"I'm afraid that will not be possible," Ren said getting up. "I do not put up a show for free, elder Jun. I'm sure you understand what I mean."

As powerful as he may become, he still needed more money to run his sect. There were more mouths to feed, and growing beasts to raise.

Elder Jun laughed, embarrassed, before he turned his storage ring on the table in front of him. It glowed slightly, and a hundred gold bars materialized on the wooden surface. "Will that be enough to grant this man his request?"

'One hundred thousand silver coins. Should I ask for more? No. This should do for now.'

Ren nodded.

"Do not touch it or you will attract another punishment. I won't be held responsible."

Elder Jun saluted. "I understand."

To keep the Dao from overreacting as it had when he used the black lightning, Ren created a dome barrier infused with void energy to cover all traces of the lightning's power.

Elder Jun secretly marveled at the strange barrier, which made his skin tingle unpleasantly as if it was trying to draw out his qi in the smallest amount possible.

Before Ren displayed his creation, he first brought his ring above the gold and sucked them in. 'Just business.'

Two black holes appeared on either side of the space between them, parallel to them.

A bolt of black lightning sizzled as it flashed to the second portal, making itself appear like a black rope made of lightning that had no end.

"Heavens! It's real. It looks so... beautiful," he murmured staring at the bolt of pure chaotic energy that could bore a hole through his chest if it was thrown at him by surprise. Only later did he find himself questioning why he had easily trusted Ren when he could have used the bolt to injure him or worse.

But they had no grudges, and for some reason, elder Jun believed that Ren wasn't the type to kill recklessly. He would attack only when provoked.

He took a step back and saluted. "Sect leader, if you were to put a price on this single bolt, how much would you sell it?"

Ren's brows scrunched as he closed the black holes, trapping the lightning back to where it had been.

"Sell it? Is that even possible?"

Elder Jun smiled, a strained smile that seemed as though he hadn't smiled in decades. "Anything is possible. I never believed that I would have the chance to set my eyes on such a heavenly sight... I know I do not have the money to buy one at the moment, which is why I have come prepared with an offer. If you don't mind, please hear what I have to say and make a decision later."

Ren paused to ponder Elder Jun's words. He hadn't thought that something like lightning could be sold. But anything was possible in a world where people could fly and beasts could talk.

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"Talk," Ren initiated the business conversation with a cup of warm tea before him.

He now sat opposite Elder Jun at a table outside. The pavilions around the sect had been built sorely for Ren's pleasure. He hated being indoors too much when not practicing or reading.

"Thank you," said Elder Jun, picking up his cup. The aroma from the tea was mouthwatering even for him who had detached himself from the pleasures of the world that didn't contribute to his immortality journey.

"What tea is this?"

"Elder Jun," Ren called, a serious spark lighting in his eyes. He had come out here to hear how to sell lightning, which wasn't his to begin with, not talk about tea. "Let's talk about business."

"Right... As I mentioned to you earlier; if you'd allow it, I can help you sell the black lightning. The big auction houses in the city would fight to death just for a bolt of lightning and cultivators would empty their treasuries to buy it."

Ren sipped the tea, eyeing Elder Jun tentatively. It sounded too good to be true. If at all what he was saying was true, did it not mean that Ren had been walking around with millions of coins or even gold bars since he returned from the mountain? If so, then Ren was sure to slap himself for the side of his brain which hadn't come up with such an idea.

"If it's that valuable, how are you going to sell it? And how do you benefit from all this?"

Elder Jun put down his cup, his face lighting up with exhilaration. "Sect leader, I do not want any money that will be made. I only ask that when you think I have accumulated enough karma, you may give me a bolt for myself. I have reached a bottleneck. No matter how many pills I take, the effect isn't enough to help me. But with such pure energy, I can break through in a few days or weeks."

'So you're after a quick breakthrough. Nothing wrong with that.'

"Very well then. I'll think about it and reach out to you."

Elder Jun nodded, containing the bubbly excitement inside him. It had been so long since he felt this happy. Not many things had been catching his interest for years, but ever since he met Ren, he had felt challenged to work harder.

###########

The night was chilly and moonless, adding an eerieness to the atmosphere that worsened as Liu Ming and Liuyue approached the rundown temple just outside the city.

Dressed in commoners clothes and masks to conceal their identities, they were determined to accomplish the mission their master had given them; investigate the cultists who had tried to kill their junior brother and sister.

After a day of asking around in the city, Liu Ming gathered enough information about the whereabouts of these evil practitioners.

Liuyue used the little knowledge she had of the void to hide all traces of her breath while Liu Ming used his ability to bend the energies in his body till they were non-existent.

Without the use of any special skills, both of them could now hear the incoherent chantings coming from the faintly lit temple.

'Do we go in?' asked Liuyue through their linked minds.

Liu Ming shook his head, 'We were not asked to alert them. Let us first try to discern what they're muttering. We are to collect as much information about them as possible.'

Liuyue nodded seeing sense in his words.

'Follow me,' Liu Ming instructed approaching a corner of the building.

He placed his back against the wall and quietly tiptoed along it until they found a window.

It was closed, but due to the state of the temple, there were gaps that he could peep through.

Breathing as little as possible, Liu Ming brought his left eye to the gap.

He saw six men and one woman kneeling in front of a gigantic statue that was illuminated by the lanterns hanging from the wall closest to them.

It had been originally a golden Buddha statue but was painted to resemble what they thought was the dark god, the bringer of darkness, and the granter of eternal life after death.

'What is it? Move. I want to see.'

Liuyue squeezed herself under Liu Ming's arm to nudge him to the side slightly until she occupied his place.

Having her stand so close to him made him feel warm and fuzzy. A feeling that he had been experiencing only around her.

'These are the despicable sum who have no trouble changing children and starving them!' she hissed and was about to strike the wall with the side of her fist from anger.

'Liuyue!' Liu Ming panicked rushing to grab her wrist before she made their presence known. 'I know you're angry, but let us not cause any trouble without knowing more about them. That is why we are here, remember?' He tried to calm her.

'Ye-yes,' she stuttered, her anger already knocked out of the way to make room for the warmth in her chest and cheeks.

His hand on her wrist would have only made her blush from embarrassment, but the hand that was placed on the side of her waist to hold it had caused a volcano of heat to erupt in her body.

She wanted to tell him to release her. She should have said it. But when they locked eyes with the faint sliver of light falling on her mask, the moment turned still.

Liu Ming was the first to pull away after he realized that the energies in his body were loosening and causing not just his mind to stray but his crotch to bulge. He would be ashamed to death if Liuyue felt it, tainting her innocence.

'Let us watch them from the roof,' he suggested, thankful that they weren't using their voices for she would have heard the strain going on in him.