飘零影音

Arc 14: Dayan Empire | Chapter 252: Barter

Xu Ziqing felt a slight sway, and then his vision cleared as he found himself standing on solid ground.

When he opened his eyes, he saw they were in a stone room, much smaller than the auction venue they had visited earlier. The room looked quite crude, with only a stone platform at the front and a few stone benches scattered around.

Nan Zhengya, exuding authority, scanned the room with his spiritual sense before sitting on a stone bench. “Nephew, come here,” he commanded.

Xu Ziqing was slightly surprised but didn’t show it. He understood that this was a way to conceal their identities and went along with it.

He noticed that everyone in the room had a strong aura. Among them, he felt like a sheep in a lion’s den. If not for Nan Zhengya’s presence, he might have easily given himself away due to the vast difference in their cultivation levels.

Everyone in the stone room, like Nan Zhengya, hid their appearance. Some used shape-shifting techniques, while others employed techniques, strange treasures, or auras to obscure themselves.

Initially, there were only a few people in the room, indicating that Nan Zhengya and Xu Ziqing had arrived early. Within half an hour, more people trickled in until there were nearly a hundred, each taking a seat and not communicating with others. Some brought “nephews” like Nan Zhengya, but most were alone.

Around the time of Chen, when no more people arrived, the stone platform emitted a wave, and the room underwent subtle changes.

Nan Zhengya whispered to Xu Ziqing, “This seals the entrance. No one else can enter now.”

Latecomers could only accept their bad luck.

Xu Ziqing nodded, understanding why Nan Zhengya had been so urgent.

The underground barter, overseen by Longhang Firm, began when a steward addressed the group, “The time has come, fellow Taoists. You may now exchange items.”

As soon as he finished speaking, several people leaped onto the stone platform simultaneously.

Xu Ziqing raised an eyebrow. The bartering rules were evidently different from those of an auction. He guessed that these people wanted to seize an opportunity before their desired items were taken by others.

As Xu Ziqing had anticipated, the three individuals who were first to reach the stone platform began showcasing their items. Since they arrived simultaneously, they took turns introducing their items before starting the barter. Two men showed courtesy and allowed the woman to present first.

Although she was referred to as a woman, her face was obscured, and only her graceful figure was visible.

She held up a gourd, shook it lightly, and said, “I have a wisp of Xuanyin True Fire here. I want to exchange it for a ten-thousand-year Frost Flower. If you have an equally precious ice-related item of considerable age, I might consider it.”

Next, the first man on her right spoke up: “I have a bottle of Liuyang Purified Water. I am looking for…” He held a bottle made of “Absolute Iron,” known for its magical property of insulating the outside world, making it quite rare. Despite the bottle’s material, everyone could feel a faint, warm, flowing aura from it, indicating the presence of pure yang energy.

The last man said, “I have a Thunder Fruit that has weathered a thunderstorm. It comes from a thunder-proof tree that has grown for three thousand years. I’m looking to exchange it for a pure fire spirit root cauldron that has reached at least the Jindan stage, preferably a male one. If none are available, something slightly inferior will do.” He then opened a box, revealing a thunderbolt light, pure and imbued with the power of thunder, which captivated everyone.

The items presented were undoubtedly exceptional, and several ancestors were immediately interested.

The Thunder Fruit, in particular, was highly valuable for cultivators with mutated Thunder spiritual roots or those practicing Thunder Art. The Xuanyin True Fire was also rare, though its single wisp limited its use to augmenting the true energy of ice attribute cultivators. Meanwhile, Liuyang Purified Water, a spiritual substance useful for refining precious medicines and cultivating fire-type techniques, was also sought after for its gentle temperament and spiritual properties.

A tall, slender man with a thin appearance stepped forward, presenting two boxes in his palms. “I have an eight-thousand-year-old Frost Flower, but I also offer ten Yinfeng Leaves as a bonus. Would this be enough for that wisp of True Fire?” The woman hesitated briefly, then, seeing no other offers, she agreed, knowing the fire wisp’s limited quantity made this a fair exchange. “Alright, it’s a deal,” she said.

