Sage of Humanity

Lu Ye watched the spirit light emanating from the bodies of the cultivators coming and going for a while, then compared it to his own, roughly estimating the cultivation realms of these cultivators.

Generally speaking, there were many at Spirit Stream Level 2 and 3, fewer at Level 1, and most of them were independent cultivators.

Although it only required reaching Spirit Stream Level 1 to qualify for cultivation and travel on the battlefield, if a sect had the resources, they naturally waited for their disciples to attain a higher level before allowing them to leave the sect, thus giving them a better chance of survival.

For those independent cultivators, however, with no backing, the battlefield, although dangerous, was filled with opportunities. If they wanted to live comfortably, they naturally came out to struggle early.

This was somewhat akin to the difference between the children of poor families and those of rich families.

There were also those at Spirit Stream Level 4, but they were few in number, usually only appearing once or twice among dozens of cultivators.

Lu Ye even spotted a guy who appeared to be at Spirit Stream Level 5. This person was extremely sensitive; as soon as Lu Ye spotted him, he turned his head to look over, his crimson eyes like those of a beast, exuding a tremendous oppressive force, making Lu Ye feel a chill all over.

After such observations, Lu Ye had somewhat of an idea in his mind.

Reflecting on the time he had killed Manager Yang and Zhou Cheng in the mine, Lu Ye had only known that their cultivation was not high, but he had no clear idea of their exact levels.

Now it seemed that Manager Yang was probably at Spirit Stream Level 3, and as for Zhou Cheng, at most Level 2.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

However, one was disrupted by the origin magnetic field and had difficulty exerting his spirit force, and the other was gravely injured, which allowed Lu Ye to take advantage of them, and by now the grass on their graves was probably three meters tall.

Lu Ye also felt, whether it was an illusion or not, that the spirit light emanating from his body was clearer than that of others at Spirit Stream Level 1.

As he was observing this, someone suddenly squatted down in front of him, picked up a piece of ore from Lu Ye's stall, and asked, "How much for this?"

How would Lu Ye know how to price it? He had displayed these few pieces of ore exactly to test the waters, so he had already prepared his response, "You make an offer. If it's appropriate, I'll sell."

At the same time, he checked the cultivation of the person who asked. Judging from the spirit light on his body, he should be a cultivator at Spirit Stream Level 2, but this guy's spirit light seemed much murkier than others.

Lu Ye suddenly realized, could this be what the sect master mentioned about murky spirit force? If so, that would mean this person had recently consumed too many elixir pills and had accumulated pill poison in his body.

The person then stated a price, "Two Spirit Stones!"

"Scram!"

Although Lu Ye did not know the exact value of his ore, he was certain that the man was hoping to get a bargain, so there was no need to think too much about it.

The man did not get angry either; he just saw that Lu Ye looked naive and had come to see if there was an advantage to be gained. Having confirmed through his gaze that Lu Ye was not someone who could be easily taken advantage of, he naturally had no reason to hold a grudge against Lu Ye and left after putting down the ore.

Subsequently, more people came to ask about the prices, and Lu Ye asked each one to make their offer, but not a single transaction was successful.

What caught Lu Ye's attention was that the origin magnetic ore was asked about the most, and the highest offer was also made for it, a price of twenty Spirit Stones by a cultivator at Spirit Stream Level 4.

It seemed that this item was indeed valuable, no wonder both Manager Yang and Zhou Cheng had used their positions to secretly stash some.

Such an item was indeed a significant wealth for cultivators at their level.

Lu Ye hadn't opened his stall, whereas the female cultivator's stall next to him continually saw its goods decrease. She was selling herbs she had mined herself from Qingyun Mountain, which attracted a wide audience, and in less than half a day, she had sold everything.

As the female cultivator packed up her stall and prepared to leave, she asked Lu Ye, "You want to know the value of these ores, don't you?"

Having observed for quite a while, how could she not understand Lu Ye's intentions?

"Yes," Lu Ye nodded. "Does sister know the value of these items?"

The female cultivator shook her head and said, "I'm not well-versed in ores. I don't even recognize what these stones of yours are, so I also don't know their worth. However, if you really want to sell them, you could go to the Heaven's Augury Mercantile Union. Their purchasing prices are a bit lower than the usual rate, but generally speaking, they're fairly honest.

The problem is that the cultivators here aren't very wealthy. Selling small items isn't an issue, but with something like your origin magnetic ore, there aren't many who have the financial capacity to buy it, and the price offered won't be too high."

Lu Ye had also noticed this issue, but he hadn't planned to sell his ores here in the first place. Now having heard the female cultivator's advice, he naturally followed it smoothly: "Thank you, sister, for your guidance."

"Then I wish you good luck!" The female cultivator smiled warmly at Lu Ye, took a few steps, and merged into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

Not long after the female cultivator left, Lu Ye also packed up his stall.

He hadn't set up the stall to sell items, but rather to more conveniently observe other cultivators and to find a method to gauge their strength.

Now, having achieved his objective with the guidance of the female cultivator, there was no need to waste more time.

One incense stick's time later, Lu Ye stood in front of a gigantic circular building, looking up at it.

In the disorganized and chaotic marketplace, such a building was certainly an eye-catching landmark.

This was the Heaven's Augury Mercantile Union, a building that effortlessly showcased its profound background and immense wealth through its sheer presence.

The union's sign hung above the main door, which, like the maw of a beast, saw countless cultivators entering and exiting. On either side of the door were a pair of glittering couplets, the left reading "Welcoming guests from Nine Provinces," the right reading "Joyously receiving wealth from all directions," with the phrase "Feel at home!" across the top.

Lu Ye followed the crowd into the main hall, and curiously, despite the many cultivators going in and out, the hall remained incredibly quiet.

Almost immediately, a pretty, slender female cultivator approached him and gave a greeting: "I've seen senior brother."

Lu Ye returned the greeting, but couldn't help glancing at the pair of fuzzy ears on her head.

This was another demon cultivator, and one who hadn't completely shape-changed. According to what that portly cultivator had said earlier, as these demon cultivators advanced in their cultivation, their demon beast characteristics would slowly vanish, making them indistinguishable from ordinary people.

So, seeing many demon cultivators with beastly traits here wasn't surprising, since the cultivators in this place didn't have high levels of cultivation.

Although she noticed Lu Ye's gaze, the female demon cultivator had grown accustomed to such looks and showed no signs of discomfort, continuing in a warm tone, "Does senior brother intend to buy, sell, or just browse?"

It seemed there were different services depending on one's needs, so Lu Ye composed himself and replied, "Sell."

The female demon cultivator's smile brightened, and she gestured with her hand: "This way, senior brother."

Lu Ye followed her in the indicated direction, which seemed to have many compartments, where shadowy figures could be seen sitting and negotiating.