Shen Fan had entered the mountains at sunset, and at sunset he emerged.
The afterglow of the setting sun illuminated his face, his blade, and the five large packs he carried on his shoulders.
Against the backdrop of the crimson forest, he looked like a figure in a painting of a great harvest, one that filled onlookers with hope for the future.
And his harvest was indeed bountiful.
In one month’s time, his Cultivation had advanced from the Peak of Meridian Opening Second Stage to the Third Rank of Meridian Opening.
His Fast Blade technique had reached the Great Success Realm, and his Great Sorrow Palm was on the verge of Great Success.
He had also practiced the 1st Layer of his Cloud Ladder Ascension Technique to the Small Success Realm, letting him move like lightning and cover a great distance in a single flash.
The five large packs on his back were stuffed with Fierce Beast Materials.
In addition to the nearly one hundred thousand silver worth of materials he had gathered himself, he had found even more in the packs belonging to Fang Yu and his two companions.
As expected of experts from the Bai Shan Academy’s Outer Courtyard, the materials the three had accumulated were worth over three hundred thousand silver.
Three hundred thousand silver was a massive fortune.
A minor clan’s entire annual earnings were only around one million silver.
And on top of all that, he had also obtained the carcass of the Red-eyed Wolf King.
The most precious part of the Red-eyed Wolf King was its crimson Inner Core.
It resembled a crimson eyeball and was still steaming with a hot, coppery stench when he’d dug it out.
Crimson Primordial Qi swirled within the Inner Core, giving it a vibrant, lively appearance.
Normally, only High-Tier Fierce Beasts could form an Inner Core, but the Red-eyed Wolf King had inherited a partial Demon Beast bloodline, allowing it to condense one even at the Middle Tier.
A Fierce Beast’s Inner Core contained the entirety of its Essence and was the primary ingredient for refining exceptionally precious Elixirs.
Some cultivators could even directly perform Refinement on an Inner Core, using its Essence to condense Yuan Jin.
This Inner Core alone was worth at least thirty thousand gold.
Furthermore, its hide, flesh, bones, teeth, and other parts combined were worth approximately another ten thousand gold.
Including his previous gains, and converting everything to silver, his total earnings from this Trial reached a staggering seven hundred thousand silver!
A month ago, he had only ten silver to his name each month, and life had been incredibly difficult.
His father had worked himself to the bone to buy him Cultivation herbs, even giving him the Essence Mushroom that was meant to maintain his own strength at the Third Rank of Meridian Opening.
The contrast between then and now made him sigh with deep emotion.
‘Only with strength can one obtain everything!’
The path of the Martial Dao was incredibly expensive.
The old saying, “Poverty for scholars, wealth for warriors,” spoke to the immense resources required for martial cultivation.
Without sufficient funds, one’s progress in Cultivation was often stymied.
That was why, in the Black Water Kingdom, the wealthier someone was, the more powerful they became.
“This time, it was partly because my Soul Eye is so powerful and helped me find so many Fierce Beasts. The other part was pure luck—killing an injured Red-eyed Wolf King and taking those packs from the Bai Shan Academy disciples. I can’t count on being so lucky next time.”
Shen Fan muttered to himself.
He had been incredibly excited at first to have acquired such a massive amount of resources, but the thought of Guo Yaoshi from the Taihang Sect and the vast world beyond the Black Water Kingdom quickly cooled his spirits.
‘This is just the beginning.
The road ahead is long.’
A sea of lights spread out below.
The Imperial City was a city that never slept.
Carrying five large packs on his shoulders, Shen Fan walked into a shop named “Da Hei” under the watchful eyes of numerous pedestrians.
An elderly man in a respectable white robe received Shen Fan, speaking with extreme politeness.
“I am Dongyang. May I ask what materials you wish to sell, sir?” Dongyang politely ushered Shen Fan into a private VIP room in the back.
“Fierce Beast Materials,” Shen Fan said, setting down the five large packs.
“Does your shop buy them?”
“All Fierce Beast materials? You’re selling all of it?” Dongyang carefully sized up Shen Fan, inwardly astonished.
The Big Black Shop had its own standards for receiving customers.
Typically, anyone whose transaction was expected to exceed one hundred thousand silver was invited into the VIP room.
Seeing Shen Fan carrying five large packs that reeked of Fierce Beasts, Dongyang knew from experience that the value of this transaction would certainly surpass that amount.
He had initially assumed Shen Fan was a Martial Artist, but upon probing, he discovered the young man was only a Martial Disciple at the Third Rank of Meridian Opening.
‘To have a haul like this as a Third-Rank Martial Disciple… his strength must be considerable.’
“That’s right,” Shen Fan said with a nod.
