A Calculated Display

Fortune Star Market.

The woman who greeted us at the Hundred Herbs Hall was a young woman in a gorgeous dress, with a full figure, radiant skin, and a beautiful face.

He looks to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, but in the world of cultivation, he's definitely over thirty.

He's much more Forget-Return Market.

Zhou Ning went straight to the point. "Do you have ginseng? Five hundred years old."

The woman smiled brightly and spoke quite readily, "Yes, come with me."

Zhou Ning was led to a private room. The woman swept her hand across the table, revealing two cyan jade boxes. "Please look, these were picked from our family's medicinal herb garden a few days ago."

The so-called five-hundred-year-old herbs do not necessarily grow to five hundred years old. In the cultivation world, there are many Law Technique and spiritual objects, and as long as one is willing to cultivate them, the growth time of herbs can be greatly shortened.

That's why there are craftsmen like Spirit Plant.

Zhou Ning carefully examined the ginseng and found that the root system was intact and the medicinal effects had not been lost.

He spent nine Spirit Stone to buy one.

It's really expensive!

Fortunately, Zhou Ning exchanged six straws with Brother Zhuoran in the Withered Wood Grotto-Heaven, and then picked seven more from the Straw Puppet Herb Garden, including two that were a thousand years old, which barely sustained his cultivation.

Even so, his consumption of the Greater Ginseng-Nurturing Pill over the past few years, including both losses and his own consumption, has completely depleted his reserves, forcing him to go out and buy more.

This item is too expensive to be handed over to anyone else; otherwise, if Chen Long runs away, he'll be in trouble.

Afterwards, Zhou Ning presented a list of medicinal materials, mostly excipients for Azure Essence Pill, Three Flowers Pill, and Greater Ginseng-Nurturing Pill, to confuse the Pill Formula.

Five more Spirit Stone were paid.

This was no small transaction, Shopkeeper Bai's smile grew even brighter. She asked warmly, "Does our esteemed guest have any other needs? We can certainly accommodate them!"

"Really?" Zhou Ning: "Do you have Purple Monkey Flower?"

Shopkeeper Bai remained silent for a moment before saying, "You flatter me, esteemed guest."

This rare medicinal herb is so scarce that even our own family doesn't have enough.

If a family could cultivate a dozen or twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators like the Su Household, they could win by sheer numbers and wouldn't be afraid of ordinary False Core Lineage at all.

"However, I do know a way. Does this distinguished guest know of the ' Qilin Pavilion '?"

Zhou Ning was aware of this; it was a unique feature of Fortune Star Market —an anonymous trading event with multiple participants.

The event is held monthly, during which the Pavilion Master will routinely display some rare items, after which the participants are free to trade them.

Chen Long, that penniless scoundrel, managed to infiltrate the Qilin Pavilion by helping Zhou Ning purchase spiritual herbs.

Zhou Ning pretended not to understand. "I would appreciate the shopkeeper's explanation."

The following evening.

Wearing a bamboo hat, Zhou Ning presented a token engraved with a Qilin pattern at a pawnshop in the southeast corner of the market.

The hidden door behind the container opened, and he was led into the tunnel. After walking a hundred steps, the space in front of him suddenly opened up.

Before one's eyes was a large hall of five or six hundred square meters, with many bright pearls embedded in the seven or eight-zhang-high ceiling, illuminating the cultivators inside clearly.

More than twenty cultivators, some wearing bamboo hats, others hooded, and still others masked, were all Late Qi Refining cultivators, their heads and tails partially hidden.

There were no Foundation Establishment cultivators, but that's normal. In ordinary Aristocratic Clan, Foundation Establishment cultivators would be considered ancestors.

--

Moreover, trading them together is truly unequal and poses a danger to life.

Zhou Ning found a corner to sit down. Surprisingly, there were even spirit bamboos planted there, with emerald green leaves and a refreshing scent.

Although there were quite a few people, the hall was unusually quiet.

Zhou Ning waited for about half an hour, during which five more cultivators entered. When he saw the last cultivator, Zhou Ning looked surprised.

Because this person didn't hide her identity at all; she was none other than Zhao Ruoxue in the pink dress.

Zhao Ruoxue walked to the central steps, her face as cold as ice. "My sister isn't here today, so I'll be hosting, as usual."

She reached out and touched the table in front of her, revealing a pile of bottles and jars.

Zhou Ning: Goodness, you actually have a side business behind your back!

