Chapter 215 - 208: Foundation Establishment Trade Fair
The communication Token from Pill Refiner He lit up on the third night.
Li Yuan was cultivating cross-legged when an extremely faint Spiritual Wave emanated from his storage bag.
He took out the Token. A few lines of pale golden text had appeared on its surface.
The trade meet would be held at Noon tomorrow in a secret underground chamber north of the Yunyang market district.
At Noon the next day, Li Yuan followed the location indicated on the Token to a secluded alley north of the market district.
At the end of the alley was a stone door with Restriction Spirit Patterns carved into its frame.
Li Yuan presented the Token, and the stone door opened automatically.
Behind the stone door was a descending stone staircase, much longer than the one at the other underground trade meet. After more than twenty steps, the space ahead opened up.
The underground chamber was extremely spacious, over ten zhang across. The domed ceiling was embedded with dozens of Spirit Stones for illumination, casting a soft, bright light. The four stone walls were covered in soundproofing and protective Restriction Spirit Patterns, and the Spiritual Waves they emitted were steady and profound.
In the center of the chamber stood a round table made of dark-colored Spirit Wood, its surface polished to a mirror-like sheen.
Eight stone chairs were arranged around the table, and some were already occupied.
Li Yuan scanned the people present.
Pill Refiner He sat on the north side, holding his white porcelain teacup with a placid expression.
Chen Yi—an elder of the Primordial Yang Sect—sat beside Pill Refiner He, his posture impeccable.
Ji Huaiyuan was seated on the east side, with an empty chair next to him.
There were three other people.
A Cultivator in his fifties sat on the west side. He had a square-jawed face, a short beard, and wore a dark brown robe with no identifying marks.
He was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. His spiritual pressure was steady, and his Cultivation was clearly much deeper than Li Yuan’s.
Next to him sat a Female Cultivator in her forties. She had a cold, aloof expression and wore a dark cyan dress, a short sword hanging at her waist. She was also a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but her spiritual pressure was restrained.
The last person was seated on the south side.
Li Yuan’s gaze lingered on this person for a moment longer.
He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, with handsome features, fair skin, and an exquisitely tailored gray-blue robe. A Jade Pendant at his waist was engraved with the character for "Li."
’A Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Li family.’
’Not the Li family’s old ancestor. The ancestor is an elderly Foundation Establishment Cultivator; I heard him mentioned back in the Loose Cultivator gathering area. This man is too young. He must be another one of the Li family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators.’
Li Yuan walked to the empty stone chair and sat down.
The others present glanced his way. Most of their gazes swept past him without lingering. Pill Refiner He gave him a slight nod. Ji Huaiyuan nodded as well.
Chen Yi spoke up.
"Everyone is here."
His tone was succinct, devoid of unnecessary pleasantries.
"Same rules as always. If you have something to trade, state it directly."
No small talk, no introductions. They got straight down to business.
Everyone present was clearly familiar with this procedure.
The short-bearded Cultivator was the first to speak.
"I’ll go first."
He placed his hands on the table, his voice steady.
"I have a Spirit Iron vein in my possession. It’s located in the eastern foothills of the Yuanheng Mountain Range. The grade is upper-medium, and it produces at least three thousand jin of Spirit Iron ore annually."
He paused for a moment.
"However, I don’t have any mining cultivators myself, nor do I have enough manpower to excavate it. The vein is just sitting there gathering dust. A total waste."
His gaze swept over everyone at the table.
"I’m selling the ten-year mining rights to this vein. The buyer will be responsible for providing their own miners, and all output belongs to the buyer. Highest bidder takes it."
’Ten-year mining rights to a Spirit Iron vein.’
From the very first offer, Li Yuan could tell this Foundation Establishment Stage trade meet was different. They weren’t dealing in ordinary items, but in mining rights for Spirit Ores.
’Three thousand jin of Spirit Iron ore a year means thirty thousand jin over ten years. Upper-medium-grade Spirit Iron ore is worth about one Spirit Stone per jin on the market. That’s thirty thousand Spirit Stones.’
’But that’s the gross value. After deducting mining costs, labor, transportation, and losses, the actual profit is probably around half of that.’
’A profit margin of fifteen thousand Spirit Stones.’
’That’s not a small sum.’
None of the people present spoke immediately, seeming to weigh their own circumstances.
After a few moments of silence, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Li family spoke up.
"I offer one Cyan Cloud Clam Jade Bead."
His voice was calm and measured.
’A Cyan Cloud Clam Jade Bead.’
The short-bearded Cultivator’s eyebrows twitched.
The Female Cultivator beside him also glanced at the Li family Cultivator, a new layer of meaning in her eyes.
Li Yuan didn’t know what a Cyan Cloud Clam Jade Bead was, but judging from the others’ reactions, it was clearly quite valuable.
The short-bearded Cultivator mulled it over for a moment. "A Cyan Cloud Clam Jade Bead... Since when does the Li family possess a Cyan Cloud Clam?"
The Li family Cultivator smiled faintly.
"We captured it deep within the Yuanheng Mountain Range the year before last. It’s a Tier Two Demon Beast, and we’ve been raising it in our family’s Spiritual Spring Pool. It produces one Jade Bead every three months, and the quality is consistent."
The short-bearded Cultivator nodded, a hint of awe in his gaze. "The Li family is truly fortunate, to have a Tier Two Demon Beast under your control."
The Female Cultivator also added quietly, "The Jade Bead of a Cyan Cloud Clam is a Top Grade ingredient for refining pills that assist with the Foundation Establishment Stage. It’s something that has a price but is never in stock."
The Li family Cultivator didn’t respond, simply waiting quietly for the short-bearded Cultivator’s answer.
The short-bearded Cultivator thought for a long moment before nodding.
"Deal."
The two of them exchanged their proofs of ownership on the spot. The short-bearded Cultivator passed over the contract for the Spirit Iron vein’s mining rights, while the Li family Cultivator retrieved an exquisite jade box from his storage bag. Opening the lid revealed a milky-white pearl the size of a thumb, its surface shimmering with a faint cyan luster.
The first transaction was complete.
Immediately after, the Female Cultivator spoke up.
"I have an offer as well."
She placed a beast-skin scroll on the table.
"Five hundred mu of Spirit Fields, located sixty li south of the Yunyang market district, staffed by thirty-two Spirit Farmers. The fields mainly produce Spirit Rice and Low Tier Spirit Grass, for an annual revenue of approximately two thousand Spirit Stones."