Chapter 156

Horned Flood Dragon Island.

Wood Flood Dragon City's Cloud Sea Waterfall remained as bustling as ever, with large caravans riding cloud beasts going up and down above the waterfall, like ants constantly climbing upward.

Many cultivators like him could also be seen, each riding flying magical artifacts or spiritual artifacts, occasionally flashing spiritual light in the sky.

But Yunhe did not stay in Wood Flood Dragon City this time; instead, he went straight to Silver Flood Dragon City in the inland of Horned Flood Dragon Island according to the cloud map.

As he passed Wood Flood Dragon City, he also noticed many caravans leaving the city, likewise heading inland, obviously also going to Silver Flood Dragon City's five‑year exchange meeting.

After leaving Wood Flood Dragon City and flying for several hours, he saw a towering ancient city standing beneath the island's highest peak.

This city.

It was actually larger than Qingshan City.

The towering walls resembled small mountains, the majestic aura like a coiled flood dragon, and the bright white bricks reflected a silvery glow, giving it a faint sense of a "Silver Flood Dragon".

Although many cultivators stared at the city's barrier and flew straight in, Yunhe still followed the crowd and walked slowly into the city.

After entering the city, he casually asked someone and confirmed the location of the Silver Flood Dragon Market within Silver Flood Dragon City.

When he arrived at the entrance of the Silver Flood Dragon Market and saw the huge silver flood dragon head hanging above the three‑open archway, he showed a look of surprise.

He saw a lifelike huge silver flood dragon head emitting a faint glow; the horns and scales on its head clearly indicated that this flood dragon was very close to transforming into a dragon.

If this head is genuine, then this silver flood dragon must be at least a fourth‑level demon beast.

Who could chop off the head of such a demon beast and then hang it so conspicuously at the market entrance?

Moreover, this flood dragon head has likely been placed for several hundred years; wouldn't it have rotted away?

"Fellow Daoist, is this your first time coming to the Silver Flood Dragon Market? Every cultivator who sees this flood dragon head for the first time can't help but marvel and stop."

Suddenly, a yellow‑oriole‑like female voice came from the side, and Yunhe instinctively turned his head to look.

He saw a female cultivator wearing a tight, capable short outfit, her features refined with a healthy beauty.

A burst of vigorous, heroic spirit came over him.

Her skin was wheat‑toned, her figure slim and well‑proportioned, her exposed limbs tight and strong, yet without any hint of coarseness.

What was even more striking was that, although she looked slender, she bore a huge heavy sword.

This sword seemed to have no spiritual power fluctuations, yet it gave Yunhe a vague sense of danger.

"This person is not simple."

Yunhe made a basic judgment about her in his mind.

A cultivator with Foundation Establishment middle‑stage cultivation could still make Yunhe faintly sense a hint of danger—such cultivators are rare.

"Who are you, Fellow Daoist?" Yunhe asked without changing his expression.

"I am Mu Haitang; I have met you, Fellow Daoist."

The female cultivator performed a simple salute, yet gave no impression of rudeness to anyone.

"I am Feng Dao Ren," Yunhe also returned the salute.

Mu Haitang walked to Yunhe's side, keeping a half‑zhang safe distance, and together they gazed at the flood dragon head; her dark eyes flickered with excitement as she spoke:

"This silver flood dragon is a genuine fourth‑level demon beast that once ravaged the nearby Cloud Sea, causing the common folk around Horned Flood Dragon Island to lose their livelihoods; seven hundred years ago it was beheaded by a single sword of the 'Xuanjing Lake Woodcutter,' and finally a carving master copied and engraved it, raising this sculpture here."

In her words, it was easy to see her reverence and awe for that "Xuanjing Lake Woodcutter."

She paused, then continued:

"Many cultivators came in admiration to view this flood dragon head, and thus the Silver Flood Dragon Market, and even Silver Flood Dragon City, came into being."

"Beheading it with a single sword is comparable to a fourth‑level silver flood dragon that matches a Yuan Ying cultivator?"

"It seems the cultivation of that 'Xuanjing Lake Woodcutter' must be terribly formidable."

"But a cultivator at least at the Yuan Ying stage, with no title or honorific, merely called a 'woodcutter,' must surely be a reclusive ascetic master."

