Chapter 665: Chapter 665

Inside the shop were several graceful attendants. Like the guards at the city gates, they were a mix of witch race and human race, yet showed no signs of tension between them.

By now, Qin Sang could easily distinguish between humans and the witch race.

Though their appearances held no obvious differences, their bloodlines varied, and thus their aura carried subtle distinctions. Moreover, there were even artifacts sold here specifically for bloodline identification.

These distinctions were especially easy to perceive when facing cultivators with lower cultivation than his own. Qin Sang couldn’t help but feel glad he had been cautious enough not to recklessly interact with other Core Formation cultivators back in Xijiang.

As Qin Sang entered, one of the attendants immediately approached him with a warm smile. Upon seeing the token at his waist, her attitude grew all the more respectful. "Honored Immortal, please come in. May I ask if you are looking to purchase artifacts, pills, or are here to sell something? All astras and rare pills are displayed on the third floor. If you’re interested, please allow me to guide you."

"They’re selling astras?"

Qin Sang’s heart stirred. He had long heard of the Four Seas Merchant Guild’s vast influence, though its headquarters was located within human territory. He hadn’t expected even their branch on the Witch God Continent to have astras for sale.

Wanting to get a sense of local prices, Qin Sang let the attendant lead him upstairs.

Once on the third floor, he was received by a clearly higher-ranking Foundation Building female cultivator who brought him into a quiet private chamber.

"May I ask for your name?" she asked with a sweet smile, presenting him with tea.

Qin Sang answered in a low voice, "I go by Qingfeng. I heard your guild has astras for sale. What kinds? How powerful are they? And how much do they cost?"

Having revealed his identity in Xijiang, Qin Sang had no choice but to conceal his name while in witch race territory.

Caught off guard by Qin Sang’s barrage of questions, the woman chuckled. "To be honest, Senior, we don’t keep many astras here in Pingbo Port; there are only three. If any catches your eye, we recommend barter. We’ll invite an expert from Pingbo Port to evaluate your treasure’s worth, so be rest assured, you won’t be taken advantage of. Of course, if you’re willing to offer enough spirit stones, we will sell them. I’ll fetch them now for you to inspect..."

Such a casual presentation of three astras. This was truly the mark of a great merchant guild.

Qin Sang was quietly impressed.

After a short wait, the female cultivator returned, placing three jade boxes on the table for Qin Sang to inspect at his leisure.

Though Qin Sang sensed no experts spying on him, the woman’s untroubled demeanor clearly indicated the Four Seas Merchant Guild had other safeguards in place. They were unafraid of anyone trying to steal and flee.

Three astras lay before him. Temptation stirred. Qin Sang pushed all stray thoughts aside and opened the boxes one by one. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel★fire.net

Inside, he found a pitch-black tortoise shell, a long whip fashioned from some unknown beast’s spine, and a flying sword.

To his disappointment, none of the three astras were of particularly high quality. The flying sword wasn’t even as good as his ebony sword, yet all were priced at tens or even hundreds of thousands of spirit stones. Without treasures like the Jade Liquid of Three Radiances, Qin Sang would have to sell off everything he owned to afford even one.

The only item that mildly tempted him was the tortoise shell. It was a defensive astra made from the back shell of a tortoise demon. Its defense was quite solid.

If he hadn’t already possessed the Blackwater Mirror, he might have considered it.

After all, he lacked neither offensive nor evasion techniques, but he did need a solid defensive artifact.

The Blackwater Mirror could serve both offense and defense, though it wasn’t exceptional in either regard. Still, given its high grade, its defensive capability wasn’t much inferior to the tortoise shell, making it sufficient for Qin Sang’s current needs. There was no point buying a redundant item.

He could certainly trade for it with the treasures he carried, but he wasn’t foolish enough to do so.

In the end, Qin Sang shook his head, closed the boxes, and slid them back.

The female cultivator had clearly encountered this type of buyer before. She accepted his refusal without the slightest shift in expression and continued to treat him warmly.

After a moment of thought, Qin Sang spoke his true purpose. "I am looking to refine something and need Earth Malevolent Qi. May I ask if your guild has any channels or contacts who can help locate a source of Earth Malevolent Qi near Pingbo Port? Spirit stones are not an issue."

"Earth Malevolent Qi?"

The woman glanced at Qin Sang with surprise. As a Foundation Building cultivator herself, she naturally understood that Earth Malevolent Qi was an extremely yin substance, something most cultivators feared like the plague. She hadn’t expected someone to seek it out willingly.

What kind of refinement requires Earth Malevolent Qi?

The thought flitted through her mind but was quickly suppressed. She didn’t dare pry into the secrets of a Core Formation expert. Her position at the guild depended on her discretion.

She rose and bowed. "Please wait a moment, Senior. I will have someone look into it immediately."

Qin Sang raised a hand to stop her and tossed her a pouch of spirit stones. "One more thing. Help me check if any merchant guilds are planning to send people to Witch God Mountain to use the teleportation array heading for the Stormy Demonic Sea."

The matter of Seven-Kill Hall had made Qin Sang suddenly feel that time was running out.

Only by growing stronger could he protect himself within Seven-Kill Hall.

He no longer planned to visit human territories to sightsee and learn about customs. Instead, he would go straight to the Stormy Demonic Sea to hunt demonic beasts and cultivate. The closest route was naturally through the ancient teleportation array at Witch God Mountain.

Not only did he intend to go but the sooner, the better. Who knew what kind of chaos might erupt once those Spiritual Infant grandmasters of the witch race returned?

Qin Sang had learned from Du Han that the Spiritual Infant grandmasters of the witch race had collectively vanished, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that a storm was brewing. Dark currents were stirring beneath the surface of Canglang Sea. Heading to the Stormy Demonic Sea might allow him to avoid being caught in the maelstrom.

But the problem was that he was human.

Though Witch God Mountain did not exclude human cultivators, it lay deep within the Witch God Continent. There was still a long distance between it and Pingbo Port, and that journey required passing through regions dominated by many powerful witch race sects.

Charging in alone would likely result in him being surrounded and killed before getting very far.

The top merchant guilds that dared to operate within the Witch God Continent all had intricate relationships with the witch race factions. Traveling with one of them was the only safe option.

Not just Qin Sang but other human cultivators living on the Witch God Continent did the same.

The female cultivator weighed the pouch in her hand, her smile growing even sweeter. "No need to ask around, Senior. I already know. The Qiongyu Merchant Guild, part of the Dongji Alliance, has a senior manager currently stationed here in Pingbo Port. He's preparing to return to the Stormy Demonic Sea in a month. The news only came out recently, and they’re now recruiting people. With your cultivation, you will surely be valued by the Qiongyu Guild. Even if you’re not interested in joining, as long as you don’t break their rules, they’ll gladly form a favorable connection with you."

"The Dongji Alliance... that’s the trade alliance spanning the entire eastern sea region, isn’t it?"

Qin Sang was inwardly delighted. With the Dongji Alliance behind them, traveling with the Qiongyu Merchant Guild would certainly ensure safety.

"That’s right. Any member of the alliance flying its banner can travel freely throughout the Witch God Continent. Qiongyu Guild’s outpost is located at the northernmost edge of the trading district."

The woman gave him precise directions.

"Thank you for the information."

Qin Sang cupped his hands in gratitude, then took out a list. "If your guild stocks any of the spiritual herbs or materials on this list, please bring them out as well."

The woman glanced over the list and nodded. "Some of these herbs are indeed available in our store. I’ll retrieve them at once."