The master focused on refining Fu Wan in seclusion, while the Insect External Incarnation headed to the market to purchase Artifact Refining materials.

The closest market to the Poisonous Miasma Lake was the Red Cloud Market, roughly eight hundred li away. Unfortunately, resources were far too scarce, making it difficult to purchase suitable items. About one thousand two hundred li southwest of the Poisonous Miasma Lake, there was also the Qingfu Market. It was originally owned by the Five Elements Sect, but after the sect retracted its influence, it fell into the hands of a small sect with two Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

The Insect External Incarnation had come to this very Qingfu Market, which was at the limit of Jia Ren's control distance. The last time he had visited Qingfu Market was over a month ago. The number of cultivators within the market had surged, and Late Stage Qi Cultivators could be seen everywhere. Along the way, he saw no fewer than two Foundation Establishment Cultivators. This was the most bustling market he had ever seen, outshining even the Great Wilderness Market during its Foundation Establishment Pill auction by a significant margin.

"What has happened?"

The changes in Qingfu Market were too drastic, surprising Jia Ren. He hastily stopped a Qi Refining Cultivator to inquire. The cultivator initially wore an impatient expression, but upon seeing that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was asking, he instantly became obsequious.

"Senior, you haven't been to Qingfu Market for over a month, have you?"

"Qingfu Market has changed hands and is now officially under the Cold Moon Palace. The Cold Moon Palace has waived the city entrance and stall fees."

"Han Yue Fang also has Second Tier Talismans, Second-Grade Pills, and top-grade magical instruments for sale."

Second Tier Talismans and Second-Grade Pills? No wonder!

Under normal circumstances, Foundation Establishment Cultivators, aside from auctions, would find it difficult to purchase Foundation Establishment Stage materials in the markets. Jia Ren glanced at the distant stall area and decisively headed straight for the shops. Most treasures at the stalls were useless to Foundation Establishment Cultivators; it was better to spend time at the Cold Moon Palace's shops to buy what he needed.

The most luxurious establishment in Qingfu Market was undoubtedly Han Yue Fang. He had seen other Foundation Establishment Cultivators enter this shop, and they could hardly conceal the joy on their faces when they came out. Jia Ren did not hide the fluctuations of his Spiritual Power as he walked into Han Yue Fang.

"Senior, please follow me."

As soon as the Foundation Establishment Cultivator entered, a female cultivator with a dignified appearance from the shop immediately came to welcome him respectfully. Han Yue Fang had two floors: the first for Qi Refinement Realm Cultivators, and the second for Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Guided by the female cultivator, Jia Ren headed straight to the second floor. The display cabinets on the second floor were only a tenth of the size of those on the first, and the restrictive light was dense. Among the displayed treasures were top-grade magical instruments, as well as Foundation Establishment Stage Elixirs and Talismans. To attract more people, the Cold Moon Palace had spared no expense.

Jia Ren's gaze first landed on the Elixirs.

"You may step back. I will attend to our guest." A middle-aged, beautiful woman approached, radiating the Spiritual Power Fluctuations of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. Han Yue Fang sold Foundation Establishment Stage treasures; it was impossible for it not to have a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in charge.

"Fellow Daoist, you need not be amazed. The Western Wasteland Domain is far richer in resources than the Barren Extreme Land. Unlike this place, which covets seclusion, Elixirs for the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Stages are also for sale here."

Elixirs for the Golden Core Stage are also for sale? Jia Ren was momentarily stunned, unable to recover his senses for a long time. Despite all being part of the Cultivation World, the disparity was too vast!

He had been to many markets: Great Wilderness Market, Black Desert Marketplace, Jade Cauldron Market, Red Cloud Market, and Qingfu Market. Although he hadn't visited other markets, he had heard of them. None of them offered treasures suitable for Foundation Establishment Cultivators. This was all because the Great Sects monopolized resources, compelling Loose Cultivators to join them and be at their disposal. The Western Wasteland Domain was much better by comparison; with Golden Core Stage Elixirs also for sale, the disparity was immense. The Cold Moon Palace did not plan to conform to local customs, thereby breaking the unspoken rules. No wonder they had achieved such prosperity just one month after taking over Qingfu Market. With a grander vision, Spirit Stones also became plentiful. In the future, Qingfu Market's popularity would only continue to soar.

