"I have been entrusted to auction this token from the Primordial Desolation Temple. With this token, the dangers can be reduced."
In exchange for the Earth-grade high-tier spiritual material Blood-lacerating Soul Stone, the Heaven-grade low-tier spiritual material Ge Di Ma Poison Grass, Ten Thousand Year Black Corpse Ganoderma, Refined Gold Doll, Six-Colored Shore Flower, and other treasures.
The black-robed figure spoke faintly, his voice echoing throughout the surroundings. The entire clandestine market fell silent for a moment, but soon the sounds of bidding erupted.
"Earth-grade high-tier spiritual material Blood-lacerating Soul Stone, plus thirty thousand spirit stones!"
"Ten Thousand Year Black Corpse Ganoderma, plus forty thousand spirit stones!"
"Refined Gold Doll, plus fifty thousand spirit stones!" This token only reduces danger. Entering the Desolation Ancient Temple is a sure death. My lifespan is running out, which is why I want to buy it for a final gamble with my life!"
"Hmph, do you think you're the only one whose lifespan is running out? This token is something I must have. I offer Heaven-grade low-tier spiritual material Ge Di Ma Poison Grass, plus one hundred thousand spirit stones."
Listening to the continuous bidding from all around, Wu Tao's eyes flickered. Why was the most dangerous perilous land in Qingzhou so alluring?
What secrets lay within the Desolation Temple?
Four to five hours later, when the last treasure had been exchanged and the shelves were completely empty, the black-robed figure chuckled softly and addressed the cultivators below, "All the items from our main family have been exchanged. If any of you Dao companions have treasures you wish to exchange, you may display them here one by one for exchange."
"However, we must state our terms upfront: as this is a direct transaction between yourselves, if there are any fakes or if you misjudge something during an exchange, our main party will bear no responsibility. We only provide the venue; all consequences must be borne by yourselves."
...
The black-robed figure was quite straightforward. After a few simple words, he immediately flickered and left.
While Wu Tao did not possess an abundance of spirit stones, he had accumulated quite a few rare and precious treasures over the years from participating in numerous secret realms and from 'black-eating-black' and ambushes.
Under the arrangement of the local guides, Wu Tao was teleported into the clandestine market of the Tongyuan Auction House via a simple teleportation array.
As soon as Wu Tao arrived at the clandestine market, he triggered its restrictive enchantment. His entire being was enveloped in a shimmering light, rendering him indistinct, his true appearance hidden.
Facing this situation, most of the cultivators in the clandestine market showed no surprise. Then, in the next second, several beams of escape light shot out. Among them, one was clearly faster than the others. The escape light dissipated.
A purple-robed figure preemptively appeared before the counter. Standing at the front, the purple-robed figure clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd, smiling as he said, "I concede, I concede to all of you. I have arrived first. Fellow Daoists, please wait a moment."
Seeing this, the other figures could only circle helplessly before flying back to their original seats.
Wu Tao smiled slightly. To exchange for treasures, generally, acting sooner provided some advantage, as it prevented the items one needed from being snatched up by others.
However, such situations were not too frequent, and the rarer the treasure being sought, the less likely it was to clash with others.
Therefore, most cultivators in the clandestine market remained composed and did not compete with the few who had rushed forward.
Wu Tao lacked treasures that would aid him in breaking through to the Core Formation stage. The cultivators in the clandestine market were mostly advanced cultivators at or above the Core Formation stage, so he naturally had little to worry about.
As for these few individuals rushing out to exchange first, it was likely because the treasures they sought were widely applicable and useful to most people, hence the competition.
Indeed, after presenting several rare treasures, the purple-robed figure specifically requested several items that could enhance the cultivation of all修士.
One by one, cultivators ascended the stage to exchange. Through bartering, Wu Tao exchanged several treasures he had accumulated over the years for a Nine-Coiled Soul-Reversing Grass.
This Nine-Coiled Soul-Reversing Grass was exceedingly rare. Consumed directly, it could strengthen spiritual power, enhance the soul and nascent soul.
...
In addition, someone else presented the Heaven-grade mid-tier spiritual material Heavenly Cypress Wood.
The Heavenly Cypress Wood, resembling jade and with sap like blood, was an excellent spiritual material for cultivating demonic arts.
This top-tier spiritual material was eventually exchanged for by a demonic cultivator at the Core Formation stage for a Nine Nether Heart Orchid.
Legend had it that the Nine Nether Heart Orchid had nine petals, each displaying a different hue and emitting nine-colored streams of light.
The Nine Nether Heart Orchid was one of the Ten Great Marvelous Flowers in the cultivation world, ranked ninth, possessing various incredible uses.
In the subsequent free trading, someone even presented a Life Water that Wu Tao had desperately sought but was unable to obtain.
And it was an entire large bottle.
Wu Tao was naturally covetous, but his purse was too thin to afford such a precious treasure.
Ultimately, this large bottle of Life Water was exchanged by a master alchemist at the Core Formation stage for a Verdant Jade Spirit Pill that could help Core Formation cultivators break through bottlenecks.
This was not the end. Another cultivator presented the Ascending Dragon Soul Silkworm Transformation Grass.
