A Name That Shakes a Region – The Vermilion Spirit Fungus

Chapter 688: A Name That Shakes a Region – The Vermilion Spirit芝

"Patriarch Tianjing is too courteous. But I, too, have grown impatient. How about I begin?" A cultivator in embroidered robes, seated beside Patriarch Tianjing, said with a faint smile.

"Hehe. Since Fellow Daoist is so eager, then you shall start."

Patriarch Tianjing chuckled softly, stepped back a few paces, and gestured as if to genuinely invite the robed cultivator to begin.

As for the rules of the exchange, every cultivator present had experienced them countless times; no introduction was necessary.

"Since Brother Tianjing puts it that way, I shall not stand on ceremony." The robed cultivator was slightly taken aback but then rose with easy grace. After a brief, courteous salute to those around him, he casually patted his storage pouch beneath his robe.

Red light flashed, and a palm-sized wooden box appeared in his hand.

The box was made of some unknown, extraordinary wood, entirely emerald green, with faint, flame-like red light flickering ceaselessly across its surface. The lid was sealed crosswise with one silver and one gold禁制 talisman, lending the box an air of profound mystery.

At the sight, all gazes were drawn to it. Every cultivator present stared at the box with varied expressions.

These were all men of vast experience. They instinctively knew that whatever lay within was no ordinary treasure. The fact that such a prize was presented at the very start of the exchange invigorated them.

The eyes behind the embroidered-robed cultivator's mask swept across the assembly, revealing a hint of smug satisfaction. He then lightly tapped the two talismans with his finger. The gold and silver talismans fluttered down, and the box's lid opened of its own accord.

Instantly, a fiery red object slowly rose from the box. It was a bizarre, crimson-veiled lingzhi fungus.

This fungus was only a few inches in size, yet it was scalding hot and entirely fiery red. Its surface was smooth and crystalline, while wisps of red clouds swirled and danced above it, like celestial mist surrounding a divine object.

As Han Li watched, stunned, someone else had already named the item.

"A Vermilion Spirit芝! A Vermilion Spirit芝 with at least three thousand years of cultivation! This thing only grows within molten lava and earthly fire. An ordinary man could not even hope to see one, let alone obtain it. Fellow Daoist truly possesses remarkable means." A cultivator in black robes sighed long and murmured, his tone impossible to read—envy or jealousy.

"Vermilion Spirit芝? So this is the Vermilion half of the Ice-Fire Spirit芝 pair. Its reputation is well-founded. Just from the Fire-attribute spiritual Qi it emits, one can tell it is extraordinary." A stir ran through the other cultivators as well. Several who had arrived together even began whispering to each other without restraint.

Seeing that the black-robed cultivator had identified his item at a glance, the embroidered-robed cultivator’s eyes flickered with surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and spoke:

"Since this Fellow Daoist has already recognized my item, there is little more for me to say. A three-thousand-year Vermilion Spirit芝. A top-tier alchemical ingredient for Fire-attribute spirit pills. The price is one hundred thousand spirit stones, or an exchange for equivalent-grade Earth-attribute alchemical or refining materials."

"One hundred thousand spirit stones?" Han Li was taken aback, then a strange look entered his eyes.

It was not that the price was too high; it was far lower than he had anticipated.

Back in the Chaotic Star Sea, a high-grade demon core cost over ten thousand spirit stones. This extraordinarily rare fungus was second only to that already-transformed "Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng" in value among spirit herbs. It made Han Li's heart race, and he felt a strong urge to act.

Strictly speaking, leaving aside his other rare treasures, Han Li had several hundred thousand spirit stones in liquid assets alone, all scavenged from the storage pouches of cultivators who had died by his hand. The inheritance of that Six-Way Sect disciple, in particular, had contained two to three thousand mid-grade spirit stones, netting Han Li a massive windfall—far beyond the wealth of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

Of course, no amount of spirit stones could compare to the value of his magical tools, treasures, or even the several ancient treasures he possessed. Some treasures simply could not be bought with spirit stones.

If he were willing to sell one of his ancient treasures—such as the basket or the small bell—trading one for several hundred thousand spirit stones would be no problem at all.

While Han Li was lost in thought, several other cultivators had also taken an interest in the item.

Three or four cultivators approached the embroidered-robed cultivator in turn, exchanging a few whispered words before producing various items for his inspection.

The others could not see clearly, but the embroidered-robed man only glanced down briefly before rejecting them bluntly. The rebuffed cultivators returned to their seats somewhat dejectedly.

