Chapter 3578 — North Island Market
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"So that's how it is. Thank you, Senior Ku." Wei Zhao nodded at this. It seemed much the same as the cultivation world in the mortal realm—all exchanges, trials, and marketplaces.
Following the direction Senior Kufi had indicated, Wei Zhao set off for the marketplace.
East from the Welcome Pavilion, over two mountains, and Wei Zhao soon found the market—voices clamoring, a bustle to match its reputation.
To trade for the herbs he needed, or even to stumble upon a ready-made Heavenly Dao Golden Core—such a thing was not impossible.
But Wei Zhao did not go straight in. Instead he ducked into a deserted corner and put on the Thousand-Silk Mask, so that he now wore a wholly unfamiliar face. Should anything go amiss, no suspicion would fall on him, and his true strength would stay hidden.
Though the market had first been organized by disciples and rogue cultivators of their own accord, years had lent it no small scale. It now had proper shopfronts, and by strength it was divided into three trading streets. Built against the mountain, the three streets ran side by side from the inside out—named the Outer Street, the Middle Street, and the Inner Street.
Its fame drew not only inner disciples of the Three Pavilions and newcomers to the Welcome Pavilion, but many a skilled rogue cultivator from the neighboring cultivation villages, come because of the name. Martial techniques of every kind, pills and elixirs, rare treasures of heaven and earth—all were to be had, and since most there were of similar strength, much of it was exactly what a newcomer could put to use at once. Hence the market was known near and far, and it was a place every newcomer had to visit.
Wei Zhao wandered about and found the Outer Street stalls mostly kept by experts below the Heaven Rank Great Perfection stage; the crowds were thickest there, and the noise the loudest. Those going in and out of the Middle Street, by contrast, were mostly experts of the early Foundation Establishment stage and above. The traffic was somewhat thinner than on the Outer Street, yet still a steady stream.
As for the innermost Inner Street, Wei Zhao was not fated to see it. The guards keeping order at its entrance judged his strength too low and barred his way. He knew only that every soul who passed in and out was a powerhouse whose strength he could not see through.
So this Cloudstep Island truly did teem with experts!
Wei Zhao sighed inwardly, and stopped fretting over what the Inner Street might look like. He simply began searching for the herbs he needed while touring the place—yet after combing both the Outer and Middle Streets, he found only five of the herbs listed on the pill formula. Of the sixth and most crucial, the Devour-Heart Linglong Grass, there was no trace at all.
Could it be that there was no Devour-Heart Linglong Grass on Cloudstep Island at all? Or was it sold only on the most mysterious Inner Street? Wei Zhao's heart tightened at once, and unwilling to give up, he made another round—still in vain.
Nor did he come across any ready-made Heavenly Dao Golden Core. It seemed the thing was indeed precious; no one had brought it out to sell or trade.
It looked as though he would have to ask Senior Kufi for more about this Devour-Heart Linglong Grass! With no other choice, Wei Zhao turned and left the market. Until he found the Devour-Heart Linglong Grass, gathering the other five herbs would be useless.
What was more, after a few turns about the place, Wei Zhao discovered that the currency here was not money but spirit jade! At present he had only a single piece of spirit jade the size of a chicken egg—nowhere near enough to buy those five herbs.
Leaving the market, Wei Zhao put away the Thousand-Silk Mask and went straight to Senior Kufi's cultivation cave.
Once more at the entrance of Cave Dwelling No. 9, Wei Zhao gave the cave's restriction a light touch. After waiting outside a moment, he saw Senior Kufi come walking out again.