The first transaction was swift, setting a smoother tone for the proceedings.

The Liuyang Purified Water is highly useful, and the items the man requested in exchange—whether an elixir to break through to the Nascent Soul stage or items to ward off demons—are not particularly rare. Many Nascent Soul Patriarchs have encountered such items before, and some even possess them. The matter now was to see who could offer the best deal.

The man seemed to seek the highest quality items in exchange for his purified water. Otherwise, he could have simply shopped at various trading houses without needing to come here to barter.

After some negotiations, two patriarchs offered items of roughly equal value, but they fell short compared to the fifty-two drops of Liuyang Purified Water, leading to a dispute. Eventually, the man divided a few drops of the purified water into two portions, satisfying everyone.

Xu Ziqing, acting merely as a cover, remained observant. Despite being a mere cultivator with unchanged status, witnessing the proceedings was enlightening.

The last man on the stage was seeking a furnace cauldron, but his request was quite demanding.

Firstly, the pure fire spirit root refers to a single fire spirit root. Disciples with such aptitudes are easily cultivated even in large sects, making it unlikely for them to be offered as a furnace for others. Moreover, the man specified a Golden Core cultivator with an undisturbed Yuanyang body, making his request even more challenging. However, the item he offered in exchange was too tempting to resist.

He had a tribulation-breaking Thunder Fruit produced by a Thunder proof tree that had grown for three thousand years and had survived a thunder tribulation!

Even non-thunder attribute cultivators could benefit from this fruit. If not for consumption, it could be used to refine a thunder attribute treasure, significantly enhancing one’s strength. Such a valuable item was hard to pass up.

Several cultivators couldn’t help but consider the offer.

A few individuals stepped forward, suggesting dual spiritual root furnaces with a pure fire physique or a Red Flame Fruit that could catalyze a single fire spiritual root, but the man rejected these offers.

It turned out that the man’s lover was severely injured and required a specific cauldron for healing. A Golden Core virgin was the best option.

In the cultivation world, pairing up for practice is common, often driven by shared interests and skills, leading to “right family” unions for achieving immortality and benefiting future generations. However, it was extremely rare to find someone like this man, willing to sacrifice so much for his lover.

Some people sympathized with him, while others sneered, but they all gained a bit more understanding of his situation. Those who were declined had no choice but to walk away in frustration.

The man on the stage frowned and said, “Is there really no one? I’ll compromise. If someone can provide the exact whereabouts of such a cauldron, that will suffice. As long as a fellow Taoist accompanies me to capture it, I will still offer the Tribulation-breaking Thunder Fruit and will not go back on my word.” After this statement, another person finally spoke up.

A slightly plump patriarch, appearing quite pleased, said, “Come sit with me, fellow Taoist. After this barter meeting concludes, I will take you back to my sect, and then we can capture that person together.” The man laughed heartily and immediately took a seat next to him.

Xu Ziqing was quietly puzzled. From what he gathered, it seemed the patriarch was referring to one of his own sect disciples. This disciple, possessing exceptional aptitude, was likely close to forming an alchemy core. However, unbeknownst to him, he was betrayed by his own elders and was about to be taken away to become a cauldron. The selfishness and treachery of the Nascent Soul patriarch disgusted Xu Ziqing. He felt anger for the disciple, especially since his good friend had almost faced a similar fate. This deepened his disdain for the practice of treating people as mere tools. His brows furrowed even tighter at the thought.

Just then, Xu Ziqing heard a cold snort from the person beside him.

He found it strange, as he didn’t expect Nan Zhengya to feel any pity for a stranger.

But Nan Zhengya said in a low voice, “Do you know who he’s talking about?”

Xu Ziqing’s pupils contracted as he grasped the implication.

Sure enough, Nan Zhengya sneered and said, “He’s talking about me.”

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