I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

Feng Xingzi.

These three words flashed through Zhou Yuan's mind.

Simply put, they are middlemen who guide newcomers from other places, introduce them to shops, and take a cut of the profits.

Having such a person in an unfamiliar place can save a lot of trouble.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, fellow Daoist."

Zhou Yuan's response was rather bland.

The young monk's face immediately lit up with a warm smile when he saw a customer coming in.

"No problem! My name is Gu Lin, how shall I address you, fellow Daoist?"

"Li Feiyu".

Zhou Yuan casually gave a fake name.

Next.

Under Gu Lin's guidance, Zhou Yuan began to familiarize himself with the Tianxing Sect market.

He subtly inquired about many things related to the market, focusing on consulting several large-scale elixir shops.

Afterwards, in order to get Feng Xingzi to be more attentive, he readily went to a medicine shop recommended by Gu Lin.

He spent dozens of spirit stones to buy a few bottles of insignificant pills.

Gu Lin received his commission and smiled even more sincerely, treating Zhou Yuan as an honored guest.

After that, Zhou Yuan parted ways with him.

He began his plan.

He changed into a large black cloak and put on a hood that covered his face.

He even used his magic to make his voice hoarse and unpleasant.

Thus, the image of a mysterious elixir seller was born.

He is very patient and never rushes things.

He frequented the various medicine shops in the market, selling only a small amount of Golden Source Pills each time, and never visiting the same shop twice in a short period of time.

This extremely cautious approach, though time-consuming, minimizes risk to the greatest extent possible.

Time slipped away quietly amidst this monotonous selling.

It took a full half month.

Two weeks later, in a quiet room of an inn.

Zhou Yuan shed his disguise and looked at the spirit stones that had been poured out of his storage bag and piled up on the ground into a small mountain. Even with his calm demeanor, his breathing became a little rapid.

Five thousand four hundred low-grade spirit stones!

This is a vast fortune that would drive any Qi Refining cultivator mad, and even make Foundation Establishment cultivators take notice.

He can finally be considered to have some wealth now.

After the initial excitement, comes calm reflection.

Such a large-scale influx of top-grade Golden Source Pills into the market, no matter how discreetly he did it, would inevitably attract the attention of those with ulterior motives.

It may not cause any problems in the short term.

However, once the other party follows the clues, it will eventually become a huge hidden danger.

Don't stay here for long.

We must leave Yuanwu Kingdom as soon as possible before trouble comes knocking.

However, there is one more thing to do before leaving.

Zhou Yuan found Feng Xingzi, who was named Gu Lin, again.

A few days ago, during a casual chat, he overheard this person mention that there would be a secret auction held here today, which would not be open to the public.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you've come to the right person!"

Upon seeing Zhou Yuan, Gu Lin greeted him warmly, clearly still remembering this generous "big client".

"I can indeed introduce you to a secret shop that few people know about... While a small portion of the items sold there may have questionable provenance, the goods are absolutely top-quality items that are rarely seen elsewhere!"

Gu Lin lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously.

The origin of this product is questionable.

These few words, however, piqued Zhou Yuan's interest.

It's often in places like these that you find truly good things.

"Fellow Daoist Li, come with me!"

Gu Lin led the way, guiding Zhou Yuan through the market, making many turns until they finally arrived at the end of a secluded alley.

At the end of the alley stood a lonely, dilapidated little house.

The door to the house was tightly closed, with no markings on it. The walls were peeling and looked abandoned and unremarkable.

If no one had led the way, no one would have imagined that this place would be such a hidden paradise.

Gu Lin stepped forward, stretched out his hand, and rhythmically tapped the old wooden door a few times.

With a creak.

The door opened from the inside, and a woman in her thirties came out.

This woman was plain-looking and dressed simply. Her magical power was only around the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining. She was the type of person who would be easily lost among cultivators.

"Madam Zhang, I have brought a new guest with me."

Gu Lin bowed and scraped as he introduced Zhou Yuan.

The woman, referred to as Madam Zhang, merely glanced at Zhou Yuan casually.

When she sensed that Zhou Yuan possessed the cultivation level of the eleventh level of Qi Refining, her attitude was not enthusiastic, but rather carried a hint of casualness that was barely perceptible.

Clearly, a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator was not enough for her to truly value.

She simply nodded, then turned and led Zhou Yuan into the house.

The furnishings inside were extremely simple, with nothing but a table and a few chairs.

Without saying a word, the woman walked straight to a corner of the room, stretched out a hand, and gently pressed it onto the rough ground.

A flash of yellow light appeared on her hand.

The solid ground rippled like water, silently cracking open a large, dark hole, revealing a stone staircase leading underground.

The woman called out to Zhou Yuan and then went down the steps first.

Zhou Yuan remained wary and followed at a leisurely pace.

The stairs were short, ending at a heavy stone door.

Two burly cultivators wearing black masks stood before the stone gate.

As Zhou Yuan approached, he frowned.

Foundation Establishment cultivator!

And there were two of them!

Zhou Yuan was deeply shaken, and his steps faltered.

The fact that two genuine Foundation Establishment stage cultivators were used to guard the gates meant that the scale of this auction far exceeded his expectations.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators saw Madam Zhang leading the way, and then glanced at Zhou Yuan following behind. Without saying a word, they worked together to push open the heavy stone door.

Zhou Yuan composed himself and stepped inside.

Beyond the stone gate lies a world completely different from the dilapidated huts outside.

A magnificent, brightly lit hall appeared before his eyes.

The hall is oval-shaped, with a diameter of several tens of feet. The floor is paved with smooth, mirror-like jade, and the walls are inlaid with moonstones that emit a soft glow.

Inside the hall were seven or eight rows of comfortable wooden chairs, where dozens of monks dressed in various styles were already seated.

Without exception, all of these people wore large cloaks and various masks, completely concealing their identities and faces.

Zhou Yuan's outfit actually looks perfectly normal here.

His divine sense carefully swept over it, and his heart skipped a beat again.

Among the dozens of cultivators present, more than half were Foundation Establishment stage cultivators!

This was the first time since he embarked on the path of immortality that he had seen so many Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered together.

Forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he found a corner seat at the back and tried to minimize his presence.

Beside him sat a cultivator also wearing a cloak, whose aura indicated he was at the twelfth level of Qi Refining.

After waiting a while longer, and as more people entered, a small door on the side of the hall opened.

Three people, also dressed in black and wearing masks, came out and went straight to a lonely empty table at the front of the hall.

One of them stepped forward and briefly explained the rules of the auction in a flat, emotionless tone.

It's simply a matter of the highest bidder wins; bartering is possible, and payment can be settled in person...

After a brief opening speech, the auction officially began.

The man in black wasted no more time, patted his storage bag, and took out a knife-shaped magical artifact.

The ritual implement is entirely crimson, with what appears to be scorching flames flowing across its blade; it is in good condition.

"Next, the first item to be auctioned is a top-tier magic weapon, the Fiery Cloud Blade. This one..."