Chapter 1678: Trade
Zhang Ruochen wore the Time-Space Agate, which slowed the flow of time around him by half. Thus, to outsiders, it seemed he had only spent a quarter of an hour to completely refine and absorb the sacred fruit.
Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes, exhaling a white sacred mist, and muttered to himself, "The sacred fruits here are indeed extraordinary. Though they are inferior to the True Wonder Sacred Fruit, they far surpass those picked in the Outer South Garden."
His Sacred Dao Rules increased by three thousand four hundred, bringing the total within his body to over forty-four thousand.
Even with the assistance of the Truth Esoterica and the Rule Imperial Artifact, cultivating this many Sacred Dao Rules would have taken a very long time. It would have been impossible to advance so rapidly as he had now.
The ancient ferocious creatures in this area had been completely cleared.
The cultivators of the Ancient Civilization Faction continued to advance. Half an hour later, they arrived at the base of a steep mountain peak.
Instead of going around the mountain, they stopped.
The peak was steep and pathless, rising into the clouds and mist. On the yellow-brown stone wall a thousand meters high, some ancient pavilions and towers were built, with several sacred trees planted and a few sacred medicines growing that were over fifty thousand years old.
Because the value of these sacred fruits and medicines was even more astonishing, and their quantity scarce, the top civilizations within the Ancient Civilization Faction distributed them at the foot of the mountain.
Afterward, each civilization sent a top-tier expert to climb the peak and pick the already allocated sacred fruits and medicines.
The expert dispatched by the Thousand Star Civilization was the tall, thin, silent blind man.
The tall, thin blind man moved like a ghost, transforming into a gaseous demonic python that stretched over a thousand meters long. With his feet on the ground, he extended a claw and plucked a seven-leaf sacred medicine growing on the cliff face halfway up the mountain.
Around the seven-leaf sacred medicine, dense formation inscriptions emerged, forming hundreds of terrifyingly powerful lightning bolts that exploded with a rumbling roar.
But no matter how fearsome the lightning, it could not harm the tall, thin blind man in the slightest.
After picking the seven-leaf sacred medicine, the tall, thin blind man retreated to the side of the Starlight Sacred Chariot and offered it to the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden inside.
"That blind man is so powerful. No wonder the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden dared to cooperate with me without any fear that I might kill her and seize the Truth Esoterica from her body," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
The blind man and the big-bearded man were like two guardian deities, staying by her side without leaving.
The strength the tall, thin blind man had casually displayed would likely place him among the top tier even in the entire Truth Heaven Domain.
Li Qinghai cupped his hands toward Zhang Ruochen and said, "Brother Lin, you picked three sacred fruits earlier. Even if you consumed the other two, they would have no effect. I wonder if I could trade a sacred fruit or sacred medicine with you for one of them?"
Zhang Ruochen could tell that Li Qinghai had gained more respect for him and was no longer as casual as before.
"Brother Li, no need to be so formal."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "As long as Brother Li can produce enough sacred fruits and medicines that enhance cultivation, I would certainly be happy to trade with you."
Li Qinghai showed a delighted expression and quickly took out five types of sacred fruits and three types of sacred medicines from his space storage vessel.
As a space cultivator, Li Qinghai had gained quite a lot at the Sealing God Platform.
Zhang Ruochen examined those sacred fruits and medicines, then frowned. He pointed to one sacred fruit and one sacred medicine and said, "Except for these, I have already consumed all the other sacred fruits and medicines."
Li Qinghai grew a bit nervous and transmitted his voice, asking, "Brother Lin, how many Sacred Dao Rules can that sacred fruit of yours increase?"
"About three thousand four hundred," Zhang Ruochen said.
Li Qinghai's heart skipped a beat, and a regretful look appeared in his eyes. He smiled bitterly and said, "I'm sorry. My sacred fruit and sacred medicine combined can only help a cultivator increase twelve hundred Sacred Dao Rules. It seems I am not fated to obtain that sacred fruit."
Li Qinghai was very disappointed. After all, if he could trade for the sacred fruit Zhang Ruochen had just picked, his cultivation might break through to the Three-Step Saint King in one go.
"Brother Li, no need to be so disappointed. Since we have met, it is a kind of fate. For the sake of this fate, I am willing to use the sacred fruit I just picked to trade with you."
Zhang Ruochen took out a white sacred fruit the size of a cherry and handed it to Li Qinghai, then added, "Brother Li only needs to give me sacred fruits and medicines that can increase three thousand four hundred Sacred Dao Rules."
Li Qinghai was overjoyed. He took out all the sacred fruits and medicines from his storage vessel and handed them to Zhang Ruochen, saying, "These sacred fruits and medicines together can increase a cultivator's Sacred Dao Rules by four thousand five hundred. I'll give them all to Brother Lin! Please don't refuse. Consider it a token of friendship."
Zhang Ruochen smiled slightly and nodded, taking the storage vessel.
Not far away, Gu Feng glanced at the storage vessel in Zhang Ruochen's hand, a flash of greed passing through his eyes.
