Price Differences

Entering the Market, Chen Beiwu found the air thick with spiritual energy. Just one breath in and out left his whole body feeling much lighter.

The spiritual energy in the Market is probably already close to Third Tier. He marveled to himself.

The Market already had a Second-Tier Upper-Grade Spirit Vein. By using a Second-Tier spirit-gathering formation to gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and keep it from dispersing, they could raise the concentration within the Market to nearly Third Tier.

In the Immortal Alliance, a place so abundant in Spirit Vigor was a cultivation site that Foundation Establishment Rogues could yearn for but never obtain. Only Golden Core True Persons were qualified to occupy one.

Yet here in the Earth Evolution Realm of the Southern Wasteland, even a small Foundation Establishment Lineage could occupy such a rare spiritual land. It was truly a case of the parched dying of thirst while the drowned perished in floods.

Chen Beiwu's expression did not change, but he thought to himself, This is the disparity between two worlds.

"Senior, may I ask if you need a Broker? It's only one Spirit Stone for three days." A sweet voice suddenly rang out.

Chen Beiwu looked down and saw a petite figure dressed in a blue-gray daoist robe.

She was slender and small. A string of pearls hung over her full breasts, and a thin silver-plated belt around her waist accentuated her extraordinarily ample, pert backside.

She stood on tiptoe in her embroidered shoes. Her carefully applied makeup framed a flattering smile, but could not hide her excessively youthful face.

"Sure." Chen Beiwu gave a slight nod.

One Spirit Stone was no small sum, but it was nothing compared to the value of information about the Market.

With an intermediary's explanations, he could gather enough information in the shortest time and understand the price differences between the two worlds.

"Senior, are you looking to buy Spirit Materials or pills, rent a shop or cave abode, or purchase servants or a dao companion?" Wanwan asked eagerly.

"Show me around the Market first," Chen Beiwu said concisely.

At his words, Wanwan immediately understood and led the way.

Loose lips sank ships. Cultivators willing to spend Spirit Stones on an intermediary's services were usually outsiders visiting Abysswall Market for the first time. She was already used to this kind of cool demeanor.

Ignoring the crowds of people at the street-corner stalls, Wanwan quietly explained, "Most of the cultivators who set up stalls in the Market are Rogue Cultivators. The things they sell vary in quality, and their reliability is hard to guarantee. Cultivators often get swindled and can't even find the seller afterward."

After speaking, she turned and stepped into an old-fashioned shop called the Myriad Arts Pavilion.

The shop was not very large. Books on cultivation techniques lined the shelves on both sides, and the air was filled with the scent of ink.

"The Myriad Arts Pavilion has the most materials and the most complete collection of cultivation techniques and classics in Abysswall Market..." Wanwan began an unbroken stream of introductions.

[Metal Refining Art]: Middle-Grade Qi Refining technique, suitable for body cultivators. It can refine the essence of metal and iron and channel it into the flesh and bones, forging a Golden Horizontal Body impervious to blades and spears. It can be cultivated up to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.

Price: 300 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

[Water Transformation Art]: Middle-Grade Qi Refining technique. By contemplating the force of a waterfall, one can accelerate cultivation and develop Water Origin Magic Power that flows on and on like water. It can also condense water into weapons.

Price: 400 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

[Earth Mountain Art]: Upper-Grade Qi Refining technique. It can absorb the energy of the earth's veins to condense pure, vast Earth Mountain Magic Power. When fighting atop a mountain range, one can quickly replenish depleted Magic Power and fear no encirclement.

Price: 500 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

Seeing the dazzling array of Qi Refining techniques, Chen Beiwu was somewhat surprised. He casually picked up a book and began to read.

To prevent people from secretly learning the techniques, the books on the shelves recorded only partial information. The true technique inheritances were kept in transmission Jade Slips, beyond the customers' reach.

"This..." Chen Beiwu grew more and more astonished as he read.

