Chapter 760: Ziqiong Reveals His Traces
Xu Bai did not answer.
He simply pointed to the [Terminal Disc] above his head and asked calmly, "Does your Five Elders Council have any need for this?"
Liu Wenyu was stunned for a moment before nodding repeatedly.
"The organization gave me instructions before I came. A fair trade: one disc for one Truth Inducing Fruit," Xu Bai declared, holding his head high.
Liu Wenyu nodded slightly, not thinking for a moment that Xu Bai was making an exorbitant demand. In fact, he felt the Five Elders Council was getting an incredible bargain.
His eyes lingered on the Terminal Disc with a touch of greed as he said, "That shouldn't be a problem. However, I'll still need to report to my superiors and confirm."
Hearing this, Xu Bai handed him another Terminal Disc. "Take this with you for now. The Heavenly Profound Mirror has eyes everywhere these days. It would be disastrous if you were accidentally exposed."
At the same time, Xu Bai explained in detail how to use the Terminal Disc.
Liu Wenyu's eyes gleamed, and a sense of gratitude toward Xu Bai washed over him. "You are very thorough. At a critical time like this, when we're at a disadvantage, our two factions should indeed join forces to weather the storm."
Liu Wenyu nodded, then vanished in a streak of light.
Less than an hour later, he returned in a hurry.
"My superiors have agreed to the trade," Liu Wenyu announced. "But there's one question: how many of these Sky-Concealing Discs can your Heaven Overturning Association provide?"
"This item is difficult to refine," Xu Bai said gravely. "We barely have enough for our own organization's use."
This was what Liu Wenyu had expected. However, Xu Bai's next sentence sent a violent tremor through his mind.
"At most, we can probably only spare a few hundred for you," Xu Bai said with a reluctant sigh.
"That many?!" Liu Wenyu blurted out, his face a mask of astonishment.
In that instant, a wave of regret washed over him.
He realized that these 'Sky-Concealing Discs' were perhaps not nearly as precious as he had imagined.
"Too many?" Xu Bai snorted, his tone blunt. "Fine, we'll make it a hundred. If the Five Elders Council doesn't want them, plenty of other cultivators do."
"And when I say a few hundred, they would have to be delivered in batches, of course. Did you think they grow like weeds, sprouting up after a bit of rain?"
"It's not too many. Not at all," Liu Wenyu said hastily.
"However," Liu Wenyu began, looking troubled, "we don't have that many [Truth Inducing Fruits] in stock..."
"It's the same as before—any materials of value will suffice," Xu Bai said with a wave of his hand. "In fact, our Heaven Overturning Association might even be willing to lend you a batch of these Sky-Concealing Discs to start."
"However," Xu Bai said, his tone turning serious, "the organization believes that we should perhaps deepen our cooperation."
"Deepen our cooperation?" Liu Wenyu's brows furrowed slightly.
"Ever since the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance established the Rebirth Palace and the Heavenly Profound Mirror began acting strangely, our once-favorable situation has taken a nosedive. The Rebirth Heavenly Venerate's success in reversing logic might be irreversible, but for your Five Elders Council to remain idle while the Heavenly Profound Mirror scans the many small worlds of the Xuanhuang Realm in an attempt to ascend..."
"With five Heavenly Venerates on your side, you can't possibly have no countermeasures, can you?" Xu Bai demanded, his voice laced with dissatisfaction.
"What exactly are you all doing?"
Liu Wenyu opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with dejection. "It's not just you, friend. I have many questions about this matter myself."
"Perhaps," he said, his expression unreadable, "I can use this trade as an opportunity to get some clear answers."
"The situation is urgent, so the sooner we trade, the better. In three days. Outside Tianliang City, within the Immeasurable Mountain."
Having set the meeting place, Liu Wenyu prepared to depart.
"Don't forget the Sky-Concealing Disc I gave you earlier—that one counts as part of the deal, too." Hearing Xu Bai's words, Liu Wenyu's stride faltered for a moment.
Then he picked up his pace.
A few moments later, Xu Bai also ambled out of the room before disappearing in a streak of light, his destination unknown.
Immeasurable Mountain.
Ever since the incident where cultivators were devoured by the Immeasurable Wall, the already sparsely populated Immeasurable Mountain had grown even more desolate.
Few cultivators in the world knew the truth about the Immeasurable Wall's nature as a medium for enlightenment.
Besides, the vast majority of cultivators were currently preoccupied with conquering small worlds to earn contribution points.
As a result, even fewer cultivators ventured here.
After all, death could be reversed through rebirth, but who knew what fate awaited someone swallowed by the Immeasurable Wall.
Xu Bai slipped quietly into the valley of the Immeasurable Mountain. He gazed at the smooth, mirror-like surface of the Immeasurable Wall from a distance and began to wait patiently.
"I heard," a voice suddenly remarked from behind him, "that you were the one who rescued Guan Xingxiu's nephew from this wall last time?"
A jolt of alarm shot through Xu Bai.
He spun around to see a middle-aged cultivator in a purple-gold Daoist robe standing beside him, though he had no idea when the man had appeared.
The man was calmly studying the Immeasurable Wall, his gaze not turning toward Xu Bai.
But it was obvious he was the one who had just spoken.
A sense of gravity immediately settled over Xu Bai.
Although the man had deliberately concealed his aura, the very fact that Xu Bai had been completely unable to sense his presence was enough to reveal his true cultivation level.
A Dao Integration Immortal Sage!
"To answer Senior, yes, I was the one fortunate enough to rescue Guan Changge," Xu Bai replied respectfully.
At the same time, his mind raced as he tried to deduce the man's identity.
Appearing at this time, in this place.
With the cultivation of a Dao Integration Immortal Sage, no less.
It couldn't possibly be a coincidence.
"Could he be the contact from the Five Elders Council for this trade?" Xu Bai couldn't help but wonder.
"A Dao Integration Immortal Sage... a spy for the Five Elders Council..."
Instantly, the identity of the purple-gold-robed cultivator became clear.
Immortal Sage Ziqiong.
The Supreme Commander of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Martial Hall.
Even though he had known of the man's identity as a spy from his past lives, Xu Bai was still taken aback when Immortal Sage Ziqiong suddenly materialized before him.
Not revealing that he knew, Xu Bai asked tentatively.
"Senior, I was wondering..."
"I am here representing the Five Elders Council to conduct a trade with your Heaven Overturning Association." To Xu Bai's surprise, Immortal Sage Ziqiong stated it plainly, without any attempt at concealment.
This declaration left Xu Bai abruptly silent.
Unsure of the man's intentions, Xu Bai quickly began to consider how to respond.
Fortunately, this was only a clone, so he wasn't particularly panicked.
"So, you've recognized me?" he mused. "Interesting. I've been stationed at the Martial Hall headquarters for many years without venturing out."
"Your Heaven Overturning Association is certainly something else."
Ziqiong glanced at Xu Bai with a faint smile.
"You praise me too highly, Senior," Xu Bai said, bowing his head. "I was simply shocked to suddenly learn your true identity. I am at a loss for words."
Xu Bai cupped his hands, feigning great unease.
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