Chapter 238 - 171: Small-Scale Trade Fair

Chapter 238: Chapter 171: Small-Scale Trade Fair

"I’d rather not," Zhao Zuo replied, shaking his head. He glanced at the nearby rock, a trace of caution rising within him.

"How boring. Soul Cleansing Water is one thousand Spirit Stones a drop. How many do you want?" The young woman continued to kick at the lake water. With her back to him, Zhao Zuo couldn’t make out her expression. Even her fleeting glance from a moment ago hadn’t been enough for him to see... her face.

’For some reason, she seemed a little familiar.’

"Nine drops," Zhao Zuo replied.

"One moment."

A short while later, Zhao Zuo held a transparent glass bottle, gazing at the pale blue droplets inside that had a mercurial texture. He couldn’t help but feel this transaction had gone a bit too smoothly. On his way back, he finally recalled the person’s identity—it was the very same senior sister who had sold him the Fire Spirit Snake last year.

Zhao Zuo put the Soul Cleansing Water into his Storage Bag, feeling a wave of emotion. Materials that were usually so difficult to obtain had been acquired with such ease. ’Perhaps this is the benefit of being part of a community,’ he thought.

Zhao Zuo returned to his trading spot and canceled his original request. He had already purchased the Soul Cleansing Water, accomplishing his main goal for attending the trade meet. However, there was still some time left, so after some thought, he posted a new request.

"Seeking: Damaged Upper Grade Magical Artifacts. Requirements: Spirit Patterns must be intact, artifact must be barely activatable. Note: For an Artifact Refiner to study Spirit Pattern composition. High-pricers, fortune-seekers... do not disturb."

He only posted this request after remembering his unique ability to repair Magical Artifacts.

About ten minutes later, the Trading Jade Token in Zhao Zuo’s hand vibrated slightly. A message and a location appeared on it.

"Number 32. Trade request submitted. Note: Upper Grade Supporting Magical Artifact."

The appointed meeting place was not far behind the crowd. Zhao Zuo easily found Number 32. Although the man’s aura was restrained, it still exerted an invisible pressure on Zhao Zuo. It was clear this person’s Cultivation was higher than his own, but he likely hadn’t reached Foundation Establishment yet.

"I have two nearly-broken Upper Grade Magical Artifacts,"

said Wang Tianyu. His current Cultivation had already reached Qi Cultivation Perfection. Although he still had over twenty years before the sixty-year-old age limit for Foundation Establishment, he knew that with his talent, he had no hope of achieving Perfect Foundation Establishment. That was why he had recently been selling off his possessions to save up Spirit Stones for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Please, Senior Brother, tell me about their effects and your price," Zhao Zuo replied.

"The first is called the Moonlight Pearl. It’s a Magical Artifact I obtained from an ancient ruin during an adventure. It’s no longer found in the Cultivation Realm. Every night, it can absorb the power of moonlight, and every fifteen days, it produces one drop of Moonlight Essence. Consuming a drop is roughly equivalent to the progress gained from three to four days of meditation," Wang Tianyu explained.

Zhao Zuo was surprised and intrigued. ’If this Magical Artifact were in perfect condition, there’s no way he’d be selling it,’ he thought. ’I just wonder how badly it’s damaged.’

"And how damaged is the Moonlight Pearl?" Zhao Zuo asked.

"When I first obtained it, it was in perfect condition. But now, the internal Spirit Patterns have grown dim. It can probably only be used another three to five times. To be honest with you, I even had an Elder from the Earth Fire Hall look at it. He said the internal Spirit Patterns are complex and the techniques to create them have been lost, so it can’t be repaired."

Wang Tianyu honestly disclosed everything he knew. Having reached his current stage of Cultivation, he certainly wasn’t going to make an enemy of an Inner Sect Disciple over a few thousand Spirit Stones.

"In that case, are there any side effects or resistance issues from using the Moonlight Essence?"

"Moonlight Essence is one of the purest forms of Energy in the world, so naturally, there are no side effects or resistance when absorbing it. However, the last time the Moonlight Pearl produced Moonlight Essence, it took twenty-three days."

Wang Tianyu explained that the creation of Moonlight Essence was related to the nightly weather, the phases of the moon, and even more so, the clarity of the internal Spirit Patterns. This meant that the next drop of Moonlight Essence would likely take even longer to form.

