He quickly arrived at the trading post where the Feather Race youth had previously been. From a distance, he saw the area teeming with figures—experts from various races gathered, engaged in bartering goods.

He had already learned from the Feather Race youth that to trade here, one must first offer three Origin Crystals to a Wood Race powerhouse. Only with his approval could someone freely choose a spot to sell their wares.

This trading ground was guarded by several Wood Race masters, primarily to prevent any untoward incidents within the trading zone and to ensure the safety of those selling precious items. Naturally, for the effort expended by these Wood Race masters, they required some form of remuneration.

Having no Origin Crystals on hand, he had no choice but to approach the Wood Race overseer, Yele, and leave his items as collateral.

Yele was a Wood Race expert, though his cultivation only reached the Subtle Realm of the Ten Directions Heaven. His skin was dry and wrinkled, much like old tree bark. After explaining his intention, Ji Changkong produced an Origin Lightning Stone and handed it to Yele as security.

Upon receiving the Origin Lightning Stone, Yele’s eyes immediately brightened. He nodded slightly. “Origin Lightning Stone. This one piece alone is worth a hundred Origin Crystals. Go ahead. Once you gather three Origin Crystals, you can redeem this Origin Lightning Stone from me.”

There were no overly strict regulations here. Due to the constant flow of people and the mingling of various races in the Abandoned Land, no specific identification was required. As long as three Origin Crystals were paid, one could trade freely.

With one Origin Lightning Stone held by Yele, he casually found a place to sit. He placed the Flying Sword, Flowing Gold Sand, fork, jade tablet, and three unknown strange stones—all taken from the stout man and the enchanting woman—in front of him, and then closed his eyes to recuperate.

Although the two who died under the White Bone Skeleton were also at the Ten Directions Heaven realm, they were not wealthy. The items they possessed were all rather worthless. The flying sword shattered into pieces with just a scratch from his nail—inferior even to the Dragon Radiance Long Saber—which left Ji Changkong feeling quite disdainful.

In his view, these few items were useless to keep, better to exchange them for some Origin Crystals.

After sitting silently for a while, several people came over. They glanced at his offerings and then quickly departed, seemingly uninterested in what he was trying to sell. This further confirmed Ji Changkong’s suspicion: those items were indeed trifles.

Waiting a while longer and finding that his items still drew no interest, Ji Changkong gradually grew impatient. After some hesitation, he took out an Origin Lightning Stone from his spatial pouch and placed it before his makeshift stall.

The Origin Lightning Stone truly was a treasure. As soon as this single piece was displayed, someone approached to inquire about the price shortly after.

It was an ordinary human woman, around thirty years old, also at the Ten Directions Heaven realm. When she approached, her eyes fixed directly on the Origin Lightning Stone. After a moment of hesitation, she inquired, “This is an Origin Lightning Stone, yes? Ji Changkong opened his eyes and nodded lightly. “What are you trading for?” “Only Origin Crystals!” The woman visibly relaxed, a flash of pleasure crossing her eyes, and she asked again, “How many Origin Crystals for it?” “One hundred.” He had already learned the price from Yele and answered without hesitation.

Bang. The woman nodded slightly, seemingly finding the price reasonable. After fumbling for a moment, she produced one hundred Origin Crystals and handed them to Ji Changkong, happily taking the Origin Lightning Stone in exchange. With one hundred Origin Crystals secured, Ji Changkong pondered for a moment, then took out another Origin Lightning Stone.

He originally possessed fifteen Origin Lightning Stones in his spatial pouch. He had given one to the Feather Race youth, pledged one to Yele as collateral, and had just sold one; thus, twelve remained. Since he already possessed the "Origin Lightning Sacred Fire," he had no need for the Origin Lightning Stones for cultivation and intended to gradually exchange them all.

Soon enough, the newly displayed Origin Lightning Stone was also sold for one hundred Origin Crystals. The Origin Lightning Stone seemed quite sought after.

He waited quietly for a moment, and only after confirming that the buyers of his first two Origin Lightning Stones had likely departed did he bring out another one.

A few minutes later, another person arrived and exchanged the Origin Lightning Stone at the same price. After selling three Origin Lightning Stones, he now possessed three hundred Origin Crystals in his spatial pouch.

He estimated mentally that the three hundred Origin Crystals might still be slightly insufficient for the complete transformation of his body in one go. After some internal deliberation, he took out three Origin Lightning Stones at once, intending to exchange these three pieces and then immediately leave this place.

A gaunt middle-aged man with a sallow complexion suddenly appeared before him as soon as the three Origin Lightning Stones were displayed, lowering his head to scrutinize the items in front of him. “Three hundred Origin Crystals.” Ji Changkong replied without thinking, assuming the man also wanted to buy crystals, and spoke curtly. The sallow-faced man frowned. “That little fork and jade tablet aren’t that precious either. Are they worth three hundred Origin Crystals?”

