Chapter 386: Lampstand

Upon entering Starfall Market, Chen Mobai parted ways with Liang Jinggui. "You two go explore; we'll meet at the entrance later," Chen Mobai told his two disciples. Cultivators in the Tianhe Realm, even masters and disciples, instinctively maintain a certain distance. So, when he spoke, Liu Wenbo and Luo Yixuan nodded and headed separately towards shops aligning with their spiritual root attributes.

Chen Mobai stood in the street and surveyed the ten shops. This sales event was small-scale, primarily catering to Qi Condensation cultivators, so it mainly featured first-tier spiritual items, though some second-tier ones were present to anchor the place. Chen Mobai had confidence in the resources of the Tianhe Realm. Since they were chosen for display by the Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association, they were naturally high-grade spiritual items.

He first stepped into the Gold-themed shop, discovering transparent boxes suspended in mid-air, each containing a glittering golden spiritual item. A cultivator's gaze was sharp enough to see clearly without needing to handle them. In the center of the shop, two smiling cultivators dressed in Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association uniforms stood, surrounded by numerous Eastern Wilderness cultivators asking various questions. If a bid was required, the association's cultivators would retrieve the suspended box and lead the interested cultivator to a private, restricted compartment for detailed discussion.

Fine gold, fine iron, Pulmonary Metal Qi, Five-Metal Yuan Stone, Thousand Jin Blade, Grand White Gold Blade Art, Golden Body Puppet Art... Chen Mobai's gaze swept over the boxes in the air, and corresponding information instantly appeared in his mind—this seemed to be a form of restriction. However, cultivation techniques only offered brief descriptions and the highest possible cultivation realm.

Among these, what interested him most was the "Pulmonary Metal Qi." This was pure spiritual energy condensed by cultivators specializing in metal-attribute techniques, known as one of the Essences of the Five Elements in the Immortal Sect's terms. He had not expected to find something similar in the Tianhe Realm. However, this Pulmonary Metal Qi was specifically for condensing blade energy, designed to be used with the Grand White Gold Blade Art. If a cultivator were to condense Pulmonary Metal Qi day by day through cultivation, it would require several years just to achieve initial mastery. Thus, the Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association specifically offered this Pulmonary Metal Qi as a set with the Grand White Gold Blade Art; both had to be bid on together.

Chen Mobai was quite intrigued by the Pulmonary Metal Qi, so he pointed out the box to the Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association cultivator. "Senior, please follow me." Chen Mobai had not concealed his Foundation Establishment cultivator aura. He had been a focal point of attention since stepping into the shop. Now, seeing his gesture, a cultivator immediately retrieved three transparent boxes from mid-air and invited him to a private compartment to discuss.

"I'm somewhat interested in this Pulmonary Metal Qi, so I'll just submit a casual bid." In the Immortal Sect, this item needed to be condensed personally. Since Chen Mobai encountered it, he bid 100 spirit stones. "Senior, this Thousand Jin Blade is also a suitable magical artifact for the Grand White Gold Blade Art. Would you like to take a look at it too?" The Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association cultivator opened the three transparent boxes, presenting the Pulmonary Metal Qi, Grand White Gold Blade Art, and Thousand Jin Blade to Chen Mobai for appraisal. However, Chen Mobai shook his head directly. Metal-attribute cultivation techniques were of no use to him, and the Thousand Jin Blade was merely a first-tier high-grade magical artifact; he already possessed a superior Gold Jade Axe.

Besides the Pulmonary Metal Qi, Chen Mobai was also interested in a portion of Golden Light Sha and three taels of Geng Metal. These were second-tier spiritual items. Even if not needed now, they might prove useful in the future. Chen Mobai pondered briefly and submitted bids of 600 and 900 spirit stones respectively.

As he left the Gold-themed shop, Chen Mobai remembered that his cousin had been admitted to Taiyuan Academy and he hadn't given her a gift yet. Conveniently, she also had excellent metal spiritual roots, so he decided to go back and select a colorful Five-Metal Yuan Stone, bidding 30 spirit stones for it. This Five-Metal Yuan Stone was condensed from five different metals and could be shaped by a cultivator's spiritual consciousness into any magical artifact embryo, typically used for key nodes in large magical artifacts. It was similar to the Immortal Sect's Ruyi Iron, but the Five-Metal Yuan Stone's limit was only a first-tier magical artifact, often only guaranteeing a first-tier low-grade, which was why few people purchased it. Chen Mobai's bid of 30 spirit stones was considered high, virtually guaranteeing his acquisition.

