38: Chapter 38 The Trading Venue

Before dawn had fully broken, the sound of carriage wheels already echoed through the main streets of Black Stone City.

Lin Yue and his group walked toward the trade fair venue through the morning dew; the closer they got to the central plaza, the denser the crowd became.

Many Cultivators carried bulging packs on their backs, their faces showing a mix of anticipation and wariness.

As they brushed past others, gazes would unconsciously flicker toward the wooden crate on Lin Shi's back—

It contained samples of spirit radiance stone, and although covered by coarse cloth, the Spiritual Qi leaking through the gaps acted like a silent invitation, causing passersby to turn their heads frequently.

The venue was set in an open space covering a hundred acres, surrounded by a waist-high wall built of bluestone.

At the entrance stood a ten-foot-tall stone stele engraved with eight large characters: "Fair Trade, Violators Will Be Banished."

The calligraphy was bold and powerful, with a faint flow of spiritual power, clearly written by a Master.

Upon entering the venue, Lin Yue was stunned by the sight before him—

Dozens of areas were neatly divided by category; the furnace fires in the Artifact Refining area turned half the sky red.

The clanging of blacksmith hammers rose and fell;

The fragrance of medicine in the Medicinal Pill area was so thick it seemed solid, and the spiritual liquids in the ceramic jars shimmered with various hues;

The Ore area was the most bustling, with stalls displaying a dazzling array of strange stones and exotic Ores.

Some glowed, some emitted heat, and others produced a pleasant ringing sound at a light touch.

"This way, please!"

A servant dressed in a chamber of commerce uniform hurried over to greet them, leading them toward the Ore area.

"Captain Zhao specifically reserved a prime spot for you, right next to the stalls of the Liu Family Artifact Refining Workshop and the Hundred Herbs Hall. It's a high-visibility area, perfect for business."

Their stall was in the eastern corner of the Ore area, right next to a main path, directly across from Liu Chengfeng's stall.

Elder Liu was directing his workers to arrange the Ores; seeing Lin Yue, he called out with a laugh through the crowd:

"Young friend, you've arrived early!

Today, you must let this old man broaden his horizons and see exactly what kind of treasures Sunset Town has."

"I certainly won't disappoint you, sir."

Lin Yue cupped his hands in response and directed Lin Shi to set down the wooden crate. The guards quickly spread out a piece of red velvet.

Lin Yue opened the crate himself and carefully took out three items:

A piece of unrefined spirit radiance stone Ore.

A spirit radiance stone longsword.

And a small bottle of solidifying origin pills mixed with spirit radiance stone powder.

As soon as the three items were placed on the stall, a low collective gasp sounded from the surroundings.

The raw Ore was about the size of a fist, its ink-black body embedded with countless silver threads that flowed like living things in the morning light.

The Spiritual Qi it emitted was as pure as a mountain spring;

The blade of the longsword shimmered with a clear silver radiance; though the edge was not yet sharpened, it possessed a natural aura of awe.

The natural patterns on the spine of the blade happened to form a simplified Spirit Gathering array, drawing the surrounding Spiritual Qi toward the sword;

Most astonishing of all was the bottle of solidifying origin pills; the surface of the pills was shrouded in a layer of faint silver mist.

The medicinal fragrance was mixed with the crispness of the spirit radiance stone, making one feel refreshed just by smelling it.

"What kind of Ore is this?

The Spiritual Qi is actually this pure!"

A Cultivator with a goatee stepped forward, but just as his finger was about to touch the raw Ore, Lin Yue stopped him.

"Look but don't touch. If you're interested, you may place a bid."

Lin Yue's tone was flat as his gaze swept over the crowd that was gradually gathering around them.

"This stone is called 'spirit radiance stone.' It can be used for Artifact Refining, as an ingredient in medicine, and it can purify evil while nourishing spiritual power."

"Are you bragging?

How can a single Ore have so many uses?"

Someone sneered, clearly unconvinced.

Lin Yue didn't bother to argue. He picked up the bottle of solidifying origin pills and poured one out into his palm.

The moment the pill touched the morning light, the silver mist thickened. With a slight flick of spiritual power from his fingertips, the pill transformed into a wisp of clear Qi.

It slowly drifted toward an old Cultivator who was coughing incessantly. The moment the clear Qi entered his body, his coughing stopped abruptly. He was stunned for a moment, and then a look of wild joy appeared on his face:

"My years of lung ailment... it actually feels much better! The Spiritual Qi in this Medicinal Pill is so gentle, it's unlike any solidifying origin pill!"

Now, no one doubted him anymore, and the crowd instantly erupted into a frenzy.

"Is this spirit radiance stone powder for sale? I'll offer one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"I want that sword! Name your price!"

"Is the raw Ore for sale? I'll trade three pieces of Profound Iron Ore for it!"

Lin Yue raised his hand to signal for silence:

"The spirit radiance stone raw Ore is not for sale yet; it's only for display.

