At that moment, Shopkeeper Tian began introducing the items inside the brocade box to Han Li.
"The Golden Hornet Mother-and-Child Blades, one mother blade and eight child blades, forged from refined iron and precious gold by a Foundation Establishment expert over three days and three nights. By wielding the mother blade, you can simultaneously control all eight child blades to attack your enemy, catching them completely off guard. They are extraordinarily sharp." He pointed to a set of pale golden, peculiar blades resting inside a box as he spoke.
Han Li said nothing. He picked up one of the child blades, examined it closely for a while, then nodded and set it back down.
"The Darksteel Sky-Shield—a extremely rare defensive magical tool, refined from large chunks of Darksteel mined from frigid, yin-cold regions. Not only is it incredibly sturdy and virtually unbreakable, but once activated with spiritual power, it can automatically orbit around you to provide defense." Shopkeeper Tian picked up a palm-sized miniature iron shield and explained. He then casually handed it to Han Li for inspection.
Han Li held the shield in his hand and gently traced the patterns on its surface. After a moment of thought, he asked:
"May I try activating it?"
"Of course! Please, Brother Li, go right ahead." Shopkeeper Tian said generously.
Since the man had given his permission, Han Li did not stand on ceremony. He slowly channeled his spiritual power into the object in his hand.
The iron shield instantly erupted with a dark gleam, enlarging several times over in the blink of an eye. It then flew free from his palm, hovering in the air and slowly circling around him. Its size was just right to shield his vital points.
Han Li was secretly pleased. He focused a portion of his attention to control it, and sure enough, the shield moved up and down according to his will—nimble and agile.
After testing it, Han Li was very satisfied with this magical tool. What he lacked most right now were precisely the kind of life-saving defensive tools like this. With this shield, his chances of survival in the Blood Forbidden Trial would surely increase considerably.
However, Han Li did not immediately express his opinion. He simply placed the iron shield back into the box in silence and continued to await the next item's introduction.
Shopkeeper Tian showed no displeasure at Han Li's reserved behavior. He enthusiastically recommended the next item—a blue bead the size of a small pill.
"The Heavenly Thunder Pearl. Several centuries ago, a mysterious cultivator inadvertently captured a bolt of heavenly lightning and refined it into these pearls. Each one holds tremendous destructive power. It is said that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator caught head-on by one of these thunder pearls would be utterly annihilated. Originally there were seventy-three in total, but after all these centuries, very few remain. This single pearl was acquired by our Pavilion only after tremendous effort."
Having finished this explanation, Shopkeeper Tian could not help but show a trace of pride on his face, revealing just how rare and precious this thunder pearl truly was.
Han Li's expression changed upon hearing this. Something powerful enough to kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator—such an item was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If he could add it to his collection, the trip to the forbidden grounds would effectively come with a deadly trump card. But its price was probably terrifyingly high, which was likely why it still had not been sold.
After introducing the blue thunder pearl, Shopkeeper Tian fell silent. Instead, he gave Han Li a meaningful look, then picked up a cup of fragrant tea and leisurely savored it. Although there was still one more tightly sealed brocade box on the table that had not been introduced, he made no mention of it whatsoever.
Han Li smiled faintly. He understood Shopkeeper Tian's intentions perfectly—it was time to show him some real purchasing power. Otherwise, the treasure inside that final brocade box would not be revealed so easily.
For this visit, Han Li had come prepared for any eventuality. In addition to the two thousand-year spirit herbs, he had brought all of his spirit stones with him, including two mid-grade spirit stones and nearly a hundred low-grade spirit stones.
But Han Li would not use these spirit stones lightly. What he was counting on were the two spirit herbs.
To be honest, although Han Li knew that herbs over a thousand years old were extraordinarily rare in the current cultivation world and must be worth a considerable fortune, he had no real idea exactly how many spirit stones they could fetch or what kind of magical tools they could exchange for.
However, he was confident that they would be more than enough to trade for the small shield and the Golden Hornet Mother-and-Child Blades he had seen earlier. As for the Heavenly Thunder Pearl he wanted even more, Han Li was less certain.
He did not simply pull both spirit herbs out at once. Instead, he first took from his storage pouch an exceptionally ornate small wooden box, with one of the herbs placed inside.
The reason Han Li did this was because he understood the principle that "people need fine clothes, and Buddha needs a golden robe." He knew that good presentation could raise the value of the herb by a good margin, ensuring he would not be at a disadvantage.
Han Li did not open the lid. He simply handed the entire box directly to the other man.
Shopkeeper Tian had been quietly watching Han Li's movements all along. Without a word, he took the box, examined it briefly, then calmly lifted the lid.
"Hm?"
Upon clearly seeing the contents of the box, Shopkeeper Tian was somewhat stunned, but his expression quickly turned to one of displeasure.
"Brother Li, you intend to trade this Yellow Essence Fungus for our Pavilion's treasures? This is hardly anything rare—unless it's a superior specimen of two or three hundred years or more, it's not worth much at all." Shopkeeper Tian said coldly.
Han Li let out a few dry chuckles, offering no explanation. He simply helped himself to a cup of fragrant tea, mimicking what the shopkeeper had done earlier, and drank it with relish.
Seeing Han Li's confident, unbothered demeanor, Shopkeeper Tian grew suspicious. He sharpened his attention, lowered his head, and once again examined the spirit herb in the box with painstaking care.
"Gasp!"
As Shopkeeper Tian looked closer, he suddenly sucked in a sharp breath. In his excitement, he immediately stood up from his chair, took the box to the brightest spot in the room, and turned it over and over for a closer look, muttering to himself: "Impossible—could it really be over a thousand years? Or is it merely similar in appearance?"
Han Li observed the man's expression and heard his words, and only then did he finally feel at ease. Now he was certain that the value of a thousand-year spirit herb was at least as high as he had estimated, if not higher. It seemed there was real hope of obtaining that thunder pearl.
After examining it for a while, Shopkeeper Tian suddenly realized he had let his composure slip, revealing far too much to his customer.
But at this point, he no longer cared about such things. The item before him had completely captured his attention and his mind. As long as this was truly the thousand-year premium herb he imagined, then no matter the cost, he had to keep this thousand-year spirit herb at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. It would bring boundless benefits to both himself and the establishment.
The only thing troubling him now was that while he had heard of thousand-year spirit herbs, he had never actually seen one in person. He could not be absolutely certain of the herb's precise age. But even if this Yellow Essence Fungus was not truly over a thousand years old, it was definitely at least seven or eight hundred years old—and that alone made it invaluable. This much he could confirm.
"Someone come!"
After checking for what felt like an eternity, Shopkeeper Tian finally called out, summoning a young attendant from downstairs.
"Go fetch Old Ding. Tell him there is a rare treasure here that requires his expert appraisal." He gave the order solemnly.
During the ensuing wait, Shopkeeper Tian and Han Li fell into an easy, amiable conversation. But both carefully avoided any mention of the herbs—as if the contents of the box had been completely forgotten by the two of them.
It was not long before an elderly man with graying hair, supported by an attendant, slowly made his way upstairs.
The moment Shopkeeper Tian saw him, he hurried over respectfully and offered the old man his seat, standing respectfully to the side. It was clear that this Old Ding was held in the highest esteem.
Han Li, however, could also tell that this man—like Shopkeeper Tian—was simply an ordinary elderly person, without the slightest trace of a cultivator's aura.
"Shopkeeper Tian, you've dragged this old man practically on his deathbed all the way out here. Could there really be something that even you cannot appraise?" The old man panted faintly before speaking in a quavering voice.