Mo Xiaogu, Pu Shan, and Chou Gu were quite tempted. Mo Xiaogu was the most proactive, immediately walking over to Zhang Ruochen and taking out her sacred fruits and medicines, wanting to trade with him for the remaining sacred fruit.
Zhang Ruochen was not always as generous as he had been just now; it depended on the person.
After examining Mo Xiaogu's sacred fruits and medicines, Zhang Ruochen said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Miss Xiaogu. Among your sacred fruits and medicines, there is only one sacred fruit I haven't consumed. The quality of that sacred fruit is far inferior to the one I just picked."
Mo Xiaogu's eyes were watery as she stared at Zhang Ruochen, looking pitiful and endearing.
It had to be said that she was quite beautiful, with delicate features and a soft temperament. If another man saw her like this, his heart would probably melt.
But Zhang Ruochen was unmoved. He said, "I have other sacred fruits and medicines here that can enhance cultivation. I can trade with you on equal terms."
With that, Zhang Ruochen took out over a dozen sacred fruits and over a dozen sacred medicines, explaining the number of Sacred Dao Rules each could increase. He then looked at Pu Shan and Chou Gu and said, "You two, if you have sacred fruits and medicines that enhance cultivation, you can also trade with me."
Pu Shan and Chou Gu had already been thinking about this. They walked over and began trading with Zhang Ruochen.
Through this trade with Li Qinghai, Mo Xiaogu, Pu Shan, Chou Gu, and others, Zhang Ruochen obtained a total of three sacred fruits and three sacred medicines, all of which were types he had never consumed before.
After refining them, the Sacred Dao Rules within Zhang Ruochen's body increased by nearly three thousand, raising his cultivation by another small notch.
"The cultivators who can come here are all top-tier experts. They must all have treasures that enhance cultivation."
This trade gave Zhang Ruochen another way to improve his cultivation. So, he quietly walked toward the two Silver Giants who were protecting their safety.
After some communication, he exchanged for five sacred medicines that enhanced cultivation from them.
Next, Zhang Ruochen went to talk with the group of formation masters.
This time, Zhang Ruochen brought out sacred fruits and medicines that could increase spiritual power, instantly making the formation masters extremely eager. They took out all the treasures they had.
The scope of the trade kept expanding, with more and more cultivators joining in.
Anyway, when ancient ferocious creatures appeared, the experts of the Ancient Civilization Faction dealt with them. The protected special cultivators in the inner circle were trading enthusiastically, almost turning the place into a small market.
In total, Zhang Ruochen exchanged for fourteen sacred fruits and twenty-three sacred medicines. It was a great harvest, and his mood was indescribably joyful.
However, it became increasingly difficult to trade for sacred fruits and medicines he had not yet consumed.
A seductive woman wearing a black veil cupped her hands slightly and smiled, "Young Master Lin, our Son of Heaven wishes to trade with you as well."
Zhang Ruochen quickly put away the sacred fruits and medicines he had just traded for into his Space Ring, then turned his gaze to the enchanting woman.
Although she wore a veil that covered the lower half of her face, her graceful figure, full bosom, and long, slender legs were still full of soul-stealing allure.
She had a naturally seductive bone structure. Even without using any charm techniques, every smile, every movement, and every gesture had the power to bewilder a cultivator's mind.
Not far away, Gu Feng's eyes lit up, and he said somewhat intoxicated, "Top-tier goods!"
But Zhang Ruochen became cautious. He had indeed traded for a large number of sacred fruits and medicines, but he had also exposed the wealth he carried.
It was very likely that some greedy cultivators had already set their sights on him.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I only want sacred fruits and medicines that enhance cultivation."
The veiled seductive woman smiled and said, "Our Son of Heaven possesses a large number of sacred fruits and medicines that enhance cultivation, enough to meet Young Master Lin's needs."
Zhang Ruochen said, "There are not many types of sacred fruits and medicines in the Sealing God Platform that can enhance cultivation, and I have already consumed most of them."
"What about the sacred fruits and medicines picked in this killing ground? Has Young Master Lin consumed them all as well?" the seductive woman said.
It would be strange if Zhang Ruochen was not tempted. The sacred fruits and medicines picked here were all extremely rare and valuable, capable of greatly enhancing cultivation.
But Zhang Ruochen found it hard to believe that the Son of Heaven this woman spoke of would be willing to trade those sacred fruits and medicines with him.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Who exactly is your Son of Heaven?"
The seductive woman turned her face and extended a slender jade arm, pointing in a certain direction. There, a handsome man in a dark black robe stood beside a nine-zhang-tall ink jade qilin. He nodded and smiled slightly at Zhang Ruochen.
A voice transmitted into Zhang Ruochen's ear: "Young Master Lin, Shen is sincere in wanting to make a trade with you. Shall we meet?"
"Wu Shen Son of Heaven," Zhang Ruochen thought with surprise.
Wu Shen Civilization was an extremely ancient civilization with a long history. It was the birthplace of the Wu Path in the universe, and the Wu Shen Son of Heaven was one of the top experts in the Ancient Civilization Faction.
Previously, the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden had introduced several people Zhang Ruochen should not offend, and one of them was the Wu Shen Son of Heaven.