A month later, in a seemingly ordinary small town, people with strange horns on their heads and scales on their faces and limbs could be seen walking up and down the streets.
Additionally, a sparse few individuals with exceptionally powerful auras, all using various methods to conceal their appearances, appeared on the main eastern street dedicated to selling goods. They occasionally entered and exited some obscure shops that were rarely frequented.
“What? Senior wants twenty thousand jin of Wind Essence Gold?” In a dimly lit shop, a middle-aged shopkeeper with short purple horns on his head looked at the customer before him in astonishment.
Although the recent surge of extravagant transactions had somewhat desensitized him, the sheer quantity of materials requested by the person before him still left him somewhat shocked.
“What, can’t you provide it? I’ve heard that this shop is famous on Dragon Island for selling Wind Essence Gold. Surely you can’t be unable to supply this amount?” The person standing before the shopkeeper spoke in a low voice, his entire body shrouded in a faint cyan glow, making it impossible to discern his appearance or age, giving off an exceptionally mysterious aura.
“If Senior had come half a month ago, our shop could have gathered such a large quantity of Wind Essence Gold. But now, our inventory only has eight thousand jin left. The rest was purchased by several other seniors half a month ago,” the middle-aged shopkeeper replied respectfully.
Given the attire and the extravagant spending of such individuals, there was no doubt they were powerful beings from other realms outside the island. As a mid-tier dragon-man with only a trace of true dragon bloodline, he naturally dared not show any disrespect.
“Eight thousand jin will do. I’ll take the rest. Here’s the payment!” The figure in the cyan glow hesitated only briefly before making his decision. With a flick of his sleeve, a ring flew out.
“Very well, Senior. Please wait a moment. I’ll have someone bring the materials immediately.” The shopkeeper quickly inspected the contents of the storage ring and promptly agreed.
He then took out a disk-shaped artifact from his person, whispered a few words into it, and waited with the customer.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a tall young dragon-man emerged from a small hidden formation in another room at the back of the shop.
He swiftly entered the shop, took out three identical cyan storage bracelets from his chest, and handed them all to the middle-aged shopkeeper.
“Senior, please verify the quantity to ensure it’s correct,” the shopkeeper said, immediately presenting the newly acquired storage bracelets to the customer.
“I trust your clan’s reputation. There’s no need to check.” The figure in the cyan glow spoke indifferently. With a slight movement of his arm, a wave of cyan light swept out, pulling the three storage bracelets into his grasp. Without further inspection, he turned and left, leaving the two dragon-men in the shop exchanging bewildered glances.
“This person has such boldness. He didn’t even glance at such a large quantity of Wind Essence Gold,” the tall young dragon-man remarked with a sigh.
“What do you know? These people who can come to Dragon Island must have some connection with the true dragons on the island. Moreover, at their level of cultivation, do you think they’d fear being cheated by a shop like ours? If they reported it to the island’s enforcers, do you think we’d get off lightly?” The middle-aged shopkeeper rolled his eyes.
After a moment of reflection, the young dragon-man nodded in realization.
At the same time, a streak of cyan light descended onto a mountain outside the town. As the glow dissipated, it revealed a man in cyan robes—Han Li.
He took out the three storage bracelets again, inspected them briefly, and nodded in satisfaction. With another surge of light, he transformed into a cyan rainbow and shot off toward another direction on Dragon Island.
—
Three months later.
A cyan streak streaked across the sky above a crimson mountain range. After several flashes, it abruptly descended into an ordinary valley below.
At the center of the valley, on an unobstructed platform, sat five individuals of varying appearances and attire:
A girl who appeared no older than seven or eight, an old man with jade-green skin, a middle-aged couple in their thirties, and a burly man covered in silver patterns.
The cyan streak circled once in the air before landing precisely at the center of the platform, from which Han Li emerged.
Han Li swept his gaze over the others present, smiled faintly, and sat cross-legged not far from the young girl.
None of those present showed any surprise at Han Li’s arrival, all remaining silent and motionless.
After a short while, a five-colored rainbow streaked across the distant sky, arriving above the valley in a few flashes. As the light faded, it revealed a beautiful woman draped in a rainbow-colored gown.
