"You certainly know your trade. We have not finished one sale, and you are already planning the next," Gu Changhuan said irritably.

"Heh heh heh, I'm not bragging, but although the things on my stall aren't of high tier, they're definitely the best among their tier. Otherwise, I wouldn't bring them out to sell! Fellow Daoist buying things from here for your younger sister shows truly excellent taste," the rogue cultivator said, patting his chest.

"Then I'll take this jade hairpin, and this ring and this square handkerchief too. I'll take them all together. Forty Spirit Stones in total."

"Forty Spirit Stones total! Fellow Daoist, this absolutely won't do!" The rogue cultivator cried with a woeful face, as if suffering a huge loss.

"Then thirty-seven Spirit Stones," Gu Changhuan said calmly. The price he offered wasn't low; this stall owner could still make a profit.

"Forty it is! A special price for a new friend." The vendor saw that his act was getting him nowhere and changed his tune at once.

With the ring secured, Gu Changhuan had no interest in browsing further. He had seen enough for one day. Now that he had a ninth-tier spirit object, he could hardly wait to return to the inn and examine it.

On the other side at the Exchange Meeting, a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator from the Yun family stood on the central podium and clasped his hands toward the cultivators below.

"Thank you for trusting the Yun Clan to host this exchange. All trades are voluntary, and each of you must judge the authenticity of the goods for yourselves. I am Yun Qianqiu. I will offer a few modest items to get us started."

After saying this, he patted the Storage Bag at his waist, and several things flew out.

"A third-tier middle grade Demon-Binding Rope, a bottle of third-tier high grade True Splendor Spirit Water, and a third-tier middle grade fire-attribute Demon Core. I seek pills that improve late Purple Mansion cultivation, or flood-dragon materials of at least third-tier middle grade."

Spirit Water and Demon Cores have wide uses; they can be used for pill refining or artifact refining, both being highly popular materials.

Yun Qianqiu truly lived up to being a Purple Mansion Realm expert of the Yun family. With a single move, he produced three rare spiritual items, astonishing many Purple Mansion Realm cultivators present.

"I offer a bottle of Azure Nether Pills for your True Splendor Spirit Water." The speaker was the woman in the pale yellow gown who had attended the first session.

"Fairy Lingzhi of the Haoran Sect! Azure Nether Pills aid late Purple Mansion cultivation and are worth more than my spirit water. The bottle is yours, and I will add five thousand Spirit Stones," Yun Qianqiu said. She was descended from a Golden Core ancestor of the Haoran Sect; there was no reason to take advantage of her.

It was actually someone from the Haoran Sect!

Everyone looked at Lingzhi Fairy with envious eyes. The Haoran Sect possessed two Nascent Soul Ancestors and was the undisputed number one force in Qingzhou!

Clan and rogue cultivators alike treated members of the Haoran Sect with deference. Offending them was out of the question.

Lingzhi Fairy satisfactorily accepted the Spirit Water and Spirit Stones. Azure Nether Pills were exclusive pills of the Haoran Sect and rarely circulated in the outside world, so they were naturally more than enough to exchange for a bottle of Spirit Water. Yun Qianqiu compensating her with Spirit Stones was only proper.

"I offer a bottle of Purple Rhyme Pills for your third-tier Demon Core." An old man in black robes produced a bottle.

Yun Qianqiu laughed warmly. "I had not expected to see you here, Daoist Jiuxiao. Your alchemy is renowned throughout Qingzhou. The Demon Core is yours."

"So this is Master Jiuxiao. I've long admired your reputation."

"It's actually Master Jiuxiao!"

"I am Cheng Qianli, pleased to meet Master Jiuxiao!"

The black-robed old man, Daoist Jiuxiao, was a Third-Tier Alchemist. As a rogue cultivator without sect or faction, he was quite famous in Qingzhou due to his outstanding Alchemy technique.

Everyone expressed goodwill toward Daoist Jiuxiao one after another, and Daoist Jiuxiao also smiled and clasped his hands in greeting. The atmosphere became lively at once.

Seeing this, Lingzhi Fairy softly snorted. She thought to herself:

How mercenary and ignorant these people were! All this fuss over a third-tier alchemist. However skilled Jiuxiao might be, he could hardly compare with the alchemists of her Haoran Sect.

Daoist Changqing, sitting beside her, saw this and held her hand. Fortunately, everyone at the scene was busy greeting Daoist Jiuxiao and no one noticed Lingzhi Fairy's unusual expression; otherwise, who knew how much resentment it might have caused.

The items Yun Qianqiu brought out were quickly exchanged. After he stepped down, Daoist Jiuxiao walked onto the stage.

"I have several bottles of pills that improve Purple Mansion cultivation, as well as pills that help one advance between its layers. I seek treasures that extend life or aid the formation of a Golden Core."

