There was no easy way to find a bargain. Bi Fan searched carefully and looked over countless stalls, but he never got lucky and found anything good again.
Jing Feng stayed with Bi Fan the whole time. The longer they spent together, the less he could see through him. Bi Fan seemed to have an unfathomable depth to everything he did.
Jing Feng had shed the arrogance he once carried, and he addressed Bi Fan with much greater warmth.
"Brother Bi, why did you spend two hundred crystals on a middle-grade Magic Tool and a battered inner armor?" Jing Feng had been itching to ask.
"Nothing much. I just really liked that middle-grade Magic Tool. As for the inner armor, it was just thrown in. It should offer a little protection, at least," Bi Fan said calmly.
Bi Fan hadn't let a single thing slip. Jing Feng could hardly blame him; Bi Fan didn't want to invite trouble. It wasn't that he meant to hide anything from Jing Feng.
Jing Feng didn't press him, and the two continued browsing the stalls.
There was every kind of thing imaginable in Tingfeng Valley, a bewildering assortment.
Bi Fan had seen the world and broadened his horizons considerably.
Still, Bi Fan rarely made a purchase. Unless something was useful, he generally held back. Finding a bargain was another matter.
Unfortunately, at a trade fair like this, bargains were hard to come by. There were too many experts around.
Bi Fan's skill was still far from enough. He had only managed to find that top-grade treasure inner armor thanks to good luck.
There were too many stalls in Tingfeng Valley to see them all in a day. They had looked around for the entire day and still hadn't finished.
"Brother Jing Feng, let's head back tomorrow. I can't stay away for too long," Bi Fan said.
"All right. We can come back another time," Jing Feng replied.
He had already bought what he wanted. Only the jade fan had eluded him, and the disappointment had lingered for quite some time.
That night, Jing Feng and Bi Fan made do at an inn.
Late in the quiet night, Bi Fan took out the inner armor to examine it. He discovered that it was actually Purple Gold Soft Armor, but its core—the heart-protecting mirror that supplied it with energy—was missing. As a result, the Purple Gold Soft Armor no longer had even a trace of spiritual energy.
Even so, Bi Fan put the Purple Gold Soft Armor on beneath his clothes. Its main material was purple gold, and it also contained many other rare metals. Even without spiritual energy, its defensive power remained astonishing.
The Purple Gold Soft Armor fit snugly and felt comfortable. Bi Fan was extremely pleased.
Early the next morning, Bi Fan and Jing Feng ate a quick breakfast and prepared to set out.
Tingfeng Valley had plenty of good things, but since he couldn't afford to buy them, it was better to leave early and save himself the frustration.
Jing Feng was still sore over failing to trade for the jade fan the day before, and he remained somewhat downcast.
The two hadn't yet reached the exit when two young men came toward them.
Jing Feng's expression shifted slightly, but he continued striding forward.
One of the men, fair-faced, gave a mocking smile. "Well, if it isn't Jing Feng of the Qingyang Sect!"
Just from his strange, sneering tone, it was clear that he knew Jing Feng—and that the two didn't get along.
"Jiang Wen, don't get cocky. I'll beat you next time we spar," Jing Feng said coldly.
Jiang Wen smiled. "A defeated opponent. I'll be waiting. What a pity—you'll probably never be a match for me. Before long, I'll become a Core Disciple."
"Hmph!" Jing Feng snorted and turned away.
Bi Fan followed him and asked, "Who was that? He's so arrogant."
"Jiang Wen of North Xu Palace. In the last Nine Nether Hidden Dragon Ranking competition, I lost to him by a single move. Every time he sees me, he puts on that same arrogant face," Jing Feng said.
"The Nine Nether Hidden Dragon Ranking? What's that?" Bi Fan asked.
"Every three years, the cultivation sects within Jiu You City's territory send their disciples to compete and establish the rankings. I'm third on the Nine Nether Hidden Dragon Ranking, and Jiang Wen is second," Jing Feng explained.
