The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 180 - 165 The Privileged One_1

Chapter 180: Chapter 165 The Privileged One_1

"Because she is Zhao Yuanqi."

With a simple sentence from Han Ting, Pang Jian once again deeply understood that the so-called rules... were not absolute.

Standing in the corner, he quickly learned that a favored daughter of heaven like Zhao Yuanqi also enjoyed even more privileges.

She, along with Jiang Li, mingled among those meditation cushions and wooden platforms, and whenever she took a liking to something, she simply opened her mouth to complete the transaction, paid with spirit stones, picked up the item, and left.

She didn’t need to approach the woman in white at the round table to pay the ten percent commission on the total amount.

On the contrary, those who made deals with her would obediently go to the round table to find Cao’s subordinates and honestly pay the ten percent of the total amount.

"She..."

Pang Jian frowned again.

"In the five great sects, dazzling individuals like her enjoy such privileges."

Han Ting knew what he was thinking and, with a face full of envy, said, "These privileges are for just a very few people, like Zhao Yuanqi, Fang Boxuan of Blood Moon, Xie Xiwen of Star River Alliance, and Yang Rui of Raging Sun Sect."

"As long as these four do not die, they will surely make a name for themselves in the Second Realm, and Cao is willing to show goodwill towards them."

She paused.

Han Ting continued, "Aside from these four, even Jiuyuan of Blood Moon and the Spirit Condensation Realm Elders of the various sects do not have such privileges. As for individual cultivators like Lei Kun, they also need to follow the rules set by Cao and honestly pay the ten percent commission!"

Pang Jian nodded in understanding.

He had also noticed that Lei Kun, who had taken a fancy to a few spiritual materials, indeed needed to pay the ten percent commission.

However, the Madam Hua who returned to the round table would show a brighter smile towards Lei Kun and even make a point of exchanging a few words with him.

That was all.

"Let’s look around too."

Pang Jian wandered aimlessly.

He, with a goal in his heart, did not stand out in the crowd and was not noticed by Jiang Li, who was alongside Zhao Yuanqi.

A quarter of an hour later.

Pang Jian knew that the items displayed in the trading area were priced much higher than the spiritual materials he had seen on the first day.

The spiritual materials brought out by individual cultivators on the first day were mostly priced within a few thousand spirit stones, and very few exceeded ten thousand spirit stones.

This time it was different.

Strolling around casually, Pang Jian saw that all the spiritual materials, pills, and items he came across were, without exception, priced over ten thousand spirit stones.

Materials worth tens of thousands of spirit stones were not uncommon either.

"Soul Nourishing Pill..."

He stopped in front of a wooden platform, looking at a bottle of deep azure pills and paid attention to the note underneath.

"An entire grade higher than the Calming Pill I bought before, it is said to be used by Great Cultivators in the Spirit Condensation Realm to refine their spiritual soul," explained Han Ting, who took the initiative to clarify for him, "After we break through to the Hollow Profound Realm, we will first condense out divine sense. The Calming Pill only strengthens divine sense."

"But Great Cultivators in the Spirit Condensation Realm, on the basis of divine sense, will successfully condense their spiritual soul. The Soul Nourishing Pill is for nourishing the spiritual soul, and it is more potent than the Calming Pill."

Upon hearing this, Pang Jian nodded, "I see."

A bottle of ten Soul Nourishing Pills was priced... a total of thirty thousand spirit stones, ten times the price of the Calming Pill.

"Pang Jian, I’m powerless when it comes to the Soul Nourishing Pill. Even if you want it, there’s really nothing I can do."

Han Ting said apologetically and in a low voice with a troubled face.

"If you can’t afford it, don’t get in the way."

The seller, hanging his head with displeasure, chased them away: "If you keep standing here, others won’t be able to see my stand!"

"Sorry."