"Is there no one else? I had to exert tremendous effort and spend over five or six years of hard labor to obtain this three-thousand-year Vermilion Spirit芝. Selling it for only one hundred thousand spirit stones is truly a bargain. However, I would still prefer to trade for a roughly equivalent Earth-attribute material. I could even accept a slightly inferior one. But if it is too far off the mark, do not waste my time trying to take advantage of an old man." The embroidered-robed cultivator seemed genuinely eager to make the trade. When no one else stepped forward, he could not help but raise his voice in slight urgency.

Han Li swept his gaze across the others. Many wore expressions of barely concealed greed, but no one else rose.

It seemed that either they found the price too steep, or they truly lacked a suitable material on hand at the moment.

Even the Fire Dragon Boy beside him wore a look of regret on his small face. After all, the boy practiced a Fire-attribute cultivation art; this Vermilion Spirit芝 would have been perfect for him.

Observing all this, Han Li saw the embroidered-robed cultivator begin to put the box away with a hint of resignation.

Han Li's lips moved slightly as he sent a voice transmission.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait. I would like to ask if you have any interest in an Earth-attribute demon core."

The embroidered-robed cultivator’s hand froze mid-motion. His gaze swept the room and immediately locked onto Han Li. A trace of surprise flickered in his eyes as he replied:

"You have demon cores? However, this is a Vermilion Spirit芝. I would only trade it for a Grade-7 demon core. If it is Grade-6, I would need at least two."

Upon hearing this, Han Li fell into calculation.

He had used almost all of his demon cores for pill refining, but he had kept back a few rare, high-grade cores from the most valuable demon beasts, just in case he needed them for other purposes later.

Using a Grade-7 demon core to exchange for this Vermilion Spirit芝 was a sound deal. After all, this fungus could be further nurtured to a higher maturity using the green liquid, while a demon core could not be enhanced in the same way.

As for their relative value, it was hard to judge precisely.

In the Chaotic Star Sea, a Grade-7 demon core was also extremely rare. But compared to a Vermilion Spirit芝, it was clearly inferior by a large margin. However, in the Heavenly South Region, the situation was different. It was not just Grade-7 cores; even Grade-5 or Grade-6 demon cores were nearly impossible to find. The Heavenly South was a landlocked continent, with no such high-grade demon beasts to hunt.

Trading a Grade-7 demon core for this three-thousand-year Vermilion Spirit芝 seemed fair enough.

Having made his decision, Han Li abruptly stood up and walked toward the embroidered-robed cultivator.

The sudden move startled Lu Luo and the Fire Dragon Boy. They both looked at Han Li in surprise.

Han Li walked over to the embroidered-robed cultivator in a few steps. With a flip of his palm, a jade box appeared in his hand. He tossed it directly to the other man without saying a single word.

The embroidered-robed cultivator remained composed. He caught the box, opened the lid, and examined its contents carefully for a long while. Only then did a look of delighted surprise appear in his eyes.

"Deal!"

He waved his hand, resealed the Vermilion Spirit芝 in its wooden box, and handed it directly to Han Li. At the same time, he deftly stowed Han Li's jade box into his storage pouch.

Han Li nodded, accepted the wooden box, and calmly returned to his seat.

Lu Luo and the Fire Dragon Boy exchanged glances of surprise, but they were tactful enough not to pry. They merely sent a few congratulatory transmissions.

Han Li responded with a few perfunctory words, showing no sign of anything unusual.

However, by this time, Han Li had already noticed that quite a few of the seated Nascent Soul cultivators were re-evaluating him.

Clearly, his ability to unexpectedly acquire this Vermilion Spirit芝 had sparked interest in quite a few people.

But Han Li did not mind. With his current abilities, unless he encountered a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, even if a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator tried to make trouble for him, he was confident he could extricate himself cleanly.

"Good. That Fellow Daoist has concluded his exchange. Now, shall we proceed in order with the next one?" Patriarch Tianjing suggested jovially to another female cultivator seated near the embroidered-robed man.

"By all means. Allow me to present my offering." The woman, dressed in pale green robes, replied with elegance. She rose gracefully.

"I, however, do not possess the same good fortune as that Fellow Daoist to obtain such a rare treasure. But I am quite skilled in artifact refining. I have forged an unbound 'Trapping Immortal Ring' treasure. All one needs to do is perform the ritual of acknowledgment, and it can be used as a natal magic treasure. I do not boast lightly, but although this treasure is made from common materials such as gold essence, its power is by no means insignificant. It is excellent both for trapping enemies and for self-defense—a treasure that serves both offense and defense." The woman spoke slowly and deliberately as she flicked her long sleeve.

From her sleeve, a small, inch-sized white ring shot out. It grew and shrank, flickering in and out of sight.

Without further ado, the woman lightly pointed at the ring. A tremor passed through it as it swelled in the wind, expanding to the size of a zhang in diameter, as thick as a man’s arm. Silver-white runes were clearly visible on the massive ring's walls, radiating astonishing spiritual energy.