Middle-grade Magical Artifacts were precious, except for the core Demons from major powers who were held in high regard.
For an ordinary Demon, obtaining a Middle-grade Magical Artifact was next to impossible!
The Demon Path is fraught with hardship.
Without a partner, one is desolate and alone!
Without methods, one cannot long endure!
Without land, one has no security!
And without wealth, one cannot take a single step!
Even some Late-stage Qi Refining Old Demons with shallower foundations might not possess a single Middle-grade Magical Artifact.
Cultivation required Demon Stones to purchase Elixirs.
Daily social interactions required the exchange of Demon Emotions.
Magical Combat with other Demons led to losses that needed to be replenished.
If one wished for a smooth Demon Path, where would Demon Stones not be needed?
Late-stage Qi Refining Old Demons were better at earning Demon Stones than Demons in the early or Middle Stages, but they also had far more expenses!
'Since there will be Middle-grade Magical Artifacts for trade, there should be quite a few Qi Refining Old Demons attending this secret little gathering.
I still need to be careful!'
Xu Chang'an thought to himself.
With his business concluded, he didn't linger in the Marketplace.
He had purchased the Qi Replenishing Pills and needed to break through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer as quickly as possible.
Although breaking through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer wouldn't cause a huge commotion, the Marketplace was, after all, covered by an Array and filled with prying eyes. There was no guarantee he wouldn't be discovered.
In truth, it wouldn't be a big deal even if he were discovered.
However, since he had already decided to swindle some Demons, it was best to be discreet.
He returned the passage Token and got his deposit back.
Xu Chang'an left the White Maple Mountain Marketplace and traveled for over a hundred li.
Finally, he found a relatively desolate mountain peak.
Using his Demon Power, he quickly carved out a simple cave.
'It's still a bit crude! It's fine for a temporary breakthrough, but if I want to enter secluded cultivation for deep research in the future, I'm afraid this is too rough.'
Looking at the incredibly simple cave before him, Xu Chang'an sighed.
'If the opportunity arises, I should purchase some Array Command Flags.'
After sealing the cave entrance with a large boulder, Xu Chang'an sat cross-legged in his human-like form.
He took out bottle after bottle of Qi Replenishing Pills from his Storage Bag, laying them all out in front of him.
Including the two bottles gifted by Bai Yuhu, he had a total of twenty-three bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills.
'Well then...
Time to begin!'
A glint flashed in Xu Chang'an's small, rat-like eyes.
He swallowed the Qi Replenishing Pills one by one.
Instantly, a warm current surged through his body.
A long time later.
Xu Chang'an slowly opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.
Name: Xu Chang'an
Bloodline: Ordinary Grey Rat (Ungraded)
Lifespan: 18 years
Realm: Qi Refining Fifth Layer
Skills: Alchemy (Tier One Low Grade)
Energy: (38/80)
...
'Qi Refining Fifth Layer!'
'And I'm nearly halfway to accumulating the Energy for the Qi Refining Sixth Layer!'
Xu Chang'an stood up, feeling the surging Demon Power within his body.
'Everything is ready. Now I just have to wait for the little gathering in ten days.
I hope it won't disappoint me!'
...
「The dark clouds veiled the bright moon, casting a hazy light over the night.」
In a valley thirty li outside White Maple Mountain.
The valley was shrouded in thick mist.
From the outside, it was impossible to see the situation within the valley clearly.
'This is the place!'
Xu Chang'an checked the location information given by the Dog Demon Shopkeeper and confirmed he was at the right spot.
"Private gathering. Halt where you are!"
A voice called out from within the dense fog.
Xu Chang'an didn't reply, instead taking out the token given to him by Ruyi Pavilion.
A moment later, the thick fog parted.
It revealed the figure of a Demon.
"Entry requires a payment of two Demon Stones.
Fighting and using intimidation to lower prices are strictly forbidden during the gathering.
Violators will be blacklisted by the Thirteen Shop Alliance and will never be served again!"