The longsword and Medicinal Pills are open for bidding. The starting price for the longsword is five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and a bottle of ten pills starts at two thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Once the prices were announced, the crowd quieted down significantly. Five thousand Spirit Stones was no small amount for an ordinary Cultivator.

But looking at the longsword flowing with Spiritual Qi, no one was willing to give up. Before long, someone tentatively placed a bid:

"Five thousand one hundred!"

"Six thousand!"

Someone immediately raised the bid with a loud voice. It was the young man beside Liu Chengfeng, who held up a piece of Ink Silver Stone and shouted:

"I'll trade this piece of Ink Silver Stone plus three thousand Spirit Stones for it!"

Lin Yue looked at Liu Chengfeng; seeing the old man nodding with a smile, he nodded and replied, "Agreed."

The boy ran over happily, presented the Ink Silver Stone and Spirit Stones, and carefully picked up the spirit radiance stone longsword.

He turned it over and over, inspecting it while constantly muttering:

"These patterns... they can actually gather Qi automatically! Master was right, it's definitely good stuff!"

Once the first transaction was completed, the surrounding Cultivators lost their hesitation, and bids began to rise one after another.

That bottle of solidifying origin pills was soon auctioned off to a pharmacy shopkeeper for three thousand five hundred Spirit Stones. The shopkeeper held the bottle, grinning from ear to ear:

"By using this spirit radiance stone powder for Alchemy, the medicinal effect can be increased by at least thirty percent. This is a huge bargain!"

The commotion at Lin Yue's side soon attracted more people, and even Team Leader Su from the neighboring Hundred Herbs Hall walked over.

He looked at the spirit radiance stone raw Ore, a flash of amazement in his eyes:

"Clan Leader Lin, this stone has never been seen in Yunzhou. How are the reserves of the Mineral Vein?"

"Sufficient for the time being."

Lin Yue replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"If Team Leader Su is interested, you can send someone to Sunset Town for a detailed discussion. We offer discounts for large quantities."

"Good!"

Team Leader Su readily agreed and picked up a shimmering purple Spiritual Plant from the stall.

"This is 'purple heart grass.' It can neutralize the heat of Medicinal Pills and pairs perfectly with spirit radiance stone powder. I'll give it to Clan Leader Lin as a bonus."

Lin Yue took the Spiritual Plant. As soon as his fingertips touched the leaves, he felt a gentle medicinal power surge into his body, complementing the Spiritual Qi of the spirit radiance stone.

His heart stirred, knowing this was a gesture of goodwill, so he took a small fragment of spirit radiance stone to return the favor:

"Team Leader Su, try using this for refining medicine. You might be surprised."

The two smiled at each other, reaching a tacit understanding.

Not far away, Liu Chengfeng watched all this, stroking his beard and nodding repeatedly.

The worker beside him couldn't help but ask, "Master, this spirit radiance stone is even better than Ink Silver Stone. Should we also stock up on some?"

"Stock up."

Liu Chengfeng's gaze was deep.

"But it's not just about stocking up on stones."

He looked in Lin Yue's direction, seeing the young man calmly dealing with all sorts of people, possessing both the shrewdness of a merchant...

...and the character of a Cultivator. A smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"Go and investigate the background of Sunset Town. If he truly is an unpolished gem, we can forge a good relationship."

As the sun rose higher, the crowd in front of Lin Yue's stall remained constant.

Three spirit radiance stone longswords were sold, and five bottles of solidifying origin pills were emptied. The Spirit Stones they received in exchange filled nearly half a crate.

Many Cultivators also left their contact information, agreeing to visit Sunset Town for an inspection after the fair.

Lin Shi was busy keeping accounts, his hand aching from writing, but his face was beaming with joy;

Lin De was chatting congenially with several pharmacy shopkeeper, occasionally taking out spirit radiance stone powder to demonstrate, drawing bursts of amazement.

In his occasional moments of leisure, Lin Yue would observe the surrounding stalls.

Liu Chengfeng's Ink Silver Stone wasn't as eye-catching as the spirit radiance stone, but it excelled in quantity, and many Body Cultivators came specifically to buy it;

The Hundred Herbs Hall had a vast variety of Spiritual Plants, some of which even Lin De couldn't name, clearly being specialties of Yunzhou;

There were also Ores brought by foreign merchants, varied in form and with mixed Spiritual Qi; though not as pure as spirit radiance stone, they each had unique uses—

Some could store water, some could ward off fire, and others could issue warnings, which was a real eye-opener for Lin Yue.

Near noon, a gong suddenly sounded in the center of the venue, and an old man dressed in a brocade robe stepped onto the auction stage.

He announced loudly, "Next, we will auction the rare items. The first item: one piece of 'Mystic Ice Jade,' with a starting price of ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

The crowd immediately surged toward the center, but Lin Yue didn't move. He looked at the spirit radiance stone raw Ore on his stall.

His fingertips lightly brushed over the silver threads on the surface, and he suddenly understood in his heart that the significance of this trade fair was never just about selling Ore.