Han Ting tactfully pulled Pang Jian aside to clear space and whispered, "He seems to be the individual cultivator Lian Feng, also a Great Cultivator in the Spirit Condensation Realm. Although his reputation is not as loud as Lei Kun’s, he’s still quite formidable. The Soul Nourishing Pill is a rare spiritual material needed by cultivators of his level, and I didn’t expect him to put it up for sale."

Pang Jian muttered in his heart, "Thirty thousand..."

Before long.

He stopped in front of another stand, looking at a book encased in a wooden box and said softly, "Great Creation Sacred Body... fifty thousand spirit stones!"

"Yes, fifty thousand," said the stall owner with a squint and a smile. "And that’s just an incomplete spell."

Pang Jian looked at him in surprise.

The shifty-looking stall owner, dressed in a gaudy robe with his gray-white hair casually draped over his shoulders, his small eyes twinkling with craftiness, said, "Didn’t you see this spirit spell for Body Refining? It has a... ’sacred’ word attached to it?"

Before Pang Jian could react, Han Ting’s eyes showed surprise as she exclaimed, "Is it really sacred-grade?"

"Hmm, as it is an incomplete sacred-grade Body Refining spirit spell, I am asking for only fifty thousand spirit stones. If it were complete and flawless, this Great Creation Sacred Body spell could easily cost ten times more!"

The stall owner sighed, with a slightly wistful tone, "This is all because the mainstream path of cultivation has gradually shifted away from focusing on the tempering and refining of the flesh and body. In the past when the art of Body Refining was widely practiced, a sacred-grade Body Refining technique would never appear in a marketplace like this!"

The somewhat sleazy stall owner appeared to be reminiscing about the past, his eyes sparkling with a peculiar brilliance.

"Sacred-grade..."

Pang Jian suddenly realized.

Spells, items, and pills are all categorized into Primary, Intermediate, Advanced, Sacred, and Divine grades.

During his previous wanderings, he saw that the items for sale were mostly Intermediate and Advanced, with their values running into tens of thousands regardless of whether they were spells or items.

Sacred-grade treasures, according to rumors, even Great Cultivators in the Soul Wandering and Extinction Realms of the Second Realm would be tempted by them.

"May I take a look?"

Pang Jian asked sincerely.

"You may not."

The stall owner shook his head and said coldly, "For fifty thousand spirit stones, you can buy it and take your time to read it at home. However, I must clarify in advance that this Great Creation Sacred Body is only the first part."

"There’s another part lost somewhere out there, a shame I haven’t found it yet, and I do not know where it might be."

"Of course!"

The stall owner grinned, "If I did find the latter part, I wouldn’t be selling it here!"

Pang Jian remained silent.

One bottle of the Soul Nourishing Pills he had his eyes on was thirty thousand, and a fragmented spell was fifty thousand; just these two items alone amounted to an astronomical figure.

Unless...

After his eyes brightened, he casually found an unoccupied straw mat beside the stall owner and took a seat.

With a thought, he took out the horn of a level seven Ice Crystal Beast and placed it on the wooden platform in front of him.

"Whoa!"

The nearby stall owner with a scrawny face and beady eyes involuntarily shivered with cold and let out an exclamation after glancing at the horn: "A level seven Ferocious Beast’s horn!"

Han Ting also shivered from the chill.

It was then that she realized why, a few days ago in the fifty-sixth cave dwelling, Pang Jian had asked about the value of a level six Ice Crystal Beast’s horn.

As it turned out, Pang Jian had a level seven Ice Crystal Beast’s horn in his possession!

"So cold!"

"Who brought out an extremely cold Strange Treasure without putting it in a bottle or jar?"

"Damn, I’m freezing to death!"

Individual Cultivators not far away were also affected by the extreme cold released from the horn of the level seven Ice Crystal Beast and looked over in surprise and curiosity.

"Level seven Ice Crystal Beast, horn, four hundred thousand."

Pang Jian casually picked up a wooden sign, wrote a line of small characters on it, and placed it beside the horn.

"Pang Lin!"

Jiang Li’s familiar cry of astonishment suddenly rose.

"Who?"

