Han Li curiously examined the items on the stall, gently sweeping his spiritual sense over them.
Among the two items, the branch contained an extremely faint trace of wood-attribute spiritual energy but was saturated with an intense thunder-attribute force, as if the entire branch had been condensed from lightning itself. This left him greatly astonished!
It reminded him of the Heavenly Lightning Bamboo he had encountered in the past.
However, even the ten-thousand-year-old Golden Lightning Bamboo did not possess such a violent thunder-attribute force, as the Evil-Warding Divine Lightning was usually deeply restrained.
As for the other item—a blood-red crystal—it reeked of a foul, bloody stench, resembling the inner core of some beast, though its exact origin was impossible to discern.
Han Li was somewhat intrigued by the branch, but after observing it for a while, he quietly moved on to the next stall.
The next stall was set up by a demonic cultivator, with a blackish ore the size of a human head placed in front, emanating a bone-chilling cold.
……
In this manner, Han Li strolled leisurely, passing by each stall one by one. Whenever he encountered something unfamiliar or of interest, he would pause briefly to examine it carefully.
Yet, from start to finish, he never uttered a single word, treating the stall owners as if they were invisible.
Soon, Han Li had inspected all the stalls, feeling a slight disappointment in his heart.
Although the items on display were all rare and precious, none had truly captured his interest.
A few of the items, despite originating from the untamed wilderness, were rather obscure and only useful to specific groups.
Han Li swept his gaze around, hesitating whether to leave the Great Profound Hall, when suddenly, footsteps approached from behind. Someone was walking toward him.
With a faint ripple of white light around him, Han Li eerily turned to face the newcomer, who halted in surprise at his swift reaction.
This was a demonic cultivator shrouded in black mist, their figure appearing rather slender as they scrutinized Han Li.
Both of them were concealed by secret techniques, revealing nothing more than faint, blurry silhouettes.
“May I ask what advice you have for me?” Han Li spoke first, his tone indifferent.
“Fellow Daoist, have you failed to find anything suitable?” The demonic cultivator within the black mist chuckled lightly, their voice pleasant and melodious—clearly a woman.
“Indeed, there is nothing here that catches my eye. Why do you ask?” Han Li countered.
“It seems you are truly visiting the Great Profound Hall for the first time. In truth, the truly valuable items exchanged between our two races are not displayed openly but are instead traded privately, one-on-one,” the woman replied unhurriedly.
“Why go to such lengths? Wouldn’t it be easier to find suitable buyers if they were displayed openly?” Han Li frowned.
“Are you truly unaware, or are you feigning ignorance? Displaying truly precious items, even with the Concealing Light Pendant and Mist Cloud Banner masking one’s identity, makes one an easy target for covetous eyes. Moreover, some items are simply too hot to handle, making it unwise to let too many know of their whereabouts. Enough talk—do you wish to trade or not?” The demonic woman’s voice grew colder, impatience creeping in.
“If you truly possess something valuable, I am naturally willing to trade. However, why have you approached me specifically?” Han Li agreed readily but suddenly posed another question.
“Isn’t it obvious? The way you meticulously examined the items on display suggests you are a newcomer to Sky Abyss City. Though your cultivation is concealed, careful observation reveals you are a Deity Transformation cultivator—precisely the kind of person suitable for my trade. Besides, you are not the first I’ve approached. Tell me, what do you have that would interest our demonic race? I carry not only my own items but also those entrusted to me by many of my kin. So, if you have anything good, don’t hesitate to present it,” the demonic woman replied frankly, unbothered.
Hearing this, Han Li chuckled lightly, the corners of his lips curling.
“I do indeed possess items suitable for your race. But shouldn’t you first give me a hint of what you have to offer?”
“Hmph, I have everything from spiritual medicines and materials to human treasures and ancient artifacts. What do you desire?” The demonic woman snorted coldly.
“I have no need for finished treasures, but I am interested in materials. Do you happen to have the spiritual blood of a True Toad Beast? I am in urgent need of it,” Han Li asked, his eyes flickering.
“True Toad spiritual blood? Heh, you certainly know how to pick. True Toad fluid is not only useful to humans but also highly valuable to us demons. Who would trade such a thing in the Great Profound Hall?” The demonic woman was momentarily stunned but then shook her head repeatedly.
“In that case, do you have any of the following? Five-thousand-year-old Golden Grass…” Han Li paid no heed to her sarcasm and proceeded to list several other materials he lacked for his pill recipes.
