Di Xin

His own combat strength was insufficient, leaving him hamstrung in everything he did. If his strength had been solid enough, why would he not even dare enter an ancient tomb?

So the next thing he needed to do was raise his combat power. Ideally, he would refine a powerful External Gu. Having one would greatly enhance his ability in one-on-one combat.

If one were to ask whether External Gu or Internal Gu were stronger in the Gu World, the debate would rage without end. One was used for combat outside the body, while the other could grant Gu cultivators powerful abilities. They were two completely different systems, truly difficult to compare.

But during the Spirit Gathering Stage, External Gu were far stronger than Internal Gu. That was beyond doubt and entirely undisputed.

That was because Gu cultivators at the Spirit Gathering Stage had only just begun cultivating, and the spiritual power stored within their bodies was exceedingly scant.

No matter how powerful an Internal Gu's ability was, without enough spiritual power, it could not display its effects. Perhaps using it once would drain all spiritual power, or perhaps it could not even be used once.

Restricted by insufficient spiritual power in the early stages, the benefits of Internal Gu naturally fell far short of those of External Gu.

Therefore, the vast majority of Gu cultivators in the Spirit Gathering Stage or Marrow Cleansing Stage focused primarily on refining External Gu. During battle, the Gu cultivator only needed to hide sneakily in the rear.

Thus, if he wanted to increase his combat strength quickly, refining an External Gu was undoubtedly the best choice.

It was precisely for this reason that Long Xuan's Cockroach Gu had stopped selling long ago.

Gu cultivators were a rare group. There were only so many in the entire market, and each type of Gu insect could only be owned once. Added to the fact that most Gu cultivators refined only External Gu, the Cockroach Gu market had long since become saturated.

With the Cockroach Gu selling poorly, Long Xuan's source of income had suffered a devastating blow. Collecting the materials for Divine Ice Flame was still a distant prospect.

At that thought, Long Xuan's good mood from having just created a cultivation technique vanished without a trace.

To refine an External Gu, he first had to make money. Left with no other choice, Long Xuan could only leave his house to seek a grand plan for getting rich.

Leaving seclusion early was not as good as leaving at the right time. Long Xuan made a round through the market and happened to learn that a Treasure Exchange Fair was being held today, one exclusively for Spirit Gathering Stage Rogue Cultivators.

He was immediately overjoyed and promptly followed the crowd over to join in the excitement.

A Treasure Exchange Fair was not like the street-stall trading in the market. In terms of scale, street stalls were nowhere near comparable to a Treasure Exchange Fair.

Wealth must not be flaunted. Who would dare display something worth a fortune on a stall? Were they tired of living?

Thus, the more secretive Treasure Exchange Fair came into being.

Of course, it was impossible for every Gu cultivator in the market to attend.

Those qualified to attend had to possess a certain amount of wealth and a good reputation. There could be no rumors of murdering others for treasure. Demonic cultivators who liked killing and robbing had to be excluded, or else the Treasure Exchange Fair could not be held at all.

Furthermore, after the Treasure Exchange Fair ended, it was strictly forbidden to spread word about who possessed what. Those loose-lipped blabbermouths naturally had to be excluded as well.

Though the restrictions were not especially enforceable, such people could forget about attending the next Treasure Exchange Fair. They would be jointly boycotted by the group.

Once the conditions were set, very few people remained qualified to attend the Treasure Exchange Fair. A single secret chamber was basically enough to hold them all.

This small cluster was a high-quality group. Every person possessed a certain amount of wealth, so all manner of precious treasures were bound to appear at the Treasure Exchange Fair. Treasures rarely seen outside might appear here.

Such precious treasures could never be found at street stalls. Even if one gained nothing from attending a Treasure Exchange Fair, it would still broaden one's horizons.

If one harbored thoughts of picking up a bargain, then naturally, a Treasure Exchange Fair was where one could find the biggest bargains.

At this moment, Long Xuan was harboring exactly such thoughts. He hoped to pick up a precious treasure at the Treasure Exchange Fair that could sell for hundreds of millions, while coincidentally no one else recognized its value. That would instantly solve his shortage of funds.