"No wonder Mu Haitang showed this expression; after hearing that, Yunhe also couldn't help but become solemn, feeling reverence."

"Thank you for the information, Fellow Daoist." Yunhe bowed his hands.

Mu Haitang smiled, gave Yunhe a slight nod as a greeting, then said nothing more and strode into the Silver Flood Dragon Market.

Watching her departing figure, Yunhe also couldn't help but chuckle softly, and he walked slowly into the market.

He did not linger long in the market's outskirts, but went straight inside.

Based on the jade slip he had bought before, he knew that in the Outer Cloud Realm there was a force called the Cloud Merchant Alliance, just like the Four Great Merchant Alliances of the Eastern Realm, formed from many merchant guilds, a commercial power focused on business operations; many cultivators who want to buy precious rare items usually go to their shops and are unlikely to be mistaken.

The Black Cloud Pavilion he had visited last time was an important member of the Cloud Merchant Alliance, specializing in information sales.

This time his destination was the Cloud Merchant Pavilion, the branch of the Cloud Merchant Alliance in the Silver Flood Dragon Market.

This time, the exchange fair and auction of the Silver Snake Market are initiated by them.

However, if one wants to participate in the exchange fair and auction, they still need to wait another ten or so days; Yunhe can first check with the Cloud Commerce Pavilion to see if the auction items include what he needs, and if not, there's little point in participating.

Actually.

As long as it's not one of the auction's finale items, buying in advance is possible.

Three hours later.

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Bee, these are the materials you need. I'm not boasting to you, but to gather all these things in just a few short hours, only our Cloud Commerce Pavilion can manage it in the vast Silver Snake Market."

A portly cultivator who looked rather wealthy, and one of the managers of the Cloud Commerce Pavilion, handed a storage bag to Yunhe, who was slowly sipping his fragrant tea.

Yunhe held the tea in one hand and a Jade Slip in the other; facing the smiling manager, he said nothing, merely setting down his teacup and furrowing his brow.

Seeing this, the portly manager, with a hint of curiosity and doubt, asked: "What's wrong, Fellow Daoist Bee?"

"Nothing." Yunhe shook his head, set down the Jade Slip, and said, "Fellow Daoist Wei, may I take a look at this 'Firewood Parasol'?"

The Jade Slip just now is one of the items to be auctioned in this auction.

And among them, what interests Yunhe most is undoubtedly this 'Firewood Parasol'.

The divine tree ranked twenty-seventh on the Divine Tree List is, aside from the 'Heavenly Thunder Gold Essence', the highest-ranked item Yunhe has seen so far on various lists.

'Heavenly Thunder Gold Essence' possesses the dual attributes of lightning and metal; since lightning governs rain and rain governs earth, it can separate water and earth.

Earth gives birth to metal, metal gives birth to water.

Therefore, only the metal and lightning attributes can be compatible.

But if one wants to fully unleash the power of the 'Heavenly Thunder Gold Essence', it is best to be able to gather fire and wood elements, using fire to generate earth, water to generate wood, and thus complete the five elements.

The five elements need not be balanced, but gathering the five elements in mutual generation can greatly stimulate the dual metal-lightning attribute.

Moreover, most importantly.

Yunhe cultivates the 'Great Longevity Great Five Elements True Scripture', and has already condensed the 'Small Five Elements Spirit Body'; if he wants to forge a natal magic treasure, it is naturally best to match his own cultivation method and spirit body.

Furthermore, the metal and lightning dual attributes within the 'Heavenly Thunder Gold Essence' are both of the slaughtering kind.

If forged into a weapon, it would be nothing other than blades, spears, swords, halberds and such slaughtering weapons.

Yunhe's choice is undoubtedly a sword.

Because the 'Great Longevity Great Five Elements True Scripture' contains a section on the 'Five Elements True Sword' forging method, and also has the 'Five Elements Sword Art' and 'Five Elements Sword Formation' as assistance, it can fully exert the effect of the natal magic treasure.

Thus the fire-wood dual-attribute 'Fire-Wood Paulownia' is the most suitable object for him after reading this Jade Slip.

Besides this, there is actually another reason.

