Liu Erlong and Yu Heng left in a fury, their figures disappearing beyond the shop's threshold. Yet their departure failed to disperse the crowd. On the contrary, the atmosphere inside remained lively. After all, none of them could afford the high-tier items listed on the activity board, and since they were already here, lingering to watch the excitement cost nothing. Besides, hadn't they just witnessed two earth-shattering revelations in succession?
Seeing that no one stepped forward to make inquiries, the people present began teasing one another in low voices.
"Your Martial Soul looks unusual—could it be some legendary variant? Maybe there's a hidden connection?"
"Hey, if your descendant's Martial Soul mutates, doesn't that mean there's a chance to become a god? Shouldn't you ask how to stabilize it in advance?"
Despite the banter, no one truly dared to approach the counter. The shockwaves from the earlier revelations were still too strong. If things turned out like Ye Xintang's case, that would naturally be a stroke of fortune. But if it erupted into a scene like Liu Erlong's earlier outburst… where would they put their faces?
They nudged one another, exchanging glances, yet no one took the first step.
As the atmosphere gradually cooled, someone suddenly spoke up with a hint of mischief, "Why haven't we seen the old orangutan today?"
"Now that you mention it, he really hasn't shown up."
"Did anyone who arrived early see him?"
"Nope. Tai Tan didn't come today."
"How about we—"
The crowd exchanged meaningful looks, but in the end, no one actually went to look for Tai Tan, the clan leader of the Strength Clan.
That fellow was infamous for his thick skin. He excelled at bullying the weak and relied shamelessly on numbers. If they deliberately sought him out to mock him, he might very well gather his people and retaliate one night without warning.
With no further excitement to watch, the crowd finally dispersed in twos and threes.
Watching them leave, Li Rong quietly let out a breath. He couldn't help wondering whether it was time to hire a few assistants. The shop had only just opened, and only Spirit Douluo–level forces from the imperial capital had arrived so far, yet he already felt slightly overwhelmed. When the shop's reputation spread across the continent and the monthly list refresh came around, how many people would swarm in then?
Spirit Hall. The two great empires. The Upper Three Sects. The Four Lower Sects. The Five Element Academies. The royal families of countless subordinate kingdoms…
Just thinking about it made his head ache.
At the same time, Li Rong felt it was urgent to pull the Spirit Beast factions into his client list. Without competition, there would be no involution.
Look at these Spirit Douluos—short on resources to exchange for sacrificial coins, yet instead of exploiting their intelligence advantage to quietly collect treasures while outsiders remained unaware, they stood around gossiping and watching the spectacle. Every single one of them wanted to lie flat.
How could that be acceptable?
If everyone lay flat, their desires would naturally weaken. And without strong desires, where would his massive influx of faith value come from?
Once the Spirit Beast forces joined in, these people would understand what true wealth meant. Setting aside medicinal herbs and Spirit Bones, the sacrificial coins exchanged purely from mineral resources and refining materials would be enough for those fierce beasts to sweep clean the entire activity list!
Then he could organize more events—say, a "World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament"—and follow it up with a combat power ranking based on the results. He refused to believe they wouldn't compete.
He could also add a few secret dual-cultivation techniques to the list. Medicinal wines for nourishing essence and kidneys. Beauty pills and youth-preserving pills for female clients. And of course—Longevity Pills. Those absolutely had to be included.
This time, he had miscalculated. The six Qingming Longevity Pills had been bought out too quickly, and by the time later arrivals came, they didn't even know such items had existed. Worse, he couldn't actively bring it up.
What a mistake.
Next time, seventh- and eighth-grade Longevity Pills would be listed—at a sky-high price. Even if they weren't exchanged in the end, leaving them on the board for a few days would be enough to drive people mad.
While the "scheming planner" was busy calculating how to stir the desires of hereditary nobles, the banquet in the imperial palace had already come to an end.
The moment Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo departed, Xue Ye's expression darkened.
"You were too hasty," he said.
Xue Xing lowered his head, shame written all over his face, as though he had committed an unforgivable sin. "This subject has failed the nation and is willing to accept punishment."
He spoke nicely enough—yet he made no move to hand over the Longevity Pill.
Xue Ye felt both speechless and helpless. Dugu Bo had given the pill to Xue Xing in front of Ning Fengzhi. Even as emperor, he couldn't forcibly seize it. Since he couldn't take it, his only hope was that Xue Xing would voluntarily hand it over, which was why he had used this incident to pressure him.
