"Why wouldn't I accept it?"Yi Tianxing smiled calmly, his tone composed.
The corpses of fierce beasts—their flesh, bones, meridians, and blood—were all treasures. The blood could be used to refine Talisman Inkstones, the bones to forge magical artifacts and weapons, and the flesh could be cooked into top-grade delicacies.
Each part was a treasure. With the right methods, their value could be increased by several times, even dozens of times more than through crude processing. Naturally, Yi Tianxing wouldn't refuse such riches.
Just the horn of the White Jade Rhinoceros, for example, could be used to craft powerful treasures—it could be turned into a magical artifact or refined into an exotic fragrance. While the foreign races couldn't utilize it properly, in the hands of the human race, its potential could be fully realized.
"Xue Jin, help Brother Niu Ben appraise the value of these beast corpses. Use the highest estimate. The barbarians are friends and brothers to the human race—we can't let them suffer a loss."
Yi Tianxing smiled as he gave the order.
"Yes, my lord. I, Old Xue, would never let our friends in the human race be shortchanged,"Xue Jin understood the intention behind the words and nodded in agreement.
A team from the Hall of Ten Thousand Treasures immediately began calculating the exchange value of the beast corpses for the barbarian tribe. They didn't suppress the prices but used the standard market rates within Xuanhuang City. Even so, the massive number of beast corpses brought by the barbarians were exchanged for nearly 100,000 Eternal Coins.
"We're not done yet. Take a look at this—this is the true treasure of our Man Niu Tribe."
Seeing that the corpses had been fairly exchanged without any price manipulation, Niu Ben was secretly delighted. His trust in Yi Tianxing deepened. These Eternal Coins alone weren't enough for major needs, so naturally, they had other treasures to offer.
"It looks like you really have something good. What kind of treasure are we talking about?"Yi Tianxing was intrigued.
"You bet it's good stuff. Brother Yi, take a look."
Niu Ben laughed heartily as a barbarian cultivator opened a storage pouch.
Clink clink!
With a crisp sound, blocks of crystal-clear jade spilled onto the ground. The jade pieces glowed faintly and were translucent, with what seemed like spiritual patterns inside. One could feel the strands of pure spiritual energy within.
Yes—spiritual energy, not elemental energy.Although similar, spiritual energy possessed a kind of mystical spirituality, making it more refined and wondrous. It brought greater benefits during absorption and refinement. However, such spiritual energy couldn't be absorbed by ordinary means—but once sealed inside jade, it became Spirit Jade.
🔹New Term Highlighted: Spirit Jade (灵玉)A legendary treasure that can be used to craft magical weapons, talismans, and accessories. It can't be used directly for cultivation by most people, but its energy is incredibly refined and useful in refining powerful artifacts and enhancing certain high-tier techniques.
Spirit Jade was said to be ideal for making jade talismans, which were far stronger than regular talismans and could even be activated multiple times. They were also top-tier materials for refining accessories. Some cultivation techniques even relied on absorbing the essence of Spirit Jade to enhance one's body and cultivation.
The quantity of Spirit Jade was far rarer than Elemental Stones—its value was exponentially greater.
A single Spirit Jade mine could be worth as much as dozens of Elemental Stone mines, or even more depending on the jade's quality.
From lowest to highest, Spirit Jade was graded as:White Spirit Jade, Green Spirit Jade, Blue Spirit Jade, Red Spirit Jade, and Purple Spirit Jade.
At this moment, lying before them were snow-white flawless jades and some greenish ones—clearly White Spirit Jade and Green Spirit Jade. The difference in spiritual energy purity was immediately noticeable.
"You actually found a Spirit Jade mine?"Even Yi Tianxing showed a rare hint of surprise.
Not even around Xuanhuang City had a Spirit Jade mine been discovered. That the Man Niu Tribe had stumbled upon one was unexpected—proof that opportunities weren't exclusive to any one person.