The demonic woman’s expression darkened as she listened to the first few items. By the time Han Li finished, she remained silent for a long moment before speaking unhappily, “Don’t even think about it. These materials, which can enhance cultivation, are only found in the untamed wilderness and are in short supply even among us demons. Even if we had them, we wouldn’t trade them to humans.”
“There’s no need to be hasty. I don’t necessarily require fully matured spiritual medicines—seeds or young plants would suffice, and I am willing to pay a high price,” Han Li replied calmly, unfazed.
“If that’s the case, it might not be entirely impossible. However, it would still be quite troublesome, and I currently have none on hand,” the demonic woman hesitated slightly, not outright rejecting the idea.
“If you can truly gather these items, I will return to this place to trade with you,” Han Li said, delighted.
“Very well. I can only attempt this, as wilderness spiritual herbs—even seeds or seedlings—are extremely rare, and few are willing to sell them. But if I do manage to find them, what exactly do you intend to offer in exchange? If it’s spirit stones, forget it. Even high-grade spirit stones are of no use to me,” the demonic woman declared haughtily.
Han Li’s expression remained unchanged, but his lips moved slightly as he transmitted a few words via voice transmission.
“What? You truly possess ten-thousand-year-old spiritual medicine?!” The woman within the black mist shuddered, her voice suddenly brimming with excitement.
“If you can procure the items I need, I naturally have such treasures to offer,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.
“If you have such medicine, why not refine it into pills yourself? Why trade it with me for these things?” The demonic woman’s initial joy gave way to suspicion.
“My affairs are none of your concern. If you find the terms agreeable, you may gather the items I need. The next time I return, we can proceed with the trade. Consider this plant as my deposit,” Han Li said sternly. With a flick of his wrist over his storage bracelet, a half-foot-long wooden box appeared in his hand, which he casually tossed over.
The demonic woman within the black mist was taken aback but instinctively caught the box. Her expression flickered uncertainly as she cracked it open slightly, her spiritual sense swiftly scanning the contents.
A soft exclamation escaped her lips as she scrutinized the item inside for a long moment before slowly closing the box, her expression turning grave.
“You truly intend to use this as a deposit? Aren’t you afraid I might take it and never return?” she asked coldly.
“It’s merely a three-thousand-year-old spiritual herb. First, I trust someone of your status wouldn’t stoop to such deceit. Second, this serves as proof of my sincerity in conducting this trade. If you can indeed procure the items as promised, I will honor my word regarding the ten-thousand-year-old medicine,” Han Li replied indifferently.
“It seems you are indeed sincere. However, the items you seek cannot be obtained quickly. Give me a few years, and I will gather two or three of them for you,” the woman said confidently, tucking the box away without ceremony.
“Excellent. Then I shall await your good news,” Han Li said, clasping his hands slightly in acknowledgment, inwardly pleased.
To him, a mere few-thousand-year-old spiritual herb was nothing special, and using it to secure the other party’s trust was a trivial cost. Moreover, he was confident that the promise of a ten-thousand-year-old herb would motivate this demonic cultivator to wholeheartedly seek out the items he needed.
For Han Li, who wished to avoid drawing excessive attention among the humans, this was the perfect approach.
The demonic woman nodded and turned to leave without another word.
Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the faint, slender figure within the black mist before suddenly turning and heading toward the entrance, seemingly intent on leaving the grand hall.
However, as he passed the first human cultivator’s stall, his gaze lingered on the emerald-green branch once more. His steps halted subconsciously, and after a brief hesitation, he turned and approached.
“What is the origin of this item? Could you enlighten me?” Han Li asked indifferently as he reached the stall. With a casual grab, the emerald-green branch flew into his hand, and he ran his fingers over it.
“Its origin? I personally witnessed a bolt of heavenly lightning strike a withered spiritual tree, causing it to sprout and grow this section of spiritual wood. As for its exact origin or purpose, I cannot say,” a hoarse, aged voice emerged from the white mist, indicating the stall owner was an elderly man.
“Heavenly lightning giving birth to wood—how intriguing,” Han Li murmured, turning the branch over in his hand several times.
“Heh, it is indeed peculiar. But to be frank, the thunder energy within is far too violent—it cannot be forcibly absorbed into the body nor used for artifact refinement. The only hope is that some demonic cultivator might take an interest. Do you fancy it, Fellow Daoist?” The old man chuckled.
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