Hearing Ling Ruoxue's address, Qin Xiao realized that this must be the expert she had invited.
"This junior, Qin Xiao, greets Senior."
Qin Xiao quickly stood up to offer a greeting.
"So you're the kid named Qin Xiao. I've heard quite a bit about your reputation."
Ji Ci looked at Qin Xiao, slowly nodding as he replied.
"Senior flatters me. What reputation could a junior like me possibly have?"
Qin Xiao hadn't expected his name to have spread so far.
As expected, one truly cannot flash too much wealth. It must be because he had spent so lavishly that people in the association were probably whispering about him being a wealthy fool.
"Alright, you don't need to be modest, kid. The Young Miss mentioned that you wanted to remove some sort of restriction. I've encountered quite a few in my time, so perhaps I can take a look for you."
Thinking that Qin Xiao was the one afflicted by a restriction, Ji Ci prepared to step forward to examine him.
Although restrictions were an obscure field, all profound arts shared a common origin, and his extensive mastery of Formations gave him full confidence in his ability to lift it.
"Ah, Senior, it's not me who is under a restriction, but someone else. If Senior can assist, that would naturally be wonderful."
Seeing Ji Ci getting ready to examine him, Qin Xiao hurriedly explained.
"Master, never mind him. First, help me check Sister Man'er. I even suspect this brat might have placed a restriction on her myself."
Ling Ruoxue interrupted hastily. Her earlier remark had been a joke, but since the Master had already arrived, there was no harm in having him take a look.
"Young Miss, what do you mean by that? Are you questioning my character? Fine, let's see what you have to say after he looks."
Qin Xiao was dumbfounded. He had assumed Ling Ruoxue was just joking, yet she actually wanted an inspection. Still, he didn't mind in the least since he hadn't placed any restriction on Yun Man.
"Since the Young Miss has requested it, this old man shall take a look."
Unsure of what the Young Miss was up to, Ji Ci stepped forward, took hold of Yun Man's arm, and began probing with his Divine Sense.
After a thorough search, he found that far from being restricted, Yun Man possessed astonishing spiritual power and heaven-defying cultivation without a single trace of abnormality.
"This young lady is entirely free of restrictions. In fact, she is a rare talent indeed! Her bone structure is extraordinary, her spiritual power is pure, and judging by her bone age, she is merely in her teens. Truly remarkable."
Even Ji Ci was shaken by Yun Man's cultivation level. To have reached the late Nascent Soul stage at such a tender age-such aptitude was beyond a mere genius; it was outright monstrous.
"There, Young Miss, you saw for yourself! You actually doubted my character. I really need to reconsider buying that secret realm quota now, and this pill... I don't seem to need it quite as much anymore."
Knowing the outcome beforehand, Qin Xiao put on an aggrieved expression, wanting to tease Ling Ruoxue a little.
"Oh-well, I was just concerned about Sister Man'er, wasn't I? Besides, aren't we good friends? You're being awfully petty. Fine, I'll give you an even steeper discount: seventy-nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand Spirit Stones for the quota, and I'll knock another ten thousand off the pill as well."
Not expecting Qin Xiao to genuinely take offense, Ling Ruoxue hurriedly softened her tone. She couldn't afford to lose this transaction.
If it were just a standard association deal, it would be one thing, but this involved her own private profits. It was rare to secure such a massive windfall, and she couldn't let it slip away.
"Forget the discount. My heart is deeply wounded right now, having my character questioned by a good friend. That's a difficult knot to untie. How about this: whenever you eventually decide to take up cultivation, you take me as your master. Then I can pretend none of this ever happened."
Seeing that Ling Ruoxue was growing anxious, Qin Xiao finally revealed his true objective.
"Oh, so that's what you were leading up to? Fine! Though I have no plans to cultivate, if that day ever truly comes, I will give you priority consideration. Does that satisfy you?"
Realizing she had been played, Ling Ruoxue acknowledged her fault since she was in the wrong anyway. Agreeing cost her nothing since she had no intention of cultivating in the first place.
"Haha, Qin Xiao, you really are an interesting fellow. You actually want to take the Young Miss as your disciple? Splendid, splendid. This is the first time I've ever seen a young man quite like you."
Having watched their banter from the side, Ji Ci finally understood what was going on and burst into laughter.
"Alright, I won't tease you any further. Here are the Spirit Stones. We have pressing matters to attend to, so we'll take our leave. Thank you for making this trip, Master."
Qin Xiao flicked a Storage Bag directly to Ling Ruoxue. Now that the Master had arrived, it was time to return and begin breaking the restriction.
"Lead the way then. I must admit, I'm quite curious about what kind of restriction could prompt the Young Miss to summon me."
