Evening.
The three of them took their leave.
After some discussion.
Xu Fugui and Sun Yulan both decided to wait a little longer.
If the Secret Realm didn't prove to be too dangerous, they would then go in to try their luck.
"Inside the Secret Realm, the greatest danger is actually the other Cultivators exploring alongside you."
Li Chang'an said earnestly, adding a few more words of warning.
Wealth tempts the heart.
When faced with Treasure.
Even blood brothers might turn on each other.
In an environment like a Secret Realm, acts of murder for Treasure would surely be common.
'This Secret Realm might hold an opportunity for me as well.'
After watching the three of them leave, Li Chang'an pondered for a long time.
Although he wouldn't be entering the Secret Realm himself.
But there would always be Cultivators who brought Treasures out of it.
Sure enough.
Before long.
A dedicated area for selling Treasures from the Secret Realm appeared in the Marketplace's trading district.
Large numbers of Loose Cultivators gathered here.
They laid out the various Treasures they had obtained in the Secret Realm.
Damaged Magical Artifacts and Spiritual Artifacts, Elixir Pills of unknown effect, bizarre materials, and so on...
The array of items was dazzling, and their prices varied.
But most of them were useless.
They only looked good on the outside; their insides had completely decayed.
'Even the finest Treasure will grow dim and lose its luster under the erosion of time.'
Li Chang'an felt a surge of emotion after strolling through the trading district.
That night.
Midnight.
A new Divination appeared.
[Divination has been refreshed]
[Today's Divination: Neutral]
[You head to the trading district for a stroll, hoping to find a bargain, but you come away empty-handed.]
Seeing the content of the Divination, Li Chang'an couldn't help but smile.
'The Secret Realm has only just opened. Perhaps there will be a chance to find a bargain in the future.'
Of course.
Whether he could find a bargain or not didn't affect his mood.
It would be best if he could.
If not, so be it.
...
Time flew by.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Within the Marketplace.
The interest many Loose Cultivators had in the Secret Realm hadn't waned; on the contrary, it had grown even stronger.
This was because some had obtained great opportunities within these three months.
"I heard someone obtained an inheritance of Skills, and someone else discovered an Ancient Spirit Pill that hadn't lost much of its efficacy..."
All sorts of rumors circulated through the Marketplace.
Another night fell.
Li Chang'an sat cross-legged, silently waiting for the new Divination.
[Divination has been refreshed]
[Today's Divination: Auspicious]
[You go out to inquire about news and hear that the Beast Master "Wang Hu" encountered danger in the Secret Realm. Afflicted with cold poison, he is urgently seeking an Earth Fire Stone to expel the cold. You then go to make a trade and obtain a Tier One Middle Stage Spirit Beast.]
"A Spirit Beast!"
Li Chang'an's eyes lit up.
'Finally, an auspicious reading! And it's exactly the kind I need!'
Right now, his Cultivation was his greatest weakness.
'A Tier One Middle Stage Spirit Beast is comparable in strength to a Human Race Cultivator at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining!'
Furthermore, Spirit Beasts were bound by a Spirit Contract.
There was no need to worry about loyalty.
As long as he could obtain one,
it would be like gaining a loyal guard at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining!
'I never thought the Earth Fire Stone could bring me such a great benefit.'
Li Chang'an took out the Earth Fire Stone, rubbing it gently.
He had originally planned to trade it for a Wood Element Treasure, but a Spirit Beast was clearly better.
If Wu Yun had possessed a Tier One Middle Stage Spirit Beast for protection back then, he wouldn't have died such an unsightly death.
The moment he thought of this,
Li Chang'an couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
'Sigh, Daoist Wu was truly a good person.'
Not only did he give him Spirit Stones, Elixir Pills, and a Magical Artifact,
he even delivered a Tier One Middle Stage Spirit Beast!
'If Daoist Wu could come back to life, I'd have to thank him properly.'
A smile touched Li Chang'an's lips; he was in a good mood.
...
「The next day.」
Li Chang'an finished his breakfast.
He then headed out to the Marketplace's trading district.
The trading district was already the most frequented area in the Marketplace for Cultivators, and it had become even more bustling after the appearance of the Secret Realm.
It was bustling with a jostling crowd, just like a market in the mortal world.
