The Black-Robe Trading Fair
To verify his judgment, Hu Mang decisively called Old Xie back and finally received a positive reply.
He used demonic methods to condense the Flower of Essence. If he were to use demonic methods to condense the Flower of Qi, the evolution of Buddhism and Daoism would become unbalanced.
So he switched to Buddhist methods to condense the Flower of Qi?
Don't be ridiculous. The Three Flowers Gather at the Cauldron and the Five Qi Converging at the Origin are the mainstream cultivation methods in the Azure Mysterious Realm, but not in Buddhism.
In Buddhism, the practice is to cultivate Golden Body.
There are no flowers to refine people.
Then, when Hu Mang asked Old Xie what to do, Old Xie promptly replied, "Insufficient information, unable to make a judgment."
Damn it, this AI Old Xie is definitely not as humane as the living Old Xie.
Get a few more treatments!
I'll make sure my mother gets electrotherapy later!
The only thing worth mentioning is that he obtained the complete "Awakening to Reality: Elixir Chapters"—in electronic format—from Old Xie.
Since we've chosen this path, we should familiarize ourselves with the methods of Inner Alchemy beforehand, and it would be best to practice them.
Then he braved the sea breeze and returned to the lighthouse. He lost interest in going to the market and instead stayed indoors, diligently studying the electronic version of "The Awakening to Reality: Elixir Chapters".
The hope is to discover the method of condensing the Flower of Qi from the Daoist cultivation methods of this Heavenly Gate.
He did want to study the Daoist techniques of the Azure Mysterious Realm, but there weren't any available.
Two days passed quickly, and Hu Mang finally got to attend the underground trading meeting hosted by Old Sha.
He also wore the two-piece set required for such trade fairs: a black mask to prevent Divine Sense detection and a black robe to prevent Divine Sense detection, making him look like he was attending an underground cult gathering.
When Hu Mang arrived at the first floor of the lighthouse, he found that two "black-robed" figures had already arrived. One was looking out the window with his hands behind his back, while the other was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, resting.
Upon seeing Hu Mang's arrival, both of them glanced at him a couple of times.
There was nothing they could do; they were all brought in by Old Sha from outside, except for Hu Mang, who came downstairs on his own.
Is this a VIP customer?
However, none of the three intended to communicate. Hu Mang sat directly on a chair that Old Sha had prepared in advance, his mind still pondering the interaction and evolution of innate essence and acquired qi in the "Awakening to Reality: Elixir Chapters".
A moment later, Old Sha brought in another man in black robes, who left without being introduced.
The man in black robes nodded slightly to the three people present and sat down on the sofa on the other side.
Hu Mang continued to let his thoughts wander.
He wasn't completely ignorant of Daoist evolution; he even figured out the "True Meaning of Subduing Demons."
Therefore, should we subdue demons using the True Meaning of Subduing Demons, and then suppress Buddhist deities using Daoist methods?
No, no, no, that line of thinking is definitely wrong.
The original text of * Awakening to Reality: Elixir Chapters * does have a rather good overall structure.
Nature and life are inherently inseparable; Daoism and Buddhism are fundamentally the same. Shakya was born in the Western Earth, and he also practiced the Way of the Golden Core, cultivating both nature and life, which is the supreme Higher Vehicle.
But if we can integrate Buddhism and Daoism through the principles of life and death, how can we integrate Buddhism, Daoism, and demonism?
Moreover, this statement is not a method of cultivation, but rather something that Old Daoist Shen said when he was debating scriptures with a group of monks from the Liang Dynasty.
The so-called "Western Earth" is actually the Saha Continent.
The only place on this planet that has any connection to Buddhism.
It is said to be as large as the Middle Earth, but no one has ever set foot there.
But the monitoring satellites in the sky can prove its existence; they are also gods.
Just as Hu Mang was racking his brains, Old Sha brought in another person, and all four people on the field looked over.
There was nothing they could do; everyone present was dressed in black robes and masks, but this older sister didn't even try to hide herself.
Hu Mang's gaze deepened. The person opposite him was dressed somewhat like Celestial Person from an expansion pack, or rather, a cyber monk.
She wore a well-tailored silver-gray trench coat, the fabric of which shimmered with a luster reminiscent of a blend of metallic wire and woven fabric; a section of the high-necked lining peeked out from the collar of the trench coat, its surface inlaid with several fine, hair-like luminous lines that extended along the direction of her collarbone, like some kind of array pattern embedded in the clothing, or perhaps some kind of electronic circuit.
Her lower body appeared to be naked, with only two long, fair legs exposed, but her toes and joints were inlaid with Spirit Stone of various sizes, and some of the Spirit Stone seemed to have spiritual liquid flowing inside.
Supreme-Grade Spirit Stone?
So Earth Star does have Supreme-Grade Spirit Stone.
Her face was completely unmasked; it was a face with cold, sharp features, high cheekbones, a clean and crisp jawline, and a refined, industrial beauty—every angle exuding a calculated, cold elegance.
What's most striking are her eyes. They aren't normal human eyes, but rather a pair of prosthetic eyes that glow with a pale blue light. Fine lines of Spiritual Qi energy and streams of Divine Sense data can be seen slowly rolling within the pupils.
Old Sha was noticeably more respectful towards this one, leading her to a sofa in the center, then walking directly to the center of the circle, scanning the room, and saying:
"Alright, everyone here is a familiar face, some of you have been here more than once, but I'll still go over the rules again."
