Moments later, he rose to his feet before emerging from the room. When Han Li appeared outside the hall, he was immediately greeted by the sight of Young Master Hai and Qi Lingzi.
The two of them seemed to have been here for a while, and they were conversing with one another in a corner.
As soon as Han Li emerged, the two of them immediately stepped forward before extending deep respectful bows.
"No need for formalities. What are you two doing here? Why aren't you resting?" Han Li asked with an indifferent wave of his hand.
"You're going to the markets outside today, right, Senior Han? The two of us naturally have to accompany you at all times," Qi Lingzi said with a wide grin.
"Indeed, we may not be able to serve any important roles, but if there are any errands that you need run, the two of us will be more than willing to provide our services," Young Master Hai chimed in.
"Hehe, who told you I'm going to the markets today?" Han Li chuckled.
Young Master Hai and Qi Lingzi were disappointed to hear this. "Then..."
"I know you two want to go to the markets to broaden your horizons, but there's virtually no chance that those markets will be selling anything that I need, so I won't be visiting them under normal circumstances. But then again, there are a lot of high-grade cultivators gathered here, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to take you two to the markets to see the sights. I have to visit Daoist Master Myriad Bone, so I won't be able to take you there; I'll just use my badge to get you two out of the palace, and you can return at night," Han Li said in a calm manner.
Chapter 1795: Black Realm Exchange Convention
Young Master Hai and Qi Lingzi were still a little disappointed to hear this, but they didn't dare to go against Han Li's instructions, and they immediately agreed to this arrangement.
Thus, Han Li led the two of them toward the teleportation formation on the platform, and once the two of them made their way to the center of the formation, Han Li pulled out the silver badge before waving it a couple of times.
Silver light radiated from the formation, and the two of them were teleported to the first floor.
After that, Han Li also stepped onto the formation before vanishing amid a flash of spiritual light.
After about 10 minutes, Han Li found himself in a grand palace constructed from what appeared to be red coral, conversing with an elderly Daoist priest who had a gorgeous woman in his arms.
This Daoist priest had a hook nose and a pair of particularly dark eyes. He wore a set of grey Daoist robes, upon which were imprinted 18 extremely life-like white skulls.
The beautiful concubine sitting on his lap not only had a voluptuous body, her skin was also as smooth as jade. She wore a thin white veil dress and leaned most of her body into the Daoist priest's embrace, revealing only a captivating smiling face as she listened to the Daoist priest's conversation with Han Li.
Further away on either side of the hall stood seven beautiful women, all of whom also wore veil dresses of different colors, and they were standing in a respectful manner with their hands clasped in front of them.
This Daoist priest was none other than the owner of this place, the patriarch of the White Bone Sect, Daoist Master Myriad Bone.
The woman in his arms and the other women in the hall were naturally none other than his concubines. However, the woman he was holding far exceeded the other women both in looks and in disposition, so she was clearly more adored by the Daoist priest.
Han Li casually discussed his ventures in the primordial world with Daoist Master Myriad Bone while thinking back to some of the rumors he had heard about this man.
It was said that not only did Daoist Master Myriad Bone exclusively use Devil Dao cultivation arts, he was extremely lustful and was an avid practitioner of dual cultivation who pleasured himself with women almost every night. It appeared that those rumors were true.
"Hehe, I'm impressed by how knowledgeable and experienced you are at such a young age, Fellow Daoist Han. Back when I first progressed to the Body Integration Stage, I only traveled around the areas near the human race before returning. Now that I'm at such a ripe old age, I don't have the drive or urge to stray far away from the human race anymore," Daoist Master Myriad Bone sighed.
"You're far too kind, Brother Myriad Bone. I only stayed in the primordial world for so long as I was forced to do so by the circumstances I found myself in. If everything had gone according to plan, I definitely wouldn't have strayed far from our human race, either. It was extremely fortunate to have traveled over so much of the continent and still return in one piece," Han Li said with a smile.
"Haha, it sounds like you're a man of great fortune. You've encountered a string of opportunities during your cultivation, breaking through several stages in succession, and you were able to easily break through your Body Integration Stage bottleneck following your return to the human race. I don't know about historic events too far in the past, but what I'm sure of is that no one in the past several tens of thousands of years has been able to match your rate of progression. Back when I broke through my Body Integration Stage bottleneck, it took me several thousand years before I finally succeeded under fortuitous circumstances, so I simply can't compare with you. With your aptitude and youth, perhaps you'll even have a chance of reaching the Grand Ascension Stage in the future," Daoist Master Myriad Bone said with a smile, and there were slightly fawning undertones in his voice.
"I wouldn't dare to dream of reaching the Grand Ascension Stage; I'll be content if I can transcend a few major heavenly tribulations," Han Li said in a modest manner.
"That's true. The Grand Ascension Stage is like a mirage to us. Our human race has existed in the Spirit Realm for so many years, but we've only produced a total of around a dozen or so Grand Ascension cultivators. There was even a time when we had no Grand Ascension cultivators, and the entire race was under threat of being wiped out," Daoist Master Myriad Bone sighed as a reminiscent look appeared in his eyes.
