After finishing his inspection, Xu Yang headed straight for the shops on his right. The area was lined with stores selling all kinds of things. He glanced around, then strolled into one called the Natural Abode.
Once inside, Xu Yang saw that the shop wasn't very large. The front was set up for selling goods, with a broad counter occupying the room. A second room behind it held miscellaneous items. The decor was extremely simple; at a glance, it was clearly a small shop.
When the shop assistant saw a customer enter, he hurried forward and smiled at Xu Yang. "Welcome, senior. What do you need? Our little shop has a full selection of Dharma Artifacts and pills, all at fair prices."
Xu Yang nodded. "I'd like to buy some pills. Bring out the ones that improve cultivation and heal injuries for me to look at." The assistant's eyes lit up, and he thought happily, Looks like a big sale! I'm going to make a bundle this time! He quickly turned around and fetched several bottles of pills from the counter inside.
The assistant set the pills down in front of Xu Yang and smiled. "Senior, these are all made by our shop. We have Lesser Qi Recovery Pills, Foundation Pills, Zengyuan Pills, Qi Refining Powder, and more. I guarantee they're top quality, with no fakes."
Xu Yang picked up a bottle of Zengyuan Pills and opened it to smell them. Their quality was indeed good. He nodded slightly, then picked up a bottle of Qi Refining Powder and a Greater Qi Recovery Pill and inspected them as well. He was very satisfied with what he found. All the pills were high quality, with no adulteration whatsoever.
Xu Yang looked up at the assistant. "Not bad. These pills are good quality. I'll take two bottles of Zengyuan Pills, one bottle of Qi Refining Powder, and one Greater Qi Recovery Pill. How many Spirit Stones altogether?"
The assistant's eyes lit up at Xu Yang's question. He immediately bowed and smiled. "As you said, senior, these pills are good quality. Our shop has always treated customers fairly, young or old. These pills come to forty-five Spirit Stones."
Xu Yang nodded. "Not bad. The price is fair enough. Does your shop also buy other Dharma Artifacts and materials?" At once, the assistant replied, "Of course. Our shop always buys items from other cultivators. Refining materials, spirit herbs, Dharma Artifacts—we accept them all."
Xu Yang was delighted. "I have some refining materials and Dharma Artifacts here. If I sell them to your shop, how much would you offer?" As he spoke, he raised a hand, and a large pile of items landed on the counter.
The assistant's expression changed when he saw the items. He hurriedly said to Xu Yang, "Please wait a moment, senior. These things are very valuable. I'll need to fetch our shopkeeper so he can discuss the matter with you."
Xu Yang gestured for the assistant to go ahead. The assistant bowed to him, then went into the storeroom behind him. A short while later, he returned with an old man and brought him over to Xu Yang.
The old man's face was deeply wrinkled, his beard and hair entirely white, and he wore coarse hemp clothes. He was also a cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. Smiling, he bowed to Xu Yang. "Greetings, fellow Daoist. May I ask your esteemed name? This old man is Liu Hong."
Xu Yang quickly returned the greeting. "Greetings, Daoist Liu. I'm Xu Yang. I have some things to sell to your shop. Please take a look and tell me what they're worth."
Liu Hong first invited Xu Yang to sit to one side, then turned back to examine the items on the counter. A flash of keen interest passed through his eyes as he inspected them carefully. Afterward, he turned and sat opposite Xu Yang. "Daoist Xu, you certainly know how to make an entrance. These items are quite valuable. Are you sure you want to sell them all to my shop?"
Xu Yang nodded. "Of course. I took them out because I intend to sell them all. How many Spirit Stones can you offer, Daoist Liu?"
Hearing Xu Yang's answer, Liu Hong rose and went to the counter to examine the items again. Then he shook his head. "Daoist Xu, you're making quite a bold sale. The Blood-Sucking Teeth aren't worth much individually, but there are a lot of them, and among them is a Blood-Sucking Demon Fang. I can offer fifteen Spirit Stones for the lot."
"As for the remaining Dharma Artifacts, the Red Silk and Flying Knife are low-grade Dharma Artifacts, worth thirty-four Spirit Stones. The three mid-grade Flying Swords are worth a hundred Spirit Stones. One Lesser Clear Wind Art is worth forty Spirit Stones. That damaged Unfixed Ring is still worth around ten. All together, I can offer you one hundred and ninety-nine Spirit Stones. What do you think?"
Xu Yang quickly did the math. Liu Hong's offer was fair enough; he wasn't getting swindled. Even if he haggled, he'd only get three or five more Spirit Stones.
Xu Yang made up his mind. "Your offer is fair, Daoist Liu. I have no objections. If you can produce the Spirit Stones, we can make the deal right away."
Liu Hong laughed heartily at Xu Yang's reply. "Rest assured, Daoist. Since I run this shop, I naturally have some wealth. I can easily produce a hundred or so Spirit Stones!"
