https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-126-High-End-Black-Market-Recovering-Second-Hand-Magical-Artifacts/12900095/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-128-Eight-Hundred-Years-of-Heavenly-Root-Auction-of-Blood-Boiling-Pill/12900097/
Chapter 127: High-End Magical Artifacts, This is What Our Black Market Is Like
Chapter 127: High-End Magical Artifacts, This is What Our Black Market Is Like
The Great River Market has a black market, and this is something most people know.
Or rather, any market will have a black market.
It's specifically used for independent cultivators to trade items that are not very public.
For example, Wang Yuan, who initially did dirty work for the Mountain Breaker Gang.
But the items he sold at the independent cultivator market were mostly low to medium-grade magical artifacts. The cultivation manuals he sold were basic entry-level spells, or books like the "Records of the Six Realms' Scenery," which had little value.
So, could it be that a powerful force like the Mountain Breaker Gang only deals with items of this level?
Clearly not! The more high-end items are much more likely to involve enemies.
Therefore, most of these items are traded in the black market.
But the black market has its levels!
A low-end black market might just be a group of Qi Cultivation independent cultivators organizing themselves. The good items involved are mostly high-grade magical artifacts or top-tier first-class spiritual materials.
The participants are mostly in the middle to late stages of Qi Cultivation.
But today, the black market Luo Chen is attending has no weak participants! Luo Chen's spirit sense is extremely sharp, and even though there are dozens of people present, most of them have concealed their auras like he has.
Yet, more than half of them still give him a sense of danger.
Currently, the only beings that can make him feel danger are those at the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation or higher.
In other words, almost all the participants today are Ninth Level Qi Cultivation cultivators.
And there are three others who, even sitting still, no one dares to look at directly.
Three Foundation Establishment cultivators!
"Didn't they say all the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Great River Market went to the Golden Core Relic?"
"How are there still three here!"
"Zeng Wen must have overestimated me, recommending me to this place directly."
"I wanted to go to a lower-end black market!"
Luo Chen ranted internally.
As two more cultivators arrived, the main door was tightly shut.
Among the three Foundation Establishment cultivators, one wearing a golden mask stood up.
He was thin, looking like a candle about to be extinguished by the wind, but combined with his golden mask and the overwhelming Foundation Establishment aura emanating from him, no one dared to underestimate him.
With a clap of his hands, the previously dim underground hall was filled with the sound of clapping.
Several crystal glass lamps emitted a soft light, illuminating the central area as bright as daylight.
Golden animal skin carpets, antique sandalwood tables, and a large five-colored treasure disk were revealed to everyone.
Seeing the treasure disk, Luo Chen was startled.
A magic treasure!
The owner of this place actually placed a magic treasure so casually.
Is it a deterrent? Or does it have another use?
He subtly observed the others and found that, apart from a few cultivators whose spirit fluctuations betrayed their auras, most people sat quietly in their chairs.
These people seemed to take it for granted that there would be a magic treasure there?
They are all veterans!
In other words, those few who were accidentally shocked, like himself, are new faces?
While he was observing the surroundings, the thin Foundation Establishment cultivator coughed twice.
"I am Tianxingzi, the master of the Deep Breath Black Market. I will be responsible for overseeing today's trading session."
"I am pleased to see many old friends and welcome new comrades."
"The rules of our market are simple. First, we, the hosts, will auction off some cultivation resources. Those interested can bid. If you lack spirit stones, you can bid with equivalent resources. Whether the resources are worth the corresponding spirit stones can be judged by me. I believe everyone trusts my discernment."
"The second stage is for everyone to display and bid on items. Bidding is free, and the highest bidder wins. If anyone questions the authenticity of an item, I can judge it. If you don't trust me, this Five-Colored Treasure Disk will give a satisfactory answer."
As he spoke, Tianxingzi placed his hand on the large five-colored treasure disk.
"However, to use the Five-Colored Treasure Disk, a fee of ten spirit stones is required."
"To avoid new friends not understanding this magic treasure, I will briefly introduce it."
"The Five-Colored Treasure Disk was crafted by the casting master Hu Yanzhuo of Tianfan City. It is a lower magic treasure. Its function is to appraise spiritual materials, magical artifacts, and pills. In short, as long as it is a treasure below the third rank, it can provide a relatively accurate grade."
Hu Yanzhuo again?
Hearing this name, Luo Chen's heart skipped a beat.
He remembered that Uncle Mi's Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel and his own Four Symbols Cauldron were both crafted by that person.
This person is a casting fanatic, with such a high output!
"Alright, the introduction of the magic treasure ends here.
The final segment is for fellow cultivators to trade among themselves. The pricing is not fixed, and you can also use the Five-Colored Treasure Disk, with a handling fee of ten spirit stones per use."
