Refining Ruins Cauldron

Once inside the market, in addition to shops, there were also many vendors lining both sides of the road.

All sorts of things are available.

As long as you have spirit stones, there's almost nothing you can't buy.

The number of cultivators coming and going was endless, and their various costumes were dazzling.

They must all be disciples from different sects.

Besides these, there are also quite a few independent cultivators.

Gu Qingyun and his companion did not rush to the auction house immediately, but instead wandered around the market.

I said I'd bring Gu Qingyun here to broaden her horizons, so of course we have to take a look around.

On their way, the two passed a roadside stall.

Each person has a piece of cloth, on which are scattered various items for people to choose from.

The stall owner enthusiastically hawked his wares, attracting the attention of passing monks.

"A thousand-year-old spiritual herb, costing only thirty spirit stones!"

"Fellow Daoist, wait a moment. I see a connection between us. How about I sell this mid-grade Yellow Rank cultivation technique to you for two hundred spirit stones?"

"If you're not satisfied, I have other magical artifacts and treasures here, all ancient relics, true objects of immortals!"

Gu Qingyun walked closer and stopped.

The stall owner looked to be in his early forties, middle-aged, but his cultivation level was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, which would probably be the limit for him in this lifetime.

Gu Qingyun wasn't interested in the other cultivation techniques and magical artifacts; the only things that caught his attention were those few spiritual herbs.

"How much do I need these elixirs?"

Gu Qingyun spoke up, explaining that the processing of these spiritual herbs was extremely rudimentary, resulting in a significant loss of the spiritual energy they contained.

It won't be long before it becomes waste.

"Oh, I didn't expect this fellow Daoist to have such discerning taste! These spiritual herbs were all picked by me just a few days ago, risking my life to go up the mountain!"

The stall owner's eyes lit up when he saw a customer.

"These medicinal herbs are of extremely high quality, and their medicinal properties are fully preserved; they are truly rare treasures!"

"If I weren't short of spirit stones, I wouldn't be in a hurry to sell them; I'd definitely keep them for myself!"

As he spoke, the stall owner even sighed dramatically, pretending to be quite troubled.

"Alright then, if you really want it, I'll give you ten spirit stones to take it all. That's already cost price, I can't go any lower."

The stall owner made a "ten" gesture with his hand, his tone still carrying a hint of reluctance.

While speaking, he didn't forget to observe Gu Qingyun's expression.

Clearly, the ability to read people's expressions and moods is an essential skill for these vendors.

Unfortunately, Gu Qingyun wasn't buying it.

"These medicinal herbs are indeed good things, but your processing method was too rough, which caused a serious loss of spiritual energy. They are now less than 30% intact."

Gu Qingyun slowly shook his head: "Even if you pack all these spiritual herbs together, they wouldn't be worth five spirit stones."

After hearing Gu Qingyun's analysis, the stall owner's expression changed. He looked at the former again, and decided to stop pretending.

"I didn't expect to run into a veteran in a place like this. So, how much are you planning to offer?"

Although somewhat reluctant, the stall owner had no choice but to compromise.

He knew perfectly well what Gu Qingyun was saying: if he kept them, these medicinal herbs would only become a burden.

At that time, not a single spirit stone will be able to be sold.

"How about this, pack all the medicinal herbs together, and I can give you five spirit stones, no extra charge."

Gu Qingyun pondered for a moment, adopting a thoughtful expression, and finally spoke.

There were a total of ten medicinal herbs on the stall, but none of them looked very appealing.

If you really think about it, the stall owner can still make a profit from five spirit stones.

After only a moment's hesitation, the stall owner readily agreed.

He packed all the medicinal herbs and stuffed them into Gu Qingyun's hands.

After verifying that everything was correct, Gu Qingyun gave him five spirit stones with satisfaction.

These medicinal herbs are nearly extinct, and the spiritual energy they contain has become extremely thin.

But this did not stump Gu Qingyun. As long as the Refining Cauldron evolved, these spiritual herbs could be restored to their original state at any time.

It can even elevate the quality and age to another level!

After putting the items back into her magic bag, Luo Mei led Gu Qingyun to continue strolling through the market.

On this trip, Gu Qingyun bought a lot of spiritual herbs, mostly from bargains found at small stalls.

After circling around a few times, seeing that it was almost time, the two headed towards the auction house.

"Have you gone mad from refining pills? That waste isn't even worth five spirit stones, and you still want to buy it from him?"

Luo Mei rolled her eyes at Gu Qingyun, annoyed.

Even though it's not my own spirit stones that's being spent, there's no need to buy a bunch of junk, right?

"Is there any spiritual medicine in the Pill Hall that you can't obtain?"

Seeing this, Gu Qingyun did not rush to respond, but simply shook his head slowly.

The Dan Hall does indeed have spiritual plants, with all kinds of varieties available.

But everything you get needs to be registered.

The pills produced must also be handed over to the sect, a practice that has continued for thousands of years.

Who knows when they'll be able to gather all the elixirs they need?

Gu Qingyun's biggest problem right now is time; he can't afford to wait.

The auction house is located in the very center of the market. As the most luxurious place in the entire market, the building has three floors and is decorated in a very grand manner.

The mere appearance of the storefront was enough to surprise Gu Qingyun.

Even in the Longevity Sect, such luxurious decorations have never been seen.

With Luo Mei leading the way, Gu Qingyun quickly entered the auction house.

As planned, Gu Qingyun took out a bottle of Guiyuan Pills and found the auctioneer in charge of the auction.

"Please inform them if you are looking for your manager."

"clear."

Soon, a middle-aged man with a憨态可掬 (憨态可掬 is a Chinese idiom meaning "endearing and simple-minded") appearance, swaying his large belly, walked over step by step.

The middle-aged man, dressed in brocade robes that were undeniably luxurious, greeted us with a beaming smile.

Gu Qingyun frowned slightly. Judging from the aura, this guy's cultivation was definitely not weak!

It is even highly likely that they are above him.

Even now, Gu Qingyun doesn't seem to have reached the specific level of maturity one would expect from a middle-aged person.

"Kid, there are some things you should see and some things you shouldn't see. You'd better figure that out."

The middle-aged man clearly sensed that Gu Qingyun was probing him, but he remained calm and smiled as he spoke.

"Alright, Manager Shen, let's get straight to the point and not waste our time on this."

Lomei struck up a conversation.

She was quite surprised, never expecting that Gu Qingyun would have a top-grade Guiyuan Pill.

Don't underestimate the Guiyuan Pill just because it's only grade one. The top-grade Guiyuan Pill is already close to grade two.

Its efficacy and power are even greater than some ordinary second-grade pills.

More importantly, the Guiyuan Pill is exceptionally effective for ordinary Qi Refining cultivators.

The middle-aged man accepted the jade bottle, but did not immediately agree to it.

Instead, he continued, "The items are indeed of high quality, but the quantity..."

Without needing to ask further, Gu Qingyun knew what it meant.

He took out four more bottles, making a total of five bottles!

Five bottles of top-grade Rejuvenation Pills!

Even if it's just a first-grade pill, the advantage lies in the quantity!

Originally, Manager Shen might have only glanced at one bottle of Guiyuan Pills, but now there are five!

It would be hard for him not to be tempted!

"What's your relationship with Old Ghost Huo Qian? Who refined this Returning Origin Pill?"

Manager Shen got straight to the point, his gaze falling on Gu Qingyun.

His eyes widened suddenly, as if he had just thought of something.

"Could it be...?"