"This legend is actually true; I must be incredibly lucky. Little friend, hello, little friend?" The old man, seeing Liu Hui’s daze, quickly called out.

"Oh, hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Liu Hui of the Human Race, and I look forward to our trade!" Liu Hui’s polite script rolled out instantly.

"Heh heh, I am also of the Human Race. You may call me Xiaoyaozi," the white-bearded elder chuckled.

"Senior Xiaoyaozi, what is your profession?" Liu Hui, finding Xiaoyaozi to possess an air of celestial wisdom, asked curiously.

"Little friend, I am a cultivator of the Dao of Immortality." Xiaoyaozi replied.

"Ah! You cultivate immortality? Senior, then you must be incredibly powerful, capable of overturning seas and rivers with a mere flip of your hand, and soaring freely through the cosmos?" Liu Hui asked excitedly.

"Well! Reversing the flow of rivers and seas is no problem. We used to be able to fly freely through the universe as well, but nowadays, very few people make such journeys," Xiaoyaozi admitted, a hint of awkwardness in his tone.

"Senior, why is that?" Liu Hui was deeply curious.

"Hmm, our cultivation world has been engaged in continuous warfare for tens of thousands of years. This epic conflict has annihilated countless planets, and countless lives have been lost unjustly. After tens of thousands of years of fighting, both sides were utterly depleted of necessary war materials and finally halted the brutal conflict. In the aftermath of that war, resources in the cultivation world were nearly exhausted, especially spirit stones—the jade used for cultivation and setting up formations—became extremely scarce. Without the absorption of the natural energies contained within spirit stones, relying only on cultivators drawing ambient energy from the air results in abysmal cultivation efficiency. I have been stuck in the Soul Manifestation Stage for a very long time. Essentially, no one has managed to advance their cultivation during this period. Now, everyone is searching everywhere for spirit stones, but their quantity continues to dwindle. That's why no one wastes magical power flying aimlessly through the cosmos anymore," Xiaoyaozi sighed deeply.

"Senior Xiaoyaozi, the Soul Manifestation Stage is quite formidable, isn't it?" Liu Hui inquired.

"The Soul Manifestation Stage is indeed powerful; one can move freely in the universe at this level. However, my sect is the Artifact Refining Sect; we focus primarily on formations and artifact crafting and rarely involve ourselves in direct combat," Xiaoyaozi explained.

"I see, so your focus is on artifact refining and formations. Then, what exactly are you hoping to acquire from me through this trade, and what do you possess to offer in exchange?"

"What I need most right now are spirit stones, but I have nothing to trade currently. The ten-thousand-year war depleted all the treasures of the cultivation world; even all the materials of our Artifact Refining Sect are gone. I am as poor as a church mouse. I acquired this dimensional trading device thousands of years ago but have never managed to contact any trader until you. You are the first dimensional trader I have encountered," Xiaoyaozi admitted, looking somewhat sheepish.

"Senior needs spirit stones. What do those spirit stones look like?" Liu Hui asked, intrigued.

"Like this." Xiaoyaozi produced a small piece of jade that emitted a soft white light and held it up close to the screen for Liu Hui to examine thoroughly.

"Hmm, so this is a spirit stone." Liu Hui observed closely. The stone resembled Earth's jade somewhat, but Earth's jade did not emit a white glow.

"This is merely a low-grade spirit stone. I wouldn't have even bothered with this quality before. But now, even low-grade spirit stones are incredibly difficult to find," Xiaoyaozi shook his head.

Liu Hui confirmed he had never encountered this glowing white jade, but a sudden thought struck him. He reached into his spatial storage, pulled out a crimson Beast Core, and offered it for trade to Xiaoyaozi, saying, "Senior, I possess a stone here containing a unique form of energy. Could this be used in place of your spirit stones?"

Xiaoyaozi clicked on the trade out of curiosity. The Beast Core immediately appeared in his hand. He observed it carefully, his expression shifting to one of sudden excitement. "This... could this be the legendary Fire Attribute Crystal?"

"Senior, what is a Fire Attribute Crystal?" Liu Hui asked.

"Attribute Crystals are crystals imbued with various elemental energies. For example, this Fire Crystal here, there are also Water Crystals, Wind Crystals, and Thunder Crystals, and many others besides. According to the sect's ancient texts, these Attribute Crystals were meant to be used by cultivators matching their respective attributes. However, Attribute Crystals vanished entirely long ago. The energy contained in the spirit stones we currently use is completely neutral—all cultivators can use them, converting the neutral energy into specific elemental forms only during combat," Xiaoyaozi recounted slowly.

"Can you use this kind of crystal?" Liu Hui asked with hopeful expectation.

"My cultivation technique is Fire Attribute-based, so this Fire Crystal aligns perfectly with my nature. However, I have never absorbed a Fire Crystal before; currently, I can only absorb neutral spirit stones. I must immediately search the archives. I recall that the texts mention formations capable of converting the attributes of these crystals. If I can locate that formation, I can transform this Attribute Crystal into a neutral spirit stone, making its energy usable. Oh, by the way, where did you find this Attribute Crystal? Are there many of them?" Xiaoyaozi finally arrived at the crucial point.

"These crystals are quite rare where I come from as well. I dug this one out of a mining pit, but there should still be many more in that pit," Liu Hui naturally omitted that in the Magic Plane, such things were as common as pebbles on the roadside.

"Can you supply me with these crystals? I need them desperately," Xiaoyaozi looked at Liu Hui with pleading eyes.

