In the time that followed, the Gold-Faced Man brought out a number of items unique to the Wood Tribe and the Spirit Tribe in succession.
Each of these items served a special purpose, and quite a few people in the great hall found themselves tempted, bringing out goods required by the Black Domain to make exchanges.
After that, several more showpiece treasures were produced one after another by the Gold-Faced Man.
Every single one was a famous and extraordinary artifact, its mystical abilities no less formidable than the Heaven-Reaching Gong or the ancient banner shown earlier.
Moreover, these treasures were either astounding in their defensive power or heaven-defying in their offensive might. For any individual, their practical value actually exceeded that of the first two items — they were absolutely the finest means of bolstering one's own strength!
As a result, the competition for these treasures in the great hall grew even more fervent, reaching a fever pitch.
The final item was the "Ocean-Shifting Fan," which ranked rather high on the Chaos Myriad Spirits List. It was capable of moving mountains and overturning seas, blotting out the sky and shrouding the sun — its power was beyond imagination.
In the end, more than twenty unknown cultivators piled out material after material, each willing to spare no expense in vying for this treasure.
In the end, the Gold-Faced Man selected the person who had offered the most materials, and had that individual add several other remarkable treasures on top of the original offer before he finally let the Ocean-Shifting Fan go.
Han Li had taken an immediate liking to the fan as well, but regrettably, what the treasure required in exchange were not spirit herbs — only some rare crystals said to exist in legend. He didn't possess a single one.
With the exchange of the Ocean-Shifting Fan concluded, the Black Domain had traded away every item it had prepared for this assembly, and not a single one had been purchased with spirit stones or anything of the sort.
It was clear that the Black Domain had made thorough preparations in advance, knowing precisely what the attendees truly desired.
"Our domain has offered up a humble token to spark the jade, and has finished exchanging all the items we wished to trade. From here on, fellow Daoists may take the stage and conduct your exchanges freely. Should any of you possess rare treasures that our domain has an eye for, I would appreciate it if you would give us priority in the trade. As for the rules, they remain the same as before — at most three people may take the stage at a time to display their goods. The items to be traded and the terms of exchange are to be negotiated entirely between the parties involved; our domain will not interfere in the slightest. Very well — I hereby declare the free exchange open!" It was clear that the earlier haul had left the Gold-Faced Man highly satisfied. After saying a few more words from the stage, he announced the commencement of the free exchange.
"Heh heh, since you've said so, then allow me to go first."
The instant the Gold-Faced Man's words fell, a sinister voice suddenly rang out. A streak of dark light shot forth from one of the floating pavilions, flickering several times before strangely materializing on the high platform within the light barrier.
It was a gray-robed figure whose entire body was entwined by wisps of eerie black light.
"Hmph, quite the impatient one, aren't you, fellow Daoist!"
"Well then, I'd also like to claim the lead!"
…
Almost simultaneously, several other streaks of light shot out from other floating pavilions.
However, upon seeing that someone was already competing for the spot, two of them suddenly blazed with brilliant radiance. One vanished on the spot as if teleporting, only to reappear inside the light barrier the very next moment.
It was a graceful figure shrouded in five-colored radiance — a female cultivator.
Another streak of light emitted a sharp, piercing shriek from within the cultivator's body, suddenly blurring slightly as its speed more than doubled, similarly racing ahead of the others to land on the stone platform.
The moment Han Li got a clear look at this person, the corner of his mouth twitched, unable to hide the surprise on his face.
This third individual had an extremely bizarre physique — whether placed horizontally or vertically, the body measured a full zhang or so in length, resembling an enormous flesh sphere resting there.
And atop this sphere sat a perfectly ordinary male head, its face full of wretchedness, completely unmasked and unconcealed.
As for the remaining several people, their streaks of light were clearly a beat too slow. The moment they touched the white light barrier, they were bounced back with a series of thuds, unable to enter.
"Fellow Daoists, please return for now. There's no rush — you can take the stage in the next round." The Gold-Faced Man cupped his fists toward the people outside the barrier and spoke with courtesy.
The rejected cultivators were clearly unwilling to give up, but seeing how things stood, they could only let out cold snorts before helplessly turning back.
Meanwhile, the gray-robed man who had been the first to reach the stage let out a peal of triumphant laughter.
Being the first to display one's trade goods was naturally a considerable advantage. If the item you needed happened to be exchanged away by someone earlier, you'd be left with nothing to do but stand there fuming.
But just then, the Gold-Faced Man's gaze swept over the "flesh sphere," and he chuckled lightly as he spoke:
"I didn't expect that Brother Zhu would attend this exchange assembly once more, and be so eager to claim the lead at that. It seems that losing a precious treasure by such a narrow margin last time still weighs heavily on you."
"If that person hadn't been just one step ahead of me last time — and the same Hundred-Joint Bead, no less, only mine was of slightly superior quality — how could that treasure have been exchanged away by him? But that's not even the most annoying part. The most frustrating thing is that with this physique of mine, no matter which exchange assembly I attend, people recognize me at a glance. No amount of concealment techniques makes the slightest difference." The flesh sphere let out a sigh, and the wretched expression on his face seemed to deepen further.
"Heh heh, Brother Zhu, the mystic technique you cultivate is a renowned divine ability from your clan's ancient era. Though it doesn't allow you to freely alter your appearance, its power is something countless people can only envy. What is such a minor flaw compared to that?"
This flesh sphere clearly carried considerable prestige, and the Gold-Faced Man was unfailingly courteous toward him.
"Heh heh, I know your words are meant only to console me, but Zhu here enjoys hearing them all the same. Let's hope this time truly brings a bountiful harvest." The "flesh sphere" nonetheless still looked thoroughly dispirited.