After exploring about a third of the trading fair, the group decided to head back. They couldn't just wander around outside on their own; the rest of their companions needed to check things out too.
"Senior Sister, tomorrow have Senior Brother Jian Mao bring the others along to take a look. Maybe we'll discover something new," Jian Dan suggested.
"Alright. You managed to make two deals today, didn't you?"
"They weren't finalized yet. I'll get them ready when we return," she replied.
When the five returned, they found a small crowd around their own stall. Jian Mao was calmly sitting cross-legged, negotiating some trades for Immortal Armors. Su Chui was inspecting trading materials, while Lady Di assisted him. Wu Siyuan and Jian Chuan were acting as guards.
These items had been seized earlier from Mi Ji's squad and Mao Wu's subordinates. The ones left were mostly intact, while these were damaged or incomplete sets. Originally, the Heavenly Sword Sect members had refused to trade them.
Bringing them back to the Sect, they barely had enough for themselves, so why would they trade? But after Jian Dan wiped the divine consciousness from a storage ring, she found a full ten thousand sets of intact silver armor inside. Only then did Jian Mao agree to trade the damaged ones.
Upon seeing the storage ring's contents, even the usually reserved Jian Mao couldn't help but smile. He grew more eager to see the rest of the stored equipment, but no one pressured Jian Lu.
Jian Dan enjoyed this "blind box" approach too. When it wasn't her turn, she quietly picked a storage ring and carefully erased the divine consciousness, slowly inspecting its contents.
Immortal Realm armor was considered essential for cultivators shopping here. After all, it boosted personal defense, providing extra protection for those who couldn't use Xianyuan energy.
Seeing the bustling stall, Hou San immediately stepped forward to assist Boss Mao.
Jian Jing and the others entered the back formation. At that time, only the five Purple Sky Sect members were inside. Bei Ze had likely taken some people out and hadn't returned.
"How's everyone feeling now, Xiao Yong?"
"Much better than before. A few more days of rest and we should be in good shape," Xiao Huo replied, smiling on behalf of his partner. They didn't want to be a burden, so they seized every opportunity to recover.
"Today we encountered some merfolk. They have black sea pearls that can restore vitality, but we didn't finalize the trade. We agreed to discuss it again later," Jian Jing revealed, not hiding the incident with Anthony.
"Alright, thank you all for your efforts. When they come, they can pick whatever they need from our stock," Xiao Yong said decisively. Resources could always be replaced, but restoring strength was the priority.
"Exactly! Even if they don't want to trade, borrowing them for a few days will be fine."
As they spoke, Hou San activated the formation. Entering, he reported, "Anthony, the merfolk, is here."
"He seems a bit anxious, showing up before the market dispersed," Jian Jing noted.
"Since they're here, let them come in!"
"Yes."
Hou San turned and returned shortly with two tall merfolk, leading them through the formation.
This time, Anthony brought his partner, Fanny. She was about 1.8 meters tall, with white hair and blue eyes. Their child had clearly inherited the best of both.
"Sorry for the early arrival. Fanny was worried about Neil, so we came ahead of schedule. I hope you understand a mother's concern," Anthony said.
"Of course. Please, sit!"
The couple knelt on the mats. Anthony gently lifted Neil from behind Fanny, who hesitated, gazing at the towering Anthony with some unease. He patted her shoulder to calm her, then looked at the sleeping Neil and finally at Jian Dan.
"I can't say how long this will take. You can wait nearby, but under no circumstances interfere. If you do, your child will be harmed, and so will I," Jian Dan said firmly.
Fanny nervously grasped Anthony's hand. Anthony, though tense, patted hers and reassured her, "We'll be right here protecting Neil the whole time."
"Now, wake him," Jian Dan instructed.
Turning to her senior brothers and sister, she said, "Please protect me."
"Understood!"
Neil opened his green eyes, still drowsy. Rubbing them, he realized he was in his father's arms. Anthony gave a few final instructions before handing Neil over to Jian Dan. Fanny watched intently, not blinking.
Nestled in Jian Dan's arms, Neil moved his tail. Being in the stranger's hold didn't feel as uncomfortable, and with Anthony and Fanny nearby, he relaxed considerably.
Jian Jing, Jian Xu, and Kuang Dao formed a protective circle around Jian Dan, signaling to Jian Lu that they were ready.
Jian Dan pulled out a low-grade Immortal Stone, holding it in her left hand. These stones, selected by Liu Chuan, were water-element stones that could be directly channeled into the recipient's body without extra effort.
With her right hand, she held Neil's small wrist, then focused, activating the yin-yang Taiji disk in her dantian. Water-element Xianyuan energy flowed into Neil's meridians under her guidance, nourishing his muscles and veins.
Jian Dan's own cultivated Xianyuan energy was negligible. Before it even reached all of Neil's meridians, the water-element energy was nearly depleted.
She multitasked, absorbing the low-grade water Immortal Stone with her left hand while refining and directing it into Neil's body.
Mò Xī Jiàn also intercepted some energy to reduce her load.
Since Xianyuan energy was denser than spiritual energy and Jian Dan hadn't left mortal form yet, channeling it from the stones was taxing, far beyond what she absorbed naturally from the air.
Even carefully, her meridians started suffering damage from the overload, and faint blood traces seeped from her body.
Neil, on the other hand, felt a gentle, flowing power coursing through him, soothing and strengthening him. Piece by piece, the stones shattered, and his vitality grew. Most noticeably, his tail gradually regained its vibrant colors from the previous gray, becoming brighter with every passing moment, resembling the protective scales on Anthony.
Anthony and Fanny clasped each other's hands in excitement. Fanny even cried, tears forming pearl-like droplets that fell unnoticed to the side.
Everyone's attention remained on the large and small figures at the center. Jian Dan's face had turned pale from the strain, her overburdened meridians visibly damaged, blood faintly seeping through her robe. The faint scent of iron filled the air, despite the robe's coverage.