Arc 14: Dayan Empire | Chapter 252: Barter

Arc 14: Dayan Empire | Chapter 252: Barter

Translator: Lynn

Sponsored chapter (6/8)

Xu Ziqing felt a slight sway, and then his vision cleared as he found himself standing on solid ground.

When he opened his eyes, he saw they were in a stone room, much smaller than the auction venue they had visited earlier. The room looked quite crude, with only a stone platform at the front and a few stone benches scattered around.

Nan Zhengya, exuding authority, scanned the room with his spiritual sense before sitting on a stone bench. “Nephew, come here,” he commanded.

Xu Ziqing was slightly surprised but didn’t show it. He understood that this was a way to conceal their identities and went along with it.

He noticed that everyone in the room had a strong aura. Among them, he felt like a sheep in a lion’s den. If not for Nan Zhengya’s presence, he might have easily given himself away due to the vast difference in their cultivation levels.

Everyone in the stone room, like Nan Zhengya, hid their appearance. Some used shape-shifting techniques, while others employed techniques, strange treasures, or auras to obscure themselves.

Initially, there were only a few people in the room, indicating that Nan Zhengya and Xu Ziqing had arrived early. Within half an hour, more people trickled in until there were nearly a hundred, each taking a seat and not communicating with others. Some brought “nephews” like Nan Zhengya, but most were alone.

Around the time of Chen, when no more people arrived, the stone platform emitted a wave, and the room underwent subtle changes.

Nan Zhengya whispered to Xu Ziqing, “This seals the entrance. No one else can enter now.”

Latecomers could only accept their bad luck.

Xu Ziqing nodded, understanding why Nan Zhengya had been so urgent.

The underground barter, overseen by Longhang Firm, began when a steward addressed the group, “The time has come, fellow Taoists. You may now exchange items.”

As soon as he finished speaking, several people leaped onto the stone platform simultaneously.

Xu Ziqing raised an eyebrow. The bartering rules were evidently different from those of an auction. He guessed that these people wanted to seize an opportunity before their desired items were taken by others.

Even non-thunder attribute cultivators could benefit from this fruit. If not for consumption, it could be used to refine a thunder attribute treasure, significantly enhancing one’s strength. Such a valuable item was hard to pass up.

Several cultivators couldn’t help but consider the offer.

A few individuals stepped forward, suggesting dual spiritual root furnaces with a pure fire physique or a Red Flame Fruit that could catalyze a single fire spiritual root, but the man rejected these offers.

It turned out that the man’s lover was severely injured and required a specific cauldron for healing. A Golden Core virgin was the best option.

In the cultivation world, pairing up for practice is common, often driven by shared interests and skills, leading to “right family” unions for achieving immortality and benefiting future generations. However, it was extremely rare to find someone like this man, willing to sacrifice so much for his lover.

Some people sympathized with him, while others sneered, but they all gained a bit more understanding of his situation. Those who were declined had no choice but to walk away in frustration.

The man on the stage frowned and said, “Is there really no one? I’ll compromise. If someone can provide the exact whereabouts of such a cauldron, that will suffice. As long as a fellow Taoist accompanies me to capture it, I will still offer the Tribulation-breaking Thunder Fruit and will not go back on my word.” After this statement, another person finally spoke up.

A slightly plump patriarch, appearing quite pleased, said, “Come sit with me, fellow Taoist. After this barter meeting concludes, I will take you back to my sect, and then we can capture that person together.” The man laughed heartily and immediately took a seat next to him.

Xu Ziqing was quietly puzzled. From what he gathered, it seemed the patriarch was referring to one of his own sect disciples. This disciple, possessing exceptional aptitude, was likely close to forming an alchemy core. However, unbeknownst to him, he was betrayed by his own elders and was about to be taken away to become a cauldron. The selfishness and treachery of the Nascent Soul patriarch disgusted Xu Ziqing. He felt anger for the disciple, especially since his good friend had almost faced a similar fate. This deepened his disdain for the practice of treating people as mere tools. His brows furrowed even tighter at the thought.

Just then, Xu Ziqing heard a cold snort from the person beside him.

He found it strange, as he didn’t expect Nan Zhengya to feel any pity for a stranger.

But Nan Zhengya said in a low voice, “Do you know who he’s talking about?”

Xu Ziqing’s pupils contracted as he grasped the implication.

Sure enough, Nan Zhengya sneered and said, “He’s talking about me.”

Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

Support me on ko-fi if you like what I do^^