Emerging from the somewhat dark passage of the city gate, blinding sunlight poured down from the horizon. The bustling noise once again filled his ears, like an enchanting melody, causing Xiao Yan’s brows to furrow slightly. His half-closed gaze slowly lifted, and he gazed at the enormous inner city in front of him, as well as the crowded pedestrians on the broad streets. Xiao Yan couldn’t help but let out a soft whistle of admiration. The scale of Black Emperor City was no smaller than that of the capital of the Jia Ma Empire. In fact, in some aspects, even the capital of the Jia Ma Empire could not match it. After all, what Black Emperor City possessed, the capital completely lacked.
“Where do we go next?” Little Healer Immortal’s eyes moved around, and she asked softly.
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then replied, “Let’s first visit some of the larger medicinal stores in the city. Within the Black-Corner Region, there are many rare and precious herbs that are seldom seen outside. If we are lucky, we might be able to get some of the herbs we need. And we should also inquire about the Bodhi Body Transformation Saliva. I have no definite information about this item, so we can only ask around.”
“Okay.” Little Healer Immortal nodded slightly, having no objections.
“By the way, if you encounter such people again, just use your strength as you see fit. Here in the Black-Corner Region, such situations are normal, and no one will blame you for it…” Xiao Yan strolled toward the wide street, speaking casually.
A brief moment of surprise flashed across Little Healer Immortal’s face, followed by a charming smile. She nodded, then pulled Zi Yan along, quickly following him.
The three of them slowly walked through the vast Black Emperor City. Through their firsthand experience, they now understood just how many people had come to the city for the large auction.
On the street, the sounds of yelling and shouting incessantly filled their ears. Shops of various sizes lined both sides of the street, and without exception, these shops were bustling with people coming and going. The grandeur of the auction had brought a huge influx of people and profits to Black Emperor City.
Xiao Yan and his companions walked leisurely on the street, their gazes continuously scanning the shops on either side. Along the way, they saw many medicinal shops and even entered a few to ask and take a look. However, these shops were not particularly large, and none of them had the herbs Xiao Yan needed.
Although they had not found anything, Xiao Yan did not become anxious. The herbs he needed were quite rare, and even though the Black-Corner Region was rich in resources, it was impossible to collect them all at once.
After walking for a while and turning two more streets, Xiao Yan and his companions finally stopped in front of a massive pharmacy building. The pharmacy was called “Thousand Herbs Hall,” and its scale was enormous—it was the largest shop they had seen since entering the city. It seemed that the shop had a good reputation in Black Emperor City, as the entrance was packed with people, and the sound of commotion and yelling never ceased.
Standing outside “Thousand Herbs Hall,” Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before leading Little Healer Immortal and Zi Yan into the crowd. Releasing a burst of powerful fighting qi, he gently pushed aside the people blocking their path, like a fork separating the waters, and the three of them advanced unobstructed.
Upon entering Thousand Herbs Hall, the clamor and shouting abruptly diminished. A thick, fragrant mix of countless herbs filled the air, so strong that it made Xiao Yan sneeze.
Rubbing his nose, Xiao Yan looked around and saw that the spacious hall was filled with numerous transparent counters. Inside the counters, various herbs were neatly arranged. At the moment, crowds of people surrounded these counters.
The hall was divided into a medicinal herbs area and a pill area. The pill area was obviously more crowded. For those who lived on the edge in the Black-Corner Region, a life-saving or critical situation pill was much more valuable than raw herbs that could not be consumed directly.
However, as an alchemist, Xiao Yan was more interested in the raw herbs. After all, with the right herbs, he could make any pill.
As he tugged at the little nose-sniffing Zi Yan, Xiao Yan and his companions slowly approached a crystal counter. He took a quick glance over.
“Qinglan Grass… Phoenix Fire Phosphorus Fruit…”
Looking at the herbs in the counter, Xiao Yan recognized them at a glance and shook his head slightly. Although these things were not ordinary, they were still far from the level of herbs he needed.
