Regarding this point, Lei Dong had pondered it extensively during his years of secluded cultivation. Moreover, when venturing out to purchase materials and elixirs, he had subtly probed various merchants about some of the tools he envisioned. Some of the imagined artifacts and items did not exist in this world, but others indeed did.

For instance, there was a large family known as Spirit Herb Valley. Although their population was small, composed mostly of core disciples from their own lineage, the family’s strength placed them among the upper-tier powers. Their social standing was even slightly higher than that of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, placing them just beneath the Eight Great Supreme Sects.

The reason this family survived and continued to flourish—to the point where even the Eight Great Supreme Sects treated them with deference—was their generational fame for the art of alchemy. In the cultivation of spiritual herbs and the refinement of pills, no other sect or power could match them.

Of course, merely being skilled at alchemy, no matter how proficient, would eventually lead to their demise if that were all they possessed. However, Spirit Herb Valley had persisted through so many generations and remained comfortable. Firstly, they strictly adhered to their ancestral teaching of complete neutrality, pledging never to expand their influence outward. Secondly, while the family was small, every single member was an elite.

It stood to reason. Even someone with Lei Dong's above-average aptitude, who reached his current standing by scraping together vast resources and aggressively boosting himself with elixirs, could continue to advance step-by-step. A family that never lacked access to rare elixirs had every reason to boast numerous experts. As for top-grade magical artifacts, supreme spiritual artifacts, or even the finest magic treasures—this family surely would not lack those either. How could a family that thrived to such an extent purely through alchemy possibly lack spirit stones?

The reason this family was mentioned was due to a specific pill that only they could refine: the Jia Si Dan, or Death-Feigning Pill. In fact, Spirit Herb Valley could refine many exclusive elixirs, but Lei Dong was most focused on the Jia Si Dan. The effect of this pill was that upon ingestion, the body would immediately enter a state of death. For the ten days the medicine was active, every trace of breath, body temperature, heartbeat, blood flow, and even soul fluctuation would vanish without a trace.

This highly deceptive elixir had widespread uses. Lei Dong coveted this particular pill for its efficacy in completely suppressing all aura and fluctuation. When an expert tracks someone, they often don't use their eyes, as sight is too easily fooled. Most often, they rely on using their spiritual sense to "see," or sensitive ears to listen.

But spiritual sense functions much like radar; it requires movement—even minute movement—to generate a fluctuation that feeds back into the mind of the user. A dead person with no aura is no different from a stone or rotting wood. Utilizing this characteristic gave Lei Dong the opportunity to attempt things he ordinarily wouldn't dare.

The only aspect of this plan that truly annoyed Lei Dong was how exorbitant Spirit Herb Valley was when selling their exclusive elixirs. Each Death-Feigning Pill was priced at fifty thousand spirit stones, non-negotiable. Outrageous, truly, yet Lei Dong had to admit the elixir was incredibly useful, not just for selling high-grade spirit ghosts, but even for surviving dangerous situations normally. His own life was worth far more than fifty thousand spirit stones.

Leaving that desolate, wind-swept, nameless realm, Lei Dong spent a full five hundred thousand spirit stones through his channels for purchasing medicinal materials, acquiring the ten Death-Feigning Pills he had already reserved.

Furthermore, he separately purchased ten Breath-Concealing Talismans, each valued at ten thousand spirit stones.

With these acquisitions, Lei Dong finally had the prerequisites to enact his plan.

Speaking of the Breath-Concealing Talisman, it was a wondrous item. This talisman was specifically for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators. Its function was simple: it would reduce any Foundation Establishment cultivator's aura to the level of a first-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, lasting for three days. However, during this period, one could not engage in overly strenuous activity—meaning no fighting or flying that required strength exceeding the first layer of the Foundation Establishment stage. Otherwise, it would destroy the special energy construct layered over the body. In Lei Dong's plan, the Breath-Concealing Talisman served as an added layer of insurance for his actions.

If Lei Dong, with his fifth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivation, attempted to sell a high-grade spirit ghost, anyone intending to cause trouble would certainly weigh his strength first, perhaps sending a late-stage Foundation Establishment expert, or maybe even directly hiring a Golden Core cultivator. Given Lei Dong’s past experiences, Golden Core cultivators were quite willing to act for a mere million spirit stones—Li Yijian was a prime example.

Lei Dong did not fear any of those things; even facing a late-stage Foundation Establishment master, he felt confident he could escape. He only feared being targeted by a Golden Core cultivator; then there would be nowhere to run, no sanctuary. If he presented himself as a first-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator selling goods, the chance that someone would hire a Golden Core expert just to rob him was very low. This indirectly lowered Lei Dong's risk significantly. Perhaps two or three cultivators at the third or fourth layer of Foundation Establishment would make the move themselves, as they could potentially gain more wealth that way.

