Han Li, seeing the old man’s eagerness, gave a faint smile and casually retrieved a storage pouch containing materials from his person. He pointed the pouch’s opening toward the ground and gave it a light shake. A flash of white light later, materials from the white spider and mantis were scattered all over the floor.
“And these are…” Shopkeeper Xu bent down to pick up one of the white spider’s limbs, examining it intently with a puzzled expression on his face.
Clearly, although the old man was a master artifact refiner, he was unfamiliar with these rare exotic insects. Even though he could tell these materials were extraordinary, he was still completely baffled.
Seeing his confusion, Han Li smiled and began to explain, “Most of these materials are the carapace and limbs of a white spider demon beast, while the rest are the forelimbs and wings of a giant mantis. Both are fourth-level demon beasts, with the latter being a peak fourth-level creature—extremely formidable. I hope you can make good use of these materials. Acquiring them cost me no small effort!”
“Materials from a fourth-level demon beast!” the white-haired old man exclaimed in astonishment, but soon fell into a state of ecstatic delight. It was worth noting that under normal circumstances, he rarely even encountered materials from second-level demon beasts%e let alone those from fourth-level ones.
“Yes, Shopkeeper Xu! However, for this artifact refinement, I have some special requirements that I hope you can fulfill. Only if you agree to these conditions will I entrust these materials to you. The payment will follow the same method as last time—you may keep a portion of the materials as your fee for refining the artifacts,” Han Li said with exceptional calmness.
“Senior, rest assured! No matter what the requirements are, this old man will absolutely comply! To have the chance to personally refine such top-tier materials—I can finally say my lifelong study of the art of refinement has not been in vain!” Shopkeeper Xu picked up a massive mantis limb and gently stroked it, his eyes filled with fervor.
Seeing the other party display such emotions, Han Li was somewhat surprised but felt increasingly reassured. He spoke gently to the old man, “The artifacts I require this time are rather special. First, it would be best if you could refine these spider limbs into a set of attack artifacts for me. As for the mantis…”
…
An hour later, Han Li and Qu Hun emerged from the artifact refinement shop.
He had agreed with Shopkeeper Xu that the latter would first examine the materials and carefully plan the refinement process. Han Li would deliver the materials the following day for the official start of the refinement.
For now, Han Li took this opportunity to explore the market thoroughly, as the old man had finally confirmed what he had suspected.
The news of the devastating defeat suffered by the cultivators of Yue Kingdom and two other nations had already reached Yuan Wu Kingdom. Now, whether among cultivation families or rogue cultivators, everyone was restless, sensing an impending storm.
As a result, many cultivators flocked to the market, bringing out rare and precious items to exchange for urgently needed resources to enhance their strength and prepare for the coming calamity.
Within just a few days, rumors emerged one after another about precious artifacts, pills, and other items appearing in markets across Yuan Wu Kingdom. This attracted even more cultivators who had caught wind of the news, leading to the bustling activity in all the markets.
Faced with such a golden opportunity, Han Li naturally had no intention of letting it pass.
With this in mind, Han Li began to browse the various shops.
Indeed, the shops now offered many more high-quality items, and surprisingly, quite a few top-tier artifacts had appeared, which greatly astonished Han Li.
Although ordinary top-tier artifacts no longer held much appeal for him, during his previous visit, such artifacts had been exceedingly rare in these shops.
After making a general round of the shops, Han Li only acquired a few types of rare medicinal herbs he hadn’t encountered before and then called it a day. Afterward, he headed straight for the “Stardust Pavilion” at the center of the market.
With several experiences of buying and selling in markets, Han Li had come to understand that to truly acquire good items, one should visit the well-established major shops. Only they had the resources to genuinely stock precious goods. While the small stalls might have a few decent items, they paled in comparison to the collections of the large stores.
He recalled how he had found many treasures at the “Myriad Treasures Store” in the Yellow Maple Valley market!
With this thought, Han Li, accompanied by Qu Hun, entered the “Stardust Pavilion” of the Heavenly Star Sect—a massive tower standing twenty to thirty zhang tall.
Upon entering, Han Li was taken aback.
