Urban Extraordinary Immortal Doctor
Chapter 1488: Setting up a stall for business

Chapter 1488: Chapter 1488: Setting up a stall for business

On this morning, at the largest Martial Artists Trading Market in Flaming Sun City, some regular martial artist patrons discovered a new stall quietly appeared in the area where the alchemists and artifact refiners gathered.

In front of the new stall stood a freshly erected stone sign etched with the words "Alchemy and Artifact Refining".

Unlike the other old alchemists and artifact refiners at surrounding stalls, who were mostly elderly, the two owners of this new stall appeared to be only young martial artists in their twenties.

The two young martial artists—one clad in white, the other in black—were both handsome and graceful youths.

"These two young guys who haven’t even fully grown up, understand alchemy and artifact refining? Ridiculous!"

"They actually came here to set up a stall and compete, how audacious!"

"Perhaps they’ve learned a little about alchemy and artifact refining somewhere and think they are the best in the world, daring to compete with us old folks!"

"Would you dare to request them for alchemy or artifact refining if you were a martial artist?"

"Of course not! Alchemy ingredients and artifact refining materials are not easy to come by. If they ruin them, what can be done, even if they are killed thereafter, it’s no use!"

"Haha... I bet these youngsters won’t last more than two days before they leave in disgrace!"

...

In this area, dozens of alchemists and artifact refiners gathered. They cast disdainful glances at the new stall run by the young martial artists, with tones full of ridicule.

In their eyes, these naive youngsters dared to come here and compete for business, utterly laughable, and destined for failure.

The alchemy and artifact refining market within Flaming Sun City are mostly monopolized by the Alchemy Cauldron Pavilion and the Golden Sword Sect. However, due to over ten million martial artists in the city demanding vast amounts of spirit pills and spiritual artifacts, the sects alone can’t handle all the business.

Therefore, the two sects tacitly allowed some unaffiliated loose cultivator alchemists and artifact refiners to rent stalls in the city’s trading market to assist martial artists. They regularly took a cut of the profits.

Yet, those loose cultivator alchemists and artifact refiners generally had low ranks and could only refine low-grade holy spirit pills and spiritual medicines. Nevertheless, due to the thriving business, each could amass great profit.

Regarding the newly arrived young "colleagues", the surrounding dozen alchemists and artifact refiners held a dismissive attitude, not considering them a threat to their business at all.

The two new young martial artists quickly tidied their stall, idly chatting while waiting for business to come.

"Senior Fang, the alchemists and artifact refiners here don’t seem to welcome us!"

The black-clad man glanced around, meeting unfriendly gazes, with a slightly tense demeanor.

"We’re here to steal their business, it’s normal they’re not welcoming! Just watch, soon enough they might deeply hate us!"

The man in white smiled as he replied.

The man in white and the man in black were Fang Bai and Han Xiangtian.

Fang Bai’s plan to destroy the Alchemy Cauldron Pavilion and the Golden Sword Sect began here.

As the surrounding dozen alchemists and artifact refiners predicted, no one approached Fang Bai’s stall the entire day after its opening. Every martial artist passing by thought Fang Bai was too young and unfamiliar, unwilling to trust him with their hard-earned alchemy ingredients or artifact refining materials.

In the eyes of passing martial artists, although the other alchemists or artifact refiners didn’t have high success rates, entrusting them held some hope, much more reassuring than giving it to an unknown newcomer alchemist or artifact refiner.

During this time, a few alchemists and artifact refiners approached Fang Bai and Han Xiangtian for a chat, soon discovering that the white-clad youth named Fang Bai was the stall owner, single-handedly handling both alchemy and artifact refining while the slightly older black-clad martial artist Han Xiangtian was merely his assistant.

"This Fang Bai, single-handedly an alchemist and artifact refiner?"

"How is that possible at such a young age!"

"An alchemist must simultaneously control fire and wood spiritual energy, and an artifact refiner must simultaneously control fire and metal spiritual energy... Meaning that to be both an alchemist and artifact refiner, one must be able to control at least three types of spiritual energy. Can he do that?"

"I suspect he is bragging!"

"Whether he is bragging, a test will reveal! Someone should offer some ingredients and materials to see if he can really refine spirit pills and spiritual artifacts!"

"You offer them then! I don’t want to waste cultivation resources in vain!"

"Me? I’d rather not... It’s not easy to earn cultivation resources!"

"Watch your words! That Fang Bai, at such a young age, is already a Foundation Establishment perfection expert, that’s impressive!"

"This person might be a disciple of a major sect outside!"

"Such people have limitless potential; although we don’t welcome him, it’s best not to offend him either!"

"Makes sense! I’ll just watch quietly!"

...

The dozen alchemists and artifact refiners, initially mocking him, waiting for his embarrassment, refrained from openly insulting Fang Bai once realizing his cultivation level.

In Flaming Sun City, to swiftly establish a name, one must display genuine talent; thus, Fang Bai did not hide his strength nor altered his appearance.

After all, few in Flaming Sun City recognized him, and his adversaries Yang Fei and Yang Dong, father and son, were already defeated.

Moreover, given his current cultivation level, no martial artist in Flaming Sun City posed a threat to him at the moment, so there was no need to hide.

After a breakthrough in the mountain areas outside the city, Fang Bai, who absorbed Yang Dong’s Golden Core spiritual energy, advanced by one minor realm to Foundation Establishment perfection.

This minor realm advancement enabled Fang Bai to contend with the leaders of the Alchemy Cauldron Pavilion and the Golden Sword Sect.

In fact, among the surrounding dozen alchemists and artifact refiners, many were also Foundation Establishment perfection experts, but the issue was, all were several times older than Fang Bai. Comparing martial dao prospects, they fell short of Fang Bai, which discouraged them from offending such a promising young martial artist.

With no business coming, Fang Bai remained undisturbed, sitting cross-legged upon a mat behind the stall, eyes closed resting, seemingly indifferent to whether business came or not.

In contrast, Han Xiangtian couldn’t sit still, loudly advertising, actively soliciting passing martial artists, his face showing disappointment seeing no inquiries regarding alchemy or artifact refining.

As dusk approached and the trading market was about to close, Fang Bai finally stood up, beckoning Han Xiangtian to leave together.

The next morning, Fang Bai and Han Xiangtian appeared punctually at the stall again, just as they did the day before, erecting the stone sign engraved with "Alchemy and Artifact Refining", then waiting for business.