Of course, deep down he still harbored a last shred of hope that the Spectral Energy bestowed by the Seed of Torch, with its special property of accommodating most types of energy within the Starry Sea, might substitute for the energy known as "mana."

Thinking this, the group of Alien Race members brought several members of the Pure Yang Sword Sect over to the side of the universal translator. After the translation, the Alien Race members finally understood the limitations of the Storage Bag.

However, empty words proved nothing, and the Alien Race members were still unwilling to give up. Seeing this, a few disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect took out several spare, unused Storage Bags and let the Alien Race members try for themselves.

Relying on the power of the Ruins Market Law, Song Chi naturally succeeded in obtaining one of them first. Subsequently, Spectral Energy circulated within his body, slowly gathering towards the Storage Bag in his hand.

Soon after, his heart chilled. No matter how much Spectral Energy he injected, the Storage Bag in his hand did not respond at all, which meant that Spectral Energy couldn't activate the Storage Bag.

Coming to this conclusion, he was greatly disappointed, and he didn't even mind when an Alien Race member swiftly took the Storage Bag from his hands.

Since Spectral Energy couldn't activate it, the value of the Storage Bag naturally plummeted. Although it was still possible to use it indirectly in other ways, it would be a hundred or a thousand times more bothersome.

For example, he could keep a disciple of the Pure Yang Sword Sect by his side and have them specifically manage the Storage Bag for him, and then he would get a special Enslavement Component to completely turn the disciple into his own enslaved creature.

But if he wanted to use this method, not to mention how to keep a disciple of the Pure Yang Sword Sect without raising suspicion, just obtaining an Enslavement ship component was difficult enough.

Such ship components were extremely rare, and whenever they appeared, they were often sought after at all costs by Torch Ship Captains whose lifespans were nearing their end.

Because such components would allow them to enslave a vampire in advance, which greatly reduced the chance of the vampire turning the tables after a successful first embrace.

Generally speaking, even a white-quality Enslavement Component could sell for exorbitant prices, comparable to a top-rank blue ship component, and it could even reach the pricing level of a Purple Component. The markup was terrifyingly high, and the items were always in demand but rarely available.

Regaining his senses, Song Chi was about to return and continue running his stall, but then he suddenly noticed that of the nine disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect originally in front of him, now only five remained. Using a god's-eye view to search, he quickly located the four who had disappeared.

More accurately, it was five people.

Apart from the four members of the Pure Yang Sword Sect, there was also the person named Zhou Ping, who was the first to enter the Ruins Market.

These five were currently gathered in the newly opened "Oddity Exchange Shop," with that Zhou Ping at the furthest inside of the shop, and the four disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect standing at the entryway. Having learned from their previous experience, the four didn't dare to start a fight, but their intention to surround was all too clear.

They were prepared to watch Zhou Ping closely, or rather, the clearly higher-level Storage Bag in his hand.

Seeing this, Song Chi discreetly walked back to his stall area, his interest keenly piqued by the scene unfolding within the Oddity Exchange Shop.

Truth be told, he was also curious about the Storage Bag in Zhou Ping's hands. According to what the disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect had said, the owner of this Storage Bag seemed to have been someone named "Elder Tianhe."

As a fan of novels in his previous life, he was all too familiar with the elders in the cultivation civilization; they were bona fide power figures in a Cultivation Sect. What kind of good things might be in the Storage Bag of an elder?

While he pondered, the situation in the Oddity Exchange Shop changed. Zhou Ping suddenly raised his right hand which was holding the Storage Bag and then addressed the projection screen at the center of the shop:

"I am willing to pay a reward, please help me open this Storage Bag!"

Elder Tianhe was a newly-promoted elder of the Pure Yang Sword Sect who had recently broken through to the Nascent Soul Stage. Even though he had already fallen under the Sword Intent of Divinity Transformation, the Primordial Spirit Brand he left behind wasn't something a Qi Cultivator could erase in a short time.

Without erasing the Primordial Spirit Brand of the previous owner, it was naturally impossible to open the Storage Bag.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the four disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect behind him changed drastically, and they stepped forward in unison. But then they remembered their previous ordeal and, feeling unwilling, they eventually stopped in their tracks.

In the free stall area, Song Chi's eyes flickered, revealing an indecipherable expression, yet he did not rush to reply.

He wouldn't be so easily fooled.

"Willing to pay a reward," but what exactly was the reward? A piece of iron ore could be a reward, and a high-rank Starry Sea Oddity could also be a reward, but could the two really be equated?

His thoughts shifted, and a line of text appeared on the projection screen in the center of the Oddity Exchange Shop.

"Please specify the exact reward."

Zhou Ping's heart tightened. He sorted through his belongings and finally took out a fist-sized mineral from his Storage Bag.

Song Chi recognized the ore.

"It's hematite, three hundred years old. Its value won't exceed fifty strands of First Rank Floating Land Origin."

After a moment, a new line of text materialized on the light screen.

"[The divine thought fluctuations above the item are extremely strong. The compensation is insufficient!]"

Seeing this, Zhou Ping gritted his teeth and took out two more items from his storage bag, but they still did not meet Song Chi's requirements and were rejected.

In the end, after much consideration, Zhou Ping did not take out any more items from his storage bag. Before this, he was just a minor Qi Cultivator of the eighth level, so what valuable things could he have on him?

He pointed to the exquisite storage bag in his right hand and said,

"As long as you can open this storage bag, I am willing to choose one item as a reward from the top five most valuable items inside!"

Upon hearing this, Song Chi's eyes paused, and his mind raced as he seriously contemplated whether the proposal was viable.

Seconds later, he agreed. After all, it was an elder's storage bag and should contain some good items. Although he did not know what level of cultivation Elder Tianhe had, judging by the First Rank cultivation of the ten people who entered the Ruins Market, the elder was at least a Second Rank cultivator.

The contents of a Second Rank cultivator's storage bag should not be bad at all.

"[Agreed!]"

After this response, the five people felt a mysterious energy beginning to surge into the shop beneath their feet. The storage bag Zhou Ping was clutching began to float slowly upward, and the next second, wisps and strands of Power of Laws infused into the storage bag.

Although Song Chi could not use this storage bag, he could still, with the aid of the Power of Laws of the Ruins Market Secret Realm, erase the inactive Primordial Spirit Mark within it.

When the storage bag fell back into Zhou Ping's hand, sensing that the imprint of the Primordial Spirit in the bag had indeed been erased, his eyes could no longer hide his joy and excitement.

However, before opening the storage bag, Zhou Ping tentatively made another request.

"May the four people behind me leave first?"

"[Agreed!]"

With that said, a gentle repulsive force pushed the four disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect out of the Oddity Exchange Shop.

After this, Zhou Ping had no other concerns. Mana surged within him, and he poured his spiritual into the storage bag. After imprinting his own mark on it, he directly took out all the items from the storage bag in one swoop.

Whoosh!

.net

In an instant, the entire Oddity Exchange Shop was almost completely filled. In the free stall area, Song Chi shrugged his shoulders, slightly startled by this sudden commotion.

But the next second, his eyes suddenly narrowed and his gaze was entirely captured by an item – a miniature shortsword.

The reason this shortsword drew his attention was not due to anything else but the intense orange glow emanating from its blade.

Indeed, it was an Orange Level Starry Sea Oddity.

As soon as Song Chi concentrated, the attribute panel for the shortsword swiftly appeared before his eyes.

"[Strange Object: Pure Yang Sword Pill]

[Quality: Orange]

...

PS: Guess what this Pure Yang Sword Pill can transform into as a ship-borne component, dog head."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read