Chapter 16 Market

The Qingyun Market outside the Qingyun Sect was the busiest cultivation bazaar for a hundred miles around. As dawn broke, it was already bustling with noise.

Along the bluestone-paved streets, various shops stood row upon row. Banners for medicine shops, artifact workshops, and Alchemy halls fluttered in the breeze. Cultivators passed by, some flying low on swords and others weaving through on foot. Spiritual Qi and the bustle of mortal life intertwined, creating an extraordinarily lively scene.

Lin Yue still maintained his aged appearance, his back hunched, his steps seemingly slow yet steady. A He held tightly to the corner of his clothes, her large amber eyes looking around curiously. Although her coarse cloth dress was simple, it could not hide the delicate beauty of her features.

"Husband, there are so many Cultivators here," A He’s voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, carrying a hint of fear yet unable to hide her excitement. It was her first time at a market in all her years, and everything felt fresh and new.

A soft look rippled in Lin Yue's eyes as he raised a hand to pat the back of hers. "Don't be afraid. Just follow me."

He knew what he was doing. Although the Qingyun Market was a mix of good and bad, with his Breath Concealment and Essence Hiding ability, no one could see his true cultivation level, let alone A He's special Spiritual Root. As long as they didn't actively cause trouble, there would be no major issues.

The two of them walked through the noisy streets, avoiding several peddlers hawking low-quality Magical Artifacts, and finally stopped in front of a medicine shop with a plaque that read "Baicao Hall."

This medicine shop was quite famous in the market, known for fair prices and not cheating newcomers. It was the destination Lin Yue had chosen long ago.

Upon pushing the door open, the fragrance of medicine wafted toward them, even more rich and mellow than that of the Qingyun Sect's herbal hall.

Behind the counter, a middle-aged Cultivator with a goatee was looking down, grinding medicine. Seeing Lin Yue and A He enter, he glanced up. Noticing Lin Yue was only at Qi Refining Level 3 and A He had no spiritual power fluctuations at all, a hint of disdain flickered in his eyes. He said flatly, "Buying herbs or selling? If you're buying, check the list on the counter. If you're selling, take your things out. I don't have time to waste."

Lin Yue didn't mind his attitude. He placed a cloth pouch on the counter and opened it gently. "Selling medicine. I'll trouble the shopkeeper to check the quality."

When the cloth pouch was pulled back, several neatly arranged Spiritual Plants were revealed. The qi condensing grass stood tall and graceful, its leaves moist and emerald green without a single yellow blemish. The xisui grass had thick stems and fleshy leaves, with a faint spiritual glow lingering around its veins.

Most eye-catching were the few stalks of spirit gathering grass. Their stems were upright, and their tips bore plump black Spiritual Seeds. The Spiritual Qi was condensed and did not dissipate; even through the cloth pouch, one could feel a rich vitality.

The Goatee Shopkeeper had initially glanced over indifferently, but the moment his gaze touched the herbs, his eyes widened suddenly. The medicine pestle in his hand dropped onto the counter with a "clatter." "This... this spirit gathering grass has actually produced seeds? The quality has reached the upper tier of Medium Grade, it's even almost touching the edge of High Grade!"

He then picked up the qi condensing grass and xisui grass to inspect them, becoming more shocked as he looked. Having run a medicine shop for decades, he had never seen such excellent herbs. The qi condensing grass was brimming with Spiritual Qi, and the xisui grass was of pure quality...

The shopkeeper's attitude instantly did a 180-degree turn. A smile spread across his face as he cupped his hands toward Lin Yue. "Please forgive me, Immortal. I was blind just now. I wonder what price you intend to ask for these herbs?"

Lin Yue had already made his calculations and said calmly, "Two Low-Grade Spirit Stones per stalk of qi condensing grass, three per stalk of xisui grass, and since the spirit gathering grass has seeds, five per stalk."

The shopkeeper calculated on his fingers, a look of difficulty appearing on his face. "Immortal, I'm afraid this price is a bit high..."

"The quality of my herbs cannot be compared to ordinary Spirit Medicine." Lin Yue interrupted him, his fingertip pointing at the seeds of the spirit gathering grass. "If these spirit gathering grass seeds are planted, the survival rate is thirty percent higher than ordinary seeds. The quality of the spirit gathering grass grown will not be bad either. Whether you take them back for Alchemy or resale, you're guaranteed to make a profit."

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment, looking at the herbs on the counter with eyes full of reluctance. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I accept! A total of one hundred and twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones. What does the Immortal think?"

One hundred and twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Hearing this number, A He's eyes lit up instantly. Her hand gripping Lin Yue's clothes tightened, her heart filled with joy—this was the Spirit Stone she and her husband had earned together. They no longer had to worry about the monthly allowance.

Lin Yue nodded. The shopkeeper immediately counted out one hundred and twenty lustrous Low-Grade Spirit Stones from a Storage Pouch and handed them to Lin Yue.

