The Journey of Immortal Cultivation

Chapter 1022 - 559: Heavenly White Jade City_2

She even saw a piece of Gold Essence here, slightly smaller than Ali’s true form. However, this thing greatly enhances the power of Magic Artifacts, so the platform was crowded with cultivators with eager eyes, looking like many wanted to bid it into their pockets.

Each exhibit was placed on a White Jade Platform, with a faint green light enveloping its surface, clearly protected by a powerful barrier, preventing anyone from taking it away. Presumably, in this enclosed Mirror World, no one would be foolish enough to test the strength of this barrier. On each White Jade Platform, a Jade Token clearly marked the quantity, properties, and uses of the item. This is understandable, as many large sects purchase materials by the tens of thousands of pounds, and what is displayed here are merely samples. Curiously, the Jade Token did not show the estimated price, leaving people with no hint of the cost.

Upon her inquiry, Steward Wu explained: "Of course, every item must be appraised by an appraiser to guarantee authenticity, but the estimated price is not disclosed; instead, customers must appraise it themselves. You will soon know the method of appraisal."

She wasn’t very interested in raw materials, so they quickly moved to the second great hall. Except for the Star-picking Tower, this palace was larger than any other, as the exhibits here were living creatures. To be precise, it was slaves and exotic beasts.

To juxtapose intelligent beings with exotic beasts is an insult in itself. However, the Heavenly Residence doesn’t mind, and the guests won’t either.

This great hall is divided into East and West halls. The East Hall showcases all sorts of strange and bizarre exotic beasts. For these moving creatures, barriers can’t be used; instead, inscribed chains are employed, similar to the Purple Gold Shackles in her hand, though of much lower grade. They are fastened on the necks or limbs of the exotic beasts and confined in cages to prevent them from harming people.

Exotic beasts are a type of creature between demons and wild beasts, much like the Canglong in the Hidden Stream. They differ from demons in that they are innately low in intelligence, unable to be enlightened, and cannot tread the Immortal Path no matter how much Moon Essence they absorb. However, in terms of physical strength, sharp claws and fangs, and longevity, they far surpass ordinary wild beasts. Some exotic beasts, favored by Heaven, can even obtain certain innate abilities.

For example, the "Kunwu" she glanced at, its body not large, with gray-black fur, resembling a weasel in shape, seemed unremarkable at first glance. Yet, once tamed, it can emit Gold Qi from its mouth, infusing golden breath into a Magic Artifact during Artifact Refining. Although this golden breath is far from the abnormal Geng Metal Power of the White Tiger God, it can still enhance the sharpness of swords, knives, and daggers. Thus, the "Kunwu" is a beloved companion of Artifact Refiners.

Some exotic beasts are quite pitiful, probably because certain parts of their bodies can be used in medicine or artifacts, but must be fresh and hot, hence sold alive; yet their fate upon being auctioned is tragic.

Ning Xiaoxian lingered here for quite some time, carefully noting the appearances and traits of several exotic beasts, before moving on to the West Hall. The "Demon Skull" can mimic various traits based on the essence blood it absorbs. Her purpose here is to bid for some useful exotic beasts to enrich her blood bank’s variety.

Even though she was mentally prepared, upon stepping into the West Hall, she still felt utterly uncomfortable.

Despite the limited number of exotic beasts, the slaves in the West Hall were truly a "large gathering," with slaves of different genders, skin colors, races, and appearances sitting quietly with chains on their feet.

It was far from the dirty, chaotic stench she had imagined; instead, elegant incense was lit in the four corners of the hall, and bright shell pearl lamps were inlaid in the hall’s pillars. Although the slaves were sitting in cages, the cages were meticulously cleaned, each slave was allocated a brocade stool, and even a specific Reincarnation Land of five grains was designated, ensuring such private matters wouldn’t be exposed to the guests.

Ning Xiaoxian even spotted several large transparent glaze vats, with long-haired, human-bodied, fish-tailed creatures swimming inside—mermaids? But when the creature turned around, her beautiful fantasy was ruthlessly shattered.

This creature’s entire skin was indigo, its back alluring and curvaceous, sparking infinite imagination. Unfortunately, it was the epitome of someone you wanted to commit crimes against upon seeing its back, but wanted to flee in disgrace upon seeing its front.

Though the creature had extremely full double peaks on its chest, its face had protruding eyes with large whites but small pupils, and no eyelids, so its eyeballs, like white fruits, were constantly glaring at you. Additionally, it had a flat nose, a big mouth, and sharp teeth, among many odd facial features that destroyed any beauty. Encountering such a creature while swimming in the sea would truly be a nightmare.

"Is this... a merfolk?" she hesitated to ask.

"Correct. This is a female Blue Merfolk from the East Sea." Steward Wu clearly had all the exhibits memorized. For stewards like him, remembering the names and traits of over a hundred thousand exhibits is a basic skill, helped by the fact that most cultivators with strong Divine Thought have an eidetic memory. "Don’t be fooled by its ugliness; the tears of Blue Merfolk are light blue and glow at night, beloved by many women. Female Blue Merfolk are also the best weavers of Zhi Xiao among the merfolk." (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)