This time, not only did Ling Ruoxue come, but she also brought a Soul Formation stage Manager. If Qin Xiao could not produce the Spirit Stones, she would not be polite with him.
Although she would spare his life for Yun Man's sake, a thorough beating was unavoidable.
"Kid, I've brought the items. Now it's time for you to pay."
Ling Ruoxue showed little respect to Qin Xiao, as she had personally given him his Supreme Membership Card and knew clearly that he was no top-tier guest of the association.
Coming to sit opposite Qin Xiao, she casually sank into the soft seat.
"Since Miss Ling puts it that way, I won't waste words. There are two ways to settle this: either sixty drops of Spirit Liquid plus five million two hundred thousand Spirit Stones, or one hundred drops of Spirit Liquid plus four million Spirit Stones. Which does Miss Ling prefer?"
Qin Xiao pondered for a moment before offering the two options.
Though he could easily have offered just the first, he provided both to show goodwill-after all, since the other party had already accepted benefits from him, her attitude ought to improve somewhat.
"Naturally, I'll choose the second one."
Ling Ruoxue had not expected Qin Xiao to be willing to take a slight loss in favor of the Spirit Liquid, so she certainly wasn't foolish enough to choose the first option.
"Very well. It's just that these Spirit Stones are rather cumbersome and can only be handed over in large piles."
Qin Xiao agreed readily. The proposal was meant as a gesture of goodwill, but four million Spirit Stones still amounted to a massive pile.
[ Detected that the Host has exchange needs, unlocked Exchange Function. ]
Just as Qin Xiao found himself in a bind, the system offered a solution.
Without speaking, Qin Xiao quickly inspected this new feature.
After reading the description, he finally understood. The Exchange Function allowed for conversions between different grades of Spirit Stones: one thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones could be exchanged for one Middle Grade Spirit Stone, and one thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones for one High Grade Spirit Stone. As for Top Grade Spirit Stones, they could not yet be exchanged, likely requiring certain conditions to be met.
"This feature is a lifesaver. Exchange four million Low Grade Spirit Stones into High Grade Spirit Stones-that comes out to just four pieces. Perfect."
After a brief mental operation, Qin Xiao directly converted the sum into four High Grade Spirit Stones.
"You've been spacing out for ages. What on earth are you doing? Hand over the Spirit Stones."
Ling Ruoxue said with a speechless expression, watching Qin Xiao stand there like a fool, unresponsive even to shouting.
"It's nothing. I just remembered I had other Spirit Stones on hand. Settling the account this way is much more convenient without all that bulk."
With the exchange complete, Qin Xiao had instantly solved the issue of handling too many low-tier stones.
"Other Spirit Stones? Could you possibly have Middle Grade Spirit Stones?"
Ling Ruoxue asked with a hint of skepticism.
While direct exchanges between tiers were nominally one to one thousand, that applied only when exchanging downwards. Exchanging upwards usually commanded a rate of one thousand two to one thousand five; otherwise, no one would be willing to part with them.
If he truly had Middle Grade Spirit Stones, wouldn't she make an extra profit here?
"No Middle Grade Spirit Stones, but I do have four High Grade Spirit Stones. Converted, they equal four million Low Grade Spirit Stones."
With that, Qin Xiao placed four High Grade Spirit Stones directly onto the coffee table before them.
These stones were not only different in color but significantly larger as well.
Spirit Stones were divided into four grades. The most common were Low Grade Spirit Stones-small and milky white.
Above them were Middle Grade Spirit Stones, slightly larger and pale green.
High Grade Spirit Stones were larger still, their luster shifting from green to pale blue.
As for Top Grade Spirit Stones, they were purple in hue, though they rarely appeared in the world. Not only was their production extremely scarce, but they held immense value for top-tier mighty figures and almost never circulated openly.
Below the Nascent Soul stage, cultivators still gained some benefit from Low Grade Spirit Stones. Above the Nascent Soul stage, however, Low Grade stones offered virtually no help, and cultivators relied instead on Middle Grade Spirit Stones.
Middle Grade Spirit Stones remained effective up to the peak of the Soul Formation stage. Upon entering the Body Integration stage, even Middle Grade stones yielded minimal results, requiring High Grade Spirit Stones for cultivation.