With a flick of her slender finger, Zhao Ruoxue caused the jade bottle to float up, from which a colorful pill was released.

"The Spirit-Healing Pill has both healing and nourishing effects on the soul. Usually, only the Spirit Condensation Pill can achieve this effect, but this pill is only priced at two Spirit Stone. As usual, the highest bidder wins."

A burly man in a straw raincoat below shouted, "Two Spirit Stone? That's too expensive!"

"Although it's cheaper than the Spirit Condensation Pill, it doesn't have the effect of breaking through ranks," someone commented.

Zhao Ruoxue: "When your soul is stabbed, then use the Spirit Condensation Pill to save it."

Zhou Ning pondered to himself, having never heard of this elixir while in the Cuiwei Lake region.

Could it be the work of Fang Tianyu? After all, Fang Tianyu had previously presented the Pill Formula for the Essence Continuation Pill.

According to this logic, even if rare elixirs appeared, it seems no one would investigate them too much—they would all be regarded as lost ancient formulas.

"Couldn't we sell the pills from Land of Wei?" To be on the safe side, Zhou Ning decided to put it aside for now. He might consider it when he had enough strength and needed to trade for the necessary items.

However, this was only a consideration, since the two realms were his greatest secret.

At this moment, a tall, upright man wearing a ghost mask walked to the front of the stage.

He declared loudly, "Ha! You are blind to the value of things! Spiritual materials of the divine soul type have always been sold only by the Ye Household. Apart from the Pure Heart Wisteria Flower, how rare are the other items?"

Zhou Ning's Divine Sense was incredibly powerful, and he caught all the whispers of those around him. Someone was saying, "It's that Multitalented Man again, the one who excels in alchemy, talismans, and puppetry!"

Zhou Ning was slightly surprised. "Wow, you're proficient in three skills?"

How could a Qi Refining cultivator, with such a short lifespan, possess so many skills?

Even Zhou Ning, who had mastered alchemy, found it to be profound and complex.

If you want to master other skills, you should at least Foundation Establishment before considering them.

"This person's talent is mostly just a rumor."

The Multitalented Man stepped to the front of the stage, and looking at Zhao Ruoxue's cold face, his eyes burned with desire.

If I could get this wife, I'd probably gain access to the Azure Mystic Sect's connections and a portion of the Zhao Household's inheritance!

That's the main reason he was willing to support the event.

Of course, this pill is indeed useful to him. He suffered a lot of damage from using the Soul Puppet recently, and he needs to replenish it!

The Multitalented Man immediately took a Spirit-Healing Pill and said eloquently, "Thank you, Miss Zhao, for securing benefits for us cultivators."

Zhao Ruoxue remained indifferent, then opened another jade box and summoned the contents inside.

It was a pure white, shimmering light gauze dress, hazy and ethereal, bold and beautiful.

"The Flowing Cloud Gauze Robe is woven from Flowing Cloud Gauze and Spirit Planting materials, and is embroidered with talismanic lines; it is a special Law Artifact."

"Wearing it will activate a protective cloud of light, resisting magic, concealing one's form, protecting against heat and cold, and making movement more graceful--"

"Selling for eight Spirit Stone."

Zhou Ning commented. "It's actually quite good-looking."

The cultivators below couldn't help but chuckle.

However, the item was too expensive, and for a time, no one bought it.

After a dozen or so breaths, a burly, imposing figure in a cloak appeared, his voice rough and hoarse. "I want it."

Upon hearing this, someone laughed and said, "Black Widow, you're so ugly, why would you buy this?"

Zhou Ning looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the Black Widow's face was obscured; she was huddled in the room, wrapped up tightly.

"This person is probably a master among Qi Refining cultivators," Zhou Ning thought to himself.

Black Widow roared, "I've found my eighth male lover, can't I just sell him to him?"

Zhou Ning couldn't help but twitch his lips at the thought of that scene; it was just too incredible.

Next, Zhao Ruoxue sold some more items, such as a top-grade first-tier talisman, a special array plate, and even a rather sharp black ink-patterned small sword.

This sword does not emit light when used to defeat enemies; it can be hidden in the shadows and also has a certain degree of ability to evade Divine Sense.

It was bought by a cultivator for thirteen Spirit Stone.

Zhou Ning's observation revealed that ordinary First-Tier Superior-Grade Law Artifact are priced at around five Spirit Stone, while top-grade magic Law Artifact like the Ink Pattern Small Sword cost more than ten Spirit Stone.

