker, you really are cautious!"

"Naturally. It's better to keep a low profile until you have the skills to back it up," Lin Xiaobao admitted without hesitation.

"Well, since I've taken a favor from someone, I have to deliver. I'll go trade for the Spirit-Returning Bracelet for you right now!" With a gentle smile, Gu Yixiang tucked the jade bottles into her storage bracelet and walked with Lin Xiaobao toward Mr. Ziyang.

In her heart, however, Gu Yixiang held Lin Xiaobao in even higher esteem. To possess such miraculous alchemy skills at such a young age, while also knowing when to advance, when to retreat, and how to exercise restraint, was truly rare.

She had to admit that Lin Xiaobao's choice was extremely wise. The Treasure Exchange Convention was already crowded with numerous practitioners of the mystic arts. If others discovered that someone with Lin Xiaobao's low cultivation level possessed high-tier items like the Tribulation-Evading Pill, dangerous thoughts might have arisen in many minds. But if the Tribulation-Evading Pill was presented by Gu Yixiang, even those with such malicious intentions would lack the courage to act.

"Mr. Ziyang, you might as well make the trade with me!"

Before Lin Xiaobao and Gu Yixiang reached Mr. Ziyang's stall, they heard a young man's voice ringing out from the crowd.

"Although my Primordial Jade Pill cannot match the effects of a Tribulation-Evading Pill, it is more than enough to increase your cultivation by sixty years, giving you a much greater chance of surviving the heavenly tribulation!" The young man looked at Mr. Ziyang, his expression brimming with superiority. "Besides, throughout this entire Treasure Exchange Convention, no one else is likely to offer a higher price than mine!"

Faced with the young man's Primordial Jade Pill, Mr. Ziyang was somewhat tempted. After all, as the youth had said, he had been setting up his stall here for five days, and passersby who heard he wanted a Tribulation-Evading Pill would immediately drop the Spirit-Returning Bracelet and walk away.

"Mengling, as soon as I trade for this Spirit-Returning Bracelet, I'll give it to you. How does that sound?" The young man gazed at Si Mengling, his eyes filled with intense infatuation.

Lin Xiaobao pushed through the crowd and saw the young man standing together with Si Mengling, Yun Keke, and Ding Mengqiu. A few other youths accompanied them, all of whom appeared to come from prominent backgrounds.

Si Mengling said with some hesitation, "Thank you, Young Master Qi, but I don't really like this bracelet."

"What? Is this showing disrespect to our Young Master Qi?" Before the young man could speak, someone beside him chimed in with displeasure.

Seeing someone threaten Si Mengling in such a manner, Lin Xiaobao could no longer hold back. This was, after all, the person his master cherished in her heart. He immediately stepped forward and said, "Mr. Ziyang, we'll take your Spirit-Returning Bracelet!"

"Punk, who do you think you are?" The youth who had just threatened Si Mengling glared coldly at Lin Xiaobao for cutting in.

"Fairy Sister, didn't you say you wanted to trade for this bracelet?" Ignoring the other person entirely as if he hadn't heard a word, Lin Xiaobao turned to Gu Yixiang.

"Xiaobao!"

"Master!"

Seeing Lin Xiaobao and Gu Yixiang, Yun Keke and the others immediately walked over. Seeing Ding Mengqiu standing beside Gu Yixiang didn't prompt much reaction, but when they noticed beauties like Yun Keke and Si Mengling standing close to Lin Xiaobao—who was only at the seventh stage of the Spirit Path—stimulated male pride caused the tempers of the surrounding youths to flare, especially the one who had just been ignored by Lin Xiaobao.

Just as he was about to speak, the youth addressed as Young Master Qi cupped his fists toward Gu Yixiang and saluted. "Qi Yuxuan of the Pure Sun Sword Sect pays his respects to Senior Gu!"

