Immortality begins with equipping a worn-out talisman pen.

Chapter 127 The Black Jade Box

Wang Wu stopped in front of an inconspicuous tea shop, glanced around, then walked up and whispered a few secret signals to the shopkeeper at the door.

After hearing this, the shopkeeper's expression changed slightly, and then he opened a hidden door behind the counter.

As a mechanism clicked, faint footsteps could be heard from inside.

A moment later, a middle-aged monk with a scar on his face came out.

This person was tall and strong, with a steady aura, and his cultivation level had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining.

His expression immediately turned hostile upon seeing Wang Wu.

"You dare come back? Who did you bring last time? They couldn't even afford the entrance fee, wasting my time for nothing."

Upon hearing this, Wang Wu looked somewhat embarrassed and quickly said, "Ninth Master, please calm down and take a look at this senior before you speak."

Only then did the scarred monk, known as Ninth Master, notice Li Mufeng.

next moment.

His expression suddenly changed.

Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Although Li Mufeng deliberately concealed his aura, with his cultivation level, he could naturally sense the hidden spiritual pressure.

The displeasure on Ninth Master's face vanished instantly, replaced by a warm smile.

He patted Wang Wu on the shoulder.

"You little rascal, you really hit the jackpot today."

He then quickly cupped his hands to Li Mufeng and said, "Senior, please come in. There happens to be a trade fair opening today, and I suppose you've come for that reason as well."

Li Mufeng nodded slightly.

really.

No matter which market you go to, the procedures in the black market are largely the same.

There are guides, coded messages, hidden entrances, and monks specifically tasked with maintaining order.

He was already very familiar with this.

Upon entering, Li Mufeng took a black cloak and mask, completely concealing his appearance and aura.

I received a jade pendant engraved with a number.

Then, led by Ninth Master, he passed through the hidden door behind the teahouse.

Inside was a deep, narrow passage that twisted and turned for quite some time before we finally arrived at a closed gate.

Two monks dressed in black robes and wearing bamboo hats stood at the entrance.

The two of them stood there quietly, yet they exuded a heavy, oppressive aura.

Li Mufeng glanced at the scene and was immediately startled.

They were all Foundation Establishment cultivators!

It seems that the black market in Linqufang City today is quite high-level.

After entering the gate, the view suddenly opened up before me.

The trading venue was far more luxurious than it appeared on the outside.

Inside the hall, tables and chairs carved from ancient wood were neatly arranged, and the walls were inlaid with spirit stone lamps that emitted a soft glow. The overall layout was simple and elegant, yet it also exuded a touch of luxury, showing no trace of the shabby and desolate state of the place outside.

The fact that an underground trading place could be decorated like this shows that the owner behind it is no ordinary person; at the very least, they have a high taste in ritual objects and decorations.

Li Mufeng looked around.

At this moment, many cultivators were already seated in the hall, most of whom exuded the aura of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Seeing this, he immediately realized that he had come to the right place this time.

As the time drew near, a thin, middle-aged cultivator with a hooked nose slowly stepped forward.

This person exuded a profound aura, clearly having reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

With his cultivation level, he was enough to subdue the vast majority of cultivators present.

"Since we have a few new faces joining us today, I will follow the rules and briefly explain the rules of the trade fair."

The hook-nosed monk's gaze swept across the entire room, his voice calm.

"During the trade fair, items will be presented in order of their numbers, and the participants will bid against each other, with the highest bidder winning."

"After the transaction is completed, there will be a free trading period where fellow cultivators can exchange the items they need."

"However, the rules should be made clear in advance."

"Any fighting is prohibited within the trading area. Murder and robbery are strictly forbidden within a radius of 100 li around Linqufang Market."

The words fell.

A powerful spiritual pressure belonging to a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was suddenly released, and at the same time, two Foundation Establishment cultivators in black robes at the entrance also released their auras.

With the three oppressive forces intertwined, the entire hall instantly fell silent.

"alright."

The hook-nosed monk withdrew his aura and said calmly, "Then, the trade fair shall officially begin."

"Please, Fellow Daoist Number A, step forward."

A moment later.

It was the turn of a burly monk to go on stage.

This person wore a nine-tube mask, completely concealing his aura, clearly unwilling to reveal his identity.

He flipped his hand and took out a completely black jade box, holding it in his palm.

"This item was obtained by someone in an ancient secret realm."

The nine-tube masked monk spoke in a deep voice.

"After much investigation, this box cannot be opened. Its material is also very special, and it is suspected to be a device used by an ancient sect to store core inheritance items."

"It's up for sale today, starting at one thousand spirit stones, the highest bidder wins."

