“If you’re planning to trade, I recommend the stalls on the western side,” Corvin continued as he guided Dustin and the others through the market.
“The eastern section belongs exclusively to the Quinton family and the Moseys. The items there are good, but the prices are high. Some of them even come from questionable sources.
“The old man selling pills in the north is reliable. His goods are genuine, though he has a strange temper. The stalls in the south belong to rogue cultivators. Their prices are lower, but the quality varies, so you must know how to judge them yourselves.”
Corfin continued talking at length while leading them through the market until they had made a full circuit. Only after finishing the tour did he finally leave, but before departing, he gave one last warning.
“Remember this. Don’t offend anyone from the Quinton family. A few days ago, a rogue cultivator at the late-stage Adept argued with one of them. Not long after he left the market, they found his body halfway down the mountain.”
After he left, Scarlet couldn’t help but comment, “This Quinton family is acting far too arrogantly.”
“They have the strength to back it up,”
Dustin replied calmly. “Don’t worry. The ward keeps everyone in check here, so it’s safe inside the market. Let’s see if we can find any supplies we need first.”
The group split up to look around. Dustin took Scarlet with him and walked slowly toward the northern stalls. Just as Corvin had described, the northern section looked crude and disorganized.
Most of the stall owners were rogue cultivators who simply spread a piece of beast hide or a torn cloth on the ground before displaying whatever items they no longer needed or had taken from the dead.
Among the goods were damaged magical artifacts, unidentified pills, incomplete memory crystals containing cultivation techniques, and even various strange ores, beast bones, and spiritual herbs. Dustin stopped in front of an elderly vendor selling pills.
The elderly man had completely white hair and beard, a thin, gaunt face, and wore a patched robe. He had been sitting there with his eyes closed.
Only seven or eight bottles of pills were arranged on the cloth before him. But each one was stored in a vial sealed with a small rune designed to prevent spiritual energy from leaking.
“Sir, how much are these pills?” Dustin asked. The elderly man opened his eyes and looked Dustin up and down. His gaze paused briefly when he noticed the complete absence of spiritual fluctuations in Dustin’s body, and a slight frown creased his brow.
He then glanced at Scarlet beside Dustin before answering in an indifferent tone, ” Healing tablets are five celestial stones per bottle. Energy recovery pills are eight per bottle. As for Substratumis, there are only two left, and each costs 50 celestial stones.
Scarlet gasped at the price. It was more than ten times higher than what such pills sold for at the foot of the mountain.
However, Dustin simply nodded. He reached into his pocket and produced a small pouch of celestial stones. Using the stones he had gradually gathered on Mount Aethermoor, he purchased three bottles of healing tablets and two bottles of energy recovery pills.
After completing the transaction, the two continued wandering through the market. Before long, a commotion broke out ahead of them. A crowd had gathered around a particular stall, pointing and whispering among themselves.
Dustin and Scarlet approached and soon saw the item displayed at the center of the stall. It was a longsword entirely black in color, yet faint vermillion patterns seemed to flow across the blade’s surface, while an unsettling, murderous aura radiated from it.
“I-Is that a demonic weapon?” someone exclaimed. The stall owner was a burly man with a fleshy face, whose cultivation had reached the early-stage Adept level. He was speaking with visible pride as he introduced the item.
“I found this beside the remains of an ancient cultivator. It’s definitely an ancient treasure. It carries a bit of baleful energy, but once it’s refined, its power will be astonishing. The price is fixed at 200 celestial stones.”
The surrounding onlookers murmured among themselves, yet none stepped forward. A demonic weapon saturated with such heavy, baleful energy could easily backfire on its wielder, and a careless cultivator might even fall onto the demonic path.
Dustin continued studying the sword, and a subtle change appeared in his eyes. Although the baleful energy within the blade was strong, it was not chaotic. Instead, it seemed to follow a faint but discernible pattern.
This wasn’t an ordinary demonic weapon. It felt more like a righteous sword that had been sealed. At that moment, a cool female voice spoke.
“This sword… I want it.”
The crowd turned toward the voice and saw a beautiful young woman step forward. She wore a moon-white martial outfit, and although she appeared no more than 16 years old, the sharp, commanding air around her made it impossible to underestimate her.
The woman was none other than Elowen.
