Han Feng strode toward the cliff.
As his body passed through some invisible boundary, the scene before him suddenly transformed.
The craggy mountain wall vanished, replaced by a bustling marketplace.
The entire market district was not large. It had only two intersecting streets, with over a hundred buildings standing along both sides.
These buildings varied greatly in style. Some had elaborate carved beams and painted rafters, taking the form of towering pavilions.
Others were merely crude wooden huts, uneven and scattered about.
The market district was filled with people. There seemed to be two or three hundred of them, but without exception, every one was a cultivator!
This was the first time Han Feng had seen so many fellow cultivators gathered together.
Their cultivation levels varied as well. Some cultivators at only the fifth or sixth layer of Qi Refining haggled in front of stalls, while others with deep auras, powerful enough to reach the Qi Condensation Twelfth Layer, emerged from the shops.
There were even two or three cultivators dressed in the standard uniform of Spirit Beast Mountain. Their auras far surpassed the Qi Refining realm as they leisurely patrolled the streets.
Foundation Establishment Cultivators!
They were the ones responsible for maintaining order here.
Han Feng moved slowly through the crowd, secretly taking in everything around him.
Fortunately, he had cultivated the Elephant Armor Skill. His body had grown considerably taller, and his bones had become sturdier. He had long since shed the childish appearance of a twelve-year-old.
At that moment, he looked more like a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy.
Otherwise, displaying the cultivation of the Eighth Level of Qi Refining at the age of twelve would likely have made him the center of everyone's attention the moment he entered the market district.
That was not what he wanted.
His gaze swept across the shops lining both sides of the street. Eventually, he stopped in front of one that looked fairly ordinary.
"Wind Forest Pavilion!"
A signboard hung above the shop entrance. It sold cultivation techniques, pills, and talismans in a wide variety.
Hopefully, they have the Evergreen Skill here.
With a trace of anticipation, Han Feng walked inside.
Inside the shop, a middle-aged-looking cultivator was leaning behind the counter with his eyes closed, resting. His cultivation was not weak; he was at the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining.
Only after sensing someone enter did he lazily open his eyes.
"What would you like to buy, Daoist Friend?"
Han Feng did not beat around the bush and asked directly, "Do you have the complete cultivation technique for the Evergreen Skill?"
"The Evergreen Skill?"
The middle-aged shopkeeper looked Han Feng up and down, seeming somewhat surprised. He then took an ancient, yellowed book from beneath the counter.
"I do. The complete version, from the first to the thirteenth layer of Qi Refining. Three Low-grade Spirit Stones!"
Han Feng was delighted.
He had spent so long searching for the subsequent portions of the cultivation technique. He had never expected to obtain them so easily in a cultivator marketplace.
Three spirit stones were nothing to him.
He was just about to take out the spirit stones and complete the transaction.
Just then, the light at the shop entrance dimmed, and two cultivators walked in.
One had a long face, while the other had a round face. Their cultivation levels were the Tenth Level of Qi Refining and the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining, respectively.
"Oh... buying a basic cultivation technique?"
The long-faced cultivator's gaze swept over Han Feng before landing on the Evergreen Skill in front of him. A strange glint flashed through his eyes.
He exchanged a glance with his companion, and the two shared an unspoken signal.
"Daoist Friend, wait!"
The long-faced cultivator suddenly called out with a smile, stopping Han Feng just as he was about to pay.
"You're overpaying. This shopkeeper is too greedy. He actually dares to charge three spirit stones for such a common cultivation technique."
As he spoke, he took out an identical copy of the Evergreen Skill from his own Storage Bag.
"How about this? I'll sell you mine. You only need to pay two spirit stones!"
The moment he said this, the shopkeeper behind the counter became displeased.
"Chu Sheng, Chu Gou! Don't go too far! You're coming into my shop to steal my business?"
The long-faced cultivator called Chu Sheng chuckled.
"Daoist Friend Wang, you can't put it that way. The market district has no rule forbidding independent cultivators from trading freely among themselves. I'm helping this little Daoist Friend save money."
As he spoke, he extended the cultivation technique in his hand toward Han Feng again.
"Daoist Friend, what do you say? Buy mine. Mine is cheaper!"
Han Feng paused.
He looked at the two men singing the same tune, his thoughts racing.
They were openly stealing business in front of the shopkeeper for the sake of a mere single spirit stone?
When something was abnormal, there was bound to be a reason.
These two had probably mistaken him for an inexperienced fat sheep.
However, he did not lose his temper on the spot. Instead, he followed the other man's words and asked, "How do I know there is nothing wrong with the cultivation technique you're giving me? What if it's incomplete, or contains a trap?"
He had no expectations at all from saving a single spirit stone. He merely wanted to see what sort of trick these two men were playing.
"That is easy!"
Chu Sheng slapped his chest and raised three fingers.
"I, Chu Sheng, swear upon my soul that this Evergreen Skill is absolutely complete and genuine. If even a single word of that is false, may inner demons plague my path of cultivation, and may I never advance another step for the rest of my life!"
Cultivators feared inner demons and oaths above all else. They generally would not casually gamble with their own path of cultivation.
Since he had made such a vicious oath, it seemed the cultivation technique itself was genuine.
"Fine!"
Han Feng nodded decisively. He took two Low-grade Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and handed them over.
Money in one hand, goods in the other.
"Hahaha, Daoist Friend, you're refreshingly straightforward!"
Chu Sheng pocketed the spirit stones, his face blooming with delight.
He warmly stepped forward and gave Han Feng's shoulder a heavy pat.
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