Lin Feng had just stepped into the main hall when a tall young woman in a pink gown approached him, greeting him with a warm smile.
"Welcome! Might I inquire if the young master is seeking magical artifacts, talismans, or perhaps other items?"
"I wish to sell a batch of magical artifacts and also purchase some items," Lin Feng replied. "The quantities are considerable. Could you please arrange for a manager to assist me?"
Upon hearing this, the attendant's demeanor grew even more enthusiastic. "Of course! Please follow me, young master."
The environment here surpassed the Myriad Treasures Pavilion branch in Verdant Cloud City considerably. The main hall alone was twice as large. For substantial transactions like the one Lin Feng proposed, dedicated VIP rooms were available. Led into a simple yet elegant private room, he was promptly served fragrant tea, fresh fruit, and pastries – the level of service was impeccable.
Shortly after, a kindly-faced middle-aged man in a blue robe entered, smiling. "I am Sun Ronghan, the floor manager for this level of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. May I ask how to address the young master?"
"Manager Sun, pleased to meet you. My name is Lin Yun," Lin Feng responded, slightly surprised. He had only requested a manager, yet the floor manager himself had come. Out of habit, he used the pseudonym common to him in Verdant Cloud City.
"The honor is mine, Young Master Lin..." Sun Ronghan said affably. "Might I inquire what artifacts you wish to sell and what items you seek to purchase?"
Lin Feng retrieved a Spatial Ring and a slip of paper from his robe, handing them over. "This Spatial Ring holds the items for sale. Please examine them, Manager Sun. The list on this paper details my purchase requirements. Kindly have someone prepare them."
"Ah, certainly! Allow me to inspect them first," Sun Ronghan replied genially, accepting both items. He glanced at the densely written list, his eyebrows lifting slightly in unconcealed surprise. The listed items were valuable; he hadn't anticipated such a substantial order from one so young.
"All refining materials... and exclusively third and fourth-grade at that? Could it be... this young man is an Artificer?" Sun Ronghan pondered with astonishment, then directed his spiritual sense into the Spatial Ring...
"So many artifacts!!" The sight of nine artifacts within the ring elicited another wave of quiet shock. With a wave of his right hand, he materialized all the artifacts onto the square table before them.
"An Artificer indeed. When did such a young practitioner emerge in the city?" Sun Ronghan mused while scanning the collection. His surprise deepened. "Fully half are treasure artifacts! Including a mid-grade piece... Huh?! This... this is..."
His gaze fell upon the Thunder Arc Treasure Blade. Sun Ronghan's eyes widened uncontrollably, and he gasped aloud without thinking. "This is... a highest-grade treasure artifact?!"
At that moment, Lin Feng's voice sounded beside him. "Indeed, that is a highest-grade treasure artifact. All these artifacts are for sale. Could you please assess their value in spirit stones, Manager Sun?"
Sun Ronghan snapped back to himself, slightly embarrassed by his lapse in composure. He offered an awkward smile. "Of course, Young Master Lin. Rest assured, our establishment will offer you a most satisfactory price."
He then picked up the Thunder Arc Treasure Blade, examining it meticulously.
"Truly a highest-grade treasure artifact... and a rare Thunder attribute offensive weapon at that! It possesses nascent Thunder Spirit qualities. It stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the finest pieces in our own collection!" Sun Ronghan scrutinized the blade, his internal assessment growing more intense. "Moreover... it's brand new! Every artifact here is pristine! Were they just crafted? Who exactly is this young man? How does he possess so many flawless, newly minted treasures..."
Weighing Lin Feng's possible background, Sun Ronghan proceeded to inspect each artifact individually, silently estimating their worth. After roughly ten minutes, he set down the last piece and looked up at Lin Feng.
"Young Master Lin, the artifacts you've presented are of exceptional quality, especially this highest-grade treasure artifact. Our establishment is willing to offer eighty thousand low-grade spirit stones for it. For the other eight artifacts combined... let us say ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. Does this meet your approval?"
