Chapter 998 A Surprising Deal
The next day, Ji An and his companion flew over the mountains and landed in a mountain town at the end of the Si hour (9-11 AM).
Below the mountain are sheer cliffs, and the entrance to the Taichu Ancient Mine in the southeast corner is located on those cliffs.
The city is quite large, occupying half a hillside and covering thousands of acres. Various buildings stand side by side, looking very neat and orderly.
Wuyue Sanren exclaimed, "I thought this was just a simple campsite the size of an ordinary village, but I never imagined it would be a celestial city."
Pedestrians hurried along the street, some beaming with smiles, others looking utterly sorrowful. There was even a Golden Core cultivator missing an arm.
The bandages wrapped around the man showed glints of blood, indicating they hadn't been applied long ago. His expression was sorrowful, and his eyes were filled with despair, suggesting he had just escaped from the Primordial Ancient Mine.
The monster lairs in the mine are very well hidden, and every few decades they can even form small monster tides.
Ji An pointed to the wine flags fluttering in the wind on the street and said:
"I'll go to the restaurant. You go and buy a new map and inquire about the latest situation of the mine."
Let's make a plan based on the actual situation today, set off tomorrow, and return three years from now.
He had high hopes for his luck. In his previous life, he was an unlucky player when playing games, always failing to get the equipment he wanted. But after transmigrating to this world, his luck had always been good.
Leaving aside the most precious stone tortoise, the various rare and precious spiritual woods in the gourd world bear witness to his good fortune.
Several spiritual roots of heaven and earth, and all kinds of precious plants such as Soul-Nourishing Wood, Phoenix Wood, Pure Water Lotus, and Sky-Mending Lotus are available.
The Five Sacred Mountains True Lord nodded slightly, "Alright, I'll also browse the big shops and see if I can find anything good."
Ji An waved his hand, "Go, and let me know if you find any fifth-tier high-grade spiritual items that you sell."
The two parted ways, and Ji An slowly walked into the restaurant.
The waiter stepped forward and turned out to be a cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage.
"Excuse me, senior, how many of you are there? Are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"
He couldn't sense Ji An's level at all, but he could sense the dignified demeanor of a high-level cultivator.
"Check into the inn, prepare two superior rooms, and cook some of our signature dishes. I will dine in my room."
The waiter smiled and nodded, "Alright, please follow me, senior."
He led the way to the top-floor room, went inside, opened the window, and pointed outside, saying:
"Our restaurant is the highest in the city, and you can see half of the city from here."
Outside the window, the sky was clear and blue, like a sparkling gemstone, with a few white clouds dotting the horizon.
The streets were bustling with people, a scene of prosperity.
The waiter cleared his throat and continued:
"Our shop is next to the Primordial Ancient Mine, so we can always buy the demonic beasts that high-level cultivators have killed in the past. May I ask what grade of ingredients you require, senior?"
One can guess a person's cultivation level from their order of food, and the accuracy is quite high.
Ji An glanced at it and said calmly:
"Could it be that there's flesh from a fifth-tier demon beast?"
According to the information obtained from Yunmiao Sanren, the monsters in the mine live in an environment that is dark and filled with yin spiritual energy all year round. They have not taken the path of transformation, so there is no psychological burden in eating their meat.
The waiter was slightly startled, but smiled ingratiatingly and said:
"You need luck to taste the meat of a fifth-tier monster. Recently, no immortals have come out of the mine. The shopkeeper is too busy to cook without rice, so we can only provide the meat of the fourth-tier top grade and below."
In the eyes of low-level cultivators, cultivators at the Three Flowers Realm are comparable to immortals.
The cultivator in front of me, who dared to suggest eating the flesh of a fifth-tier demon beast, is likely an immortal.
Ji An sat down and turned to look out the window:
"Then let's have a few dishes made from fourth-tier beast meat, as long as they taste delicious."
"Alright, senior, would you like some spirit wine?"
Ji An shook his head slightly, took out two jars of wine, placed them on the table, and tapped off the seal, saying:
"This humble Taoist priest brought his own wine."
The fifth-grade mid-level spirit wine immediately emitted a mellow aroma, and just smelling it made the waiter feel slightly tipsy.
'This is definitely a fifth-tier spirit wine.'
The waiter carefully swallowed the saliva that had welled up in his mouth and said:
"Please wait a moment, senior. I will inform the kitchen immediately."
He bowed and retreated, then immediately informed the shopkeeper.
A moment later, the innkeeper and his assistant entered the guest room together:
"Senior, guests who check into the superior rooms will receive a pot of fourth-grade superior spiritual tea as a gift."
The shopkeeper was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and his purpose in coming here was to subtly verify Ji An's cultivation level.
Unless deliberately concealed, the airflow around a cultivator at the Three Flowers Realm is different from that of a lower-level cultivator.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to pour tea and serve water, the innkeeper confirmed the guest's cultivation level. With cultivation, the guest would have the ability to pay for fourth-tier spiritual food.
