Chapter 8: The Fire-Dry Lad

The Treasure-Seeking Assembly began in a delicate atmosphere.

One by one, treasures were brought out.

"The first treasure." Lady Ziyi held up a three-colored stone, which floated in midair. "This 'Fire-Departure Stone' weighs twenty-nine catties and two taels. It can be used to refine a magic treasure. Minimum bid: one hundred thirty taels of primal liquid!"

"One hundred fifty taels of primal liquid."

Hun Wuqi spoke.

Guests in other elegant rooms, seeing Hun Wuqi, all enthusiastically called out, "Young Master Wuqi is here?" "Young Master Wuqi!" Each greeted him as if they were very familiar.

"One hundred sixty taels." A crisp voice sounded from a distant elegant room where a girl in colorful clothes shouted.

"One hundred eighty taels." A cold, frosty young man called out.

Inside the elegant room, Ji Ning sat listening to the bids from various parties and looked at Hun Wuqi beside him: "Brother Wuqi, not bidding anymore?"

"Brother Ji Ning, this is your first time, so you wouldn't know." Hun Wuqi smiled and explained, "At these small 'Treasure-Seeking Assemblies' in Carefree Cavern, the minimum bids for treasures are often much lower than the actual market price. My bid of one hundred fifty taels of primal liquid would net a decent profit if sold outside. But bidding up to two hundred taels would be too high; only those who truly need it would bid. As a merchant, I don't like losing money."

Ji Ning was speechless. So his first bid was because he thought he could make money.

"Ji Ning, once you get to know Wuqi, you'll understand. This little money-god thinks about making money everywhere." Beishan Baiwei also smiled.

"Two hundred ninety taels of primal liquid." A hoarse voice sounded.

There was silence for a long time.

"Any higher?" Lady Ziyi looked around at the elegant rooms high in the air. "In that case, this Fire-Departure Stone goes to Young Master Qu of the Yinglong Guard."

"Now for the second treasure..." Lady Ziyi soon began introducing the second treasure.

...

"Young Master Qu is a disciple of the True Hua Sect and a member of the Yinglong Guard." Beishan Baiwei briefly introduced. "He is now at the Wanxiang Completion stage, with boundless prospects. Once he becomes a Primordial Daoist, he will truly be a figure of influence."

Ji Ning nodded.

Those who could enter this hall, even if not as noble as Beishan Baiwei and Beishan Hu, were all extraordinary, on a level to interact with them as equals. After all, though these two young masters of the Beishan clan held high status, they were young and had not yet grasped real power.

The respect Carefree Cavern showed them now was due to their fathers, Beishan Blacktiger and Beishan Yin, both hot candidates for the next Marquis of Anchan.

"That was Miss Leshan of the Meng clan." Beishan Baiwei said. "She is highly valued in the Meng clan, and her cultivation speed is extremely fast. In just sixty years, she has reached Wanxiang Completion. The Meng clan is also one of the major tribes in Anchan Commandery."

Ji Ning nodded.

The Meng clan?

Looking at that girl who appeared only twelve or thirteen years old, she was truly the pride of the Meng clan. Compared to her, Meng Jun, Meng Yan, and Meng Xin were far inferior.

...

One by one, treasures were bought. These treasures were generally for Wanxiang True Immortals, and even the occasional ones for Zifu cultivators were extremely rare. Aside from Beishan Baiwei, Beishan Hu, and some other young masters with astonishing backgrounds, most present had already reached the Wanxiang True Immortal realm.

"Of the treasures prepared by Carefree Cavern, two went unsold, while the other sixteen were all sold. Now we begin with the human-grade top-quality treasure 'Qushan Seal' brought by Young Master Beishan Hu. This treasure is a seal forged from a mountain peak, Mount Qu. If it were an earth-grade treasure, it would be nothing special. Its rarity lies in being a human-grade treasure, usable by Zifu cultivators. Once a Zifu Completion cultivator wields it, it can revert to that mountain peak and smash down, with astonishing power. There is no minimum bid. Now, you may bid."

