The lowest cultivation among these people was God-Unification First Layer, the highest Lan Xiaobu spotted was a Quasi-Sage First Layer cultivator. It seemed the entry threshold for this Great Dao Trade Fair was God-Unification Realm.
Behind each of them stood a lower-cultivation attendant, mostly at the Divine Lord or World God level. However, with a quick sweep of his divine sense, Lan Xiaobu could tell from the fluctuations of their Dao charm that these lower cultivators were essentially sect disciples.
Tu Xuping was rather amusing, bringing along a random passerby like himself. Fortunately, Tu Xuping wasn’t off-putting, his personality was quite likable.
Tu Xuping clearly knew many people, greeting several cultivators as soon as he entered. After the pleasantries, he led Lan Xiaobu to a seat and sat down.
Seeing Tu Xuping take a seat, Lan Xiaobu immediately sat in the adjacent one.
Tu Xuping paused, then said, “You don’t have a seat, just stand behind me, when I need to trade with someone later, you can handle the item exchange. Don’t worry, after the trade’s done, I won’t let you walk away empty-handed.”
Lan Xiaobu chuckled, “No worries, there’s an empty seat now, I’ll sit for a bit, if it gets too crowded later, I’ll give it up.”
He was, after all, a God-Unification cultivator, even if only First Layer, that should qualify him for a seat here.
Tu Xuping was an easy-going sort, hearing Lan Xiaobu’s reasoning, he found it fair enough and didn’t press further.
After sitting, Tu Xuping occasionally chatted with nearby cultivators, but didn’t speak to Lan Xiaobu again. Lan Xiaobu closed his eyes to rest, eager to see what origin treasure would appear.
Another day passed, nearly a hundred people had gathered in the trading hall, the highest cultivation now a Quasi-Sage Sixth Layer. It seemed that as the rules of heaven and earth improved, the Rootless Divine Realm had produced quite a few powerhouses.
Each seat in the trading hall was luxurious, less a chair and more a high-grade reclining couch. Even with over a hundred people, the hall wasn’t full, so no one bothered Lan Xiaobu for sitting beside Tu Xuping.
A thin man stood up, “Fellow Daoists, this is the sixth Great Dao Trade Fair hosted by our Nirvana Chamber of Commerce. The previous five had some hiccups, but overall, everyone was fairly satisfied. Most of you aren’t first-timers, I won’t bore you with the rules, you all know them. To save time, the trade fair begins now. You likely have a rough idea of the types of treasures that’ll appear, as the hosts, we still take a three percent commission.”
As he finished, a white jade table appeared in the centre of the hall. Lan Xiaobu guessed it was for trading items.
The thin man sat back down, immediately followed by a God-Unification Fifth Layer woman beside him who stood up, “Let me, Peng Yi, kick things off today.”
As she spoke, Peng Yi took out a jade box. Opening it, a faint fragrance wafted out, revealing a blue fruit inside.
Lan Xiaobu recognised it at a glance, it was a Thunder Charm Divine Dao Fruit, a valuable and rare item. Infused with thunder-based rules, it was a treasure for thunder spirit root cultivators or those practicing thunder divine abilities.
After displaying the fruit, Peng Yi didn’t set a price, instead looking to the chamber’s thin man.
The thin man said calmly, “This is a Thunder Charm Divine Dao Fruit, highly valuable, priced at five million high-grade divine crystals. Upon successful trade, a fifteen thousand high-grade divine crystal fee will be charged.”
The Thunder Charm Divine Dao Fruit was worth far more than five million high-grade divine crystals, but Lan Xiaobu understood. The thin man, representing the chamber, threw out a casual price just to inform Peng Yi of the tax she’d owe upon a successful trade. The fee amount was entirely up to the chamber, though if they overvalued it, the seller could opt not to trade.
Once the thin man finished his valuation, Peng Yi said, “I’d like to trade for a similar water-attribute Dao fruit, or a top-grade divine spirit vein.”
“I’ll offer one low-grade divine spirit vein, plus five million high-grade divine crystals.” The first bidder instantly outstripped the chamber’s estimate.
Peng Yi didn’t respond, clearly unsatisfied with the offer.
“I’ll offer a Quehuan Heavenly Fruit.” Another bid came.
Lan Xiaobu knew of the Quehuan Heavenly Fruit, it was indeed a water-attribute Dao fruit with water-based rules, but its value was a significant tier below the Thunder Charm Divine Dao Fruit.
Peng Yi frowned slightly, after a pause, she said, “One Quehuan Heavenly Fruit plus two million high-grade divine crystals.”
“Deal.” The bidder agreed to Peng Yi’s terms without hesitation.
Both sides sent their disciples to the jade table in the centre, the exchange completed under everyone’s watchful eyes, leaving no room for cheating.
The second trader was an early God-Unification cultivator, he presented a semi-top-grade offensive divine artifact, seeking a high-grade divine spirit vein.