"The Green Spirit Pill, made from a one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Green Spirit Fruit as the main ingredient, combined with twelve types of hundred-year-old Spiritual Medicines, is suitable for Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivators. Each pill costs five medium-grade Spirit Stones."

Jia Ren picked up a Green Spirit Pill, took a delicate sniff, and decisively put it down. The scent of the medicine was faint, not even as good as the Solidifying Yuan Pills he had previously traded; it had at most half the potency. No wonder Ji Qiong of the Cold Moon Palace had wanted to spend Spirit Stones on his Elixirs.

Seeing Jia Ren put down the Elixir, a look of surprise crossed the middle-aged beautiful woman's eyes. Is he too poor to afford a single Green Spirit Pill? The Barren Extreme Land was a backwater place where Foundation Establishment Elixirs were hard to come by. Any Foundation Establishment Cultivator who came here would first spend all their Spirit Stones to buy as many Green Spirit Pills as possible. He didn't buy any? It could only mean he was too poor.

Being poor is good! The Cold Moon Palace can take this opportunity to extend an olive branch. Foundation Establishment Cultivators were valuable anywhere, and all the Great Sects would try to recruit them.

"I wonder if Han Yue Fang has any Second Order Alchemy techniques and Second-order Pill Recipes for sale?" Jia Ren had obtained the Heavenly Talisman Treasure Mirror, the Artifact Record, and the Jiang Family's Elixir Formula from the Blood Demon Sect. The former two were complete Second Order inheritances, with extremely detailed methods for crafting various Talismans and high-order magic artifacts, ensuring his Artifact Refining and Talisman Crafting at Second Order would be unobstructed. In comparison, the Jiang Family's Elixir Formula was much inferior, recording only five Second-order Pill Recipes. Two were different refining methods for the Foundation Establishment Pill, and one was for the Solidifying Yuan Pill, a formula he had already replicated and thus held no value. Another was the Preserving Youth Pill, which required a Thousand-Year Spiritual Medicine as the main ingredient and could preserve eternal youth. Using a Thousand-Year Spiritual Medicine for such a thing? That would be insane! This Pill Recipe is useless. The last one was called Recovery Gathering Qi Powder, a Second-Grade Pill that could quickly restore Spiritual Power. Its practicality was quite good, and Jia Ren had only refined a few to keep as reserves.

Of the Four Arts of Cultivation—formations, alchemy, artifacts, and talismans—Jia Ren's weaknesses in formations and alchemy were obvious, indicating gaps in his inheritance. The Qingfu Market kept its doors wide open. He would have to inquire to know if they sold Second Order Alchemy inheritance and Pill Recipes.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, Fellow Daoist. Han Yue Fang does not sell Alchemy inheritance or Pill Recipes."

"If you wish to learn Second Order Alchemy inheritance, you might consider joining the Cold Moon Palace."

Jia Ren couldn't hide the disappointment on his face; it seemed he had overestimated the Cold Moon Palace. Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish. Although the Cold Moon Palace sold the Green Spirit Pill, the crucial Pill Recipes were not released and were still used as a core incentive for recruitment. Pill Recipes were, to some extent, equivalent to production materials; why would anyone willingly let them circulate freely?

Resources in the Cultivation World were already limited. If high-order alchemy techniques and Pill Recipes were to leak out, it would inevitably lead to a surge in demand for high-quality Spiritual Medicines, a decrease in their supply, and consequently, drive up their prices. This would not benefit the Great Sects' ability to acquire high-aged Spiritual Medicines at low prices. Loose Cultivators without high-order alchemy methods couldn't turn high-aged Spiritual Medicines into pills. They could either consume them directly or sell them to Sect Disciples in exchange for Spirit Stones and cultivation resources. Spiritual Medicines contained many impurities, and consuming them directly could lead to endless future troubles, so few would do so. As for the latter... wouldn't high-quality Spiritual Medicines end up in their hands that way? Why would Sect Disciples do something that harms themselves to benefit others?

"Joining a sect is out of the question. Are there any high-order materials for sale here? I want as many as you have." Jia Ren scanned the display cases; Talismans and Elixirs held no attraction for him. He proceeded to purchase various common materials. He needed a lot of materials, diverse and numerous, covering alchemy, formations, artifacts, and talismans—his purchasing volume was comparable to that of a small sect.

