Chapter 695: Chapter 695
The market had actually been built underground.
Some cultivators had used Dao Techniques to excavate a space from thin air, with the perimeter protected by powerful barriers and arrays. The entire subterranean space was divided into two sections, separated by a stone gate. Only Core Formation cultivators were qualified to enter the inner section.
Upon arriving in the underground market, Qin Sang saw many crude stone huts, clearly intended for single-use before being discarded.
The market already had a fair number of cultivators moving between the stone huts.
Han Cuo and the others wished to host Qin Sang, but he politely declined.
After dispersing the others, Han Cuo turned and said to him, "I just asked around. The inner trade session won’t begin for a few days. It will only start once all the Core Formation cultivators have arrived. You may as well browse the outer market in the meantime. Many of the vendors here are actually representatives from major merchant guilds on Huntian Island. They are highly reputable. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to buy from them. I have a few matters to take care of, so I won’t disturb you further. When the trade session starts, I’ll come find you."
"Please go ahead, Daoist Han."
Qin Sang watched as Han Cuo entered one of the stone huts. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he began wandering the market.
Eventually, he selected a few merchant guilds and negotiated several deals.
By now, the demonic beast corpses, artifacts, and most of the spirit stones in his Thousand-Jin Ring had already been exchanged for pills, talismans, and similar resources. They were enough to keep him supplied for the next decade or more.
He also tried to buy pills that could enhance cultivation, but those effective for Core Formation cultivators turned out to be far more expensive than expected. On top of that, they were scarce within the market, making them even more costly.
Some of his astras and demonic cores were temporarily kept back, as he intended to see whether he could trade them for more desirable treasures during the inner trade session.
Notably, he managed to trade for three inner cores from venomous beasts from one of the merchant guilds. That would be enough to sustain the fat silkworm through the late stage of its second metamorphosis.
Qin Sang also purchased a large quantity of spiritual herbs favored by the Sky-Eyed Butterfly. This update ıs available on novel·fiɾe·net
Even if he could not make his way to the Thousand-Demon Sea anytime soon, he had no intention of entering Huntian Island. With such a rare opportunity, it was only wise to stock up thoroughly.
What concerned him most was the current situation in the Thousand-Demon Sea.
After making some inquiries, his expression grew heavier. The intelligence gathered by these merchant guilds largely matched what Han Cuo had said. It was now certain that the route through the Thousand-Demon Sea was completely blocked.
He attempted to purchase information about alternative routes through the Thousand-Demon Sea, but without exception, no one had anything to offer.
Only one merchant manager suggested that he try his luck at the upcoming inner trade session.
Perhaps some expert had discovered another path through the Thousand-Demon Sea by accident. If so, they would likely keep it a closely guarded secret and would not share it publicly. However, if Qin Sang was willing to offer sufficient compensation, he might be able to persuade them.
Having exhausted all other inquiries, Qin Sang could only enter the inner section and rent a stone hut to wait patiently.
Even before the trade session officially began, Core Formation cultivators were already arriving one after another.
After two days in the inner section, Qin Sang left his hut and unexpectedly found that a few cultivators had gathered at a small square outside. They had laid out their treasures and appeared to be initiating trades.
A spark of interest lit in Qin Sang’s eyes, and he strode over.
The cultivators in the square noticed his approach. Some nodded at him in friendly acknowledgment, while others withdrew their gazes with indifference.
When Qin Sang drew closer, he glanced over the items laid out in front of several of the cultivators near the edge of the square and felt a twinge of disappointment.
These items were all dream treasures for Foundation Building cultivators, but to someone at his level, they were fairly mediocre. It seemed everyone was keeping their finest treasures reserved for the trade session.
Just as he was feeling let down, Qin Sang caught sight of a poison core and immediately stepped forward. After haggling with the vendor, he bought it.
There weren’t many people around, but everyone kept a wide distance to maintain privacy.
Qin Sang managed to acquire a few more useful items and soon reached the final stall. There, he saw a thin, middle-aged man seated motionlessly on a meditation cushion.
This man’s aura was strange and barely perceptible. His face was extremely pale and emaciated, as if he had suffered severe injuries and was depleted in both qi and blood.
Then again, certain obscure cultivation arts could also produce such effects, so it wasn’t necessarily due to injury.
Qin Sang could not very well stare at the man, so he gave him a brief glance and looked away, uninterested. His gaze fell instead on the items displayed in front of the man.
On the ground lay a few jade bottles of pills and a heap of demonic beast materials. There wasn’t even a single demonic core among them.
Qin Sang was about to walk past and return to his stone hut when something familiar suddenly caught his eye. His gaze snapped into focus, and his heart gave a faint jolt.
It was a small piece of bone, about the size of a finger joint.
The bone was hollow, with a surface that glistened with a soft, jade-like luster. It was identical to the bone flute he had acquired from the Shadow-Devouring Panther.
Back in Ziwei Palace, when he and Wandering Man fought the Shadow-Devouring Panther over the Purple Cloud Fruit, they had driven it off using the power of Xutian Thunder.
The residual force from Xutian Thunder had shattered the golden ring around the beast’s neck, causing a segment of bone flute to fall out.
They had discovered that this bone flute was connected to the power of the stars. It could not be stored inside a Mustard Seed Pouch, yet Qin Sang had successfully sealed it into his Thousand-Jin Ring.
Wandering Man had speculated that the bone flute might be a fragment of some greater treasure.
After Qin Sang had put it away, he had scarcely given it another thought. After all, in the boundless world of immortal cultivation, the chance of finding anything related to it was impossibly slim. He had never held out any real hope.
Yet now, in this distant Demonic Sea, countless li away from where he first found it, he had unexpectedly come across a second bone flute.
There was no mistake. It was the same item.
The moment he laid eyes on the flute, Qin Sang sensed an identical aura emanating from it. It was exactly the same as the one he already possessed. Just like his own, this piece resonated with the power of the cosmic orbit and the stars.
It was clearly a fragment of the same treasure. But how could two pieces of the same item have fallen in such vastly distant locations? What had happened in the past for this to occur?
Qin Sang was both surprised and inwardly alarmed.
Are these two sections all there is of the original flute? What will happen if the pieces are rejoined?
A surge of intense curiosity rose within him, though outwardly his expression remained calm. He stood naturally before the stall, his gaze steady and composed as he began to examine the items.
The vendor opened his eyes and, upon seeing Qin Sang, asked in a rasping voice, "Which item has caught your eye, Sir?"
Qin Sang sighed inwardly. Aside from the bone flute, everything else on display was rather mundane. As for the flute itself, its peculiarity was plain to see. He wouldn’t be the only one to notice it.
It was impossible to pick it up as a bargain.
Still, the vendor’s hoarse voice hinted at something unusual about his condition, which caught Qin Sang’s attention.
He decided not to beat around the bush and pointed directly at the bone flute in front of the vendor. "May I ask, sir, what this piece of bone is? Would you allow me to take a closer look?"
The vendor was momentarily taken aback. His gaze swept over Qin Sang’s chest and other details, then he nodded and replied, "I don’t know what it’s called. If you wish to examine it, go ahead."
Qin Sang crouched down and, under the vendor’s gaze, gently picked up the bone flute for a closer look. In that moment, he confirmed beyond doubt that it was the exact same thing.