Spirit Treasure Street

Spirit Treasure Street

"Storm Market truly deserved its reputation as Yan Kingdom's most famous gathering place for independent cultivators. Its scale was indeed impressive."

Xiao Liang surveyed the area and saw buildings stretching along the terrain, connected together to form broad streets and narrow alleys.

Many of the buildings' walls were mottled with age. Though the pillars by their doors still stood firm, they bore marks of insect damage and rodent gnawing.

By rough estimate, the place had probably existed for nearly a century.

Although the buildings were packed densely together, the surrounding roads were clean and tidy, and everything was kept in good order.

Its management clearly received considerable attention.

As the saying went, one could see the whole leopard through a single spot. From such details, the place seemed fairly peaceful overall.

Xiao Liang nodded to himself.

"Fellow Daoist Ghost Shadow, Storm Market has quite a few hidden places that ordinary outsiders would not learn about so quickly. Would you like me to clear up your doubts?"

At that moment, Xu Qingfeng, who had been standing quietly at the side, suddenly spoke without changing his expression.

Xiao Liang nodded. "I have only just arrived here, so of course I do!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Xu Qingfeng merely smiled without saying a word. After a brief moment of surprise, Xiao Liang understood.

He immediately laughed. "I certainly will not let Fellow Daoist Xu work for nothing. It is only that my purse is rather light, and I cannot produce many Spirit Stones. I hope you will not ask too high a price."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingfeng's smile became even more sincere. He waved his hands repeatedly and said, "I, too, came from the ranks of independent cultivators, so naturally I will not make things difficult for you. One Spirit Stone will be enough."

Xiao Liang still had a few Spirit Stones left. After pondering briefly, he handed one over.

"Please follow me, Fellow Daoist Ghost Shadow."

Having made a deal, Xu Qingfeng was in high spirits. Independent cultivators lacked cultivation resources and often quibbled over every last bit.

They would rather wander around the market like headless flies and ask around for information than spend Spirit Stones.

Someone as straightforward as Xiao Liang was quite rare.

It seemed this Fellow Daoist Ghost Shadow was either rather wealthy or came from an unusual background.

However, when Xu Qingfeng recalled the Third Level of Qi Refining cultivation Xiao Liang had inadvertently revealed earlier, he quietly dismissed those unnecessary thoughts.

Naturally, Xiao Liang had no idea that casually handing over a single Spirit Stone had already sent Xu Qingfeng's mind turning several times.

The two soon arrived at the entrance of a winding, twisting alley within the market.

Xu Qingfeng introduced it, saying, "This place has no real name, but we all call it Flea Alley. Many independent cultivators set up stalls inside to trade what they have for what they need. Still, no one guarantees the spiritual items sold there, so it is hard to tell real from fake."

"If Fellow Daoist Ghost Shadow is confident in his eye for treasures, this is a good place to hunt for bargains. I heard someone found a fragment of a magical treasure there a few years ago!"

Xiao Liang nodded and glanced into the alley.

Cultivators dressed in all manner of styles sat cross-legged on the ground like street vendors, with blankets spread out before them.

All sorts of miscellaneous items were displayed atop them.

There were martial arts manuals and divine weapons from mortal kingdoms, as well as talismans, pills, and other items used by low-level cultivators.

There were even strange and mysterious objects whose purpose could not be discerned.

Such as metal sheets made of unusual materials, heavy and indistinct stone tablets, and the like.

The variety was certainly plentiful, but as Xu Qingfeng had said, the quality was impossible to distinguish from genuine to fake.

"Eh, that bottle seems to contain Spring Rejuvenation Pills used by low-level cultivators?"

"If I had not seen them twice at the outer gates of Ten Thousand Demon Cavern, I really would not have recognized them. Judging from the wear on the pill bottle, they might be ancestral goods passed down for several hundred years."

Xiao Liang looked at it a few more times, but soon withdrew his gaze with a deeply strange expression.

Pills could be preserved for a very long time, but after being left in harsh conditions for centuries, it was hard to say how much medicinal power remained.

