The elegant young woman did not cause any trouble. Although Ye Qin had already snapped up the Sun Crow Shining Crystal, the transaction for the magical treasure still needed to proceed. She turned and instructed Shopkeeper Li Wu to retrieve the item from the Sea Sky Pavilion.
Shopkeeper Li Wu complied and went into the secret chamber. After a moment, he emerged with a large man. This man was an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, holding a golden sandalwood box with both hands.
The box seemed to contain an item of immense deterrent power, causing the man’s face to pale, his hands and feet trembling slightly as he proceeded with extreme caution. He placed it on the counter, opened it, and carefully peeled back a layer of thin cloth to reveal a dark, fist-sized lump of profound iron. A worn, yellowed sealing strip was affixed to the lump. Beside it lay a sheet of golden talisman paper.
“This contains a strand of Heavenly Thunder from a Minor Heavenly Tribulation, sealed within this Profound Black Iron Ball by a Nascent Soul cultivator. The Minor Heavenly Tribulation strikes the cultivator at the peak of the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, just as they attempt to break through the bottleneck to the Golden Core stage. An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, unprepared, simply cannot withstand this Heavenly Thunder. There are two talismans here: one is a sealing talisman, and the other is a burst talisman. You can hold the burst talisman; crushing it will detonate the Sky Fire Black Thunder, releasing a strand of Heavenly Thunder. Anything below a top-tier magical artifact definitely cannot withstand the power of this Sky Fire Black Thunder; it will be instantly blasted into fragments. Only three top-tier magical artifacts, or better, might barely endure this thunder. Therefore, be extremely careful when using it; it is best deployed against enemies hundreds of feet away, otherwise, you risk accidental self-injury. This Sky Fire Black Thunder is priced at two hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Whether you want it or not is up to you to decide.”
The young woman explained coolly.
Ye Qin nodded slightly and used his spiritual sense to examine the Sky Fire Black Thunder.
He had long heard of the fearsome name of the Minor Heavenly Tribulation. Nearly half of the cultivators at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment die during their Golden Core tribulation because of it, illustrating just how terrifying the tribulation is.
Although sealed, the Sky Fire Black Thunder still radiated an intensely stirring aura of thunder and fire. This aura held a powerful deterrent effect over Foundation Establishment cultivators. The large man carrying the box, being an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was visibly shaken just by holding it.
Ye Qin sensed it with his spiritual consciousness, confirmed it was a genuine Sky Fire Black Thunder, and decided to purchase it. While the price was steep, and it was single-use, considering its power, it was entirely worth it.
“Here are two Foundation Establishment Pills. Their value far exceeds two hundred mid-grade spirit stones. I wish to exchange them for this Jade Fire Black Thunder.” Ye Qin took out a small pill bottle he had prepared from his storage pouch. He did have some mid-grade spirit stones left, but he preferred not to spend them. He could only acquire magical treasures by trading spirit pills.
“Foundation Establishment Pills!”
The young woman’s expression shifted slightly.
Ordinary spirit pills have set prices in the market, but Foundation Establishment Pills are special. The raw materials needed to refine them are rare spiritual herbs hundreds of years old, making them inherently extremely expensive. Furthermore, the refining process is incredibly difficult, requiring at least a Pill Refining Grandmaster. Every single Foundation Establishment Pill is exceedingly precious.
Most importantly, almost no cultivator ever puts Foundation Establishment Pills up for sale in the market. Any sect or local force that obtains them uses them to nurture their own disciples and cultivators, strengthening their own standing; they would never sell them. Such elixirs cannot simply be bought even if one wishes to; only cultivators connected to those sects can acquire them.
The Yu family of the Sea Sky Pavilion also had numerous Qi Refining disciples urgently needing Foundation Establishment Pills to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage, including the young woman’s own younger brother. Trading one Sky Fire Black Thunder for two Foundation Establishment Pills was a very profitable deal.
“Only two? What if there were three?”
“If you don’t wish to trade, I’ll take my business to another shop; surely someone else will need these Foundation Establishment Pills.” Ye Qin smiled and said no more, preparing to leave.
“Deal!”
The young woman had initially intended to make things difficult for Ye Qin, but seeing his decisiveness, she made her decision in an instant and quickly agreed. She even wondered if Ye Qin had more Foundation Establishment Pills, willing to buy them all.
However, Ye Qin’s casual production of those two pills completely extinguished her hopes.
The young woman sighed and swiftly authenticated the two Foundation Establishment Pills before accepting the pill bottle.
Ye Qin tucked the Sky Fire Black Thunder into his pouch and departed. The main goal of his trip to the market had essentially been achieved. Although he hadn't bought a water-element magical artifact, he decided against purchasing any more artifacts at the Sea Sky Pavilion, planning to check other shops another day.
Just then, a rather corpulent cultivator sporting much gold ornamentation, exuding an air of arrogant insolence and protected by three guards, charged heedlessly into the fourth-floor hall. All four were early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Ye Qin was nearly collided with, dodging swiftly with a sideways step, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Where did that cultivator from the Shang Tang Realm go?!” the fat man covered in gold trinkets shouted angrily at the young woman upon reaching the counter.
“Chu Bai’er, what trouble are you stirring up again! Don’t rely on your father being the Ship Master and cause disturbances at my Sea Sky Pavilion every day. My Sea Sky Pavilion is not the place for you to run wild,” the young woman said, an expression of disgust washing over her face as she rebuked him coldly.
