35: Tiannan Small Market

The two suppressed their sword light and landed at the entrance of the Tiannan Small Market.

Although called a market, it looked more like a spontaneously formed gathering place, but it was quite large and bustling with people.

Sun Hao clearly wasn't coming for the first time; he expertly led Lin Feng inside, introducing things as they walked:

"This side mostly sells finished Magical Artifacts and Talismans, that side has Medicinal Pill shops. Further in, there are vendors setting up stalls, selling all sorts of things, both genuine and fake—it all depends on your eyesight. Let's look around first and see if there's anything good."

Lin Feng followed closely, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the sights on both sides of the road.

The first thing that caught his eye was a burly Cultivator, who had spread out a huge, unknown animal hide—still stained with dark red blood—directly on an empty patch of ground.

Displayed on the hide were several blue-glowing Flying Swords and several small shields inscribed with runes.

The burly man spoke excitedly: "Come and see! Excellent 'Wind-Rending Blades,' sharp enough to cut hair. And this 'Black Tortoise Shield'—it can even block a strike from a Foundation Establishment Stage expert. Don't miss out!"

The cold light almost dazzled Lin Feng's eyes. He could feel the sharp Spiritual Pressure emanating from those Magical Artifacts, and their price was naturally high. Several decently dressed Cultivators nearby were stopping to inquire about the cost.

After walking just a few steps, a scent of medicinal herbs drifted into his nose.

In the center of a stall, a banner stood bearing the three large characters "Hundred Herbs Hall." Behind the stall, a middle-aged man was carefully using a jade spoon to take Medicinal Pills out of various porcelain and jade containers to show customers.

"High Grade Qi Gathering Pill. It strengthens the foundation and Cultivates the origin, providing excellent assistance for Cultivation."

"The sacred healing medicine, Hundred Herbs Paste. It can be applied externally or taken internally."

Lin Feng even saw a bottle of peiyuan pill placed separately, priced as high as eighty Spirit Stones, making him secretly gasp.

Moving further ahead, they saw a stall where a neat black cloth covered the ground. It was completely different from the casually displayed goods surrounding it, appearing quite meticulous.

On the black cloth, several small piles of mineral powders, shimmering with different faint lights, were contained in transparent bottles, along with several neatly cut pieces of Spiritual Wood with varying textures, and a few bottles of liquid emitting strange aromas.

The stall owner was a serious-looking, meticulously dressed middle-aged Cultivator. He sat quietly behind the stall, scanning the passersby.

Several Cultivators were gathered in front of his stall, all looking serious as they quietly asked questions:

"Fellow Daoist, what is the purity of this 'Cold Iron Shavings'? How much power can it add when refining an ice-attribute Flying Sword?"

"High Grade Tier 1 Fire Ape Blood? Are you sure it's the hot blood taken from the heart? I can't use substandard goods for Alchemy."

The stall owner's reply was concise: "The Cold Iron Shavings are taken from the depths of the northern glaciers. The purity is superior. Fifteen Spirit Stones per tael, non-negotiable."

"Fire Ape Heart Blood, guaranteed genuine. Thirty Spirit Stones per drop."

Lin Feng listened from the side, secretly clicking his tongue.

He carefully sensed them; the spiritual power fluctuations emanating from these Materials were clear and stable—they truly were good items.

He shook his head, and the corner of his eye inadvertently caught sight of the very edge of the neat black cloth stall.

There, several raw Ore Stones of various sizes and dull, mottled colors were casually piled up.

One piece was half-buried, exposing only a rough, dark red edge, completely inconspicuous.

'Hmm?' Lin Feng paused.

Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the heaven-stealing vine trembled violently.

'This thing...! Placed in a spot like this... the stall owner... didn't even notice it?'

He took a sharp breath, clenched his jaw, and forcibly suppressed the overwhelming surge in his heart.

He curled the corner of his mouth down, but subtly moved his feet half a step closer to the stall.

His eyes reluctantly swept over the expensive Cold Iron Shavings and Fire Ape Blood, finally landing on the pile of raw stones, paying special attention to the dark red one.

He pointed at the pile of stones, his tone as casual as possible: "Fellow Daoist, how much are these... broken stones on the ground? The 'Maidenhair Ferns' in my Immortal Cave happen to need some stones to weigh down the roots. I see these colors are quite varied; they might look unique when laid out."

The serious-faced stall owner frowned upon hearing this. He glanced at the pile of stones and dismissed him casually: "They're just incidental scraps, with hardly any Spiritual Qi. If you really want them, five Spirit Stones, take them all."

Lin Feng was ecstatic inside, but he put on a troubled expression: "Five pieces? For just these... stones on the ground? Fellow Daoist, that price... how about three?

Three Low-Grade Spirit Stones at most, otherwise I might as well go down to the riverbank and pick up some free pebbles."

The stall owner seemed entirely focused on the big customer inquiring about the Cold Iron Shavings, and having completely lost patience, he waved his hand: "Fine, fine, three it is. Take them and go, don't bother me."

He didn't even look at the pile of stones again, turning directly back to the Cultivator who was inquiring about the Cold Iron Shavings.

Lin Feng suppressed the trembling in his fingertips, took out three Low-Grade Spirit Stones and placed them on the corner of the stall, then quickly bent down and swept the small pile of Ore, especially the dark red piece, into his Storage Pouch.

He turned and left, his pace even slightly faster than when he arrived.

After walking just a few steps, the conversation between the stall owner and the Cultivator faintly drifted from behind him:

"...Fellow Daoist, the quality of this batch of Cold Iron Shavings is indeed superior. I'll take it all..."

"...A discerning buyer... That fool kid just now, spending three Spirit Stones on a pile of scrap rocks and treating them like treasure, truly..."

"...Heh heh, young people, it happens..."

Lin Feng didn't look back, but couldn't help but grin slightly.

He quickly found Sun Hao in a slightly less crowded corner. Sun Hao was holding several bottles of Medicinal Pills he had just bought, admiring them greatly.

"Senior Brother Sun." Lin Feng walked closer.

Sun Hao looked up, saw Lin Feng, and asked casually, "Done browsing? Did you buy anything good?"

Lin Feng smiled: "Nothing much, just bought a few trinkets."

Sun Hao laughed heartily: "I told you, the good things here are prohibitively expensive, and the junk isn't worth looking at. How about it, was it a wasted trip?"

Lin Feng nodded.

The two quickly arrived at the open space outside the market.

"Keep up." Sun Hao formed a sword incantation, and his Flying Sword turned into a streak of light, speeding toward the Mo Family's direction.

When Lin Feng and Sun Hao arrived at the Mo Family's location via sword flight, the sun was already setting.

It was a complex of buildings constructed along the mountain terrain, featuring white walls and blue tiles. Although not luxurious, it was orderly and exuded an air of tranquility.

The entrance featured a small stone archway, engraved with the three ancient characters "Moyun Residence." On either side of the archway stood a stone-carved Pixiu, which, despite the common stone material, added a touch of immortal elegance.

The Spiritual Qi permeating the air was also slightly denser than in the surrounding mountains, indicating that the area had been minimally managed, perhaps occupying a weak Spiritual Vein branch or having a small Qi Gathering Formation set up.

The Mo Family Patriarch, a middle-aged Cultivator dressed in a clean blue Daoist robe and wearing a square scarf on his head, was already waiting beneath the archway with his people.

The young disciples following him all had steady auras and clear eyes. Their cultivation levels were mostly between the third and fourth layers of Qi Refining, and their demeanor carried the unique poise of practitioners.

"Worthy Nephew Sun. We have been waiting for a long time. Who is this young friend?"