He handed four of the packs to Dongyang but kept one, holding it personally.
“Please tally these up.”
Dongyang didn’t stand on ceremony, immediately opening the packs and beginning his thorough inspection.
“Three sheets of Fierce Boar Rough Fur, ten Brocade Rat Hides, one Triangular Snake Gallbladder, two Big Black Bear Gallbladders, eight Bear Paws…”
Dongyang’s voice grew louder.
He had been composed at first, but now his breathing became labored.
“Nine pairs of Iron-Winged Eagle Claws, one Swordfish Spine, seven Plum Blossom Leopard Hides…”
Dongyang’s voice grew increasingly excited until it began to tremble.
He announced loudly, “Let me calculate… seventy thousand silver… one hundred thousand silver… three hundred and thirty thousand silver… four hundred and twenty thousand silver… HISS…”
Dongyang sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, staring at Shen Fan as if he were looking at a monster.
He had been the Shopkeeper of the Big Black Shop for more than a decade, yet this was the first time he’d ever seen a customer sell over four hundred thousand silver worth of materials in one go!
And this customer was only an Outer Courtyard Disciple at the Third Rank of Meridian Opening!
Yet every one of the Fierce Beast Materials he’d brought out came from an unusually vicious type of beast, the kind whose Combat Power was far greater than that of its ordinary counterparts.
He was ecstatic; closing a deal this large would earn him a commission of nearly seventy thousand silver.
“Please wait a moment, I’ll go get your money now.”
“Shopkeeper, please wait,” Shen Fan added.
Seeing that Dongyang offered fair prices, he decided he might as well sell everything.
“Does your shop also purchase Inner Cores?”
“An In… Inner Core?!” Dongyang’s voice nearly cracked.
“You have an Inner Core?”
“A Red-eyed Wolf King’s Inner Core,” Shen Fan said with a small smile.
“Oh, and the rest of its materials as well. Please give me a price for them, Shopkeeper.”
…
When he walked out of the Big Black Shop, Shen Fan had fifty-five ten-thousand-tael silver notes, five ten-thousand-tael gold notes, and fifty one-thousand-tael silver notes tucked away.
He walked with his head held high and chest puffed out, brimming with confidence.
The Red-eyed Wolf King’s Inner Core and carcass were worth even more than he had imagined.
Once Dongyang recovered from his shock, he had offered Shen Fan a price of six hundred thousand silver without a moment’s hesitation.
He also took out a VIP card on the spot, handed it over, and promised a ten percent discount on all future purchases.
After all, transactions exceeding one million silver only happened at the Big Black Shop a few times a year.
Next, Shen Fan visited several Elixir Shops, where he bought fifty Body Tempering Pills and fifty Blood Qi Pills, spending nearly one hundred thirty thousand silver.
Body Tempering Pills could be used for the Refining of one’s Flesh Body, while Blood Qi Pills enhanced one’s Blood Qi.
For a Disciple at the Third Rank of Meridian Opening, these were exceptionally precious Elixirs.
The first three ranks of the Meridian Opening stage, the Martial Disciple Realm, relied on Physical Power and Blood Qi Power to foster the creation of Primordial Veins.
The Body Tempering Pills and Blood Qi Pills were perfectly suited for this purpose, and their effects were significant.
He had only ever heard tales of how the children of wealthy families consumed Body Tempering Pills and Blood Qi Pills daily, allowing them to achieve astonishing Cultivation speeds.
Now, as he felt the potent Medicinal Power within the Body Tempering Pills and Blood Qi Pills for himself, he was thrilled beyond words.
‘With these Elixirs,’ he thought, ‘I can accelerate my Cultivation and strive to break through to the Peak of the Third Rank of Meridian Opening in the shortest time possible.
Then, I’ll be able to challenge an expert like Liu Jie.’
“Elixirs really do burn through money,” Shen Fan said with a wry smile.
Over a million silver seemed like a lot, but for someone who cultivated like he did, it was nowhere near enough.
After buying the Elixirs, he sold three Essence Mushrooms for a total of three hundred thousand silver.
Essence Mushrooms were incredibly precious herbs with the Spiritual Effect of stabilizing one’s foundation.
If his father consumed one, it would guarantee that his Cultivation wouldn’t regress for at least a year.
‘Father has sacrificed so much for me.
Now, it’s my turn to repay him.’
The Elixir Shop was equally stunned by Shen Fan’s huge transaction.
Both the Big Black Shop and the Elixir Shops primarily catered to Martial Disciples and some Martial Artists.
It was quite rare to see a customer making transactions of this magnitude.
As for most Martial Artists, and even the more senior Martial Artists, they would choose more high-end shops.