Lady Ziyi said with a smile.

If guests brought their own treasures for bidding later, the minimum bid was always zero, and the final sale price went entirely to the guest, with Carefree Cavern taking no cut.

Inside the elegant room.

"What price do you estimate for this Qushan Seal?" Ji Ning asked. After visiting the Water Mansion's Treasure Hall, he didn't think much of the Qushan Seal. If it were in the Treasure Hall, the first owner would probably have barely rated it as 'human-grade top-quality'.

"Eighty to one hundred taels of primal liquid." Hun Wuqi said. "This is the most common type of seal treasure. Though it's top-quality, it's not that valuable. It barely sells for an earth-grade treasure price."

"Fifty taels of primal liquid."

"Fifty-five taels."

"Sixty taels." Bids began from the elegant rooms high above.

Soon it settled at one hundred ten taels of primal liquid.

Ji Ning saw Beishan Hu at the window of a distant elegant room. Beishan Hu wore a smile, clearly satisfied with the price.

"Next is a formation, brought by Young Master Beishan Baiwei." Lady Ziyi announced loudly, her face beaming. "The Anchan Marquis's residence has a famous heaven-grade grand formation, the 'Netherdragon Locking Heaven Formation'. This formation is a simplified version of that ancient grand formation. Though simplified, after appraisal by Carefree Cavern, it is a perfect simplification, reaching the pinnacle of human-grade formations. It is the finest of the finest."

Before Lady Ziyi floated a dragon pearl and four dragon scales.

Everyone present had excellent eyesight. After careful observation, many showed surprise.

"Ziyi!" Beishan Hu's face darkened as he directly shouted, "I've never heard of a human-grade simplified Netherdragon Locking Heaven Formation. Are you sure you didn't misappraise it?"

"Carefree Cavern is willing to offer two hundred taels of primal liquid to buy this formation." Lady Ziyi announced directly.

At these words, Beishan Hu's face turned black.

He said no more.

Carefree Cavern's reputation was beyond doubt. If Carefree Cavern made an offer, it meant they were very optimistic about this formation.

"I bid two hundred ten taels."

"Two hundred thirty taels."

The price began to soar.

Inside the elegant room, Ji Ning's heart raced. After all, this was his treasure.

The price gradually climbed.

"Three hundred sixty taels!" Suddenly a crisp child's voice sounded.

There was dead silence.

First, the price had gradually climbed to three hundred taels and seemed unlikely to rise further, yet suddenly it jumped to three hundred sixty taels. Second, the voice was clearly that of a child... This made many look over, and even Ji Ning couldn't help but look. In a distant elegant room sat a child who appeared six or seven years old, wearing a golden collar around his neck, gnawing on a bone.

"The Fire-Dry Lad?" Beishan Baiwei was startled.

"He's here today?" Hun Wuqi was also surprised.

Ji Ning's pupils contracted. A lad? This was his first time seeing a cultivator who looked like a child.

"Brother Ji Ning, this Fire-Dry Lad is said to be a reincarnated immortal." Beishan Baiwei said in a low voice. "He is a top-tier formation master among our younger generation. He has been cultivating for less than thirty years and is already at Wanxiang Completion. Moreover, his main focus is on studying formations; he only devotes a little attention to cultivation and has reached this level."

Less than thirty years old? Wanxiang Completion? And only a little attention to cultivation?

Ji Ning was secretly amazed.

A reincarnated immortal?

"Any higher?" Lady Ziyi looked around, but no one bid.

"Then this Netherdragon Locking Heaven Formation goes to Young Master Fire-Dry." Lady Ziyi spoke with respect.

The Fire-Dry Lad, gnawing on a bone, burst into laughter: "To condense such a complex formation so perfectly, yet with spiritual nature—I haven't seen that in a long time. I wonder which formation master's work this is. Bought for over three hundred taels of primal liquid—a bargain!" The Fire-Dry Lad waved his hand, and the dragon pearl and four dragon scales flew over to him. At the same time, he tossed some black tokens that flew toward Lady Ziyi.

