Penglai Immortal Island

Half a month later.

As the morning mist gradually dispersed, Qin Chen stood at the bow and finally saw a vast, undulating shadow appear at the edge of his vision.

It was an immensely sprawling island-or rather, a small continent floating on the sea.

Immortal mist wreathed the island, where extraordinary peaks thrust upward, and countless pavilions and towers with carved beams and painted rafters could faintly be seen scattered among them.

From time to time, cultivators riding flying swords streaked across the sky as trails of light, while enormous spirit-powered flying ships shuttled through the clouds.

This was Penglai Immortal Island, the most renowned gathering place for cultivators in the waters surrounding the Qianlong Continent.

"Immortal, up ahead is Penglai Immortal Island's Welcoming Immortals Harbor. Our merchant ship can only dock at the outer harbor for mortals. If you wish to visit the cultivators' market, you can fly straight there from here."

Old Wang stood respectfully behind Qin Chen and reported with great care.

"Mm. Thank you for your efforts all this time, Captain Wang." Qin Chen nodded slightly and casually tossed Old Wang a heavy cloth bag. "Here is some mortal gold and silver for my passage."

With that, Qin Chen paid no heed to Old Wang's profuse thanks and pleas for him to stay. With Xiaobai perched on his shoulder, he lightly tapped his toes against the deck and skimmed over the sea like a weightless feather, flying toward the depths of Penglai Immortal Island.

The moment Qin Chen set foot on Penglai Immortal Island, he keenly sensed that the spiritual energy here was at least ten times denser than on the Qianlong Continent.

Although it was still inadequate for cultivating his "heavenly cycle star body," it at least left him feeling clearheaded and refreshed.

Following the broad bluestone streets, Qin Chen made his way to the most prosperous district on Penglai Immortal Island-the South City Market.

This was a hub where cultivators conducted their trades.

Shops lined both sides of the streets, and hawkers' cries and the sounds of bargaining rang out without end.

The stalls were piled with all manner of herbs, ores, and magical artifact fragments giving off fluctuations of spiritual energy, and even some low-level demonic beasts locked in iron cages.

Qin Chen's goal was clear: he needed large quantities of spirit stones to purchase aged spiritual herbs.

He wandered around the market before finally stopping in front of a tall, three-story tower called the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

The building was imposing and magnificent, with two late Xiantian guards standing at the entrance. Everyone coming and going was a cultivator of considerable cultivation; clearly, it was one of the largest shops in the market.

Qin Chen strode into the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. The hall was lavishly decorated and suffused with spiritual energy.

A pretty maid in a green silk dress immediately approached him. Although she could see how young Qin Chen was, she sensed the faint, unfathomable aura emanating from him and remained exceedingly respectful. "Senior, welcome to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Are you looking to purchase magical treasures and pills, or to sell treasures?"

"I'm selling some materials and pills," Qin Chen said evenly.

"Please follow me, Senior. Valuable items must be examined personally by one of our pavilion's appraisers." The maid led Qin Chen into a quiet room on the second floor.

An elderly man with graying hair and a goatee sat inside.

The old man had an early Golden Core stage cultivation, and a golden cauldron emblem was embroidered on his chest. He was clearly an experienced appraiser.

"My surname is Sun, and I am the chief appraiser of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. What would you like to sell, young friend?" Elder Sun stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over Qin Chen as a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He actually could not see through this young man's cultivation at all.

Qin Chen wasted no words and simply waved his hand.

Whoosh!

With a flash of light, a heap of materials exuding dense demonic energy and the reek of blood instantly filled half the quiet room.

Intact Black-Scaled Sea Python scales, translucent Deep-Sea Ironclad Crab shells, Jade-Eyed Thunder Ray skin emanating the aura of lightning... Every piece had been preserved exceptionally well, without the slightest damage.

"These... these are the scales of a Golden Core stage greater demon, a Black-Scaled Sea Python?!" Elder Sun shot to his feet, his eyes fixed on the heap of materials as even his voice changed pitch. "Heavens, not even a single bone spur is broken! This Ironclad Crab's carapace is completely intact too! Young friend, may I ask how these demonic beasts were killed? How could their materials have been preserved so perfectly?"

"You needn't ask about that. Name a price." Qin Chen's expression remained calm. Then he took two jade bottles from inside his robe and placed them on the table. "Besides these materials, there are these two bottles of pills. Appraise them together."

Forcing down his shock, Elder Sun carefully picked up a jade bottle and pulled out the stopper.

Boom!

An extraordinarily rich medicinal fragrance instantly filled the entire quiet room. Just one whiff made Elder Sun feel faint signs of movement in the spiritual power within him that had stagnated for years.

He peered into the bottle and saw more than a dozen round, plump pills lying quietly at the bottom.

"Supreme grade! Every single one is a supreme-grade Spirit-Gathering Pill!" Elder Sun's hand jerked violently, and he nearly dropped the jade bottle on the floor.

"Young friend... no, Senior!" Elder Sun's attitude instantly took a complete about-face, his voice filled with reverence. "These materials and these two bottles of supreme-grade Spirit-Gathering Pills are worth a fortune! By my preliminary estimate, they are worth at least thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones. They could fetch even more at auction!"

Qin Chen nodded slightly. Thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones would barely suffice to purchase a batch of thousand-year-old spiritual herbs to temper his star body.

"Then thirty thousand it is..."

"Hold it!"

Just as Qin Chen was about to close the deal, someone suddenly kicked the quiet room's door open with brutal force.

A young gentleman in a lavish brocade robe, his face sinister, swaggered in surrounded by four early Golden Core stage guards.

The young gentleman immediately spotted the jade bottles on the table and the supreme-grade materials covering the floor, and a greedy gleam erupted in his eyes.

"Old Sun, I've taken a fancy to these things." The young gentleman sneered and casually tossed a shriveled storage bag onto the table. "There are five hundred low-grade spirit stones in here. I'm taking the goods. As for him, tell him to get lost."

Elder Sun's expression changed, and cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead. He hurriedly stood up and said with an ingratiating smile, "Young Master Liu, please don't joke. These things are worth thirty thousand spirit stones. Your five hundred..."

Smack!

Young Master Liu struck Elder Sun hard across the face with a backhanded slap, knocking the old man to the floor with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Old fool, if I say five hundred, it's five hundred! In Penglai Immortal Island's South City, my Liu Family makes the rules!"

Young Master Liu pointed arrogantly at Elder Sun's nose as he cursed him, then turned to Qin Chen with a contemptuous look. "Boy, I don't recognize you. An itinerant cultivator from out of town, are you? Take these five hundred spirit stones and get lost. Don't spurn a favor, or you'll leave your life here in the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion today!"

The four early Golden Core stage guards immediately stepped forward, forming a semicircle around Qin Chen as powerful spiritual pressure erupted from their bodies, making no attempt to conceal the killing intent in their eyes.

The atmosphere in the quiet room instantly dropped to freezing.

Qin Chen looked at the shabby bag containing five hundred spirit stones on the table, then at the arrogant, overbearing Young Master Liu. Suddenly, an exceedingly cold curve rose at the corner of his mouth.

"You want to buy my goods worth thirty thousand spirit stones for five hundred?"