Ji Changkong paused in surprise, then chuckled. “So you’re interested in those two items. Name your price; if it’s suitable, take them.”

Those items—the little fork and jade tablet—had been sitting there for so long without attracting any attention, which indicated they were certainly not rare. Before coming here, Ji Changkong had subtly examined those two items himself and found nothing extraordinary, which is why he put them up for sale.

“Fifty Origin Crystals. Everything except the Origin Lightning Stones—including the Flowing Gold Sand, that flying sword, and those three stones—will be mine,” the sallow-faced man stated flatly, gesturing toward the items.

Ji Changkong stared at him for a few moments, then reached out and touched the items, confirming there were no anomalies before nodding. “Agreed.”

The man was straightforward. Without another word, he retrieved fifty Origin Crystals and handed them over crisply. Ji Changkong casually took them and secured the fifty Origin Crystals.

Not long after that man left, a member of the Three-Eyed Race came and exchanged three Origin Lightning Stones for three hundred Origin Crystals.

With this transaction, he suddenly acquired six hundred and fifty Origin Crystals. He judged that this amount should be sufficient. He then rose, found Yele, and traded three Origin Crystals to reclaim the Origin Lightning Stone he had used as collateral, departing leisurely.

As soon as he left the trading zone, his speed instantly increased. He headed toward the snowy peak where he had previously cultivated, thinking that with these more than six hundred Origin Crystals, he might manage quite a stretch of cultivation.

As he flew over a valley, a sudden sense of vigilance struck him, and his body abruptly froze. He frowned, staring at the dark clouds ahead. “Friends blocking the way, what business have you with me?” Ji Changkong asked coldly, gazing at the ominous clouds.

The sallow-faced man who had acquired the miscellaneous items for fifty Origin Crystals suddenly emerged from the dark clouds. Besides him, there was a Wood Race member and a member of the Three-Eyed Race.

The Three-Eyed Race member was precisely the one who had exchanged three hundred Origin Crystals for the three Origin Lightning Stones! These three had concealed themselves within the dark clouds and set up a restriction barrier beneath them, lying in wait for him to fall into their trap. Fortunately, his spiritual sense was keen, allowing him to detect the anomaly beforehand, thus preventing him from charging straight in.

After the sallow-faced man appeared, his eyes were filled with derision. “Friend, you killed my junior brother and sister and took their belongings. You owe us an explanation. Before they left, my junior brother and sister mentioned finding a treasure trove containing Origin Lightning Stones. You must have learned about it, too?”

“…Junior brother and sister,” Ji Changkong murmured. A slight movement confirmed who he meant. However, this man claiming his junior brother and sister had found a treasure trove of Origin Lightning Stones was utterly shameless; he clearly intended to covet the Origin Lightning Stones Ji Changkong held and was using a flimsy, poorly constructed excuse.

“Hmph. Those two opportunists who struck when I was condensing my essence—they were your junior brother and sister,” Ji Changkong laughed. “They stormed into my cave mansion while I was consolidating my vital essence, trying to snatch the Source of Life from me. They deserved to be eliminated.” “You killed my junior brother and sister, so you must die,” the sallow-faced man retorted with a sneer, not bothering to argue the point. “How did you know I would be here?” Ji Changkong knew this encounter would be difficult, but he wasn't afraid; he was only curious how they managed to calculate his precise route.

“By mixing a special small stone into the three hundred Origin Crystals, it’s difficult for ordinary people to notice. You were in a hurry to leave and didn't inspect them closely, which allowed me to track your movements,” the Three-Eyed Race member admitted candidly. Perhaps realizing Ji Changkong couldn't escape, he didn't mind revealing his method.

Ji Changkong nodded. He sent his mind into his spatial pouch, retrieved an abnormal Origin Crystal, and allowed a wisp of flame to emerge from his fingertip. The crystal immediately melted, and a rice-grain-sized bug within was instantly incinerated.

“It’s too late even if you burn the Spirit-Tracking Worm,” the Three-Eyed Race member said dismissively, nodding toward the sallow-faced man. “Yao Luo, you set up the restriction. Lek and I will attack him.” Yao Luo nodded with a grin. “No problem.”

As soon as the words fell, the sallow-faced Yao Luo attacked without hesitation. The layer of dark clouds suddenly shifted, rapidly extending in all directions, and swiftly enveloped Ji Changkong. Within the clouds, streaks of chilling, frigid air swirled, seemingly intending to immobilize the body.

The Three-Eyed Race member and the Wood Race member named Lek, seeing Yao Luo initiate the attack, hesitated no longer and closed in to engage at close range, clearly planning a joint close-quarters assault with Lek.

Ji Changkong had experienced thousands of battles over the years; his heart had long grown numb. Seeing the three move to attack, his expression remained calm. He simply retrieved the small bell first and shook it, releasing the White Bone Skeleton...