After explaining a plethora of rules and regulations, Tianxingzi paused.
Seeing no one had any questions, he was satisfied and stroked his beard under the mask.
"Then, let the trading begin!"
With these words, the vast hall, spanning dozens of meters, suddenly became solemn.
In the serious atmosphere, there was an indescribable sense of intense anticipation.
Luo Chen, sitting in a corner, keenly sensed this strange atmosphere.
Could it be that today at the Zhenlong Black Market, there is something that many Qi Cultivation cultivators are eagerly anticipating?
"The first auction item is the Green Musk Dragon-Gathering Flag, an exquisite attack magical artifact!"
As Tianxingzi spoke, Luo Chen's heart skipped a beat.
His gaze fell on the flag, his eyes revealing a yearning.
An exquisite magical artifact! As a distinguished alchemist, Luo Chen was undoubtedly wealthy, possessing a large number of high-grade magical artifacts.
But until now, he did not have a single exquisite magical artifact.
Even if it was just an attack magical artifact, which was relatively cheaper among the same rank, it was still an exquisite magical artifact!
In fact, not just him, but nine out of ten Qi Cultivation cultivators found it extremely difficult to own an exquisite magical artifact.
The reason was simple: the price of exquisite magical artifacts was extremely high!
Starting at five thousand spirit stones, and for those with special effects, the price could even approach that of a magic treasure.
There was a reason why exquisite magical artifacts were so expensive.
Mentioning the reason, one cannot avoid talking about the art of casting spiritual artifacts.
Leaving aside casting techniques, taboos, and lineages, let's just talk about the grades of the magical artifacts and magic treasures cast.
Magical artifacts and magic treasures are divided into three grades: low, medium, and high. This is the most standard classification, determined by the compatibility of arrays, materials, power, and other numerous criteria.
However, there is another grade outside of low, medium, and high: "exquisite."
The concept of exquisite magical artifacts is accepted by the world, but it is firmly rejected by orthodox casting masters.
Because, in the world, there are no exquisite magical artifacts.
What exists are only flawed magic treasures!
When casting masters cast artifacts, they usually aim for a predetermined direction.
They have a clear idea of the possible grades of the artifacts they might cast.
Whether it's low-grade or high-grade, it's all part of their plan, and the final result is whether it succeeds or fails.
No casting master would think of casting an "exquisite" magical artifact.
Because that is the most wasteful, incompetent, and foolish approach.
Any exquisite magical artifact possesses more than three arrays and extremely high-quality materials.
A smart person would realize that the only thing that can match it is a magic treasure!
In fact, exquisite magical artifacts are the flawed products of the magic treasure casting process.
Due to some special reasons, they were not destroyed and retained one-tenth of the power of a magic treasure.
Out of helplessness, casting masters can only sell them to recoup some of their losses.
Don't underestimate this one-tenth of the power of a low-grade magic treasure; it is enough to surpass all high-grade magical artifacts.
Only the exquisite can contend with the exquisite.
Back then, Qin Liang Chen was able to defeat Bai Qi, who possessed a Sword Pill, because he had an exquisite magical artifact, the Purple River Robe, which could rival the Sword Pill.
Imagine a Qi Cultivation cultivator using a magic treasure like a Foundation Establishment cultivator or a Golden Core expert, even if it's a flawed magic treasure.
The high price is thus justified.
Speaking of which, Luo Chen actually has a flawed magic treasure in his possession.
The Four Symbols Cauldron!
Coincidentally, like the Five-Colored Treasure Disk, it was also crafted by the casting master Huyan Zhuo from Tianfan City.
But why is the Four Symbols Cauldron only high-grade and not exquisite?
Because Huyan Zhuo was overly ambitious, trying to create a magic treasure that combined five functions: attack, suppression, defense, alchemy, and casting.
Thus, he inscribed four arrays on the Four Symbols Cauldron.
However, when inscribing the fifth array, he failed at the last moment.
Due to the special nature of the material, the Four Symbols Cauldron was preserved.
But because the fifth array was not inscribed, it failed to form even the rudimentary shape of a magic treasure.
Additionally, the arrays were not unified and subtly counteracted each other, leading to the final product being downgraded to high-grade.
Luo Chen learned much of this knowledge from Duan Feng.
The Duan family is also a casting family and understands these casting techniques better than he does.
Even if it's just hearsay, it is still well-founded.
"The Green Musk Dragon-Gathering Flag can summon three wood-element dragons, each with the power of the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation."
"Moreover, the dragons emit a green musk fragrance, which can cause enemies to unknowingly experience blocked spirit energy and a significant reduction in combat power."
