Immortal Path Space

Chapter 24: Free Market Square

Wang Hong, seeing the situation, also joined the crowd. The demonic beast meat had a vibrant red color, adorned with snowflake-like patterns.

"Everyone knows the strength of a first-grade intermediate demonic beast, equivalent to the mid-stage of Qi Cultivation for an Immortal Cultivator. My brothers and I worked hard for half a day to hunt down this Golden-haired Demon Bull," the black-faced man continued to explain. "Demonic beast meat is rich in spiritual energy. Consuming it can enhance cultivation, much more cost-effective than Spirit Rice. Spirit Rice requires one Spirit Stone per kilogram."

"Don't deceive me, friend. How can demonic beast meat be compared to Spirit Rice?" The middle-aged man in the midst of bargaining shook his head. "The Spirit Qi in Spirit Rice is balanced and easy to assimilate, safe with no side effects. On the other hand, the Spirit Qi in demonic beast meat is violent and not easily absorbable. Prolonged consumption may even affect one's sanity."

"What you're talking about would only happen after continuous consumption for several years. Who would eat demonic beast meat every day for years?"

"Besides, you can always have a Spirit Chef prepare it. Spirit Meals made by Spirit Chefs are not only delicious with no side effects, but their effects are also more potent," the black-faced man added.

The bargaining went back and forth, and after a while, the black-faced man nodded in agreement. He cut a large piece of meat, threaded it with a grass rope, and handed it to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man took it and pulled out a crystal from his pocket. It was a square-shaped crystal, only the size of a fingertip, crystal clear, emitting a greenish glow. He handed it to the black-faced man.

Wang Hong speculated that this crystal was probably a Spirit Stone. Were these Immortal Masters using these stones as currency? He needed to find a way to get a few and see.

Moving on, Wang Hong discovered that this area was entirely based on transactions using Spirit Stones, albeit with different colors. The variety of items for sale was vast, but Wang Hong didn't recognize any of them. He remained calm, considering it an opportunity to broaden his knowledge.

At one stall, there were two piles of ore. One was shiny and black with a sign reading "Profound Iron Ore, one Spirit Stone per kilogram," and the other was red with a sign reading "Red Copper, two Spirit Stones per kilogram." Wang Hong stood nearby and, from others' conversations, learned that these were used for crafting artifacts. But what exactly were artifacts?

There was another stall selling materials supposedly from demonic beasts three-foot-long horns, giant claws, and even a small handful of golden fur, all described by the vendor in a mystical way.

Now, Wang Hong found himself intrigued by a Spirit Herb stall. Finally, he encountered something he could recognize.

On the stall, there was a one-foot-long medicinal herb with white stems and emerald green heart-shaped leaves. It was the Green Leafy Vine mentioned in the records, a precious medicinal herb that Wang Hong had long wished to see. Its stem would turn green after ten years of maturity and continue to darken after fifty years.

There was also a Turtle Leaf Grass with vein patterns resembling a turtle's back, another extremely rare herb according to the records.

The stall also displayed several other medicinal herbs that Wang Hong didn't recognize but assumed to be rare as well.

At other stalls, Wang Hong found several precious herbs recorded in various ancient texts.

At yet another stall, he discovered a hundred-year-old Ginseng. Inquiring about the price, he learned it was selling for twenty Spirit Stones.

Hearing this price, Wang Hong felt considerably relieved. With dozens of followers under his command, he had been worried about becoming penniless, but now, at least for a short time, he didn't have to worry about running out of Spirit Stones. It was like securing his first substantial earnings. He still had one or two hundred ginseng plants in his Space, some of which were over two hundred years old.

"Come and take a look! Various cultivation technique books are on sale at affordable prices! Pick and choose, there's always one suitable for you!"

A tall and thin young man was loudly advertising nearby.

"Passersby, don't miss out! Once you leave this village, there won't be another shop like this!"

At the tall and thin stall, there were hundreds of various books, and a crowd had gathered to browse.

Wang Hong also approached, finding a chaotic mix of books of all kinds piled together.

The first book that caught his eye featured a voluptuous beauty on the cover, titled "One Hundred Techniques to Woo Female Cultivators." Flipping through, he found it filled with mundane content. Wang Hong wondered, "Are immortals really this idle?"

He randomly picked up another book, "Basic Fire Elemental Spells." While he recognized the characters individually, strung together, the content made no sense to him.

Trying "Wood Elemental Techniques," a cultivation method similar to inner strength techniques, still left him perplexed.

Among the stack, he found a thick book with "Comprehensive Guide to Cultivation Basics" written in bold calligraphy on the cover. Flipping through, he realized it was perfect for his current needs. It covered various fundamental aspects of cultivation, including brief reviews of cultivation techniques, introductions to spiritual beings, and common knowledge in the cultivation world.

Thinking about it, Wang Hong decided to find a way to buy this book. He raised the book he was holding and asked, "How much for this book?"

The tall and thin vendor glanced at Wang Hong and said, "Ten Spirit Stones."

Then, he continued to shout, seemingly not expecting Wang Hong to afford it. Feeling reluctant, Wang Hong put the book down and continued walking.

After spending a few hours exploring the entire square and checking every stall, Wang Hong had a fruitful harvest.

He planned to sell some items from his Space, gather Spirit Stones, as all transactions here were conducted in Spirit Stones or through direct barter.

Wang Hong considered two items in his Space suitable for sale. Apart from the Ginseng he saw earlier, he was surprised to find that the Rice Grains and Wheat he cultivated had grown to the height of a person over the years. The growth cycle had also increased significantly, taking over ten days, roughly equivalent to a full year for maturity. The most notable change was that the grains were now as big as chicken eggs, crystal clear, and with an improved taste.

Earlier, he came across a stall selling Spirit Grains, identical to the Rice Grains in his Space. They were priced at one Spirit Stone for ten Spirit Grains.

Since Wang Hong had plenty of Spirit Grains in his Space, he could sell them to acquire Spirit Stones. However, Spirit Grains had a larger volume, making it inconvenient to take them out in this crowded place.

The stalls in the square offered a variety of goods, mostly for sale, and some specifically for purchasing various items. There were numerous stalls advertising the purchase of Spirit Herbs.

Wang Hong found an Old Man with a kind face, took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, and handed it to the Old Man.

"Old man, take a look at this and tell me how much it's worth in Spirit Stones."

The Old Man slowly opened the cloth bag, revealing two large Ginseng plants with complete roots, very fresh.

"Young man, these two Ginseng plants are in excellent condition, with a dense concentration of Spirit Qi. They should have been growing in a place with abundant Spirit Qi. Judging by the age, they should be around a hundred years old."

The Old Man covered the bag again and said casually, "For these two Ginseng plants, I can offer a maximum of thirty-five Spirit Stones. If you agree, we can make the deal right away."

After a brief consideration, Wang Hong nodded in agreement. Two Ginseng plants like this should be worth around forty Spirit Stones if sold individually. Taking into account the profit margin for the buyer, receiving thirty-five Spirit Stones was reasonable. He took the Spirit Stones handed to him by the Old Man and quickly stashed them in his pocket.

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