After the Hai hour passed, even the sound of the night watchman's gong would deliberately avoid the vicinity of Liu Family Alley in the east of the city.

In the eyes of mortals, both the Ghost Market and the Immortals' Market were symbols of mystery and unpredictability.

Compared to the ethereal ghosts and gods, these cultivators were living, breathing existences. They possessed the ability to make even the government officials retreat, to summon the wind and rain, and to manipulate the thunder of the Nine Heavens.

However, at this time in the Immortals' Market of Lingzhou City, the lanterns had just been lit and the place was bustling with noise. Lanterns were hung up, their red glow seeping through the gauze on the bamboo shades, like dots of red lotus flowers, swaying in the wind, particularly eye-catching in the dark night.

That shopkeeper was indeed not wrong. The Immortals' Market that only opened at night naturally had its own nighttime characteristics.

The shops with lanterns were all run by cultivators, but in such a large area, the shops were after all in the minority. There were even more people who simply laid out a felt mat on the ground and displayed the many items they wanted to sell on top, just like the secular morning markets, for people to choose from.

Those stalls all had a lamp next to them for illumination, but the colors and specifications of these lamps were not as uniform as the gauze lanterns. Some were purple, some were blue, some were bright, some were dim, some were dark, some were light. The candlelight flickered slightly but did not go out. If a mortal accidentally stumbled in, they would think they had entered a ghostly city of the underworld.

There were also many people strolling on the streets, as if all the cultivators from Lingzhou City and the surrounding counties had gathered here. Some people squatted down to examine the items on the stalls, some were bargaining with the stall owners. It looked no different from the mortal world.

Zhou Yin walked for a while, glancing at some of the stalls. There was nothing of value, and the items sold on the stalls were either some low-grade spirit stones, low-level talismans, or some magic weapon ornaments suitable for low-level cultivators in the Qi Refining stage to use and wear.

With Zhou Yin's discerning eye, he naturally swept over them at a glance, and there were not many that caught his eye.

His footsteps did not stop as he passed through the street and entered a shop.

The shop was not large, but it had everything one needed. From the cinnabar needed for writing talismans to various magic weapons, everything was available. The quality was also much better than the items displayed on the stalls outside. At least within Zhou Yin's line of sight, he saw several mid-grade magic weapons.

Before him, there were already two people inside selecting items. Seeing Zhou Yin enter, they only glanced at him and then turned their heads as if it was nothing unusual, each buying their own things.

Those two people bought some talismans and left. The shop owner, seeing that Zhou Yin had not selected anything for a long time, walked over. "Young master, do you have anything you fancy? This sword can be considered a mid-grade magic weapon, earth attribute, suitable for cultivators in the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stage. Especially the talisman attached to it allows the power of the sword to be increased by another 10-20%, absolutely worth more than the price."

His gaze shifted from the sword. "I find it very familiar."

The shop owner was referring to Wu Feng's Huangting Sword.

On that day of the great battle, he fell unconscious and did not know what happened afterwards, but Wu Feng and the others had already died thoroughly before that. Unexpectedly, his magic weapon had ended up here.

The shop owner's expression did not change, and he smiled, "Perhaps you saw wrong, or maybe the sword's owner was once your friend. Young master, this is your first time here, right? Our Immortals' Mathering is different from other places. There are many ownerless items, as for how they got here, there's no need to delve into it, don't you agree?"

Zhou Yin looked at him for a while and nodded, "Not wrong."

The shop owner, seeing that he knew what was good for him, was very happy. "So does the young master want to buy this sword?"

Zhou Yin asked, "Do you accept talismans here?"

The shop owner said, "We do."

Zhou Yin: "I have some talismans I want to sell."

The shop owner was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "Please come inside then."

Talismans were very popular among cultivators.

You should know that although spirit weapons were not hard to come by, not everyone could have a top-notch spirit weapon that suited them perfectly. Once in danger, spirit weapons would also suffer some damage in battle, and repairing them required a lot of time. Therefore, in addition to spirit weapons, cultivators also needed other things to complement their spiritual power techniques, and these were talismans.

When writing talismans, the talisman writer would attach a certain amount of spiritual power to them. Combined with the talisman's own attributes, it would exert its power when used. Good talismans were sometimes not much inferior to spirit weapons. Although the talisman paper could only be used once, the price was also relatively much cheaper, unlike spirit weapons that were out of reach.

When traveling outside, having some talismans on hand in addition to spirit weapons provided an even greater sense of security.

Common low-grade talismans could buy five to ten pieces for about one low-grade spirit stone, while some good talismans cost more, depending on their specific function and the effect they could exert.

There were many people who could write talismans. At least in the major sects, there were some people who specialized in talisman writing and had considerable attainments in it. However, high-grade talismans were still not sold much on the market.

Firstly, the various sects were not willing to easily pass them on to outsiders. Secondly, those who sold talismans were generally rogue cultivators, and their identities determined that they would not know too many high-grade talisman scripts.

In the shop owner's first impression, this young cultivator with a handsome appearance and indifferent expression should be a disciple who came out from some major sect. Such people generally would not be reduced to the point of needing to sell talismans. Only rogue cultivators lacking resources would come here to peddle talismans in exchange for spirit stones for cultivation.

But now, looking at the talismans Zhou Yin took out, the shop owner was a bit uncertain.

