The market was not particularly crowded. The few dozen cultivators Han Li spotted around the outer perimeter made the place seem rather desolate.
"Could everyone have gone to the Stardust Pavilion in the center?" Han Li muttered to himself.
However, he had no immediate intention of heading to the Stardust Pavilion.
Because that artifact-refining shop's claim was far too brazen! (The talisman shop only refunded spirit stones equal to the materials upon failure!) His curiosity was piqued, and after circling the area, he could not help but step inside.
The shop was not large—merely three rooms and a backyard.
When Han Li entered the front hall, a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar was already inside, chatting animatedly with a white-haired yet ruddy-faced elder. Standing beside them was a dark-skinned, stocky man who wore a respectful expression.
The scholar and the elder were deep in conversation. Though they noticed Han Li enter, they paid him no mind and continued their lengthy discussion. It was the stocky man who dutifully stepped forward a few paces and asked courteously:
"Is this customer looking to purchase a magical treasure, or would you like to commission one?"
"I'll browse your wares first before deciding whether to commission anything," Han Li replied calmly.
"Very well. Would the customer like to see mid-grade or high-grade magical treasures?" The stocky man's face lit up with delight at the prospect of actual business.
"Top-grade magical treasures. And only the finest among them."
Han Li's voice was not loud, but that single sentence stunned the stocky man before him. The two who had been conversing so animatedly fell silent at once, turning to examine Han Li with astonished eyes.
"You wish to see top-grade magical treasures, and only the finest?" The stocky man recovered his wits and could not help but confirm he had heard correctly.
Top-grade magical treasures were not something an ordinary person could afford. They routinely cost hundreds of low-grade spirit stones. Even if a typical cultivator saved spirit stones for an entire lifetime, they might not be able to afford a single one. And Han Li wanted to see only the finest among top-grade treasures. No wonder the stocky man was so shaken.
"Xiao Hei, come back! Don't be rude to this senior!" The white-haired elder finally recognized that Han Li was at the Foundation Establishment stage. His expression changed abruptly, and he hurried over to dismiss the stocky man.
"This old man is the shop's owner. Senior, please feel free to give any instructions!"
The elder and the scholar were both still Qi Refinement stage cultivators. Suddenly finding a "powerful figure" like Han Li visiting such a small shop left them deeply uneasy.
"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to see if you have any fine magical treasures. If there's something suitable, I might buy one or two." Upon hearing this, the elder let out a sigh of relief, though a trace of embarrassment remained on his face.
"I'm afraid I must disappoint you, Senior. While our shop does have two or three top-grade magical treasures, they are merely for display—they are not the finest quality." The elder did not dare conceal anything from a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Han Li and spoke the honest truth.
Han Li felt a wave of disappointment. But he could not help but silently scold himself for being foolish! Regardless of how grand the sign outside claimed to be, it was merely a marketing tactic. How could he have taken it so literally?
Han Li shook his head and turned to leave. But just as he neared the door, he glanced back and said with a touch of dissatisfaction:
"So the sign outside claiming you can refine top-grade magical treasures is nothing but empty words?"
"No! Senior, you've misunderstood. Our shop operates with integrity, and every word on that sign is true—there is absolutely no falsehood! Given the right materials, this old man can indeed refine top-grade magical treasures." The white-haired elder, seeing that the shop's reputation was at stake, hurried to defend himself.
"You can refine top-grade magical treasures?" Han Li was genuinely surprised. A flash of skepticism crossed his eyes, and his voice was full of doubt.
He had assumed someone else was doing the refining. He never expected it was this very elder.
It was no wonder Han Li was skeptical. Refining top-grade magical treasures was nothing like crafting mid-grade or high-grade ones. Those could be made with ordinary mundane fire. Top-grade treasures required something like the process of refining Foundation Establishment Pills—they demanded innate true fire or earthfire to hammer and temper the materials into completion.
But this elder was merely a Qi Refinement stage cultivator. He could not possibly possess innate true fire, and the location did not seem to have any earthfire either. So how could this man produce top-grade magical treasures?
"This is Senior's first visit to Brother Xu's shop, so it's perfectly natural that you're not familiar with his work! Brother Xu comes from a long lineage of artifact refiners. His skill is absolutely on par with refiners from the great sects. Moreover, the Xu family has been raising a second-tier initial-stage Fire Crow for centuries. Its demonic fire is three parts more potent than innate true fire—more than sufficient to refine top-grade magical treasures without worry." The middle-aged scholar, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up to explain on the elder's behalf. But this only deepened Han Li's doubts.