The Ascending Dragon Soul Silkworm Transformation Grass was a special spiritual medicine shaped like a true dragon. When immature, it was indistinguishable from ordinary roadside weeds.
Nurtured for a thousand years, it would gradually condense into a spirit pearl form when mature. Afterwards, with the passage of time, it would transform into the Ascending Dragon Soul Silkworm Transformation Grass.
Once mature, if not harvested within seven days and preserved properly with a special secret technique, the entire grass would disperse into the heavens and earth.
Finally, this Ascending Dragon Soul Silkworm Transformation Grass was also exchanged by a cultivator at the Core Formation stage for a magic treasure called the Northern Star Magnetic Origin Sword.
...
Following this, another cultivator presented an extremely rare poison, one of the Ten Great Marvelous Poisons, the Void Poison.
The toxicity of the Void Poison was peculiar: formless and intangible, yet capable of invading anything and harming anyone. It was most suitable for breaking through restrictive formations.
To refine the Void Poison, one had to ascend to the Ninth Heaven and employ great divine power to collect it, a feat usually accomplished by Nascent Soul cultivators.
This illustrated the preciousness of the Void Poison.
Faced with the Void Poison, one of the Ten Great Marvelous Poisons, countless cultivators in the venue began to bid competitively.
Finally, this bottle of Void Poison was exchanged for a jade slip containing a divine ability.
Following this, a mineral appeared that Wu Tao desired but currently lacked the ability to acquire.
This mineral was named the Core of the Blazing Sun.
The Core of the Blazing Sun was entirely fiery red. After countless years of wind and sun exposure, it had formed into an extremely rare immortal mineral.
When contrasted with sunlight, it appeared as if a true sun resided within this mineral. It was one of the best materials for refining fire-attribute magic treasures.
It was also one of the minerals Wu Tao could use to repair his damaged Beginning of Autumn Sword.
However, this mineral was too precious. As soon as it appeared, it triggered a fierce competition among numerous Core Formation cultivators.
The Core of the Blazing Sun was eventually exchanged by a cultivator in the late Core Formation stage for a Heaven-grade high-tier spiritual material, Fire in the Wind.
...
Various treasures appeared endlessly. In the end, two jade slips containing divine abilities also appeared.
One of the jade slips contained the eighth-rank divine ability "Immortal Gate Lock." Do not underestimate this eighth-rank divine ability; its value was no less than that of ordinary high-rank divine abilities.
What is the Immortal Gate Lock?
The Immortal Gate Lock could transform a cultivator into a mortal, forever cast into the mundane world.
Celestial treasures from the heavens, rare gems from the seas, falling into the dust, losing their radiance, becoming indistinguishable from the masses – lamentable and regrettable.
For cultivators who had toiled for decades, even centuries, was there a more terrifying or cruel punishment than this?
If it truly came to this, it would be better to kill them outright and end their suffering.
Finally, this jade slip containing the eighth-rank divine ability "Immortal Gate Lock" was exchanged by a cultivator in the mid-Core Formation stage for a hundred jin of Red Beam Dragon Pattern Immortal Rice.
The other jade slip containing a divine ability was even more precious.
After all, it involved a first-rank divine ability related to a portion of time power, named "An Inch of Time."
Because the first-rank divine ability "An Inch of Time" was too precious, many cultivators in the venue found it hard to believe that someone would offer such a valuable divine ability for exchange.
Therefore, to prove the authenticity of this divine ability, the cultivator in the late Core Formation stage who presented it opened the jade slip, revealing part of its content and description.
After the jade slip was opened, the squiggly tadpole-like script floated, intertwining and interweaving, projecting hundreds of ancient characters in mid-air.
According to the description in the jade slip, cultivators who mastered this technique could, for a short period, utilize the power of time to increase their speed tenfold.
Imagine, if one could suddenly boost their speed to over ten times in an instant, who in the world could withstand such a swift attack?
Such a world-shaking divine ability naturally commanded an extraordinary exchange. Finally, it was exchanged by a cultivator in the late Core Formation stage at the Great Perfection for a Nurturing Infant Pill, said to increase the possibility of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage.
After everyone had finished exchanging their items, they all departed from the Tongyuan Auction House.
Returning to his own cave dwelling, laden with spoils, Wu Tao immediately entered secluded cultivation, striving to reach the peak of physical body, spiritual power, and mental strength as soon as possible to break through to the Core Formation stage.
The Maze Heaven Immortal Crystal was a silvery-white crystal, emitting a faint halo. Upon closer inspection, it induced dizziness.
Wu Tao's heart rejoiced upon seeing this. He then placed the silvery-white crystal aside and put the Nine-Coiled Soul-Reversing Grass into his mouth.
With the aid of these two treasures, Wu Tao began his cultivation.
The pursuit of immortality knows no time. Another half year passed, and Wu Tao's own mental power had reached an astonishing level.
According to Wu Tao's calculations, he had already met the conditions for breaking through to the Core Formation stage.
...
A bright moon hung in the sky.
Silvery moonlight poured onto the ground, casting a layer of silver light.
The bright moonlight permeated everywhere, like mercury spilling on the ground, covering it entirely in silver brilliance.