"My little trade fair is divided into two sessions. In the first session, each person takes turns bringing out one treasure to bid on. If the highest bidder fails to sell, I will buy it. Of course, if you are not satisfied with the price I offer, you don't have to sell. There are no forced transactions here."
"After the first three rounds are over, the second half will begin. Each person will have three chances to name the treasure they desire. If anyone here possesses such a treasure, they can trade it with each other— Spirit Stone, materials, Cultivation Method, depending on the needs of both parties."
"After the first and second halves of the event, I will personally escort one person away every incense stick's time. The rest of you, please remain in the lobby and do not leave."
"Once everyone has left, this transaction will be complete. I will hold another meeting periodically based on the needs of my clients, and given the current market's activity level, this process shouldn't take long."
After scanning the area, Old Sha's gaze fell directly on Hu Mang.
"Let's start with this fellow Daoist then."
After thinking for a moment, Hu Mang took out a Nether Pearl and spoke in a hoarse, distorted voice.
"The Nether Pearl, which stabilizes the three souls and seven spirits, is used to kill the mutated sea monster."
"Please bring up the treasure, fellow Daoist, so I can verify its authenticity," Old Sha said.
Hu Mang nodded, pointed, and the basketball-sized Nether Pearl landed in Old Sha's hand.
These Nether Pearl were obtained by him and Old Zhu when they killed the Sinking Bone Giant Squid. They were divided into four Xiaosi.
However, after he had a whole cabin full of that dark wine, it became less useful.
He planned to sell the older one and then mail the younger one to his Old Third.
He cultivates the path of demons, so he should have a need for this.
Also, please send a few jars of wine.
Old Sha quickly verified the authenticity of the Nether Pearl and then announced the auction.
The black-robed cultivator to Hu Mang's left spoke up directly.
"10 million!"
The man in black robes to his right also spoke.
"11 million Spirit Coin!"
"12 million."
In no time, the price of this Nether Pearl soared to 14 million.
According to Old Zhu, this Nether Pearl could only be sold for a maximum of 10 million before.
Hu Mang has finally witnessed the market's current booming state.
When the figure reached 14 million, it was clear that two or three people present hesitated slightly.
Going any higher is simply not worthwhile.
"Do you accept barter?" the man in the black robe on the sofa suddenly asked.
"Yes, anything that assists in cultivation or in forming the Golden Core is fine," Hu Mang nodded.
The man in black nodded, then reached into the storage box and released a small bottle the size of a palm, which Old Sha examined.
"The Sea Eye Spirit Liquid contains approximately one-third the throughput of a single sea eye. This elixir is formed from the purest Spiritual Qi of the seabed. When applied externally, it can reduce swelling and disperse bruising; when taken internally, it can nourish the Dantian and repair the meridians. Best of all, it has no side effects and is suitable for cultivators of any aptitude and cultivation level."
Hu Mang was immediately tempted.
The monk who offered "14 million" couldn't sit still any longer.
"This one bottle of yours is worth at most 10 million."
"Okay, so I'll use Spirit Coin to make up the rest," the other person said calmly.
"Can."
Hu Mang nodded in agreement.
The man in black robes who had been speaking had nothing to say, and the transaction was quickly completed.
"Next up is this fellow Daoist."
The man in the black robe, who had offered 14 million, pondered for a moment, then took out three black iron ingots, each about the size of a brick, with a special feature being the dense pattern of vortexes on their surface.
"Iron ingots tempered by the magnetic field of a dragon Dragon Vein in an underwater volcano have naturally formed water ripples on their surface. They possess the 'wave-controlling' property inherently during the forging process. One piece is worth 4 million, and they can be sold separately."
Soon, the three pieces of Tide-Patterned Black Iron ingots were divided and sold off. The Hu Mang snatched one, the cybernetic female cultivator took one, and the remaining one was bought by the cultivator who had remained silent.
Then it was the next black-robed cultivator's turn, and he took out a piece of sea coral.
The cybernetic female cultivator who had caught Hu Mang's attention followed suit and pulled out a large underwater item.
After this round, Hu Mang felt, well, a little disappointed.
It's not that the valuable items they pulled out weren't precious—they were all very valuable—but to be honest, they didn't seem much different from the underwater treasures gifted to him by his deceased overseas friends.
Hu Mang has twenty or thirty similar treasures in his possession.
If it weren't for the fear of scaring Old Sha, and the fact that their relationship wasn't completely settled yet, Hu Mang would have at least taken the lead.
The small trading session with five people quickly came to Hu Mang's turn again. Hu Mang pondered for a moment, then took out another identical Nether Pearl.
"The Nether Pearl can solidify the three souls and stabilize the seven spirits. It can be used to kill mutated sea monsters, accept barter, and assist in cultivation and core formation."
Hu Mang's actions caused at least two people in black robes to lose their composure.
Even the cybernetic female cultivator had a slight smile on her lips.
The man in the black robe who offered 14 million coughed lightly.
"Fellow Daoist, is there a discount this time?"
"Why offer a discount? If you offer a discount, that fellow Daoist will be at a disadvantage," Hu Mang asked in surprise.
That makes sense!
The man in black rubbed his head. The logic was sound, but he still felt like he'd been taken advantage of.
However, he also knew that a treasure like the Nether Pearl could fetch the same price at other trade fairs, so he gave up the idea of haggling. But just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by another person with a smile.
Can I participate too?