The woman descended gracefully onto the platform, her expression cold as she glanced around before settling into an unoccupied corner.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s begin the exchange. If no one objects, this old man will start first to set the tone,” the jade-green-skinned elder said slowly, rising to his feet as the woman took her seat.
“If Fellow Daoist wishes to go first, by all means.”
“In such exchanges, the order hardly matters.”
—
None of the others, including Han Li, voiced any objections—some agreed outright, while others remained silent in tacit approval.
Without further ado, the old man flicked his sleeve. A loud rumble echoed as a rectangular stone table glowing with white light emerged from the ground. With another flip of his palm, over a dozen items materialized steadily on the table amidst flashes of spiritual light.
Han Li’s gaze sharpened as he took in the items.
Aside from a few objects stored in jade boxes or wooden cases, most were rare treasures seldom seen in the Spirit Realm. Among them were even a few items he couldn’t identify.
“These items of mine are to be exchanged for Ten-Thousand-Year Yin Marrow, Xuanyuan Wood, or Nine-Orifice Spirit Jade. Of course, if anyone has a fragment of a Profound Heavenly Treasure, this old man will ensure they leave satisfied,” the elder said calmly, pointing at the jade boxes and wooden cases to open them.
After examining the items on the table, the others either remained expressionless or frowned slightly, but none spoke up immediately.
“What, do none of these items meet your standards? If so, I’ll pack them up and let the next Fellow Daoist take the stage,” the elder said impatiently after waiting a while.
“No need to rush, Fellow Daoist. I happen to have a piece of Xuanyuan Wood here, though I’m not sure if it meets your requirements,” the young girl suddenly spoke, her voice sweet and delicate. With a wave of her small hand, a blackish object flew out.
The elder’s face lit up with delight as he caught the object mid-air. However, after a brief inspection, his expression turned slightly disappointed.
“This piece of Xuanyuan Wood is slightly lacking in age and size. What would you like to exchange it for?” the elder asked after some thought.
“I’d like to trade it for one of the Taiyi Pills on the table,” the girl replied bluntly, pointing at a jade box.
“A Taiyi Golden Pill is roughly equivalent in value. Very well, I accept!” The elder agreed without hesitation.
The girl curled her lips slightly and hooked a finger toward the jade box. A golden pill rose into the air and flew straight to her. She caught it, stored it away, and sat back down as if nothing had happened.
“I’m quite interested in this jade tablet. Would you accept a bottle of Filthy Yin Liquid, comparable to Ten-Thousand-Year Yin Marrow, in exchange?” the man from the middle-aged couple spoke up.
“Agreed,” the elder replied after a brief consideration.
Over time, the others also began making exchanges, and soon, most of the items on the table had been traded away. Han Li himself acquired a peculiar material that seemed neither metal nor stone.
After asking three times and confirming no further trades, the elder packed up the remaining items with some satisfaction.
“Who’d like to go next?” someone asked lazily.
“If no one objects, I’ll take the stage,” Han Li said with a faint smile, rising to his feet after a moment of contemplation.
—
Four months later.
On a massive golden ship floating atop a vast lake, nearly a hundred guards clad in silver armor patrolled the vicinity.
In the lavishly decorated hall on the ship’s top deck, Han Li sat facing a golden-robed elder. Behind the elder stood a silver-robed youth with a pale complexion and a faint smile—none other than Fan Paozi, who had invited Han Li to Dragon Island.
“So, Fellow Daoist Han wishes to inspect the items I’ve prepared before deciding whether to trade the True Soul Pill,” the golden-robed elder said. With a pair of purple horns similar to Fan Paozi’s, a square face, and sword-like brows, his mere presence exuded an imposing aura.
“Elder Jin, please forgive my caution. Over these past months, I’ve traversed most of Dragon Island and acquired many rare materials from fellow cultivators, reaping considerable rewards. However, I’ve yet to encounter anything comparable to the True Soul Pill. Thus, I’m naturally curious about what you’ve prepared,” Han Li replied calmly.
The golden-robed elder was none other than the Golden Great Elder of the True Dragon Clan.
“Heh, it’s only natural for you to think so. To be honest, this True Soul Pill holds little use for our True Dragon Clan. I intend to use it to repay a great debt owed to an old friend. As for the items I’ve prepared for the exchange, I assure you they will satisfy you. Fan Paozi, bring them out,” Elder Jin said with a faint smile, showing no displeasure.
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