Chapter 12

Just when Song Qingming was still racking his brains on how to go to the market to exchange for formation-making materials, unexpectedly, early the next morning, Song Zhangxin took the initiative to find him, giving him an unexpected opportunity to collect materials.

After half an hour of rushing, Song Qingming followed Song Zhangxin to a spiritual mountain named Mount Caolu, which was dozens of miles away from Mount Lingyuan. This spiritual mountain was not too far from the Song family. Although Song Qingming had never been here before, he had heard of this place.

This mountain is also a top-grade spiritual vein, originally the sect site of a small Qi Refining sect. Dozens of years ago, internal strife occurred within the sect. After a battle, this small sect, which had no deep foundation, suffered heavy losses, and then slowly declined.

Most small sects in the cultivation world are difficult to survive for a long time. Sects do not have the blood connection of families, and cultivators who join halfway have difficulty having a deep sense of identity with the sect in a short time.

Once the former sect master passes away, the new successor cannot suppress the old-brand cultivators in the sect. It is very easy for everyone to fight for the sect's power or cultivation resources, and the sect will decline, and finally can only silently disappear in the long river of history in the cultivation world.

Today's Mount Caolu has long been occupied by several late-stage Qi Refining loose cultivators nearby, and it is also much more prosperous than before.

This place is close to Mount Yunwu, and it is also the only way for many cultivators to go to the depths of Mount Yunwu to hunt demonic beasts. Many cultivators will come to this mountain to rest for a while when passing by.

These few loose cultivators put their heads together and opened an inn here, exclusively for passing cultivators to meditate and rest. Every half a month, they would also hold a small exchange meeting here to attract nearby cultivators to come here to exchange items, which also earned them a lot of spirit stones.

Arriving outside a dense forest on the south side of Mount Caolu, Song Zhangxin threw a low-tier sound transmission talisman from his hand. Not long after, a circular formation gap appeared in the originally dense forest ahead, revealing the original appearance covered by the formation inside. I saw that there was also a burst of lively language from the originally quiet mountain peak.

After the two walked into the formation, a large inn appeared not far ahead, and there were many pavilions and towers on both sides. Under the vermilion gate in front of the inn, there were still a few people talking loudly about something.

"Sigh, it's actually Fellow Daoist Song. I really didn't expect you to come this time too. It's been a few months since we parted, are you well?"

After Song Qingming walked closer, he felt that these people were all cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining or above. One of them saw Song Zhangxin and hurriedly smiled and raised the whisk in his hand to greet him. Obviously, he was an old acquaintance of Ninth Uncle.

"Thanks to Fellow Daoist Wu's concern, I have been busy with cultivation at home during this period. This time, I am also busy and have time to bring my nephew to see the world. I hope everyone will take care of us in the future." After speaking, he signaled Song Qingming behind him to step forward and say hello.

"Nephew Song Qingming pays respects to several seniors." Song Qingming stepped forward calmly and bowed to several people.

"Hey, we are all people on the same path, no need to be so polite."

"The exchange meeting is about to start soon. If we miss the items we need, it will be a loss. Let's go in and talk."

Among the few people at the door, a cultivator surnamed Zhang was a bit anxious, couldn't stand the few people at the door being polite all the time, and urged everyone to go in and talk.

Naturally, everyone in their hearts would not forget the main purpose of coming here. After smiling and nodding, they walked into the courtyard together.

At this time, the courtyard was already full of dozens of cultivators, each with many items in front of them. Song Zhangxin took Song Qingming and found a seat in the courtyard at random.

"Qingming, these few mid-tier spiritual talismans are priced at five spirit stones. If someone wants all of them, they can be cheaper by two spirit stones. If someone takes a fancy to this black water stone, you don't have to worry, it must be sold for at least ten spirit stones... And help me collect some materials used for talisman making, the more the better."

In the afternoon, seeing that Song Qingming had slowly become familiar with some of the rules here, Song Zhangxin gave some instructions, left Song Qingming alone, and hurried back to Mount Lingyuan.

With so many cultivators here, it shouldn't be difficult to sell a set of formations. If he could purchase some usable materials, that would be even better.

