Chapter 193: Cauldrons and Conundrums
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reveling in the Item Exchange Ceremony's drama with Lan An and his companions! If the cauldron clash, Night Shadow Island's schemes, and Ai Er's cheeky gambit ignite your passion, unleash a deluge of Power Stones! Your support fuels this xianxia epic. Share with fellow cultivators, and let's soar to the heavens together!
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"Wood Lotus Armor Heaven-grade High-tier Artifact. Exceptional defense, light and agile, worn as if weightless. I wish to trade it for your Jade Green Treasure Cauldron," a voice declared.
Before Lan An could act, another had preempted him.
A cultivator in a gray robe, face obscured, revealed only clouded, aged eyes. In his hand, a gleaming armor etched with a lotus on the chest burned with desire for the Jade Green Treasure Cauldron.
A high-grade alchemist, he had little resistance to fine cauldrons, especially one crafted by the Dwarf Tribe's chief. His obsession with collecting such treasures justified offering the Wood Lotus Armor.
Everyone knew the Dwarf Tribe excelled in artifact forging across the planet, their adage "Dwarf-made, always exquisite" no mere boast. The tribe's chief, an Eighth-grade Artifact Master, ensured his cauldrons surpassed peers by a notch.
Most attendees, well-versed in such matters, recognized this, especially the many alchemists in the plaza.
Another alchemist, clad in a green robe, stood, eyeing the cauldron intently. From his storage ring, he produced a round shield, green and brown intertwined, swirling with boundless spiritual energy.
Addressing the hunched cultivator on stage, the green-robed man said calmly, "Earth-Wood Shield Heaven-grade High-tier Artifact. With a thought, it expands to ten thousand zhang, a dual Wood and Earth attribute treasure."
His words prompted sighs from other alchemists, their own offerings paling beside the Earth-Wood Shield's dual attributes a significant advantage.
Even the gray-robed cultivator exhaled regretfully, acknowledging his Wood Lotus Armor's slight inferiority.
On stage, Cheng Bi and Bao Qiao's beautiful eyes locked onto a figure rising from the crowd.
The movement drew every gaze.
"Him again?"
The "shrewd merchant" hoarding Beauty Nurturing Pills was recognized, murmurs rippling through the plaza.
The cauldron's owner watched expectantly, ready to trade with the Earth-Wood Shield if Lan An's offer disappointed.
Xiao Qing Xuan's heart warmed, knowing Lan An aimed to secure the cauldron for her. Though he'd promised a top-ten Strange Flame, that was a distant dream.
"Get this cauldron for her to use now. I'll find the Heavenly Flame Cauldron later," Lan An said with a faint smile.
"Yes," Xiao Qing Xuan replied softly, obedient.
From his Black Tower Ring, Lan An produced a round, emerald-green vase, its surface twined with delicate vines, compact enough to hold in one hand.
As it appeared, boundless Wood attribute spiritual energy surged from all directions, devoured by the vase.
The crowd gasped, Wood cultivators staring with naked envy, awaiting Lan An's explanation.
"Void Wood Vase Heaven-grade Supreme-tier Artifact. Beyond resizing to block attacks, it has another function: it can draw its master inside to cultivate, tripling Wood spiritual energy absorption speed. However, only the master can enter; no others," Lan An announced.
Gasps echoed. Wood cultivators leaped up, glaring at the vase, itching to seize it if not for Duo Bao Pavilion's domain.
"What a versatile artifact," the plaza marveled. A treasure for both defense and cultivation was irresistible, its sole limitation master-only entry hardly diminishing its allure. Tripling cultivation speed typically required a Spirit Gathering Array, unwieldy to carry. The Void Wood Vase was a Wood cultivator's dream.
"Trading a Heaven-grade Supreme-tier for a High-tier? A prodigal son," Bao Qiao and Cheng Bi exchanged glances, inwardly cursing.
As merchants, they prioritized profit, scorning such unprofitable trades.
For Lan An, securing a top cauldron for Xiao Qing Xuan's alchemy outweighed all else. His harem's alchemist deserved the best.
"Fellow Daoist, I have a Heaven-grade Supreme-tier Cauldron. Would you trade it for your Void Wood Vase?" a voice interrupted, drawing frowns.
A white-robed cultivator stood, staring at Lan An.
"You're violating Duo Bao Pavilion's rules. If you wish to trade, ascend the stage later," Cheng Bi said sternly to the white-robed man.
"Not so, Overseer. The cauldron's owner hasn't agreed to trade with the Void Wood Vase, so I may negotiate," the white-robed man said, abashed but composed.
A Wood cultivator, not an alchemist, he'd chanced upon a Heaven-grade Supreme-tier Cauldron in an ancient ruin, intending to trade it here. The Void Wood Vase was a godsend, and he believed Lan An would prefer his higher-grade cauldron.
The cauldron's owner fumed at the white-robed man's interference, turning to Lan An earnestly. "I agree to trade my Jade Green Treasure Cauldron for your Void Wood Vase, hoping you'll accept!"
The crowd watched with interest, curious how Duo Bao Pavilion would handle this.
Cheng Bi and Bao Qiao focused on Lan An, awaiting his decision. If he declined the cauldron, they'd summon elders to discipline the white-robed man for disrupting their rules, though his offense warranted no death penalty.
The white-robed man gritted his teeth, tense. Securing the Void Wood Vase was worth expulsion.
Under countless gazes, Lan An smiled faintly. "I respect Duo Bao Pavilion's rules and will trade with the Jade Green Treasure Cauldron."
