“This ring has not yet been bound to a master, so I can only demonstrate a limited number of its abilities. However, all present are discerning individuals, and none would be fooled by a counterfeit. I intend to exchange this ring for a bottle of cultivation-enhancing elixirs suitable for the Nascent Soul stage. If anyone has such an item, please let me examine it.” The woman calmly spoke as she shrank the Immortal-Binding Ring back to palm size and held it in her hand.
Although every cultivator present already possessed their own life-bound treasures, it wasn’t impossible for them to cultivate additional magical artifacts. Moreover, an unbound treasure like this could also be acquired for disciples or subordinates. A treasure personally forged by a Nascent Soul cultivator was naturally far superior to those crafted by ordinary Core Formation cultivators.
Most cultivators were not skilled in artifact forging, and even reaching the Nascent Soul stage didn’t change that. Thus, as soon as this treasure was presented, many were tempted to make an exchange. The woman selected one of the offered elixirs and completed the trade smoothly.
It seemed that while the Immortal-Binding Ring was far less valuable than the Scarlet Essence Mushroom, it was ironically much easier to trade.
Next, before Tianjing Zhenren could call upon him, another cultivator stood up voluntarily. “What I have to offer this time is a box of Starsteel Sand. I intend to exchange it for…”
The exchange meeting proceeded without a hitch, with each Nascent Soul cultivator presenting rare and extraordinary items, far surpassing anything Han Li had ever seen in the market. Any single one of these treasures would bankrupt an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, and even then, they might not be able to acquire it.
At their level, it seemed only fellow Nascent Soul cultivators could offer suitable items for exchange.
Of course, not everyone succeeded. A few failed because their offerings were too obscure, or because what they sought was exceedingly rare. However, these Nascent Soul veterans were all shrewd individuals, and blatantly unfair trades were virtually impossible.
Fire Dragon Child and Lü Luo went before Han Li, each presenting their own items for exchange.
Fire Dragon Child produced a three-colored flower the size of a bowl, a rare alchemical ingredient, though not as valuable as the Scarlet Essence Mushroom. He sought a material called “Poison Rune Wood,” but no one present had it. Disappointed, he had no choice but to sit back down.
Lü Luo, on the other hand, succeeded in his exchange, trading a bottle of an unknown spiritual herb extract for an unbound fiery-red short sword. It was unclear whom he intended it for, given his age, as it was unlikely he would spend time refining it himself.
Once Lü Luo finished, it was Han Li’s turn. Having recently acquired the Scarlet Essence Mushroom from the robed cultivator, he drew a few extra glances as he stood up.
Han Li rose expressionlessly, holding two pale-white jade boxes in his hands. “I have two sixth-grade demon cores, one of water and one of fire attributes, along with two stalks of Thousand Spirit Grass. I seek a piece of Refined Gold Essence. If no one has it, information on its whereabouts will suffice, and I will exchange for one item from these boxes.”
As he spoke, a flash of cyan light accompanied the opening of both boxes, revealing the red and blue demon cores and the vibrant green spiritual herbs to the gathered cultivators.
“Refined Gold Essence?” The moment Han Li uttered these words, the surrounding cultivators exchanged odd glances. While the demon cores and thousand-year spiritual herbs were valuable, they paled in comparison to Refined Gold Essence. At best, they might fetch a pea-sized fragment—hardly enough for anything substantial. Yet, offering such treasures merely for information seemed overly generous.
After all, everyone knew that information was one thing, but actually obtaining the treasure was another. Many legendary materials and ancient ruins were common knowledge, but their locations were either perilous or outright inaccessible, even for the most powerful cultivators.
The most famous example was the Devilfall Valley in the heart of the South Heaven Continent.
Rumored to be an ancient battlefield, it was said that during the primordial era, numerous mighty demonic cultivators had set up formidable arrays and restrictions, engaging in inexplicable battles within. Their powers were so overwhelming that they tore open spatial rifts, destabilizing the entire valley. In the end, all perished together.
The chaotic space and ancient restrictions turned the battlefield into a death trap, earning Devilfall Valley its reputation as the most dangerous place in South Heaven. Over the millennia, countless high-level cultivators, lured by the treasures and techniques of the ancient cultivators, ventured inside—only to never return.
Thus, over a thousand high-level cultivators had perished in the valley, their treasures lost within. For the past ten thousand years, no one dared test their luck, solidifying Devilfall Valley’s infamy.
As a result, while every cultivator in South Heaven knew of the valley’s treasures, none dared to seek them, resigned to mere fantasies.
However, it seemed Refined Gold Essence was truly obscure, as none of the cultivators present responded to Han Li’s offer.
Disappointed, Han Li suppressed a sigh. He hadn’t brought out more valuable treasures precisely because he knew a single exchange meeting was unlikely to yield what he sought. To avoid drawing attention, he had deliberately offered lesser items. Yet, even among so many Nascent Soul cultivators, no one had even a lead. It was disheartening.
He scanned the room casually, his brow furrowing slightly as a flicker of surprise crossed his face. However, he sat down without hesitation.
The next cultivator promptly produced a lump of dark forging material and began introducing it.
Han Li paid little attention, closing his eyes to ponder.
If he hadn’t misread it, when his gaze had swept over Tianjing Zhenren earlier, the old man’s eyes had betrayed a hint of hesitation. It seemed Tianjing Zhenren either possessed Refined Gold Essence or knew of its whereabouts.
Han Li didn’t dwell on it, quickly reaching a conclusion. However, being a patient man, he didn’t immediately send a voice transmission to inquire. Instead, he feigned ignorance and sat back down. He was confident that with this clue, he could eventually extract the information he needed—when the time was right.
After a while, the final cultivator concluded their exchange.
Tianjing Zhenren returned to the center and smiled. “It seems most of you have obtained what you sought. For those who haven’t, don’t worry—only a fraction of the Nascent Soul cultivators in Tianjing City have arrived. There will be more opportunities. In fact, I myself will host a larger exchange meeting soon, and I hope you all will attend. But before that, I have a few items of my own to trade.”
With that, white light flickered around his hands as he retrieved seven or eight items from his storage pouch, covering the table before him.
The other cultivators gasped in astonishment at the sight. Han Li’s expression shifted dramatically when he saw them.
On the table lay seven or eight puppet beasts of varying sizes—a white wolf, a green python, a red bull, and others.
Though lifeless, they emitted astonishing spiritual energy, far surpassing the giant ape puppet in Han Li’s storage pouch. They seemed comparable to early Core Formation cultivators, yet they didn’t match any type recorded in his Puppet Arts Scripture. This left Han Li both shocked and suspicious.
Could this man also be from the Thousand Bamboo Sect? But didn’t the sect lack cultivators beyond the Nascent Soul stage? Or was he practicing a different form of puppetry?
Lost in thought, Han Li scrutinized the puppets, searching for clues.
Before he could spot anything unusual, the plump cultivator from the Harmony Sect chuckled. “Oh? Fellow Daoist Tianjing, when did you take up puppetry? Are you abandoning your Crystal Light Art? If so, I, Old Ju, must express my utmost admiration!”
“Brother Ju jests,” Tianjing Zhenren replied with a smile. “At my age, how could I switch cultivation methods? These puppets were discovered in an ancient ruin alongside a few fellow Daoists not long ago. Now, in need of resources, I offer them for trade. While their power may not be significant for our level, they can be quite effective in certain situations.”
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