68: Chapter 68 Finding a bargain at a street stall, a clue to a spirit beast egg

Shenlan Market truly lives up to its reputation as the core of the Yunmeng Marsh under the rule of a Golden Core Sect.

In the mid-air, luxurious treasure ships belonging to Core Formation powerhouses occasionally crushed through the clouds, trailing long wakes of Spiritual Qi. There were also Sect true disciples riding various rare birds and exotic beasts, soaring high above the heads of the Loose Cultivators.

"Zeler, this is the Inner Sea."

The Old Patriarch, Patriarch Lin Zhenhai, walked beside Lin Ze. He had also employed a breath-concealing technique, fully restraining the majestic pressure of the Foundation Establishment Stage to appear as an ordinary old man at roughly the eighth level of Qi Refining.

"Here, Golden Core Old Ancestors are the chess players, while Foundation Establishment Cultivators are merely slightly larger chess pieces. We have just arrived, and the Sea Abyss Secret Auction won't officially begin for a few days. Today, let's first wander around the outer city stall area of this market to get a feel for things."

"Don't worry, Great-Grandfather. Your grandson understands the principle of the Dao of Prudence."

Following the bustling crowd, the two merged into the largest and most chaotic area of Shenlan Market, the "Sunken Star Ghost Market."

This was a paradise for Loose Cultivators, bandit cultivators, and even exploration teams to fence stolen goods and hunt for treasures. Along the streets, there were no immortal shops with carved beams and painted rafters, only tattered beast skins spread over the bluestone slabs with various miscellaneous items placed upon them.

"Take a look! 'Thousand-Year Cold Marrow' freshly pulled from the Shenlan Trench, only fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"A fragment of a first-tier High Grade offensive Magical Artifact, containing a trace of the true intent of a second-tier array pattern. Selling cheap!"

The clamorous hawking filled their ears.

Lin Ze walked among these stalls.

[hundred arts: Spirit Net Technique (Major Achievement) Water Wave Perception!]

"Buzz..."

In an instant, under the sweep of his Divine Sense, the crystal claiming to be "Thousand-Year Cold Marrow" was merely a piece of ordinary sea ice under an illusion. The so-called Magical Artifact fragment containing a second-tier array pattern was an even more crudely made defective product, its spiritual energy circuits broken into pieces.

"Nine out of ten items are fakes."

Lin Ze shook his head inwardly. The deceptive methods of the Loose Cultivators in Shenlan Market were more than a level higher than those in the peripheral waters.

Just as he was about to withdraw his perception and head to a formal shop with The Old Patriarch to purchase stage-breaking spiritual items...

Suddenly, Lin Ze's footsteps paused slightly.

His Major Achievement level [Water Wave Perception] captured a trace of water-attribute life pulsation while passing a stall at the corner of the long street.

"Great-Grandfather, let's look over there."

Lin Ze sent a mental transmission and calmly changed direction, walking toward the stall in that corner.

The stall owner was a one-armed old man missing a limb, reeking of fish. He only had a cultivation at the fourth level of Qi Refining and a sinister gaze, looking very much like a low-level "sand-shifter" who did dirty work in the deep sea.

The items on the stall were even more eyesores: several cracked ribs of unknown sea beasts, a pile of rusty mortal iron broken swords, and...

In the corner, five or six fist-sized stones covered in dried sea mud and green algae were piled haphazardly.

At first glance, these things had pitted surfaces and emitted a fishy stench, looking like moldy "century eggs."

But in the microscopic vision of Lin Ze's Water Wave Perception, the scene inside these "century eggs" made his heart pound.

"These aren't stones; these are Spirit Beast eggs perfectly sealed by natural Deep-Sea Jade Marrow shells."

Lin Ze took a deep breath, suppressing the Heavy Water Vortex churning in his Dantian due to extreme desire.

Beneath that thick mud shell and natural Seal lay a dormant water-attribute Bloodline. Although this Bloodline had fallen into a death-like slumber due to the passage of time, as long as there was enough vitality and Limit-Breaking Heavy Water to awaken it, it could definitely hatch a high-tier water-attribute spirit pet.

"If I miss such a leak, I'd deserve to be struck by lightning!"

Lin Ze's gaze turned cold and hard as he instantly adjusted his strategy. He didn't spare a single extra glance at those "century eggs," but instead squatted down and casually rummaged through the sea beast ribs in the center of the stall.