He appeared on stage, trading with the hunched cultivator.
"Thank you, thank you!" The cultivator sighed in relief, carefully stowing the Void Wood Vase, glaring at the white-robed man before fleeing the festival.
A Mid Void Refinement cultivator, he feared robbery and sought safety first.
Soon after, nearly ten figures followed, unwilling to abandon the Void Wood Vase.
The outcome mattered little, as no conflict could occur within a thousand li of Duo Bao Pavilion.
On stage, Cheng Bi and Bao Qiao smiled at Lan An, appreciating his respect for their rules.
Receiving the Jade Green Treasure Cauldron, Lan An turned to the flustered white-robed man, smiling. "Fellow Daoist, I'm interested in your cauldron. Take the stage. I have another Wood artifact."
As he descended, the white-robed man, ecstatic, rushed to the platform.
Before Cheng Bi or Bao Qiao could signal, he produced a black cauldron, pure obsidian, adorned with three wolf heads howling at its corners.
"Three Wolves King Cauldron Heaven-grade Supreme-tier Artifact, forged from Hell Wolf King bones, indestructible, capable of refining Spirit-grade pills," the white-robed man, though no alchemist, detailed expertly.
Lan An's eyes gleamed. Without hesitation, he offered another Heaven-grade Supreme-tier artifact, the Wood Spirit Bead, with functions akin to the Void Wood Vase.
The white-robed man completed the trade briskly, bowing sincerely to Cheng Bi and Bao Qiao. "I've shamed myself. After the festival, I'll visit Duo Bao Pavilion to apologize."
They nodded, accepting this as the best resolution.
Unbeknownst to him, Lan An's decision had saved him from an Integration-stage elder's wrath.
Lan An's lavish display trading for two Heaven-grade cauldrons stunned the plaza. Initially pegged as a profiteer hoarding Beauty Nurturing Pills, he now revealed two Heaven-grade artifacts for cauldrons, sparking wild speculation about his identity.
Some insisted he was an alchemist.
"Two cauldrons at once? Does he have Heaven-grade artifacts to spare?" Ai Xin murmured, lips parted, at a loss.
The elder beside her shrugged, equally baffled.
In a corner, three black-clad figures huddled, transmitting, "Cackle, this guy's loaded. Even I'm jealous."
"We must investigate him post-festival his mask, his robes, anything," another sneered.
"Heh, Night Shadow Island hasn't had such a fat prey in ages."
The Night Shadow Island elders marked Lan An as their prime target, though uncovering his identity was another matter.
Elsewhere, two figures—one old, one young—in sky-blue robes and masks concealed their auras.
"Father, could he be from Pill Valley? Only they'd crave cauldrons and wield such wealth," the young man, Hai Ming, fifth on the Hundred Spirits List and a genius of the Ninth-grade Sea Palace, mused.
"You're onto something, Little Ming. Only Pill Valley could produce fifteen Beauty Nurturing Pills at once, but they're not this ostentatious," Hai Wu, Sea Palace's Second Elder and Peak Void Refinement cultivator, replied.
Their Ninth-grade Sea Palace held many Heaven-grade artifacts but hesitated to trade two at once, unlike Lan An's nonchalance.
Pill Valley, a mysterious planetary force of alchemists, was known only to Eighth-grade powers and above. If the Seven Kills Sect excelled in assassination, Beast Taming War Sect in beast control, and Tian Ji Palace in divination, Pill Valley dominated alchemy. Rumors claimed its Valley Master was a guest elder at Duo Bao Pavilion, though unconfirmed. Their wealth, amassed through herb cultivation and pill refining, was undisputed.
Lan An, oblivious to the speculation, grinned as he handed both cauldrons to Xiao Qing Xuan, transmitting tenderly, "These are for you. Use whichever you like, switch when you're bored. Once your master's body is reforged, I'll get more for you both."
Xiao Qing Xuan trembled, eyes misty, even her master's expression softened.
She caressed the cauldrons like priceless treasures, reluctantly storing them in her storage ring—the one Lan An had taken from Ju Ba Tian, as his Black Tower and Zhong Wu Ming's Heavy Ring sufficed.
The plaza rubbed their eyes, disbelieving. Two Heaven-grade Supreme-tier cauldrons as gifts? Was he mad?
"She's definitely a woman," Cheng Bi and Bao Qiao noted, observing Xiao Qing Xuan's shorter stature beside Lan An.
Another cultivator took the stage, and trades continued.
"Big Brother Lan An's naughty, buying gifts for Sister Xuan but not for Sister Niang Qing or Sister Ya," Ai Er, perched on her seat, transmitted cheekily to the four.
Shui Niang Qing and Ji Ya shook their heads, amused. The sly girl wanted gifts but used them as shields.
"Little brat, just say what you want. Your big brother's not stingy. Same for you ladies rare chances like this are for grabbing Lan Zhou's finest treasures as keepsakes," Lan An said with a relaxed smile.
"Big Brother's a tycoon! Wanna adopt Ai Er?" Her eyes shone like tiny suns, clutching his hand.
Lan An nearly choked, the three women shooting bullet-like glares, daring him to agree.
"No way, I'm not into kids like you," he said, half-laughing, half-crying, ruffling Ai Er's head.
"Hmph, I'm eleven!" Ai Er puffed, thrusting out her budding chest.
Seeing Lan An's calm demeanor, she gnashed her teeth, clenching her fist, and played her trump card. "If I'm not enough, how about Mother? She's Lan Zhou's number one beauty. Dare to adopt her?"