Chapter 179: Chapter 174: Even the Body Tempering Realm Gets to Test Spiritual Power?

Fan Jian and the others wanted to join the excitement too.

But they all knew the rules.

Here, supplies were life, and someone had to stay and watch them.

Han Feng unloaded the heavy items from his backpack.

He only took the bag of Spirit Coins and a few materials he planned to sell.

"Let’s go."

Zhang Hao led Han Feng, Wang Meng, Su Yue, and Old Liu out of the stone house.

They headed toward the most magnificent hall in the very center of the palace.

The closer they got to the central hall, the more people there were.

Besides students, there were also many Social Martial Artists with bloodstained clothes.

They could even see some City Defense Army soldiers in standard-issue gear, their eyes cold and indifferent.

"That’s the Trading Hall."

Zhang Hao pointed to the ten-meter-tall bronze gate ahead.

The massive gate was half-open, and the interior was brightly lit.

A roar of voices and a wave of heat poured out.

Two rows of fully-armed soldiers stood at the entrance.

They wore dark alloy Battle Armor and held heavy Spiritual Energy Rifles.

They exuded an Evil Qi forged from iron and blood.

Every single one was an expert at the Meridian Passage Realm or higher.

A table was set up at the very front.

A middle-aged man in an officer’s uniform sat there, whittling his nails with a dagger.

"City Defense Army special operations."

Zhang Hao lowered his voice.

"They’re the ones who organized this trade fair, and they’re also in charge of maintaining order."

"Causing trouble here means making an enemy of the City Defense Army."

At that moment, quite a few people were lining up to enter the hall.

As each person reached the table, they would obediently take out a Spirit Coin and toss it into the metal box on the table.

"There’s an entrance fee?"

Wang Meng’s eyes widened.

"Isn’t that a total rip-off?"

"One Spirit Coin per person. How much money do they rake in a single day?"

"It’s the rule."

Zhang Hao explained.

"One Spirit Coin. Part of it is a service fee for the City Defense Army."

"The other part covers the cost of maintaining the large-scale Defense Array inside the hall."

"After all, during the Gloom Phase, this is the only place where the array is stable enough that you don’t have to worry about Spirit Bodies from the outside getting in."

"It’s basically a protection fee."

Han Feng cut straight to the point.

Wang Meng pouted. Although it pained him to part with the coin, he knew the fee was mandatory.

The line quickly moved up to them.

The officer lifted his gaze.

His eyes swept over the group of student-like youths.

His gaze lingered on Han Feng for an extra second.

His look was sharp and piercing.

Han Feng’s expression was calm; he didn’t look away, nor did he offer any provocation.

He casually took a Spirit Coin from his pocket and flicked it with his fingertip.

DING.

The Spirit Coin traced an arc through the air, landing precisely in the box.

"Go on in. Don’t cause any trouble."

The officer retracted his gaze and waved them through.

Han Feng stepped over the high threshold.

A wave of warm, dry, and stale air hit him, a mixture of sweat, blood, and the strange smells of various Potions.

It completely shut out the damp chill from outside.

The interior of the hall was extremely spacious, several thousand square meters at least.

Hundreds of Martial Artists were setting up stalls, browsing, and chatting.

The interweaving glints of light from various Spiritual Materials, ores, and equipment were dazzling.

This was the biggest money pit in the Suspended Mountain Secret Realm.

It was also the place where Han Feng hoped to find a Spiritual Secret Technique.

The place was like a massive underground market.

The floor of the once solemn and dignified ancient hall was now covered with all sorts of stalls.

Some were just a ragged cloth with a few muddy ores on top.

Others were standard-issue metal folding tables, laden with complete sets of equipment and Potions.

"Tier Two Middle Stage Blazing Rhino Horn! Freshly harvested! Only three hundred Spirit Coins! Price is firm!"

"Qi Replenishing Powder! From the Celestial Wind Fortress City Pharmacist Association! Last three sets! Once they’re gone, they’re gone!"

The shouts of vendors rose and fell, making one’s ears ring.

Han Feng walked through the crowd, his gaze sweeping quickly across the various stalls.

"What a rip-off."

Wang Meng’s mouth twitched as he looked at the price on a nearby stall’s sign.

"A regular bottle of hemostatic spray sells for two hundred Contribution Points outside, but here it costs 10 Spirit Coins!"

"That’s almost a tenfold increase!"

"If you think it’s expensive, you can always just bleed."

Zhang Hao added dryly from the side.

"Here, supplies are life."

"Being able to buy your life with money is already the greatest mercy you can ask for."

Han Feng didn’t join their idle chatter.

His full attention was focused on finding Spiritual Items.

But after circling through most of the area, the results left him a little disappointed. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Most stalls sold ores, Demon Beast Materials, or Elixir Pills for recovering Qi Blood.

A few stalls claimed to be selling "Spiritual Technique Manuals," but Han Feng only needed to glance at them with [Spiritual Vision] to see they had no energy fluctuations whatsoever.

They were just cheap fakes for swindling fools.

His goal was clear: Spiritual enhancement items.

Ever since obtaining that cyan Jade Scroll and getting a taste of the benefits of increased Spiritual Power, Han Feng’s desire for spiritual cultivation had reached its peak.

It was agonizing to be sitting on a Treasure Mountain without being able to enter.

Moreover, if he wanted to truly master the growing "Sword Essence" within him—instead of just crudely imbuing and unleashing it like a brute—a powerful Divine Sense was the only key.

After passing through two crowded aisles, the area ahead suddenly opened up.

Unlike the independent sellers with their makeshift stalls on the periphery, the central area of the hall was occupied by several major factions.

This section was carpeted, the lighting was soft, and even the air seemed to have been purified.

In the most conspicuous spot hung a massive blue holographic sign.

[Star Sea Technology·Spiritual Will Refinement System (Beta)]

The name sounded like some kind of illegal human experiment.

But a large crowd was gathered beneath the sign.

It included not only students from the major academies but also many formidable-looking Social Martial Artists and Mercenaries.