Li Yuanjiao held the Dharma Mirror for a while, unable to discern its secrets, and assuming the person was a Golden Core descendant with a Magical Treasure behind him, he gritted his teeth, handed the Dharma Mirror to Li Qinghong, and whispered:

"I will go down and take a look. You hold the mirror and observe. If anything happens, activate the Taiyin Profound Light immediately."

"Okay."

Li Qinghong slung her spear behind her, took the Dharma Mirror, and felt a chill as she held it. The white light on the mirror flowed, quite mystical.

"What a fine Mirror."

She murmured to herself, cradling the Dharma Mirror in her hands, feeling refreshingly cool all over, with clear ears and bright eyes. The spear on her back that occasionally emitted white light hastily retracted its radiance and fell silent.

At the foot of the mountain, Li Yuanjiao was greeted by Li Yuanping in the hall, who was enjoying a lively conversation with Wang Xun. Just as Li Yuanjiao walked to the courtyard, he heard a hearty laugh:

"Brother Yuanping jests. My Wang Clan only extends to Yinghua County, with a mere surplus of two hundred thousand in the secular world. Those who obtain the Dao enter my family's Cave Heaven and are untainted by worldly affairs. Naturally, there are no entanglements."

"After all, my superior is one of the Three Metals in Buddhism, where the internal struggle is incessant. All factions are too busy currying favor to dare get involved with us. It has been like this for hundreds of years."

Li Yuanjiao gently knocked on the door and pushed it open. Wang Xun looked up and immediately fixed his gaze on the Green Peak at Li Yuanjiao's waist, unable to look away. Li Yuanping introduced with a smile:

"Senior, this is my elder brother, Li Yuanjiao."

"I've seen you, Taoist Fellow!"

The two exchanged pleasantries. Wang Xun took a good look at him and then smiled:

"Your brother indeed has an impressive aura."

Li Yuanjiao courteously replied and then inquired:

"Senior, I am aware of the purpose of your visit. Inside this Spirit Sword, there remains a Sword Intent left by an ancestor, sealed for many years and never utilized. If you wish to borrow the sword to complete your path, do you want the sword or this intent? I wonder if it will damage this Sword Intent?"

Li Yuanjiao had already planned his approach and immediately addressed the crucial point.

"Taoist Fellow..."

Wang Xun gave a wry smile and answered:

"My Wang Clan possesses many Foundation Establishment Magical Instruments, most of which are swords. Since I have come from afar seeking this sword, naturally, I am interested in the intent within the sword."

"As for whether it will harm the Sword Intent..."

Wang Xun paused, pondered for a moment, and then replied:

"I would need to take the sword and see."

Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly, took off the sword at his waist, drew it from its sheath, and held it solemnly, saying in a deep voice:

"Please take a look, Taoist Fellow."

The young man was overjoyed, taking the sword carefully. He admired the greenish-white Sword Edge, on which the Seal Script words "Green Ruler" were quite beautiful. Wang Xun couldn't help but praise:

"Four feet, five inches long, forged with seven feet of Green Abyss Copper, the material is average, but the craft is still considered excellent. Also, having been nurtured by Sword Intent for many years, it can be called a fine piece."

"The Sword Intent sealed inside is as clear and bright as water, pure and luminous as the moon, nourished for a full ten years. If this sword is sacrificed...ordinary Cultivators who have entered the path would not be able to withstand a blow from this sword."

The Li Yuanjiao brothers listened carefully, and Wang Xun replied:

"I only seek a thread of it, and with my proficiency in the Sword Dao, at most, it would weaken the Sword Intent by twenty percent."

He gave an embarrassed smile and quickly added:

"I will not let your family suffer a loss in vain; I can compensate with some external possessions!"

The brothers exchanged a glance, and Li Yuanjiao responded:

"I wonder what power remains of this Sword Intent under the lineage of the Jiangnan Zifu Golden Core Path?"

"Hmm."