Hearing this, Zhao Zuo nodded. Wang Tianyu had been very thorough, clearly explaining the pros and cons without seeming to hide anything.

"It’s no problem. I just want to study the internal Spirit Patterns, so it doesn’t matter if it’s unusable," Zhao Zuo said, though he didn’t quite mean it. He had his heart set on the Moonlight Pearl but couldn’t appear too eager. If the seller jacked up the price, it would be a huge loss.

"I understand. Judging by your build, Junior Brother, you must be from the Earth Fire Hall."

It was common for Artifact Refiners from the Earth Fire Hall to seek out damaged Magical Artifacts to study their internal Spirit Patterns and improve their own Artifact Refining skills. Thus, Zhao Zuo’s excuse was perfectly reasonable.

"So, what price are you thinking of, Senior Brother Wang?" Zhao Zuo asked.

"As you know, Junior Brother, even if an Upper Grade Magical Artifact is broken, the materials used to craft it are still very valuable. So, my asking price of five thousand Spirit Stones... isn’t unreasonable," Wang Tianyu said.

"Please let me see the Moonlight Pearl first."

Wang Tianyu flipped his hand and retrieved an oval crystal the size of a goose egg from his Storage Bag. Its surface was perfectly smooth, but its interior held an extremely complex pattern—presumably the lost Spirit Patterns. However, the Spiritual Light on its surface had grown very dim, making it look quite unremarkable.

One could tell that this item must have once radiated a pure, silvery glow like moonlight, but as its Energy drained away, it had gradually lost its former appearance.

"I can’t deny that the material itself is quite valuable, but Senior Brother, the spirituality and Energy within this piece have drastically faded. I’m afraid not even a tenth of its original value remains," Zhao Zuo said.

"How many Spirit Stones are you offering?" Wang Tianyu asked. This wasn’t the first time he had tried to sell the Moonlight Pearl. He had been turned down before because the material’s value was so greatly diminished that they couldn’t agree on a mutually satisfactory price.

"Three thousand Spirit Stones." Zhao Zuo was actually determined to get this item, so he didn’t haggle too aggressively, offering a relatively reasonable price.

"Alright." After a moment of thought, Wang Tianyu decided to sell. After all, the Moonlight Pearl would probably be completely useless after a few more uses. By then, the Spirit Patterns would vanish and its internal Energy would be completely gone. At that point, no one would be willing to pay even one thousand Spirit Stones for it.

Zhao Zuo took a pouch from his Storage Bag and began to pour Spirit Stones into it, counting quickly. Each Spirit Stone was identical in size, clearly naturally formed Spiritual Power Crystals. Although they weren’t large, three thousand of them still filled a small linen sack.

"Count them, Senior Brother."

"And you inspect the goods, Junior Brother."

The two spent less than a minute inspecting the items. After injecting some Mana into the Moonlight Pearl, Zhao Zuo could confirm that Wang Tianyu hadn’t lied. It could still be used three more times, as there were three relatively bright silver threads remaining inside it.

’Those must be there to record the number of times it can still produce Moonlight Essence,’ he figured.

"A pleasure doing business with you."

The two exchanged a smile, both very satisfied with the transaction.

"Oh, right. The second Supporting Magical Artifact is...?" Zhao Zuo asked, his curiosity piqued. In anyone else’s hands, the Moonlight Pearl might just be a consumable item for creating Moonlight Essence, but in his, it was a permanent Magical Artifact that could be used forever. The value of that was self-evident.

This made Zhao Zuo even more eager for what came next.

"The second item is also an Upper Grade Supporting Magical Artifact from the same ancient ruin. It’s called the Red Flame Bead. It was discovered in the same place as the Moonlight Pearl and has a very similar effect. The only difference is that it absorbs the Extreme Yang Power radiated by the sun and condenses it into Sun Essence, which is beneficial for Body Refining. However... it also only has fifteen uses left."

Wang Tianyu explained the effects of the Red Flame Bead. Unlike the gentle Moonlight Essence, Sun Essence required one to endure a certain amount of pain during Refinement. That was why Wang Tianyu had used it less often, which explained why it had so many uses remaining.

"Does this Red Flame Bead have any other hidden problems?" Although Zhao Zuo was tempted, he needed to fully understand a Magical Artifact before spending Spirit Stones on it.

...