In order to save some spirit stones, loose cultivators will choose some stable and safe locations to conduct some resource and item exchanges. This can save a lot of spirit stones compared to going to the market. After all, whether buying or selling in the market, people have to make money.

Gatherings of loose cultivators like this exist in many places in Qinghe County. Song Qingming had also followed his family elders to participate a few times in the past, so he was not unfamiliar.

Early this morning, he originally wanted to ask Ninth Uncle to let him go to the market again to sell the formations he had made. Unexpectedly, after Song Zhangxin heard this, he said he would take him to a closer place to do business. This saved Song Qingming a lot of thought.

Of course, Ninth Uncle can also be considered to have found someone who can help him collect talisman-making materials in the future.

The gathering place in front of him was organized by the three late-stage Qi Refining loose cultivators entrenched here. It is held once every half a month, and can also gather fifty or sixty cultivators at a time. The things traded are mostly some materials, talismans, and low-tier pills. If you want to buy good things, you have to go to Qinghe Market.

Most of the cultivators who set up stalls here are old faces, and with the "Three Elders of Caolu" acting as guarantors in the middle, the market atmosphere is quite good, and there are very few phenomena of cheating.

Not long after Song Qingming set up the stall, several cultivators began to come up and ask how his formations were sold.

"Low-grade Five-Element Formation, fifteen spirit stones or spiritual rice of equivalent value."

Several people originally wanted to take out several extra low-grade spiritual objects in their hands to exchange, but they were all decisively rejected by Song Qingming. Although these things are of equal value, they are not what he needs. What he needs most urgently is spirit stones.

Seeing that Song Qingming sat in place without the intention of loosening his mouth, several people had to give up and turn away.

After the few people surrounding his stall dispersed, Song Qingming's eyes also wandered around the stalls next to him, and he slowly discovered that there were quite a few people selling things at this exchange meeting, but there were really not many who took out things that were relatively useful to him like this.

Most of what they sold were initial materials, ores, some relatively unpopular spiritual talismans, and eliminated low-tier magic tools.

There were also some old and cunning people. What they took out were all useless things that had been accumulated in their hands for many years, and they were reluctant to sell them to the market at a low price, so they wanted to try their luck at this exchange meeting to see if they could meet a buyer who happened to need this thing.

Just when Song Qingming was curiously looking around, a crisp sound interrupted him.

"How many spirit stones for this formation?"

Song Qingming turned his head to look. The person asking was a woman in yellow clothes, about twenty years old.

"Fifteen spirit stones!"

"Ten spirit stones plus a bottle of Qi Refining Powder, do you sell it or not?"

Hearing the visitor's soft voice again, Song Qingming was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly agreed.

"Yes!"

Pills like Qi Refining Powder that can increase cultivation, although the effect is average, can also be considered hard currency, whether it is exchanged with others in the clan or directly taken to the family's Treasure Pavilion, they can be exchanged for spirit stones at any time.

After taking the pills and spirit stones handed over by the other party and confirming that they were correct, Song Qingming handed the formation in his hand to the other party.

After successfully reaching the transaction, Song Qingming felt quite good. It could be considered that he had opened for business.

The luck was okay all day. Not only were his own two sets of formations successfully sold, but even Ninth Uncle's spiritual talismans were all sold. It was just that the black stone he was most worried about, I don't know what it was, was placed for a day, and not many people took a look at it.

Not only were these items sold, but Song Qingming also collected a lot of materials for talisman making and formation refining. The loose cultivators here often go to Mount Yunwu to hunt demonic beasts, and they have a lot of these low-tier materials in their hands. As long as it is not lower than the acquisition price in the market, Song Qingming easily collected a lot of materials he wanted.

When he left Mount Caolu, the sky was already dusk. Song Qingming quickened his pace and happened to rush back to Mount Lingyuan before the sun set.

Before leaving, Song Qingming also specially went to see the few masters of Mount Pinglu. These three are all old-brand loose cultivators in Qinghe County, and they also like to make friends with nearby cultivators. After Song Qingming explained his intention, he soon got a passage token the same as Ninth Uncle's.

He will definitely have to come here often in the future.

(End of chapter)