The Summer-Chasing Fan
Because the host was a second-grade spirit artisan, passing off counterfeit goods was virtually impossible. Consequently, word of mouth about this exchange meeting was rapidly spreading among those seeking spiritual tools and Dharma Treasures.
"If you wish to avoid troublesome attention, selling about two items should suffice."
Jekyeong followed Ju-hyeong's advice. He separated from Ju-hyeong and attended Hyang-geo's exchange meeting alone.
Unlike the others, who seemed anxious to prove their status as Foundation Establishment cultivators by flaunting their Dharma Power, Jekyeong walked with calm indifference. Yet, the very way he casually brushed past those flaunting their power was proof of his status in itself. Furthermore, the small crow perched quietly on his shoulder made his extraordinary presence stand out even more, quickly drawing curious glances from several onlookers.
"Ahem! It seems everyone who is coming has arrived, so let us begin."
Hyang-geo, the host of the exchange meeting, released the Dharma Power of a Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, settling the somewhat chaotic atmosphere.
"First, I welcome you all to this gathering hosted by this old man. What began as a small meeting among a few fellow Daoists has grown this large, filling me with both pride and a deep sense of responsibility."
There were easily over two hundred cultivators attending this exchange. Roughly half of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators, while the other half were Qi Condensation cultivators.
Impressive, Jekyeong thought, sweeping a glance over the tense Qi Condensation cultivators. For a Qi Condensation cultivator to step into a place crawling with Foundation Establishment experts—if nothing else, their sheer audacity was commendable.
"Then, without further ado, let us begin. I must first apologize, as I have been rather busy lately and could not prepare any items of my own this time. I ask for your understanding, fellow Daoists."
A few people murmured in disappointment at Hyang-geo's words. They seemed to be those who had come specifically to acquire Dharma Treasures.
Perfect. This was excellent news for Jekyeong. If Hyang-geo had nothing to offer, the items Jekyeong brought would naturally garner more attention.
"Now, who would like to go first?"
The moment the words left his mouth, several people stepped forward. However, Jekyeong moved faster than those hesitant souls. Instead of raising his hand or calling out, he immediately leaped onto the stage.
"Haha." Hyang-geo chuckled and stepped aside. Those who were a few paces slower than Jekyeong smacked their lips in disappointment and returned to their seats, or stepped back to wait for the next turn.
"What I have to offer are two Dharma Treasures." Jekyeong produced a Crescent Blade and a sword. The former was a mid-grade Dharma Treasure, and the latter was a low-grade Dharma Treasure.
"Oh?" Hyang-geo's eyes gleamed, and several other Foundation Establishment cultivators also showed interest.
"I wish to trade them for Spirit Stones, or spiritual items and elixirs that enhance one's Divine Sense." After briefly stating his price, Jekyeong scanned the dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Some openly showed interest, some tilted their heads in contemplation, and others quietly let their eyes gleam. Jekyeong took note of them all, committing them to memory.
The Crow with a Fan
Those interested in the two Dharma Treasures Jekyeong had presented cast wary glances at Hyang-geo. Only after confirming that Hyang-geo remained silent did they begin to speak up one by one.
"May we examine them closely?"
"As you wish." With Jekyeong's permission, they climbed onto the stage to inspect the Dharma Treasures up close. Though few among them possessed deep knowledge of forging, they were all Foundation Establishment cultivators and thus had a discerning eye.
Had an expert deliberately set out to deceive them with clever tricks, a mere visual inspection would not have sufficed. However, since these items had already passed Hyang-geo's scrutiny, they had little to worry about.
"What specific effects do these Dharma Treasures possess?"
"The Crescent Blade is a water-attribute Dharma Treasure. When infused with Dharma Power, its cutting edge is significantly enhanced. Furthermore, it is inscribed with a Retrieval Rune, allowing it to be recalled without consuming Dharma Power. If you do expend Dharma Power, you can easily retrieve it even under enemy interference. Of course, this is on the premise that the enemy's realm is not higher than the owner's."
The cultivators took Jekyeong's final remark as a dry joke. On the premise of being in the same realm? What an obvious thing to say. Did he expect them to plan for battles against enemies of a higher realm?
In their common sense, fighting above one's realm did not exist. It was like a young child never considering fighting a massive adult. Battles were meant to be fought against those of similar or lesser strength. Facing an opponent vastly stronger than oneself was nothing but foolish bravado.
