Chapter 1521: Better Than Cultivation

The dim red glow faded. Unbeknownst to them, the sky had already filled with a canopy of stars. The entire Celestial Monarch River reflected the starlight, looking like a silver galaxy that had tumbled down from the heavens. This breathtaking sight drew a few extra glances from Ye Jing Hu and the others.

At this very moment, casting a long shadow, Ye Jingcheng finally returned from afar with the moon at his back.

“Eleventh Brother.”

“Eleventh Ancestor,” Ye Jing Hu, Ye Yunxi, and the others called out in succession. A sizable group had been waiting for him, including Zhu Wenjing and several young Ye Family Members.

“You didn’t go take a look around the Market?” Ye Jingcheng asked.

“We didn’t. Uncle Jing Hu said that if we went, the Liu Family might easily figure out our true strength. It was better to stay back. As for information on the other factions, Shan Kui Daoist has already given us a general overview,” Ye Yunxi spoke up from the side.

Naturally, she was quite interested in the Junhe Market. After all, this was the number one Mansion in the Southern Wilderness Province. It was the prefecture where the Liu Zhou State Governor resided. If one were positioned high enough, they could even catch a glimpse of the Liu Zhou State Governor’s dao arena. Rumor had it that right beside this arena stood a Sword Stele. Any Sword Cultivator who comprehended the dao beneath this stele would reap significant rewards. Furthermore, anyone who could sustain their comprehension for over an hour would be taken in as the Liu Zhou State Governor’s disciple, ascending to greatness in a single bound.

“There’s no need to be so cautious. It wouldn’t hurt to go and take a look,” Ye Jingcheng said.

There were distinct reasons why the five great Nascent Soul Powers held competitions among their Golden Core Cultivators. Firstly, Nascent Soul Combat Power was simply too devastating. If a true battle resulted in severe casualties, it would create an opening for the Nanman Province, where the Profound Celestial Demon Sect was located. Secondly, these Golden Core Cultivators were the elite geniuses of their respective factions, representing their combat prowess for the next several centuries or even a millennium. They were essentially gambling on their futures.

Therefore, everyone who gathered here was a prodigy. Cultivators with Celestial Spirit Roots and Abnormal Spirit Roots were likely a dime a dozen right now, and there were even a few with Spirit Bodies. Based on what Ye Jingcheng knew, Liu Yuansheng of the Liu Family possessed a Postnatal Spirit Body.

Giving up the chance to interact with these elite Cultivators merely for the sake of a single competition was an unwise move. To the Ye Family, the outcome of the tournament mattered, but the futures of their young geniuses were just as crucial.

“Take them with you. You all can also visit the dao arena to experience it for yourselves.” Ye Jingcheng didn’t plan on strolling through the Market himself. He landed in the palace, allowing the juniors to leave as they pleased.

In his younger years, he would have intended to browse the various shops and street vendors. But after visiting so many Markets, he knew perfectly well that stumbling upon hidden treasures was becoming increasingly difficult. This was partly because large Markets were filled with sharp-eyed experts, but also because his personal standards for treasures and fortuitous encounters had risen significantly. Rather than wandering the Market, he felt it was better to spend that time in Cultivation or studying Pill Formulas.

Now that Ye Xuecang had broken through and Chu Yanqing was close behind, the transition from the Late Stage of Golden Core to the Golden Core Peak was purely about condensing True Essence and polishing Cultivation. Therefore, his Nascent Soul Pills needed to be prepared as soon as possible. Although he could rely on the Red Flame Fox when the time came, he still needed to study the Pill Formula in advance to elevate his Alchemy skills. Otherwise, a single failure would cause him immense heartache for a long time. After all, the ingredients required weren’t mere Tier Two or Tier Three Spirit Medicines.

The Junhe Market was considerably larger than both the Wangqing Market and the Xiaoshan Market. The moment Ye Jing Hu, Ye Yunxi, and the others entered, they immediately sensed the difference.

