Chapter 196: Chapter 179: Tier 2 High-Grade Cold Abyss Spirit Water

However, the outcome was clearly a disappointment to the onlookers. The herb, it seemed, was not very popular. Seeing this, he had no choice but to finish his statement:

"I wish to trade this herb for a bottle of Tier Two Middle-Grade Wood Attribute Cultivation Pills. The specific type of pill does not matter, but it must be of top-notch quality."

After he finished speaking, his gaze, tinged with anticipation, swept across the crowd below. It lingered for a moment on a few Cultivators whose robes bore clear Wood attribute spiritual patterns or whose auras felt gentle and profound.

However, a brief silence fell over the hall. While the Purple Wood Heart Grass was indeed valuable, its use was relatively specific—mainly for refining the particular Purple Wood Spirit Pill. In contrast, Tier Two Middle-Grade Wood Attribute Cultivation Pills had a much broader use and greater value.

Those present either had no urgent need for it or, after secretly weighing the options, felt the two items were not of equal value. For a moment, no one responded.

Weii Qingping waited for a moment. Seeing the continued silence below the Jade Platform, he showed no sign of displeasure, merely offering a knowing, calm smile. ’It seems this item’s fate doesn’t lie with any of you here today. Such are the whims of fortune; they cannot be forced.’ He closed the Cold Jade Box, and the aura it emitted was instantly contained. Composed, he walked off the Jade Platform.

After Weii Qingping’s opening act, the atmosphere of the Trade Assembly gradually ignited. One after another, Cultivators walked onto the smooth Jade Platform, displaying their treasured possessions under the halo of light shed by the Star Sand and announcing what they sought in return.

From time to time, low cries of surprise or amazement would echo through the hall, occasionally followed by tense bidding. Some succeeded in trading for their desired items, returning to their seats with joyful expressions. Others were not so fortunate, and they walked off the Jade Platform shaking their heads, their faces tinged with regret and helplessness.

Lu Zhao remained seated in the shadows of a corner, unmoving as a boulder. His gaze was as calm as still water, and he observed every transaction without a change in expression.

The items that appeared on the stage were a dazzling array: rare Artifact Refining Ores gleaming with an eerie metallic luster; strange and unusually shaped Spirit Medicines suffused with Spiritual Qi; and powerful Magical Artifact Talismans with runes flowing across their surfaces...

Among them were a few rare and exotic treasures that even stirred his heart slightly. However, in each case, he either lacked the specific item sought in trade, or the asking price in Middle-Grade Spirit Stones was simply astronomical—far exceeding both his expectations and his assessment of the item’s true worth.

After repeatedly weighing his options, he chose to suppress his impulses and quietly wait for the right opportunity.

Time slipped by quietly amid the shimmering radiance of one treasure after another and the low murmurs of bartering. Outside, the sunlight slanted, and inside the hall, the glow of the Star Sand seemed to have grown a little brighter.

At this moment, a young man with a slightly arrogant air and a hint of self-satisfaction in his eyes walked onto the Jade Platform. He looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and was quite handsome. An eye-catching Identity Jade Token hung from his waist, carved from Profound Jade with the image of a Medicine Cauldron at its center, proclaiming his close connection to the Sect’s Pill Hall. His Cultivation was already at the Peak of Early-stage Foundation Establishment.

Unlike some of the previous participants, he dispensed with the polite pleasantries. With a flip of his hand, he produced a fist-sized, crystal-clear blue Jade Bottle.

The moment the Jade Bottle appeared, without the stopper even being opened, an intensely pure, ferocious cold erupted from it—a cold so profound it felt as though it could freeze the very Spiritual Soul!

CRACK... CRACK...

An invisible sound of ice cracking seemed to echo in the air. Wisps of tangible, frosty qi, like living things, seeped from the bottle’s body, condensing on the floor at a visible rate. Even the cool brilliance shed by the Star Sand on the ceiling seemed to be distorted and suppressed by this coldness. The temperature in the hall plummeted!

"This Spirit Water is called ’Cold Abyss Spirit Water,’" the young man’s voice was clear, laced with a self-satisfied confidence in the treasure he carried.

"It comes from the extreme depths beneath Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice, taking a thousand years of bitter cold to form. It contains a sliver of pure Ice Attribute Spiritual Qi, making it supremely yin and frigid, and incomparably pure. It is an excellent Spiritual Material for refining Water and Ice Attribute Tier Two Spiritual Artifacts, and it can also help fellow disciples who practice Water and Ice Attribute Cultivation Techniques to break through bottlenecks and refine their Magical Power! This Spirit Water is of top-notch quality, having reached Tier Two High-Grade!"

His words were forceful and resonant. He slightly raised the Jade Bottle in his hand, and the Cold Qi churning around it surged even more violently.

His gaze swept over the audience, lingering pointedly on a few Cultivators who exuded fluctuations of Water Attribute Spiritual Power, as well as on two family representatives who wore thin veils and had icy auras. "I wish to trade this Spirit Water for a Pill or Spiritual Object that can significantly aid in breaking through my current bottleneck at Early-stage Foundation Establishment!"

"My goal is specific: something like a ’Tier Two Barrier Breaking Pill’! If you have something else of equivalent value and function, it can also be discussed." He specifically emphasized "significantly aid" and "equivalent value."

These words, like a giant boulder dropped into a calm lake, instantly caused a commotion below. A chorus of sharp inhalations and hushed whispers erupted!

Tier Two High-Grade Cold Abyss Spirit Water!

Such a Treasure of Heaven and Earth, born of nature and condensed from the world’s most frigid spiritual energy, was a rare and hard-to-find item even within a Major Sect with a deep heritage like the Bixia Sect!