"The sword can be used as a flying sword or wielded directly in hand. It is also a water-attribute Dharma Treasure, and by expending its power, you can summon Sharp-Eyed Green Serpents to attack your enemies. The more Dharma Power you invest, the larger and more numerous the green serpents you can summon, and their power is equivalent to a spell cast with the full strength of an Early Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Regardless of how they received it, Jekyeong explained the Dharma Treasures from what he believed to be the most objective perspective. There was not a single shred of falsehood or exaggeration in his description. He had personally verified everything before coming here.
Of course, because his own Monster Power could not properly draw out the true strength of these human Dharma Treasures, he had to rely on Han Cheongyu's assistance. Han Cheongyu would wield the treasures, and Jekyeong would test their effects directly against his own body.
When Jekyeong first gave the order, Han Cheongyu had shown clear hesitation. As a subordinate, he could not dare to raise a hand against the precious body of the Dragon Lord.
However, after Jekyeong insisted and Han Cheongyu reluctantly took up the sword to summon two Sharp-Eyed Green Serpents, the subordinate realized how arrogant his worries had been. The two green serpents, surging forward with full force, could do absolutely nothing to the defenseless Dragon Lord. The same went for the mid-grade Crescent Blade. Even when Han Cheongyu squeezed out every drop of his Dharma Power, the result remained unchanged. The absolute peak of his achievement was merely turning the very tip of the Dragon Lord's finger slightly red.
But regardless of Han Cheongyu's sudden plunge into self-deprecation, these two Dharma Treasures thoroughly captured the interest of the Foundation Establishment cultivators at the exchange. Both were flawless and had clear, practical uses.
The sword, of course, was a given. Among all spiritual tools and Dharma Treasures, swords were the most common, offering decent power while being easy to wield. The Crescent Blade was slightly trickier to handle than a sword, but as a mid-grade Dharma Treasure with guaranteed lethality, it caught the eyes of cultivators confident in their combat arts.
"What price do you have in mind?" a Foundation Establishment cultivator eyeing the Crescent Blade asked Jekyeong. Since this was an exchange meeting rather than an auction, the seller set the initial price, and negotiation was naturally permitted.
"If paid in Spirit Stones, I am asking one hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones for the sword, and three hundred and fifty for the Crescent Blade."
"Mmm." Hearing the price, the cultivators groaned or furrowed their brows. This reaction was practically an automatic reflex. No matter what price a seller named, they would always put on a grim expression first.
With so many Foundation Establishment cultivators casting a collective shadow over their faces, an ordinary person would easily have felt intimidated, wondering if they had set the price too high. But Jekyeong was no ordinary cultivator. Without showing the slightest hint of being daunted, he calmly continued.
"If not in Spirit Stones, as I mentioned earlier, you may also pay with spiritual items or elixirs that strengthen the soul."
"Easy to say, but where would one find such rare items?"
"Indeed. The value of such treasures far exceeds that of Spirit Stones. Who would exchange them for mere Dharma Treasures?"
Though they spoke in roundabout terms, they were essentially mocking Jekyeong.
"You have misunderstood my words. I seek items with soul-strengthening effects merely to ease the difficulty when refining elixirs."
"Does that mean... the effect does not need to be permanent?"
"Correct."
At those words, the atmosphere in the hall shifted. A spiritual item that permanently strengthened the soul was so rare it could be called a treasure of heaven and earth, but a temporary effect was a completely different story. While such items were still uncommon, they could not be compared to the former.
"Are you an alchemist, fellow Daoist? Do you perhaps take commissions for refining elixirs?"
"I am not taking commissions for the time being. I intend to immerse myself in cultivation and comprehension to take another step forward in the Alchemic Dao."
"Ah, then I wish you the best of fortune on your path."
Once Jekyeong revealed his identity as an alchemist, the cultivators' attitudes grew cautious, and their tone softened. They had no way of knowing if Jekyeong was truly an alchemist, but there was no harm in believing it. After all, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had readily produced two high-quality Dharma Treasures while seeking highly unusual items—he was clearly extraordinary.
"I have two jars of Pure Shark Tears. A single sip can bolster the soul for at least three double-hours, and drinking more will amplify the effect."
"I have a Clear-Sight Bead. Infusing it with Dharma Power allows one to firmly stabilize the soul for a short time."
"I have..."
