In the end, Qin Sang obtained the token to attend the auction from Manager Pu. Following Manager Pu's directions, he rested in Spirit Elixir Pavilion for a few days, then departed Yinshan Pass three days early, flying toward Stone Island.
Along the way, he could see streaks of escaping light heading in the same direction. Out here, however, there were no Yinshan Pass guards to keep order. Everyone maintained their guard against one another, and ordinarily no one would approach another of their own accord.
Qin Sang steered his Sky-Soaring Shuttle, flying low above the treetops to keep a low profile, pondering quietly to himself.
The Sky-Soaring Shuttle was a magic tool he had acquired back in the Qi Refinement stage. Being merely a high-grade magic tool, it had been adequate then, but now felt somewhat slow, wasting precious time.
This thought had occurred to him ever since he traveled here from Xuanlu Pass.
For long-distance journeys, if one wanted speed and ease, a magic tool like the Sky-Soaring Shuttle was essential.
He could hardly ride a flying sword or activate the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman the entire way. While those two methods were indeed faster, they consumed an enormous amount of spiritual power and could not be sustained for long.
Over the years, Qin Sang had never found a better replacement. This trade gathering presented an opportunity; he might as well search thoroughly and replace the Sky-Soaring Shuttle.
In addition, he could take this chance to buy more spirit wood.
Of course, the most important thing remained the soul-attracting grass; everything else was not strictly necessary, and he would let nature take its course.
After speeding through the swamp for a while, Qin Sang noticed the mist ahead suddenly thinning. Knowing that Stone Island was near, he urged the Sky-Soaring Shuttle forward and leaped above the layer of mist.
Looking out from high above, the mist across the swamp resembled a vast, boundless sea of clouds.
The weather was somewhat overcast, yet one could still take in everything in all directions at a glance; aside from tree canopies occasionally breaking through the mist, there was nothing to obstruct the view.
Few dared to fly above the mist layer. After all, one made far too conspicuous a target, unless one possessed immense confidence in their own strength.
Qin Sang glanced warily to his left and right, then gazed straight ahead.
Not far ahead of him, a massive circular void abruptly opened in the flat expanse of mist, devoid of even a wisp of vapor.
The roiling fog, upon drifting there, was blocked by an invisible restriction and forced downward. As a result, the dense fog flowed like water, forming a ring-shaped "waterfall" along the void's rim.
Endless and ceaseless.
It was an exceedingly magnificent sight.
Stone Island lay right beneath the void, though one could not simply fly straight down into it.
Qin Sang descended back into the mist layer. After flying forward for a stretch, an odd force suddenly pressed upon him, threatening to push him outward.
This force was not particularly strong, just as Manager Pu had described; any cultivator at the tenth floor of the Qi Refinement stage or above could withstand it.
Spiritual power surged within Qin Sang, easily holding the pressure at bay. Before long, he felt the weight abruptly vanish, the clouds and mist parting as an island entered his view.
The island was composed entirely of black stone, resembling the back of a tortoise crouched in the center of the swamp, devoid of vegetation.
Concentric rings of orderly stone huts stood across the island. Encircled at their very center was an exceptionally grand, tall building, where the auction would be held.
At this moment, many cultivators bustled to and fro across the island, weaving between the stone huts to conduct trades.
Donning a cloak to conceal his face, Qin Sang dropped onto Stone Island. A few cultivators glanced at him before withdrawing their gazes, tending to their own business. Qin Sang then began strolling leisurely among the stone huts.
Spirit-infused fiendish items, magic tools, cultivation methods, secret manuals...
Everything one could think of was on display.
Thanks to the restriction of the array outside Stone Island, none of the cultivators who entered were weak, and the treasures they produced were naturally of decent quality.
However, these items failed to catch Qin Sang's eye.
After browsing for a while, Qin Sang could not help feeling a twinge of disappointment. He had not spotted a single top-grade flying magic tool. There was some spirit wood, but unfortunately of modest quality, inferior even to golden-thread snow cedar wood. Nowadays, even spirit wood on par with golden-thread snow cedar wood offered negligible improvement to his ebony sword; buying it would merely waste spirit stones.
On second thought, it was only natural. At an open stall-style trade fair like this, rarely would anyone be willing to bring out genuine treasures.
After a brief deliberation, Qin Sang wasted no more time. He set off toward the end of the street and finally stopped before an inconspicuous stone hut.
The stone hut bore no signboard, nor did it contain any goods. There was only a solitary, white-haired old man dozing inside.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist."
Qin Sang stepped into the stone hut, cupped his hands, and gently awakened the old man.
The old man rose to return the greeting, waved his sleeve to activate the restrictions sealing the stone hut, and said, "Pardon my poor hospitality, Fellow Daoist. Please do not take offense. May I ask what brings you here? I have neither magic tools nor elixirs for sale."
Qin Sang smiled slightly. "To be frank, Fellow Daoist, a friend directed me here, letting me know that you have the means to invite fellow cultivators to exchange what they have and need. Thus, I have come to ask you to show me the way."
The old man let out an "Oh?" and looked Qin Sang up and down. Without asking him to remove his cloak, he stroked his long beard and said, "Since you know my role, Fellow Daoist, you must have been introduced by an old acquaintance. However... rules cannot be broken, regardless of one's cultivation level. Fellow Daoist, you..."
Halfway through his sentence, the old man saw Qin Sang open his palm, revealing three delicate spirit swords lying side by side.
These three spirit swords were the very ones taken from Yu Daiyue and his two companions. All were top-grade magic tools, though some were stronger than others; among them, the scar-faced man's spirit sword ranked among the finest even for a top-grade magic tool.
With his ebony sword, Qin Sang had no use for these spirit swords for the time being, so he had long decided to trade them away.
Whenever the market on Stone Island opened, this old man before him would gather a select group to hold a private secret market. He possessed considerable skill and connections, and his secret markets enjoyed an excellent reputation.
To attend the secret market, one either had to receive an invitation from the old man or demonstrate sufficient strength to earn his recognition.
Only through Manager Pu's guidance did Qin Sang learn of the man's identity and seek him out.
"Are these sufficient?" Qin Sang asked with a smile.
Seeing Qin Sang produce three top-grade magic tools all at once, the old man's cloudy eyes lit up. He immediately said, "More than enough! More than enough! Take good care of this jade pendant, Fellow Daoist..."
The old man handed him a jade pendant.
"The auction has yet to begin, and not everyone has arrived. I have decided to hold this secret market after the auction concludes. The venue hasn't been settled yet. Once the auction finishes, please remain on Stone Island for an extra day. When the time comes, activate the restriction in the jade pendant with spiritual power, and you will receive guidance."
The old man explained the usage of the jade pendant in detail.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist." Qin Sang stowed the jade pendant, took his leave of the old man, and walked out of the stone hut.
He patiently browsed for another round, acquiring only two lower-grade magic tools with niche utilities. Losing interest, Qin Sang rented a quiet chamber on Stone Island.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
As night fell, Qin Sang suddenly opened his eyes and pushed open the door.
The tall building in the center of Stone Island was ablaze with lights, and many immortal cultivators had already gathered before its doors. The auction was about to begin!
Chapter 320