Trials of the Abyss

"Because she's Zhao Yuanqi."

This simple sentence from Han Ting caused Pang Jian to realize that rules were not absolute.

A favored individual like Zhao Yuanqi could enjoy more privileges than an ordinary person.

Zhao Yuanqi wandered around the wooden stalls with Jiang Li. Whenever she took a fancy to something, she would simply make the transaction, pay the spirit stones, take the item, and leave.

She did not need to pay the ten percent commission when she bought something. The sellers, on the other hand, still had to obediently find one of Old Monster Cao’s subordinates at the central platform and pay the commission.

"She..." Pang Jian trailed off with a frown.

"The five major sects have a few dazzling individuals who enjoy such privileges," Han Ting said with a face full of envy. "This privilege is reserved for those like Zhao Yuanqi. For instance, Fang Boxuan from the Blood Moon Sect, Xie Xiwen from the Star River Alliance, and Yang Rui from the Radiant Sun Sect.

"As long as these four don't die, they'll surely become famous in the Second World, so even Old Monster Cao is willing to show them some goodwill.

"Not even Jiu Yuan from the Blood Moon Sect or the Spirit Condensation Realm elders of the major sects have such privileges. Well-known rogue cultivators like Lei Kun must also follow Old Monster Cao’s rules and pay the ten percent commission!"

Pang Jian nodded in understanding. He had noticed Lei Kun needed to pay the ten percent commission when purchasing items. Although Lady Hua's smile did become noticeably brighter when facing Lei Kun, even exchanging a few pleasantries with him, that was the extent of his preferential treatment.

"Let's take a look around."

Pang Jian wandered casually, intending to blend into the crowd and go unnoticed.

Jiang Li did not notice him.

As he explored, he noticed the items in the trading hall were priced much higher than the spirit materials he saw on the first day. The spirit materials sold by rogue cultivators on the first day mostly cost a few thousand spirit stones and rarely exceeded ten thousand.

Meanwhile, the prices in the trading hall were all over ten thousand spirit stones.

Stopping at a stall, he glanced at a bottle of dark green pills and noted the description below. "Soul Nourishing Pill."

"These pills are one grade higher than the Mind Soothing Pills you purchased earlier. Spirit Condensation Realm experts used them to refine their divine soul," Han Ting explained. "After breaking through to the Profound Abode Realm, cultivators must first form their divine sense, using Mind Soothing Pills to enhance it.

"However, Spirit Condensation Realm experts must not only manage to refine their divine sense but also solidify their divine soul. The Soul Nourishing Pill nourishes the divine soul and is more effective than the Mind Soothing Pill."

Pang Jian nodded. "I see."

A bottle of ten Soul Nourishing Pills was priced at thirty thousand spirit stones, ten times the price of Mind Soothing Pills.

"Pang Jian, I'm sorry, but I can't afford this Soul Nourishing Pill. There's really nothing I can do," Han Ting said apologetically, with an embarrassed look on her face.

"If you can't afford it, don't get in the way," The seller shooed them away with displeasure. "You're blocking others from seeing my stall!"

"Sorry." Han Ting pulled Pang Jian away and whispered, "That's Lian Feng, a rogue cultivator in the Spirit Condensation Realm. Although his name isn't as well-known as Lei Kun, he's still quite formidable. Soul Nourishing Pills are rare spiritual materials used by experts at his level, so it's surprising he is selling them."

Pang Jian muttered to himself, "Thirty thousand..."

Not long after, he stopped at another stall and looked at a book encased in a wooden box. In a low voice, he noted, "The Grand Providence Sacred Body, fifty thousand spirit stones!"

"Yes, fifty thousand, although it's an incomplete technique," the vendor smiled slyly.

Pang Jian looked at him in surprise.

The vendor had a sleazy appearance. His robe was gaudy and he had his gray-white hair casually draped over his shoulders. Eyes gleaming with a cunning light, he said, "Didn't you notice this body refining technique has the word 'Sacred' in it?"

Han Ting’s eyes widened in surprise. "It's a saint-grade technique?"

"Yes, since it's an incomplete saint-grade body refining technique, I’m only asking for fifty thousand spirit stones. If it were complete, the price would be ten times higher!" The vendor sighed wistfully. "Current mainstream cultivation techniques no longer emphasize the refinement and tempering of the physical body.

"In the past, when body refining techniques were prevalent, a saint-grade body refining technique like this would never have appeared in a place like this!"

Saint grade…

Cultivation techniques, spirit artifacts, and pills were categorized into basic, intermediate, advanced, saint, and divine grades.

Most of the items Pang Jian had previously seen on sale were in the intermediate or advanced grade, with values in the tens of thousands. Saint-grade treasures were rumored to be coveted even by experts in the Soul Wandering Realm and Nirvana Realm in the Second World.

"Can I take a look?" Pang Jian asked sincerely.