"Understood."
Xu Chang'an nodded.
After paying the two Demon Stones, he received a concealing Demon Talisman and smoothly entered the valley.
This Demon Talisman could only be used once. Upon activation, it could conceal one's Demon Body and had some effect in masking one's aura.
However, an Entry Level Demon Talisman had limited effects and could only provide a slight concealment.
It probably wouldn't be enough to block the probing of a determined Demon.
Better than nothing, it was at least some form of cover.
The moment he entered, Xu Chang'an saw the figures of many Demons.
These Demons were almost all shrouded in a thick fog.
This was the effect of the Entry Level concealing Demon Talismans.
'This is...
A bit self-deceiving!'
The vast majority of Demons were successfully shrouded by the fog produced by the concealing Demon Talismans.
However, there were a few Demons whose bodies were too massive for the fog from the talismans to cover completely.
"Damn it, what is this piece of junk? It can't even cover my body. What's the point of this thing!"
A grumbling voice rang out.
A concealing Demon Talisman was ripped off and thrown to the ground.
The surrounding fog dissipated, revealing a massive Mountain Boar Demon that stood three zhang tall.
This Mountain Boar Demon had a red face and sharp tusks. Its aura was savage and tyrannical—it was an Old Demon with a Qi Refining Seventh Layer Cultivation!
The main purpose of the concealing Demon Talisman was to mask one's aura, preventing others from targeting you over something you bought.
Since this Mountain Boar Demon was a Qi Refining Seventh Layer Old Demon, whether it was concealed or not truly didn't matter.
Even if it managed to buy a Middle-grade Magical Artifact, no other Demon would dare to target it.
At the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, one could even hold the position of an Elder in a mountain power like Langlang Mountain.
Let alone in other, ordinary small mountain factions!
"You brainless brute, you Mountain Boar Demon!"
A slightly sharp, shrill voice piped up.
It was actually mocking the Mountain Boar Demon.
"Who dares to mock me!"
The Mountain Boar Demon snorted a blast of hot air from its snout. Its aura flared, making it look extremely intimidating.
"I did."
The fog dissipated, revealing a Hedgehog Spirit that wasn't large but was covered in sharp spines.
It was another Qi Refining Seventh Layer Demon.
"So it's you, you prickly freak. I'll beat you up when we get out of here."
Despite his words, upon seeing the Hedgehog Spirit reveal its true form, the Mountain Boar Demon's anger subsided considerably.
It was clear that he was somewhat wary of the Hedgehog Spirit.
Among the Old Demons who had made it to the Late-stage Qi Refining, there were few who were purely stupid.
"Alright, you two, stop fooling around. A trade gathering like this is rare, so let's have it go smoothly."
A gentle voice spoke up.
Following the voice, they saw that the speaker's Demon Body was completely shrouded in fog, making it impossible to identify what kind of Demon it was.
However, judging by the reactions of the Hedgehog Spirit and the Mountain Boar Demon, it had to be another Qi Refining Seventh Layer Old Demon.
If a Mid-stage Qi Refining Demon had dared to speak to them like that, it would have been beaten to death!
Xu Chang'an stood in a corner, quietly observing the situation in the valley.
He too was currently shrouded in thick fog.
Beneath the fog was the form of a Wild Wolf Demon, which he had transformed into as a disguise.
His Cultivation aura was still maintained at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.
After waiting for about half an hour, forty to fifty Demons had gathered in the valley.
"Alright, everyone, time is about up. The trade meet will now officially begin."
A Demon that seemed to be a Lynx Demon announced in a clear voice.
This Lynx Demon was likely the host of this trade gathering; its Cultivation aura had already reached the Peak of Qi Refining Seventh Layer.
The procedure for the trade gathering was relatively simple.
First, the various participating Demons would display their resources and state what materials they wished to purchase.
After the Demons finished trading amongst themselves, the organizers of the gathering would then sell a few items.
In the form of an auction!