X-Dragon Era

Although there was nearly a week until the start of the Treasure Exchange Convention, Cang City was already packed with people, especially on the site where the convention was going to be held, which was filled with streams of people.

Not everyone had the privilege to attend the Treasure Exchange Convention. Without presenting something valuable, one lacked the qualification to enter. Hence, many who possessed treasures that did not meet the qualifications for the convention would put their items on display before the event began, taking advantage of the convention's bustling atmosphere.

Generally, in such an informal gathering preceding the Treasure Exchange Convention, there weren't valuable items to be found. However, there are always exceptions, much like antique stalls on Earth where you might unexpectedly come across a good find, though the probability was slim, there was still a chance.

According to Xin Yun's memory, just before this Treasure Exchange Convention, a few minor treasures did indeed appear. Even though they were nothing compared to the items at the actual convention and were just ordinary goods, one should know that to be able to make it into the Treasure Exchange Convention, treasures had to be worth at least one million Gold!

After arranging for Yi Luo Xiang to sleep, Xin Yun, carrying a banknote worth ten thousand Gold, hurried towards the site of the Treasure Exchange Convention...

Xin Yun now had some strength to his name, an unranked Ten Star ability, which might not be much, but enough to deter the average vagabond and thug. Moreover, with the Treasure Exchange Convention about to commence, security here was very tight, and no one dared to cause trouble at this time, as doing so guaranteed no chance of survival.

The Treasure Exchange Convention was jointly organized by the Ten Great Families and over a hundred major powers, once every ten years. Although there was a week left before the convention began, security preparations were already underway. Even petty thieves did not dare to make a move at this time,

Every corner of the market was under constant surveillance. A pickpocket's hand barely reached out before being spotted. The organizers of the Treasure Exchange Convention had a decisive response toward pickpockets—death by a thousand cuts!

Though it might seem overly harsh, one must understand that the convention often featured treasures beyond price. If security could not be guaranteed, who would dare come? Therefore, no one showed mercy to those who disrupted the convention.

Once a thief or swindler was discovered, no involvement from the Enforcement Team was necessary; as soon as theft was confirmed, everyone around would band together to attack.

He hurried to the site of the Treasure Exchange Convention, and what met his eyes was a vast sea of people. Buyers and merchants from various places had crowded into the immense convention site.

As he swiftly wove through the crowd, Xin Yun knew that despite the throngs of people, there were at least a hundred experts stationed around the site. Regardless of how complex the environment, these individuals could detect every minute movement of every person, ready to act against any wrongdoing. Without being a top-tier expert, who would try to steal?

And did true top-tier experts even need to resort to theft?

The makeshift booths were also part of a trial run organized by the hosts. Without this opportunity, these individuals would not have been able to enter the premises, let alone trade.

The streets were crowded and bustling. On both sides of the streets, the stalls were laden with a myriad of curious goods, be it a set of armor, a helmet, a weapon, or even a piece of jewelry. There was a diverse array of items, including books, with no essential difference from Earth's antique stalls.

As he walked along, Xin Yun's eyes continuously scanned the booths. Based on his memories from his previous life, he should be able to find half a set, totalling three Yinsha needles, here. Originally, there were seven needles in a set, but there were only three here; nonetheless, their value was exceedingly high.

Although they did not reach a price of a million, one needle could easily fetch one hundred thousand Gold.

The Yinsha needles were most suitable for stealth attacks. When shot out with energy, they were silent and invisible, and once they hit the human body, the Yinsha Qi contained within would flow against the meridians. Once the Yinsha Qi reached the heart, not even gods could save the victim. It was perfect for assassination as even experts could easily fall prey to them.

He searched for quite a while, and although he saw many sharp weapons that could be thrown, none of them were the Yinsha needles. According to his memories from his previous life, the three needles were wrapped in gold, making them three sharp golden needles. However, the needles Xin Yun saw now were either iron or copper needles.

They might be powerful, but compared to the Yinsha needles, they fell far short.

The venue for the Treasure Exchange Convention was incredibly vast, capable of accommodating up to ten thousand people to set up their stalls. Therefore … after spending an entire day searching, Xin Yun had not discovered those half-set of Yinsha needles; instead, the next target was located.