"No," the vendor said, shaking his head with a cold, stern expression. "Pay fifty thousand spirit stones, and you can take it home to study. The Grand Providence Sacred Body manual only consists of the first part. The second part is lost, and I haven’t found it. I don't even know where it might be.

"Of course, if I ever find the second part, I certainly won't be selling it!"

Pang Jian remained silent.

A bottle of Soul Nourishing Pills was thirty thousand, and this fragment of a technique was fifty thousand. Just the cost of these two items alone was astronomical.

Unless...

His eyes brightened as he found an empty mat next to the vendor and sat down. He then took out the horn of the Rank Seven Ice Crystal Beast and placed it on the wooden stall in front of him.

"What!" The sly-looking vendor next to Pang Jian shivered unexpectedly. Glancing at the horn, he exclaimed, "A horn from a Rank Seven Vicious Beast!"

Han Ting also shivered from the cold. She finally understood why Pang Jian had asked about the value of a Rank Six Ice Crystal Beast's horn a few days ago. He actually had a horn from a Rank Seven Ice Crystal Beast!

"So cold!"

"Who brought out such an extremely cold treasure without storing it in a proper container?"

"Damn, I'm freezing!"

The intense cold from the horn of the Rank Seven Ice Crystal Beast also affected the other cultivators nearby, causing them to look over in astonishment.

Pang Jian picked up a wooden sign, wrote a line, and placed it by the horn.

Rank Seven Ice Crystal Beast's horn, four hundred thousand spirit stones.

"Pang Jian!" Jiang Li's familiar voice rang out.

"Who?" Zhao Yuanqi asked in bewilderment before recalling the familiar name. "Senior Sister Jiang, are you saying...?"

Her suspicious gaze fell on a young man in black surrounded by a cold mist. "Is he the Pang Jian you were talking about?"

"Yes, it's him!" The overjoyed Jiang Li immediately walked toward Pang Jian. Her bright eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Oh my god, a Rank Seven Ice Crystal Beast horn?"

"Four hundred thousand spirit stones, that’s reasonable!"

"Who is this guy? Rank Seven Vicious Beasts are rare in our Third World. Where did he get it?"

Many cultivators gathered upon hearing the news, commenting curiously as they repeatedly glanced at Pang Jian.

Pang Jian remained calm and composed.

As expected of someone from a noble family in the upper world. The items he casually brings out can astonish everyone, Lei Kun thought, standing a distance away.

He did not approach Pang Jian and simply nodded as if he did not find the situation surprising.

Zhang Bin's eyes dimmed as he sighed, racking his brain for ways to make Han Ting let go of her hostility toward them.

"Pang Jian, what are you doing here?" Jiang Li asked, pushing through the crowd to stand before Pang Jian. Her excitement was palpable.

Pang Jian nodded at her and said, "I stay on the nineteenth floor of the First Peak, in cave dwelling number fifty-six. We can talk later."

"Okay, okay." Jiang Li held back from asking further. When Zhao Yuanqi came over, she tightly gripped her arm and whispered, "Without him, Junior Brother Zhou and I would've been long dead long, and my arm wouldn't have grown back."

The aloof girl nodded. Looking at the upright young man in black, Zhao Yuanqi said, "I'm Zhao Yuanqi from the Red Mountain Sect. I'll visit your cave dwelling tonight."

Her words caused an uproar.

No one expected this prominent figure from the Red Mountain Sect to show interest in Pang Jian and even directly state she would visit him tonight.

Han Ting stood behind Pang Jian, inwardly screaming, Zhao Yuanqi! That's Zhao Yuanqi!

Pang Jian calmly nodded and said, "Alright."

"See you later." With that, Zhao Yuanqi pulled Jiang Li and withdrew from the crowd.

As they left, Jiang Li frequently glanced back at Pang Jian, eyes filled with questions. She wondered about her admired Sister Luo, curious about her absence.

Pang Jian remained composed as the crowd gathered.

Many cultivators came over to look at the Rank Seven Ice Crystal Beast horn with obvious interest, but no one stepped forward to trade.

"Little brother, your item is indeed a treasure, but its high price makes it unaffordable for most." The crafty vendor next to him kindly suggested, "Now that the news of you selling a Rank Seven Ice Crystal Beast horn has spread, you can inform Lady Hua and come back tomorrow or the day after at a specific time.

"Those truly interested in the horn and with sufficient spirit stones will naturally show up at the appointed time."

After saying that, he laughed and destroyed the wooden sign next to the technique Pang Jian had been eyeing. He then placed down a new wooden sign.

The Grand Providence Sacred Body, eighty thousand spirit stones!

Pang Jian's brief gratitude for the vendor's advice quickly faded. He fumed in silence.

Lian Feng, the vendor selling Soul Nourishing Pills, also returned to his stall with conflicted feelings. After a brief hesitation, Lian Feng similarly raised the price of the Soul Nourishing Pills from thirty thousand to fifty thousand spirit stones.

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