Not at a Disadvantage!

Elegant interior.

The sound of the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) is as mellow as the green pines of towering mountains, while the sound of the qin (a seven-stringed zither) is as clear as the tinkling of a spring.

A duet of qin and xiao (vertical bamboo flute) followed.

The melodious sounds of the xiao and qin, like flowing water from a high mountain, murmured out from the quiet room.

The entire hall outside was silent, as if only this beautiful and ethereal sound remained in the world.

Zhou Hao closed his eyes slightly, enjoying the soothing sounds of the flute and zither that could cleanse the soul; his entire being felt incredibly comfortable, even his spirit.

When the music ended, the quiet room remained silent for a long time.

Zhou Hao opened his eyes and looked at the two fairies, Xiao Qin and others, and exclaimed, "Such skill has already reached the Dao!"

There are countless ways in the universe, and the way of music is naturally one of them.

Cultivators can improve their skills, whether it be swordsmanship, knife skills, spear skills, or even painting or playing musical instruments, and thus enter the path of cultivation.

In Zhou Hao's eyes, the fairy Xiao, with her flute playing, made the entire quiet room seem to enter a peaceful and undisturbed space. Clearly, she had already reached the realm of the Domain Realm of the Dao in the art of flute music.

The other fairy playing the zither was no ordinary person either. Her zither music was sometimes clear, sometimes deep, and sometimes lingering. She was also quite accomplished in the realm of the True Meaning of the Dao.

"It's good if it can please Fellow Daoist Zhou."

Jade Algae Immortal sat opposite Zhou Hao, a smile appearing on her alabaster-like face.

"Xiao'er, Qin'er, please take your seats and have a few drinks with Immortal Changsheng."

"Yes."

The two fairies, Xiao Qin and Zhang Fei, rose and walked slowly over, giving a slight curtsy to Zhou Hao: "True Changsheng."

They then sat down close to Zhou Hao on either side, with Fairy Xiao pouring wine and Fairy Qin picking up food with chopsticks.

Even with Zhou Hao's firm Dao heart and powerful soul, he suddenly felt overwhelmed by the delicate fragrance of orchids filling his nostrils, and surrounded by stunningly beautiful women on both sides.

Beishan Baiwei, Shan Yu, and Relief from Calamity sat to the side watching, naturally only able to feel envious.

Although they were either among the most prominent young masters of Anchan Prefecture or the most outstanding disciples of immortals, and their statuses were extraordinary, they were still juniors in front of Jade Algae Immortal.

When Jade Algae Immortal entered earlier, the three of them stood respectfully to the side.

If Zhou Hao and Jade Algae Immortal hadn't spoken up, the three of them wouldn't be sitting at the table right now.

"That's amazing. Jade Algae Immortal calls him 'fellow Daoist.' For Myriad Phenomena True Person to have reached this level, his life has been worthwhile." This thought kept echoing in the minds of the three of them.

"I've been curious ever since I heard about Longbeard Elder leaving his mark on the Immortal Stone Wall of the Black-White Academy today."

Jade Algae Immortal looked at Zhou Hao.

"What kind of unparalleled genius is he, who, even in the era of Myriad Phenomena, possessed a Dao realm that commanded the admiration of several top-tier Earth Immortal Loose Immortal?"

Even now, when she thinks about asking the long-bearded Loose Immortal, whom she knew at the Black-White Academy, about Zhou Hao and receiving his reply, the shock she felt has not lessened.

What kind of place is the Black-White Academy?

That's the strongest of the eight top powers in Antan Commandery.

The other seven major powers may be very ancient and have a deep foundation, but the Black-White Academy is generally recognized as the leader among the eight major powers!

Throughout the entire Black-White Academy, there were over a hundred Purple Mansion Cultivator, over two hundred Myriad Phenomena True Person, over thirty Nascent Primordial Spirit Daoist, and six Earth Immortal Loose Immortal... each one of them was a leader among their respective realms.

Even a random Primordial Spirit Daoist is more advanced in the Dao realm than ordinary immortals from other forces.