As he spoke, Liu Hong slapped his Qiankun Bag and took out more than a hundred Spirit Stones, setting them in front of Xu Yang. Xu Yang collected one hundred and fifty-four Spirit Stones, along with the pills he'd bought earlier, then rose and said to Liu Hong, "Daoist Liu, the money and goods have changed hands. I have other matters to take care of, so I'll take my leave."
Liu Hong looked regretful. "I'd hoped to have a good chat with you, Daoist, but you're leaving in such a hurry. This old man is truly disappointed."
Xu Yang walked toward the shop's exit, waving as he went. "I have other important matters to attend to this time, so I can't stay in the marketplace. If I have the time in the future, I'll be sure to come pay you a visit."
Xu Yang was already out the door. Liu Hong had no choice but to rise and see him off. He accompanied Xu Yang to the entrance, then watched as Xu Yang parted from him and headed out of the marketplace. As Xu Yang's figure receded into the distance, Liu Hong's expression suddenly darkened. He grunted. "That brat's sharp, all right. He didn't give me the slightest chance to make a move."
After leaving the Natural Abode behind, Xu Yang immediately took a wide detour and headed for the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in the center of the marketplace. He wanted to sell the Dharma Artifacts he'd obtained from Xue Meng and see if there was anything there he could use.
A short while later, Xu Yang arrived at the entrance to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Most of the cultivators going in and out were far more powerful than he was; he couldn't even make out their realms.
Xu Yang entered the Myriad Treasures Pavilion cautiously, and the sight inside immediately stunned him. The first-floor hall was splendidly decorated, spacious, and brightly lit. It was bustling with people. Transparent display cases stood all around, filled with pills, Dharma Artifacts, spiritual materials, and all sorts of other treasures for cultivators to browse.
A white-robed attendant stood beside each display case, serving the customers. After looking around for a while, Xu Yang walked over to a counter specializing in Dharma Artifacts.
At the counter, Xu Yang asked the white-robed attendant, "Fellow Daoist, does the Myriad Treasures Pavilion buy Dharma Artifacts?" The attendant smiled. "Of course. The Myriad Treasures Pavilion doesn't just sell treasures; we also buy them. Otherwise, where would we get so many treasures?"
Xu Yang was pleased to hear this. He immediately said to her, "I happen to have a few Dharma Artifacts that I'd like to sell to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. How do I go about it?"
The attendant smiled. "May I ask what grade the Dharma Artifacts you're selling are? If they're below high-grade, you can complete the transaction in the Treasure Appraisal Room at the back of the hall."
Xu Yang replied, "The Dharma Artifacts I want to sell are top-grade. Can I still trade them in the first-floor appraisal room?" The attendant's face brightened. "You're selling top-grade Dharma Artifacts, esteemed guest? Then you'll need to go to the second floor. Please follow me." With that, she turned and headed upstairs.
Xu Yang hurried after her. The two of them climbed the stairs and reached the second floor in no time. It was very different from the first floor; there were hardly any display cases, just five or six.
The items displayed inside were far more valuable than those on the first floor. Xu Yang glanced around and saw that most were treasures used by Foundation Establishment cultivators, such as top-grade Dharma Artifacts, Talisman Treasures, Spirit Sprout Pills, and Qi Conversion Pills.
Xu Yang already had top-grade Dharma Artifacts and Spirit Sprout Pills of his own. What made him especially envious were the Talisman Treasures. A Talisman Treasure was made by a Golden Core great cultivator using his own Natal Dharma Treasure.
Once activated, a Talisman Treasure could unleash one-third of the power of that Golden Core cultivator's Natal Dharma Treasure. Its might was peerless, far surpassing that of a top-grade Dharma Artifact—a true trump card for defeating enemies. More importantly, activating a Talisman Treasure took very little energy; even someone at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining could wield one with ease.
Even more importantly, unlike a one-use Talisman, a Talisman Treasure could be used repeatedly until all the power stored within it was exhausted. Talisman Treasures were also rare and extremely difficult to make. Each time one was crafted, it greatly weakened the Golden Core cultivator's Natal Dharma Treasure for a short time.
With Xu Yang's cultivation at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, controlling a top-grade Dharma Artifact was too much for him. It consumed far too much Gang Qi, and after only a few uses, his Gang Qi would be completely drained. He would have to reach the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining before he could just barely control a top-grade Dharma Artifact. That was why the Talisman Treasures made him so envious.
Led by the attendant, Xu Yang entered an elegantly decorated reception room. An old man was seated on a wooden chair inside. He looked vigorous, his eyes sparkling with keen light, and his cultivation was unfathomable. He was clearly a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
When the attendant saw the old man, she secretly transmitted the details to him. After explaining the situation, she bowed to him and withdrew.
The old man looked Xu Yang over and smiled. "Please, young friend, have a seat. I'm Ren Quan, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion's appraiser. What Dharma Artifacts would you like to sell?"
At the old man's words, Xu Yang immediately sat opposite him and answered respectfully. "This junior is Xu Yang. I'd like to sell these three Dharma Artifacts. What do you think they're worth, Elder Ren?" As he spoke, Xu Yang raised a hand and took out the three top-grade Dharma Artifacts, including the Blood-Flying Sword.
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