Next came the free trading session among the cultivators, where Zhou Ning was dazzled by the Spirit Planting materials and items.

The Multitalented Man produced a puppet, its entire body composed of some kind of iron armor. "A first-tier puppet, the Iron Bone Puppet. One punch can repel a cultivator of the same tier. Selling for four Spirit Stone!"

Some people looked at the puppet's clumsy appearance and sneered, "A cultivator of the same level isn't a pig, would they stand still and let it attack them?"

That's a money pit that costs Spirit Stone! I wouldn't take it even if it were given to me for free!

The Multitalented Man, his eyes blazing with anger, had no choice but to take out another nimble bamboo puppet wielding a blade.

The man said, "That's more like it."

"The bamboo puppet did sell."

Seeing this, Zhou Ning walked onto the stage, patted his Storage Bag, and five bottles of pills floated out.

"Azure Essence Pill, one bottle and half a Spirit Stone, no bargaining, interested parties please."

This pill is one of the most popular pills in the Qi Refining Realm, and it sold out in less than 15 minutes.

Zhou Ning received two and a half Spirit Stone and then said, "Anyone with information on Foundation Establishment Pill or the three main ingredients can trade with me; I'll definitely satisfy you."

Upon hearing this, all the cultivators shook their heads.

The Qilin Pavilion has held countless events, and every time there are many inquiries. However, over the years, the main ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pill have only appeared a handful of times.

Zhou Ning hadn't held out much hope, so the awkward silence was exactly what he expected.

"There's no such thing as something that's so easy to obtain! There's plenty of time!"

As he was about to step down, a rough, hoarse voice rang out. "Fellow Daoist, did you refine your own pills?"

The one who spoke was the Black Widow.

The cultivators all looked at her and laughed, saying jokingly, "Black Widow, it's been years, who's been making your ghost pills all this time?"

Zhou Ning's heart stirred. The widow was quite famous and wealthy; perhaps she really did have information about the main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

He said, "Of course."

"How are your alchemy skills, fellow Daoist?"

Zhou Ning did not answer, but flicked his finger, and a pill flew out.

"Spirit Condensation Pill!" someone blurted out, their eyes burning with desire. One Spirit Condensation Pill was worth at least ten Spirit Stone.

However, no one lost their mind and tried to snatch it. They were Late Qi Refining cultivators. Although this pill was rare, they had no use for it and considered it merely a valuable resource.

Just like the Foundation Establishment Pill, it is rare but not a must-have item for many cultivators in the mid-to-late stages of Foundation Establishment.

If there were a Foundation Establishment Pill right now, a massive chaotic battle would probably break out.

The Multitalented Man looked away and added, "I admit that Spirit Condensation Pill is quite difficult, but it's still within the first tier. However, the pill that fellow Daoist wants to refine is something even a second-tier Alchemist would find difficult to achieve."

Black Widow examined the pills for a moment, then tossed out a Jade Slip: "Fellow Daoist, please take a look. If you are confident, we can discuss the details after the transaction."

Zhou Ning affixed it to his brow; the Pill Formula was called [Thunder-Suppressing Meridian-Fortifying Pill], which could repair meridians, stabilize the Dantian, and suppress the dark thunder.

"What a strange pill—and the ingredients are extremely rare. It's probably not inferior to Foundation Establishment Pill, is it?"

Ice Lotus, Meridian Continuation Flower, Golden Well Thunder Ginseng, and even Thousand-Year Jade Honey are needed--

However, the more Zhou Ning examined the pill, the more confident he became. He finally understood why so many Alchemist had failed to refine it.

This is because the ingredients for this elixir are mostly yin and cold in nature, extremely potent, and strong.

When refining elixirs, the medicinal power will inevitably be scattered and difficult to blend. Therefore, only honey from thousand-year-old jade can be used as a medicinal guide. Only one elixir can be produced from each batch to ensure that the medicinal effect is pure.

However, the Alchemist in the Chen State were insufficient, and the success rate of making pills was at most 30% to 40%. Therefore, when refining this pill, too much medicinal liquid was consumed, and it was impossible to condense the pill at all.

Only the most extreme frugality enthusiasts might have a chance to try.

Alternatively, one could start with the medicinal herbs themselves, searching for better alternatives.

He calmly put away the Jade Slip, his expression natural, without even glancing at Black Widow.

Black Widow didn't have much hope either; ten years had passed.

The next moment, a voice suddenly sounded in her ear, "Madam, where shall we meet so late at night?"