Chapter 3578 — North Island Market

"So that's how it is. Thank you, Senior Ku." Wei Zhao nodded at this. It seemed much the same as the cultivation world in the mortal realm—all exchanges, trials, and marketplaces.

Following the direction Senior Kufi had indicated, Wei Zhao set off for the marketplace.

East from the Welcome Pavilion, over two mountains, and Wei Zhao soon found the market—voices clamoring, a bustle to match its reputation.

To trade for the herbs he needed, or even to stumble upon a ready-made Heavenly Dao Golden Core—such a thing was not impossible.

But Wei Zhao did not go straight in. Instead he ducked into a deserted corner and put on the Thousand-Silk Mask, so that he now wore a wholly unfamiliar face. Should anything go amiss, no suspicion would fall on him, and his true strength would stay hidden.

Though the market had first been organized by disciples and rogue cultivators of their own accord, years had lent it no small scale. It now had proper shopfronts, and by strength it was divided into three trading streets. Built against the mountain, the three streets ran side by side from the inside out—named the Outer Street, the Middle Street, and the Inner Street.

Its fame drew not only inner disciples of the Three Pavilions and newcomers to the Welcome Pavilion, but many a skilled rogue cultivator from the neighboring cultivation villages, come because of the name. Martial techniques of every kind, pills and elixirs, rare treasures of heaven and earth—all were to be had, and since most there were of similar strength, much of it was exactly what a newcomer could put to use at once. Hence the market was known near and far, and it was a place every newcomer had to visit.

Wei Zhao wandered about and found the Outer Street stalls mostly kept by experts below the Heaven Rank Great Perfection stage; the crowds were thickest there, and the noise the loudest. Those going in and out of the Middle Street, by contrast, were mostly experts of the early Foundation Establishment stage and above. The traffic was somewhat thinner than on the Outer Street, yet still a steady stream.

As for the innermost Inner Street, Wei Zhao was not fated to see it. The guards keeping order at its entrance judged his strength too low and barred his way. He knew only that every soul who passed in and out was a powerhouse whose strength he could not see through.

So this Cloudstep Island truly did teem with experts!

Wei Zhao sighed inwardly, and stopped fretting over what the Inner Street might look like. He simply began searching for the herbs he needed while touring the place—yet after combing both the Outer and Middle Streets, he found only five of the herbs listed on the pill formula. Of the sixth and most crucial, the Devour-Heart Linglong Grass, there was no trace at all.

Could it be that there was no Devour-Heart Linglong Grass on Cloudstep Island at all? Or was it sold only on the most mysterious Inner Street? Wei Zhao's heart tightened at once, and unwilling to give up, he made another round—still in vain.

Nor did he come across any ready-made Heavenly Dao Golden Core. It seemed the thing was indeed precious; no one had brought it out to sell or trade.

It looked as though he would have to ask Senior Kufi for more about this Devour-Heart Linglong Grass! With no other choice, Wei Zhao turned and left the market. Until he found the Devour-Heart Linglong Grass, gathering the other five herbs would be useless.

What was more, after a few turns about the place, Wei Zhao discovered that the currency here was not money but spirit jade! At present he had only a single piece of spirit jade the size of a chicken egg—nowhere near enough to buy those five herbs.

Leaving the market, Wei Zhao put away the Thousand-Silk Mask and went straight to Senior Kufi's cultivation cave.

Once more at the entrance of Cave Dwelling No. 9, Wei Zhao gave the cave's restriction a light touch. After waiting outside a moment, he saw Senior Kufi come walking out again.

At the sight of Wei Zhao, Senior Kufi could not help saying in surprise, "Junior Brother Lin, why have you come again? Is there something else?"

Wei Zhao nodded and asked, "It's like this, Senior Ku—there's one more thing I'd like to ask you about. Do you know where I might find Devour-Heart Linglong Grass?"

"Devour-Heart Linglong Grass?" Senior Kufi frowned and thought it over, then said, none too certain, "I have heard it mentioned before. They say this herb is exceedingly rare—nowhere else around here has it, only one place."

"What place?" Wei Zhao asked. The heart he had kept hanging finally settled. So long as the herb existed, the matter could be managed.

"The back mountain! But that is a forbidden ground of the sect. Ordinarily no one may enter; only on the twenty-fifth of each month are Welcome Pavilion disciples allowed in for trials—the aim being to sharpen your practical combat skills and thereby seek a chance at a breakthrough." Senior Kufi explained it all, then asked, somewhat puzzled, "But come to think of it, Devour-Heart Linglong Grass is supposed to be a highly toxic herb. What does Junior Brother Lin want with it?"

"To be frank with you, Senior Ku, I intend to refine a few pills for myself to aid my cultivation." Wei Zhao gave that answer, but said nothing of the Heavenly Dao Golden Core. For one thing, though he and Senior Kufi were of the same camp, they were not yet close enough for that; for another, even if he told him, it would be of no use—Senior Kufi could not help with it. And if word leaked out and reached the wrong ears, it might well bring unforeseen trouble.

As for his identity as an alchemist, even if Wei Zhao said nothing, Kang Jingming would spread it soon enough—so there was no need to hide it.

"So Junior Brother Lin, you're an alchemist!" Senior Kufi exclaimed, startled out of his usual manner—and all the more astonished at heart. After all, an alchemist, honored as he might be, was in truth far weaker in strength than other experts of his level. Yet Wei Zhao had plainly defeated Meng Zhou, a Heaven Rank Great Perfection expert, in a single move. This Junior Brother Lin truly kept his depths hidden, springing one surprise after another!

Wei Zhao answered only with a faint smile and said no more.

"Still, that's just as well. Since you can refine pills yourself, even if they're not the finest, they'll make up somewhat for the lack of cultivation resources." Senior Kufi was genuinely glad for Wei Zhao's sake. "But I must remind you of one thing, Junior Brother Lin: those pills of the mortal cultivation world have very limited effect on us. So you'd best put your mind to cultivation; alchemy won't be of much help."

He felt some guilt over Meng Jueming's withholding of resources from Wei Zhao and his two companions, and over his own powerlessness to stop it. Now that he knew Wei Zhao meant to refine pills himself, he volunteered, "Whatever materials you need for alchemy, just say the word. I may not be able to help you much, but I have after all been on Cloudstep Island a long while—even if I don't have the materials at hand, I can at least give you some counsel."