In the next half hour, Han Feng bid twice more.
Once, after a fierce bidding war, he won an item for thirty-eight thousand Contribution Points.
The other ti, he snagged a deal, buying a batch of Spirit Coins that no one else was fighting for at thirty-nine thousand points.
In three auctions, he spent a total of one hundred twelve thousand Contribution Points in exchange for six hundred Spirit Coins.
His account balance was instantly cut by more than half.
But Han Feng’s expression was calm, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
’Money is only aningful when it’s converted into strength.’
"Brother Feng, the speed you’re spending money at is making my heart pound."
Gao Fei smacked his lips, but his eyes were filled with excitent.
He knew that Han Feng’s rush to get Spirit Coins ant he was planning sothing big.
Now that he had Hard Currency, Han Feng ignored the auction items priced in Contribution Points.
He turned his attention back to the self-service terminal.
Six hundred Spirit Coins.
’Ti to buy so truly good stuff.’
Unlike bidding for Spirit Coins, you could go to a special display window to examine the actual Spirit Plants up close before placing a formal bid.
This suited Han Feng perfectly.
He walked up to a window.
Inside, a fruit that was Crimson all over and resembled a fla was protected by a glass case.
[Tier Two Spirit Plant · Red Fla Fruit, Starting Bid: 300 Spirit Coins]
Han Feng activated [Spiritual Vision].
Instantly, the Red Fla Fruit in his eyes emitted a dense red halo, its spirituality astonishing.
But the edges of the light were entwined with faint wisps of black energy, barely visible to the naked eye.
The flow of its Energy was violent and chaotic, difficult to control.
"Sir, would you like to make a bid? This is a great item for helping a Fire Attribute Martial Artist break through a bottleneck,"
the staff mber behind the window explained enthusiastically.
Han Feng shook his head expressionlessly and walked to the next window.
Gao Fei was a little confused.
"Brother Feng, that’s a Tier Two Spirit Plant! Why are you..."
Han Feng didn’t explain.
He looked at several more Spirit Plants in succession, so with brilliant auras, others with dim ones.
Soon, he ca to an auction item labeled [Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Plant · Purple Crystal Grass].
This stalk of Purple Crystal Grass looked completely ordinary.
Its leaves even had dry, scorched marks. It looked terrible and was casually tossed in a corner.
Gao Fei curled his lip after just one glance.
"Brother Feng, this thing... The weeds in the flower bed downstairs from my house look healthier than this."
But in Han Feng’s [Spiritual Vision], a stream of purple light flowed within this half-dead Purple Crystal Grass.
That light was even purer and brighter than that of the Tier Two Red Fla Fruit.
The light was condensed like a crystal, deep and tranquil, as if it held a starry sky within.
[Current Price: 180 Spirit Coins]
"I want this one," Han Feng said to the staff mber imdiately.
"I’ll bid 200 Spirit Coins."
"What?"
Gao Fei’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Brother Feng, do you have a fever? Two hundred Spirit Coins for a nearly dead weed? Wouldn’t it be better to spend that money on a good al at the Celestial Pride Pavilion?"
The staff mber was also stunned for a mont but quickly put on a professional smile.
"Very well, sir."
After securing the first plant, Han Feng used the sa thod to pick out two other Spirit Plants with the strongest spiritual essence from among the many auction items.
One was a [Tier One Upper Grade · Concentration Flower] that could enhance Spiritual Power.
The other was a [Tier One Upper Grade · Bone Tempering Vine] that could be directly absorbed by his [Sword Bone] to strengthen his physique.
Without exception, all these Spirit Plants looked quite ordinary.
Gao Fei ridiculed them as "wilted weeds."
But under his [Spiritual Vision], the light they emitted was astonishingly pure.
In the end, Han Feng spent nearly six hundred Spirit Coins and took ho three high-quality Tier One Spirit Plants.
Just as he was feeling satisfied and about to leave, a gentle voice ca from the side.
"Young brother, please wait."
Han Feng turned and saw a middle-aged man of about forty.
The man was dressed in well-fitting casual clothes, a friendly and approachable smile on his face.
"Can I help you?" Han Feng asked.
The middle-aged man pointed to the Purple Crystal Grass Han Feng had just put into his Storage Pouch and said with a smile, "You have a good eye, young brother."
"To be honest, I’ve been looking for this Purple Crystal Grass for a long ti. I got distracted for a mont and missed the auction."
"I was wondering if you would be willing to part with it?"
"I’m willing to offer two hundred and twenty Spirit Coins. You’d make a clear profit of twenty Spirit Coins. Let’s just say it’s a way to make a friend."
Gao Fei’s eyes lit up when he heard this.
He nudged Han Feng frantically with his elbow, winking and mouthing words silently.
"Sell! Sell it! It’s free money!"
But Han Feng shook his head.
"Sorry, I have my own use for it."
"Is that so..."
The middle-aged man’s face showed clear disappointnt, but he quickly recovered his smile.
"What a sha."
"In that case, I won’t insist."
"My na is Qian Ming. It’s a pleasure to et a talented young man like yourself."
As he spoke, he handed over a business card with only a na and a contact number on it.
"If you change your mind, you can contact anyti. The offer stands."
Seeing the man’s sincere attitude and lack of any intention to pester him, Han Feng politely accepted the card.
Qian Ming proactively extended his hand, his smile still warm and gentle.
Han Feng hesitated for a mont before extending his own hand to shake it.
The instant their hands touched!
Han Feng’s expression changed abruptly.
A faint but extrely sinister energy instantly wrapped around his hand from the other man’s palm.
