Nine Evolutions of the True Spirit

“Twelve saber teeth from a late-stage first-class Sharp Teeth Fish. They can be used to craft low and even mid-grade mystic instruments. I’m willing to trade them for two bottles of medicinal pellets for the Eighth and Ninth Layer Blood Refining Realm.”

On the stage, a side hall disciple was showing his spoils from the training mission to trade for cultivation materials. Sitting below the stage, Lu Ping couldn’t help shaking his head in disappointment.

He was initially looking forward to the trade fair, thinking that he could barter for some useful items. However, more than a third of the disciples in attendance had gone up to the stage but none of their wares caught Lu Ping’s interest.

No wonder less than a hundred attended the trade fair, though more than 140 side hall and outer hall disciples had returned from their training missions. Especially the strong and notable Ninth Layer Blood Refining Realm disciples, none of them were here.

That said, it wasn’t that there was nothing here was worthwhile. Who wouldn’t have something good to trade if they were able to return from their mission? Who would go on stage to display something inferior only to embarrass themselves?

Unfortunately, Lu Ping was quite a wealthy man now; some items that were valuable to ordinary Blood Refining Realm disciples were nothing to him already.

While the other ordinary Blood Refining Realm disciples were busy negotiating over low-grade mystic instruments or a bottle of medicinal pellets, Lu Ping already had his eyes fixed on better items such as mid-grade mystic instruments and Blood Condensing Pellets.

Just as Lu Ping was about to leave the trade fair, a well-known Ninth Layer Blood Refining Realm outer hall disciple walked up on stage. He took out a 500-year spirit herb used to concoct Blood Condensing Pellets, launching the crowd into a burst of amazed mutterings.

Lu Ping couldn’t help straightening his back as he listened closely to the person’s request.

“A 500-year-old Fragrant Obscure Grass that is required to concoct Blood Condensing Pellets. I wish to trade it for medicinal pellets used for the Ninth Layer Blood Refining Realm. The higher the quality of medicinal pellets, the better.”

A knowledgeable outer hall disciple couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Martial Brother Xu, why are you trading this spirit herb? Don’t you know you can exchange a Blood Condensing Pellet from the sect once you’ve gathered 8 of these?”

Senior Martial Brother Xu looked at the stage below and said with a smile, “I’ve already settled my supply of Blood Condensing Pellets. It’s my cultivation base that is lacking now and I wish to improve it as soon as possible.”

Senior Martial Brother Xu enjoyed the enviable gazes from below the stage, feeling a little proud as he asked again, “Is there anyone looking to trade?”

Only then did the disciples recollect their thoughts. One could clearly see how important and how high the status of Blood Condensing Pellets were to Blood Refining Realm disciples.

The disciples began to assess their wealth, weighing their chances of taking home this precious spirit herb.

“Senior Martial Brother, I wonder if I can trade spirit stones for it?”

“Senior Martial Brother, can we exchange it for valuables of a similar value?”

Senior Martial Brother Xu frowned. “I’m sorry. I’m only willing to exchange it for medicinal pellets, not spirit stones, nor other valuables.”

“Senior Martial Brother, I have three bottles of Blood Purification Pellets, totaling up to 30 pellets. I can make up the rest with spirit stones. How’s that?” As the disciple spoke, he quickly borrowed spirit stones from those he knew around him.

“Blood Purification Pellets? Those are used in the Sixth and Seventh Layers. Senior Martial Brother, I have three bottles of Blood Essence Pellets and six more bottles of Blood Purification Pellets. How about that?” Although this disciple was wealthy, he didn’t have enough medicinal pellets and had to borrow from others as well.

“I’m sorry. I need at least six bottles of Blood Essence Pellets used for the Eighth and Ninth Layer Blood Refining Realm. Blood Purification Pellets are already ineffective to me now.”

With these words, the clamor from the crowd abruptly calmed down. Only a few disciples were still asking their acquaintances for medicinal pellets in hopes that they could gather enough to seal the deal.

Senior Martial Brother Xu was a little disappointed at seeing such disordered disciples. It wasn’t that no one was wealthy enough to buy the spirit herb, it was because no one could gather the amount of medicinal pellets that he needed.

Even if someone could gather enough, this loss in resources would deal a heavy blow to the buyer’s own cultivation progress.

“Senior Martial Brother Xu, what do you think of these medicinal pellets?” A disciple, who looked roughly 18 years old, suddenly stood up and threw a jade bottle toward Senior Martial Brother Xu.

Senior Martial Brother Xu grabbed the jade bottle and opened it. His eyes brightened up and he quickly asked, “Junior Martial Brother, how many of these medicinal pellets do you have? If you have enough of them, I’ll accept the deal.”

Lu Ping smiled. “I was already lucky enough to get this one bottle. However, I can top it up with three more bottles of Blood Essence Pellets to trade for Senior Martial Brother’s Fragrant Obscure Grass. How about that?”

At hearing there was only one bottle, Senior Martial Brother Xu looked regretful. But Lu Ping’s additional offer left him quite satisfied, and so he said, “If that’s the case, then this spirit herb is now yours, Junior Martial Brother.”

The disciples below saw Lu Ping seal the deal, feeling both amazed by his wealth and curious about the bottle of medicinal pellets that were worth the same as three bottles of Blood Essence Pellets.

Naturally, the jade bottle contained the best medicinal pellets one could use in the Blood Refining Realm, the Blood Vigor Pellets.

Lu Ping ignored the disciples’ discussions, walked up to the stage, and completed the exchange. At the same time, he lowered his voice and whispered, “I wonder if Senior Martial Brother has any more spirit herbs for Blood Condensing Pellets? I can exchange six bottles of Blood Essence Pellets for another one.”

Although Senior Martial Brother Xu was surprised by Lu Ping’s wealth, he could only give a helpless smile and say, “How could they be so easily found? I only managed to gather three of them myself. But as I’ve found another way to obtain my Blood Condensing Pellets, I’ve exchanged two for a mystic instrument and medicinal pellets. This is the last one I have.”

Lu Ping had no choice but to return to his seat. He’d easily gathered five of the spirit herbs needed for the Blood Condensing Pellets, so he had no idea how difficult it would be to obtain just one piece. This trade fair had truly shocked him—he finally understood the true value of those five spirit herbs.

Including the one he just exchanged, he now had six of the required spirit herbs. The Blood Condensing Pellet was soon within reach.

After the spirit herb exchange, the trade fair finally started to take flight. One after another, the disciples displayed valuable items on stage, with those below competing fiercely for them. The trade fair started becoming lively all of a sudden.

Many of the items had also widened his horizons. Those who passed their training missions had their own gains to show for it. Even Lu Ping was interested in some of the items displayed, but unfortunately, none of them were really useful to him.

Finally, it was his turn to go up on stage. The disciples were all observing this side hall disciple who obtained the Fragrant Obscure Grass, wondering what kind of item he would bring out.

Lu Ping’s initial intention was to get himself a mid-grade mystic instrument, but after experiencing half of the trade fair, Lu Ping was disappointed that just a few low-grade mystic instruments were up for exchange.

If he asked to trade for a mid-grade mystic instrument now, chances were slim that he’d receive an offer, not to mention the amount of attention it would attract. Hence, he changed his plan.

Lu Ping walked up on stage and took out a wooden box from his interspatial pouch, opening it to reveal a stack of charms. “Fifty top-grade charms. I wish to trade them for any types of fine iron of the same value!”