"Old man, how much for these bones?" Lin Ze asked in a raspy voice, feigning the appearance of a Loose Cultivator specializing in Artifact Refining.

The one-armed old man lifted his cloudy eyelids and glanced at Lin Ze. Seeing he was just a sallow-faced youth in the Early Stage of Qi Refining, he couldn't help but snort coldly.

"Rib fragments of an 'Iron-Backed Azure Dragon' from the Shenlan Trench. Excellent auxiliary materials for refining water-attribute Flying Swords. Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones each, no haggling."

"Ten Spirit Stones? Old man, have you gone mad for Spirit Stones?"

Lin Ze gave a deliberate sneer and tossed the ribs back onto the stall.

"The spiritual marrow in these bones was sucked dry by deep-sea undercurrents long ago. At most, they're first-tier Low Grade dregs. Three Spirit Stones, and I'll take them all to practice with."

The two instantly began the most down-to-earth verbal sparring of the cultivation world.

The one-armed old man stubbornly held onto eight Spirit Stones, while Lin Ze insisted that five was his limit. They haggled for half an incense stick's time before the old man seemed to lose patience.

"Fine, fine! Seeing as you're also a struggling Loose Cultivator, six Spirit Stones a piece. Take these four bones and go!" The old man waved his remaining arm.

Lin Ze put on a pained expression and counted out twenty-four Low-Grade Spirit Stones from his robe.

At the moment they were about to finalize the deal, Lin Ze's gaze fell on the moldy "century eggs" in the corner, and he frowned with disdain.

"Old man, the stuff at your stall is too pathetic. I've spent over twenty Spirit Stones to support your business. Throw in these broken sea urchin stones as a bonus. I'll just take them back, smash them, and use them as fertilizer in my Spirit Medicine garden."

The old man followed Lin Ze's gaze, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes.

He had picked up these broken stones from a dead zone in a very deep trench. They didn't show the slightest hint of Spiritual Qi. He had wanted to throw them away long ago, so he was naturally more than happy to use them to close a big deal.

"You sure are shrewd, Fellow Daoist. Fine, take these 'dead eggs' then."

The old man briskly collected the Spirit Stones, swept the "century eggs" and sea beast ribs into a tattered cloth bag, and handed it to Lin Ze.

Lin Ze tucked the bag into his robe but did not leave immediately.

"Old man, you've spent years struggling in the Shenlan Trench, so your knowledge must be extraordinary. I have just arrived in the Inner Sea and am looking for a Spirit Beast egg of decent grade—preferably water and wind dual-attribute, capable of both flying and diving—to serve as my natal spirit pet. Do you happen to have any leads?"

Having just made a profit, the one-armed old man was in a good mood. Hearing this, he sized Lin Ze up and let out a scoff.

"Water and wind dual-attribute, capable of both flying and diving? Fellow Daoist, you have quite an appetite. A Spirit Beast egg of that grade would be at least first-tier High Grade, or even the descendant of a second-tier Great Yao. How could it be found at a dilapidated stall like mine?"

The old man leaned in a bit closer, his lowered voice carrying a hint of showing off.

"However, you've asked the right person today. Some days ago, while exploring the trench, I did indeed discover what seemed to be an abandoned nest of a 'Wind-Thunder Sea Flood Dragon'."

"Oh?" Lin Ze's heart stirred.

"What a pity!" The old man sighed.

"Before I could even get close, I was cleared out by those ruthless bastards from the 'Blood Shark Mercenary Group.' From the depths of that nest, they dug out a living Top Grade amphibious Yao Beast egg."

The old man pointed toward the towering pagoda in the very center of Shenlan Market.

"Calculating the time, that Top Grade Yao Beast egg has definitely been sent by the Blood Shark Mercenary Group to the upcoming 'Sea Abyss Secret Auction' as one of the finale items."

"I heard that thing triggered a weak wind and thunder phenomenon as soon as it appeared. Not only can it dive in the ten-thousand-fathom deep sea, but it can also flap its wings and soar once it reaches adulthood. Many Foundation Establishment old monsters are watching it with bloodshot eyes!" The old man smacked his lips, seemingly reminiscing about the splendor of such a treasure.

"Sea Abyss Secret Auction, high-tier flying and deep-diving Yao Beast egg."

Deep in Lin Ze's eyes, two clusters of fiery azure divine light suddenly erupted.

"Thank you for the guidance, old man."

Lin Ze said no more and turned to blend back into the crowd.