Aside from a few Five Phases Qi Refining techniques that were more or less complete, all the other techniques had some omissions and errors, yet they could still fetch such high prices.

In the Immortal Alliance, these worthless Qi Refining techniques could only be rated as the lowest grade of mortal techniques. They would not sell for 300 Spirit Stones-or even 30. They might not even pass review if posted on the official website for cultivators to read for free.

Seeing this, Wanwan was pleased inside, but showed nothing on her face.

She could not earn much from one Spirit Stone every three days.

The most lucrative part of being a Broker was the commission for bringing customers to a shop and closing a deal. The Myriad Arts Pavilion was the shop in the Market that offered the most generous commissions.

Of course, she did not take every outsider to the Myriad Arts Pavilion.

Customers like Chen Beiwu, whose bearing, cultivation, and clothes were all out of the ordinary and who looked a bit like a second-generation cultivator, were the Myriad Arts Pavilion's main clientele.

As the seconds passed, Chen Beiwu read dozens of cultivation technique and Spell Art books.

However, to Wanwan's disappointment, after looking through so many books, Chen Beiwu had not taken a liking to even one.

"Is there something you're dissatisfied with, Senior?" she asked cautiously.

"These are all rather ordinary." Chen Beiwu shook his head and returned the [Little Palm Thunder] in his hand to the shelf.

Understanding his implication, Wanwan looked troubled. "Senior, Foundation Establishment techniques are rather rare. They can easily sell for thousands of Spirit Stones, and usually only appear at auctions held once every five years."

At this, Chen Beiwu's thoughts stirred.

The Southern Wasteland Cultivation World guarded its knowledge jealously and placed great importance on cultivation technique inheritances. Even a complete Foundation Establishment technique was worth thousands of Spirit Stones.

Yet Foundation Establishment techniques of this caliber were miscellaneous techniques in the Immortal Alliance, where information was exploding; there was no need to restrict their sharing. It would not be an exaggeration to say they were worthless.

If Chen Beiwu wanted, he could download dozens of completely different miscellaneous techniques from the Immortal Alliance in a single night.

The only problem was that Foundation Establishment techniques were extremely valuable in the Southern Wasteland Cultivation World. They could benefit future generations and were treasures that even Foundation Establishment experts would covet. Even if he put one up for auction, he might not be able to protect it.

Having witnessed what happened at the entrance to the Market, Chen Beiwu did not dare trust the reputation the Market claimed for itself.

Unless he was a Foundation Establishment expert, if the stakes were high enough, Abysswall Market would most likely resort to underhanded tactics to get its hands on a Foundation Establishment technique.

As for its reputation, as long as Abysswall Market acted cleanly and ruthlessly enough, the dead could not speak, much less affect business.

"Let's look around elsewhere," Chen Beiwu said.

The fact that miscellaneous techniques could not be sold did not mean mortal-grade techniques could not. A Qi Refining technique was not enough to tempt Abysswall Market.

But before selling any techniques, he needed to keep gathering information.

Wanwan said nothing and obediently led him out.

Cultivators who did not even care for Qi Refining techniques most likely had extraordinary backgrounds. She could not afford to provoke someone like that.

Leaving the Cultivation Zen Studio, Wanwan went around the stall vendors and took a winding route. First, she led Chen Beiwu into the Hundred Pills Pavilion, which sold Spirit Materials and pills. Next came the Thousand Artifacts Studio, which sold magical artifacts, then the Flying Talisman Hall, which sold Talismans, and finally the Array Study Studio, which sold Formation Disks.

But to Wanwan's dismay, after they had made a round of the Market's shops, Chen Beiwu had not bought a single thing.

That meant that after working herself to the bone all day, she would not earn even a little commission.

"Not bad. This is your payment." Chen Beiwu casually tossed her a Spirit Stone.

After a day of exploration, he had already found the fastest and safest way to earn Spirit Stones.