“The Black-Corner Region really has a reason to attract outsiders. Just these herbs would be considered treasures in other places, but here, they are casually displayed for sale…” As a poison expert, Little Healer Immortal was familiar with these herbs and sighed softly.
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, about to speak, when a voice came from the side, “Three honored guests, may I ask what herbs you are looking for? Our Thousand Herbs Hall is one of the most prominent pharmacies in Black Emperor City. I’m sure you can find what you need here.”
Xiao Yan raised his head and saw an old man appearing at the counter. Judging by his robes, he was part of the pharmacy. Without further ado, Xiao Yan took a white paper from his storage ring, on which were written the main ingredients for the Heaven Soul Blood Integration Pill.
The old man accepted the white paper with both hands, gave it a cursory glance, and then paused, giving Xiao Yan another look. “Sir, are you an alchemist?”
“Why? Can’t an alchemist buy herbs here?” Xiao Yan responded calmly.
“Hehe, please don’t misunderstand. I am also a Level 2 Alchemist. These herbs seem familiar to me,” the old man said with a smile.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan understood. The properties of different herbs were distinct, and laymen would have difficulty distinguishing them. But with Xiao Yan’s alchemic skills, he had naturally grouped the herbs with similar properties together when writing them down. He hadn’t expected the old man to notice so carefully…
“Well, I am… Do you have these herbs?”
“Hehe, there are eight herbs listed. We have the first five, but they are extremely expensive. Combined, they would cost around two million gold coins. But the last three, Qianling Ginseng, Magic Spirit Valley Grass, and Jade Bone Fruit, are extremely hard to find,” the old man said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief, but also felt a hint of disappointment. Although the first five herbs were rare, they were not too difficult to find. The last three, however, proved elusive, and even here, they were not available.
“Can you fetch the first five herbs for me? I’ll search for the last three elsewhere.”
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan calculated the gold coins in his storage card. The majority of the proceeds from the medicinal pill auction held by the Xiao Sect had been saved, and there were about four million gold coins left. This was just enough to buy the herbs.
“Hehe, sir, do you really need these three herbs?” The old man smiled and nodded, instructing a waitress to fetch the herbs, then turned to Xiao Yan.
“Do you have a way to get them?”
At this, Xiao Yan’s eyebrows twitched, feeling a bit surprised.
“Hehe, I didn’t say we don’t have them; I just said these herbs are very rare. But usually, such high-value herbs are not for sale. They are kept on the second floor, and are much more valuable than the ones on the first floor. However, to obtain them, you must provide a pill of equal value, rather than using gold coins,” the old man explained with a smile.
“Then, the second floor is exclusively for alchemists, right?”
“Oh?” Hearing this strange rule, Xiao Yan felt a bit surprised, but quickly understood. When items were of a certain value, gold coins could not measure their worth, and other items of equal value were needed to exchange for them.
“Would you like to go up to the second floor and take a look? The herbs there are much rarer than the ones here. Perhaps you will find the three herbs you need.”
Xiao Yan thought for a moment and then nodded. The last three herbs were very rare, and if he could find them here, it would save him a lot of time. Plus, according to the old man, the second floor had even more rare items, and he might even gather some information about the Bodhi Body Transformation Saliva.
“If that’s the case, please lead the way.”
“Hehe, I have to remind you, the herbs you need may cost at least a Level 4 or even a Level 5 pill. If you cannot make a pill of that level, then…” The old man’s smile widened as he spoke, noticing Xiao Yan’s nod.
Xiao Yan did not bat an eyelid and said flatly, “Lead the way.”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s expression, the old man’s eyes gleamed with a strange light, and a hint of respect appeared on his face. He then bowed humbly and led the way.
“Let’s go. Let’s see if we can find what we need on the second floor.”
Xiao Yan turned to Little Healer Immortal and Zi Yan with a smile and took the first step, following the old man. As an alchemist, the allure of rare herbs was even greater than that of pills.
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