Han Li had indeed heard about this major tribulation that the human race had to endure. At the time, they seemed to also have been attacked by a united army formed by several foreign races.
Thankfully, the demon race was at the height of its powers at the time, with two Grand Ascension Stage beings among their ranks. Furthermore, they were aware that the demon race alone definitely wouldn't be able to ensure their own survival in the Spirit Realm for long, so they decided to lend the human race their assistance. Otherwise, the human race would have truly been in severe peril.
The reminiscent look in Daoist Master Myriad Bone's eyes quickly faded, and he suddenly changed the subject. "You've only recently progressed to the Body Integration Stage, so you must be aiming to purchase a lot of things during this Myriad Treasure Convention, right, Fellow Daoist Han?"
"I am indeed hoping to secure some pill refinement materials during this convention. After all, only during an event like this will I be able to encounter some rare materials that I normally wouldn't get to see," Han Li replied with a nod.
"In that case, I have a suggestion; would you like to hear it?" Daoist Master Myriad Bone asked with a smile.
"Oh? Please go ahead, Fellow Daoist." Han Li was slightly taken aback.
"You can all go for now." As opposed to immediately offering his suggestion to Han Li, Daoist Master Myriad Bone asked the women in the room and the woman in his arms to leave first.
These women naturally did as they were told, extending curtseys toward Han Li and Daoist Master Myriad Bone before exiting the hall.
Thus, Han Li and the Daoist Master Myriad Bone were the only ones left in the hall.
Only then did a serious look appear on Daoist Master Myriad Bone's face, and he said, "Fellow Daoist Han, this should be your first time attending a Myriad Treasure Convention as a Body Integration cultivator; have you heard of the Black Realm Exchange Convention?"
"Black Realm Exchange Convention? This is the first time I've heard of such a thing. Is this someth
ing like a secret marketplace?" Han Li was intrigued by this, but not overly surprised.
He would instead be surprised if there weren't any secret private markets formed during a grand occasion like the Myriad Treasure Convention.
Han Li was clearly intrigued, and Daoist Master Myriad Bone smiled as he continued, "Hehe, looks like you've already guessed that something like this exists, even though it's your first time hearing of it. For Body Integration cultivators like us, it's very rare that something catches our interest; even the auction held at the Myriad Treasure Convention won't be able to satisfy all of our needs. There are many fellow Daoists who are carrying precious treasures but are unwilling to sell them for spirit stones and only want to exchange them for items that they urgently need.
"There are also some fellow Daoists who possess items of value, but the means through which they obtained those items could be rather unscrupulous, so it would be inadvisable for them to directly auction off these items. Additionally, there are some treasures that are simply too precious, and even Body Integration cultivators like us would be afraid of being hunted down if word were to spread that such a treasure was in our possession.
"Hence, several private markets have been set up alongside the Myriad Treasure Convention, among which this Black Realm Convention is the most mysterious one. It's held by a group of mysterious cultivators, and it's catered solely toward Body Integration cultivators. Generally speaking, very few Body Integration cultivators who attend the Myriad Treasure Convention will refrain from participating in this private convention.
"The origins of these cultivators are largely unknown, and they're extremely powerful. There was even one edition of the exchange convention where they killed a rabble-rousing mid-Body Integration cultivator. After that, no one dared to offend the organizers of the convention, so it's also extremely safe there. The exchange convention solely facilitates exchanges between items, and it'll only be held once. On top of that, the entire event must conclude within a day, and no questions will be asked about the identities of the attendees, so it's perfect for Body Integration cultivators like us.
"Aside from us Body Integration cultivators, people with treasures that are deemed to be valuable enough will also be permitted to attend the convention. Of course, ordinary treasures won't be accepted. There will also be many powerful beings from the demon race in attendance as well, so some demon beast materials and even spirit beast eggs that won't be available through normal avenues will be up for exchange. There will even be some demonic women being auctioned off there.
"Oh, in particular, the women from the Heavenly Fox Race; all of them are exceptional subjects to engage in dual cultivation with, and many fellow Daoists are very interested in them. Of course, those who end up purchasing those demonic women would definitely have to hide them carefully. Otherwise, if word were to spread to the seven demon monarchs, hehe... Additionally, there will also be some human women with exceptional aptitude that people will be willing to offer for exchange, and the demons are very interested in them as well."
At this point, Han Li naturally understood what this so-called Black Realm Exchange Convention was all about; it was basically the exact same occasion as the underground market he had visited in the Great Jin Empire[1] of the human world, except the main attendees were going to be Body Integration Stage beings, so the items being exchanged would naturally be far more valuable.
At the same time, Han Li was slightly alarmed to hear all this. It was strictly prohibited for human and demon cultivators to forcibly abduct beings from the other race as concubines or subjects for dual cultivation; this was one of the taboo clauses that both races had agreed upon.
A long time had passed since that agreement was made, and barely anyone even mentioned this rule anymore, but if someone were to be caught engaging in such activities, they would still definitely be in a lot of trouble.
