Qin Sang nodded thoughtfully. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I can sell them to you, and we'll set the prices according to your rules. However, there are some items I need and wish to commission you to gather. You must put in your full effort."
It was said that the black market's auctions were held only once a month. With so many magic tools on hand, attending a single auction would not necessarily guarantee selling them all. He was unwilling to risk even the slightest chance of leaving a trail, especially since a Core Formation stage cultivator backed Yin Xingge.
Furthermore, Qin Sang wanted to reach the Tianjing Secret Realm as soon as possible, so he might as well sell them all off at once.
To him, time was of the essence, and taking a slight loss was acceptable—after all, he had obtained everything for nothing.
A confident expression appeared on the aged face. "Please go ahead, Fellow Daoist. As long as it is not excessively rare, this old man can find a way to procure it. Of course, that is provided you can afford the spirit stones."
Qin Sang fixed his piercing gaze upon the face and asked in a raspy, deep voice, "I need a batch of soul-refining demonic tools. Does your shop have channels for that?"
Back in the Qianyang quartz mine tunnels, Qin Sang had discovered that the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner could devour other demonic tools, which was what sparked this idea.
After leaving Yuankong Town, Qin Sang had made the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner devour all the evil ghosts inside the bracelet. Although it had gained a noticeable boost, it was still a considerable distance away from reaching great perfection for all six Ten Directions Yanluo Banners.
Unfortunately, when fleeing the mine tunnels, though they had slain many humanoid cloud beasts in passing and obtained several magic tools, there was not a second soul-refining demonic tool among them. He had no choice but to find a way himself.
The Ten Directions Yanluo Banners were among his most relied-upon assets. Qin Sang had a premonition that once all six banners reached great perfection, the power of their array would surpass even that jade ruyi talisman treasure, which held immense significance for him.
After all, the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners would not lose their potency from frequent use and could be wielded without restraint. Moreover, when deployed in an array, both their coverage and practical utility were superior to those of a talisman treasure.
When the time came, if he could lay out the Ten Directions Yanluo Array in advance, Qin Sang was confident that he would stand a fighting chance even against a mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.
They were truly worthy of being demonic tools derived from a Nascent Soul Patriarch's life magic treasure.
If he could gather all ten Yanluo Banners and deploy the complete Ten Directions Yanluo Array, its power would inevitably reach greater heights—perhaps twice or even three times that of a talisman treasure.
Foundation Establishment cultivators could not use magic treasures, so Qin Sang could completely rely on the Ten Directions Yanluo Array to bridge the gap in cultivation between himself and others.
After weighing his options, Qin Sang decided to let the ebony sword make way for the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners for the time being. His resources were limited, and he could only focus on enhancing one magic tool at a time.
Gathering spiritual wood to upgrade the ebony sword was costly yet unlikely to yield immediate results; its primary purpose was merely to prevent it from becoming a bottleneck in his cultivation.
As things stood, even if the ebony sword could not yet withstand a second killing talisman, it was not far off. Besides, breaking through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage was still a long way off, so there was no rush.
By upgrading the Ten Directions Yanluo Banners, his strength would rise in turn, perhaps making it even easier to collect spiritual wood later.
Of course, gathering all ten Ten Directions Yanluo Banners was no simple feat, and it was still too early to speak of that.
Due to the Heart-Devouring Insect, Qin Sang dared not set foot in the territory of demonic cultivators anytime soon; even procuring demonic tools had to be handled through others.
He had already made up his mind to cultivate in seclusion at the Tianjing Secret Realm for a period. Once he raised his cultivation and gained a firm footing in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, he would cultivate while investigating the whereabouts of the surviving Kuiyin Sect disciples.
Every advantage had its drawback. The Heart-Devouring Insect was indeed a sword hanging over his head, but it was not necessarily all bad—it could also serve as bait for fishing!
Hearing Qin Sang's bizarre request, the aged face predictably showed a look of profound astonishment. Staring at Qin Sang in disbelief, he asked, "Fellow Daoist is interested in demonic tools?"
"Are you prying into my background?"
Qin Sang narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly. "I heard that your shop strictly abides by rules and enjoys an excellent reputation. Now, it seems... that may be somewhat unearned."
The aged face's expression shifted drastically, and he repeatedly explained, "Do not take offense, Fellow Daoist. This old man merely slipped up out of surprise, without any intention of prying into your background..."
Seeing Qin Sang withdraw his piercing glare and soften his aggressive stance, the aged face finally breathed a sigh of relief. After pondering for a moment, he said with some difficulty, "What you seek is not easy to find even east of Yinshan Pass. High-grade soul-refining demonic tools are inherently difficult to craft, extremely rare, and fiercely powerful. Even in the territory of demonic cultivators, people scramble for them, so they rarely circulate outside. Not to mention this is Xuanlu Pass, making it very hard for this old man to meet your request..."
Qin Sang gave a quiet chuckle and said, "I believe that with your shop's capabilities, you won't disappoint me. Besides, I can relax my requirements."
"Oh?"
The aged face looked at Qin Sang in surprise.
"They do not need to be intact demonic tools. As long as the refined souls within—meaning evil ghosts, fiends, and the like—are still present, I will accept damaged demonic tools. If the remnant souls inside are numerous enough, I am even willing to pay the price of an intact tool."
Qin Sang stated his requirements in a deep voice.
His true target was damaged demonic tools similar to that bracelet.
The orthodox and demonic paths had always been mutually incompatible. When orthodox cultivators slew demonic cultivators, some soul-refining demonic tools would inevitably make their way out among the spoils of war.
Demonic tools of this sort were never weak. Those who seized intact ones basically kept them for their own use, just like Qin Sang.
Damaged demonic tools, however, were another story. To orthodox cultivators, they were like chicken ribs—useless to keep, yet a pity to discard.
For one, using them in battle lacked reliability since no one knew when they might crumble, and selling them would fetch only a handful of spirit stones.
Second, every soul-refining demonic tool had its own unique crafting method. Repairing one required seeking out an artificer of exceptional skill, which cost far too much.
It was indeed difficult for Qin Sang to collect them on his own, but leveraging the black market's channels would make it much simpler. Damaged demonic tools would not be overly expensive, and even if the black market took a cut, he could accept it.
Hearing this, the hesitation on the aged face faded away. He gave a nod of assent. "That requirement is not too demanding. This old man will do his utmost to search for them on your behalf. Aside from this, is there anything else you need?"
Qin Sang shook his head and said, "Not for now. But if our collaboration goes well, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. As for these items... please appraise them for me, Fellow Daoist."
***
Previously, he had possessed less than a thousand spirit stones, all of which had been spent in Xuanlu Pass purchasing spirit pills, cloud tools, and other cultivation necessities. Now, with nearly three thousand low-grade spirit stones added to his mustard seed bag, Qin Sang finally felt some peace of mind.
The few best magic tools were kept by Qin Sang; it would not be too late to sell them later should he need spirit stones.
Otherwise, the combined assets of three Foundation Establishment stage cultivators would have fetched even more.
Chapter 213