Chapter 1677: Collector Duan Tianying
Xie Aman stood before the stall owner. She asked, "What did you say this cultivator's name was?"
Inside and outside the cave dwelling had already been completely sealed off by external cultivators led by Hundred Battle Immortal Sovereign. Some nearby cultivators had noticed the commotion and come to watch, but they could only observe from afar, unable to approach.
The stall owner stammered, "H-he's called Bai Pu."
"When was the last time you saw him?" Xie Aman asked calmly.
Suppressing the fear in his heart, the stall owner thought carefully and replied in a low voice, "About two or three years ago. Daoist Bai showed up at the Enlightenment Market back then."
"Alright. Stay here and don't go anywhere."
After instructing the stall owner, Xie Aman walked over to Fang Chen. The two of them examined the external cultivator who had fallen into demonic calamity, Bai Pu.
"Ninth Brother, your luck really is something. You came to the Enlightenment Market and ended up uncovering something like this."
Xie Aman sounded somewhat helpless.
Fang Chen sighed. "It was a coincidence. I heard he was a collector, so I came to pay him a visit. I didn't expect he'd already fallen into demonic calamity."
Xie Aman glanced at Fang Chen. "A collector?"
"A collector of rare curiosities, like top-grade spirit stones," Fang Chen explained.
Xie Aman stared at Bai Pu with a grave expression. "I heard you like top-grade spirit stones. I didn't expect you to make a special trip for them. But it's fortunate you did. Otherwise, even if someone else noticed something strange, they wouldn't have understood what was happening."
"Senior Sister, how long will it take to verify the situation?" Fang Chen asked.
"Quite a while. There are too many external cultivators. Verifying their whereabouts one by one, and whether they're dead or alive, will require tremendous manpower and resources." She let out a cold laugh. "They probably counted on that, which is why they started with these people. If they dared to act against core disciples and failed even once, we would immediately receive word."
Fang Chen nodded. "Indeed."
If a core disciple failed to awaken successfully, they would certainly report it. The Enlightenment God Palace would then have time to respond and prepare countermeasures. If he hadn't happened to come here and discovered this external cultivator undergoing demonic calamity, who knew how many more years it would have taken for the Enlightenment God Palace to notice?
"What worries me most is that they may have been doing this for hundreds or even thousands of years already," Fang Chen said quietly. "If that's the case, quite a number of external cultivators may already be theirs."
"Ninth Brother, you don't need to concern yourself with this matter," Xie Aman said in a low voice. "Go back and prepare yourself. It may not be long before we head to the Taicang Realm. When the time comes, we'll face them head-on and see who is stronger."
Fang Chen nodded. "Very well."
His gaze shifted slightly toward the trembling stall owner in the distance.
"Senior Sister, that stall owner may have some issues. It would be worth questioning him carefully. He brought me here, his intentions may not have been simple."
Xie Aman nodded. "Mm. I'll handle it."
"In the future, if you want top-grade spirit stones, there's no need to come to Enlightenment Market. I recall a core disciple named Duan Tianying. He's fond of collecting such trinkets. His Dao Domain isn't far from Renzu Mountain. You can go chat with him."
"Duan Tianying?"
Fang Chen noted the name and then took his leave.
***
About 300,000 miles from Renzu Mountain lay an unusually bustling Dao Domain. It was described as bustling because Fang Chen actually saw something resembling another marketplace, much like Enlightenment Market.
At a rough glance, there were at least over 100,000 external cultivators here. An ordinary core disciple could never support such a large Expedition Team.
Fang Chen did not conceal his identity. As soon as the Black Dragon Boat arrived, a figure tore through the air toward him. The man was plump and fleshy-faced. Upon seeing Fang Chen clearly, he revealed a look of surprise and delight and cupped his hands. "What brings you to my humble place, Core Disciple Fang? I am Duan Tianying. I was also present during the battle of the Great Thunder Sound. I wonder if you noticed me back then?"
Fang Chen smiled. "You make it hard not to notice you, Brother Duan. You've displayed impressive might during the battle."
Naturally, Fang Chen had not noticed Duan Tianying, as his cultivation was only at the second transformation, but Duan Tianying would never know that. Instead, he was overjoyed.
"So you did notice me, Core Disciple Fang! Then we've long admired each other from afar! Come inside, come inside."
Fang Chen put away his Immortal Boat and followed Duan Tianying into his Dao Domain.
"Core Disciple Duan, quite the lively place you've got here. These external cultivators are...?" Fang Chen asked curiously.
A look of pride appeared on Duan Tianying's face. "Though I haven't been a core disciple for long, I have some reputation among the externals. This marketplace was personally established by me. These cultivators came here drawn by my name."
"They reside nearby. In their spare time, they gather here to exchange insights and trade items."
"Impressive," Fang Chen praised.
Duan Tianying suddenly asked curiously, "What brings you here today?"
Fang Chen smiled. "I heard from Senior Sister that you enjoy collecting things. I happen to be looking to purchase some top-grade spirit stones, so I came seeking you."
"What!? Senior Sister!?" Duan Tianying trembled from joy, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Even Senior Sister noticed me? It seems my name among the core disciples isn't at the bottom after all!"
Then something occurred to him. His eyes lit up as he looked at Fang Chen. "You're like us, Core Disciple Fang? Fond of top-grade spirit stones?"
"Indeed. I've liked top-grade spirit stones since I was young."
"In that case, you must want to purchase the top-grade spirit stones in my possession. If it were anyone else, I absolutely wouldn't sell. But since it's you, Core Disciple Fang, how could I not part with them?" said Duan Tianying, grinning broadly. "I must sacrifice for the sake of fulfilling your passion for collecting!"
Before long, he led Fang Chen into a bright and elegant chamber. It had pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes, and the walls were constructed of stacked jade. Display cabinets lined all four walls, holding various unusual toys.
With just a glance, Fang Chen saw several strange exotic beast taxidermy specimens.
"Core Disciple Fang, this room represents years of my effort. Not every item here is worth a ton of immortal crystals. Some of them may even cost less than a single mid-grade spirit stone. But they are all, without exception, extremely rare items."
Duan Tianying proudly gestured toward a basin of black soil. "For example, this pot of soil. I dug up during my first expedition into an Ancient Forbidden Zone. It holds immense sentimental value for my collection."
Fang Chen nodded in agreement, offering recognition. Then he smoothly changed the topic. "Core Disciple Duan, may I see the top-grade spirit stones?"