This was a clear indication of just how bold and brazen the organizers of this Black Realm Exchange Convention were.
However, this also meant that there were going to be many precious things that couldn't appear on the surface being exchanged in the dark underbelly that was this underground convention. What was of most interest to him was naturally those demon beast materials, and he was quite tempted to attend this underground convention as a result.
"I really am quite interested in this exchange convention. Where and when is it being held?"
"As the name suggests, the Black Realm Exchange Convention will be held in a mysterious place known as the Black Realm. However, the Black Realm is not a set place. Instead, it's a portable Xumi space. That's further testament to the powers of the event's organizers. As for the time, the organizers have their ways of notifying cultivators like us when the convention will be held, as well as how to enter the Black Realm. According to what I've heard, different cultivators will be given different entrance methods. I've already attended this convention multiple times, so I have some avenues through which I can learn some information in advance. If you really want to go, then I can take you with me," Daoist Master Myriad Bone said with a smile.
"Then I'll be thanking you in advance, Fellow Daoist," Han Li agreed with a smile after a brief pause.
Chapter 1796: Heavenly Fox Demonic Maiden
"Haha, there's no need to thank me. Even if I hadn't told you about this, someone else would've disclosed this information to you. Perhaps I'll be requiring your assistance for some trivial matters in the future as well, Fellow Daoist," Daoist Master Myriad Bone said with a smile.
"You're far too kind, Daoist Myriad Bone. If there's anything I can assist you with, please feel free to tell me," Han Li replied with a smile.
The rest of their conversation progressed in a very smooth and harmonious manner. After discussing some cultivation experiences and insights, Daoist Master Myriad Bone summoned a group of beautiful female disciples to perform an extremely captivating dance, and only then did he accompany Han Li to the teleportation formation.
As Han Li vanished amid a flash of spiritual light, Daoist Master Myriad Bone's smile immediately faded, and a slightly dark expression appeared on his face.
Right at this moment, spatial fluctuations suddenly erupted beside him, and a lithe and graceful figure emerged.
"What do you think, Brother Myriad Bone? Can he be recruited by us? Make sure our efforts aren't just going to waste."
The woman was extremely beautiful and wore a white veil dress. Not only did her attire match that of the adored concubine whom Daoist Master Myriad Bone had held in his arms earlier, even their appearances were quite similar.
However, the slight differences between the two immediately set the two women apart as two completely different people.
This woman's eyes were filled with a seductive light, and she possessed far more allure than Daoist Master Myriad Bone's concubine, enough to make any man go wild.
Daoist Master Myriad Bone wasn't surprised at all to hear this woman's voice, and he turned toward her as he replied, "It's still too early to tell. That man is definitely no ordinary cultivator to have reached the Body Integration Stage at such a young age. However, one thing is for sure; we definitely won't be able to recruit him unless we expend some more thought and effort. On top of that, he possesses a lot of latent potential, so perhaps he may even make another breakthrough in the next few centuries. Recruiting him will certainly be a lot better than recruiting those unreliable wily old foxes."
"You think he could progress to the mid-Body Integration Stage in the next few centuries? Surely you're thinking far too highly of him. He may have reached the Body Integration Stage in such a short time, but every successive breakthrough beyond this point will be far more difficult than anything he has experienced in the past. Otherwise, how could the two of us have been stuck at the pinnacle of the early-Body Integration Stage for tens of thousands of years? Many other Body Integration Stage beings among our human and demon races are also stuck in the same situation, and only a minority ha
ve managed to reach the mid-Body Integration Stage, with even less going on to reach the late-Body Integration Stage.
"Regardless of how astonishing his aptitude is, surely it'll have to be several thousand years at least before he can make a breakthrough. Otherwise, if he's able to reach the mid-Body Integration Stage prior to the arrival of the devilish tribulation and is willing to protect me, I wouldn't be opposed to giving myself to him," the seductive woman sighed.
Daoist Master Myriad Bone's expression changed slightly at the mention of the words "devilish tribulation", and a hint of fear flashed through his eyes.
However, he quickly managed to regain his composure, and said in a cold voice, "You and I have both endured the last devilish tribulation, and nothing needs to be said about how fearsome the Elder Devil Race is. Among the vagrant Body Integration cultivators of the human and demon races, most of them perished during that tribulation, and only around four or five of them managed to survive the ordeal in total. In contrast, far more of the Body Integration cultivators who pledged their allegiance to major powers managed to survive. The root cause behind this is that vagrant cultivators like us will eventually be divided and conquered by the high-grade beings of the Elder Devil Race. Hence, prior to the arrival of the devilish tribulation, we have to do everything in our power to forge an alliance with as many vagrant Body Integration cultivators as possible. I'm sure that our chances of survival would be increased significantly if we were to band together."
"That is indeed true, but I'm still not sure whether expending so much effort to recruit vagrant cultivators will actually be effective. How about you disband your White Bone Sect and pledge your allegiance to one of the three sovereigns, and I'll also find a way to join one of the seven demon monarchs? They all have established forces, after all, and it'll be much safer for us to join them," the woman said as she pursed her lips.
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