"Young Sect Master Qi, please spare the formalities. However, I have already taken a fancy to this Spirit-Returning Bracelet. I wonder if Young Master Qi might be willing to yield it to me?" Facing Qi Yuxuan, Gu Yixiang was reluctant to be overly forceful. After all, the youth was the son of Qi Yuanwu, the current leader of the Pure Sun Sword Sect, and she had no desire to be accused of using seniority to bully the younger generation.

"Senior Gu, what are you saying? The Spirit-Returning Bracelet belongs to Mr. Ziyang. How could I make the decision on who he wishes to sell it to?" Qi Yuxuan's words were completely airtight; outwardly, they showed respect to both Mr. Ziyang and Gu Yixiang, but the subtext was crystal clear: you can have the Spirit-Returning Bracelet, provided you can produce a pill superior to the Primordial Jade Pill.

Gu Yixiang smiled faintly. "I happen to have a Tribulation-Evading Pill right here. I wonder if Mr. Ziyang would be willing to make the trade?" With that, she retrieved a jade bottle from her storage bracelet.

Mr. Ziyang immediately took the jade bottle from Gu Yixiang and cautiously uncapped it. It wasn't that he mistrusted Gu Yixiang, but rather that the Tribulation-Evading Pill was simply too vital to him at this moment.

A wisp of medicinal fragrance drifted out from the bottle's mouth. When Mr. Ziyang poured the pill into his palm, three dragon-like patterns etched onto its surface seemed to wriggle with a life of their own.

"A three-patterned Tribulation-Evading Pill?" Mr. Ziyang blurted out in astonishment.

Even Qi Yuxuan felt a jolt in his heart. A three-patterned Tribulation-Evading Pill? That was the ultimate grade among Tribulation-Evading Pills, powerful enough to postpone a heavenly tribulation by three hundred years!

The surrounding area instantly fell silent. Everyone's gaze toward Gu Yixiang grew complex, though most felt she was being overly wasteful, as the value of a three-patterned Tribulation-Evading Pill far exceeded that of the Spirit-Returning Bracelet.

Not to mention the onlookers, even Gu Yixiang was startled when she saw the three markings on the pill. When Lin Xiaobao had handed her the Tribulation-Evading Pill, she hadn't inspected it, nor had she expected his alchemy skills to have reached such heights—managing to refine a three-patterned Tribulation-Evading Pill in less than five days. Fortunately, thanks to her exceptional self-control, she managed to keep her expression entirely unchanged.

Mr. Ziyang put away the Tribulation-Evading Pill, held the Spirit-Returning Bracelet respectfully in both hands, and presented it to Gu Yixiang, bowing as he spoke. "Thank you, Fairy, for your generosity!"

With Mr. Ziyang's discernment, he naturally understood the vast difference in value between the two items. In his eyes, Gu Yixiang was clearly doing him a deliberate favor, and to secure the pill for him, she had even risked offending Qi Yuxuan. This deep debt of gratitude was firmly engraved in his heart.

"Mr. Ziyang exaggerates. We are merely trading according to our own needs!" Gu Yixiang accepted the bracelet and cast a subtle glare at Lin Xiaobao, clearly reprimanding him for failing to warn her beforehand.

Stowing away the jade bottle, Mr. Ziyang let out a long sigh. "To think that in this lifetime of mine, I was nearly ruined by the Spirit-Returning Bracelet, yet also achieved success because of it. I hope everyone takes me as a warning: focus diligently on cultivation and never let material desires consume your ambitions!"

With those words, he turned and walked toward the outer perimeter of the gathering...

"Did you refine this Tribulation-Evading Pill yourself?" Gu Yixiang asked after they had moved away from the crowd.

Lin Xiaobao shrugged. "Surely you weren't counting on Qin Feng? That guy is still cooped up in the alchemy room researching!"

Hearing this exchange, Ding Mengqiu began to look at Lin Xiaobao with a newly serious gaze. But the moment she caught sight of his smug expression, she tossed her head away in annoyance and resumed whispering private girls' talk with Yun Keke and Si Mengling.