As soon as he finished speaking, the previously noisy trading hall became quieter.

Many cultivators turned their attention to the inconspicuous black jade box.

After observing for a short while, the interest on everyone's faces gradually faded.

After all, such so-called "ancient relics" are not uncommon in the black market.

Many independent cultivators find unidentifiable items in secret realms and ruins, and then trade them in the black market, gambling on a chance encounter.

It's somewhat similar to opening blind boxes or gambling on jade in my past life.

While some people may become rich overnight, most people will end up with nothing but worthless junk.

Seeing this, Li Mufeng also became interested. He looked up and saw an ordinary white character on the panel.

【???(white)】

This was the second time he had seen equipment information starting with a question mark.

Last time, it was still that broken fragment of a magical artifact.

However, in comparison, the black jade box in front of us is only of white quality.

Li Mufeng stared at it for a moment, and although he was a little curious, he quickly suppressed the idea of ​​buying it.

The unknown means risk, and he has never liked risk.

Many cultivators around him shared the same reaction. After all, such rhetoric about treasures was so common in the black market that many people stopped paying attention after a few glances.

This black jade box doesn't look antique at all, and the material is very common jade. If the seller hadn't specifically introduced it, it probably wouldn't have been given a second glance if it were lying on the ground.

Even so, two cultivators still made an offer.

One of them was a monk wearing a bull's head mask, and the other wore a monkey-shaped mask.

The monk with the bull-head mask spoke first.

"One thousand one hundred spirit stones."

The monkey-faced monk followed closely behind, and his offer was much more aggressive than that of the minotaur monk.

"One thousand and five."

"Sixteen thousand."

"two thousand."

As the two continued bidding, the price of the black jade box, which had previously attracted no attention, suddenly soared.

Soon, it exceeded five thousand spirit stones.

The monks in the hall immediately became interested.

Many people secretly wondered if this jade box really held some secret.

Otherwise, why would two people be fighting over it like that?

Just as everyone was discussing, the monkey-faced masked cultivator suddenly spoke, his expression somewhat ferocious.

"Eight thousand spirit stones."

This statement came out.

The entire hall fell silent.

Eight thousand spirit stones is no small sum for an item whose value is uncertain.

Many cultivators showed expressions of doubt.

Some even secretly speculated that this might be a shill arranged by the seller in advance, just to inflate the price.

However, this shill's skill level is too low; the bidding has no rhythm at all, it's just a forced price increase.

Li Mufeng couldn't help but glance at the black jade box a few more times.

Could it be that this thing really has some hidden secret?

No matter how closely he observed, he couldn't find anything special about it.

Do we really have to buy it and open it to find out?

However, Li Mufeng did not like gambling. He only liked a stable happiness. Even if he could afford eight thousand spirit stones, he would not be able to stop once he started this kind of impulsive spending.

Surprisingly, this crazy price increase even made the seller somewhat hesitant.

After hesitating for a moment, he said, "This item is not for sale."

These words immediately sparked a murmur of discussion in the room.

The nine-tube masked cultivator didn't explain; he simply put away the jade box, stood up, and prepared to leave.

However, as soon as he reached the entrance, two Foundation Establishment cultivators dressed in black robes blocked his way; they were the ones responsible for maintaining order at the trade fair.

The cultivator with the nine-tube mask's expression changed slightly.

"Fellow Daoists, what is the meaning of this? Does Linqu Market intend to force you to buy or sell?"

The hook-nosed cultivator presiding over the trade fair remained calm and said indifferently, "Linqu Market will naturally not force anyone to trade. However, since you have come to the trade fair, you must abide by its rules. You may leave after the trade fair ends."

Upon hearing this, the cultivator with the nine-tube mask had an uncertain expression, and after a moment, he could only let out a cold snort.

"Of course I know. I just needed to use the restroom. In that case, let's wait until the trade fair is over before we talk about it."

After saying that, he sat back down in his seat.

After a few more rounds, Li Mufeng took the opportunity to sell the broken black shield spirit embryo in his hand, earning five thousand spirit stones.

Soon, it was finally time for his target to arrive.

Second-order array diagram.

The person who made the move was an elderly man with white hair, one of the few cultivators who did not wear a mask.

His voice was old and his breath was restrained, and he seemed not to be worried about his identity being exposed.

Perhaps this person is a cultivator from Linqufang City, or perhaps he has enough strength to not be afraid of being spied on by others.

The old man slowly took out a blue jade slip.

"Fellow Daoists, what I wish to trade today is a second-tier array diagram."

"This formation is called the 'Mysterious Origin Five Elements Spirit Trapping Formation'."