Once they realized Jekyeong's demands were within a reasonable range, several cultivators began to reveal their possessions. Some were plausible, but the majority were miscellaneous junk offered on the off chance he might bite.
Jekyeong did not spare a single glance for the junk. Instead, he carefully examined and compared a few promising items. After a brief moment, he selected two.
One was the two jars of Pure Shark Tears. In terms of quality, it was a spirit wine that could easily be considered a high-grade second-rank product. However, because the effect of bolstering the soul was not in high demand, its actual market value was lower than that of most mid-grade second-rank spirit wines.
Jekyeong exchanged his low-grade sword for the two jars of Pure Shark Tears plus thirty mid-grade Spirit Stones. As for the mid-grade Crescent Blade, he agreed to trade it for a mid-grade Dharma Treasure called the Summer-Chasing Fan, along with an additional fifty mid-grade Spirit Stones.
The reason he had to receive extra Spirit Stones when trading a mid-grade Dharma Treasure for another of the same grade was because the Summer-Chasing Fan was a highly unique tool. It had no other function; its sole effect was to dispel inner demons and stabilize the soul. In other words, it was a Dharma Treasure specifically designed to prevent Qi deviation.
Listening to the owner's explanation of the Summer-Chasing Fan, Jekyeong could not help but marvel once again at the sheer depth of the human race's heritage. It was difficult to even stretch the definition to call such a tool a cultivation aid. Because human cultivation heritages had been systematically established over countless generations, ordinary cultivators rarely suffered from Qi deviation unless they strayed into unorthodox paths. Thus, the need for such a treasure was exceptionally rare. What kind of idle spirit blacksmith had gone out of their way to forge such a thing?
He did not know what eccentric spirit blacksmith had created this white elephant, but it was a stroke of luck for Jekyeong. He had no interest in its primary function of dispelling inner demons; his eyes were fixed entirely on its secondary function of stabilizing the soul.
Though its efficacy could not compare to elixirs with similar properties, a Dharma Treasure possessed a distinct advantage: unlike elixirs, which were gone once swallowed, a Dharma Treasure could be used indefinitely as long as one had the power to fuel it.
Of course, under normal circumstances, this advantage would have meant nothing to Jekyeong, as he could not properly utilize human Dharma Treasures. If he tried to activate one using his Monster Power, he would be lucky to draw out even half of its original performance.
But the Summer-Chasing Fan was different. Unlike combat-oriented Dharma Treasures, perhaps because its purpose was so simple, its compatibility was exceptionally high. When he lightly grasped the fan—which had a handle as long as his leg and a body larger than his entire torso—Jekyeong felt a surge of confidence that he could wield it without much difficulty.
The moment Jekyeong held the Summer-Chasing Fan, his mind was made up, but outwardly he feigned hesitation to squeeze out a few more Spirit Stones from the trade.
"Excellent!" Seeing the first transaction conclude successfully, Hyang-geo smiled and nodded. Aside from the handsome commission he would receive, he was highly satisfied that the first trade of the day had been such a major one. As items worth hundreds of mid-grade Spirit Stones changed hands right before everyone's eyes, the heat in the onlookers' gazes intensified tenfold.
"Now, which fellow Daoist will be next..." Seeing a Foundation Establishment cultivator step forward as if they had been waiting for this exact moment, the smile on Hyang-geo's lips deepened.
Over the course of a month, Jekyeong traveled through the various markets, large and small, across Jaseong Island, attending four different exchange meetings. He disposed of the six Dharma Treasures in his possession while acquiring several items he desperately needed. Overall, it was an incredibly satisfying harvest.
"You did well."
"It was nothing, my Lord. If I could be of even the slightest assistance to the Dragon Lord..."
Jekyeong cut off Ju-hyeong's flattery by tossing him a single mid-grade Spirit Stone.
"Work hard. If you achieve merit, I will not be stingy with your rewards."
Jekyeong turned away indifferently as a gleam flashed in Ju-hyeong's eyes. He had long since seen through the inner thoughts of this talkative, calculating fellow. When someone was constantly itching to show off their contributions at every opportunity, it was harder not to notice.
Foundation Establishment. It was only natural for the fellow to covet it. Any cultivator would naturally pursue higher realms on the path of immortality, and since he had stably consolidated his cultivation at the Late Qi Condensation stage, the only thing left for him to set his sights on was Foundation Establishment.
And there is no reason I cannot grant it to him.