Chapter 46: Cultivation on Little Misty Mountain

"Fifty-year-old Clear Spirit Grass, fifty-year-old Clear Spirit Grass!"

"The humps of Three-Peaked Camels, the best choice for making spiritual meals!"

"Superior Yellow Sprout Elixir, remarkably effective for breaking through the bottleneck at the late stage of Qi Refinement!"

"The Complete Compendium of Five Elements Spells, only ten spirit stones, just ten spirit stones!"

...

Shen Yan paid no attention to the various hawkers’ cries.

He wandered through the marketplace, pausing here and there, his gaze—supported by his spiritual sense—sweeping over the stalls lining the road.

On these stalls were all manner of spiritual items: talismans and implements of every style, the pelts and bones of demonic beasts, colorful porcelain and jade bottles, and all sorts of seemingly worthless scraps and oddments.

With the Heaven Emperor’s Seal on his person, it was easy for him to discern those rare spiritual objects whose auras were deeply concealed.

Unfortunately, most of the items on the stalls in the Little Lan Mountain market were counterfeit or damaged materials.

Still, compared to the prices asked in the market’s shops, the goods on these stalls were much cheaper.

Arriving once more at the Hall of Treasures, Shen Yan was not greeted this time by Zhao Qingmu, but rather by a woman named Xu Qiong.

He produced the storage bags taken from the three Man brothers, his tone indifferent as he asked, "What are these worth?"

His current appearance bore no connection to the disguise of Yan Sheng he had previously assumed, but the belongings of the three Man brothers were bound to attract the attention of any observant onlooker. By taking them out now, he was making his attitude toward disguise clear.

His main aim was to intimidate those secretly watching him.

After all, he was new here and unfamiliar with the power dynamics of Little Lan Mountain.

"These are the remains of three mid-grade defensive Golden Cicada Robes, valued at four hundred and fifty..."

Xu Qiong had only just begun when a piece of news flashed through her mind—just two days ago, the three Man brothers had been slain outside the marketplace by an unknown cultivator.

Now seeing the three tattered Golden Cicada Robes, along with the broken conical implements and a few poisoned needles, she instantly realized that the customer before her was the same ‘Yan Sheng’ whom Zhao Qingmu had previously received.

"Senior, might you be the Yan Sheng whom Elder Zhao hosted earlier?"

Xu Qiong was sharp-minded. Shen Yan’s open sale of the Man brothers’ possessions showed he had no intention of hiding his identity.

"That’s me," Shen Yan replied with a nod but still in a cold voice. "Why do I not see Daoist Zhao today?"

Xu Qiong forced a smile. The person before her had killed three late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators with ease—his strength unfathomable. Moreover, he was not one for idle chatter, so she dared not offend him.

"Senior is not aware—Elder Zhao has clan affairs to attend to, so for these few days, I have been managing the Hall of Treasures."

"I see," Shen Yan responded perfunctorily, then continued, "What about the value of the other materials?"

Xu Qiong snapped back to attention and hurriedly resumed her appraisal. "One superior first-grade wood-type spiritual material—Pure Bamboo. One inferior first-grade water-type material—Quenching Liquid. One first-grade..."

After a thorough examination, Xu Qiong was surprised by the wealth the Man brothers had amassed.

"Senior, the spiritual materials in these three storage bags are worth a total of six thousand spirit stones. What do you think?"

Shen Yan was surprised as well—such a sum would be enough to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill.

But such pills were rare, and though their listed price was three thousand spirit stones, if one were truly for sale, even ten thousand might not guarantee a purchase.

"Very well, let’s go with that price."

"Does Senior wish to purchase other spiritual materials?" Xu Qiong asked, fulfilling her duty to promote the Hall of Treasures’ finest goods.

"Not for the time being," Shen Yan shook his head. At present, he had yet to fully master his cultivation methods, spells, or magical implements. Buying more materials would only lead to biting off more than he could chew.

"In that case, please wait a moment." Xu Qiong left for a short while, then returned with a storage bag and handed it to Shen Yan.

"Fellow Daoist Yan, here are six thousand spirit stones. Please check them carefully."

A sweep of his spiritual sense confirmed the amount, and Shen Yan turned to leave without the slightest intention to linger.

Xu Qiong opened her mouth, as if to say something, then shook her head and sighed. "I had hoped to recruit a talent for the clan, but it seems there’s no hope."

...

After leaving the Hall of Treasures, Shen Yan sensed no malice from within the Heaven Emperor’s Seal.

He breathed a sigh of relief and made his way back to his cave dwelling.

However, along the way, a thought arose—now that he possessed the rudiments of formation arts, as well as the basics of pill refinement from the Jade Immortal Sect, it would be wise to buy some pills to study. This could also save him some spiritual resources.

"How much for a bottle of Yellow Sprout Elixir?" he asked in a hoarse voice, stopping at a stall selling the elixir.

"Fifty spirit stones a bottle!"

The stall owner’s eyes lit up at his inquiry. "My Yellow Sprout Elixir comes from a major Golden Core sect—its effects are guaranteed! Fellow Daoist, you look to be on the verge of a breakthrough; it’s the perfect time to buy a few bottles!"

Shen Yan was unmoved by the merchant’s boasting. He picked up a jade bottle, uncorked it, and sniffed gently, sneering, "Your Yellow Sprout Elixir doesn’t even reach inferior grade—it’s practically worthless, and you still dare claim it comes from a Golden Core sect?"

Exposed, the stall owner showed no embarrassment—market dealings were all about sharp eyes.

However, seeing that Shen Yan did not leave after inspecting the elixir, the stall owner realized he still intended to buy.

With a chuckle, he admitted, "Sharp eyes, Fellow Daoist. These Yellow Sprout Elixirs are just my senior brother’s practice batches."

"Enough with the nonsense," Shen Yan replied coldly. "Ten spirit stones a bottle—I’ll take them all."

He had just slashed the price by four-fifths.

Though this price left little profit, the stall owner would not lose out.

He calculated quickly and nodded. "Since you’ve made an offer, I’ll give you face—seventy spirit stones for all."

He gathered the seven jade bottles on the stall and handed them to Shen Yan.

Shen Yan was in no hurry. He checked each bottle carefully, confirmed they all contained the same Yellow Sprout Elixir, and then handed over seventy spirit stones.

Stowing away the elixirs, he left the stall without a backward glance.

The stall owner watched his departing figure, clicking his tongue and muttering, "Looks like a newcomer, but turns out to be an old hand. It’s getting harder and harder to fool folks in this market."

After buying the elixirs, Shen Yan continued browsing the market stalls.

Along the way, he purchased several damaged formation disks and a few bottles of cultivation pills.

Formation disks were essential for formation masters, as crucial as a pill furnace to an alchemist.

"That should be enough—it’s time to return," he mused.

His gaze swept over the lavishly decorated shops behind the market stalls, but he shook his head and turned for home.

In the Little Lan Mountain marketplace, the goods sold in the shops were naturally of higher value than those on the stalls, but with the Heaven Emperor’s Seal, Shen Yan had no need for them.