In the technique 'Phoenix Twelve Nirvana' transmitted to him by Luaniao Qingyao, if the phoenix bird wishes to undergo nirvana, it also requires fire-wood type divine wood; this 'Fire-Wood Paulownia' might satisfy its need.

'Daoist took a liking to this 'Fire-Wood Paulownia'?' Upon hearing Yunhe's question, the fat shopkeeper showed a troubled expression.

'Does Daoist Wei have some difficulty?'

Hearing that, the fat shopkeeper waved his hand.

'Not exactly, just... sigh, Daoist can tell at a glance.'

Saying that, the fat shopkeeper flicked his wide sleeve, and an exquisite wooden box fell onto the table; he then carefully opened it, revealing the 'Fire-Wood Paulownia' stored inside.

When Yunhe saw the thing inside the wooden box, his expression involuntarily froze.

Because the so-called 'Fire-Wood Paulownia' is merely a segment the size of a pinky fingernail cover, and from its appearance it is not even the main trunk but merely a rootlet.

After a while, Yunhe helplessly shook his head and said:

'No wonder such a heavenly treasure as 'Fire-Wood Paulownia' would be put up for sale by a Daoist; it turns out there is only this tiny rootlet.'

'Who would say otherwise?' The fat steward empathized with Yunhe's words, then immediately added:

'To be frank with you Daoist, this item is mostly just a gimmick; even if it is a rootlet, how could an ordinary cultivator keep it alive? Even if, by a one-in-a-million chance, it did survive, how many years would it take to become usable material?'

Yunhe pursed his lips, somewhat unwillingly asking:

'Could you Daoist recommend the cultivator auctioning this item?'

Perhaps this person still has some 'Fire-Wood Paulownia', or knows where to obtain it.

To this, the fat shopkeeper refused without hesitation.

'Daoist Bee, keeping customer information confidential is our shop's rule; Wei cannot violate it.'

Yunhe sighed, after thinking it over repeatedly, still said:

'Then may I ask Daoist, what is the price of this item?'

'Daoist Bee, you still want to buy it?' The fat steward was somewhat surprised.

In response, Yunhe could only show a helpless smile.

'Divine wood is hard to find; I can only buy some first, then seek other things to see if I can mediate and compensate.'

'Alright. This item should have gone to auction, but indeed the actual object does not match its name; taking it to auction would inevitably invite criticism from many Daoists. Daoist Bee, if you truly want it, I, Wei, will decide to sell it to you for twenty thousand Spirit Stones.'

Twenty thousand?!

And it's just this tiny rootlet?

Yunhe's eyes widened.

As soon as the price is mentioned, this fat steward becomes less agreeable.

'Daoist Bee, no matter how unimpressive this item may be, it is still a rare divine wood, encounterable but not seekable; perhaps one might not encounter it once in a hundred years. If it were not merely a tiny rootlet, how could you Daoist think you could encounter it here? And even be able to purchase it in advance?'

'If it were known that I hold a piece of Heavenly Thunder Gold Essence the size of two fists, even Nascent Soul great cultivators would rush to seize it?'

Through this matter, Yunhe once again understood the true value of the 'Heavenly Thunder Gold Essence' and those top-ranked items on the list.

I fear that items ranked in the top ten or top twenty on the list have probably become extinct in the current resource-scarce cultivation world.

However, for such things, there really is no accurate pricing.

Rarity makes value.

In the end, Yunhe still honestly paid the Spirit Stones.

All the miscellaneous things added up; the Spirit Stones he had painstakingly saved were instantly consumed in various amounts.

Because among the materials he previously had the fat steward procure, there were a few items that could slightly increase the chance of forming a Golden Core.

Although the increase is small, it is still better than nothing.

But this price is not beautiful at all.

However, this 'Fire-Wood Paulownia' is even rarer and scarcer than Golden Core spirit materials.

As the fat steward said, if this 'Fire-Wood Paulownia' were truly a large trunk, it would not be purchasable by a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator like him.

Not to mention Golden Core cultivators, even Nascent Soul patriarchs would be unable to sit still.

It can also be considered not in vain for him to deliberately make the trip.

After purchasing this tiny rootlet of 'Fire-Wood Paulownia', Yunhe did not linger long in the Silver Dragon Workshop Market, but left directly.

(End of chapter)