"Supplying you is no problem, but what will you offer in exchange?" Liu Hui asked with a slight smile.

"Once I have gathered all the necessary materials for artifact refinement, I can craft items for you," Xiaoyaozi stated proudly, clearly confident in his refining skills.

"But before you gather all those materials, how do you propose to make an exchange now?" Liu Hui pressed.

"That..." Xiaoyaozi stammered, unable to form a coherent response.

"How about this: you go back first and look through the archives to see if there is any method recorded for utilizing Attribute Crystals, and then we can discuss terms again, alright?" Liu Hui suggested.

"Very well! I will return immediately to check the texts. I will contact you again soon," Xiaoyaozi said eagerly; he was anxious to discover if Attribute Crystals could indeed be utilized.

"Excellent. Please remember my dimensional coordinates. I will await your good news," Liu Hui said cheerfully.

After bidding farewell, Liu Hui marked the coordinates: Cultivation Plane, Xiaoyaozi.

Though Liu Hui appeared calm during the exchange with Xiaoyaozi, his heart was pounding with excitement. Contacting even one dimensional trader was notoriously difficult. Zerg had taken over a century, and Xiaoyaozi had taken millennia, yet Liu Hui had established contact with three traders in less than half a year. While the trading prospects seemed imperfect right now, at least contact had been made, offering a glimmer of hope. With careful management, immense profits were surely possible in the future.

The fact that Xiaoyaozi recognized the Beast Core meant there was a way to utilize them, and more importantly, Xiaoyaozi desperately needed them. The Cultivation Plane was the world Liu Hui had most longed to connect with. He resolved to ask Xiaoyaozi for some cultivation techniques to enhance his own strength. Furthermore, since Xiaoyaozi was a master refiner, obtaining a life-saving artifact from him would truly allow Liu Hui to traverse the vast world unimpeded.

Liu Hui summarized his assets: three traders—Zerg from the Space Age, Alexander from the Magic Plane, and Xiaoyaozi from the Cultivation World. Currently, only Zerg offered tangible, immediate profit. Alexander required Liu Hui's protection, but once Alexander matured, the potential returns would be enormous. Now, with Xiaoyaozi added to the mix, his cultivation methods and refining skills promised substantial future benefits.

By skillfully utilizing the dimensional trading device, Liu Hui was certain he could develop his enterprises back on Earth. Only once his power reached a certain threshold would he attain true freedom.

Liu Hui allowed himself a brief moment of reflection before returning to planning his next moves and heading back to his office. The 2011 Spring Festival was fast approaching. Although Starry Sky Pharmaceuticals hadn't officially opened, Liu Hui still had numerous matters requiring his attention.

The next day, Liu Hui took his parents sightseeing at famous Hong Kong landmarks. Zhao Yuanhua had specifically assigned a local Hong Kong employee to accompany them and provide detailed explanations. Liu Hui's parents were overjoyed and had a wonderful time. They had never expected to visit Hong Kong in their lifetimes, yet now they were touring its beautiful scenery with their son.

Seeing his parents enjoy themselves eased much of the gloom in Liu Hui’s heart, allowing him to temporarily forget the matters that had been troubling him. He spent the entire day with them, sharing a lavish lunch at noon. It was a rare moment of familial bliss.

That evening, Liu Hui was abruptly awakened by the vibrating alarm of the dimensional trading device. He checked it to find a call from Zerg, and his spirits immediately lifted. Could there be progress concerning the Control Ability?

"Liu Hui, I have good news to report," Zerg appeared quite pleased on the screen.

"Heh heh, I eagerly await your good news," Liu Hui replied with a smile.

"We have successfully extracted the miraculous substance capable of generating the Control Ability from my body. After analysis and testing, we have manufactured a medicine that can integrate with your physiology. Upon taking this medicine, you will acquire a certain degree of Control Ability. As for the method of use and the extent of its power, you will need to experience and deduce that for yourself," Zerg explained happily.

"This is truly wonderful news; I must thank you," Liu Hui exclaimed, overjoyed.

"Heh heh, you don't need to thank me. Through this experiment, we resolved a long-standing technological puzzle of ours. This has aided our science immensely; in a way, we gained more than you did," Zerg chuckled, then traded a syringe to Liu Hui.

Dear Reader Friends:

The author, Qianyu Chuhai (), spoke with the editor yesterday. The editor noted that this book's performance is mediocre, lacking potential, especially since the collection growth has slowed after hitting 5100, and future recommendations are unlikely.

Coupled with uncivil comments in the discussion forum attacking the book's plot points, I became emotionally agitated and made the wrong decision—to cease writing (jin gong, 'enter the palace'). As soon as I made that decision, I felt an enormous sense of relief, as if I were finally free.

However, when I browsed the comment section with a relaxed mind, I was deeply moved!

I had assumed everyone would express relief at my departure, but instead, everyone was pleading with me to stay; of course, there were some cheers too. Several friends' posts touched me deeply, especially that of reader 'yj.' He has always cared about my work and offered many suggestions. This time, however, his words—'When encountering adversity, one must rise to meet the challenge'—moved me. I do not want to be an irresponsible man. I suddenly realized I simply cannot leave this book behind. It is like one's own child; once born, one must be responsible until the end. Therefore, regardless of the book's future success, I have decided to continue writing.

This book is centered around Qianyu Chuhai achieving his dreams; any commercial value beyond that is an unexpected bonus. I hope everyone will show more concern for this book and leave your critiques and suggestions in the comment section!

My apologies once again!