Undoubtedly, the quality of these talismans was excellent, ranging from low-grade to high-grade, all complete. The talisman writer's brush strokes were vigorous, clearly not a novice. There were even some rare high-grade talismans like the Eight Wilderness Wind and Rain Talisman and the Danfeng Chaoyang Talisman.

The shop owner himself was only a cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, with low cultivation but very discerning eyes. With one look, he clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Young master, these are all for sale?"

Zhou Yin made an affirmative sound. "Forty low-grade ones, exchange for some low-grade spirit stones. The rest, exchange for some high-grade spirit stones."

The shop owner smiled bitterly, "You came at an unfortunate time. Two days ago, all the high-grade spirit stones in my shop were ordered and taken away. Not only here, but the nearby shops as well."

Zhou Yin raised his eyebrows.

High-grade spirit stones were expensive. Unless it was an entire sect, it was rare for someone to be able to swallow so many in one go.

The shop owner was a straightforward person. Without waiting for him to ask, he had already given the answer.

"In a few days, Luzhou will hold a treasure appraisal conference, hosted by the Marquis of Yongning. So during this time, not to mention the high-quality spirit stones in Lingzhou City, I'm afraid even those in the nearby counties have been swept clean. It will be impossible to buy any in the short term.

"However, if you really need them, you can go to the treasure appraisal conference and put up your own magic treasures. The Marquis of Yongning is a renowned collector. Perhaps if your magic treasures catch his eye, you can exchange them for some high-quality spirit stones."

The Marquis of Yongning, Sima Liang's fief is in Luzhou. It is rumored that he loves treasures like his own life. Not only jewels and jades, but anything of value, as long as it is brought to him and he takes a liking to it, can be sold for a very good price.

The value of antiques and rarities that have been appraised and praised by him also increases a hundredfold. More importantly, he is not only a noble of the Nanju, an imperial official, but also a cultivator. This dual identity makes him even more valued by the ruler of the Nanju. Luzhou City is basically Sima Liang's domain.

He not only has a passion for collecting mortal treasures, but also loves cultivator magic treasures even more. So he decided to hold a treasure appraisal conference.

Attendees can put up their magic treasures for sale at a price. If the Marquis of Yongning takes a liking to them, they can be sold for a hefty sum. At worst, for those that aren't bought in the end, as long as a cultivator participates in the treasure appraisal conference, each person can receive a high-quality spirit stone.

The Marquis of Yongning is as rich as a nation. A few high-quality spirit stones are nothing to him, but they mean something different to others.

Cultivation, advancement, healing, and even repairing magic treasures all require spiritual power. Cultivators themselves have limited spiritual power, so they need spirit stones to supplement it. Ten low-quality spirit stones can be exchanged for one medium-quality spirit stone, but it takes a hundred medium-quality spirit stones to exchange for one high-quality spirit stone.

Therefore, even just for that high-quality spirit stone, cultivators from all over will flock to attend this rare grand event upon hearing the news.

Seeing that Zhou Yin indeed showed an interested expression, the shop owner smiled and said, "Young master, I am willing to buy this batch of talismans. If you don't mind, you can exchange them for other things."

He was afraid that Zhou Yin would take the talismans to sell at other shops. Without waiting for the other party to answer, he turned around and brought out a case from somewhere.

"With young master's discerning eye, naturally the things displayed outside are not worthy of your attention. However, I have a treasure here..."

As he spoke, he opened the case.

Instantly, spiritual energy like smoke and rosy clouds poured out. A exquisite and incomparably delicate jade hairpin, pure as snow, lay quietly in the case, wrapped in a white light.

It was like ice in a jade pot, like the moon over a jade terrace. The hairpin was carved in the shape of a flowering branch, with the body as the branch and the head adorned with swaying flowers, about to fall but not falling. If it weren't placed here, and Zhou Yin wasn't so close, he might have thought it was a real ice-covered flowering branch just broken off from a tree.

Not to mention the heavenly craftsmanship, just based on the spiritual energy on the hairpin, he already knew that this was an extremely rare high-grade magic treasure.

The shop owner caressed the hairpin affectionately and said, "This hairpin is called Poxue, meaning 'splashing snow'. It embodies the ultimate grace and charm under heaven. Although it is a woman's item, it is all the more precious because of this. Wearing this item can also enhance one's appearance and add luster."

Zhou Yin understood his meaning. There are not many female cultivators, so magic treasures specifically made for female cultivators are also few.

This Poxue hairpin is not only filled with spiritual energy and has excellent quality, but its appearance is also extremely exquisite. Women inherently love beauty. If they really see this hairpin, there is probably not one who wouldn't love it.

"Young master, I really like these talismans. If you are willing to add some more high-grade talismans, this Poxue hairpin will be the reward. Although high-quality spirit stones are expensive, they are not considered rare after all. My Poxue hairpin is hard to find even with money. If you have a beloved woman, using this item to give as a token of love is most suitable."

"I'll take this item."

The speaker, however, was not Zhou Yin, but a stranger who had entered from outside.

Author's Note:

1. An important character is about to appear.

2. The furball will have a lot of scenes later, but not now. Zhou Yin's cultivation is still low, and he needs to slowly temper himself. So the name of the first volume is "Nirvana", symbolizing Zhou Yin's rebirth. The second volume is "Sharpening the Sword".