The first-floor hall was bustling with twenty to thirty cultivators, all gathered around several counters, conversing with attendants dressed in red. No one even glanced in Han Li’s direction.
Scratching the back of his head, Han Li glanced at the staircase leading to the second floor but slowly made his way toward one of the counters, feigning nonchalance.
Near this counter stood three Qi Condensation cultivators. One of them was holding a white formation flag, turning it over and over while muttering something to an attendant, seemingly dissatisfied.
The Stardust Pavilion attendant maintained a smiling demeanor, entirely unperturbed, and continuously offered explanations. However, when these cultivators noticed Han Li and Qu Hun approaching, they immediately fell silent. Clearly, they were highly wary of unfamiliar cultivators!
The cultivator holding the formation flag hurriedly took out several dozen spirit stones from his person, handed them to the attendant, and then swiftly left with a set of formation flags, along with the other two.
Han Li watched their departing figures with some frustration, feeling rather perplexed.
But just then, the attendant politely addressed Han Li, “Senior, my apologies! This is the first floor, and I’m afraid there’s nothing here suitable for you. If you wish to make a purchase, please proceed to the third floor or above. That’s where we specifically cater to high-level cultivators.”
Hearing this, Han Li was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure. He asked indifferently, “How many floors does your Stardust Pavilion have? Could you give me an overview?”
The attendant showed a hint of surprise but still replied respectfully, “Of course, since this is your first time visiting our Stardust Pavilion, it’s only right to provide you with an introduction.”
“Our Stardust Pavilion has nine floors in total. The first seven are open to the public, while the last two are off-limits to outsiders. Among the first seven floors, the first to third cater to low-level Qi Condensation cultivators, the fourth to sixth serve high-level cultivators like yourself, and the seventh floor is exclusively for Core Formation cultivators.”
The attendant efficiently provided a general overview. Han Li nodded upon hearing this and, without another word, headed straight for the staircase to the second floor.
The second and third floors were progressively smaller in area but noticeably more luxurious and elegantly decorated. It seemed the higher the floor, the more precious the items for sale.
With this in mind, Han Li did not linger on these two floors. He even bypassed the fourth floor and went directly to the fifth. When he attempted to proceed to the sixth floor, he was stopped by a young attendant in red guarding the staircase.
“Honored guest, according to our pavilion’s rules, permission to ascend to the sixth floor must be granted by the manager of the fifth floor,” the handsome attendant stated expressionlessly. Despite being only at the Qi Condensation stage, he showed no fear of Han Li’s Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Han Li frowned slightly but did not take offense. Instead, he complied and entered the fifth-floor hall.
The hall was not large, but several young, attractive maids were in attendance. When Han Li entered, a man and a woman were engaged in a relaxed conversation. The man appeared to be in his mid-thirties with an ordinary appearance, while the woman was in her forties, exuding the grace of a noblewoman. It was evident that she had been a rare beauty in her youth.
Both were at the Foundation Establishment stage, with the middle-aged woman particularly standing out at the late Foundation Establishment level. This made Han Li inwardly cautious.
“Fellow Daoist, is there something I can assist you with?” the middle-aged woman asked, turning to Han Li with a radiant smile. Her voice was exceptionally clear and pleasant to the ear.
“I wish to purchase some genuine treasures, whether they be artifacts, talismans, or similar items. I wonder if you have any here, Madam?” Han Li replied, his expression cool as he glanced at the noblewoman.
Hearing Han Li’s confident tone, the man looked at him with some surprise.
“Giggle! If you’re looking to buy treasures, Fellow Daoist, you’ve come to the right place. As long as you can afford them, we will certainly ensure you leave satisfied,” the middle-aged woman said. Though not young, her laughter was as captivating as a young girl’s.
“But what a coincidence—this Fellow Daoist is also here to buy treasures. Please wait a moment, both of you. I will bring out the items for your perusal,” the woman said with a smile.
She then turned around and sternly instructed, “Zilian! Serve tea to our two honored guests!”
“Yes, Madam!” a maid standing behind her responded respectfully.
The woman then gracefully exited, while the maid smilingly poured a cup of clear tea each for Han Li and the man.
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