Now that guilt was admitted but the pill remained untouched, what punishment was there to mete out? To make a spectacle for outsiders?
Turning his head away from his younger brother, Xue Ye looked toward Xue Qinghe instead. "You were somewhat impolite in the main hall just now."
"This son was shaken by the matter of the Divine," Xue Qinghe replied calmly. "My emotions were difficult to restrain, leading to improper conduct. I ask Imperial Father for forgiveness."
Xue Ye studied his most capable son in silence, offering neither praise nor rebuke. After a moment, he spoke again. "Boss Li's shop does not accept gold coins. Once this news spreads, precious herbs and mineral resources on the market will be swept up in large quantities. Take advantage of this window. Arrange matters immediately and acquire everything that can be exchanged for sacrificial coins. As long as gold coins can buy it, purchase it—even at a premium."
"This son obeys."
Xue Qinghe bowed and withdrew from the main hall.
Watching his retreating figure, Xue Ye spoke softly, almost to himself, "Xue Xing… do you think his brothers were killed by him?"
Xue Xing fell silent.
Did it even matter?
From the upper echelons of the imperial capital to the royal families of subordinate kingdoms, who didn't sense something amiss? In the past, there had been no evidence and no alternatives. Among flawed options, Xue Qinghe had been the only viable choice.
But now?
With at least twenty more years to live, was it truly important whether Xue Qinghe had done it or not? With time enough to father and raise more sons, would the Crown Prince still retain real power regardless?
"Qinghe has held authority for many years, Imperial Brother," Xue Xing said carefully. "You cannot act rashly. If a power struggle begins now, we will inevitably fall behind other forces in the competition for treasures. Acquiring resources should be the top priority."
Xue Ye sighed. He understood this perfectly well. His question had merely been a warning—an expression of dissatisfaction. Yet his younger brother immediately brought up the matter of deposing the Crown Prince.
If Xue Xing were intelligent, he shouldn't have missed the deeper meaning. If he were foolish, he shouldn't have grasped it so quickly. In the end, it was his own fault for having indulged him too much when he was Crown Prince.
Or perhaps not. If he hadn't indulged him back then, Xue Xing wouldn't have lived this long either.
Shaking his head, Xue Ye took out the pill bottle and poured the pills into his palm. Carefully examining this unheard-of treasure, he inhaled the fragrance that revitalized his withered body and smiled.
"I once thought my body would last at most another ten years," he said. "I didn't expect such an opportunity—to enjoy another twenty years of youth with you."
"More than twenty years?" Xue Xing's eyes lit up, the smile at the corner of his mouth no longer restrained. He poured a pill into his own palm. "If higher-grade pills can be exchanged, perhaps Imperial Brother could even achieve immortality."
"Hahaha! Excellent!" Xue Ye laughed heartily. "Then let us brothers enjoy wealth together once more!"
On the other side, after completing all arrangements, Xue Qinghe directly led his guards to the Sacrificial Shop.
He still needed to report precise intelligence back to his grandfather at Spirit Hall. That woman—Bibi Dong—would certainly not share everything with the Offering Hall.
Ordering his guards to secure the entrance, Xue Qinghe stepped inside.
The moment he crossed the threshold, he felt it—a faint yet pervasive power sweeping over him, as though it could see through everything. His disguise was no ordinary technique. It was formed through a Spirit Ability derived from an inherited Spirit Bone with a lifespan approaching one hundred thousand years. Even his grandfather, a Level 99 Titled Douluo, could not see through it.
Yet here, it was instantly penetrated.
There was no longer any doubt. The Sacrificial Dao Lord was truly a god.
Entering the shop, Qian Renxue immediately turned her attention to the crystal screen behind Li Rong, especially the sections related to gods and Spirit Bones. As she read, her heart steadily sank—the information matched perfectly with what Ning Fengzhi and the others had reported.
She took a deep breath. Since concealment was meaningless and no other customers were present, she dropped the Crown Prince's facade and spoke directly.
"Boss Li, I heard that your esteemed shop also offers an inquiry service. Is that true?"
"For inquiries unrelated to the goods sold here," Li Rong replied, "each question costs one thousand sacrificial coins."
_____________________
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