In the subsequent Wood-themed shop, Chen Mobai was dazzled. Many unheard-of saplings, rice seeds, and flowering plants made his fingers itch with a desire to cultivate. He selected all the seedlings suitable for the climate and ley lines of Giant Wood Ridge and submitted bids for them. The most precious items in this shop were a second-tier Green Lotus Seed and a section of second-tier Pure Bamboo. The Green Lotus Seed's original body was said to be a third-tier lotus plant within Dongyue, with the potential to be cultivated to the third-tier. The Pure Bamboo originated from Kongsang Valley in Eastern Yi; it was said to grow to the fourth-tier upon maturity, capable of refining Nine Heavens Pure Spiritual Qi, opening a Purple Mansion, increasing spiritual consciousness, and purifying the mind. This particular section still had its roots, offering the potential for successful replanting. Chen Mobai casually bid 300 spirit stones for both items.

After casually browsing the Water and Earth-themed shops, Chen Mobai noticed a Void-Numinous Stone and a Mountain Suppressing Stone, labeled as third-tier, in the Earth shop. This Mountain Suppressing Stone was essential for establishing earth vein connection formations, and a third-tier one was valued at over 100,000 spirit stones. After appreciating various rare and exotic stones, Chen Mobai specifically went to the Fire-themed shop. There were many good things here as well.

However, what moved him most was a complete Fire in Stone, equivalent to a refined and sublimated Green Sun Fire, valued at fifty to sixty thousand spirit stones. He inquired with the Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association staff and learned it was a True Fire personally refined by their sect's Golden Core elder, as Dongyue was mountainous and it was relatively easy to find spiritual mountains capable of refining Fire in Stone. Chen Mobai checked his resources. Due to cultivating the Pure Yang Dharma Body and other expenses over the years, he only had just over three thousand spirit stones left. He did have a raw spirit stone ore obtained from Lonely Soul Ridge, worth approximately thirty to forty thousand low-grade spirit stones, but this item was difficult to deal with, as all powers, regardless of location, were highly sensitive to spirit stone mines. Sighing, Chen Mobai symbolically bid 5000 spirit stones for the Fire in Stone, then lost interest in other types of True Fire and turned to leave.

The Diverse Elements shop featured spiritual items for variant spiritual roots like wind, thunder, and ice. As cultivators with variant spiritual roots were rare, these items were grouped together. Chen Mobai had a friend with an ice spiritual root. He went in to browse, initially wanting to buy a Jade Snow Lotus, frozen after blooming, as a gift. But after considering it, if he gave a gift to Yan Bingxuan, it would be awkward not to give one to Qing Nv. And if he gave one to Qing Nv, it would be even more inappropriate not to give to other close female acquaintances. So, he decided it was better not to give any gifts at all. It's better to treat everyone equally. With a clear mind, Chen Mobai nodded and exited the Diverse Elements shop.

The Pill shop was bustling with people, and every bottle of pills had bids from cultivators, not to mention the rare pill recipes. Chen Mobai looked inside from the entrance and even saw Liang Jinggui, who was intensely arguing with someone, also a Foundation Establishment cultivator. After watching for a while, he found it uninteresting and went directly to the Beast shop. There weren't many people here either, as beast tamers were not mainstream in the Eastern Wilderness. Chen Mobai saw that the shop's most prominent item was a Profound Turtle. It was a newly hatched cub, but this Profound Turtle was one of the few spiritual beasts in the Tianhe Realm capable of living for over ten thousand years. It was also known as the Myriad-Year Turtle. Affluent cultivation families and sects would typically raise a Profound Turtle because, once grown, this spiritual beast was naturally lazy and rarely moved. Even if its contracted cultivator perished, it would still willingly protect their descendants. Moreover, it was said that the first recorded ascendant in the Tianhe Realm, a cultivator named Jellyfish, possessed a Profound Turtle spiritual beast. It was by relying on this beast's water control ability that she was finally able to sort out the Three Yuan Water Veins of Heaven and Earth and establish the Tianhe Orthodoxy. Therefore, this Profound Turtle cub was also highly sought after. Chen Mobai even met Fu Xiuzuo here.

"Junior Brother Chen, are you also interested in this Profound Turtle?"

"Not at all, I'm just browsing," Chen Mobai shook his head. He knew nothing about beast taming; his only contracted Sky-Devouring Snake was free-roaming. Furthermore, this Profound Turtle grew extremely slowly. To reach the third-tier, it would take at least a thousand years. In a fiercely competitive place like the Eastern Wilderness, there was simply no time for it to develop.

"I bid two thousand spirit stones. If I can acquire it, it will be well worth it," Fu Xiuzuo was open with Chen Mobai. The two chatted for a while in the shop before parting ways.

Chen Mobai then went to the Formation shop, but he only had a rudimentary understanding of formations, so he merely looked around and left.

Finally, he arrived at the Curio shop. This was where the Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association appraised and acquired items, and many cultivators were queuing. Some rogue cultivators even appeared nervous, as if their items were extremely precious. Besides appraisal, some treasures that even the Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association found difficult to identify were displayed here. These could also be bid on. Of course, if someone could assist with an appraisal, the association was willing to pay an appraisal fee. This feeling of being able to uncover a hidden treasure from the Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association piqued the interest of many cultivators. However, many unidentified treasures bought by rogue cultivators with spirit stones often turned out to be truly worthless, so over time, while many people appraised, few actually found hidden gems.