Once he got the dragon pearl and four dragon scales, the Fire-Dry Lad lowered his head and began studying them.

Ji Ning, watching from afar, sighed inwardly. Even reincarnated immortals were fanatics. Without obsession and madness, how could one achieve great things?

"Hmph!" Elsewhere, Beishan Hu's face grew even darker.

He had lost.

His Qushan Seal had sold for only one hundred ten taels, while the Netherdragon Locking Heaven Formation had gone for three hundred sixty taels of primal liquid.

...

Inside the elegant room.

A servant placed a stack of black tokens on the table, then respectfully withdrew, closing the door.

"This is three hundred sixty taels." Beishan Baiwei handed the stack of black tokens to Ji Ning. Ji Ning saw that there were three slightly larger tokens and six smaller ones.

On the larger tokens were the words "Great Xia Dynasty, Heavenly Treasure Mountain, Redeemable for one hundred taels of primal liquid."

On the smaller tokens were the words "Great Xia Dynasty, Heavenly Treasure Mountain, Redeemable for ten taels of primal liquid."

"Heavenly Treasure Mountain has branches in every marquis's commandery across the endless earth." Beishan Baiwei said. "These primal tokens are universal. They are also treasures, requiring at least a Xiantian lifeform to refine. Once refined, you can carry them and use them to buy treasures directly or exchange them for primal liquid. Primal liquid is the hard currency favored by all major powers in the endless earth."

Ji Ning nodded.

On Earth, one of the billions of minor worlds, gold was the hard currency. But on this endless earth, primal liquid, the essence of heaven and earth's primal force, was the hard currency. With it, one could greatly reduce the time spent on slow cultivation and accumulation. But even immortals could not afford to use primal liquid extravagantly; they only used it occasionally during breakthroughs.

"I'm sorry to have cost you such a great formation, Brother Ji Ning." Beishan Baiwei quickly said.

"I've gained these primal liquids." Ji Ning quickly replied. "The formation itself was useless to me."

Beishan Baiwei shook his head: "It's different. Such a rare formation can be easily exchanged for primal liquid, but primal liquid can hardly buy such a formation. Still, I'm truly delighted. Today, Beishan Hu deliberately caused trouble for me, first ruining your chance to join the Rift Heaven Sword Sect, then forcing away the Zither Immortal. Finally, I've vented my anger."

"Knowing Beishan Hu's temperament, he must be furious." Hun Wuqi laughed.

"Mm." Beishan Baiwei smiled even more at the thought.

Ji Ning smiled.

In his mind, he was calculating how to use these three hundred sixty taels of primal liquid to exchange for flying swords.

"Before I left Swallow Mountain, I visited the Water Mansion and passed the second level of the War God Hall. I exchanged for the Nine Yang Sword Formation." Ji Ning pondered. The Nine Yang Sword Formation was the most suitable for the 'Lesser Thousand Swords Formation'. Although the nine flying swords were rated by Sanxiao Daoist as human-grade top-quality, in the current era they would definitely be human-grade supreme-quality.

Moreover, the nine flying swords came from the same source, forming a perfect base, greatly enhancing the power of the Lesser Thousand Swords Formation.

"I need to get more flying swords of good quality from the same source. I don't expect them to be human-grade supreme like the Nine Yang Sword Formation, but at least high-grade, or medium-grade." Ji Ning understood that the power of the Lesser Thousand Swords Formation was closely tied to the quality of the treasures. The better the quality, the greater the power.

Now that he had achieved divine consciousness, the Lesser Thousand Swords Formation could unleash extremely strong combat power. His killing move, the divine ability 'Star Picking Hand', would be used only in critical moments. Normally, he would rely on the Lesser Thousand Swords Formation to dominate.