“Oh, Sister Yu Rou is here, my apologies, my apologies. I’m not here to cause trouble today; I’m looking for someone…” The man, whose mind seemed rather dull, looked around the hall and shouted loudly, “Has anyone from the Shang Tang Realm come here to sell some strange ore? I initially thought the person was a fraud, but later, after telling my father, I realized that was the Sun Crow Shining Crystal! Where did that person go? Sister Yu Rou, have you seen him?”
“I haven’t seen him.”
The young woman coldly ceased paying attention to him.
“My subordinates clearly saw him enter the Sea Sky Pavilion, how could you not have seen him?” Chu Bai’er glared, his small eyes fixed on the young woman. Suddenly realizing something, he gasped, “Ah, I understand! You must have bought it. Give it to me quickly. My father sent me here to buy that ore. If my father finds out you’re hiding it, he’ll definitely come here himself to demand it.”
The young woman hesitated slightly.
This Chu Bai’er was a simple fool whom she held in no regard. However, this fool’s father was one of the few dozen Golden Core cultivators in East Fisher Town, the Great Ship Master, commanding dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Although the Sea Sky Pavilion was also a large establishment with many Foundation Establishment cultivators, they did not dare to easily offend this Great Ship Master.
“Young Master Ship Master Chu, you may not know, but that cultivator from the Shang Tang Realm has already left. However, he sold his ore to that brother dressed in white. If the Young Master wants the ore, you can try buying it from him,” Elder Li, who was certainly aware that the Chu family could not be easily provoked, interjected at this moment, pointing toward Ye Qin, who was just about to leave.
Chu Bai’er turned around, spotted Ye Qin preparing to depart, and quickly called out, “Hey, I’m talking to you! Is that ore with you? Hand it over now!”
Ye Qin paid him no mind.
Whoosh!
Chu Bai’er’s three early-stage Foundation Establishment guards took a step and swiftly moved to intercept Ye Qin. One guard, an angry-looking brute, snarled, “Our Young Master Ship Master is speaking to you! Is that ore on you?”
“It is. But I apologize; I already bought that ore and I’m not selling it. Move aside.”
Ye Qin glanced over the group of early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators before him and stated calmly, though his heart sank. He hadn't expected these cultivators to be after that Sun Crow Shining Crystal.
“Do you even know who I am? Everyone in East Ocean Town knows my great name! Do you know who my father is? The Golden Core Ancestor of East Fisher Town, the Great Ship Master! Well? Are you stunned silent? Hand over the ore honestly!”
Chu Bai’er erupted in fury, his small eyes wide, jumping about in rage and cursing Ye Qin. However, he did not rush forward himself; he knew his own standing. A cultivator at the second layer of Foundation Establishment was not even worth a glance from someone at the sixth layer; he could only rely on his guards to corner Ye Qin.
Ye Qin let out a cold, contemptuous snort.
He had encountered many arrogant and aggressive cultivators, but never one so useless. What did it matter if he was a Young Master Ship Master, or if his father was a Golden Core Ancestor?
He had searched for this Sun Crow Shining Crystal for a long time and had finally stumbled upon one here; he wouldn't yield it to anyone else!
The Azure Pill Sect had sent four Golden Core Ancestors to East Ocean Town. Did Chu Bai’er’s Golden Core father dare to charge into the Azure Pill Sect’s encampment and battle against Sun Ran and the other four Azure Pill Ancestors?
Furthermore, there were over a thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators who had arrived from the Town Spirit Mist Realm, along with dozens of Golden Core Ancestors. Even combining all the local powers of East Ocean Town, they might not dare to clash with the multitude of cultivators from the Spirit Mist Realm.
It must be mentioned that the East Fisher Town area had very few native cultivators—only about twenty to thirty thousand who resided there permanently. The vast majority of the two to three hundred thousand cultivators gathered here came from the outside world.
The truly powerful forces belonged to these cultivators from other cultivation worlds of the Central Continent. These cultivators arrived in droves, crossing the sea to reach the East Sea Isles, their strength far surpassing that of the minor cultivators of this little East Ocean Town.
Ye Qin had learned this situation from the Azure Pill Ancestors upon arriving in East Ocean Town, naturally paying little heed to some Great Ship Master.
His gaze grew colder, and he placed one hand on his storage pouch, gripping several magical artifacts. A mere handful of early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators dared to provoke him; they truly did not know the meaning of death.
Chu Bai’er and his group were not entirely clear on Ye Qin’s true strength, assuming that the four of them, all early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, should be enough to subdue Ye Qin. Thus, they boldly surrounded him.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly grew tense.
“Chu Bai’er, stop causing trouble in my Sea Sky Pavilion! If you want to fight, go to a place outside East Fisher Town—there are plenty of large open areas! Pick a wilderness or a rocky grove to fight in; if you die, you can be buried right there,” the young woman shrieked in anger.
Several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Sea Sky Pavilion, obeying the young woman’s command, rushed out to prevent the conflict.
Thump, thump.
A series of rapid sounds echoed from the staircase, as another group of Foundation Establishment cultivators ascended to the fourth floor of the Sea Sky Pavilion. “Huh? Brother Qin is here?” A hearty male voice among the group sounded from the stairway.
Ye Qin immediately looked towards the staircase.
A group of over ten gray-robed Foundation Establishment cultivators appeared in the fourth-floor hall.
The leading figure was a middle-aged cultivator with a ruddy complexion and a slightly stout build—none other than Shi Hanyang, a peak cultivator at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment. The more than ten cultivators following Shi Hanyang were all from the Setting Sun Sect, all possessing cultivation levels of at least the fourth or fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.
Ye Qin was surprised.
Why had Sect Master Shi of the Setting Sun Sect, from this chaotic region, come to East Ocean Town instead of finding a secluded place to break through his Golden Core bottleneck after obtaining the Water Spirit Fruit?