Han Yue Fang had quite a reserve, but no matter how much the middle-aged woman took out, Jia Ren bought it all. He purchased several dozen three-hundred-year-old Spiritual Medicines and various Spirit Ores for Artifact Refining in large quantities. In one go, he spent as many as one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

"Forgive my rudeness, Fellow Daoist, but from which sect do you hail?" The woman had initially thought Jia Ren was a Loose Cultivator, but now it seemed he might be purchasing for a sect.

"Vajra Gate!" Jia Ren blurted out, bluffing his way through.

"I had no idea Vajra Gate was still around. If you wish to purchase more, remember to contact me." A Superior Grade Jade Token used for messaging was handed over. Jia Ren took it smoothly and stored it in his River Mountain Bag.

"Eh, could that be... the legendary River Mountain Bag?"

"Fellow Daoist, would you be willing to part with it?"

It was only at this moment that the middle-aged beautiful woman noticed the bag Jia Ren carried was indeed a River Mountain Bag. This was a rare treasure, its capacity far exceeding that of common Storage Bags. The largest Storage Bags in the Cultivation World only had a capacity of a thousand cubic units, but the space inside a River Mountain Bag was much more than that. Most importantly, it could contain living creatures. This aspect was crucial. Despite being merely a storage treasure, a large-capacity River Mountain Bag was even more valuable than top-grade magical instruments.

A River Mountain Bag? If it were any other treasure, Jia Ren would definitely not be willing to part with it. But this thing... In over three years, all the Second Order Dark Gold Silk and Second Order Soul-Devouring Spider Silk he produced had been used to refine these bags, and he had accumulated a large stock of them. He had been worrying about having too many of these things. And now, hadn't a solution presented itself?

"Although it is an imitation of an ancient mythical treasure, it is of immense value, and I only have a few..."

"Since the Cold Moon Palace has willingly sold me so many rare resources, it is only right that I return the favor."

"May I ask the price...?"

Scarcity makes things precious. If he took out too many River Mountain Bags at once, the price would certainly drop. Jia Ren put on an act, expressing his gratitude towards the Cold Moon Palace and his willingness to sell the ancient mythical treasure.

"That depends on the space of the River Mountain Bag."

"If it's an inferior product, the price won't be too high."

Even with the same thousand cubic units of space, a River Mountain Bag was far more valuable than a Storage Bag. Even if it were only a hundred cubic unit River Mountain Bag, she would be willing to purchase it at a high price.

Jia Ren hesitated for a moment, then took out a couple of spare River Mountain Bags. One was a recently made River Mountain Bag with about five hundred cubic units of space, and the other was a Master Level version with two thousand cubic units of space.

"Take a look and tell me the price." He first presented the five-hundred-cubic-unit River Mountain Bag.

"Five hundred cubic units? How about two thousand Spirit Stones?" Thousand-cubic-unit Storage Bags were rare, though Han Yue Fang had quite a few, with an exchange price of around one thousand Spirit Stones. River Mountain Bags were exceedingly rare and could hold fish, insects, birds, and beasts. Even with only five hundred cubic units of space, it was worth purchasing at a premium.

Two thousand Spirit Stones? Jia Ren felt as if he had found a way to earn Spirit Stones. Second Order Dark Gold Silk and Second Order Soul-Devouring Spider Silk could both be self-produced. Other auxiliary materials weren't too expensive, with the cost below two hundred Spirit Stones. And he could sell it for two thousand Spirit Stones? One had to know that the five-hundred-cubic-unit River Mountain Bag he had taken out was, in fact... a substandard product.

"Let's agree on that price." Jia Ren promptly agreed, then took out the River Mountain Bag with two thousand cubic units of space. This River Mountain Bag was not inferior to a genuine product; its quality was even higher.

"A River Mountain Bag with two thousand cubic units?! How about thirty thousand Spirit Stones?"

Thirty thousand Spirit Stones? The difference between a five-hundred-cubic-unit and a two-thousand-cubic-unit River Mountain Bag was immense. Scarcity makes things precious. The refining technique for the River Mountain Bag had been lost, and few could imitate it. It was worth buying at a premium.

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