Bi Fan knew of Jiu You City. Its territory was vast, its population exceeded eighty million, and it was home to more than a hundred cultivation sects, large and small.
The Qingyang Sect counted as a first-rate force in Jiu You City, but in the Vast Sky Great World as a whole, it didn't even rank.
A colossus like the Mystic Maiden Palace was one of the very best sects in the Vast Sky Great World.
From Jing Feng, Bi Fan learned that Jiu You City had three rankings: the Nine Nether Hidden Dragon Ranking, which ranked those in the Mortal Embryo Realm; the Nine Nether Dragon Ranking, open to those in the Mortal Transformation Realm; and the Nine Nether Divine Dragon Ranking, for those in the Spiritual Power Realm.
The Spiritual Power Realm experts of Jiu You City were all powerful figures in their own right, and most of them had a place on the rankings.
Bi Fan couldn't help feeling a little longing. Who didn't want their name on a ranking? But he wasn't even an Inner Disciple, let alone a contender for the Nine Nether Hidden Dragon Ranking.
Still, something suddenly clicked for Bi Fan. He had found a new goal: to make the rankings as soon as possible.
Bi Fan swore he would reach the top of both the Nine Nether Hidden Dragon Ranking and the Nine Nether Dragon Ranking.
With motivation like that, he was sure to train even harder.
Once, Bi Fan had been a lowly medicine boy, content if he could just get through each day in comfort.
Now, a road to the heavens stretched out before him, beset by countless hardships and dangers. He would have to climb and overcome them one by one.
Bi Fan secretly swore that he would grow stronger. He never wanted to return to those days when he was humiliated from dawn to dusk.
The Divine Speed Talisman was fast. In less than a day, Jing Feng and Bi Fan were back in Qingyang Town.
"Brother Jing Feng, I'm heading back to the mountain. Do you want to come with me?" Bi Fan asked.
"You go ahead. I'm going out to gain experience for a while. I can't fall behind Jiang Wen. Next time the rankings come around, I'll surpass him," Jing Feng said, his gaze resolute and his fighting spirit burning bright.
"Brother Jing Feng, take care. I'm heading back," Bi Fan said.
Bi Fan said goodbye and headed alone toward Qingyang Mountain.
On the way up, Bi Fan practiced the basic footwork of Misty Dance, and his speed increased considerably.
Before nightfall, Bi Fan finally reached the foot of the mountain.
He took out his token, boarded an Immortal Crane, and rode it up the mountain.
Riding an Immortal Crane again, Bi Fan felt calm. He thought about the road ahead.
By now, Bi Fan had cultivated inner breath, which meant he had entered the Inner Breath Realm.
After returning to the mountain, he could take part in the Registered Disciple selection. He was certain to become a Registered Disciple.
He didn't care much about the title of Registered Disciple. What occupied his thoughts was how to increase his strength as quickly as possible.
The minimum requirement for entering the Nine Nether Hidden Dragon Ranking was the Valiance Realm. Bi Fan still had a long way to go.
Lost in thought, Bi Fan returned to Jade Maiden Peak before he knew it.
Bi Fan took out the bundle he had prepared earlier and slung it over his back.
He had gained quite a few benefits on this trip down the mountain, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself. Keeping quiet and making a fortune was the way to go.
In the eyes of those who knew Bi Fan, he had always been a man of few words. Only Jing Feng would have disagreed.
"Bi Fan, you're back! Did you get everything?" Yu Xiao Feng asked, looking pleased.
"Sister Xiao Feng, it's all in here. I don't know whether the senior sisters will like it." Bi Fan handed her the bundle.
"Bi Fan, sorry for the trouble. Go get some rest. Tomorrow, you can take care of the Medicine Garden again," Yu Xiao Feng said.
Bi Fan returned to his lodgings and began his daily training.
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