"Don’t worry, I have no interest in your Soul Skill." Ye Xuan knew exactly what Jixue City was worried about. In truth, he had absolutely no interest in the man’s Soul Skill.

"In that case, thank you, sir." Jixue City still had a look of alarm on his face. He cupped his fists, exchanged a few more words, and quickly departed.

Although he hadn’t obtained the items he truly wanted, Ye Xuan was still quite satisfied with trading three Clearing God Pills for a Broken Feather from a Thunderlight Electric Eagle.

Because the materials Ye Xuan had put on display were quite unique, a steady stream of people came to inquire.

However, just like Jixue City, none of them had items like Soul Essence Stones. They all asked if he would be willing to trade his Pills for other things.

Ye Xuan didn’t refuse them outright. As long as they could offer something good and it was convenient, he would agree to a trade.

Several hours passed. Ye Xuan had managed to trade for a good number of other rare materials, but he still hadn’t acquired the items he was looking for.

Just then, a rather thin man walked up to Ye Xuan’s table.

"Sir, I hear you’re looking to trade for Soul Essence Stones?" the man asked in a low voice as soon as he sat down. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"That’s right. Do you have any?" Ye Xuan glanced at him. The man had a strange aura. He wore a cloak that also covered his face, clearly not wanting to be recognized.

"Of course I do, or else I wouldn’t have come," the man said with a dry chuckle.

Ye Xuan’s heart leaped with joy. After waiting for so long, this was the first person to claim to have Soul Essence Stones. But before Ye Xuan could even speak, the man continued in a low voice, "And not just the Soul Essence Stones. I happen to have the other materials you listed, too."

"What? You mean you also have Soul Yuan Heart Crystals and Stabilizing Marrow...?" Ye Xuan exclaimed in surprise.

The items he was trying to acquire were all treasures capable of dispelling the Nether Heart Seed. The lowest was Tier Six, with some as high as Tier Seven. None of the many people who had come before had even one, yet this cloaked man claimed to have them all. How could he not be shocked?

’Could this guy be from the Profound Mystery Sect?’

The thought suddenly surfaced in Ye Xuan’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it as impossible. ’If it were the Profound Mystery Sect, they wouldn’t use such a roundabout method to test me. Knowing their style, they would’ve sent a powerful expert to drag me away by force long ago.’

Still, for some reason, the man’s behavior gave Ye Xuan a very strange and unnatural feeling.

But having finally heard news of Soul Essence Stones, Ye Xuan calmed himself. "If you would, please show me the items first."

The man was in no hurry. He first poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip before saying, "Rest assured, I definitely have them."

With that, a jade box suddenly appeared in his hand. He quickly opened it, gave Ye Xuan a glimpse, and then snapped it shut.

Though it was just a fleeting glimpse, Ye Xuan could already tell what it was. The man had revealed a bright yellow, multi-faceted, diamond-shaped Crystal Stone that emitted a faint Soul Thought aura. Its appearance and aura were identical to those of a Soul Essence Stone.

’It really is a Soul Essence Stone.’

Ye Xuan felt a flicker of excitement. Although he hadn’t examined it closely, based on its appearance, shape, and aura, it had to be a Soul Essence Stone.

Immediately after, the cloaked man took out several more jade boxes, briefly opening and closing them in quick succession.

One contained a transparent, milky-white Crystal Stone—obviously a Soul Yuan Heart Crystal. Another held a red, rock-like mass that looked like a cloud of blood mist, like solidified blood—clearly the Stabilizing Marrow.

’This guy actually has so many treasures on him?’

Ye Xuan was stunned. ’This guy has everything on my list? That’s too much. Even a Tier Seven Martial King—no, even a Seventh Grade Alchemist—might not be able to produce one or two of these items.’

’Are treasures really so common in the Sky Empire?’

’No, if they were, why couldn’t any of those people before produce a single one?’

And yet, the items in the jade boxes the man had just opened were indeed the materials he wanted.

Still, for some unknown reason, even after seeing the materials, a faint sense of unease continued to linger in Ye Xuan’s mind.

He took a closer look at the man’s face, but it was obscured by the thin hood of his cloak, making it impossible to see his features.

This closer look finally revealed to Ye Xuan the source of his strange and uneasy feeling. The man’s hood was actually a Spiritual Treasure designed to conceal one’s aura, and it was blocking his Soul Power probes.

The Spiritual Treasure’s grade couldn’t be low. It not only hid the man’s face but also completely masked his aura, preventing anyone from sensing his cultivation level.

Having understood the source of his unease, Ye Xuan pushed the feeling aside and said calmly, "What would you like in exchange for the Soul Essence Stone?"

"I hear you have Clearing God Pills, Venerable Intent Pills, Profound Light Pills... and a Fifth Grade Profound Treasure. Is that true?" the cloaked man asked in an odd tone.

"Of course it is."

Without wasting words, Ye Xuan took out a bottle of each type of Pill and placed them on the table.

