harleyscars Chapter 27 Trade Fair
Chapter 27 Trade Fair
Chapter 27 Trade Fair
Several days later, in a valley thirty miles from the northern corner of the lake,
Outside a misty array formed by dozens of ancient trees, Chen Yi, disguised as a young boy, activated the jade tablet in his hand with his innate true energy. Sure enough, a path appeared within the spiritual mist.
Following the passage through the mist, Chen Yi was able to enter after a hook-nosed cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining examined his jade token.
There are already more than a dozen people at the trade fair, men, women, young and old, most of them at the early stage of Qi Refining, but there are also some innate martial artists.
Several individuals exhibited significantly robust magical energy fluctuations, indicating they were at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Others, though possessing weak magical energy fluctuations, displayed a distinctly strong aura, suggesting they were innate martial artists.
Chen Yi, a young-looking innate martial artist, is considered one of the younger ones among them.
"Newcomer, register your name, write down the spirit item you want to trade, and hand over one spirit stone."
Chen Yi paid the spirit stones, registered under the name Xu Jiu, and the items traded were two bottles of Qi-restoring pills and a magic shield.
Before coming here, he went to the wilderness and took out the storage bags buried in the ground.
The other party tossed Chen Yi a plaque with the number "[B3]" written on it, then placed Chen Yi's trading request plaque together with the other plaques.
When Chen Yi looked at it, he saw that it listed all sorts of needs, including those selling spiritual fruits, semi-finished pills, and spiritual herbs, as well as those seeking to purchase various cultivation resources.
So that's how the transaction works. Everyone looks at the contents on the wooden plaques, then finds the one they like, and they chat privately. The organizer only takes a cut of one spirit stone.
Chen Yi read through them one by one, and one of them advertised the sale of incomplete cultivation manuals, named "Turtle Spirit Water and Wood Technique".
This piqued Chen Yi's interest.
When Chen Yi found the other party, he discovered that three people were already surrounding him, all of whom were clearly interested in the technique.
"Although this cultivation technique of mine is incomplete and only reaches the Qi Refining stage, its origin is extraordinary. It was obtained by a powerful being from the cave dwelling of an ancient cultivator. I won't sell it for less than 200 spirit stones!"
The person who boasted about the Turtle Spirit Water and Wood Technique was a middle-aged cultivator with a pale face and an extremely tired appearance. His magical power fluctuations were subtle yet powerful, indicating that he was at least at the fifth level of Qi Refining.
"Tch, a Qi cultivation technique selling for 200 spirit stones? Do you think it's some kind of superior technique from the Jade Dragon Sect?" someone scoffed.
The other person was much more composed, asking, "Could we inspect the goods first?"
"Can."
The man took out a jade tablet. "Those who are interested can use their spiritual sense to examine it. Inside is the introductory part of the cultivation technique. Those who know can tell how advanced this thing is just by looking at the spiritual energy flow path."
After everyone had looked through it, Chen Yi stepped forward.
"Fellow Daoist, may I have a look?"
The jade tablet felt cool to the touch, and Chen Yi slowly infused it with a wisp of innate true energy.
His true energy contained both water and wood attributes, subtly resonating with the restrictions within the jade tablet. In an instant, profound information about a cultivation technique flowed into his sea of consciousness like a gentle stream.
"This is..." Chen Yi's heart stirred.
The opening sequence of the cultivation technique, outlining the flow of spiritual energy, appears simple, yet it embodies a profound truth: simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
"It should indeed be the introductory part of some complex technique, simple yet profound."
Upon further contemplation, he was even more surprised to find that the technique's intent to conceal one's aura was not simply about hiding one's presence, but rather about perfectly integrating one's spiritual power with the surrounding environment, like a drop of water entering the sea, forming a seamless whole.
Although Chen Yi's Breath Concealment Technique had reached the peak of the first rank, it was still relatively crude in comparison. His Breath Concealment Technique was to forcibly suppress the fluctuations of his aura, while this "Turtle Spirit Water and Wood Technique" allowed the aura to flow naturally and resonate with heaven and earth.
This difference in their levels of understanding made Chen Yi immediately realize that the value of this incomplete scroll far exceeded his expectations.
The people nearby shared the same feeling, their expressions turning serious as they suppressed their disdain.
"200 spirit stones? That's too high. In this trading market, who can come up with 200 spirit stones?"