Ji An smiled and nodded, "Thank you, shopkeeper. By the way, how many years have you lived in this immortal city?"
After a moment's thought, the shopkeeper said kindly:
"If I count on my fingers, it has been more than 600 years since the younger generation and the elders of the family came here to make a living. The restaurant is only a part of our business."
He subtly implied that he had someone protecting him.
Ji An immediately became interested. "So, I can contact your elders through you? I wonder if you sell high-grade fifth-tier resources?"
"This humble Taoist desires Yuan Crystals and Metal-elemental spiritual items. Materials from demonic beasts are also acceptable; they can be exchanged for mid-grade fifth-tier spiritual fruits or spiritual wood."
A shop that has been rooted in a place for hundreds of years must have intricate connections and might even have powerful backing.
"This junior must ask the elders how long you intend to stay at our shop?"
"We originally planned to leave tomorrow, but if you can provide something suitable, waiting a few more days wouldn't be a problem."
"I'll go ask after noon, and I can give you the news before dinner."
"Can."
The innkeeper cupped his hands in greeting, "I won't keep you from having your meal any longer, senior. I'll take my leave now."
He left feeling quite pleased with himself, knowing he would receive a reward if he could close the deal.
More than half an hour later, the Hermit of the Five Mountains arrived at the restaurant, handed over a jade slip, and said with a wry smile:
"Time was tight, and we arrived in a hurry. Many shops did not have any stock on hand and we did not receive any information about trading fifth-tier spiritual items."
The jade slip contains the latest map data, but the information on at least the eighth and ninth levels of the mine is from ten years ago.
The cultivators of the Three Flowers Realm disdain selling maps, therefore…
He didn't continue, giving a knowing look.
Putting yourself in their shoes, if they were exploring the mine, they wouldn't choose to sell information either.
The map is important, but it's not a treasure map after all, so it's not worth much. It might not even sell for a hundred top-grade spirit stones.
Ji An took the jade slip, examined it carefully, and then compared it with the map from Yunmiao Sanren, saying:
"This map is credible."
The map is much larger than the one from hundreds of years ago, showing the 'changes' in the mine.
He copied the jade slip and stored it in the Cave Void Stone, jokingly saying:
"You spent almost an hour painstakingly gathering information, but you didn't get as much as I did. It's laughable to think about it."
He recounted his conversation with the restaurant owner, and then added:
"We'll have the results by evening; hopefully, luck is on our side."
Wuyue Sanren was somewhat unconvinced, but dared not say anything discouraging, so he could only chuckle twice to cover up his embarrassment.
"Let me try the food here and see if it has any special features."
"The food has gone cold. Please have some tea first, and we'll ask the shopkeeper to bring another serving."
The monster's meat is very tender, quite good.
At the end of Shen Shi (3-5 PM), the restaurant owner led a white-haired, thin-faced monk to knock on the door.
"Senior, I have brought my family elders here for a meeting. Is it convenient for us to talk now?"
At this moment, Ji An was not cultivating, but simply closing his eyes to rest. He stood up and went to open the door.
The slender cultivator sensed the strength of his aura, smiled broadly, cupped his hands in greeting, and solemnly said:
"My Taoist name is Wuya, and I am an elder of the Zhang family of Baiya Mountain. I greet you, fellow Taoist."
"I am Xuanqing Sanren, a free spirit, please come in."
The two entered the room, and the innkeeper thoughtfully closed the door and stood guard at the entrance.
After exchanging pleasantries, Wuya Sanren got straight to the point:
"I heard that you wish to trade a mid-grade fifth-tier spirit fruit for spirit crystals and a high-grade fifth-tier metal-elemental spirit item. May I ask what kind of spirit fruit you are?"
If the quantity of spirit fruits can make up for the gap between the grades of spirit items and there is enough profit, trading some elemental crystals and spirit items is acceptable.
"The main fruits are the Vajra Bodhi Fruit and the Bodhi Fruit, and there are also a few Soul Nourishing Fruits."
Ji An replied that he had consumed or traded the most potent spiritual fruits for cultivation in the small world with Xuan Shuang Sanren, and currently only the two types of Bodhi fruits were available in sufficient quantities.
Yuan Crystals are a top-tier fifth-grade resource. It takes at least a hundred Yuan Crystals to exchange for one Yuan Crystal, and it also depends on whether the cultivator who possesses Yuan Crystals is willing to exchange them.
How can one make a deal with Buddhist cultivators so that both parties can get what they need? However, because of their different cultivation paths, Buddhist cultivators generally have a bad relationship with cultivators, and can even be described as having a lot of enmity.
It's common for both sides to attack each other; the conflict has a long history, making reconciliation very difficult.
Wuya Sanren was suddenly overjoyed, but he frowned and sighed as if to say:
"These two spiritual fruits that you brought out, fellow Daoist... well, they can only fetch a good price if sold to Buddhist monks."
What is the Soul-Nourishing Fruit? Is it produced from the Soul-Nourishing Wood?
