In the end, a single bottle of three Taiwei Soul Refining Pills was claimed by a red-robed elder for five million high-grade Source Crystals.
This red-robed elder appeared to be the Sect Master of a third-rate sect, surnamed Yu, though Yang Kai couldn't recall his specific name. When Wen Zishan had led him around to offer toasts earlier that day, he had crossed paths with this red-robed elder briefly. But even with Yang Kai's exceptional memory, one day simply wasn't enough to commit over a hundred Emperor Realm cultivators' names to memory. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he couldn't be bothered to remember.
Next, Qiu Ran produced two more treasures. Like the Taiwei Soul Refining Pills, they were auctioned off for Source Crystals, sending the gathered Emperor Realm cultivators into a frenzy of bidding. In the end, a man and a woman each claimed one at steep prices.
After those three treasures, the atmosphere of the exchange fair was well and truly ignited.
Once Qiu Ran stepped down from the stage, the red-robed elder who had won the Taiwei Soul Refining Pills was the first to spring up onto the platform. He performed a sweeping bow and said with a beaming smile, "This old man will humbly share his modest offering."
As he spoke, he raised his palm to reveal a crimson berry. "A three-thousand-year Azure-Blood Red Dragon Fruit," he announced. "Seeking a water-attribute spirit herb or Emperor Pill of equivalent value."
The moment the Azure-Blood Red Dragon Fruit appeared, a peculiar fragrance wafted through the great hall, refreshing everyone who inhaled it and invigorating their spirits.
The Emperor Realm cultivators present were all sharp-eyed connoisseurs who naturally recognized the Azure-Blood Red Dragon Fruit as a rare treasure. Quite a few were immediately tempted, especially those who cultivated fire-attribute techniques or secret arts—eagerness shone plainly on their faces.
Immediately, four or five rings were silently tossed up from below.
The red-robed elder caught them and examined each one in turn, a contemplative expression crossing his face. In the end, he kept one ring and returned the rest. Stepping down from the platform, he handed the Azure-Blood Red Dragon Fruit to his exchange partner.
With the red-robed elder setting a fine example, the exchanges that followed grew increasingly lively and moved at a rapid pace.
The moment one Emperor Realm cultivator stepped down, another would immediately spring up onto the platform, presenting their trade goods and stating their terms.
Apart from the rare one or two who made outrageously greedy demands or set impossibly strict conditions, everyone else managed to obtain what they were looking for.
Yang Kai sat among the audience, having no intention of participating for the time being. Still, he watched with great interest. Though he was now wealthy enough to turn his nose up at ordinary treasures, every item that made it to this exchange fair was a prized possession of some Emperor Realm cultivator. The sheer variety of rare and peculiar artifacts opened Yang Kai's eyes wide, greatly expanding his knowledge so that he would recognize similar items in the future.
Even Chen Qian and Di Rong, two elders of the Qingyang Divine Temple, each made a trade, obtaining something they needed from the surrounding Emperor Realm cultivators.
In trades like these, someone might take a minor loss now and then, but it was hardly significant. If the values of the exchanged items truly differed too much, the difference was simply made up with Source Crystals. The eye for value among those present was roughly comparable—no one would let anyone else get away with too great a bargain. Snagging an undervalued treasure here was simply impossible.
"Nothing you're interested in?" Gao Xueting suddenly asked via voice transmission.
Yang Kai shook his head and replied, "I'll wait and see."
"If there's anything you want, tell your Senior Sister Chen. She manages the Divine Temple's treasury—she can exchange for a thing or two on your behalf. Consider it a small perk of becoming an elder."
As the two of them were talking, a strange fluctuation suddenly emanated from the platform.
Everyone's gaze snapped toward it. On the platform, a middle-aged man held up a transparent porcelain bottle. Inside, a small amount of liquid swayed gently, and the strange wave of power was emanating precisely from this droplet-like substance.
"This is..."
Yang Kai's eyes lit up. He vaguely felt he had seen this thing somewhere before. Just as he was racking his memory, a cry of alarm reached his ears: "Primordial Divine Water!"
The crowd of Emperor Realm cultivators erupted in a collective gasp. Every pair of eyes brightened as they fixed intently on the liquid within the porcelain bottle.
So it really was Primordial Divine Water. Yang Kai remembered now.
He had indeed seen this before—back in the Temple of Years within the Four Seasons Land. A single drop of Primordial Divine Water had appeared there. But that drop had ultimately ended up in Murong Xiaoxiao's hands, and he had no idea whether it had been used or not.
In the Star Boundary, there were the Three Great Divine Waters: Soul-Cleansing Divine Water, Life Elixir, and the Undying Origin Liquid. Each one was a product of heaven and earth's creative forces, playing an enormous role in a cultivator's growth.
Yang Kai had obtained all three of the Great Divine Waters at one point or another. Yet there existed another type of divine water—one that, despite not being counted among the Three Great Divine Waters, surpassed them in both value and efficacy.
And that was Primordial Divine Water!
Because its sole function was to accelerate the growth of spirit herbs, with little direct benefit to a cultivator's own body, it had not been included among the Three Great Divine Waters. But no one could deny its rarity.