Xin Yun's next target was the Fiery Shuttle, an extremely powerful offensive hidden weapon. Once embedded with a Fire Series Dragon Crystal, it could unleash immense power, similar in nature to a hand grenade on Earth.

Its value definitely exceeded a million Gold, but unfortunately … although the true value of the Fiery Shuttle had not yet been recognized, its material was very special, making it excellent for use as a hidden weapon. Xin Yun haggled for a long time, but far from offering ten thousand Gold, the seller wouldn't even part with it for under three hundred thousand.

Having no other option, Xin Yun had to return to the inn. After resting for a night, he took Yi Luo Xiang with him the next day. After telling her the items they were seeking, they split up to search. There were no safety concerns here, so having Yi Luo Xiang's help was not a bad idea.

At last, perseverance paid off. In less than three hours, Yi Luo Xiang fortunately discovered those three gold needles. Following Xin Yun's instructions, she pretended to want to purchase them. However, after a lengthy bargaining session, the seller still refused to part with them for 6000 Gold, so Yi Luo Xiang gave up.

Afterwards, Yi Luo Xiang caught up with Xin Yun and informed him of the stall's location. With Yi Luo Xiang's groundwork, Xin Yun quickly negotiated the price, purchasing the three gold needles for just 8000 Gold, 2000 Gold less than the price sold in his previous life.

Lightly pinching the three gold needles, although there was almost no difference in weight, a trace but distinct chill continuously seeped out from within the needles. Xin Yun knew impeccably that he was not mistaken – those three Yinsha needles were definitely concealed inside!

With the three gold needles in hand, Xin Yun found a gold shop, paid three gold pieces in labor fees, and had the outer layer of gold removed from the needles. Suddenly … three needles, fine as silken threads, exceedingly dark, and reflecting not a glint of light, appeared before Xin Yun.

Without the gold wrapping, the three black Yinsha needles emitted a chilling cold that would numb the fingers within moments if held between them. If dropped into a glass of water, within a minute, the entire glass would freeze into a block of cyan ice!

Next, Xin Yun used ten Gold Coins to purchase a small gold box from the gold shop, where he placed the three Yinsha needles, and then he rushed back to the venue of the Treasure Exchange Convention.

Since he already knew the location of the Fiery Shuttle's stall, Xin Yun easily found the place. Seeing the kid who had haggled with him the previous day but didn't close the deal, the stall owner clearly recognized him; after all … it was fairly rare to see a child shopping alone.

Seeing the stall owner's furrowed brow, Xin Yun didn't waste words. He directly placed the gold box on the counter and said, "Alright, I won't beat around the bush. These are three Yinsha needles. I want to trade them for that dart shuttle. Let me know if you want to trade, one way or the other!" While speaking, Xin Yun tried to sustain an indifferent demeanor, but his heart was incredibly tense.

If the stall owner refused to trade with him, then he would have no chance of entering the Treasure Exchange Convention, and the Ninth Grade Dragon Creation Stone would be beyond his reach.

"Yinsha needles!" Upon hearing Xin Yun's words, the stall owner's eyes lit up. He quickly picked up the gold box, gently opened it, and upon a careful inspection, his expression revealed sheer ecstasy.

Nevertheless, to be cautious, the stall owner took a glass of water and dropped the three needles into it. As expected … just after the needles touched the water, a cyan mist began to swirl on the surface, and within moments, the entire glass of water had frozen into ice!

Seeing that the needles were indeed the treasured Yinsha needles sought after by many, the stall owner didn't utter another word. He directly shattered the ice, placed the Yinsha needles back into the gold box, and handed over the Fiery Shuttle to Xin Yun, immediately declaring, "Done, the deal is sealed, no returns or exchanges …"

Nonchalantly accepting the Fiery Shuttle, Xin Yun couldn't help but smile. The Treasure Exchange Convention had a rule: once a deal was completed, regardless of whether one suffered a loss or took advantage, no regrets were allowed. All transactions here were protected by the joint efforts of the Ten Great Families, and no exceptions were made for anyone.

Anyone who violated this would inevitably be chased and killed by the Top Ten Families.