Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

"The esteemed guest jests; there is but one person in the Bliss Ghost Market who sells innate divine objects, and that is this humble one."

The portly man answered, his face still bearing a smile.

"Then what about the Ghost Market you mentioned earlier in the Inner City?"

Zhang Jing's tone carried a trace of doubt. He couldn't help but quickly recall everything he had seen along the journey, and with a flash of insight, he ventured to ask, "Wait, so the Immortal City actually has only one Bliss Ghost Market?"

"Indeed."

The portly man nodded his head, seeming to explain patiently due to the status of the person before him:

"As the esteemed guest has said, there is indeed only one Bliss Ghost Market, and it is here. The Ghost Market in the Outer City is nothing but a shadow."

"A shadow... a projection? I see."

Zhang Jing understood in his heart.

"What would the esteemed guest like to buy this time? The higher-grade innate divine objects you inquired about last time are placed in the cabinets at the deepest part of the shop."

Seeing that Zhang Jing did not continue to inquire, the portly man quickly returned to the matter at hand and said eagerly.

"I shall take a look first."

Zhang Jing replied with a gentle smile.

"Please feel free. Oh, and with your current status as an upper-class citizen, you can buy lower-grade innate divine objects at a 20% discount," the portly man reminded him kindly as if he had remembered something.

"Twenty percent off?"

Zhang Jing was momentarily stunned before saying with a smile, "Understood, many thanks, Shopkeeper."

With that said,

he walked past the portly man and the many lower-grade innate divine objects arranged around the periphery, heading straight to the depths of the shop.

It's not that Zhang Jing looked down upon lower-grade innate divine objects.

In fact, he was quite tempted. With such a significant discount of twenty percent off, if handled correctly, he could acquire a substantial fortune from this.

After all, there wasn't a place like the Bliss Ghost Market in the outside world that sold such a large quantity of lower-grade innate divine objects, thus each one was extremely precious.

But as tempting as it was,

Zhang Jing understood even more that for him at the moment, the priority was to purchase at least middle-grade innate divine objects of the gold, wood, fire, and earth attributes required for the promotion of the Five-Color Cloud Flag.

"Wouldn't it be even better if they were high-grade innate divine objects?"

Zhang Jing mused to himself.

As he pondered,

he had already arrived before the many dazzling cabinets.

[Middle-grade innate divine object Phoenix Blood Immortal Blossom, one hundred and eighty Copper Coins]

[Middle-grade innate divine object Primordial Copper Essence, two hundred Copper Coins]

...

...

In no time, Zhang Jing found four suitable middle-grade innate divine objects.

However, after calculating the price, he found it embarrassing—there weren't enough Copper Coins on him, even when including the reward for passing the fourth level, he was still short by nearly a hundred coins.

"It seems I'll need to leave the Immortal City to hunt down some ferocious beasts tomorrow. Well, since I'm here, I might as well take a look at the high-grade innate divine objects."

Zhang Jing smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping past the many middle-grade divine objects in front of him, fixing on several cabinets deeper within that radiated with a special aura.

Buying three middle-grade innate divine objects actually had no real significance; it would be better to make a trip outside the city tomorrow, gather enough Copper Coins and then come back.

After all, the Bliss Ghost Market no longer required purchasing any sort of entry proof now.

Step by step—

Zhang Jing quickened his pace, walking briskly towards the cabinets with the high-grade innate divine objects, and then his breath hitched.

Thump! Thump!

The fervent beating of his heart echoed in his ears.

There was no other reason; the sight before him was nothing short of heart-stopping.

In front of him, high-grade innate divine objects, exceptionally precious in the outside world, were displayed one by one, almost encompassing all types of common and uncommon attributes.

Numbering together at eighty-three pieces, their dazzling treasures lights billowed and surged towards the heavens, only to be silently swallowed by the cabinets the very next instant.

With just a cursory glance,

Zhang Jing spotted nearly ten high-grade innate divine objects that met the conditions for initiating and evolving his own life's world.

