"..."

The tavern remained silent.

Everyone was still immersed in the shock of the five-colored and seven-colored Spirit Stones, unable to extricate themselves.

Ruan Tang placed one hand behind her back, already prepared to crush the Transmission Jade Slip at any moment to leave the tavern.

While the shop assistant was still frozen with fear, a figure stumbled and tumbled down the stairs from above.

Truly tumbled down.

The potbellied middle-aged man couldn't even stand properly and directly knelt before Ruan Tang.

"Junior Liu Dafu greets Senior! Please don't misunderstand, Senior, this tavern is not a black shop; it is a proper establishment, absolutely proper."

The middle-aged man's voice trembled with a hint of sobbing.

He was merely a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, fortunate to be under the protection of the Liuyun Sect in the city, daring to open a tavern where all sorts mingled.

As for a black shop...

Not to mention it wasn't a black shop; even if it were, which black shop would dare con a cultivator holding a seven-colored Immortal-grade Spirit Stone?

Even those ancient Holy Lands with countless epochs of heritage wouldn't dare act so recklessly.

After all, a cultivator able to produce a seven-colored Immortal-grade Spirit Stone must be either of the Emperor Realm or a close kin, whom even Quasi-Emperor Realm cultivators must weigh cautiously.

As for those below Quasi-Emperor.

It's no exaggeration to say, whoever touches it perishes.

"Proper establishment? I'm here to buy wine."

Ruan Tang didn't dare to relax her vigilance.

In previous times, when Xu Lai used to tell Yiyi and her stories of Venerable Qingfeng, she had heard numerous tales of people being fooled by black shops.

"Yes, yes, yes."

Liu Dafu urgently kicked the shop assistant in the rear and nervously said, "Quickly fetch the wine for Senior, Millennium Green!"

Millennium Green.

Only one jar in the shop.

It was purchased by Liu Dafu in his early ventures into the Immortal Domain from an old man by chance.

The wine was unquestionably excellent.

The old man boasted it was the sole jar of Immortal wine in the human world, worth a fortune, and thus Liu Dafu was coaxed into spending his entire fortune.

Later, he unfortunately fell victim to an enemy's plotting, barely surviving but having his cultivation level completely ruined, forlornly returning home to open a tavern to make a living.

Even when an Elder from the Liuyun Sect came, Liu Dafu refused to pour even a drop, intending to pass it on to his offspring after death.

But to save his life, he had no choice; if he didn't produce it, the Liu Family would face extinction today.

"Earlier you said one Spirit Stone for two jars. Now it's two Spirit Stones for only three jars of wine; isn't this still a black shop taking advantage of honest folk?" Ruan Tang spoke.

"..." Liu Dafu.

"..." Other cultivators.

Without receiving an explanation, Ruan Tang took a step back.

Such a tiny step caused everyone in the tavern to tremble in fear, thinking the next moment would usher in their demise.

The shop assistant holding the Millennium Green truly cried, "Senior, two jars of wine for one Spirit Stone, but... but a single low-grade Spirit Stone is more than enough. These two are Immortal-grade Spirit Stones, capable of buying ten thousand cities. I daren't accept them, let alone you producing a second seven-colored Immortal-grade one."

"How dare you talk back to Senior, I'll beat you to death!"

The tavern owner Liu Dafu was scared out of his wits, kicking the shop assistant despite him being his own nephew.

"Please don't hit him; you mean... this Spirit Stone is of too great a value?"

Ruan Tang was taken aback; she had never used Spirit Stones in her cultivation, nor did she use them to buy items.

Today was her first.

She had no choice; her storage space had few Spirit Stones. Xu Lai had given her mostly those with colors.

After receiving furious nods of affirmation from both the shop assistant and owner, Ruan Tang frowned, "Don't you merchants always have change?"

"......"

Without Immortal Venerable Realm strength, who would dare accept an Immortal-grade Spirit Stone?

Let alone the five-colored and seven-colored types only the Emperor Realm can use, marked with special seals, traded mostly privately, never openly for goods!

Liu Dafu collapsed to the ground, wailing, "Senior, what have I done to offend you? Please don't tease me."

Ruan Tang never bullied people, leaving behind a five-colored Immortal-grade Spirit Stone, taking all three jars of wine:

"No need for change."

"..."

There was no dare to chase.

But neither dared to collect.

The tavern owner knelt on the ground, trembling.

Other guests in the tavern promptly stood, slammed Spirit Stones on the table, silently leaving quickly, their eyes filled with pity.

Yet not one dared to speak, fearing collateral damage.

"Uncle, what should we do?"

The shop assistant had a mournful face, still bearing a footprint, "Are we readying for the end? Or to flee?"

"Don't flee; there's no escape."

Liu Dafu's eyes lost their luster, "Go to Boss Zhang next street over for three good coffins, one for you, one for your mother, one for me. I'm sorry to both of you."

"Uncle!"

"Nephew!"

"Boo hoo hoo."

The two men hugged each other, crying bitterly.

Ruan Tang had no idea the stir her Immortal-grade Spirit Stone caused in the town.

She brought the wine back to the Heavenly Court.

Opened the best jar and poured it into four bowls, placing them before her master's and two senior disciples' graves in turn.

The last bowl was Xu Lai's.

The wind rose suddenly, causing ripples in the wine surface of the bowls.

Ruan Tang muttered to herself, "Xu Lai, the cultivators in the tavern said that on the Immortal Path there's a fruit that grants immortality. Isn't it true?" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Knowing you, you wouldn't want to compete. Many will die; not a few Emperor Realm ones. You... would too, right?"

No one drank the wine.

No one answered.

Ruan Tang propped her chin on her hands, sat from noon till dark, then returned to her room to change into new bedding.

"Rustle rustle"

The sound of wind rustled through the plum tree leaves blanketing the mountains.

In the darkness.

Another brilliantly shining meteor flew from Heaven Beyond Heaven to the Land of Reincarnation, fracturing fifty-nine more steps of the White Jade Stairway, alarming the Immortal Domain.

How many is this?

...

"The eighth Emperor Realm has fallen."

At the entrance between Heaven Beyond Heaven and Immortal Domain, eight Emperor Artifacts led by the Qingfeng Sword gathered.

The Qingfeng Sword was nearly broken; the Eight Desolate Cauldron, Soul-Settling Umbrella, and other seven Emperor Artifacts suffered varying degrees of damage.

Fortunately, one of the Nine Kings' Palace, Ji Ming, had just been jointly slain by them.

Emperor Blood stained the Qingfeng Sword, continually dripping down its blade, each drop causing the starry sky to collapse more.

"That old fiend was truly troublesome."

The Eight Desolate Cauldron groaned, "Withstood the great calamity of cause and effect, fighting us day and night."

"Saying it's a fight, we were practically running away."

The Soul-Settling Umbrella bluntly corrected, "We drained him to death."

"Why care about such details."

The Measuring Heaven Ruler coughed, "Now, everyone... I shall take my leave; I need to find my Great Emperor."

"Wait a while longer." Qingfeng Sword Spirit spoke.

"Wait for what? We won't slay more of the Nine Kings' Palace's elders, right? We agreed only Ji Ming would be slain. Perhaps there'll be more Emperor Realm after killing another, my Great Emperor is in the Blue Giant Jellyfish's mouth, Sister Sword!"

Measuring Heaven Ruler was anxious, "What if something happens to my Great Emperor!"

"Think positively, perhaps something's already happened." Wuji Dao Bell consoled.

"???"