Wouldn't eating them kill someone?

Even a pig would shake its head at them!

Xiao Liang said to Xu Qingfeng, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I would still like to visit a somewhat more legitimate shop. Are there any in the market?"

Xu Qingfeng nodded with a smile. "Of course. Spirit Treasure Street is not far ahead. Quite a few accomplished independent cultivators rent shops there to sell cultivation resources. It is absolutely legitimate and reliable."

"I imagine the prices are anything but ordinary as well!"

Xiao Liang shrugged. He and the smiling, silent Xu Qingfeng exchanged a glance and continued onward.

"Old Zhang's Pill Shop, Cai Family Artifact Forging, Spirit Food Restaurant..."

Looking at the various down-to-earth shop signs along this so-called Spirit Treasure Street, Xiao Liang almost felt as though he had returned to the food street of Blue Star in his previous life.

Yet the various unusual sights still showed that this place was far from ordinary.

The proprietor of a nearby restaurant stood by the roadside beside a carriage, using the Object-Driving Technique to send jars of spirit wine from the carriage up to the second floor.

Inside a blacksmith's shop, a muscular father and son formed hand seals and breathed out a ball of spiritual flame, melting a piece of refined iron in the forge in the blink of an eye.

On a small pavilion nearby, a brightly dressed young woman wore a seductive expression and cast a flirtatious glance at Xiao Liang.

His heart immediately burned with an unnatural heat.

He hurriedly circulated his spiritual power several times to suppress it, only then detecting an extremely faint fluctuation of power from a Bewitchment Technique.

"Young Brother Xu, this fellow Daoist beside you looks rather unfamiliar. Would you like to invite him up for a seat? We can all have tea together!"

The young woman upstairs wore red robes and held a fan made of firebird feathers. Covering her face, she laughed coquettishly and called down to them, swaying charmingly without the slightest restraint.

Xu Qingfeng, whose spiritual power was only at Qi Refining, First Layer, was bent over strangely at the moment, his face flushed red.

He could only smile bitterly and beg for mercy. "Sister Hong, please withdraw your technique. If I find any suitable customers next time, I will certainly put in a good word for you!"

"You can come up yourself too, Young Brother Xu. At worst, I'll give you a discounted price. I have been idle lately anyway, so I may as well let you take advantage of it!"

The cultivator known as Sister Hong gave a soft snort and withdrew her Bewitchment Technique, but she lightly licked her lips as she stared at Xu Qingfeng.

It had to be said that although this Young Brother Xu was not highly cultivated, he was handsome and dignified, and his scholar's robes gave him an elegant air.

Xu Qingfeng jumped in fright and hastily apologized, pulling Xiao Liang away. Only after they rounded a corner did he finally let out a long breath and pat his chest.

"Mid Qi Refining Stage... She might even be nearing Late Qi Refining. Why insist on doing this?"

Before being dragged away, Xiao Liang glanced speechlessly at the older beauty in the pavilion. Perhaps because he had lived two lives, his Innate Divine Soul was powerful.

He was quite sensitive to spiritual power. Judging from the fluctuations Sister Hong had emitted when she used the Bewitchment Technique, her cultivation would not be below the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.

The Qi Refining Stage was divided into nine levels. The first three were the early stage, the middle three were the mid stage, and the final three were the late stage.

The Sixth Layer of Qi Refining was already quite impressive. At the very least, among everyone Xiao Liang had encountered since entering Storm Market, Sister Hong possessed the highest cultivation.

Perhaps Xu Qingfeng felt he had embarrassed himself too much before Xiao Liang, so he explained awkwardly:

"Sister Hong's cultivation is not low, and she is quite beautiful as well. However, the cultivation technique she practices can gather yang and replenish yin. Men who spend the night with her often suffer a loss of vital essence. My cultivation is too low; I fear I would fall seriously ill!"

Xiao Liang suddenly understood. So that was how she cultivated. It was rather interesting.

(End of Chapter)