How high must the cultivation levels of those six immortal patriarchs have been?

Even they had Zhou Hao, a Myriad Phenomena True Person, leave his inscription on the Immortal Stone Wall within the academy, and were deeply impressed by his understanding of the Dao...

It was only after receiving this news that Jade Algae Immortal, who had not originally planned to appear in person, hurriedly sent Xiao Qin and the other two women from the Immortal Hall, and then came herself.

Upon hearing what Jade Algae Immortal said, Beishan Baiwei, Shan Yu, and Relief from Calamity were all dumbfounded.

The two fairies, Xiao and Qin, also had eyes full of admiration.

The Immortal Stone Wall of the Black-White Academy is only accessible to formal disciples of the academy; outsiders rarely get to see it.

However, it was already well-known.

As the name suggests, those who can leave their words there are all the senior immortals of the Black-White Academy throughout history.

No wonder even the Jade Algae Immortal addressed him as a fellow Daoist, and dared not presume to be a senior.

With two fairies accompanying them in the elegant room, and Jade Algae Immortal, a celestial fox from the Celestial Fox Clan, also keeping them company, the 'Hundred Treasures Feast,' which was only considered average in the Carefree Cave, appeared increasingly exquisite and delicious in the eyes of Beishan Baiwei and his companions.

A long time passed.

Outside the elegant room, the singing and dancing in the huge hall had all stopped, and more than ten maids began to set up a stage.

Upon seeing this, Beishan Baiwei laughed and said, "The battle for the treasure is about to begin."

The last time he entertained Ji Ning, who had just arrived in Antan City, was during this Sea Hero Hall Treasure Competition, where he thoroughly humiliated Beishan Hu.

Although there was no conflict with Beishan Hu today, Beishan Hu shouted that he wanted the two fairies, Xiao Qin and Xiao Qin, to accompany him as soon as he entered the hall. As a result, the two fairies came here instead.

Although it was because of Zhou Hao, the Immortal of Changsheng, Beishan Baiwei was still secretly delighted.

Beishan Baiwei and Beishan Hu, whose fathers are rivals for the next Marquis of Antan, are like oil and water, and every time they meet, something bad is bound to happen.

"A treasure-hunting competition?" Zhou Hao's heart skipped a beat.

His self-created ' Myriad Dao Yin-Yang Wheel ' can be used as a close-combat fist technique when activated by divine power, and can also be used to kill enemies from a distance when activated by Origin Power, just like a secret technique of immortals.

Close combat doesn't require weapons or magical artifacts; it can be activated with Origin Power. He was actually lacking a suitable magical artifact to unleash the power of the ' Myriad Dao Yin-Yang Wheel '.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou is also interested?" Jade Algae Immortal smiled slightly. "The items prepared here are all for juniors like Baiwei, and the best they are are only of the upper-grade Earth rank."

"Later on, the Immortal Hall will also hold a treasure-hunting event, where even the worst items will be top-grade Earth-rank treasures. If Fellow Daoist Zhou really wants to buy some suitable magic weapons and rare materials, you can come with me then."

"I really want to buy a magic weapon in the shape of a flying wheel or a roulette wheel, as long as its grade is at least top-grade Earth level," Zhou Hao asked. "I wonder if there are any in the treasure competition at the Immortal Hall tonight?"

"A set of magical artifacts shaped like a flywheel or a roulette wheel?"

Jade Algae Immortal pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"These kinds of magical treasures are not like flying swords or needles, which are widely used, so they are really hard to find in a short time. In that case, I will have my disciples keep an eye out, and when we find a suitable one, we will invite Fellow Daoist Zhou over."

Zhou Hao nodded.

Because so few people use such magical artifacts, there are few master craftsmen willing to forge them. He mentioned it to Jade Algae Immortal so that Carefree Cave could help him collect them.

He planned to inform not only Carefree Cave, but also Tianbao Mountain.

He'll buy from whoever offers the better product at the lower price.

In the short time that followed, the platform in the hall below was also set up.

The Zi Yi stepped onto the stage, surveyed the entire hall, and spoke, her voice resounding throughout the hall.

