"Two spirit stones!" A clear, feminine voice reached Han Li's ears.
He blinked in surprise, only then noticing that the stall owner—a sweet-looking young woman who had been reading a book with her head down—was facing him.
"Is there anything missing from this book?" Han Li recovered and asked.
"Not a thing. All thirteen layers of the Art of Eternal Youth, not a single line omitted," the young woman answered readily.
Han Li nodded, flipped through a few more pages at random, then closed the book.
"Do you accept pills in trade?" Han Li asked directly.
"Pills?" The young woman looked taken aback, her bright eyes widening.
"That depends on what kind of pills. If they're just for healing injuries or curing illnesses, they're not worth much!" She gently brushed the stray hair from her forehead with a graceful motion.
Hearing this, Han Li knew there was a good chance of making a deal. He unhesitatingly produced a bottle of Yellow Dragon Pills and placed it before her.
"The kind that fortifies the foundation and enhances one's cultivation base—pills that can advance your spiritual power," Han Li said without false modesty.
"The kind that fortifies the foundation...?"
The young woman's previously composed demeanor grew tense. She leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and carefully lifted the jade bottle. She tipped out a single pill and lowered her head to examine its properties by scent.
From his elevated position, Han Li had a clear view of the young woman's slender, jade-white neck. The proximity brought a delicate, clean fragrance wafting toward him—so close it made his heart beat faster and brought a faint flush to his cheeks.
"They really are cultivation-advancing pills!" the young woman cried after a moment, her face lighting up with delight.
She looked up at Han Li with eager eyes. "Do you have more of these? If you do, I'll trade everything I have for as many as you're willing to part with. You can pick anything from my stall. If that's not enough, I can also buy them with spirit stones!"
With that, she clutched the bottle tightly, staring at Han Li without blinking, terrified he might say the word "no."
Seeing this formerly gentle and gracious young woman suddenly so anxious, Han Li found it somewhat amusing. But he also realized with a start that he had been undervaluing these pills. He would need to be far more careful in the future!
"Please don't be so hasty, miss. Let's finish our current transaction first, then discuss the next one, shall we?" Han Li had originally intended to decline, but something about the young woman's earnest gaze reminded him of his little sister back home, and his heart softened. The words came out before he could stop them.
"I'm terribly sorry! I was being rude." The young woman seemed to realize her impropriety and blushed crimson.
"For this book, I only need two of those pills," she said, having regained her composure.
Han Li considered the price fair and agreed. Then he began scanning the rest of the items on the stall.
"What's this?"
A plain, unassuming grey cloth pouch caught his attention. It was especially intriguing because it had been cinched tightly shut with a thin red cord, its contents bulging within. Han Li reached out and picked it up.
"These are Seven-Star Grass seeds. Seven-Star Grass that's been growing for ten or more years is the best raw material for making talisman paper," the young woman explained in a bright voice.
Something stirred in Han Li's mind. This would prove extremely useful. Without hesitation, he set the pouch before him.
"Are there any other items that might interest me?" Han Li asked slowly after another brief survey.
"Are you really not choosing anything else? This Frost Talisman is quite powerful, and this Rejuvenation Talisman can restore a great deal of your stamina..." The young woman, unwilling to let him go so easily, stepped forward and began recommending items.
Han Li couldn't help but smile at her naive, pouting expression—the look of someone who thought he simply didn't know a good thing when he saw it.
"What's so funny?" The young woman blushed again.
"I was actually hoping to buy some cinnabar and a brush for crafting talismans, but unfortunately you don't seem to have them," Han Li said, rarely telling the full truth.
"Cinnabar and a talisman brush..." The young woman furrowed her brow, appearing conflicted.
She lowered her head in thought for a moment, as if making a difficult decision, then abruptly looked up at Han Li.
"I don't have cinnabar, but I do have an excellent talisman brush made from the neck fur of a Golden-Eyed Ape spirit beast. It's very expensive, though—I'm not sure you have enough pills to trade for it."
Han Li was surprised but still smiled. "As long as the item is quality, I'm sure I can satisfy you when it comes to pills."
Only then did the young woman relax.
She produced a talisman, traced several lines in the air above it with her finger, then tossed it skyward. It dissolved into a streak of fire and vanished.
"Please wait a moment, sir. My brother will bring the item shortly," the young woman said with an apologetic smile.
"No problem at all. If it truly is a fine piece, I don't mind waiting a little while," Han Li replied calmly.
After that, Han Li and the young woman fell silent, which created a somewhat charged atmosphere between them. Han Li found he didn't entirely mind the sensation—between each breath, he caught faint whiffs of her delicate fragrance. The young woman kept her head down, staring at her own toes, seemingly lost in thought. But Han Li noticed that the fair skin of her neck had turned slightly pink.
"Sister!" A booming voice shattered the delicate mood, making Han Li want to glare at the newcomer. But when he turned and saw who it was, he nearly jumped.
A hulking giant of a man—no smaller than Quhun—came barreling toward them, sending cultivators stumbling aside in his path. Those who had been about to erupt in fury took one look at the man's inhuman physique and, after a moment's hesitation, swallowed their pride.
The young woman winced at her brother's behavior. He really was too reckless—wasn't this just asking to make enemies for no reason?
"Here, sister! I brought the thing." The giant swept toward Han Li on a gust of wind, extending a palm-sized hand to pass a slender wooden box to the young woman.
She didn't have time to scold her brother's recklessness. She handed the box to Han Li and gestured for him to open it.
Han Li took the box, glanced at the young woman, then opened it. Inside lay a golden brush that radiated a faint yellow glow from tip to handle.
"This brush is called the Golden Bamboo Brush. Its tip is made from the neck fur of a second-tier Golden-Eyed Ape, and its shaft is forged from a mixture of gold essence and dark iron. A Foundation Establishment cultivator then refined it over three days and nights using both gentle and fierce fire before it was finally completed," the young woman said softly, her eyes lingering on the brush with undisguised reluctance.
Though Han Li didn't understand everything she described, he could tell this was no ordinary item—it had quite a storied background. He was genuinely surprised she was willing to part with it. Could it really be just for his pills?
"Miss, you truly wish to trade this brush for my pills? This is a remarkable treasure!" Han Li ran his finger along the smooth shaft, examining the two characters "Golden Bamboo" engraved at its end, and asked in a serious tone.
The young woman understood his doubt. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to tell the truth, lest he suspect the item was obtained through dishonest means and refuse to accept it.
"This brush was passed down from my ancestors—it once belonged to a master talisman crafter. Unfortunately, my brother and I have no talent for talisman crafting, so we've been wasting it. But my brother needs to compete in this Ascension Assembly, and his cultivation has reached a bottleneck. He can only break through with the aid of medicinal pills. That's why we're willing to trade this brush for your pills," she explained in a quiet, resigned tone.
"Another one whose cultivation has hit a bottleneck? What a coincidence..." Han Li thought with some suspicion.
In truth, Han Li was overthinking it.
Among those preparing to compete in the Ascension Assembly's arena, seven or eight out of ten were cultivators stuck at a bottleneck who could advance no further. Those who still had potential and believed they could progress further would generally avoid the arena competition, instead secluding themselves to train harder, hoping to reach a higher level before the next assembly. This was exactly why, before every Ascension Assembly, pills that could advance one's cultivation became impossible to obtain at any price.