"Heh heh, told you it was good stuff. We've been using this jade to cultivate, but we can't actually absorb the energy inside. All we can do is wear it for its ambient effect—sort of like a spirit-gathering formation. Still, it's nothing like Eternal Coins, which are far more convenient for cultivation. But this is a real treasure—don't you dare lowball me!"Niu Ben grinned confidently.
He wasn't a fool. This treasure clearly wasn't cheap, and he wouldn't accept an unfair price.
"It really is good. Alright—ten Eternal Coins per unit of White Spirit Jade, and fifty per unit of Green Spirit Jade. If you agree, we trade. If not, no hard feelings. What do you think?"Yi Tianxing pondered for a moment before naming a fair price.
This was the first time he'd seen Spirit Jade, and there was no existing exchange rate with Eternal Coins. The trade had to be satisfactory for both sides. Although Spirit Jade was undoubtedly precious, ordinary cultivators couldn't absorb its energy directly. It was mostly useful for crafting, which limited its value.
Note: Treasure's true value depends on whose hands it's in.
"Deal! That's a fair price."Niu Ben glanced at his clansmen, then nodded in agreement.
To them, Eternal Coins were more precious than Spirit Jade—they didn't feel like they were losing out at all.
"Good. Let's start the appraisal. You want to exchange it all?"Yi Tianxing smiled.
"All of it! We're going to use Eternal Coins from now on anyway. And if we don't spend them all, we'll just use them to cultivate,"Niu Ben made the decision decisively. Eternal Coins were as good as miraculous elixirs.
Xue Jin and the others quickly began tallying the trade. In a short time, the total exchange value of the Spirit Jade reached over one million Eternal Coins—a staggering number that left many stunned.
Niu Ben and the entire Man Niu Tribe were visibly elated. They hadn't expected these Spirit Jades to fetch such a price. And this was only a portion of what they had—there was still more stored back at their tribe, not to mention the entire Spirit Jade mine that belonged to them.
This was a source of endless wealth.
Meanwhile, excited voices echoed from the barbarians exploring the mutual trade market.
"Haha, Chief! Come see this! This White Bone War Bow is incredible—way better than our own bows. It can handle my full strength and unleash devastating force!"
"And these war arrows—they even have special effects. These Armor-Piercing Arrows can pierce even scales. Hunting beasts will be so much easier now!"
"Is this food? Packaged in such fancy boxes… I can smell it already—it has to be rare delicacies. Last time you brought one box back, just the scent made my mouth water."
"And this must be the legendary fabric! I hear it can be made into clothes softer than beast hide—and more beautiful too! I'm buying some for my woman!"
The barbarians were full of wonder. Everything intrigued them. They poked and prodded, picked up and examined all kinds of items. To them—who drank spring water, ate beast meat, and wore beast hides—these refined products were priceless treasures.
They didn't hesitate either—whatever they liked, they bought.
The mutual market's goods were expensive—two to three times the normal price—a deliberate price adjustment for foreign races. Yi Tianxing didn't lower the price but adopted a "buy one, get one free" strategy instead. This helped offset the price gap and also prevented the simple-minded barbarians from realizing the markup and spreading word of it.
At the same time, outside Ice City, in front of the gates—
A group of Foxfolk cultivators arrived.
Leading them was a tall, elegant woman dressed in exquisite palace robes. Her figure was seductive, and her height statuesque. Her face was hidden behind a veil, but her fox ears clearly marked her race. As for her tail—it was well-concealed, leaving her nearly indistinguishable from a human.
Her appearance aligned perfectly with human standards of beauty.
"My lady, be cautious. The humans were once driven out by many other races. They even created a strange dog to attack powerful beings in the city. Even the Wingfolk fell victim. We cannot let our guard down."
One follower warned her, his tone filled with wariness.
It was a natural instinct. The Foxfolk were inherently distrustful and cunning.
"No need to worry. Since the humans made this invitation, they wouldn't dare spring a trap here—they aren't that foolish. There will be no danger entering."The Foxfolk maiden chuckled softly."I've long been curious about the human race. This mutual market will surely hold many unique treasures. Worth a look."