Chapter 96: The Intermediate Space Stone and the Transmutation Stone

The shopkeeper who greeted Yang Xiao at the Treasure Pavilion was a woman in her near-middle years, yet she still possessed a lingering allure. Her figure was exceptionally voluptuous, and her mature, seductive appearance alone was enough to make many cultivators linger and forget to leave.
However, Yang Xiao remained firm in his Dao heart and would not be swayed by external temptations. This surprised the female shopkeeper, causing her to glance at him twice more out of curiosity.
“This young master, I am Ren Jing, the shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion. May I know what I can assist you with?” Ren Jing said with a seductive smile.
“I wish to sell some spiritual beast materials. Would you care to appraise their value in spiritual stones?” Yang Xiao spoke as he handed over more than a dozen storage bags to her.
Ren Jing carefully examined the materials Yang Xiao had brought. Though she was somewhat surprised by the quantity, she maintained her composure. “Young master, I have calculated that these materials are worth one million spiritual stones. Would you prefer to take the spiritual stones now, or would you like to exchange them here at the Treasure Pavilion for other items?”
“I am looking for materials used in artifact and pill refining. Do you have any in your shop?” Yang Xiao inquired.
“Artifact and pill refining materials—we naturally have some. Please wait a moment, young master.” Ren Jing instructed her servants to fetch the items. Soon, the servants arrived carrying trays laden with various materials.
Ren Jing then began to explain. “Young master, this is quartz mica, a premium material for forging high-grade spiritual artifacts. Here is a ready-made spiritual artifact called the Heaven-shaking Hammer. It was refined with exquisite craftsmanship and possesses immense power. Would the young master be interested?”
Yang Xiao recognized that the servants had indeed brought excellent items, yet all of them were either intended for refining spiritual artifacts or were already complete spiritual artifacts. Such goods offered little assistance to him, so he replied, “Shopkeeper Ren, your materials are indeed excellent. However, I currently have little interest in spiritual artifacts. If your shop only carries these items, I fear I will have to leave disappointed.”
“Could it be that the young master seeks materials for forging spiritual treasures or ready-made spiritual treasures? That is no trouble. However, these items are not available for immediate purchase. Fortunately, we will be holding a grand auction in the next two days. Should the young master participate, I believe you will find exactly what you need. If you are willing to bid with spiritual stones, you are certain to obtain valuable gains,” Ren Jing said with another seductive smile.
“Very well. If that is the case, I will definitely attend the auction,” Yang Xiao replied.
“Very good. Then I will prepare one million spiritual stones for you. Take them with you, young master. Once the auction concludes, I will naturally notify you,” Ren Jing said as she handed over the spiritual stones.
Yang Xiao accepted the spiritual stones from Ren Jing and spent the next two days strolling through Huayun City. Only when Ren Jing notified him that the auction was about to begin did he arrive on time.
Materials for forging spiritual treasures and pills useful to cultivators at the Qi Condensation Realm were extremely precious. There were no direct markets in Huayun City for such items; they could only be found at large auctions, where cultivators would sell them in exchange for other goods. It was only at such events that rare treasures might appear. This was why Yang Xiao had no choice but to attend the auction.
Upon receiving Ren Jing’s invitation, Yang Xiao naturally attended the event. The auction proved lively, drawing many cultivators. Among them were quite a few at the Qi Condensation Realm, while those at the Soul Awareness Realm were far fewer. When Soul Awareness Realm cultivators did appear, they tended to be of higher cultivation. It seemed that most items needed by Soul Awareness Realm cultivators could be purchased directly from various shops, whereas those required by Qi Condensation Realm cultivators were far more precious and could only be obtained through such exchanges.
The auction was still hosted by Ren Jing. Her seductive appearance and sweet voice combined to make many cultivators drunk with admiration.
“Next is the first item of the auction, the Fire Spirit Essence. I am sure everyone here has heard of it—it is an excellent material for refining fire-attribute treasures. Not only can it be added to spiritual artifacts to greatly increase their power, but it can also elevate the quality of spiritual treasures when used in their refinement,” Ren Jing quickly introduced the first auction item. The material resembled fiery red sand grains, containing a considerable amount of fire spiritual energy and thus quite precious.
The appearance of the Fire Spirit Essence did indeed spark bidding from several cultivators. Clearly, these individuals possessed fire-attribute physiques or practiced fire-attribute techniques, making the essence highly valuable to them.
However, the Fire Spirit Essence was of no use to Yang Xiao, so he did not participate in the bidding. He simply watched from the sidelines.
In the end, the Fire Spirit Essence sold for fifty thousand spiritual stones to a bald-headed cultivator draped in a fiery red cloak.
Ren Jing then introduced several more auction items, which included various precious materials of the five elements and rare medicinal herbs with uses in dispelling miasma and demons. These were all excellent materials for refining artifacts and pills, rarely seen in ordinary times.
Since every item was exceptionally precious, their appearance naturally drew intense competition among the cultivators, and they ultimately sold at very high prices.
Yang Xiao observed the entire process without placing any bids. Only after Ren Jing unveiled two extremely rare materials used in forging spiritual treasures did his interest truly kindle. Ren Jing announced, “Here are two Intermediate Spatial Stones and a Transmutation Stone. These are indispensable materials for refining spiritual treasures. I believe that if any of you wish to attempt forging spiritual treasures, you will find these two items of great interest.”
Since Yang Xiao intended to forge a spiritual treasure, he was also searching for these materials. He knew that lower-grade Spatial Stones were relatively easy to obtain because they served as the primary material for crafting storage bags. There were two or three veins in his country that produced them, and because they were common, their price remained reasonable.
Intermediate Spatial Stones, however, were far more difficult to acquire. Even after scouring every Spatial Stone mine in the country, he could not find many. It was precisely because of their scarcity that Yang Xiao had never managed to obtain this material before.
Now that Intermediate Spatial Stones had appeared at the auction alongside Transmutation Stones—another rare material for forging spiritual treasures—Yang Xiao resolved to obtain both at any cost.
Yang Xiao decided that no matter what price his opponent offered, he would bid higher. These two items were extremely rare, and he was determined to possess them. Only then could he truly refine the Dragon Snake Sword into a spiritual treasure and once again increase his own strength.