The cloaked man opened the bottles, and a refreshing fragrance wafted into his nostrils. Despite the cloak, Ye Xuan could clearly perceive the excited gleam in the man’s eyes.

’My Pills are good, but they’re only Fifth Grade,’ Ye Xuan grew suspicious again. ’Would someone who can casually produce Soul Essence Stones, Soul Yuan Heart Crystals, and Stabilizing Marrow really get this excited over Fifth Grade Pills?’

"Good, very good. Your Pills are the real deal," the cloaked man said slowly after his inspection. "But as you know, these few bottles alone are obviously not enough to trade for all of my treasures."

Of course, Ye Xuan knew that these few bottles of Pills weren’t enough to trade for everything.

"These Pills aren’t enough for all of your materials, I know. But a bottle of Venerable Intent Pills for a single Tier Six Soul Essence Stone should be more than enough, right?"

Ye Xuan was only acquiring these materials to dispel the Nether Heart Seed’s aura from his mind; a single Soul Essence Stone would suffice. Of course, if the man’s other materials weren’t too expensive, Ye Xuan wouldn’t mind trading for them too.

’In any case, there’s no harm in keeping such materials on hand.’

"Fine. One bottle of Venerable Intent Pills for one Soul Essence Stone. We’ll discuss the rest afterward."

To Ye Xuan’s surprise, the man agreed instantly without a moment’s hesitation and immediately reached out to take the Venerable Intent Pills.

Ye Xuan put out a hand, stopping him. "Sir, what do you think you’re doing?" he asked coolly.

"Making the trade, of course," the cloaked man said, looking at Ye Xuan with a start.

"I know it’s a trade. But you haven’t produced the Soul Essence Stone yet, so why are you taking my Venerable Intent Pills?"

Ye Xuan said. This was basic trading procedure; the man was clearly breaking protocol.

"Haha! Sir, are you afraid I’ll take your Pills and run off without giving you the Soul Essence Stone?" The man laughed. "You saw it yourself just now—I do have it. The only reason I’m taking your Venerable Intent Pills first is that we still need to negotiate the other materials. Once we’re done with everything, I’ll naturally give you all the materials you want."

The cloaked man couldn’t help but laugh, his tone casual and seemingly disdainful of Ye Xuan for making a fuss over nothing.

"My apologies, then. Until you produce your Soul Essence Stone, I can’t give you my Venerable Intent Pills. As for the other materials, we can conduct that transaction after this first one is complete."

Ye Xuan shook his head, his tone firm and leaving no room for argument.

For some reason, he still had an unsettled feeling.

The cloaked man stared at Ye Xuan and said coldly, "Are you saying you don’t trust me?"

"It’s not that I don’t trust you, but a trade has its rules. This is just basic procedure."

Ye Xuan trusted his intuition. There was something odd about this cloaked man, and he refused to make the trade without getting the Soul Essence Stone first.

The cloaked man seemed to laugh in exasperation. "Fine. Very well. If you insist on following the rules, we’ll follow the rules. The previous deal is canceled. My new demand is this: for one of my Soul Essence Stones, you must trade a bottle of Venerable Intent Pills, a bottle of Clearing God Pills, and a bottle of Profound Light Pills."

The cloaked man spoke with unwavering confidence, as if he had no doubt Ye Xuan would agree.

Ye Xuan was instantly displeased. ’This guy has some nerve. He’s trying to rip me off!’ The price he quoted far exceeded the actual value of a Soul Essence Stone.

"Don’t you think that price is a bit excessive?" Ye Xuan asked sarcastically.

As if he couldn’t detect Ye Xuan’s sarcasm, the man sneered, "Not at all. Since you were willing to spend one hundred Lower Grade Profound Stones to advertise in this underground black market, you clearly have a desperate need for the Soul Essence Stone. A material like this is priceless and has no market. For someone who truly needs it, spending a little extra is well worth it."

His tone was smug; he clearly thought he had Ye Xuan right where he wanted him.

Ye Xuan was furious. ’When have I ever let someone blackmail me like this?’

"You say that as if you don’t need my Pills yourself," Ye Xuan retorted. "If that’s the case, then forget it. The deal is off. You may leave."

With a wave of his hand, Ye Xuan swept all the Pills off the table and back into his possession, effectively showing the man the door.

"You...!" The cloaked man was visibly stunned. He clearly hadn’t expected Ye Xuan to refuse the trade. From his perspective, anyone who went to such lengths to find a Soul Essence Stone must be desperate for it. Ye Xuan’s action left him speechless, completely at a loss for what to say.

Hearing the man’s tone, Ye Xuan sneered inwardly. ’It’s not like I didn’t notice how excited he was to see the Pills. And he’s still trying to play this game with me.’

Besides, while Ye Xuan did need the Soul Essence Stone, his cultivation path valued a clear and untroubled mind. Knowingly allowing himself to be extorted would go against that principle. Ye Xuan would rather go without the man’s Soul Essence Stone than make such a foolish trade.