Thirty thousand miles north of Baiya Mountain lies Ciyun Temple. Huijing, a resident of the temple, is related to the Zhang family by blood. It was under Zhang's guidance that Huijing embarked on the path of Buddhist practice.
Huijing is an Arhat, equivalent to a cultivator in the Three Flowers Realm among immortal cultivators.
The two sides maintained a secret relationship, exchanging information and both benefited greatly.
Ji An, of course, knew nothing of Zhang's secret, and said:
"By chance, I obtained a batch of Bodhi fruits, but I had no choice but to keep them in my possession since I couldn't trade them with Master Shixiu."
If you are willing to take this shipment, I will make concessions.
The Soul-Nourishing Fruit is indeed produced by the Soul-Nourishing Wood, and such a spiritual fruit is extremely rare.
In addition, the fruits of the Soul-Nourishing Wood are scarce, and I can't offer more spiritual fruits for trading. I only have two to exchange with fellow Daoists.
Although the Soul-Nourishing Fruit is only a mid-grade fifth-tier fruit, its value is comparable to many high-grade fifth-tier spiritual fruits.
He had originally intended to keep the Soul-Nourishing Fruit for himself, but he worried that without an attractive spiritual fruit, the deal would be impossible to complete.
Because of the Soul-Nourishing Fruit's ability to nourish the soul, it is never short of buyers.
"Haha, I really didn't know that the Soul-Nourishing Wood could bear fruit. We can exchange it for a fifth-grade high-quality metal-element spiritual item."
Ji An said softly, "Could you trade with Yuan Crystals? I can give you a few more spirit fruits as a bonus."
The most important thing right now is to collect more elemental crystals to use as 'power banks' and enhance my combat endurance.
Wuya Sanren was overjoyed, but suppressing his laughter, he feigned a serious expression and, after a moment's thought, asked:
"Fellow Daoist, could you spare a few Soul Nourishing Fruits?"
Having been rooted in this immortal city for many years, the Zhang family has accumulated nearly thirty Yuan Crystals.
Two.
"How about this, we'll trade two Soul Nourishing Fruits plus one hundred and twenty Bodhi Fruits or Vajra Bodhi Fruits."
Ji An frowned deeply and shook his head repeatedly, saying:
"It's too expensive. Logically speaking, one hundred and twenty spirit fruits should be enough to exchange for spirit crystals."
Fellow Daoist, your price is too high and unacceptable.
"This humble Taoist is willing to trade one Soul-Nourishing Fruit plus eighty Bodhi Fruits. Two Soul-Nourishing Fruits and enough Bodhi Fruits can be exchanged for two Yuan Crystals."
After some haggling, the two parties finally decided to trade one Soul Nourishing Fruit for ninety-two Bodhi Fruits or Vajra Bodhi Fruits.
Ji An inquired:
When can the transaction take place?
He was somewhat impatient. He only had one Yuan Crystal at the moment, which made him feel insecure. He dreamed of getting enough Yuan Crystals.
With a solid foundation in magical power, coupled with various spiritual teas and incense, he was able to sustain high-intensity, continuous battles for several days.
"I can produce the Yuan Crystal right now. When can you produce the Spirit Fruit, fellow Daoist?"
Ji An laughed three times. "Now is the time."
He made contact with Yue Ling'er in the Calabash World and 'retrieved' wooden boxes one by one on the spot.
He inspected each one individually, then pushed the spiritual fruit to the other party.
Wuya Sanren carefully examined the items and took out two Yuan Crystals.
This is his accumulated wealth; he doesn't need to reconcile accounts with his family, which allows him to earn even more.
Ji An received the Yuan Crystal, stroked it a few times with obvious affection, and finally put it away.
"I will go to the Taichu Ancient Mine tomorrow to try my luck and see if I can find anything."
If I obtain any high-level spiritual items that I don't need, I look forward to cooperating with you again.
The Wandering Swordsman's eyes gleamed as he spoke earnestly:
"It's a deal! I look forward to our next collaboration."
He estimated that he could earn one Soul Nourishing Fruit and more than twenty Bodhi Fruits from this transaction, which was an incredibly profitable deal!
After the guests left, Ji An summoned Wu Yue Sanren, and the two began to formulate a plan by referring to the map and marking the route.
The route not only allows them to avoid detours, but also enables them to escape quickly in case of sudden emergencies.
For them, the first to sixth floors were completely irrelevant, as the chance of finding Yuan Crystals there was virtually nonexistent. Therefore, for the first few days, they only needed to travel as quickly as possible.
Ji An planned to explore the eighth floor, as there were not many cultivators who could excavate there.
The Hermit of Five Mountains marked the route on the map and said:
"I think we should release Big Yellow and Golden Retriever. After all, they are earth-elemental demon beasts and are suitable for scouting."
Especially the Golden Retriever, whose bloodline is that of the Spirit-Seeking Rat, it's time to put it to good use.
Ji An nodded, "I will release the golden retriever, but we won't need the big yellow dog."
Although Dahuang is an earth-elemental monster, it does not have the ability to search for minerals.
(End of this chapter)
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