Chapter 2486 — Yang Qiqi's Persuasion

"Cash will do." Wei Zhao nodded. If it were a barter, he would not have much of an advantage. Apart from a Turtle Saliva Ice Crystal of unknown use, all he had left were a few kinds of pills.

"Huh?" Behind Wei Zhao, Yang Qiqi suddenly let out a soft cry and stopped in her tracks.

Wei Zhao turned around and saw Yang Qiqi stride quickly to a stall, her eyes fixed on the only small bottle displayed there. Yet she did not immediately crouch down. Instead, she glanced at the watch on her wrist, then at the little bottle on the ground, her eyes flooding with unmistakable delight.

Wei Zhao looked at Yang Qiqi in surprise. That tiny watch on her wrist was probably some sort of technological device, one that helped her identify certain treasures. Naturally, Wei Zhao had no intention of prying into what it was. For the moment, he simply was not interested.

"Excuse me, is this..." Yang Qiqi crouched down and pointed at the only small bottle on the stall.

Wei Zhao turned to look at the stallholder, and his eyes immediately narrowed. This man was actually an early Heaven-rank expert! It was not that high-rank cultivators never set up stalls here, but seeing a Heaven-rank cultivator personally running one still came as a surprise.

What was more, the Heaven-rank cultivator had covered his face, clearly unwilling to let anyone discover his identity. That, in itself, was indirect proof of how precious the little bottle he had brought must be.

"Since you do not even know what it is, you cannot afford the price. Move along." The Heaven-rank expert glanced at Yang Qiqi, then closed his eyes and spoke coolly, looking wholly disinclined to entertain her.

"I..." Yang Qiqi had not expected the man before her to be so difficult, but when she thought of Little Nine, she softened her voice and said, "Senior, may I ask whether this is something taken from a Heaven-rank earth-element spirit beast?"

"Oh? You know?" The Heaven-rank cultivator opened his eyes again and fixed them on Yang Qiqi. "You can actually tell that this is the blood of a Heaven-rank earth-element spirit beast?"

"This..." Yang Qiqi had no way to explain how she knew. She could only nod and say, "Senior, I would like to exchange for it. What is it that you need?"

"Since you have recognized what this is, I will not conceal it from you." The Heaven-rank cultivator spoke frankly. "What I need is something taken from a Heaven-rank water-element spirit beast!"

"Ah!" Yang Qiqi froze. She had never expected the Heaven-rank cultivator to ask for such a thing, and she did not have it. Almost instinctively, she hurriedly asked, "Would something else precious do? Blue Crystal, perhaps?"

"Blue Crystal?" The Heaven-rank cultivator paused, then shook his head. "Blue Crystal is certainly precious, but I have no use for it. If you gave me Blue Crystal, I would still have to exchange it with someone else. It would be no easier than exchanging this for what I need..."

"But Blue Crystal is worth a fortune!" Yang Qiqi said, unwilling to give up.

Wei Zhao frowned. Did Yang Qiqi have Blue Crystal of her own, or was she trying to get her hands on his? He gave her a deep look. Had this girl followed him precisely because she planned to secretly take the Blue Crystal back?

"There is no denying that Blue Crystal is worth a fortune. But you know that I am a Heaven-rank expert, and a water-element cultivator. I need something from a Heaven-rank water-element spirit beast to alter my divine weapon!" the Heaven-rank cultivator explained. "And there may well be other Heaven-rank cultivators in the same predicament as me. They may have obtained something from a Heaven-rank spirit beast, only to find that its elemental attribute does not suit their cultivation method. They, too, will be waiting to make an exchange. I am looking for someone like that."

"What does he mean by altering a divine weapon?" While the Heaven-rank cultivator explained things to Yang Qiqi, Wei Zhao quietly asked Han Xiaohu.

"Oh? Leader, you do not know?" Han Xiaohu was slightly taken aback, then explained, "The cultivation world no longer has any artifact forgers. The divine weapons used by Heaven-rank experts were all handed down from ancient times, but every divine weapon has its own elemental attributes..."

Han Xiaohu then explained to Wei Zhao the effect of using materials taken from Heaven-rank spirit beasts to alter a divine weapon's attributes.

"So that is how it works." Wei Zhao nodded. At last, he understood what use the Turtle Saliva Ice Crystal he carried served. The Heaven-rank softshell turtle had been a water-element spirit beast, so the crystal must have been something taken from a Heaven-rank water-element spirit beast. It was meant to alter the attributes of a divine weapon—and it was exactly what this Heaven-rank cultivator needed.

Naturally, Wei Zhao did not take it out to make the exchange. The item was of no use to him for the time being, and neither was the Heaven-rank cultivator's offering. Wei Zhao would never trade merely because Yang Qiqi needed it.

Wei Zhao still wanted to see whether he could find something he needed. He certainly would not casually bring out the Turtle Saliva Ice Crystal for an exchange. It was clear that although the Heaven-rank cultivator's earth-element spirit-beast blood was precious, very few people had any use for it. Aside from Yang Qiqi, no one had shown the slightest interest.

If Wei Zhao traded with him, the item he received would probably be just as difficult to sell or exchange. Besides, once he brought it back, could Yang Qiqi possibly refrain from asking him for it?

"But think about it. The people who have something from a Heaven-rank water-element spirit beast may not need the blood of your Heaven-rank earth-element spirit beast. Otherwise, you would have exchanged it long ago instead of still having it now, would you not?" Yang Qiqi did not want to give up so easily. Instead, she coaxed him patiently.

According to Yang Qiqi's reliable information, this Heaven-rank cultivator had been appearing at various cultivator markets for the past two years, yet had gained nothing every time. That was why Yang Qiqi refused to abandon the matter so readily.

"Hmm..." The Heaven-rank cultivator lowered his head, clearly struck by Yang Qiqi's words. She was right. The thing in his hands was precious, but no one needed it. Even those who possessed something from a Heaven-rank water-element spirit beast might not be willing to trade with him.

"But there may be many people who need Blue Crystal. Even if that Heaven-rank expert has no use for it, surely his sectmates or fellow disciples might? You might gain another opportunity that way!" Yang Qiqi urged.