"Yes, could you make it cheaper so we can chip in and buy it together?"
The pale middle-aged man shook his head directly: "This jade tablet cannot be replicated. Once one person comprehends it, the divine sense inheritance inside will be consumed. If my spiritual root were not incompatible with it, I would never sell it. Joint purchase is not an option."
As for the price, it will be a maximum of 180 spirit stones; I won't sell it for less than that. Besides, someone already offered 160 spirit stones last month.
Seeing this, the group could only shake their heads, looking regretful.
Chen Yi was calculating the spirit stones in his mind. He had earned 45 spirit stones from killing the mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator. If two bottles of Qi Recovery Pills cost 10 spirit stones each, then that bronze shield would need to sell for at least 120 spirit stones.
Although the bronze shield was good, Chen Yi had tried it and found that his current skin defense was not much different from that shield. Moreover, it was stolen property from the Dong family, so he dared not use it. He might as well sell it and change his cultivation technique.
As for the intact Swiftness Talisman on his body, it was a life-saving item that he didn't intend to sell.
Just as he expected, several people came to his sign to inquire about the price, and the two bottles of Qi-restoring pills quickly sold for 12 spirit stones each.
As for the shield, many people are interested and want to see it.
Even a damaged defensive magical artifact is extremely rare at this kind of trade fair.
Many people came to see the goods, but after hearing the price, they shook their heads and said they couldn't afford them.
One of the burly men lingered beside Chen Yi, unwilling to leave. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was around, he lowered his voice and said to Chen Yi:
"Young man, I like your shield more and more the more I look at it. Fifty spirit stones, direct trade, how about it?" He rubbed his thumb against the hilt of the short sword at his waist, the dark red bloodstains on the scabbard clearly visible.
Chen Yi shook his head.
"70 spirit stones, plus I'll guarantee your safety for the next thirty miles of mountain road after the trade fair ends."
As he spoke, he released a surge of spiritual energy at the fifth level of Qi Refining, and the short sword at his waist flashed with murderous intent, heading straight for Chen Yi's crown.
If it were an ordinary innate martial artist, their will might have already been damaged by the baleful aura.
Chen Yi, however, used his innate true energy to push it back.
Upon seeing this, the surrounding cultivators silently stepped back a few paces.
Chen Yi naturally understood the threat in the other party's words. If he didn't agree, his life might be in danger after leaving the trade fair.
Chen Yi sneered at this.
He shouted directly at the manager, "Manager, someone here is threatening me, trying to force me to buy something!"
Not far away, the gray-robed elder, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, unleashing a wave of pressure from someone at the sixth level of Qi Refining. The burly man's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly withdrew his hand, forcing a smile: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! I was just joking with this young man."
"Get out!" A beam of green light shot out from the gray-robed old man's sleeve, transforming into ropes that bound the burly man tightly.
The burly man, who had been thrown out of the formation, looked back with resentment, only to see Chen Yi obediently bowing and thanking the old man.
Chen Yi had observed the area beforehand and deliberately chose to display the bronze shield near the gray-robed old man because he had sensed the old man's powerful cultivation and that the old man was not interested in the transaction, but instead kept scanning the passing cultivators with his spiritual sense.
Every word the burly man uttered to threaten Chen Yi was clearly seen by the other party.
Half the night had passed, and quite a few people had come to look at Chen Yi's shield, but the highest bid was only 100 spirit stones. It wasn't that the shield was worthless, but rather that the cultivators at this trade fair were of such low level that there were too few people with spirit stones.
In the end, only the pale-faced man lingered near Chen Yi, refusing to leave.
The pale-faced man telepathically discussed with Chen Yi whether a direct transaction was possible.
It turned out that the pale-faced man was also interested in Chen Yi's shield.
The two went to a corner to discuss for a while. After negotiating the price, they traded the cultivation technique jade token for a small bronze shield plus 60 spirit stones. After telling Chen Yi how to unlock the jade token's restrictions, the other party hurriedly left.
After obtaining the cultivation technique, Chen Yi quietly moved around the trade fair, disappearing into a corner unnoticed by anyone.
He transformed into the appearance of a hunched old man, and left quickly and discreetly, disappearing into the mountains and forests.
Some cultivators who were watching Chen Yi lost track of him for a moment.
Even the burly man who was waiting outside the trade fair did not spot Chen Yi.
(End of this chapter)