Top Grade stones, meanwhile, were kept as private reserves by Tribulation Transcendence stage masters and were rarely seen outside.
"What? High-High Grade Spirit Stones?"
Ling Ruoxue was dumbfounded. These were actual High Grade Spirit Stones!
She wasn't the only one; even the late-stage Soul Formation Manager standing beside her stared with shining eyes.
"Just what kind of background does Master have, to be able to casually pull out High Grade Spirit Stones?"
Yun Man was equally stunned. She had thought Qin Xiao possessing Spirit Stones and Spirit Liquid already defied imagination, but he had managed to surpass even her wildest expectations.
"You're actually using High Grade Spirit Stones to pay?"
Ling Ruoxue took a deep breath, asking with a trace of disbelief.
"Indeed. Is there a problem? If you don't accept High Grade Spirit Stones, I can swap them for Middle Grade ones instead."
Fearing they might reject the higher tier, Qin Xiao quickly offered an alternative.
"Accepted, accepted, of course we accept!"
Ling Ruoxue had always assumed Qin Xiao was merely a wealthy spendthrift with a few loose stones, but this constant display of Spirit Liquid and High Grade Spirit Stones left her entirely at a loss for words.
"Our Immortal Dao Merchant Association won't take advantage of you. High Grade Spirit Stones carry a much higher market value than Low Grade ones. I can let you select a few additional items here in the Immortal Dao Auction House-anything up to a value of four million is yours."
Though she could not read Qin Xiao's depths, her position within the association made her keenly aware of relationships and interests. Seizing a minor advantage here might cost them a major client; generosity was far wiser, especially with Yun Man's connection bridging the gap.
"Oh? If that's the case, I won't stand on ceremony. I missed out on that healing medicine earlier-you should still have some in stock, correct? Give me whatever you have that aids combat and recovery, or various life-saving items as well."
Qin Xiao hadn't expected High Grade stones to carry such a premium, but since she insisted, he saw no reason to refuse.
"Trouble yourself, Manager Wu, to go prepare the items he requested. I can handle things here alone."
Without hesitation, Ling Ruoxue turned to the late-stage Soul Formation Manager.
"Understood, Miss."
Manager Wu acknowledged the order and withdrew to gather the supplies.
"Now that the transaction is settled, I have one more favor to ask, should Miss Ling be willing."
With the main business concluded, Qin Xiao raised his request.
"Please speak."
Ling Ruoxue had shed her earlier arrogance and adopted a much more respectful tone.
"As you can see, I lack cultivation, and my disciple is only at the late Golden Core stage. We've offended several parties during this trip, and when we return, might I trouble your esteemed association to provide an escort? Nothing too far-just to the foot of the mountain will suffice."
Having secured her agreement on the trade, Qin Xiao stated his actual concern.
"Is that all? A minor matter. Since you are an honored guest of the Immortal Dao Merchant Association, ensuring client safety is part of our duties."
Ling Ruoxue had braced herself for a difficult demand, but this was trivial. Naturally, she agreed without hesitation.
Moments later, Manager Wu returned carrying a Storage Bag.
"Miss, everything is prepared."
He handed the bag directly to Ling Ruoxue.
"Inspect the contents; everything is here."
Ling Ruoxue took the bag and passed it straight to Qin Xiao.
"There's no need. My own provisions are sufficient. Give this to my disciple-these are all meant for her."
Qin Xiao couldn't cultivate, making most of these resources useless to him. Besides, he already possessed an inner armor and the turtle shell artifact, which provided ample self-preservation.
"Man'er, you really found yourself a fine master-treating you so well. You ought to promise yourself in marriage to him."
Ling Ruoxue handed the Storage Bag over to Yun Man with a soft murmur near the girl's ear.
Yun Man did not reply; her cheeks flushed crimson as she lowered her head in silence.
"Now that the transaction is complete, it's time we departed. We've been out for a full day and must return. I must ask your association to see us off."
Seeing that everything was settled, Qin Xiao rose to his feet, ready to leave.
"Manager Wu, escort our honored guests. They are carrying auction items with them; ensure they reach their destination safely."
"Rest assured, Miss. Within these domains, I am well-equipped to handle it."
Manager Wu assented and followed Qin Xiao out of the room.