Wang Xun pondered for a moment before answering:

"This Sword Intent is profound. Even if I extract just a sliver, once the sword is brandished, those at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage will surely die, those at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage might escape with their lives, and those at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, if caught off guard, will suffer greatly."

No sooner had Wang Xun finished speaking than he saw the brothers hesitating. He quickly added:

"Our family pursues cultivation with minimal worldly entanglements; we cannot owe favors, nor can we act on behalf of others. Killing tools like talismanic magical instruments are also not an option, but compensating with spiritual objects, precious medicines, or elixirs is indeed possible."

"Taoist Fellow, please use this sword to further your path!"

With Wang Xun making his stance so clear, and considering they couldn't afford to offend him, Li Yuanjiao could only wave his hand in agreement. Wang Xun was unexpectedly elated, yet he did not act rashly, instead he said solemnly:

"What compensation do you two desire? Please do not resort to courteous refusals, for that would truly be detrimental to me!"

He stared straight at them, very cautious, fearing that after taking the Sword Qi, the two would make exorbitant demands. It seemed that they wouldn't take it unless terms were given.

"Allow my brother and me to discuss this."

"Of course."

Li Yuanjiao assented. Wang Xun nodded and examined the sword closely as the two brothers stepped outside the hall and paused. Li Yuanping and his elder brother Li Yuanjiao simultaneously exclaimed:

"Sui Origin Pill!"

"Spirit Root!"

Both were startled and then couldn't help but laugh. Li Yuanping was thinking of obtaining Sui Origin Pills for his elder brother and sister to break through Foundation Establishment, whereas Li Yuanjiao was considering asking for a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root like the Serpent Jiao treasure tree, which could reverse the family's annual deficits...

One brother was the family's provider, thinking of his elder brother; the other was a cultivator, mindful of the family. They shared an understanding smile. Li Yuanping hastily said:

"Our family's affairs, as tight as they may be, will surely persist. The breakthroughs of my elder brother and sister are of utmost importance! Although the Sui Origin Pill only increases the chance of Foundation Establishment by a mere ten percent, it's still a rare find. Moreover, the Wang Clan descends from Golden Core immortals, who might have even more potent elixirs at hand..."

Li Yuanjiao reflected for a moment and hesitantly said:

"I too feel that the items in the possession of Senior Wang Xun are extraordinary... While the Sui Origin Pill is precious, to exchange it for the Wang Clan's favor would be too wasteful. If he has a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root, it would certainly not be ordinary, capable of sustaining our family for hundreds, even thousands of years..."

After all, Wang Xun had promised spiritual objects and precious medicines. Having seen many spiritual objects but never any precious medicines, they naturally wouldn't settle for the latter. The best option would undoubtedly be a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root, which could continuously produce spiritual objects.

Upon reaching a consensus, the two brothers found themselves in a quandary. Li Yuanping said with a laugh:

"Now that we have such an opportunity before us, it ironically makes us hesitant."

Li Yuanjiao took a moment to consider and then suggested:

"How about this? Let's first inquire with the senior. Perhaps he has Foundation Establishment elixirs superior to the Sui Origin Pill, or maybe he doesn't have a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root available. We can compare the two and then make a selection."

"Agreed!"

The brothers re-entered the courtyard and diplomatically conveyed their thoughts to Wang Xun, who seemed relieved as he nodded:

"Spirit Roots... I do indeed have one, accidentally discovered within a Cave Heaven."

He reached for his storage bag at his waist and took out an apricot kernel-sized seed that was red and yellow in color, softly saying:

"This is called the 'Wanling Flower', which a thousand years ago was the Ancestral Treasure of the Wanling Upper Sect in North River. As its spirit mechanism weakened, it could no longer survive in North River, but a few still thrive in our family's Cave Heaven."

"This Spiritual Root blooms every three years and wilts in three days. It bears fruit once every three hundred years and is extremely delicate. If there is insufficient Spirit Mechanism, it needs to be watered daily with Spiritual Spring. The flowers it produces are a type of spiritual object. According to the vernacular of Jiangnan, they are at the Foundation Establishment level and can be used to forget worries and hang on to life."