It frantically tried to drill inward through the pores of his skin!
Inner Qi!
This was a technique of a ridian Passage Realm Martial Artist!
Moreover, this wasn’t a simple attachnt; it was a blatant probe!
Han Feng’s eyes turned cold, and with a re thought...
...the powerful Qi Blood from the tenth layer of his Body Tempering Realm instantly surged.
The sinister Inner Qi trying to probe him was like crashing into a red-hot steel wall, instantly vaporized without a trace.
A flash of profound astonishnt crossed Qian Ming’s eyes.
He imdiately let go, his face showing an extrely sincere and exaggerated apology.
"Ah! My apologies, my apologies! Young brother, I’m truly sorry!"
He waved his hands repeatedly, his expression flustered, as if he had made so terrible mistake.
"I have this weird habit, a bit of a germaphobe. I’m used to coating my hand with a layer of Inner Qi as a barrier when I shake hands with people."
"It’s an old habit, I really didn’t an it. Please don’t misunderstand!"
As he spoke, he fumbled in his pocket for a handkerchief and wiped his hand.
His nervous and regretful deanor seed incredibly real.
Gao Fei watched from the side, dumbfounded, and even muttered under his breath.
"That’s so high-level germaphobia."
Han Feng stared at him for a few seconds.
The man’s eyes were clear, full of apology, and showed no flaws in his act.
"It’s fine."
In the end, Han Feng just waved his hand and said no more.
"Good, good."
Qian Ming breathed a sigh of relief, gave Han Feng another apologetic smile, and then turned to slowly lt into the crowd.
"Brother Feng, we’ve got the stuff. We should get going."
"This place is full of shady characters. It’s not safe to stay here too long," Gao Fei urged.
"Mm, let’s go."
Han Feng nodded, preparing to leave with the flow of the crowd.
He habitually took one last glance at the light screen in the hall.
But that one glance made him stop dead in his tracks.
On the light screen, a newly refreshed auction item notice read—
[Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Plant · Purple Crystal Grass, Starting Bid: 150 Spirit Coins]
Another Purple Crystal Grass!
Its appearance and condition were almost identical to the one he had bought!
Han Feng subconsciously searched the crowd for Qian Ming.
However, the middle-aged man who had just claid to have been "looking for a long ti," his face full of regret, was now nowhere to be seen.
He hadn’t stayed at all to bid on this new Purple Crystal Grass.
In an instant, Han Feng felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
"Sothing’s wrong."
Han Feng’s low murmur made Gao Fei pause.
Gao Fei had been contemplating where to have a good al that night, while also taking the opportunity to broaden his horizons in this money pit.
Hearing those words, the grin on his face instantly froze.
"What’s wrong, Brother Feng? What’s not right?"
Han Feng didn’t answer imdiately.
He pulled Gao Fei out of the crowd, only stopping when they had retreated into the shadows at the edge of the hall.
"That Qian Ming from earlier said he’d been looking for this Purple Crystal Grass for a long ti and even offered to buy mine at a higher price."
Gao Fei nodded. "Yeah, I felt bad for you, turning down free money like that."
Han Feng pointed at the electronic light screen in the distance.
"The auction information refreshed right after he left."
"Another identical Purple Crystal Grass popped up. Its appearance and condition are almost the sa, and the starting bid is even thirty Spirit Coins lower."
Gao Fei followed Han Feng’s finger with his eyes and blinked.
Sure enough, the new information scrolling on the screen was incredibly glaring.
Han Feng’s voice was calm, terrifyingly so.
"If he really needed this thing so urgently, why didn’t he stay and bid on this cheaper one? Why did he just disappear instead?"
Gao Fei was also a sharp guy who knew his way around the streets, and his mind worked fast.
The fat on his face trembled as he sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
"Holy crap! That bastard is ’picking his sheep’!"
Gao Fei lowered his voice, his tone becoming urgent.
"Brother Feng, you’ve been targeted!"
"These guys specialize in spotting new faces in the Black Market! Especially people like you, who look young but spend lavishly!"
Han Feng recalled the feeling of the handshake from earlier.
That Inner Qi that tried to bore into his body wasn’t because of so germaphobia; it was a blatant attempt to size him up.
The other party had confird he was only in the Body Tempering Realm.
In the eyes of those desperados, a Body Tempering Realm student carrying several Top Grade Spirit Plants was a moving, walking piece of fat at.
"Looks like my disguise was still too green," Han Feng mocked himself.
"What do we do now?"
Gao Fei seed nervous, constantly glancing around.
"Once we leave this bomb shelter, it’s lawless territory out there. They’re definitely waiting to block the exit!"
But Han Feng was much calr than Gao Fei expected.
He asked a completely unrelated question.
"Gao Fei, is there any place in the Black Market that’s absolutely safe?"
Gao Fei froze, then it dawned on him. His eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh.
"Yes! The secure Quiet Chambers! They’re for people who make on-the-spot trades or need to break through urgently!"
"They’re ridiculously expensive, but they’re absolutely safe! No matter how bold those bastards are, they wouldn’t dare make a move inside the Black Market itself. That would be breaking the rules for everyone!"
Han Feng calmly patted the pouch at his waist.
"Good."
"We’re not leaving."
"We’ll stay right here and absorb everything."
"It’s safer to carry strength in your body than in a bag."
His tone was completely steady, as if he were stating the most ordinary fact.
Looking at Han Feng’s calm face, Gao Fei’s anxious heart inexplicably settled down.
"Lead on," Han Feng said, uttering two words.
Without another word, the two of them turned and walked deeper into the Black Market.
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