"Alright, the next item up for bid is the grand finale of this little trade meet."
The Lynx Demon skillfully riled up the crowd, his voice filled with excitement.
"A Qi Gathering Pill!"
The Qi Gathering Pill—a Tier-Breaking Elixir used to advance from the Mid-stage of Qi Refining to the Late Stage!
It was incredibly precious!
'It's finally here!'
Down below, the expressions of the assembled demons lit up.
Many of the demons had attended this little trade meet specifically for this one Qi Gathering Pill.
Although the Qi Gathering Pill was precious, it didn't hold as much allure for the Old Demons as a Middle-grade Magical Artifact.
After all, they were already in the Late-stage of Qi Refining.
They naturally had no use for it.
As for why they didn't prepare one in advance for their descendants or trusted subordinates, well, that would be giving them too much credit.
Their own Demon Path was already fraught with hardship, a journey of fumbling in the dark. How could they have the spare energy to make such preparations for other demons?
The price of a Qi Gathering Pill was, after all, exorbitant!
"Qi Gathering Pill, starting price of one hundred and eighty Demon Stones. Highest bidder takes it. The bidding starts now."
The moment the Lynx Demon finished speaking, a flurry of bids rang out.
"One hundred ninety Demon Stones."
"Two hundred Demon Stones."
"I must have this Qi Gathering Pill. Two hundred fifty Demon Stones."
"Who isn't! Three hundred Demon Stones!"
"..."
The atmosphere of the trade meet became utterly frenzied.
The Qi Gathering Pill was different from a Middle-grade Magical Artifact.
While the latter was important, compared to one's fundamental cultivation, it was ultimately just a Guarding Method.
The Qi Gathering Pill, however, was a matter concerning one's very Demon Path.
When one's Demon Path was at stake, no one was willing to back down easily.
"Three hundred fifty Demon Stones!"
A weathered voice, tinged with madness, suddenly rang out.
"If I can't break through to the Late-stage of Qi Refining, I have three years left to live, at most!
Anyone who fights me for this is trying to take my life!
And I won't stop until one of us is dead!"
Advancing from the Mid-stage to the Late Stage of Qi Refining could increase one's lifespan.
Some demons nearing the end of their lifespans were naturally desperate.
Being old and frail, their chances of breaking through weren't particularly high, even with a Qi Gathering Pill.
But as their end drew near, they were willing to sell off all their foundational resources and liquidate their assets, all for a slim chance to gamble on reaching the Late-stage of Qi Refining!
If they failed, at least they would have tried and could die without regrets.
If they succeeded, it would naturally be a cause for great celebration.
Demons who had built up factions and had sprawling clans might think differently.
But any unattached Independent Cultivator Demon nearing the end of their life would do the same if given the opportunity.
Xu Chang'an remained where he was, quietly watching the demons bid against each other, taking in the fervor of the moment.
After a long time, the fate of the Qi Gathering Pill was finally decided.
It sold for the high price of five hundred and twenty Demon Stones.
The winner was shrouded in a thick mist, their features indistinct. It was impossible to tell what kind of demon they were.
With the Lynx Demon's parting words of "May your Demon Paths be smooth," the little trade meet officially came to an end.
The moment the trade meet concluded, the buyer who had won the Qi Gathering Pill left the valley at top speed.
Quite a few demons followed, apparently taking an interest in them.
Several of the Late-stage Qi Refining Old Demons seemed to want to follow as well, but they were stopped by the Lynx Demon.
"Fellow Daoists, you know the rules of this trade meet. Don't make things difficult for me.
The business of this trade meet can only last if things go smoothly.
You wouldn't want this little meet to just fizzle out and disappear, would you!"
A subtle threat was hidden within the Lynx Demon's words.
His cultivation at the Peak of the Qi Refining Seventh Layer naturally carried some weight.
The organizers of the trade meet also had their reputation to consider.
If items won at the auction were immediately stolen the moment the transaction was complete,
and this kept happening, the reputation of the trade meet would be utterly ruined.
