Chapter 697: Pathways

Rain hit the bluestone.

After the difficulties of teleportation, Qin Sang became more cautious. He always kept a mustard seed pouch hanging at his waist, filled with various items to mislead others. This was to prevent a repeat of situations like drifting on the river, where his Qianjun Ring could be taken from him.

Noticing the faint, intermittent gaze behind him vanish, Qin Sang sneered inwardly. He quickly returned to his stone house and carefully set up several layers of restrictive spiritual formations.

Holding the bone flute, Qin Sang observed it for a long time. After some hesitation, he finally decided to tie it with a string and hang it around his neck, hidden beneath his inner armor. He dared not let the two sections of the bone flute touch here. The marketplace was filled with countless masters and was not a safe place. The peculiar power within the bone flute was connected to the power of the cosmic stars. If their contact triggered some unusual phenomenon, it might be impossible to conceal, attracting unwanted attention and covetousness.

To be safe, Qin Sang suppressed his curiosity and decided to wait until the trade fair concluded. Over the next two days, Qin Sang frequently ventured out to browse but found no significant gains.

Qin Sang felt the restriction outside his stone house being triggered, awakening him from his meditation. A quick sweep with his divine sense revealed a marketplace attendant standing outside. Knowing the trade fair was about to begin, he pushed open the door.

Upon seeing Qin Sang, the attendant bowed and said, "Senior, the trade fair is about to start. I'll lead you there now."

As Qin Sang recalled his gains from the past few days, he walked towards the largest stone house located deeper within the inner section. He had already acquired most of the items he needed; even without attending this trade fair, he could consider his trip fruitful. His main reason for waiting for the trade fair was to inquire about the path to the Thousand Demon Sea.

The Hunyuan Conjoined Rings were not strictly necessary, but without this magic treasure, he wouldn't be truly safe in the demon sea. He could choose not to worry about the Hunyuan Conjoined Rings for now and hunt demons elsewhere. However, the increasingly chaotic situation outside Hun Tian Island indicated that finding a safe haven in the already explored sea regions would be difficult in the future. Unless both races ceased hostilities, he would inevitably be affected eventually. At that time, if he wished to avoid being drawn into the chaos, he would be forced into unknown sea regions, where the Hunyuan Conjoined Rings' utility would be indispensable. Qin Sang had to prepare for a rainy day. Of course, if there truly was no way to traverse the Thousand Demon Sea, Qin Sang wouldn't force the issue.

Guards were stationed in front of the stone house, but upon seeing Qin Sang and the attendant approach, they not only refrained from stopping them but respectfully saluted. Qin Sang pushed open the door and saw that the vast stone house contained over thirty chairs, most of which were already occupied.

"So many Golden Core cultivators here?" Qin Sang thought to himself. He looked around and recognized some familiar faces: managers from the most renowned merchant associations. It turned out that the major merchant associations had also sent representatives. Next, Qin Sang spotted a few more familiar figures. They exchanged nods, and under several scrutinizing gazes, he walked to a corner, found a chair, and sat down, quietly awaiting the start of the trade fair.

Han Cuo was not present. Two days prior, Han Cuo had reportedly exhausted his savings to acquire a long-desired treasure. Therefore, he had left the marketplace early without waiting for the trade fair, bidding farewell to Qin Sang. Before his departure, Han Cuo subtly attempted to invite Qin Sang to join his team, but Qin Sang politely declined. He temporarily wished to avoid too much entanglement with the cultivators of Hun Tian Island, agreeing to meet Han Cuo on the island at a later date.

Qin Sang waited for fifteen minutes, during which more people gradually entered, and the chairs were almost completely filled. At this moment, an elder who had been sitting furthest inside, resting with closed eyes, suddenly stood up. After attracting everyone's attention, he announced clearly, "Today, so many fellow Daoists have graced us with their presence, including several new ones. This old man is deeply honored. I imagine all of you have been waiting impatiently, so I won't elaborate further. The rules of this trade fair are simple: take turns displaying your treasures, state your exchange conditions, and once a deal is struck, there can be no turning back. Though I am unworthy, I can serve as a witness..."

After saying a few simple words, the elder sat back down. Everyone clearly knew the procedure. They glanced at each other, and a female cultivator sitting near the entrance took out two items from her mustard seed pouch, displaying them to the crowd. "A demon core and a damaged magic treasure," she announced, "I'm looking to exchange them for a spiritual item like spirit water. The exchange terms can be negotiated based on the spirit water's value..."

The magic treasure was clearly, and severely, damaged in a great battle, but no one paid much attention to that. They all projected their divine senses onto the item, and moments later, some began to converse with the female cultivator. Aside from the magic treasure, the other item was the demon core of an early-stage Black Fiend Dolphin. Given the female cultivator's cultivation level, hunting such a demon was not an easy feat. Although there were countless demonic beasts in the demon sea, the value of demon cores remained high, attracting the interest of many. Not everyone, unlike Qin Sang, could move as swift as the wind and easily hunt demonic beasts of the same cultivation level.

Qin Sang, uninterested in the magic treasure or the demon core, sat quietly. Soon, the female cultivator obtained what she desired, and it was the next person's turn. Time passed, and one treasure after another was presented. Some achieved their goals, while others left disappointed.

Qin Sang hadn't seen any treasures that truly caught his eye, except for the egg of a Thunder Gate Crane demonic beast, which stirred a slight ripple in his heart. Demonic beast eggs were also highly valuable treasures here. After hatching a beast, one could personally nurture it to maturity and tame it into a spiritual beast, without worrying about betrayal. However, raising a spiritual beast was no less difficult than raising spiritual insects. Qin Sang already had two spiritual insects to care for; adding another spiritual beast would require too much energy. The Hunyuan Conjoined Rings, on the other hand, could directly control a demonic beast without needing extensive time for nurturing. The reason the Hunyuan Conjoined Rings required so many exceptionally rare spiritual materials, yet were only low-grade once refined, was largely due to this function. It was not without reason that the Imperial Spirit Sect regarded them as secret treasures. Unfortunately, the Hunyuan Conjoined Rings could only control demonic beasts in the early stages of the Demon Core realm at most. Once Qin Sang broke through to the late Golden Core stage, this function would become less significant.

After a while, someone surprisingly took out a demon core from a poisonous fish for sale. Qin Sang had been searching for this type of demon core to see if his Fat Silkworm could consume it, but he hadn't found one until now. Upon seeing it, he immediately engaged in negotiations. After some bargaining, he exchanged another demon core and a demonic beast carcass for it.

Finally, it was Qin Sang's turn. Under the gaze of everyone, Qin Sang unhurriedly took out three demon cores and a magic treasure. Seeing that Qin Sang could produce so many demon cores, the others' gazes towards him changed, revealing a hint of apprehension.

"I need Soul-Guiding Grass, Myriad-Ages Camphor..." Qin Sang listed several spiritual materials and elixirs, then concluded, "Besides these, I also wish to inquire about a route through the Thousand Demon Sea. The price is negotiable."

Upon hearing this, the crowd, who had initially been staring at the treasures before Qin Sang, now looked at him in astonishment.

"Are you planning to go to the Thousand Demon Sea now, Daoist friend? Aren't you afraid of being robbed and killed by the evil cultivators there?" someone exclaimed.

Qin Sang chuckled. "I didn't say I'm going now. Even if things calm down later, that path might still be difficult. However, I will have a compelling reason to go in the future, so I might as well acquire the route now."