Among the crowd, many wanted to befriend Daoist Jiuxiao, but lifespan-extending spiritual items were rare and precious, so for a while no one spoke up to exchange.

After several breaths, Daoist Jiuxiao heaved a heavy sigh, his face full of disappointment as he walked down.

One Purple Mansion Realm cultivator after another came on stage, taking out spiritual items for exchange. Most of them achieved their wishes, while only a few cultivators failed to complete an exchange because their required spiritual items were truly rare or because no one fancied the items they offered.

Soon it was Zhang Wendao's turn. Zhang Wendao took out several demon beast materials to exchange for cultivation-enhancing pills, easily completing an exchange with another Purple Mansion Realm cultivator.

Gu Wanchang followed immediately after Zhang Wendao and went on stage.

After going on stage, Gu Wanchang bowed toward those below.

"I have no third-tier spirit objects to offer, only tens of thousands of Spirit Stones. I hope to buy a third-tier high grade earth-attribute spirit object or pill whose internal energies can blend and harmonize water and fire Spiritual Qi."

A third-tier high grade earth-attribute spirit object with such a blending nature? An unusual request.

Third-tier earth-attribute spirit objects were not hard to find. Ones capable of blending and balancing water and fire, however, were another matter.

"Youngster, I have a piece of earth-attribute Heaven-Fusing Stone here, just wondering how many Spirit Stones you can produce."

Heaven-Fusing Stone was a Third-Tier High Grade material available in all five attributes. Its biggest characteristic was that it could fuse with all things and possessed gentle internal qualities.

Gu Wanchang received a voice transmission. The sender was a purple-robed burly man sitting in a corner.

"Young friend, this bottle holds two Thick Earth Pills. They can balance water and fire Spiritual Qi. Ten thousand Spirit Stones for both."

Daoist Jiuxiao also sent a voice transmission.

Gu Wanchang soon received two brocade boxes.

He took out ten thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones and completed a transaction with Daoist Jiuxiao.

Daoist Jiuxiao's offered price was relatively fair, but that purple-robed burly man might not be so easy to deal with.

"Would you accept a hundred thousand Spirit Stones for the Heaven-Fusing Stone, Senior?" Gu Wanchang asked through a voice transmission.

The purple-robed burly man thought for a moment. One hundred thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones was already a very high price. However, wanting to see if this youngster had any more wealth left on him, he transmitted back, "One hundred twenty thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones."

Gu Wanchang knew he was facing an on-the-spot price hike. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator participating in a Purple Mansion Exchange Meeting, he had been prepared for this situation.

"A hundred thousand is truly all I can afford. I doubt anyone else would pay so much for this stone. Please consider it, Senior."

Gu Wanchang's words were sincere, and the implication was clear.

Indeed, besides Gu Wanchang, no one else would spend one hundred thousand Spirit Stones to buy this Heaven-Fusing Stone. After all, as an artifact refining material, the market price of Heaven-Fusing Stone was only a little over seventy thousand. It was just that Heaven-Fusing Stone wasn't common, though there were many other artifact refining materials that could replace it.

Thus, Gu Wanchang successfully exchanged for the Heaven-Fusing Stone at the price of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

When stepping off the stage, Gu Wanchang clutched his Storage Bag, looking as though it pained him deeply.

In truth, his heart was overflowing with joy. No amount of Spirit Stones could compare to the importance of Gu Xuanzhan's Purple Mansion! The high price he paid wasn't just for a piece of artifact refining material, but for the hope of Gu Xuanzhan's breakthrough!

A Purple Mansion Realm rogue cultivator sitting in another corner secretly moved his fingertips, and a faint aura lashed out toward Gu Wanchang.

Without turning his gaze, Yun Qianqiu lifted his teacup and took a sip. As his sleeve rose and fell, a breeze of Spiritual Power scattered the approaching aura.

Zhang Wendao possessed a wind-attribute Spirit Root and was exceptionally sensitive to Spiritual Qi fluctuations. Detecting the subtle undercurrent, he smiled toward the cultivator in the corner.

Zhang Wendao was indeed somewhat surprised. Gu Wanchang's luck was truly good to actually succeed in the transaction, especially since a Third-Tier High Grade earth-attribute item with gentle internal qualities wasn't so easily found.

However, Gu Wanchang was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm and was now carrying a Third-Tier High Grade spiritual item, which would likely attract covetous eyes.

Very well. They both belonged to the Nine Perches Mountains. Having helped this far, he might as well see the man safely home.

He turned to Gu Wanchang. "Return to the Nine Perches Mountains with me the day after tomorrow."

Gu Wanchang was overjoyed. He naturally understood why Zhang Wendao had spoken those words in full view of everyone.

"Thank you, Senior Zhang!"