"Maybe I really can gather them all at once?" A look of longing flashed across Zhang Jing's face.

As for the selling price—

A high-grade congenital divine item's price ranged from 3,000 to 5,000 Copper Coins, which didn't seem too expensive. After all, by hunting a Unity Realm Stage fierce beast, one could gain several hundred Copper Coins.

On average, it would take about twenty Unity Realm beasts to exchange for one high-grade divine item, and with nearly ninety years left before Bliss Immortal Island closed, that would be more than enough time.

Zhang Jing silently began to calculate in his heart.

But at that moment—

"Right, I forgot to remind my esteemed guest, currently being an upper citizen, you can purchase a total of three high-grade congenital divine items."

The portly man waddled over to Zhang Jing's side and reminded him with a smile.

This statement was like a bolt from the blue for Zhang Jing.

"Three items?"

Zhang Jing's heart sank, his plan instantly thrown into disarray.

Being limited to three items, this was far from what he had anticipated.

Wait a minute! Currently an upper citizen...

Zhang Jing slowly lifted his head, then saw the profound expression on the face of the portly man.

He immediately realized what was happening and respectfully asked, "Three congenital divine items are indeed rather few, may I ask, Shopkeeper, is there another way?"

"Haha."

Upon hearing this, the portly Shopkeeper stroked his non-existent beard, showing a look that said the guest was teachable, "You've asked the right person this time. According to the rules of Bliss Immortal City, only noble citizens are allowed to buy all treasures in the Ghost Market without restriction."

"Noble citizen?"

"Indeed, one can be promoted to noble citizen only after passing the sixth level of the God-Demon Tower or achieving a thousand victories in the Star-picking Tower, thereby gaining the privilege to enter and exit the City Lord's Mansion."

"Pass the sixth level of the God-Demon Tower, a thousand victories in the Star-picking Tower?"

Zhang Jing's vision unintentionally darkened.

There was no need to mention the God-Demon Tower's sixth level; based on his estimation, unless the Qingyun realm expanded to a million miles, or he had the aid of an upper-grade postnatal Spiritual Treasure like the Heavenly Three-Treasure Jade Ruyi, there was no hope of him passing the sixth level.

As for the Star-picking Tower, time was purely the issue.

Thinking to this point, Zhang Jing felt an inexplicable sense of despair. But soon after, he looked again towards the Shopkeeper, his eyes filled with a burning intensity.

The other party wouldn't make an unfounded statement, so since he mentioned these two conditions that he couldn't presently meet, it certainly wasn't to humiliate him. It must be the prelude to what was to come next.

And sure enough.

"Of course, I've taken a liking to you at first sight, so I can secretly tell you about a third way. Remember, it must not be disclosed to anyone."

"Please do enlighten me, Shopkeeper," said Zhang Jing as he forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart, asking calmly.

"If you can produce one hundred thousand Copper Coins, I can take you to bribe the staff of the City Lord's Mansion, thereby promoting your status from upper citizen to noble citizen."

"To... bribe! And so blatantly?"

Zhang Jing was suddenly taken aback.

...

...

After a short while.

Zhang Jing left the nine-story building and walked back with a spring in his step.

A figure in a black robe passed by him abruptly and directly entered the nine-story building from which he had just come, where congenital divine items were sold.

Zhang Jing paused, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

Not long after.

A barely audible chuckle, with no attempt to conceal it, emanated from inside the nine-story building: "I've taken a liking to you at first sight, so I can secretly tell you about a third way. Remember, it must not be disclosed to anyone..."

Zhang Jing's eye twitched.

So much for it never being disclosed!

A sense of urgency welled up within him.

The situation was now quite clear; the black-robed person, like him, was here for the high-grade congenital divine items.

The crafty Shopkeeper, who knows how many people he'd told the same story to? Maybe he told it to everyone he met; one couldn't be sure. The key point was that the quantity of high-grade divine items was limited!

As the saying goes, to do good work, one must first sharpen one's tools.

He needed to hurry up and first refine the Five-Color Cloud Flag to advance it before anything else.