Eternal Life from the Golden Needle Technique

"A fortune of over ten thousand Spirit Stones, all in the hands of some kid at the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer? Is that really true?!"

"Of course it’s true! My Peeping Mirror was refined from the eyes of someone born with mutated pupils. It can spy on a person’s Cultivation Realm without them ever noticing! There’s no mistake!"

"Even though the kid used a Breath Concealment Technique, his Cultivation is definitely at the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer!"

"And I saw him enter the city gates with my own eyes. He was alone."

"That kid went to the second floor of the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion and spent eleven thousand Spirit Stones on twenty Cyan Jade Pills!"

"Boss, a fortune of over ten thousand Spirit Stones! Even the entire net worth of a Qi Introduction Ninth Layer expert probably isn’t much more than that! This is an absolutely unprecedented opportunity!"

"We absolutely can’t let a fat sheep like this get away!"

"Even if the kid converted all the Spirit Stones into Cyan Jade Pills, those pills are a hot commodity. We just need to take them to another Immortal Cultivation Metropolis and sell them off. We’ll make at least eight or nine thousand Spirit Stones!"

"With these Spirit Stones, Boss, you can buy a Barrier-Breaking Pill to advance your Realm, and we can all share in the spoils!"

In the darkness,

several shadowy figures were conversing.

One voice, full of urgency, urged their leader to make a decision.

The atmosphere within the dark space,

grew somewhat fervent at that moment.

"Hold on. Let me think this through."

"It’s not that I’m not tempted, but I’m afraid there’s something fishy about this!"

"A major transaction involving over ten thousand Spirit Stones, and they dare to send a puny Qi Introduction Seventh Layer kid to handle it? How is that possible? At the very least, they should have sent an Eighth Layer Peak expert, or even someone at the Ninth Layer, right?"

"This could be a trap—bait someone’s using to lure us out!"

"We have to be careful about this!"

The leader hesitated.

It was simply because the whole thing felt illogical.

A fortune as vast as over ten thousand Spirit Stones... many old-timers at the Qi Introduction Ninth Layer could spend half their lives trying and still fail to save up that much.

And a fortune this huge was being carried by a mere Qi Introduction Seventh Layer kid?

What was the difference between that and a child carrying a gold brick through a bustling street?!

’Could it really be bait?!’

He had received some news before. It seemed the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion was displeased with the existence of his group. Not long ago, they had apparently pressured the City Lord, hoping he would clean up the Tribulation Cultivators hiding in the vicinity.

They wanted to regulate the order of trade to attract more Cultivators to do business.

All so the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion could expand its business and increase its revenue.

The leader had no idea how the City Lord had reacted or what specific plans were in motion.

But recently, he had sensed danger and was planning to lie low for a while, to wait for this storm to blow over.

But now,

a deal worth over ten thousand Spirit Stones had appeared so blatantly before his eyes.

He couldn’t help but be tempted.

’Could it really be a baited trap?’

The leader’s heart was filled with indecision.

"Boss, you’re overthinking it!"

"I recommended the city’s black market to the kid, but he said he was here on urgent business and would leave as soon as he was done, with no time for a trip to the black market."

"He’s clearly some nouveau riche who’s counting on his luck. He probably got fortunate and inherited some predecessor’s legacy from a cave dwelling, struck it rich with a huge pile of Spirit Stones, and now thinks he can just secretly buy his Elixirs and slip away without anyone noticing."

"If they were trying to bait a trap, they’d have to stay in the city for a few days to let the news spread and attract their fish. That kid only rented a room for one night. Who ever heard of such an impatient fisherman?!"

"Besides, Boss, since that kid could take out eleven thousand Spirit Stones to buy high-quality Elixirs like Cyan Jade Pills, he must have even more Spirit Stones on him!"

"If we just grab him and force him to tell us about the rest of his wealth, won’t we make even more?!"

"To be able to spend eleven thousand Spirit Stones without batting an eye... his total wealth must be far greater than that!"

At this point,

in the darkness, the speaker’s eyes lit up, revealing an expression of utter greed.

At the same time,

the others around them grew excited, their greedy gazes turning toward their leader.

"Boss! Let’s do it! He’s just a Qi Introduction Seventh Layer. Second Brother alone, with his Eighth Layer strength, could take him down in just two or three moves!"

"Even if it is bait, we’ll kill him and leave immediately. I don’t believe those useless guards can catch us!"

"Yeah! Boss! It’s a prize of over ten thousand Spirit Stones! We might not get a haul this big even after five or six jobs! Let’s do it!"

The remaining men all chimed in, trying to persuade him.

In the darkness,

the leader’s expression turned savage as he abruptly made up his mind.

"Fine! A man can’t get rich without a windfall. Let’s risk it!"

But even though he had made his decision,

he hadn’t let greed completely overwhelm his reason.

"But if we’re doing this, we need a foolproof plan!"

"Tonight, we’ll first confirm the ambush spot and rule out the possibility of any traps nearby. Fifth Brother, you’re responsible for tracking the kid’s movements. Notify us the moment he leaves the city!"

"Second Brother, you’ll lead the men for the attack. I’ll personally go outside the city and act as your lookout!"

"You will end the fight as quickly as possible, within three to five breaths. Grab him and get out immediately!"

"If it really is bait and someone comes charging out of the city, I’ll intercept them to buy you some time. But don’t dawdle!"

After a round of discussion,

the group finalized their plan.

...

"Strange..."

In his room at the inn,

Shen Changchuan was lost in thought, replaying the day’s events in his mind.

Ever since leaving the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion,

he had faintly sensed a pair of eyes watching him from the shadows.

But whenever he focused his Heart Spirit to try and find the source of that gaze, he came up empty-handed.

’It seems Fellow Daoist Si’s warnings weren’t for nothing.’

’The news must have leaked. Someone’s targeting me!’

Shen Changchuan’s expression grew grave.

This was not a good thing for him.

He didn’t know who his opponents were, nor did he know their strength.

The enemy was in the shadows, while he was in the open.

This was going to be difficult to handle.

Fortunately, however,

he had Xiaofeng.

As long as he wasn’t facing a True Cultivator of the Soul Emergence Realm, escaping shouldn’t be a problem.

He glanced at the Gale Falcon beside him, which was currently in the process of Refinement and recuperation after devouring a large number of Wasted Pills.

Shen Changchuan felt much more at ease.

When the time came to leave the city, if the enemy was too powerful, he could just ride Xiaofeng into the sky and escape.

’It’s a good thing I mastered the Beast Taming Secret Technique and found Xiaofeng,’

’Otherwise, even if I had gotten enough Spirit Stones, converting them into Elixirs would have been a huge hassle.’

Such a thought couldn’t help but cross Shen Changchuan’s mind.