Its uses were extremely broad and its value immense. For Cultivators who specialized in Water or Ice-path Cultivation Techniques, or for those who needed an extremely cold Spiritual Material for Artifact Refining, it was practically a dream-come-true Treasure!

Many people’s gazes instantly turned fiery, their breathing growing heavier as they secretly calculated what Spiritual Objects they could offer.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhao, still seated in the corner, felt his pupils contract sharply upon hearing ’Tier Two High-Grade Cold Abyss Spirit Water.’ This item was also of great use to him. He quickly extended an extremely subtle Divine Sense Thread, sending it out silently. It gently and precisely brushed against the Jade Bottle wreathed in Cold Qi.

The feedback his Divine Sense received was a bone-chilling cold that felt as if it could freeze his very Soul. The Spiritual Power contained within was vast and majestic, yet also pure and condensed. It was, indeed, just like the descriptions of Cold Abyss Spirit Water!

At the same time, Lu Zhao’s perception also confirmed the young man’s true Cultivation—the Peak of Early-stage Foundation Establishment. Although the man’s aura was powerful, the fluctuations of his Magical Power were slightly unstable and turbulent. His foundation was clearly not particularly solid; no wonder he was willing to trade such an item for a breakthrough Pill.

Finally, detailed information related to the item flashed through his mind, confirming that the description and the records he knew of matched perfectly!

’If I can get my hands on this, my Hundred Waters Magic Disc could become more than just a Tier Two Lower Grade Magical Artifact...’ Lu Zhao was already considering what he could offer in trade. The problem was, he didn’t have what the young man wanted. He decided to test the waters first. If that failed, he’d consider offering the Tier Two Spiritual Materials he possessed. ’This item is too important. I have to do whatever it takes to get it.’

And just as several powerful Water-Attribute Cultivators and a few family representatives had begun to murmur amongst themselves with serious expressions, preparing to make their bids, a calm, almost indifferent voice rose from a corner at the edge of the hall. It cut cleanly through the buzzing whispers of the crowd, reaching everyone’s ears:

"I do not possess the Tier Two Barrier Breaking Pill you mentioned."

Lu Zhao’s voice was unhurried, his words clear. "However, I am willing to offer five thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones, plus thirty Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, in exchange for this bottle of Spirit Water."

The moment this price was announced, a strange silence fell over the hall. Nearly every gaze swiveled in unison toward the source of the voice, focusing on the figure seated in the corner.

The amount of Spirit Stones wasn’t an outrageous price for a Tier Two High-Grade material, but it was by no means high, especially at an internal trade meet like this where bartering was the norm and rare items often fetched a serious premium.

Making a direct offer with Spirit Stones was already considered somewhat improper, and this specific bid felt more like an almost-offensive probe.

Upon hearing Lu Zhao’s bid, the young Pill Master on the platform, who had been sure he held a rare commodity he could sell for a premium, felt his expression darken instantly. His brows knitted together, a flash of anger in his eyes. He worried that if Lu Zhao did this, others might get the same idea, and he would never get a high price for his Spirit Water.

He followed the voice to Lu Zhao, staring at his face and his black Daoist Robe. His tone rose, laced with displeasure, "Junior Brother! What I seek is a critical item for my breakthrough! Spirit Stones are fine, but they are not my priority right now! And you offer a mere five thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones and thirty Middle-Grade Spirit Stones?"

He hefted the chillingly cold Jade Bottle in his hand and said with added emphasis, "Junior Brother, are you trying to make a fool of me? How could the value of Cold Abyss Spirit Water of this quality possibly be measured in such a small amount of Spirit Stones?"

Faced with these hostile words and the stares of nearly everyone in the hall, Lu Zhao’s expression remained unchanged. Not even an eyebrow twitched; it was as if the other man’s displeasure was nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing past his face.

He merely lifted his eyelids slightly, his calm gaze meeting that of the seemingly young Pill Master. His voice remained as placid and steady as before. "I am indeed sincere in my desire for this item. If Senior Brother insists on trading only for a specific Pill or Spiritual Object, then I can only express my regret and watch from the sidelines."

He paused for a moment, his tone unchanging, but pointed out a more practical consideration. "However, a transaction in Spirit Stones is the most convenient and reliable. Senior Brother may wish to weigh the pros and cons. If you feel there is room to negotiate the price, we can discuss it further."

His words were neither servile nor overbearing, clearly stating his desire while cleverly leaving the door open for a potential price increase.

More importantly, he highlighted the core advantage of a Spirit Stone transaction—no need to waste time and energy searching for some elusive, specific Pill. The deal could be done on the spot, with immediate payment.

Hearing this, the young Pill Master’s expression flickered rapidly between anger and a hint of indecision. He was indeed in urgent need of a Pill to help him break through to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, but such Pills were the kind that had a price but no market—they could only be chanced upon, not sought out. Even with Tier Two High-Grade Spirit Water, a trade was not guaranteed.

This fellow in the corner, though his Spirit Stone offer was unwelcome, was resolute in his attitude. And the fact that he could immediately produce such a large sum of usable Spirit Stones meant he was clearly well-off! ’If I could get my hands on those Spirit Stones, I could try to purchase what I need from the Alchemist circles within the sect, or just wait for a large-scale auction...’

’Perhaps this deal isn’t completely out of the question?’ The other party seemed determined to have it and had left room for negotiation. ’Maybe I can use this to drive the price way up?’ This thought, like a flame leaping from a crack in ice, caused a calculating glint to flash in his eyes.

In the end, however, he decided to hear other offers first and did not respond to Lu Zhao’s bid.

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