Cultivation: From Mortal to Immortal Venerable

You can get talismans from Lan Song.

His master is a mid-grade level one talisman craftsman, so buying from him would offer a discount.

Secondly, it would also deepen their relationship.

It's killing two birds with one stone!

As for magical artifacts, Zhou Xun would have to go to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

He had an excellent relationship with the shopkeeper there, so selecting a fine magical artifact at a lower price shouldn't be a problem.

Three days later, a young man dressed as a demon-hunting cultivator emerged from the west gate of Red Leaf Square and sped away.

Everything went smoothly, with no sign of the roadblocks by rogue cultivators that were rumored to exist.

After about a day's travel, Zhou Xun finally arrived at the entrance to the Black Market.

A mountain range shrouded in thick mist made it impossible to see what lay within.

Zhou Xun activated the Heaven's Eye Technique, immediately piercing through the fog and heading towards the entrance.

Just as Zhou Xun entered, various spiritual lights could be seen streaking towards the area from afar.

Among these people were two cultivators dressed in dark brown robes.

"Big brother, are there really Spirit Condensing Herbs here?" the shorter, plumper cultivator asked the person beside him.

"It's definitely correct. This Black Market is holding an auction, and they wouldn't dare to falsify the list of items," the tall, thin middle-aged man replied in an unpleasant voice, his expression unreadable.

"We must buy this Spirit Condensing Herb. With it, elder brother can break through to the late stage!"

Zhou Xun stepped through the entrance, and the scene before him opened up.

A simple square covering over a hundred zhang appeared before him. While called a square, it was essentially a slightly leveled platform.

There was still exposed earth in many places on the ground, suggesting it had only recently been constructed.

In the center of the square stood a simple wooden platform, a little over a zhang tall. It was empty, with no one on it.

From below the platform to the edge of the square, numerous stalls of various sizes were set up. A cultivator sat behind each stall, presumably the owner.

By this time, many cultivators had already arrived at the square, gathering around the stalls to browse.

Uniformly, the cultivators here were either wearing cloaks to conceal their figures or masks to hide their faces.

Zhou Xun was no different, clad in a pitch-black cloak that completely enveloped him.

"Welcome, entry fee is one Spirit Essence!" a cold voice sounded by Zhou Xun's ear.

It turned out there were two guards standing on each side of the entrance, and the voice came from the one leading them.

Zhou Xun didn't hesitate, decisively taking out a Spirit Essence and handing it to the guard before striding towards the stalls in the square.

"Fellow Daoist, take a look at these excellent talismans! Fireball Talismans, Ice Spike Talismans, Quicksand Talismans – we have them all!" As Zhou Xun walked past, a stall owner wearing a monkey mask called out to him.

"How much are they?"

Zhou Xun heard this and crouched down, picking up a Fireball Talisman to examine it closely.

"Fireball Talismans and Ice Spike Talismans, five for one Spirit Stone!" Seeing Zhou Xun inquire about the price, the stall owner became even more enthusiastic.

"They're indeed much cheaper than at Red Leaf Square!" Zhou Xun secretly nodded.

At Red Leaf Square, one Spirit Stone could at most buy four of them.

Zhou Xun then visited several more stalls. The goods at each stall were at least twenty percent cheaper than those at Red Leaf Square.

Some stalls were even thirty or forty percent cheaper.

However, these treasures often had residual bloodstains, making it clear to Zhou Xun where they came from.

They must have belonged to some unfortunate cultivator.

Looking at the stall owners behind their wares, the words "rogue cultivator" appeared in Zhou Xun's mind!

He didn't linger any longer.

It was said that many rogue cultivators practiced special tracking spells, allowing them to be ensnared without even realizing it.

Zhou Xun, being cautious, quickly departed.

After browsing all the stalls, Zhou Xun encountered many treasures that tempted him.

Unfortunately, his purse was light, and his meager Spirit Stones had to be saved for the auction of the Spirit Condensing Herb.

Otherwise, if he were short a few Spirit Stones during the auction, he would surely regret it.

After all, a low-priced second-tier spiritual medicine like the Spirit Condensing Herb was not common.

He stayed for about two more hours, and the auction finally began.

With the sound of three drumbeats, over a dozen cloaked figures flew up from behind the high platform.

"Welcome everyone to this market gathering. I am one of the organizers!" A man wearing a Nuo Mask stepped forward and cupped his hands in a bow to the surroundings.

Although his words were polite, his late-stage Qi Condensation cultivation was not concealed at all.

It was likely intended to intimidate those with ill intentions.

After all, transactions in the Black Market are rife with corruption and a mixed crowd.

"And I will be presiding over this auction!"

"As for the auction rules, there is only one: the highest bidder wins. Once a fellow Daoist makes a winning bid, they may proceed to the room below the stage for the transaction."

As he spoke, he gestured to the left side of the stage.

Several simple houses stood there.

"For this auction, I imagine some fellow Daoists have received advance notice. Whether it's pills to break through bottlenecks, or artifacts of exceptional quality, or rare talismans, we have it all!"

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries, let's get straight to the treasures."

Then, he raised his voice and announced loudly:

"Bring out the treasures!"

Before long, two hulking figures were seen carrying a treasure chest half the height of a person, gently placing it beside the middle-aged man.

The masked middle-aged man waved his hand, and the treasure chest opened automatically.

He then took out a gear-like treasure from within:

"The first treasure, the Frost Moon Wheel!"

"A mid-grade offensive artifact!"

"Made primarily from Mystic Iron, infused with Celestial Star Sand. Refined by artifact master Jin Hongzi. When activated, the moon wheel spins, possessing the sharpness to break armor. It is the nemesis of defensive artifacts!"

"The starting bid is twenty-one Spirit Stones, and each subsequent bid must not be less than one Spirit Stone!"

The first item up for auction was a mid-grade artifact.

This sent the crowd's emotions soaring.

As the saying goes, strike first to gain the advantage; this was precisely the organizer's intention.

Zhou Xun looked on with considerable longing. Although the Frost Moon Wheel was ugly, resembling a large gear, its power was undeniable; it was a good treasure.

It was a pity he couldn't bid, as his true objective was the second-tier spiritual medicine.

"Twenty-two Spirit Stones!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a cultivator impatiently placed a bid.

"Twenty-three!"

Bids erupted one after another.

This Frost Moon Wheel, with its armor-piercing capability, was extremely rare among offensive artifacts and could be considered a masterpiece.

"I bid 30 Spirit Stones. I hope all fellow Daoists will give me some face!"

At this moment, an aged voice rang out.

Following it was a sudden burst of spiritual power, emanating from the ninth layer of Qi Condensation.

The crowd was startled.

"Ninth layer of Qi Condensation!"

That made him a significant figure even in Red Leaf Square!

One couldn't help but wonder who was concealing their identity.

The middle-aged host on stage frowned slightly at the remark and cupped his fist towards someone behind him.

At this, a person stood up from among the cultivators seated behind.

"The auctioned item goes to the highest bidder; no one is allowed to disrupt the process!"

The voice was extremely authoritative, and the pressure within the tone caused the entire square to fall silent.

"Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator!"