Though Lan Xiaobu didn’t care for such items, the semi-top-grade artifact was evidently popular here, it traded successfully in no time.
Then came ninth-level divine materials, flame seeds, top-grade divine pills, cultivation techniques, and more.
None of these piqued Lan Xiaobu’s interest, his Eternal Life Realm and Cosmic Dimension Model were already overflowing with such things. Lou Tianhu from the Henghe Pill Dao had given him a pile of divine pills, still sitting in his world.
Lan Xiaobu simply closed his eyes, waiting for an origin treasure to appear.
About half a day later, Tu Xuping called him from beside him.
“Friend Xu, are you trading something?” Lan Xiaobu asked.
Tu Xuping grinned, “I traded a Soul-Severing Divine Technique scroll for a top-grade divine spirit vein and a bottle of Divine Will Pills, go handle the exchange.”
As he spoke, he handed Lan Xiaobu a wooden box.
Lan Xiaobu scanned it with his divine sense, it indeed contained a Soul-Severing Divine Technique scroll. He had no interest in even copying it, this was a method for cultivating a split soul. Back when Ku Ruo Divine King introduced Chong Di, the Dark Moon River Divine King who practiced a similar technique, he’d dared to swear a false oath because of it.
“Alright.” Lan Xiaobu took the box and stepped out of his seat.
Seeing Lan Xiaobu step forward to handle Tu Xuping’s trade, everyone was momentarily stunned, even the chamber’s thin man looked taken aback.
A disciple tasked with exchanging items had blatantly sat in a trader’s seat, it was unprecedented. Earlier, Lan Xiaobu had been quiet and still, so everyone assumed he was just another attendee.
The thin man managing the chamber frowned slightly, he too had thought Lan Xiaobu was a new participant. Each trade fair saw a few unfamiliar faces, usually brought by prior attendees.
Typically, after the fair, he’d approach them to network and offer a chamber VIP card.
“Friend Tu’s face sure outshines ours, our disciples stand behind us, yet Friend Xu’s companion sits equal with us, heh…” A sharp voice chuckled, dripping with provocation.
Lan Xiaobu paused, thinking, what’s wrong with sitting in an empty seat? Besides, he was a God-Unification cultivator, even if only First Layer, wasn’t that still God-Unification? If they couldn’t see his cultivation, it wasn’t his concealment, it was their inferior techniques.
At that moment, Tu Xuping’s voice transmitted over, “That guy earlier wanted to trade a high-grade divine spirit vein for my technique, I didn’t agree.”
No wonder, Lan Xiaobu understood. Failing to secure Tu Xuping’s item, the man was nitpicking at every turn.
Lan Xiaobu ignored him, he went to the hall’s centre, completed the trade with another disciple, then leisurely returned the items to Tu Xuping and sat back down.
“Steward Fu, this isn’t quite fair, is it? Why do our disciples stand behind us while someone’s disciple sits openly with us?” The挑刺 God-Unification cultivator, seeing Lan Xiaobu sit again after trading, grew even more irritated.
The thin Steward Fu frowned at Tu Xuping, “Friend Tu, this is indeed a bit improper…”
Tu Xuping sighed, about to call Lan Xiaobu up, when Lan Xiaobu spoke up, “Steward Fu, doesn’t this trade fair have rules and regulations?”
Perhaps out of regard for Lan Xiaobu being Tu Xuping’s companion, the thin Steward Fu nodded, “Indeed, the trade fair has rules, no order without rules, so you should…”
“Then aren’t those rules carved in the seventeen clauses behind the hall?” Lan Xiaobu pointed to the seventeen regulations etched at the back.
“Correct.” Steward Fu’s brow furrowed slightly.
Lan Xiaobu said calmly, “But I didn’t see any rule forbidding disciples from sitting, if you can point it out, I’ll stand, of course. The chamber wouldn’t contradict itself, right? Besides, how do you know I’m not God-Unification?”
Steward Fu’s face darkened instantly, but before he could respond, a clean-shaven man snorted, “Let’s not waste time, continue the trades.”
Steward Fu, who’d been about to speak, swallowed his words, the speaker was a Quasi-Sage, the Nirvana Chamber didn’t fear one, but they couldn’t afford to sour relations with one either.
With that in mind, he waved a hand, “Let the trades continue, we’ll address other matters after.”
He didn’t press Lan Xiaobu to stand, but Tu Xuping, a mere mid-level God-Unification cultivator, wasn’t qualified to bend the Nirvana Chamber’s rules.
At that moment, a bearded man stood up, taking out a jade box, “I have an origin pearl here…”
Before he finished, Lan Xiaobu shot to his feet, exhilarated. He sensed a potent fire-attribute aura, and his Primordial Eternal Flame pulsed wildly in his sea of consciousness.
This was undoubtedly a fire origin pearl, exactly what he needed. With it, his Primordial Eternal Flame could surely ascend to the saint flame level.
