After tallying the numbers, Su Mo received exactly what was promised—three mid-grade spirit stones and five hundred low-grade ones, all to be delivered later alongside his other rewards.
It was only now that Su Mo learned spirit stones were graded, just like in cultivation novels: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and the exceedingly rare top-grade.
The one A’kun had crushed back then had been a mid-grade stone.
He even wondered if the first person to write about spirit stone grades in fiction had actually been a superhuman themselves. How else could it be such a perfect match?
Once everything was settled, they didn’t rush back. Instead, they spent the afternoon in the library.
Truthfully, it was mostly Su Mo wanting to learn more about the basics of superhumans—and the branch’s library had plenty of relevant materials and books.
Here, he discovered that superhumans existed outside of Xia Country as well, though their systems varied.
For example, the island nation had ninjas, the West had magic, and some ancient tribes had their own unique mystical legacies.
There was also an international superhuman organization called the ISO, with a history spanning centuries. Many of the superhuman classification systems—such as the alphabetical ranking system—had been compiled by them.
Beyond that, there were countless international, national, societal, and even independent organizations tied to superhumans. The North Star Organization was state-affiliated, holding absolute authority within Xia Country.
He also looked up information on spirit stones and found that, internationally, they were classified as both cultivation resources and universal currency. Many rare resources could only be exchanged using spirit stones.
The value ratios between grades were as follows:
1 high-grade spirit stone = 1,000 mid-grade spirit stones = 1,000,000 low-grade spirit stones.
As for the even rarer top-grade spirit stones? Rumor had it there were only a handful in existence, making them far too valuable to ever be used as mere currency.
7:50 PM.
Su Mo had already arrived at the agreed-upon location and was waiting when the server brought him tea.
7:59 PM.
A black sedan pulled up outside the restaurant. The door opened, and a well-dressed middle-aged man stepped out.
The man strode inside unhurriedly, heading straight for Su Mo’s table. The moment he took his seat, the clock struck exactly 8:00 PM.
“You’re really punctual,” Su Mo remarked, impressed.
The man removed his hat and set it aside, smiling gracefully. “My apologies if I’ve kept you waiting, Miss Qingyi.”
Su Mo skipped the pleasantries. “Why did you call me here? And what did you mean by those things you said earlier?”
“My, Miss Qingyi is quite impatient.” The man chuckled, leisurely continuing, “First, I’d like you to watch this video.”
He handed Su Mo a phone. The footage showed him and Ye Qingyi entering the domain at Jingnan Third Hospital.
In the video, someone addressed him as Su Mo—and he responded.
So this was when they found out. Su Mo confirmed his earlier suspicion.
“What does this prove?”
The man maintained his polite smile. “The fact that you’re here speaks for itself.”
Su Mo took a deep breath, his voice low. “How did you figure it out?”
“Not me—someone else. The domain he created allows him to see souls directly…” The man trailed off, then suddenly locked eyes with Su Mo. “Now it’s my turn to ask questions, Miss Qingyi—no, Mr. Su.”
Confident he had leverage, the man spoke with unwavering assurance.
“What do you want to know?” Though uneasy, Su Mo forced himself to stay calm.
“Just one answer from you: Are you willing to join us?”
“Who’s us? What organization?”
“The Hundred Immortals Sect.”
What an edgy name. Su Mo internally scoffed. Do they all call themselves “Immortal This” or “Immortal That”?
Unexpectedly, the man continued, “Our sect members are rather refined—we often adopt immortal titles. For example, I go by Elegant Immortal.”
Pfft— Seriously?!
“Mr. Su, you strike me as a man of taste as well. Why not join us in pursuing the Dao of cultivation together?”
“Surely you know I’ve already joined the North Star Organization. I doubt I can also join your sect.” Su Mo, influenced by the man’s mannerisms, found himself using more formal speech.
“No matter. The Hundred Immortals Sect is open and inclusive. Many of our fellow Daoists belong to other factions—including the North Star Organization.”
Su Mo frowned. “What’s so special about me that you’d go to such lengths?”
The man paused for two seconds before replying solemnly, “Mr. Su, it seems you haven’t fully grasped your current identity.”
“What do you mean?”
The man took a sip of tea, his tone meaningful. “The Ye family’s young mistress of Jiang City isn’t just a pretty face.”
Ah. It dawned on Su Mo—they were after the Ye family’s influence, something he’d overlooked entirely.
“Of course, you yourself are also someone we wish to recruit. After all, an A-rank talent is rare and invaluable.”
“But the A-rank aptitude isn’t mine. If we swap back someday, everything I have now will disappear.”
“Which is precisely why I ask—why swap back? Things are perfectly fine as they are. You have the backing of a powerful family, exceptional innate talent, and limitless prospects…”
Su Mo cut him off. “I’m not interested in any of that.”
The man smirked knowingly. “Ah, you’re concerned about romantic pursuits, aren’t you? That’s hardly an issue in this day and age—society is quite open…”
“Stop, stop, stop.” Su Mo couldn’t take it anymore. He steered the conversation back. “If you can give me a way to swap our souls back, I might consider your offer.”
The man studied him for a long moment before answering, “That’s possible—but you’d have to do something for us first.”
“What is it?”
“We haven’t decided yet.”
Su Mo: “…”
The discussion ended in a stalemate.
Su Mo didn’t believe the Hundred Immortals Sect had the means to swap souls, and the self-proclaimed Elegant Immortal refused to divulge concrete information, offering only empty promises. With their goals irreconcilable, failure was inevitable.
As the man left, he offered one last reminder:
“I’d advise against letting anyone hear today’s recording. It wouldn’t end well for either of us.”
With that, he departed gracefully.
Only after the car had driven off did Su Mo realize something. He turned to see the server approaching—with the bill.
Damn it…
Gritting his teeth, Su Mo paid for the meal. Glancing at the untouched feast before him, he couldn’t bear to waste it and asked for a takeaway.
As he stepped outside, his phone rang—Ye Qingyi was calling.
Turns out, she’d been nearby the whole time, keeping her distance to avoid detection.
“Where are you? I’ll come find you. Let’s have a feast!”