"Eighty thousand!!" Lin Feng maintained a neutral expression, but inwardly, he was elated. This exceeded his expectations. The total value of the other eight pieces likely fell short of ten thousand; the manager was likely offering a round figure, influenced by the highest-grade artifact's presence.
Trusting the Myriad Treasures Pavilion's reputation and finding the offer reasonable, Lin Feng nodded. "Agreed. Ninety thousand low-grade spirit stones total. You may take possession of the artifacts now, Manager Sun."
A flicker of satisfaction crossed Sun Ronghan's face. "Young Master Lin is decisively straightforward! Please wait briefly. I shall have the materials on your list assembled immediately."
While they awaited the materials, Sun Ronghan remained, personally entertaining Lin Feng. The conversation flowed pleasantly, though Lin Feng noted the manager's subtle, repeated attempts to probe his background. He deftly deflected each query with vague responses.
After conversing for a while, Lin Feng suddenly inquired, "By the way, Manager Sun, does your esteemed establishment offer third-grade Spirit Gathering Array formation plates? And what might their price be?"
"Third-grade Spirit Gathering Array plates?" Sun Ronghan was visibly startled. He regarded Lin Feng with a peculiar expression before answering. "Indeed, we do stock such formation plates. However, the price... is one million low-grade spirit stones per plate."
"One million?!!" Lin Feng nearly choked on his tea. He stared, utterly dumbfounded. He knew third-grade plates would be expensive, but never imagined this extent.
One million low-grade spirit stones! What did that even represent? It likely surpassed the price of a typical mid-grade spirit artifact! A first-grade plate cost merely a few thousand stones – the disparity was staggering.
The fleeting joy over securing a better price for his artifacts evaporated instantly. Even combined with the fifty thousand stones Zhang Fangzhou was hopefully retrieving, Lin Feng realized his entire fortune wouldn't cover a fraction of a third-grade plate.
Furthermore, even if he lingered in Azure Spring City for days, frantically buying scrap artifacts to repair and resell, accumulating a million stones seemed an impossible dream. Unless he stumbled upon multiple highest-grade treasure artifacts in scrap form – and found owners willing to sell them – it was futile.
The sheer improbability of encountering discarded highest-grade treasures, let alone securing them, washed over him like cold water. Discouragement set in deep. The third-grade Spirit Gathering Array appeared utterly out of reach for now.
Swallowing his disappointment, Lin Feng asked reluctantly, "And... what about second-grade Spirit Gathering Array plates?"
Sun Ronghan had been momentarily taken aback by Lin Feng's initial query about third-grade plates. Witnessing the young man's shocked reaction to the price, however, brought him a strange sense of relief. If Lin Feng had been able to afford a third-grade plate, it would have been truly alarming. After all, even most Golden Core cultivators couldn't casually utilize such luxury. Hearing the follow-up question about second-grade plates, he answered, "Second-grade plates are considerably more affordable. They cost three hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones each."
"..."
Silence. Lin Feng found nothing "affordable" about three hundred thousand. His recently inflated sense of wealth – over a hundred thousand stones – now felt pitifully small. It could barely buy half a second-grade plate...
"Sigh... It seems I must focus on earning more spirit stones first, then aim for a second-grade plate. Dreaming of a third-grade array right now is sheer extravagance..." The thought solidified in Lin Feng's mind, bringing a renewed sense of pressure. He immediately began strategizing where to find scrap artifacts later that day.
...
The requested materials arrived shortly. The total cost exceeded ten thousand low-grade spirit stones, primarily due to the expensive components needed to repair the highest-grade treasure artifact salvaged from Li Sha.
With the transaction concluded, Lin Feng rose to take his leave. Sun Ronghan personally escorted him to the entrance before stopping.
At that precise moment, a figure descending the staircase from the second floor happened to glance towards the door, catching sight of Lin Feng's retreating back.
"Huh? Isn't that...?"