He sat there, radiating boundless Taoist aura.
An aura of great freedom, detachment, and non-action emanated from him, causing Cui Jue beside him to change his expression drastically, again and again.
"Congratulations, Heavenly Lord! Congratulations, Heavenly Lord! You have found your own path, and there is hope for transcendence!"
After a long while, Cui Jue suppressed his envy and jealousy and said respectfully.
"I wouldn't call it enlightenment; I've only gained some insights!"
Xiao Ning shook his head and asked, "Did Judge Cui come today because of that heretical cultivator?"
After a few casual words, he got straight to the point, not wanting to waste any more time on pleasantries.
Cui Jue put down his teacup, coughed lightly, straightened his expression, and said, "Your Majesty, that man dared to kill the City God and recklessly provoke the Underworld. King Yama is furious and has ordered me to arrest him and bring him to justice as a warning to others!"
Xiao Ning opened his hand, and in his palm was a shrunken ghost, countless times smaller than before, which was none other than the monk who had been causing havoc in the area.
However, the monks of today are no longer as imposing as before. Not only have their spirits been scattered, but they are also roasted over real fire. Just when their souls are about to dissipate, they are healed and then placed back on the fire, repeating this cycle endlessly.
"I can take this spirit back for you to report, but I can't give it away for free. What will you offer in exchange?"
After showing it to Cui Jue, Xiao Ning closed his palms again.
"What the Heavenly Lord says makes sense. How can the Underworld be unreasonable? How about this, I, Cui, will grant the Heavenly Lord a bottle of the Other Shore Pill, which will help him in his enlightenment and cultivation. What does the Heavenly Lord think?"
After considering for a moment, Cui Jue said in a deep voice.
"Oh, the other shore of Dan?"
Xiao Ning raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
The Other Shore Pill is a rare and precious item unique to the Underworld, made from the Other Shore Flower that blooms on both sides of the Yellow Springs.
The red spider lily has leaves but no flowers, and flowers bloom without leaves, never appearing together. Its petals are highly poisonous to both humans and ghosts; contact with them is fatal.
However, after being refined into the Other Shore Pill by a master in the underworld using secret methods, this flower possesses miraculous effects, increasing the power of the soul.
It should be noted that there are countless ways to improve one's cultivation level. For example, with Xiao Ning's current cultivation level, he could easily create a massive army of 10,000 people at the Innate Realm.
However, the soul is an intangible and formless thing, invisible and intangible. Only by reaching the first level of the Transcendent Realm can one perceive the existence of the soul.
Only after reaching the second stage of the Longevity Realm can one nurture and strengthen their soul with magical power, transforming it into a Yin God, a Yang God, and finally the Primordial Spirit Realm.
However, the Other Shore Pill can directly enhance the soul. Such a heaven-defying pill makes all cultivators in the world flock to it. However, this kind of pill is only available in the Underworld and is difficult for outsiders to obtain.
This demonstrates the value of the Other Shore Elixir.
Now, Cui Jue is offering a bottle of twelve coins right off the bat, truly befitting the wealthy and powerful underworld.
If Xiao Ning obtains it, he can directly condense his primordial spirit, saving him decades or even centuries of arduous cultivation.
"One bottle isn't enough, I want ten bottles!"
Xiao Ning was clearly not someone who could be easily appeased; he immediately demanded an exorbitant price, multiplying it tenfold.
"Your Majesty, this is far too much! Even if I were to sell myself, I couldn't possibly come up with this much!"
Upon hearing this, Cui Jue smiled bitterly: "The Heavenly Lord should know that the Other Shore Pill is not easy to refine, and each bottle is priceless. All I can decide on is the quantity of one bottle!"
"Don't think I don't know. Saying the quantity is small is just your underworld's way of telling people, inflating its value to facilitate transactions!"
Xiao Ning chuckled, but didn't believe his nonsense.
"Besides, Judge Cui, you hold a revered position, below the two gods of the underworld and above all ghosts. A mere few Other Shore Pills are but a drop in the ocean!"
In the entire underworld, apart from the Emperor of Fengdu, who is indifferent to worldly affairs, and the powerful King Yama, the judge Cui Jue holds the highest rank, and all other ghosts and gods are lower than him.
Xiao Ning had found out all of this clearly and thoroughly. He thought he could fool him with just a bottle of the Other Shore Pill? Not so easy.
"Your Majesty, you flatter me! Five bottles, no more!"
Cui Jue grinned and began to bargain.
Although this pill wasn't particularly valuable, it couldn't be given away at Xiao Ning's behest. Things easily obtained are often not valued; only those earned through hard work are truly precious, and Cui Jue seemed to understand this principle well.
"Ten bottles, not one less!"
Xiao Ning, however, did not budge an inch.
Extorting the underworld is an opportunity not everyone has.
"Six bottles, please!"
"Ten bottles!"
"Seven...seven bottles!"
"Ten bottles!"
"Alright, alright, ten bottles it is. But, Heavenly Lord, you mustn't tell anyone else, otherwise, my Underworld business will suffer."
Cui Jue finally agreed, but instructed Xiao Ning not to tell anyone else.
"President Cui, please rest assured, I will not tell anyone about this!"
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Xiao Ning naturally agreed with a smile.
Then, he handed over the spirit in one hand and the elixir in the other.