"Demonic fire? I've only ever heard that earthfire can be used for artifact refining and pill refining. I've never heard anyone mention demonic fire as well." Han Li frowned, still finding it hard to believe.
"Hehe! Senior may not know this! Using demonic fire for artifact refining—even pill refining—requires specialized techniques that are not formally recognized by the major immortal sects. It is considered an unorthodox minor art and has not been widely circulated. If our family hadn't happened to acquire a Fire Crow, we would never have devoted ourselves to studying this path." The elder picked up where the scholar left off and shed some light on Han Li's doubts.
"I see!" Though Han Li had heard their explanation, he had never witnessed it firsthand, so he remained half-skeptical.
"Might Senior also wish to commission a top-grade magical treasure?" The elder noticed Han Li's contemplative silence and could not help but ask with curiosity.
"If I provide you with sufficient materials and ask you to refine a top-grade magical treasure, what are your chances of success?" Han Li lifted his head and asked noncommittally.
"That depends on the quality of the materials and what requirements Senior has for the treasure. If the materials are average and the requirements modest, I'd say I have about a one-in-three chance. However, if a top-grade magical treasure refinement fails, the shop will not compensate for the materials—the failure rate is simply too high! The double compensation only applies to mid-grade and high-grade treasures. Otherwise, this old man would have gone bankrupt long ago!" The elder replied solemnly, secretly delighted by Han Li's question.
A master refiner like him was always starved for high-grade raw materials to practice with. The process of refining top-grade magical treasures would elevate his craftsmanship considerably!
And the person before him, though his voice suggested youth, was a Foundation Establishment cultivator after all! Whatever materials he produced would surely not be ordinary. The elder was filled with anticipation.
"I do have some materials that you could attempt to refine. However, while you're working, I must observe from the side. Rest assured, I will not interfere in the slightest. And as long as the refinement succeeds, I'll gift you a portion of the raw materials as payment—you won't be working for free." After a moment of silence, Han Li finally made up his mind and spoke these words.
For Han Li, rather than trading those precious Ink Flood Dragon materials for spirit stones, it would be far more practical to have them forged directly into usable magical treasures.
While his current collection of top-grade magical treasures was considered abundant among Qi Refinement disciples, when compared to fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators, he had no confidence at all. He suspected others surely possessed plenty.
"Of course! Would Senior like to begin the refinement now? This old man is ready at any time!" Upon learning that Han Li truly wanted him to refine a top-grade treasure, the elder grew visibly excited. He agreed to Han Li's conditions without hesitation, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
"I still have some things to purchase. Once I'm finished with my errands, I'll return here to begin," Han Li replied, shaking his head.
"Very well! This junior will wait here for Senior's return!" The elder, seeing that Han Li was not ready to start immediately, felt a brief pang of disappointment but quickly composed himself and spoke respectfully.
Having settled everything, Han Li had no desire to linger. After a casual farewell, he turned and walked out of the shop.
But before he had even left the building, having gone only a few zhang, the scholar's voice suddenly came from behind.
"Senior, please wait!"
Han Li paused, hesitated for a moment, then stopped. He turned around to see the scholar rushing out after him. The man was beaming with a broad smile.
"What is it?" Han Li furrowed his brow and asked coolly.
He did not particularly enjoy being bothered by people without good reason.
"This junior was wondering—did Senior come to the market to buy something? My name is Wang Ziling, and I reside in this market permanently. Perhaps I could be of some assistance and save Senior a great deal of time!"
Surprised, Han Li glanced the scholar over and let out a soft chuckle.
"Are you a Wind-Walker?"
Though the scholar could not see Han Li's expression beneath the hood, he clearly caught the amusement in his voice and felt his tension ease immediately.
"Senior has guessed correctly. This junior only does this on occasion—I'm not permanently employed by any particular shop. So please rest assured!"
Han Li nodded with indifference and replied lightly:
"While I don't particularly care whether you're employed by a shop or not, on this trip I intend to purchase formation flags, formation plates, and similar items. It seems the only proper place for that is the Stardust Pavilion. I don't think I'll need any assistance."