Filled with intrigue, Ji Ci accompanied Qin Xiao out of the Immortal Dao Merchant Association.
After seeing them off, Ling Ruoxue opened the Storage Bag Qin Xiao had left behind to check the contents.
To her surprise, the bag contained precisely one hundred and eighty High Grade Spirit Stones. Since a single High Grade Spirit stone could trade for nearly two million regular ones, had Qin Xiao deliberately paid in High Grade stones just to let her profit from the exchange rate?
"Just how many Spirit Stones does this kid actually have? No wonder Man'er urged me to take him as a master. It seems there are still plenty of secrets hidden on this fellow."
The closer she got to Qin Xiao, the more opaque he became.
News of Qin Xiao stepping out of the Immortal Dao Merchant Association in the company of an elderly man could hardly be kept secret.
"City Lord, Qin Xiao has just emerged from the Immortal Dao Merchant Association accompanied by an old man. To avoid detection, we kept our distance, so we couldn't gauge the old man's strength. Could he be an expert invited by Qin Xiao?"
Inside the City Lord Manor, a steward hurried to report to Chen Lou.
"It matters little. Even if the Immortal Dao Merchant Association favors Qin Xiao, they won't openly commit bloodshed. They are a neutral faction and cannot intervene in private feuds between powers. Besides, the two overseers here are only at the Soul Formation stage. We wait until my uncle arrives before making a move. Keep watching them."
Chen Lou remained unconcerned. Even if the association wished to aid Qin Xiao, their hands were tied; neutral factions never dispatched fighters for private vendettas.
Meanwhile, the Clear Wind Sect received similar intelligence.
"Elder Brother, could that Qin Xiao have enlisted some formidable expert to come and crush our mountain gates?"
Great Elder Jiang Yang asked with visible apprehension.
"Indeed. If they've found a way to crack our formation, we are no match for Ye Qiuyue."
Second Elder Jiang Huai chimed in.
The two of them had been recruited by Clear Wind Ancestor. Both possessed mid Soul Formation strength and remained unconstrained by soul restrictions, leading them to address him as an equal.
"Worthy Brothers, there is no need to panic. That formation and its accompanying restriction technique were both acquired by me through sheer fortune; they are long lost to the world and impossible to unravel. Even Duan Mingfei, who knew the weakness, is already dead. Unless a Great Ascension stage powerhouse arrives in person, our barrier cannot be forcefully breached."
Seeing his two sworn brothers so unsettled, Clear Wind Ancestor offered reassurance.
Without that level of confidence, he would never have dared assist Chen Shunyi in moving against the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion, especially knowing that the pavilion harbored Ye Qiuyue, a practitioner at the Body Integration stage.
"Since Elder Brother is so certain, our minds are at ease."
Hearing those words, Jiang Yang finally exhaled a breath of relief.
As for Duan Mingda, he remained sequestered in his quarters, having refused to step outside for days. Utterly lost and bewildered, he wondered what meaning remained in lingering within the Clear Wind Sect.
Back inside the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion.
"Master, is there a viable method to break it?"
Qin Xiao looked expectantly at Ji Ci, who had just stepped out from the Soul-Locking Tower.
"It is indeed an arduous method, quite distinct from any restriction I have ever witnessed. However, this old man is confident he can undo it-it will simply require a considerable amount of time."
Having completed his inspection, Ji Ci sighed over the intricacy of the seal, concluding it must be an ancient technique lost to the modern era, bearing little resemblance to contemporary methods.
"That is fine as long as it can be broken. May I ask how long it will take?"
Assurances of a solution were enough to set Qin Xiao's mind at ease.
"Three days. After three days, this old man will certainly have it undone. However, I must first notify those above, as my absence for three days requires clearance."
Ji Ci had departed on short notice and needed to report back to the association. Moreover, the Soul-Locking Tower itself was an ancient treasure capable of severing soul connections, proving truly extraordinary.
"Naturally. Master, just tell me whatever materials are required, and name your service fee as well. This junior will ensure everything is handled to your satisfaction."
With a solution in sight, Qin Xiao turned his attention to the costs and materials.
"I already possess the necessary materials, but the process of deciphering it will consume considerable energy-at least a million spirit stones worth. As for my service fee, I will waive it; I consider this research a worthwhile endeavor, so you need only cover the material costs. There is no hurry, however; we can settle accounts once the work is complete."
Ji Ci had no intention of gouging him. On one hand, he found Qin Xiao amusing and wished to build a favorable connection; on the other, since the Young Miss herself had invited him, charging an exorbitant fee would be improper. Besides, he harbored a genuine scholarly fascination for the restriction.
"Then I offer my deepest thanks to Senior."
Recognizing that the old man was extending a personal favor, Qin Xiao offered a sincere bow of gratitude.