The Spirit Stones felt slightly cool in his hand, their Spiritual Qi refreshing. Lin Yue put the Spirit Stones into his Storage Pouch.

"Immortal, please feel free to come back anytime. I will welcome you with open arms!" The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, his face blooming with a smile. "If you have herbs of this quality in the future, you must come to my small shop. The price is negotiable."

Leaving Baicao Hall, A He's face was full of smiles. "Husband, we earned so many Spirit Stones!"

Seeing her joyful expression, a smile also tugged at the corner of Lin Yue's mouth. He rubbed her head and said, "Come, your husband will take you to find some things."

What he wanted to find was Alchemy equipment suitable for Luo Ningshuang.

Luo Ningshuang possessed the Innate Pill Body. Now that she had just entered the threshold of the Nirvana Pill Canon and her Meridians were being repaired, a good Medicine Cauldron would be of great benefit for her Alchemy and for nourishing her Meridians.

The street stall area of the market often hid many treasures overlooked by others, though it was also the easiest place to encounter vendors trying to deceive Cultivators.

The street stall area was on the far west side of the market. The ground was pitted, and vendors set up stalls at will. Various broken Magical Artifacts, unknown Ores, and old Jade Slips were scattered about—a real mixed bag.

Lin Yue led A He through the area, his gaze scanning various items while A He followed obediently by his side.

Finally, Lin Yue stopped at a stall. The stall owner was a Loose Cultivator in his forties. He pointed to a half-foot-tall Medicine Cauldron on the stall and said flatteringly, "Old Immortal, look at this treasure! This is an ancient Alchemy cauldron made of extraordinary material. It's just some surface corrosion; the inside is perfectly intact! For only fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones, it's absolutely worth it!"

Lin Yue looked where he was pointing. The Medicine Cauldron was covered in copper rust, a small piece was missing from the rim, and there were several cracks on the body deep enough to see the bone. Most importantly, at the center of the bottom, where the core talisman array should have been shining brightly, it was now dim and lusterless with broken and chaotic runes. Clearly, the core talisman array was completely destroyed.

Seeing Lin Yue staring at the Medicine Cauldron without moving, the vendor thought he was swayed and added more detail, "Old man, don't look at how broken it is. I dug this up from an ancient Cultivator's ruin. Ordinary Cultivators wouldn't even recognize its value! You've cultivated for many years, so your eyes must be sharp. You can tell at a glance that this is good stuff. Fifty Spirit Stones—you won't be cheated, and you won't be fooled!" He leaned in closer and lowered his voice, "If you think it's expensive, forty stones. I can't go any lower!"

He was certain that because Lin Yue looked so aged, his eyesight must be failing, and he wouldn't see the trick with the core talisman array. He assumed Lin Yue only saw the surface damage and wanted to take the opportunity to ask an exorbitant price, selling this junk cauldron—which could only be melted down and was actually worth no more than five Spirit Stones—for a high price.

But how could he know that as soon as Lin Yue's gaze fell on the Medicine Cauldron, the System's clear prompt sounded in his mind:

[Item Detected: Grade 1 Peak-Tier Alchemy Cauldron]

[Material: Mystic Iron mixed with Red Copper (Ordinary Alchemy material)]

[Status: Core Talisman Array (Spirit Gathering Alchemy Array) completely destroyed. The cauldron structure is severely damaged, with no direct usage value. Conventional repair requires reforging the core array, which has extremely low cost-effectiveness. Actual Value: 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones]

[Special Tip: The Hongmeng Space can absorb Lingyuan Qi to slowly repair the core talisman array and the damage to the cauldron's body. Once repaired, it can restore the power of a Medium Grade Medicine Cauldron, suitable for use by a Cultivator with an Innate Pill Body.]

Lin Yue understood perfectly, but his expression remained unchanged. He deliberately squinted his eyes, pretending he couldn't see clearly, and reached out a trembling hand to touch the Medicine Cauldron. "This cauldron... is worth 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones? I don't think it's worth that much, is it?"

"Ten stones? Old Immortal, your bargaining is too ruthless!" The vendor became anxious, his face flushing red. "This is an ancient Alchemy cauldron; it has to be at least thirty stones!"

"Just ten." Lin Yue's tone was flat as he pulled A He and made a move to leave. "The market is so big. I'll look for something else; I'll surely find something suitable."

The vendor watched Lin Yue's back, calculating that keeping this useless cauldron was pointless. Selling it for five Spirit Stones would have been a profit, so he quickly shouted, "Hey! Old Immortal, wait! Ten stones it is, I'll sell it to you!"

Lin Yue stopped, took out ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch, and handed them to the vendor. He took the Medicine Cauldron, weighed it, and placed it seemingly casually into his Storage Pouch, though he had already planned the repair.

The Hongmeng Space had just unlocked the Medicine Plot function, which could be used to slowly repair it with the Lingyuan Qi inside. Once the repair was complete, it would be an excellent aid for Luo Ningshuang's Alchemy.