Translator: AnubisTL
In truth, Li Qing hadn't tampered with the Black Wind Banner at all. His claim was merely a bluff.
But the burly man dared not call it. A Mid-Grade Magic Tool was a significant asset for a Qi Refining Realm cultivator. If it malfunctioned during combat, the consequences could be fatal.
Li Qing's laughter rang out, filled with self-satisfaction. If I can't get the third Guangling Pill, I won't let him off easy either.
The burly man's expression shifted rapidly between anger and resignation. Finally, forced to concede, he growled, "Here are thirty mid-grade spirit stones. Restore the spirit patterns on the Magic Artifact."
He retrieved the stones from his storage pouch and tossed them into Li Qing's hand.
After weighing them to confirm the count, Li Qing's smile widened. "You don't seem to be short on spirit stones. Why bother with this?"
"The spirit patterns on the Black Wind Banner are perfectly fine. Take it back without worry."
Hearing this, fury flashed in the burly man's eyes as he realized he'd been tricked.
"Damn you! You dare to deceive This Xiao!"
"I admit defeat this time. Until we meet again!"
With that, the burly man with the ferocious face turned and strode away, his anger palpable.
Li Qing retrieved the remaining spirit stones and placed them back into his storage pouch, his smile gradually fading.
"That unreasonable brute! He's sown the seeds of trouble," Li Qing muttered, watching the man's retreating figure with a slight frown.
Private brawls were strictly forbidden within the Heavenly River Market, so neither Li Qing nor the burly man could resort to violence there. However, once they left the market and happened to cross paths again, a confrontation would be inevitable.
"Hmph! Fine, I'll just stay within the Heavenly River Market. Let's see what you can do to me!" Li Qing snorted coldly, a flicker of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
Even a clay figure has some temper, let alone Li Qing. Once his cultivation improved, he would find a way to settle the score with this man surnamed Xiao.
Having learned from this experience, Li Qing resolved to always sign spirit contracts for future commissions—whether crafting or repairing Magic Artifacts—until full payment was received. With a spirit contract in place, he wouldn't have to worry about clients defaulting. These contracts held considerable power over cultivators, and at worst, he could present the contract to the Heavenly River Sect's Enforcement Disciples and demand justice.
"It seems cultivators aren't so different from ordinary mortals after all," Li Qing muttered to himself with a wry smile. "They'll resort to any means necessary for just a few dozen spirit stones."
"Sigh, I need to focus on improving my cultivation and self-preservation abilities as quickly as possible. Being at the Mid Qi Refining Realm is still too weak here."
Li Qing sighed again, his thoughts drifting away.
The remaining ten days passed uneventfully, filled with monotonous cultivation. The secret trade fair, held once a month, was something Li Qing eagerly anticipated.
Normally, befriending these scions of influential families would be as difficult as scaling the heavens. But at the trade fair, he could interact with them on relatively equal footing, a rare and invaluable opportunity.
As the days of stall-keeping flew by, Li Qing's self-forged Inferior-Grade Magic Tools sold out completely. Their exceptional craftsmanship made them surprisingly popular among rogue cultivators.
After all, Li Qing, a blacksmith by trade, naturally pursued excellence in forging. His tools weren't just aesthetically pleasing; their quality and durability were absolutely top-notch.
Compared to other crudely made Inferior-Grade Magic Tools, Li Qing's creations were vastly superior in both appearance and durability.
With the addition of two mid-grade spirit stones, Li Qing now possessed over 2,800 spirit stones, a considerable fortune.
The next trade fair was approaching, but Li Qing wasn't in a rush to refine more magic artifacts for sale. Instead, he strolled leisurely through the market, pondering his options.
"Currently, artifact refinement is my primary source of income," he mused. "Thanks to gathering materials in the World of Eternal Night, my production costs are low, resulting in substantial profits."
"Still, I should explore other avenues for earning spirit stones."
Lost in thought, Li Qing approached an imposing structure within the market: the Beast Fighting Arena.
During his first visit to the Heavenly River Market, Li Qing had learned that many cultivators who raised demon beasts would pit their creatures against others in the arena.
These spectacles drew considerable crowds, with cultivators eager to spend spirit stones to witness thrilling demon beast battles.
Moreover, the arena frequently established betting pools, allowing spectators to wager on the fights and further immerse themselves in the spectacle.
The Beast Fighting Arena spared no effort in hyping up each battle. Before every match, they meticulously detailed the extraordinary lineage and impressive combat record of the participating demon beasts, building anticipation to a fever pitch.
This relentless promotion had transformed the arena into the most popular attraction in the Heavenly River Market. The annual revenue from admission tickets alone reached staggering figures.
Moreover, the official betting pools within the arena generated a steady stream of spirit stones, making it a veritable cash cow.
As luck would have it, three beast fights were scheduled for today, and the arena was already buzzing with excitement.
Li Qing, standing outside, had a sudden impulse. He paid ten mid-grade spirit stones for an admission ticket and stepped inside, eager to see what made this place so special.
The vast arena was divided into two distinct sections. At its center lay the combat arena for the demon beasts, while a ring of suspended stone platforms encircled it, serving as viewing platforms for the cultivators and offering unobstructed views of the action.
The interior defied expectations, revealing an unexpectedly spacious area easily accommodating thousands of cultivators.