Additionally, it served to mask his true movements. After all, a first-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator was the one calling out to sell the high-grade spirit ghost, while the real Lei Dong was at the peak of the fifth layer. This effort would minimize the likelihood that someone like the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, upon hearing the news, would suspect him. Of course, this was merely a secondary benefit.

While perhaps not foolproof, Lei Dong felt the probability of success was very high. The first market square Lei Dong chose for his venture was a reputable one within the Heavenly Dao Alliance, located in the southwest region. It was a gathering place for many cultivators, a melting pot where all sorts of people congregated.

Lei Dong first scouted the area within several hundred li of the market. He located an extremely concealed spot within a gorge system characterized by complex terrain and numerous ravines. After setting up preliminary arrangements in this hidden location, he finalized his escape routes. How to flee after leaving the market, and which complex path to take after ten days—each route was clearly mapped out in his mind.

Furthermore, he was exceptionally cautious. He painstakingly simulated the strength of a first-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, meticulously walking the complex roads spanning several dozen counties twice to memorize every route. Only then did he don a lifelike mask, disguise himself as a dissolute young master, crush the Breath-Concealing Talisman, lower his aura to the first layer of Foundation Establishment, and enter the market. Lei Dong didn't expect experienced vendors to overlook the mask; he only hoped it would suffice to obscure his true face.

He wandered around the market for a circuit, gathering bits of information. Indeed, several Golden Core Patriarchs backed this market. This was normal, though; a market with such a high density of cultivators could not operate long without Golden Core ancestors taking turns providing oversight. Cultivators, due to their immense power, tended to be somewhat arrogant and unruly.

He selected the most stylishly decorated and largest establishment dealing in magical artifacts and spiritual items and walked in. Several female cultivators at the Qi Refining stage immediately approached, but upon learning Lei Dong was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a third-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator quickly came to attend to him. This was a common tactic in many shops: judging the customer's status. Sending someone of higher cultivation could both stabilize the atmosphere and showcase the shop's strength, inspiring confidence in their goods. While this strategy was cliché, it was highly effective; many arrogant individuals became notably humble and polite when faced with someone of superior cultivation.

Settled in a private room, sipping excellent spiritual tea, Lei Dong stated his purpose directly: "My name is Zhao. I happened to capture a high-grade spirit ghost, but since I do not practice arts like Ghost Control, it is useless to me. If your esteemed shop can offer a supreme spiritual artifact, then this high-grade spirit ghost will be yours." Never mind that Lei Dong’s Blood Cloak alone was valued at a staggering two million six hundred thousand, as the Blood Cloak was already a superior item even among supreme spiritual artifacts. The price of most supreme spiritual artifacts was comparable to that of a single high-grade spirit ghost. Of course, both were extremely rare treasures, making it hard to declare one definitively more valuable than the other.

The third-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator was startled, realizing a deal of this magnitude had arrived. Whatever his internal thoughts, his face broke into a fawning smile: "Brother Zhao, it's not that this humble brother refuses to give you a supreme spiritual artifact, but our shop truly has none in stock. However, if Brother Zhao is willing to sell, our shop is prepared to offer one million three hundred thousand spirit stones for acquisition."

Lei Dong was slightly disappointed, but he hadn't truly expected to trade for a supreme spiritual artifact here anyway. Settling for spirit stones was the alternative, but one million three hundred thousand was not a satisfactory price. He shook his head: "Shopkeeper Chen, one million six hundred thousand, and we have a deal; otherwise, forget it. Frankly, even at this price, you won't make much profit—perhaps just one or two hundred thousand. Moreover, having a high-grade spirit ghost would increase your shop's reputation, wouldn't it?"

"Too expensive, too expensive. At this price, we barely cover the cost," Shopkeeper Chen shook his head. "One million four hundred thousand, that's the absolute limit. You have to let us earn something."

Lei Dong spent some time haggling with him, finally settling the price at one million five hundred thousand. This was within Lei Dong's ideal range, as any purchaser acquiring a high-grade spirit ghost would certainly not adhere to auction house rates. In less time than it takes an incense stick to burn, Shopkeeper Chen retrieved one million five hundred thousand spirit stones. After both parties verified the goods, the transaction was concluded with mutual satisfaction.

Despite the smooth beginning, Lei Dong knew the real show was yet to come. No honest merchant would risk too many tricks inside their own establishment. If they intended to play dirty, they would seek a deserted location.