Zhao Yuanqi was momentarily stunned, then instantly realized: "Jiang, are you saying?"

Her skeptical gaze fell on a young man in black, surrounded by a chilly mist, and she wondered aloud: "Is this the Pang Jian you spoke of?"

"Yes, it’s him!"

Jiang Li was overjoyed, and as soon as she saw Pang Jian, made all the more conspicuous by the horn of the level seven Ice Crystal Beast, she rushed over with excitement brimming in her bright eyes.

"My goodness, a level seven Ice Crystal Beast, and its horn too?"

"Four hundred thousand Spirit Stones, that’s actually... reasonable!"

"What’s this kid’s background? Level seven Ferocious Beasts and Spirit Beasts aren’t common in the Third Realm; where did he get it from?"

"..."

The many people in the trading venue came after hearing the news, curiosly speculating and staring repeatedly at Pang Jian.

Pang Jian was as calm and undisturbed as ever.

"As expected of a young scion from the Upper Realm’s prestigious families, casually bringing out an item that amazes everyone."

From a distance, Lei Kun didn’t come forward but nodded slightly, not at all surprised by the goings-on.

In a corner, Zhang Bin’s eyes were filled with melancholy as he sighed, pondering how to reconcile with Han Ting and dissolve her antagonism towards them.

"Pang Lin, what are you doing here?"

Jiang Li pushed her way through the crowd to stand in front of Pang Jian, speaking excitedly.

Knowing that she would eventually notice him, Pang Jian nodded towards her, saying, "I’m staying on the nineteenth floor of the First Peak, in cave dwelling number fifty-six, we can talk more later."

"Okay, okay."

Jiang Li, filled with countless questions but refraining from pressing further, waited until Zhao Yuanqi approached before tightly grabbing her arm.

"Without him, Zhou and I would have died long ago, and my arm would not have been able to regrow."

She whispered to Zhao Yuanqi.

The aloof young lady nodded slightly, looking towards the upright youth in black, and said: "I am Zhao Yuanqi from Red Mountain. This evening, I will visit your cave dwelling number fifty-six."

Her words provoked a buzz among the onlookers.

They didn’t expect the young patriarch from Red Mountain to suddenly show interest in Pang Jian and even declare a visit that evening.

Standing behind Pang Jian, Han Ting’s heart raced: "Zhao Yuanqi, that’s Zhao Yuanqi!"

Pang Jian, wearing a calm expression, nodded: "Okay."

"Then, see you later."

After these words, Zhao Yuanqi pulled Jiang Li directly through the crowd and left.

As Jiang Li departed, she repeatedly looked back at Pang Jian, obviously having many questions.

She was also concerned about Luo, whom she admired, wondering why Luo was not there.

Under the crowd’s gaze, Pang Jian remained unruffled, letting the people around him discuss fervently.

Many who had drawn near, eyeing the horn of the level seven Ice Crystal Beast, clearly showed interest, yet no one approached to seek a trade.

"Little brother, your item is definitely a treasure, but due to its high price, ordinary people can’t afford it."

The scrawny-faced stall owner next to him, noticing Pang Jian’s interest in his incomplete spell, spoke amicably: "Now, the news about the sale of the level seven Ice Crystal Beast’s horn has been released. You could mention to Madam Hua that you might come back tomorrow or the day after at a specific time."

"After the news spreads for a day or two, those genuinely interested in the horn and with plenty of Spirit Stones will naturally appear at the agreed time."

With that,

he chuckled and crushed the previously inscribed wooden sign, taking a new one and writing a new line.

—Great Creation Sacred Body, eighty thousand Spirit Stones!

Pang Jian, who was grateful to him just a moment ago, watched him quietly complete all this and calmly raise the new sign, then silently fumed.

Meanwhile, in the crowd, the scions who sold the Soul Nourishing Pills, Lian Feng, thoughtfully returned to his own stall.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lian Feng changed the price of the Soul Nourishing Pills directly from thirty thousand to fifty thousand.

...