"Now it's time for the treasure hunt! Today, our Carefree Cave has prepared eighteen treasures for everyone, each with its own unique qualities. Those who wish to purchase them can place their bids directly; the highest bidder wins!"

"Furthermore, esteemed guests, if you have any rare and precious items you wish to sell, you may bring them out for everyone to compete for."

Instantly.

In other private rooms, maids carrying trays emerged and walked towards the high platform in the center of the hall.

It's clear that some guests are selling rare and precious items.

"Jade Algae Immortal, I wonder if your Carefree Cave takes a cut of this kind of consignment sale?" Zhou Hao asked.

"We don't take a cut," Jade Algae Immortal shook her head. "During the treasure-hunting event, the guests' willingness to contribute their treasures adds to the splendor of our Carefree Cave. The final proceeds belong entirely to the seller; we don't take a cut."

That's perfect.

Zhou Hao immediately smiled.

With a wave of his hand, five ancient, snow-white suits of armor appeared on the round table that had just been cleaned by the maids.

It was the Dao Soldier Armor obtained when he killed five Nascent Soul Asuras in the Northern Xiulu Province of the Profound Heaven Realm.

"These five pieces of Dao Soldier Armor are useless to me; I might as well exchange them for some Origin Liquid."

If you want to know how to sell treasures for a high price, the answer is definitely a 'treasure hunt' similar to an auction in my previous life!

The key point is that the Carefree Cave doesn't take a cut.

This is a much better deal than selling the treasure to Tianbao Mountain at half or six-tenths of its original price.

"The Dao Soldier Armor is quite rare." Jade Algae Immortal nodded slightly. "Xiao'er, Qin'er, take this to Ziyi."

"Yes."

The two fairies rose from their seats and picked up the snow-white armor from the table.

"I wonder if the Immortal of Changsheng has a bottom line?" Fairy Xiao's name suited her perfectly, and her voice was as melodious as the sound of a flute, captivating all who heard it.

"Since it's a competition for treasure, we should leave some room for bidders to negotiate." Zhou Hao thought for a moment, "Let's set the price at 50,000 jin of Origin Liquid per piece."

50,000 Origin Liquid?

Or is it just one piece?

Fairy Xiao's beautiful eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly in surprise.

The elegant room fell silent instantly.

"Let me see this armor." The Jade Algae Immortal asked the two fairies to bring over the snow-white armor, and she took one piece and began to examine it carefully.

Zhou Hao dared to open his mouth and say that it was 50,000 jin of Origin Liquid, and that was the price of one piece.

Either he has lost his mind, or there is something wrong with these five pieces of armor.

Although Dao Soldier Armor is precious, it is at least comparable in value to a high-grade magic weapon of the same level, and a piece that can sell for 50,000 catties of Origin Liquid is a rare sight even in the Immortal Hall.

Even if Zhou Hao is a prodigy, he is still just a Myriad Phenomena True Person. He shouldn't be able to produce treasures of such value.

Beishan Baiwei, Shan Yu, and Relief from Calamity stood to the side, not daring to even breathe loudly.

He simply watched as Jade Algae Immortal took each piece of the snow-white armor and examined it.

The treasure-hunting competition had already begun in the hall.

Listen to the shouts of bidding outside the private room for one hundred Origin Liquid, and two hundred Origin Liquid.

Only when a mid-grade or high-grade Earth-rank magic weapon occasionally appears will it fetch a price of tens of thousands of taels of Origin Liquid.

If the snow-white armor Zhou Hao offered truly requires a starting price of 50,000 Origin Liquid per piece, then tonight's treasure hunt is truly going to be crazy.

"The quality of each piece is so good that not only can Myriad Phenomena True Person use it, but even Primordial Spirit Daoist can use it to form a combined attack formation." Jade Algae Immortal stroked the runes on the ancient armor, his eyes filled with amazement.

Top-notch!

All five items are top-quality!

If it were a single item, it would at most barely reach the threshold of a top-grade earth-level magic weapon, requiring 10,000 jin of Origin Liquid.