"The drawback is also obvious, a common old problem with exquisite magical artifacts: it consumes a vast amount of spirit energy."
"Late-stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators can only use it once, while those at the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation can use it twice."
It had to be said, Tianxingzi was a very honest person. While heaping praise on the power of the Green Musk Dragon-Gathering Flag, he also pointed out its flaws one by one. This way, even if someone bought it and found it difficult to use, they couldn't blame the Zhenlong Black Market for not giving prior warning.
However, no one really cared about this drawback. After all, a top-tier magical artifact is fundamentally aimed at becoming a magic treasure, and the most basic prerequisite is a substantial amount of spirit energy. Even if it becomes a defective item, a top-tier magical artifact mostly retains this flaw. Even Luo Chen's Four Symbols Cauldron had this issue. However, his spirit energy was far more profound than that of his peers, so he could use it normally as long as he wasn't in combat. During battles, he usually only activated one of its functions to ensure his spirit energy wouldn't be greatly depleted.
After listening to Tianxingzi's detailed introduction, Luo Chen took a deep breath, feeling a strong urge to join the auction. However, when the first bid of six thousand spirit stones was called out, he was deterred. He only had five thousand spirit stones to his name, so he couldn't possibly outbid these people.
"Six thousand one!"
"Six thousand five!"
"Six thousand nine hundred spirit stones. I'm in dire need of a suitable magical artifact for exploring the Golden Core Ruins. No matter how much you bid, I must have this treasure!"
The speaker was a person wearing a black tiger mask. His tone was passionate, and he even released his spiritual energy fluctuations. The imposing aura of a perfected Qi Cultivator instantly silenced most people.
Luo Chen's eyelids twitched. A perfected Qi Cultivator! This person was definitely not a local cultivator from the Great River Market; he was likely a powerful outsider from another market. It seemed the competition for the Golden Core Ruins was intensifying, even attracting cultivators from other regions.
Some cultivators who were still considering bidding gave up after seeing his show of strength. After all, it was just the first item, and there were still many good things to come. It wasn't worth antagonizing this person by forcing a bid.
In the end, the Green Musk Dragon-Gathering Flag, a top-tier magical artifact, smoothly fell into the hands of the black tiger mask cultivator. However, an awkward moment occurred when it came to paying the spirit stones. He couldn't produce enough spirit stones right away. Fortunately, he took out a few equivalent spirit materials to make up the difference.
Seeing this, the cultivators who had given up earlier couldn't help but feel regret. This person might have a high realm, but his finances were strained. He was just putting on a show of confidence! If they had persisted with a few more bids, they might have won the auction.
After obtaining the top-tier magical artifact, the black tiger mask cultivator was extremely satisfied. He didn't even stay and left the Zhenlong Hall directly.
"Ha!"
"This person is as cunning as a fox. Despite being financially strained, he pretended to be generous, using his realm to pressure others and securing the top-tier magical artifact at such a comfortable price."
"After getting it, he quickly left, fearing others would covet it."
"Despicable outsider!"
Hearing the sneers from nearby, Luo Chen realized a crucial point. A black market auction was different from a regular auction at the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion. Once someone left the Zhenlong Black Market, they were on their own, and any subsequent incidents would not be the market's responsibility.
The black tiger mask cultivator's departure wasn't just a concern for Luo Chen's neighbor. There were whispers in other corners as well. These were meant to be overheard. More private discussions were conducted through secret messages.
The auctioneer, Tianxingzi, showed no change in his expression, as he was wearing a mask. He tapped lightly on the wooden table and smiled, "This is how our black market works. Bidding depends on your judgment, wealth, and courage. If you have the guts, you can try to get good things at low prices."
The Green Musk Dragon-Gathering Flag was truly worth at least seven thousand five hundred spirit stones. Without the subsequent bidding, the black tiger mask cultivator saved a significant amount of spirit stones.
"Alright, the next item up for auction!"
"Everyone, stay alert!"
"Three bottles of Yang Water, each with a starting bid of five hundred spirit stones. Let's start with the first bottle."
Despite the low price, it didn't dampen the cultivators' enthusiasm. Almost immediately after the announcement, the previously quiet Zhenlong Hall became lively.
"Six hundred!"
"Seven hundred!"
"Seven hundred fifty spirit stones!"
"I'll bid eight hundred spirit stones. Anyone who tries to outbid me should be careful about leaving this door."
"Who are you fooling? This is the Zhenlong Hall. Try making a move, and I'll bid eight hundred and one spirit stones."
"You!"
Bids and counterbids echoed one after another, accompanied by angry shouts. Amidst the commotion, Luo Chen's gaze was firm, and with a determined air, he shouted out two words.
"One thousand!"
(End of Chapter)
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