Long Xuan indulged in such pleasant fantasies as he followed several female Rogue Cultivators into a two-story building, then took several twists and turns into a hidden secret chamber. The guards did not stop him.

His great name was now known by everyone throughout the market. He was the creator of the Cockroach Gu, and his reputation was resounding.

He had made a fortune selling Cockroach Gu. Among a group of dirt-poor Rogue Cultivators, his wealth was quite considerable, so naturally he was qualified to attend this Treasure Exchange Fair.

The moment he entered the venue, Long Xuan's eyes lit up. Though the Treasure Exchange Fair was held in an underground secret chamber, the venue was surprisingly bright and rather well decorated. Quite a few Rogue Cultivators were already conducting small-scale trades.

Long Xuan gave the place a rough sweep. There were more than ten round tables, each surrounded by people. Acquaintances sat together, while a group of somewhat famous Rogue Cultivators gathered around tables, eating the desserts and fruit and drinking tea as they chatted and laughed. Some had even brought out their treasures and placed them on the tables. By rough estimate, there were fewer than a hundred people.

There were naturally far more Rogue Cultivators with some wealth than this, but not everyone had the time. Only a small portion could attend.

Moreover, Treasure Exchange Fairs of this scale were held from time to time. If one missed this one, they could wait for the next. Attendance was not compulsory.

The moment Long Xuan arrived, many people turned their gazes toward him.

"What a rare guest. I never expected the Treasure Exchange Fair I hosted to attract a shut-in like you. This is the first time I've seen you attend one. Don't tell me you have something good on hand?"

Not far away, a beautiful female Rogue Cultivator in a yellow dress and veil teased him.

Whether in his previous life as an entomologist or in this life as a Gu cultivator, Long Xuan had been a research fanatic. He stayed at home year-round, deaf to matters beyond his window, concentrating wholeheartedly on research. His information channels were extremely limited.

He had not deliberately avoided coming in the past. He simply had no idea when Treasure Exchange Fairs were held.

Otherwise, he would have stopped his research to attend. After all, this was an excellent chance for him to pick up a huge bargain and become rich overnight. Research required money too.

Long Xuan followed the voice and saw an incomparably beautiful woman wearing a veil standing not far away. He did not know what was wrong with beautiful women in this world; they all seemed to enjoy wearing veils.

Though his information was extremely limited, Long Xuan knew this woman. There were only three people in the market who sold exclusive High-Grade Gu Insects, and she was one of them. She had earned so much from selling High-Grade Gu Insects that her bowls overflowed and her basins brimmed.

She was also a rare formation master. Rogue Cultivators were poorer than the last and had no fixed residences, so they often had no need to trade for expensive formation discs to guard their homes. This craft did not bring her much income.

Instead, she relied on this skill to frequently enter the treasure vaults and medicinal gardens of small Gu cultivator Lineages. She was a renowned master thief throughout the region.

In this world, those who relied on breaking formations to infiltrate great Lineages and steal treasures were known as Formation Raiders. With their superb formation-breaking techniques, Formation Raiders often passed silently through the mountain-protecting formations of great Lineages to steal treasures. They were the sort of people all great Lineages loathed with a burning hatred.

And this Di Xin was a powerful Formation Raider who stole only from Gu cultivator Lineages, never Rogue Cultivators. What Long Xuan remembered most vividly about her was that she feared cockroaches, which was why she had always refused to buy his Cockroach Gu.

It was also because Long Xuan was the only person in the entire market who sold cockroach-type Gu insects that she remembered him especially well.

"So it's Sister Xin. My apologies, my apologies. I'm too lazy to attend Treasure Exchange Fairs hosted by others, but the moment I heard you were holding one, I rushed here without stopping for breath. I simply had to show Sister Xin proper respect."

Though he had never attended a Treasure Exchange Fair before because he lacked information, he still understood the art of speech. He knew how to talk in ways that brought people closer together.

Hearing this, Di Xin covered her mouth and chuckled. "I never expected I had such influence, enough to bring a busy man like you here despite your packed schedule. Then my Treasure Exchange Fair certainly will not disappoint you."