Published: August 27, 2025
Chapter 394: Cultivators, Demonic Beasts, and a Small Island
What puzzled Han Li even more was that besides those shops, the entire place was quiet and deserted.
After a brief moment of thought, he gave a wry smile.
How could he have forgotten!
This wasn’t some leisurely island in the inner star sea; anyone daring enough to come here was at least a foundation establishment cultivator, if not a late-stage foundation establishment immortal cultivator. Moreover, since some had dispersed to other demonic beast islands, the total number here naturally wouldn’t be many.
The cultivators on Ningcui Island must all be out at sea hunting demonic beasts!
With this thought, Han Li looked around.
Only then did he realize that this place was backed by a small earthen hill, with the buildings nestled against the mountain.
After a moment’s consideration, Han Li walked over to a grocery shop made of piled-up rubble.
“Do you have a map of the nearby new sea area?” Han Li asked calmly.
He had known before coming that all the sea area maps of the demonic beast islands were constantly updated, so naturally, he wanted to buy the latest version.
“Yes! We have two versions: a rough one and a detailed one. Which would you prefer, sir?” The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man in the qi refining stage, perked up when Han Li and Quhun approached and immediately answered.
“Detailed,” Han Li replied without hesitation.
“Detailed map, one hundred spirit stones!” The middle-aged man quoted a steep price.
“One hundred?” Han Li wondered if he had misheard the price.
But his expression darkened immediately, revealing a trace of anger.
Although he had no intention of stirring up trouble, he wasn’t about to be extorted by a low-level immortal cultivator.
“Please don’t misunderstand, sir! That price isn’t set by me personally; it’s fixed from above, and we’re just following orders. Besides, when other seniors sell us the new sea area topography maps, the price isn’t cheap either!” The grocery shopkeeper saw Han Li’s face darken but showed no fear; instead, he started venting his frustrations.
“From above! Which merchant alliance are you from?” Han Li’s anger eased slightly as he furrowed his brow and asked.
He knew very well that any merchant capable of running a business on the demonic beast islands wouldn’t be a small guild. It might very well be a shop belonging to one of the Four Great Merchant Alliances!
“Heh heh, you’re a perceptive one. I’m just working to earn a living under the Fengle Merchant Alliance,” the middle-aged man answered with a faint surprise, then smiled.
“One of the Four Great Merchant Alliances? The Fengle Alliance that runs the Fengle Auction House in Tianxing City?”
“That’s right, sir!”
Upon hearing this, Han Li didn’t say more and tossed over a mid-grade spirit stone.
Immediately, the shopkeeper smiled happily and handed Han Li a Jade Slip.
“Are the other shops also run by your Fengle Merchant Alliance?” Han Li asked, storing the Jade Slip away with a hint of irritation as he glanced at the other stores.
“That’s impossible! Except for the acquisition shop on the west side, the others belong to different merchant alliances and have nothing to do with Fengle,” the middle-aged man said with a hint of hostility as he looked at the other shops.
Han Li didn’t say anything further and, accompanied by Quhun, turned to leave.
After taking a few steps, just as he released his Divine Wind Boat to fly away, suddenly a green rainbow descended from the sky, landing right in front of an acquisition shop diagonally opposite.
As the light faded, a burly foundation formation stage man appeared.
“Fan, your merchandise has arrived,” the burly man shouted loudly into the acquisition shop as soon as he appeared. Then he pulled out a storage pouch from his bosom and dumped its contents onto the ground.
After a flash of rosy light, a bizarre fish carcass about two or three zhang long appeared on the ground.
It was called a fish merely because its body was covered with a layer of blue-green fish scales, but it had a monstrous head like a python and a pair of huge claws on its belly. Near the front of its back was a bleeding gash, as if its demonic beast core had been removed.