It would be impossible to continue!
'Good luck!'
The Lynx Demon thought to himself as he watched the winner of the Qi Gathering Pill depart.
They had stopped the Late-stage Qi Refining Old Demons, but as for the other demons, it would be up to the winner's own abilities.
If he got robbed, he only had himself to blame.
The Demon Path was difficult, and inherently cruel!
'The organizers of this trade meet are quite principled.'
A glint in his eye, Xu Chang'an walked straight out of the valley.
After leaving the valley, Xu Chang'an walked at a slow pace.
He wasn't yet sure if his "fish" had taken the bait.
He had to take his time and wait patiently.
Chang'an was fishing, and the willing would take the hook.
...
"Mountain Boar, that Toad Spirit is going too far. He already has a Middle-grade Magical Artifact, yet he still competed with us for this one."
In a forest outside the valley, the Hedgehog Spirit spoke to the Mountain Boar Demon next to him.
"He really is going too far! I can't stand it!"
The Mountain Boar Demon, red-faced and tusked, radiated a savage aura. He couldn't help but take his frustration out on a nearby tree.
BOOM!
A tree as thick as a man's embrace crashed to the ground.
"Mountain Boar, are you interested in pulling a big score?"
the Hedgehog Spirit goaded.
"Hmm!? What do you have in mind?"
The Mountain Boar snorted a blast of hot air from its snout and looked at the Hedgehog Spirit.
The Hedgehog Spirit immediately laid out his plan for the Mountain Boar Demon.
The two demons would team up to ambush the Toad Spirit.
If they succeeded, they would split the profits evenly.
The Wild Boar Spirit was extremely tempted by the hedgehog's proposal, but he still had some reservations.
"Prickly-freak, your proposal is good, and it would let me blow off some steam.
But...
That Toad Spirit already has one Middle-grade Magical Artifact. He's stronger in a fight than either of us alone.
And now he's gone and won the Illusory Bell.
Even if we team up, I'm afraid we still won't be a match for him!"
"Mountain Boar, what are you afraid of? That Toad Spirit just won the Illusory Bell.
When would he have had time to refine it?
For now, that Illusory Bell is nothing more than a decoration to us; it won't be of much use to him.
Think fast! If we wait any longer, we won't be able to ambush him even if we want to!"
The Mountain Boar Demon didn't reply to the Hedgehog Spirit immediately, falling silent instead.
'Even if this ambush fails, I won't have to fear retaliation from the Toad Spirit.'
'If we succeed, I'll get at least one Middle-grade Magical Artifact out of it.'
'A Middle-grade Magical Artifact!'
'If the Hedgehog Spirit and I team up with a good plan...'
'...with the element of surprise, we should have a fifty-percent chance of success.'
"Alright."
After some consideration, weighing the pros and cons, he finally gritted his teeth and agreed.
Seeing the Mountain Boar Demon agree, a peculiar glint flashed in the Hedgehog Spirit's darting, beady eyes.
...
"That Wild Wolf is just sauntering along, not a care in the world.
He's sure got guts!
Walking the mountain path this late at night, and he's not even afraid of being targeted by demons!"
Above the mountain path was a small hillock covered in dense green foliage.
Three demons were hiding behind the hillock, watching the figure walking along the path below.
"Not gutsy, just naive. Probably some sheltered flower who doesn't know any better."
"Hahaha, true. Otherwise, he'd know not to flash his wealth.
He showed off his riches in the Marketplace, and now we brothers have our eyes on him!"
"Shh, keep it down. Don't scare him off.
According to the tip from that old dog at Ruyi Pavilion, this is a big, fat sheep.
Robbing him will be enough for us brothers to live comfortably for a good long while.
Everyone be careful, and don't screw this up."
"Got it, Boss.
When do we make our move!"
"Wait until he's a bit further away.
We're too close to the valley here. Some of the Qi Refining Old Demons from the gathering might still be around. It's too risky to make a move now!
We wait!"
"Understood."