After entering, Li Qing casually settled onto a vacant floating stone platform. As he surveyed his surroundings, he couldn't help but marvel:
"They've certainly gone into meticulous detail," Li Qing remarked, surprised to see the arena divided into both aquatic and terrestrial environments.
A seasoned cultivator beside him chuckled. "Haha, Fellow Daoist, you're mistaken! Demon beasts are scarce these days, so many venture into the Boundless Sea to capture marine specimens. It's quite common now."
Li Qing glanced at the speaker and clasped his hands in gratitude. "I see! Thank you for clarifying, Fellow Daoist!"
As the first demon beast battle approached, the arena's atmosphere grew increasingly electric. Many cultivators who had placed bets couldn't contain their excitement and shouted their predictions.
"Wu Hong's Giant Flame Lizard has exceptional bloodline potential! Defeating a Frost Jade Winged Mantis should be child's play. I'm betting fifty mid-grade spirit stones on the lizard's victory!"
"Heh, what nonsense! That Frost Jade Winged Mantis carries a trace of ancient strange beast blood—the Nine-Winged Frost Mantis! Once these ancient beasts reach maturity, even cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm wouldn't dare underestimate them!"
"After all, it only possesses a trace of the Nine-Winged Frost Mantis's bloodline. It's worlds apart from the real thing—just a mid-tier first-rank Insect Beast."
"..."
The surrounding chatter swelled like a wildfire as the betting odds for the two Demon beasts were announced before the battle.
The odds were close, with the Frost Jade Winged Mantis's slightly higher, indicating that more cultivators favored the Giant Flame Lizard to win.
As other cultivators voiced their opinions and placed their bets, Li Qing noticed something amusing. The cultivator who had been so enthusiastically touting the Frost Jade Winged Mantis earlier seemed to have bet on the Giant Flame Lizard's victory—and a substantial amount, over a hundred mid-grade spirit stones.
Seeing this, Li Qing couldn't help but chuckle silently, amused by this unexpected tactic.
By hyping up a Demon beast they didn't believe in, they could entice others to bet on it, thus driving up the odds for the creature they actually favored and potentially increasing their winnings.
Of course, many seasoned veterans in the arena wouldn't easily fall for such tricks. After years of watching beast fights, they had developed their own discerning judgment.
Li Qing didn't place any bets. His visit to the Beast Fighting Arena served a different purpose entirely.
"I wonder if I could bring some of those strange beasts from the World of Eternal Night here to fight," he muttered to himself, his mind beginning to race with possibilities.
Indeed, Li Qing hadn't come to the arena to assess the strength of the demon beasts and gamble for spirit stones. Firstly, he lacked expertise in this area, and secondly, such wagers carried considerable risk, potentially leading to utter financial ruin.
Instead, Li Qing planned to earn money by entering his own demon beasts into the arena's fights, collecting a share of the admission ticket revenue.
Regardless of whether a demon beast won or lost, the arena would compensate its owner with a substantial amount of spirit stones.
This incentive drew numerous cultivators with pet beasts to participate in the battles each year. After all, spirit stones were guaranteed regardless of the outcome—why not take the opportunity?
Moreover, the arena particularly welcomed rare and powerful demon beasts, as their presence created exciting spectacles that attracted larger crowds and boosted ticket sales.
Soon, the battles below commenced.
The Giant Flame Lizard and the Frost Jade Winged Mantis clashed in a brutal and fiery battle. As their names suggested, the former was a fire-attribute Demon Beast, while the latter was an ice-attribute strange beast.
Their confrontation was inevitable, a clash of titans destined to determine which element reigned supreme.
In an instant, torrents of flame and glacial mist collided, creating a chaotic maelstrom of spiritual energy. The combat grew increasingly intense.
The cultivators who had placed bets couldn't help but clench their fists, rising to their feet and shouting wildly. They seemed desperate to leap into the arena themselves and fight in place of the beasts they had wagered on.
"What's wrong with the Giant Flame Lizard? Why is it so sluggish today? Why isn't its all-consuming fire working?"
"Hahaha! Did you think the Frost Jade Winged Mantis was made of clay? Even with its diluted bloodline, it's still a descendant of the Nine-Winged Frost Mantis! How could mere flames possibly harm it?"
"Exactly! Among Demon Beasts of equal rank, their ancestral heritage often dictates their true strength."
"Damn it, Giant Flame Lizard, swallow it whole! I bet two hundred spirit stones on you!"
"Hang in there, damn it, hang in there!"
"..."
Unlike the frenzied cultivators around him, Li Qing remained remarkably calm. He had little interest in the betting match, his mind preoccupied with the feasibility of his earlier idea.
"Those strange beasts affected by the Red Moon Secret Power... their appearances are far too bizarre and peculiar. Explaining their origins would be difficult."
Li Qing's eyes flickered as his thoughts raced.
"Even the organizers of the Beast Fighting Arena probably wouldn't be able to identify the species of those grotesque creatures."
Their origins are hard to explain.
While the cultivation world was vast, and it was normal for some demon beasts to go unrecognized, a large number of these creatures would inevitably arouse suspicion.
Another critical question lingered: Could strange beasts infused with the Red Moon Secret Power even survive in this spiritually rich world?
This was a crucial point.
With this in mind, Li Qing retrieved a peanut-sized, crimson crystal from his storage pouch.
(End of the Chapter)
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