Spirit Hall City was located at the heart of Douluo Continent, situated at the border between the two great empires. Not only was it the main city of Spirit Hall, but it was also the most expansive and ancient supercity on the continent.
Spirit Hall City could be considered one of the oldest cities on Douluo Continent, existing since time immemorial. No one even knew when it was built—only that both Spirit Hall and the city had already existed by the time historical records began.
Although Spirit Hall City was the headquarters of Spirit Hall and sandwiched between two empires, it did not prevent citizens from either empire from entering. Instead, it seemed to serve as a meeting ground for both nations, naturally bustling with activity. The streets were packed with endless streams of carriages and horses, and countless Soul Masters from all corners of the world came to Spirit Hall City.
And the Spirit Hall Academy was located within the city.
At this moment, Tang San had arrived in Spirit Hall City with his father, though now he was alone. The reason was simple—Tang Hao needed to make arrangements within Spirit Hall.
After all, if the Clear Sky Douluo suddenly appeared in Spirit Hall City without explanation, the entire Spirit Hall might be thrown into chaos, fearing that he might be planning something drastic.
It was similar to how Spirit Hall hadn't actually done anything to the Upper Three Sects, yet the sects remained wary of them. Great power naturally inspired both reverence and caution.
To put it bluntly—they were afraid he might overreact.
As soon as Tang San entered Spirit Hall City, he was greeted by a wave of noise and excitement. Towering buildings stretched before him, with countless exquisite pavilions and shops lining the broad streets. Even from the city gates, he could see a massive fountain at the center, forming a stunning sight.
"So this is Spirit Hall City. It's truly prosperous—no wonder it's hailed as the continent's greatest city," Tang San couldn't help but marvel as he looked around. Clear Sky City was already one of the top-tier metropolises, but compared to Spirit Hall City, there was still a noticeable gap.
Tailong of the Strength Clan, his eyes alight with excitement, suddenly called out, "Third Young Master, look! There's something being sold over there!"
Tailong, the grandson of the Strength Clan's leader Tai Tan, was a 39th-ranked Soul Elder. Clearly, he was here to accompany Tang San—basically acting as a luggage carrier.
Following Tailong's pointing finger, Tang San turned his gaze.
A vendor's shout rang out: "Greater Arhat Herb! A peerless immortal herb obtained from the Star Dou Great Forest! Can help Soul Masters rapidly increase their Soul Power cultivation! A rare opportunity—only three thousand gold coins! Don't miss out!"
"Ancient Soul Guidance Device! Found in ancient ruins! Will only trade for top-tier Divine Armor forged by the Clear Sky Sect! Bring your divine weapons if you want to exchange!"
"Primordial ore! This is the exceedingly rare Treasure Gold Divine Ore! Will trade for healing pills or Soul Power-enhancing elixirs! Serious buyers can negotiate prices!"
Although Tailong was the grandson of the Strength Clan's leader, he had never been to Spirit Hall City before. He never imagined that street vendors here could offer such treasures.
Dazzled by the sight, Tailong exclaimed, "Third Young Master, these kinds of items usually only appear at auctions! There are so many of them here!"
Tang San glanced over and then said helplessly, "Look carefully. That purplish-red grass isn't the Greater Arhat Herb at all—it's just dyed Blue Silver Grass meant to pass as one. And that Soul Guidance Device? Although he repaired the broken gap with metal, the internal soul guidance mechanism is already damaged and can't hold a charge. At most, it might work once or half a time before becoming useless."
"The only thing that's somewhat genuine is the ore, but even that isn't rare. It's just some mithril-mixed ore with only a thin outer layer. It's definitely not worth the price."
Truly good items wouldn't be so easily stumbled upon. The most likely scenario is that they're exploiting the mentality of bargain hunters to trick you instead.
Tailong's face immediately fell with disappointment. "Ah, so everything here is fake?"
Tang San shook his head. "Not entirely. A few vendors are selling real items, but either the prices are outrageously inflated, or the items themselves aren't very useful."
Tang San wasn't in a hurry to register at the Spirit Hall Academy. He had plenty of time, so he strolled through the streets with Tailong, taking in the local customs and culture of the city.
Just as Tang San turned a corner, a furtive-looking man suddenly tugged at his sleeve. After glancing around cautiously, the man whispered, "Young Soul Master, would you be interested in a Spirit Bone?"
!?
Though the middle-aged man spoke very softly, both Tang San and Tailong were Soul Masters with considerable cultivation, so they heard him clearly.
"You have one?" Tang San asked.
"Young masters, this was something I risked my life to obtain from an ancient ruin—a Spirit Bone from a disciple of a supreme sect of antiquity. Unfortunately, my cultivation is insufficient, so I have no choice but to sell it. Look, this is an arm bone from an ancient Spirit Beast." The vendor carefully retrieved a metal box from his robes, which Tang San immediately recognized as a Soul Guidance Device container.
He then led Tang San and Tailong to a secluded corner and cracked the box open slightly for them to see.
The moment the Soul Guidance Device box was opened, an overwhelming pressure erupted from within—the aura of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast, even stronger than that of an ordinary ten-thousand-year beast. The Spirit Bone inside seemed to shimmer with divine light, though the vendor quickly snapped the box shut, cutting off the glow.
"A Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast's Spirit Bone!!" Tailong's heart jolted violently. Spirit Bones were easy enough to identify, and he was certain this was the real deal—moreover, one with ten thousand years of cultivation.
If this truly was a ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone, just how much would it be worth?
"Old sir, how much for this ancient Spirit Beast's Spirit Bone?" Tailong blurted out.
The vendor scratched his head as if unfamiliar with the bone's age or value. "Well, I'm not entirely sure how much it's worth. I originally planned to take it to an auction, but someone of my status can't even get past the front door. So if you two are genuinely interested, just name a price—something reasonable will do."
Seeing the vendor's apparent ignorance of the bone's worth, Tailong's eyes nearly turned bloodshot. If not for the fact that they were in Spirit Hall City, where Soul Masters from the Spirit Hall maintained order, he might have resorted to robbery right then and there!
Tailong pretended to be unimpressed and said, "This Spirit Bone of yours is quite ordinary, and it was taken from a dead person—that's rather inauspicious. How about this? I'll give you ten thousand gold coins for it."
Hearing Tailong's offer of ten thousand gold coins, the vendor acted as if he had received a heavenly blessing and quickly thanked him, "Thank you, young master, for your generosity! Ten thousand gold coins are enough to support my family for a lifetime. Thank you, young master! I'm willing to sell."
At these words, Tailong's breathing grew slightly hurried. If he could buy this ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone for just ten thousand gold coins, he would truly be getting an incredible bargain!
Just as Tailong was about to hand over a large bag of gold coins to the vendor, Tang San, who had been silent until now, grabbed Tailong's wrist. His eyes fixed coldly on the vendor as he sneered, "How could a ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone be worth only ten thousand gold coins? I'll give you ten million gold coins—how about selling it to me instead?"