At this moment, Shopkeeper Tian began introducing the items within the brocade boxes to Han Li:
“A set of Gold Mantis Mother-Child Blades—one mother blade and eight child blades. Crafted from refined iron and fine gold, they were forged day and night for three days by a Foundation Establishment expert. By wielding the mother blade, one can simultaneously control all eight child blades to attack the enemy, making them virtually impossible to defend against. They are exceptionally sharp,” he explained, pointing to a set of pale golden peculiar blades in one of the boxes.
Han Li remained silent. He reached out, picked up one of the child blades, examined it carefully for a moment, then nodded and set it back down.
“Black Iron Soaring Shield—an extremely rare defensive magical artifact. Refined from a large piece of black iron sourced from a frigid, Yin-rich land, it is not only incredibly sturdy and nearly indestructible but also automatically defends its user from all directions once activated with spiritual energy.” Shopkeeper Tian picked up a miniature iron shield, about the size of a palm, and handed it casually to Han Li for closer inspection.
Han Li took the shield, gently tracing the patterns on its surface. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, “May I test it with a spell?”
“Of course, Brother Li! Feel free to do so,” Shopkeeper Tian replied generously.
Taking him at his word, Han Li channeled his spiritual power steadily into the shield.
Instantly, the iron shield glowed with a dark light, expanded several times in the blink of an eye, lifted from his palm, and hovered in the air. It began circling slowly around him, its size perfectly suited to shield vital areas of his body.
A surge of delight filled Han Li’s heart. With a slight shift in focus, he found he could effortlessly control the shield’s movements—it was remarkably agile and responsive.
After testing it, Han Li was thoroughly satisfied. What he lacked most was precisely this kind of life-preserving magical artifact. With this shield, his chances of surviving the Blood禁 Trials would undoubtedly increase.
However, he made no immediate show of approval. Silently, he returned the shield to its box and waited expectantly for the next introduction.
Shopkeeper Tian showed no displeasure at Han Li’s reserved reaction. Instead, he enthusiastically moved on to the next item—a blue orb about the size of a pill.
“Heavenly Thunder Seed—forged centuries ago when a mysterious cultivator inadvertently captured and condensed heaven and earth’s lightning. Each pellet possesses immense power. It is said that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would be utterly annihilated if struck directly by this thunder. Originally, there were seventy-three pellets, but very few remain today. This one was obtained by our pavilion only with great difficulty.” As he finished, Shopkeeper Tian couldn’t help but show a hint of pride, underscoring the rarity and value of the thunder pearl.
Han Li’s expression shifted noticeably. Something capable of killing even a Foundation Establishment cultivator was truly a rare find—an opportunity not to be missed. If he could acquire it, it would serve as his ultimate trump card for the forbidden land expedition. However, its price was likely astronomical; otherwise, it would have been sold long ago.
After introducing the blue thunder pearl, Shopkeeper Tian fell silent. Instead of continuing, he gave Han Li a meaningful glance, picked up a cup of fragrant tea, and began sipping leisurely. Though there was still one tightly sealed brocade box on the table, he made no mention of it.
Han Li smiled faintly, well aware of Shopkeeper Tian’s intention. It was time to demonstrate his capability; otherwise, he wouldn’t be granted a look at the final treasure.
In preparation for this visit, Han Li had brought not only two thousand-year spirit herbs but also all his spirit stones—including two mid-grade spirit stones and nearly a hundred low-grade ones. However, he had no intention of spending the spirit stones recklessly. His real reliance was on the two spirit herbs.
To be honest, although Han Li knew that thousand-year spirit herbs were extremely rare in the current cultivation world and undoubtedly valuable, he wasn’t entirely sure of their exact worth or what kind of magical artifacts they could be exchanged for. However, he was confident that they would be more than enough to trade for the small shield and the Gold Mantis Mother-Child Blades. As for the Heavenly Thunder子 he coveted, he was less certain.
Instead of bluntly presenting both herbs, he first took out an exquisitely crafted small wooden box from his storage pouch—one of the herbs was placed inside. Han Li understood the principle that “fine feathers make fine birds” and knew that proper presentation could enhance the herb’s value, ensuring he wouldn’t be shortchanged.
Without opening the box, he handed it directly to Shopkeeper Tian.
Shopkeeper Tian, who had been discreetly observing Han Li’s actions, accepted the box without a word. After examining it briefly, he calmly lifted the lid.
“Eh?” Upon seeing the contents, Shopkeeper Tian looked momentarily stunned, then displeased. “Brother Li, are you planning to trade this Yellow Essence Lingzhi for our treasures? This isn’t particularly rare. Unless it’s a top-quality specimen over two or three hundred years old, it’s practically worthless,” he said coolly.
Han Li responded with a few cold chuckles, offering no explanation. Instead, he mimicked Shopkeeper Tian’s earlier demeanor, pouring himself a cup of fragrant tea and sipping it with apparent relish.
Seeing Han Li’s confident and unflustered attitude, Shopkeeper Tian grew suspicious. He focused intently, lowering his head to scrutinize the spirit herb in the box once more.
“Hiss…” As he looked, Shopkeeper Tian suddenly drew a sharp breath. In excitement, he shot up from his chair, carried the box to the best-lit spot in the room, and turned it over and over, examining it meticulously while muttering to himself, “Impossible… Could it truly be over a thousand years old? Or does it merely appear similar?”
Watching his reaction and hearing his words, Han Li finally felt relieved. He was now certain that the thousand-year spirit herb’s value exceeded his initial estimates—acquiring the thunder pearl seemed highly possible.
After a while, Shopkeeper Tian suddenly realized that his loss of composure had revealed more than he intended. But by this point, he could no longer bring himself to care. The item before him had completely captivated his attention. If it truly was the millennium-grade treasure he imagined it to be, he would spare no expense to keep it in the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion—it would bring endless benefits both to him and to the pavilion.
The only dilemma was that he had only heard of thousand-year spirit herbs and never seen one in person, making it impossible to definitively verify its age. Still, even if this Yellow Essence Ganoderma wasn’t a full millennium old, it was undoubtedly at least seven or eight hundred years old—still an immensely precious item. Of that, he was certain.
“Attendant!” After examining it for a long while, Shopkeeper Tian called out, summoning a young server from downstairs. “Please invite Elder Ding over. Tell him there’s a rare item that requires his expertise for appraisal,” he instructed gravely.
In the interim, Shopkeeper Tian and Han Li engaged in tacit small talk, carefully avoiding any mention of the spirit herb as if they had both forgotten about the box’s contents.
Before long, a gray-haired elder, supported by a young attendant, slowly made his way upstairs.
Shopkeeper Tian immediately rose respectfully to greet him, offering his seat to the elder while standing to the side—a clear sign of the elder’s esteemed status. However, Han Li could tell that, like Shopkeeper Tian, this elder was an ordinary mortal with no trace of a cultivator’s aura.
“Shopkeeper Tian, you’ve called this old man who’s half-buried already. Is there something even you cannot identify?” the elder wheezed slightly, his voice trembling as he spoke.
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