Chapter 477

“Wang Mou came to the marketplace primarily for Yang Gang Jade. Since Brother Zhang is the owner of Bi Jin Pavilion, I’ll ask directly—how much Yang Gang Jade do you have left, and what’s the exchange rate?” Wang Yu turned to Zhang Xiufu and asked.

“That’s easy. Go to the storage and bring all the Yang Gang Jade.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiufu smiled slightly, clapped his hands once, and called out to the hall’s entrance.

“Yes, Master.”

A middle-aged man’s respectful voice echoed from outside the hall.

“Is this shopkeeper your senior disciple, Brother Zhang?” Wang Yu’s face showed a hint of surprise.

“Indeed. My eldest disciple has limited talent—he’ll likely never reach Foundation Establishment—but he’s honest and diligent, so I assigned him as shopkeeper here. I hope you’ll kindly support his business in the future.”

“Of course,” Wang Yu readily agreed.

“Yang Gang Jade is a rare second-rank fire-element material, perfectly suited to your cultivation method,” said the young man surnamed Yan, smiling.

“Oh? Can Brother Yan tell what cultivation method I practice?” Wang Yu paused, then asked in return.

"Hehe, I haven't seen your method firsthand, but the fact that you can cast the Ninety-Eight Law Patterns—a fire-elemental ultimate technique—strongly suggests you practice a fire-based art, likely a very aggressive one. Otherwise, even if you understood it, you couldn't cast it smoothly."

“That’s true. If my method weren’t somewhat powerful, even if I could summon Fire Blade, it wouldn’t be nearly this potent,” Wang Yu thought for a moment, then nodded.

“I have an elder sister who cultivates a powerful fire-elemental art. When we go to Bi Shui Palace, I’ll introduce you two—you should spar a bit.”

“Then thank you, Brother Yan. I’d truly appreciate the chance to exchange insights with someone who cultivates the same element,” Wang Yu replied politely.

“Brother Yan, are you referring to… Lian Shijie?” Zhang Xiufu’s smile stiffened slightly as he heard this, even his tongue stumbling.

“Yes, I mean Lian Shijie,” the young man surnamed Yan replied with a grin.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiufu seemed to recall something terrifying—his face flushed pale, then darkened, looking strangely disturbed.

Wang Yu, witnessing this, felt a flicker of confusion.

Could this “Lian Shijie” have some serious problem?

At that moment, footsteps approached, and a middle-aged man with a short beard entered, bowing as he carried a rectangular iron box.

“Master, I’ve brought the Yang Gang Jade,” the man said, offering the box to the elder.

“Brother, take a look—do these suffice?” Zhang Xiufu’s expression had returned to normal. He gestured for his disciple to hand the box directly to Wang Yu.

Wang Yu didn’t hesitate. He opened the box immediately, revealing three fist-sized crimson jade stones.

Each emitted a faint red glow, and when he touched their surfaces, they felt scalding hot.

“Indeed high-purity Yang Gang Jade—these are more than enough. What would you like in exchange?” Wang Yu smiled, closed the lid, and asked the elder.

“Artifacts, pills, cultivation methods, secret techniques—even materials. As long as their value matches these Yang Gang Jade.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

Wang Yu was no fool. He immediately understood the elder’s implied goodwill. After thanking him, he began considering what he could offer in return.

This was rare second-rank material—ordinary treasures likely wouldn’t impress this Bi Shui Palace official.

He quickly decided. He pressed one hand to his waist, and a blue triangular token appeared in his palm—the same second-rank artifact once used by the Black Sand Sect’s leader, Miao Feng.

“Ice Origin Shield—a second-rank low-grade artifact with twenty-one law patterns. It’s decent for a low-grade artifact, but still not enough to match the value of all this Yang Gang Jade,” Zhang Xiufu recognized it at a glance and replied after brief thought.

“What if I add this?”

Wang Yu tossed the token into the air, letting it hover before him, then pressed his hand against his storage pouch again—this time pulling out a black leather sack: the Black Sand Sect leader’s other composite artifact, the Black Sand Sack.

“Black Sand Sack? Are you certain you wish to trade this for Yang Gang Jade? Together with the Ice Origin Shield, their combined value exceeds that of the Yang Gang Jade,” Zhang Xiufu’s expression shifted, serious now.

“These two artifacts’ elements and functions are both useless to me. Better to trade them for something practical,” Wang Yu replied without changing expression.

“For Bi Jin Pavilion, second-rank artifacts never lack buyers. But I won’t let you lose out.”

“Here’s an idea: I recall your concubine once inquired about a second-rank beast soul when she visited. She didn’t buy it due to lack of spirit stones. Go—fetch that second-rank beast soul.”

Zhang Xiufu stared at the two artifacts before Wang Yu, hesitated, then remembered something and ordered the middle-aged man.

“Yes, Master. I’ll get it right away,” the man bowed sharply and withdrew.

“Second-rank beast soul? Are you planning to use it as the main soul for some spirit banner?” the young man surnamed Yan asked curiously.

“Not exactly. I’ve cultivated a secret technique that requires beast soul energy. But I suppose there aren’t many second-rank beast souls sold in Hanlan Marketplace,” Wang Yu shook his head, gave a vague answer, and didn’t care whether the man believed him.

“I see.”

The young man nodded and dropped the subject.

“Unless a Jin Dan true cultivator personally hunts them, killing second-rank beasts is extremely dangerous. Most are violent-tempered; by second rank, they’ve developed slight sentience. Once they sense danger, they often self-destruct their core. Then you won’t get a beast soul—even the corpse will be scattered, worthless.”

“Not just Hanlan Marketplace—even other markets in the Chaotic Spirit Domain rarely have second-rank beast souls. If any exist, they’re usually damaged or their essence too weak.”

“This one in our pavilion is well-preserved. I happened to obtain it last year after slaying a second-rank Chongyun Rabbit.”

“So if I need more beast souls, hunting second-rank beasts myself is the fastest way,” Wang Yu murmured after hearing this.

“Precisely. Otherwise, it’s nearly impossible to buy second-rank or higher beast souls in ordinary markets.”

“But our people have occupied the Chaotic Spirit Domain for over two hundred years. As for third-rank beasts—hard to say. Even if any hide, there can’t be many. But second-rank beasts are scattered across the wilds. Even Bi Shui Palace posts bounty lists targeting particularly troublesome second-rank beasts.”

“If you truly want more second-rank beast souls, you could take on one of our bounties. The targeted beasts have fixed territories—you won’t have to search blindly.”

As they spoke, the middle-aged man quickly returned to the side hall, carrying a black porcelain bottle sealed with a yellow talisman.