But there are five items.

Once five ordinary Nascent Primordial Spirit Daoist at the Perfected Realm are clad in armor and formed into a combined attack formation, they are comparable to ordinary Earth Immortal Loose Immortal.

How much Origin Liquid is worth for the combat power of a Earth Immortal Loose Immortal?

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, I'm willing to offer 80,000 Origin Liquid for each of these five Dao Soldier Armor, and give them directly to my Carefree Cave, how about that?" Jade Algae Immortal looked at Zhou Hao.

The expressions of the others in the private room immediately changed.

Each batch contains 80,000 Origin Liquid; five batches would then contain 400,000 Origin Liquid.

Sky!

This is almost comparable to a top-grade Heaven-rank magic weapon.

Ordinary Earth-Grade Dharma Treasure can usually be bought for ten catties of Origin Liquid. Complete sets or rarer ones are slightly more expensive, but the most expensive ones are no more than a hundred catties of Origin Liquid.

A mid-grade Earth-rank magic treasure weighs approximately between one hundred and one thousand catties of Origin Liquid, while the most expensive high-grade magic treasure does not exceed ten thousand catties.

As for top-grade Earth-rank items, they are comparable to the most common Heaven-rank magic treasures.

Depending on the quantity and the rarity of the materials, it is estimated to be between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of kilograms.

Once you reach the Heavenly Rank, the starting point for a magic weapon is 100,000 jin of Origin Liquid, and for a high-grade one it's over 500,000 jin.

For example, the "Nine-Star Immortal Carriage" that the "Beishan Heihu" rides is a rare top-grade flying magic treasure, worth a full 800,000 catties of Origin Liquid.

Beishan Baiwei usually likes to borrow it out so he can sit and stroll around Antan City.

Although he didn't show it on his face when he introduced him to Zhou Hao earlier, he was actually quite proud of himself.

But now...

"To be able to interact with immortals on equal footing in terms of strength, and even their wealth is terrifying," Beishan Baiwei couldn't help but mutter to himself, "This person is definitely not from our generation."

Upon hearing that Jade Algae Immortal was willing to offer 80,000 jin of Origin Liquid per piece, Zhou Hao knew that this was already a good price.

Normally, if sold to Tianbao Mountain or Thousand Treasures Hall within the Profound Heaven Realm, the price would be around this amount, and it wouldn't go much higher.

But isn't this a treasure hunt?

Such high-quality Dao Soldier Armor, sold in sets of five, is usually hard to find.

The guests inside the hall were all from the top tribes and forces of Antan Commandery.

How will you know how high the final price will go if you don't try?

"Let's take it to the treasure auction," Zhou Hao said with a smile. "If the final price is less than 80,000 jin of Origin Liquid per piece, then we'll sell it to Carefree Cave."

Jade Algae Immortal smiled bitterly.

So you're unwilling to suffer a loss, aren't you?

The two fairies, Xiao and Qin, each carrying a snow-white suit of armor, emerged from the elegant room.

The two fairies, usually so elegant and serene, were now experiencing their hearts pounding wildly.

The moment the two women appeared, they immediately attracted the attention of the guests in the other private rooms of the hall.

Could it be that the Changsheng of Longevity, who even had Jade Algae Immortal personally accompany him, has a treasure to put up for auction?

Regarding the prices of magical artifacts, the original work is quite fragmented. Earth-Grade Dharma Treasure cost a hundred taels of Origin Liquid, Heaven-rank magical artifacts can weigh tens or hundreds of thousands of jin, and Immortal-rank magical artifacts generally start at a million jin. Beyond that, prices are not mentioned. I've tried to avoid being too explicit to avoid criticism. However, there should be some price system. In short, as mentioned in the text, prices vary greatly depending on rarity, type, and quantity. A single flying sword of similar material will definitely not be as valuable as a set of hundreds. Flying magical artifacts and life-saving magical artifacts will be more valuable than ordinary attack magical artifacts, and so on. Due to space limitations, I won't go into further detail. Just take a look.