"Ancient Spirit Medicine and Ancient Spirit Pills for sale!"
"A Cyan Moon Eagle Beast Egg! Can match a Middle Stage of Qi Refining cultivator when it matures! Selling it cheap!"
"Black Gold Bear Demon Beast Flesh and Blood, highly nutritious when eaten..."
The shouts of vendors and the buzz of conversations rose and fell.
There were quite a few people like Li Chang'an,
who came here with no specific goal, just hoping to find a bargain.
Others were there just to socialize
and get the latest information about the Secret Realm.
"Did you hear? Two more seniors at the Late Stage of Qi Refining died in the Secret Realm."
"That Secret Realm is truly dangerous!"
"Even the Zheng Family lost an Elder at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer..."
All kinds of news reached his ears.
With a calm expression, Li Chang'an passed through the noisy trading district.
The residence of that senior, Wang Hu,
was just behind the trading district.
Along the way,
Li Chang'an managed to gather some information about him.
"Senior Wang Hu was injured!"
"Cold poison has invaded his body, and he's trying to buy a Fire Element Treasure."
However, most of the Fire Element Treasures in the Marketplace had been bought up by the Zheng Family.
This was because the Zheng Family was an Alchemy Family.
Forging Pill Furnaces, nurturing Pill Fire, refining Elixir Pills—none of these could be done without Fire Element Treasures.
For some unknown reason,
Wang Hu hadn't sought help from the Zheng Family, but was instead trying to buy from the Loose Cultivators in the Marketplace.
Li Chang'an was lost in thought.
Soon, he arrived outside the courtyard where Wang Hu lived and knocked on the gate.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...
A moment later,
a pale-faced old man opened the gate.
'Wang Hu, Middle Stage of Qi Refining Cultivation, a Tier One Middle Grade Beast Master!'
"Young friend, what brings you here?"
"Senior, I have an Earth Fire Stone."
Li Chang'an got straight to the point.
Hearing this, Wang Hu's body trembled.
"Young friend, please, come in quickly!"
The two entered the courtyard.
Li Chang'an took out the Earth Fire Stone and handed it directly to Wang Hu.
Excitement flashed in Wang Hu's eyes, but he didn't take the stone. Instead, he gave Li Chang'an a few extra glances.
"Young friend, to think you trust this old man so much!"
He couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
The Cultivation Realm was simply filled with deception and treachery.
When a transaction involved a Tier One Top Grade treasure like the Earth Fire Stone, one could never be too cautious.
Yet Li Chang'an had offered it so openly.
"Young friend, if you have such transactions in the future, you must be extremely careful."
Wang Hu advised.
He felt that Li Chang'an was likely one of those simple-minded Cultivators,
who focused solely on Cultivation Immortality, oblivious to the wickedness in people's hearts.
Thinking of this,
he suddenly felt a sense of goodwill toward Li Chang'an.
Such Cultivators were a rare sight these days.
Little did he know, the only reason Li Chang'an dared to act this way was purely because of the Divination.
"Senior, are we still making the trade?"
Li Chang'an asked, a little puzzled.
Wang Hu stroked his beard and smiled, his attitude very gentle.
"Of course, we are. Young friend, please follow me."
He led Li Chang'an to the rear courtyard, which was where he kept his Spirit Beasts.
There were more than ten Spirit Beasts in the courtyard.
Most were at the Tier One Early Stage, with only three having reached the Tier One Middle Stage.
"Young friend, this old man is willing to trade this 'Yellow Sand Dog' for the Earth Fire Stone in your hand. What do you think?"
He pointed a finger toward the one with the most powerful aura among the three Spirit Beasts.
Tier One Middle Stage Peak!
Comparable to a Human Race Cultivator at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer!
Li Chang'an was stunned and asked, "Senior, aren't you getting the short end of the stick?"
He had originally thought he could, at most, trade for one that had just entered the Middle Stage.
But the value of that Yellow Sand Dog far exceeded the Earth Fire Stone.
Wang Hu smiled and shook his head.
"Young friend, you have a pure heart and your Cultivation is still shallow. You need a capable helper, or you will find it difficult to take even a single step in the Cultivation Immortality Realm."
Initially, he had indeed planned to trade away the weakest of the three Spirit Beasts.
But the bit of goodwill he had just developed made him change his mind.