Chen Mobai walked in and casually browsed. Midway through his circuit, he gazed intently at an object resembling a lamp stand in the center of a transparent box. This item seemed to be part of a set with the Five-Colored Lotus Lantern. Previously, in Lonely Soul Ridge, after defeating Feiming Daoist, Chen Mobai obtained a mysterious Five-Colored Lotus Lantern from him. After years of appraisal, he discovered it was an incomplete third-tier magical artifact, lacking a lamp stand and a method to light its wick. If this lamp stand truly matched the Five-Colored Lotus Lantern, then Chen Mobai would possess a second third-tier magical artifact.

He calmly approached a Starry Sky Grand Merchant Association cultivator and submitted a bid of 100 spirit stones for each of the four items, which were imbued with spiritual energy, including the lamp stand. "Senior, do you know the origin of these four items? If you're willing to tell us, we'll pay 50 spirit stones per item," the association's cultivator asked as was customary, which Chen Mobai answered with a shake of his head. "I don't know either. I just felt that these four items were full of spiritual energy and should be good things." The association's appraisers could also discern the abundant spiritual energy, otherwise they wouldn't have acquired them, so Chen Mobai's words revealed nothing at all.

Exiting Starfall Market, Chen Mobai saw Liu Wenbo and Luo Yixuan waiting at the street entrance. "Did you see anything you liked?" Chen Mobai inquired casually.

"There's a nice green ox. I plan to buy it for Junior Sister Zhuo," Liu Wenbo said. As a scion of a prominent family, he lacked neither magical artifacts nor cultivation techniques. Furthermore, he listened well to Chen Mobai and had recently begun to forgo using pills to hasten his cultivation. Thus, he didn't need the first-tier items from Starfall Market and couldn't afford the second-tier ones. He simply bought a green ox from the Beast shop for Zhuo Ming, who managed the family's affairs.

"Excellent, Wenbo, you're becoming more like a senior disciple," Chen Mobai naturally lavished him with praise.

"Master, I also bought some spiritual rice seeds for Senior Sister Zhuo, and several large bags of spiritual soil from other regions," Luo Yixuan immediately said, adding that she too had bought things for Zhuo Ming. She knew Chen Mobai, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, wouldn't need the spiritual items she could afford. So, she thought of a different approach, seeking to curry favor by appealing to Chen Mobai's appreciation for camaraderie among disciples. However, she hadn't expected that the usually quiet Liu Wenbo had also thought of this. She suddenly felt she had been too dismissive of her senior disciple brother. But she did not know that Liu Wenbo had simply seen the green ox and naturally felt it was suitable for Zhuo Ming, so he had merely submitted a bid.

Chen Mobai felt immense satisfaction, thinking that all his disciples were a close-knit, loving family. He continuously praised his two disciples. "Xuan'er, please keep the Green Swan Bird that Patriarch Liang gifted you. Your master has no use for it."

"It would be better for Senior Brother to have it. He will be representing Master more frequently outside, and he needs this flying spiritual beast more than I do." However, Luo Yixuan politely refused, which made Chen Mobai even more impressed and unsure how to further praise her.

"Don't worry, your master will buy another one from Patriarch Liang later, so your senior disciple will also have one." Only after Chen Mobai said this did Luo Yixuan gratefully accept.

After the three master and disciples left Starfall Market, they went to the Divine Wood Sect's outpost in Tiankui Market. The steward disciple, named Fu Xingzhong, was also at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation. Mid-discussion, Wang Gongdao, the head of the Wang family in Tiankui Market, arrived.

"Garrison Commander, my apologies for not meeting you sooner." Wang Gongdao was a heavily bearded cultivator. As Yue Zutao had already vouched for him, the two were, in fact, part of the same faction within the Divine Wood Sect. In just a few sentences, they were already addressing each other as "senior brother" and "junior brother."

"Junior Brother Chen wishes to rent a shop? That's simple. After the Starfall Market sale ends, those ten shops will all belong to my Wang family. Choose whichever one you like; the rent will be a symbolic one spirit stone per year." Such comradeship truly fostered generosity. However, the Divine Wood Sect still had two unrented shops in Tiankui Market, and Chen Mobai did not wish to impose or become a subject of gossip, so he politely declined Wang Gongdao's kind offer.

"Junior Brother Chen is indeed a sword cultivator, righteous in character." Wang Gongdao just laughed heartily at this, then invited him to a Foundation Establishment cultivation exchange meeting he was personally hosting. "Almost all Foundation Establishment cultivators within Jianguo territory have come, and they have many good items. For example, Yuan Hongyuan, he brought numerous third-tier Immortal Peach Fruits that many coveted."

Yuan Hongyuan of Black Cloud Mountain. At the mention of this name, Chen Mobai's eyes lit up. This was a rare cultivator who achieved Foundation Establishment through sheer might, a strong person even praised by E Yun. He had long heard of his renown and never expected to meet him today!