After walking through the bustling market, both of them arrived at a peculiar shop—
A shop where strange trades were made: herbal blood-pills could be exchanged for other rare items, and even mystical stones were bought and sold here.
As soon as they entered, an elderly man behind the counter glanced at them and asked politely,
"Yes? What do you young men wish to buy?"
To this, Nivyansh stepped forward and replied firmly,
"We don't want to buy anything right now… but we do want to sell something.
Would you be willing to trade some items in exchange for these— a Rank One Elemental Stone and Rank Two Blood Pills?
If you agree, then we are ready to make the deal."
The old man hesitated, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"Hmm… I do buy and sell treasures," he said slowly, "but if you truly have something valuable, I can give you its fair price—or you may choose to exchange it for anything else you see here."
Nivyansh nodded calmly.
But inside, the shopkeeper was doubtful. "These two youngsters hardly look like they would possess anything valuable. Perhaps I am just wasting my time entertaining them."
He was about to dismiss them when suddenly his eyes widened—
For Nivyansh had pulled out four Rank Two Blood Pills from his pouch.
The old man's lips parted slightly in surprise. Still, he did not show too much reaction.
And then—
Nivyansh took out a Rank One Wind-Elemental Mystic Stone and a small vial filled with its original blood essence.
"So," Nivyansh asked, his voice steady, "what do you have to say about this?"
The old man, who had been expecting some trivial trinkets, froze.
Never had he imagined such precious treasures from one so young. He had seen and dealt with Rank Three and Rank Four stones before, but this sight still made him pause.
After a long breath, he finally spoke—
"For this Rank One Stone, especially of Wind origin—it's rare indeed. I can offer you forty thousand gold coins.
And for all these items together, their total worth comes to about seventy thousand gold coins.
So… what do you wish to take in exchange?"
Nivyansh's eyes sharpened.
"Do you have any original blood essence of Rank Three mystic beasts?"
The shopkeeper's brows rose.
"Yes, I do. But which beast's essence are you looking for?"
Saying this, he carefully revealed several vials of Rank Three beast-blood. Their prices were astonishingly high.
Nivyansh studied them for a moment before picking up a small porcelain vial, its glow faint beneath the dust.
He lifted it in his hand and asked,
"What's the price of this one?"
The old man's lips curled into a sly smile.
"This… is worth sixty-three thousand gold coins."
Nivyansh and Prashant exchanged shocked looks.
"What? How can Rank Three beast-blood cost this much?"
The man smirked.
"Youngsters, you do not understand. This is the blood essence of a Mystic Magra-Gorilla—a Rank Three beast far stronger and wilder than ordinary ones.
Believe me, the price is already far too low for something so rare."
Prashant leaned close and whispered into Nivyansh's ear,
"Brother… I think this man is overcharging us by several thousand coins."
Nivyansh simply nodded slightly.
The shopkeeper, sensing their hesitation, added smoothly,
"You may doubt me, but you can ask anywhere else—none will give you cheaper than this."
As they were conversing, Nivyansh's gaze fell upon a strange, dust-covered vial in one corner.
It was old, rust-stained, cobwebs clinging to it as though forgotten for years.
Something stirred within him as he looked at it.
"What is that vial?" Nivyansh asked.
The old man frowned.
"That? Honestly, I don't know. It's been lying here among Rank One essences for decades, but no one ever wanted to buy it."
"Do you know anything else about it?" Nivyansh pressed.
The man shook his head.
"No. It has no value."
Then suddenly, he smiled cunningly.
"Tell you what—if you buy this Rank Three blood essence, I will give that old vial to you for free."
Prashant opened his mouth to object, but Nivyansh interrupted—
"I'll take it."
And just like that, the deal was done.
The old man grinned inwardly. "Fools… I managed to sell the Rank Three essence and get rid of that worthless vial in the same deal."
But what he didn't know… was that the very vial he dismissed as worthless—
carried something extraordinary.
Something that could change destiny itself.
Nivyansh carefully placed both the purchased essence and the mysterious vial into his pouch, along with the remaining coins.
Later, as they walked through a quieter street, he handed Prashant a pouch heavy with gold coins.
Prashant's eyes widened.
"Brother Nivyansh… what are you doing? These coins are your hard-earned reward. How can I take them?"
But Nivyansh insisted, forcing him to accept.
Prashant's eyes turned moist.
Had it not been for Nivyansh, he would have died fighting that beast. He knew the value of these coins—for his poverty-stricken family, they meant survival.
Tears welled up as he finally hugged Nivyansh tightly.
"Thank you, brother… thank you. I will never forget this kindness."
But Nivyansh smiled warmly.
"Don't call it kindness. You're my brother. And your family… is my family."
Prashant could only nod, his heart full of gratitude.
After some time, the two parted ways.
Nivyansh then walked towards a grand palace. Guards with spears bowed as he entered.
Inside, an old man named Keshav greeted him,
"Young Master, you are late today."
Nivyansh sighed.
"How many times have I told you, Kaka? Don't call me Young Master—just call me Nivyansh."
But Keshav shook his head.
"I cannot. You are my master."
Nivyansh smiled helplessly.
"Fine then—call me Young Master Nivyansh."
Keshav laughed softly.
But suddenly his eyes widened in alarm.
"Blood!? Young Master, your lips… you're injured! Who did this? Tell me, I will teach them a lesson!"
Nivyansh waved it off.
"It's nothing. I fought a Rank One beast in the forest. That's all."
"What!? A Rank One beast!? Are you truly fine?" Keshav bombarded him with worried questions.
Nivyansh chuckled faintly and reassured him, without mentioning Prashant or the encounter with the leopard.
Later, in his chamber, he locked the door and sat cross-legged on his bed.
Closing his eyes, he began absorbing the natural energies. Golden particles swirled into the room, flowing into his body.
Slowly, the fatigue and wounds vanished, replaced by renewed strength. His eyes flickered gold for a moment before returning to normal.
Now… he was ready to push his powers to the next star realm.
But the question remained—
Would the Rank Three beast blood truly elevate his strength?
And what secret was hidden within that old, dusty vial?
Could it be the key to unlocking a higher destiny… the path to the Blood Conduction Rank?
To uncover the answers, read the upcoming chapters of The Heartless Warrior.