As for the various spell techniques, the Concealment Art and the Voice Transmission Art were auxiliary spells similar to the Spirit Eye Art—anyone with even a modicum of magical power could learn them, so Han Li picked them up with ease.
The Voice Transmission Art was a talisman technique that Han Li had seen several times before, requiring a Voice Transmission Talisman to function.
The Concealment Art was a purely ordinary spell that attached spiritual energy to the body, making it take on colors similar to the surrounding environment to avoid detection. The spell was somewhat of a novelty item, since the Spirit Eye Art could easily dispel it, making it essentially useless for fooling other cultivators.
The Quicksand Art and the Frost Art were both terrain-based spells. One could turn earth into sand wherever one's magical power reached, and the other could freeze any water source solid.
The power of these two spells depended entirely on the depth of the caster's magical power. If a truly powerful cultivator were to use them, turning thousands of miles of fertile farmland into desert or freezing the great rivers into glaciers would not be impossible.
The reason these were classified as low-grade basic spells was simply because they were relatively easy to learn. Even low-level Qi Refining stage cultivators could pick them up without much difficulty—though their range would be pitifully small due to limited magical power.
Han Li had originally struggled with these two spells, but after suddenly breaking through to the ninth layer, his magical power doubling in an instant, both spells suddenly became effortless. He could now transform a desktop-sized area into sand or ice at will, which had thrilled him no end.
As for the remaining spells, Han Li could not grasp them for the time being and had no choice but to study and deliberate on them later. The Tailan Assembly was drawing to a close, and the young cultivators who had come to trade finally reached their peak during the last two days.
At this point, the great trading plaza where Han Li was located was packed with over two thousand cultivators. The number of stalls had multiplied several times over, as most vendors were trying to seize the last opportunity to sell off whatever they hadn't yet traded. Many high-level cultivators who had been hiding somewhere also appeared, wanting to take advantage of this opportunity to observe potential rivals.
Han Li could only smile bitterly. He discovered that even though he had entered the ninth layer, among so many cultivators, he was still only middling. Those above the ninth layer were still numerous!
Han Li had no spirit stones left and very few pills, so he had no intention of treasure hunting. He simply followed the crowd from one stall to another, going wherever it was busiest, purely to listen to other cultivators' commentary and insights on the goods being traded, to broaden his knowledge.
And it must be said, this casual wandering truly opened Han Li's eyes. He learned a great deal about various magical artifacts and materials. For instance: flying darts that could automatically track enemies, gourds that could spew fire, long blades that could freeze a person on contact, Silver-Winged Ant eggs that could be used in medicine, and Hundred-Year Iron Thread Serpent scales that could forge weapons, among others.
The more Han Li listened, the more fascinated he became, and before he knew it, he had reached the middle section of the plaza.
"No way, I don't want your thing. Trade something else!"
"But this is a remnant of a magic treasure! The material alone is more than enough to trade for your bowl!"
"What use do I have for this fragment? Can you even find a Core Formation cultivator to refine it? Don't even think about trading it for my Wind-Return Bowl!"
An intense argument erupted from a stall ahead.
"A remnant of a magic treasure?!" This exclamation, which shocked everyone nearby, immediately caused the surrounding cultivators to erupt in commotion, crowding around the stall in a tight circle.
One had to understand that magic treasures were things that low-level cultivators wouldn't even dare to dream about, yet here one had appeared in Tailan Valley—even if it was only a fragment, it was still a miracle. The cultivators were like cats that had smelled fish, itching with anticipation.
"Where is it?"
"Let me see!"
"Is this really a magic treasure?"
"Tsk tsk! How beautiful!"
"Just a torn piece of cloth!"
...
Because Han Li was relatively close to the stall and naturally more agile than ordinary cultivators, he managed to secure a good spot in the inner circle, seeing everything before him with perfect clarity.
Standing before the stall was a man in his late twenties, his skin dark and weathered, his hands and feet large and rough. At first glance, he looked like a farmer who had wandered into Tailan Valley by mistake. But anyone who used the Spirit Eye Art to check his cultivation would suck in a sharp breath. This dark-skinned man was actually a tenth-layer expert.
"Picking a fight with this guy? That's suicidal," some cultivators muttered. They shifted their gaze to the stall owner—a rather ordinary man in a blue robe whose cultivation was only at the seventh or eighth layer. Yet facing the dark-skinned man, he showed not the slightest hint of fear.
Someone noticed a leaf-shaped pattern embroidered on the stall owner's collar, and only then did the cultivators realize. This was a disciple of the famous Ye Family of Qin-Ye Ridge, a cultivation family of considerable renown. No wonder he showed no fear whatsoever.
On the stall between the two men sat a yellow bowl with strange patterns and a small piece of translucent cloth-like material.
This cloth-like object was wrinkled and crumpled, its edges uneven and ragged, as though gnawed by a dog. The only thing drawing attention was the intermittent white glow that flickered across its surface—something quite unusual.
So this was the remnant of a magic treasure? Many onlookers were deeply disappointed upon seeing the real thing—it looked nothing like what they had imagined.
"This fragment is wondrous! Anything it covers becomes instantly invisible, without leaking even a trace of spiritual energy, while still allowing external spiritual energy to pass through," the dark-skinned man explained loudly to the stall owner with a cold expression.
He then turned his sleeve downward, and a small silver mouse scurried out.
"A first-level Gold-Eating Rat!" someone among the watching cultivators identified the creature, causing another small commotion.
"As expected of a tenth-layer expert! He's even caught a first-level spirit beast!" many thought to themselves with admiration.
The dark-skinned man then threw the "cloth" over the silver rat.
And a miracle occurred! The silver rat and the "cloth" vanished instantly. Even though many tried using the Spirit Eye Art, they found nothing.
The man looked at the crowd's astonishment with some satisfaction. He then made a grabbing motion at the spot, and the "cloth" reappeared in his hand, the white rat materializing once more.
"And not just living things—inanimate objects have the same effect."
Saying this, the man placed a small knife about an inch long, radiating imposing spiritual energy, on the ground. He covered it with the "cloth" again, and it disappeared without a trace once more, without leaking even the faintest spiritual aura.
"How marvelous!"
"It can turn things invisible!"
"Tsk tsk! Unbelievable!"
...
The crowd buzzed with excited discussion.
"Well? It's definitely worth trading for your bowl!" The dark-skinned man removed the "cloth" once more, put away the knife, and addressed the stall owner.
"No deal! If I wanted invisibility, I could just buy a mid-grade basic Concealment Talisman. And something this small—would it hide my head or my feet?" The stall owner shook his head, mocking him.
"Did I not tell you? This is a remnant of a magic treasure, refined either by a Core Formation or a Nascent Soul cultivator! Who but a cultivator of equal level could see through its concealing properties? How can a basic Concealment Talisman compare to it!" the dark-skinned man said angrily.
"I don't care how you dress it up! I have no use for this thing—why would I want it? Bring me thirty spirit stones, or other goods of equivalent value, and you can have this bowl!" the stall owner said coldly.