While Xiaoshan Prefecture and Wangqing Prefecture saw their fair share of foreign Cultivators, they were exclusively from the Southern Wilderness Province. However, Junhe Prefecture also attracted many Cultivators from the Southern Cloud Province and Nanyu Province. The Market was especially booming whenever High Tier auctions and trade fairs were held.

The widespread use of Teleportation Arrays provided this Market with even greater possibilities. And the Nascent Soul grand gathering was undeniably a monumental event. To celebrate this, the Junhe Market was hosting a Tier Five auction. It was rumored that the grand finale Treasure was a Tier Five Golden Yuan Sword refined by the Liu Zhou State Governor himself.

“Let’s go look at the Spirit Beasts,” Ye Yunxi suggested.

Although the Southern Wilderness Province had relatively few Spirit Beasts, this was the largest Market, so naturally, there were quite a few for sale. Ye Yunxi didn’t need a Spirit Beast for herself, but she wanted to browse for her close relatives, like Ye Qingfeng and Ye Qingwen. However, after browsing for a short while, she noticed that Ye Jing Hu was distracted.

She curled her lips and said, “Uncle Jing Hu, if you have an old acquaintance to meet, you can just go. I’ll watch over the Ye Family Members.” Ye Yunxi puffed out her chest proudly. Among the group, her seniority was average, but her Cultivation was the highest, making her proposition entirely reasonable.

“Jing Nan, keep a close eye on things. I do want to visit the Talisman Shops. Only by knowing ourselves and our competitors can our Ye Family’s Spirit Talismans truly flourish.” Believing there shouldn’t be any danger here, Ye Jing Hu nodded. While he felt Ye Yunxi lacked worldly experience, he completely trusted Ye Jingnan, who had managed Xiaoshan Prefecture for decades.

“Please rest assured, Brother Hu,” Ye Jingnan repeatedly cupped his hands in respect.

Seeing this, Ye Jing Hu finally took his leave.

Ye Yunxi turned to look at Ye Jingnan. “Uncle Jing Nan, I bet a thousand Spirit Stones that he’s headed to the Hegu Sect.”

“There’s no need for us to meddle in Brother Hu’s affairs. We should focus on exploring the Market, gathering information, and finally visiting the dao arena. Considering all that, our schedule is extremely tight—even if it were still broad daylight, let alone now that it’s already dark,” Ye Jingnan said.

Hearing this, Ye Yunxi swallowed the words she was about to say. She had wanted to bring up how Ye Jing Hu used to swear he would never look for a Dao companion, but she decided to keep quiet, finding Ye Jingnan much too boring.

“Senior Yun Xi, please forgive my presumption, but may I ask if Elder Qianchen is spoken for?” At that moment, Zhu Wenjing stepped forward and carefully transmitted a message to inquire. Compared to the other stoic Ye Family Members, she found Ye Yunxi much more approachable.

“The one he has a marriage agreement with is my grandaunt. What do you think?” Ye Yunxi turned her head. Ye Jingcheng was considered her relative, and so was Chu Yanqing. Truth be told, Ye Yunxi possessed half Chu Family blood and half Ye Family blood.

Zhu Wenjing was instantly left speechless by this response. She bowed deeply and retreated to the back of the group.

Seeing her reaction, Ye Yunxi said no more and turned her attention back to the surrounding Market. While she felt it was perfectly normal for a Cultivator of Ye Jingcheng’s caliber to take on a few concubines, she looked down on women like this who had low Cultivation yet tried to social climb. Naturally, she doubted Ye Jingcheng would ever spare her a glance. Although the woman had decent looks, in the Cultivation Realm, beauty was the most worthless asset of all. Besides, Ye Jingcheng had already given her a heads-up beforehand.

Meanwhile, at the Market’s Street Vendor Square, Ye Jing Hu walked ahead while a slender silhouette followed closely behind him.

High above, Qing Yue, the clear moon, gently cast down vast swathes of moonlight, and the entire starry sky was remarkably brilliant.

“Sorry to trouble you, Elder Lei Hu.”

“I was the one who invited you out to browse the Market. How could you call it a trouble?” Ye Jing Hu quickly replied.

He had once believed that Cultivation was the absolute most important thing in the world. But there were never any absolutes in life. Just like right now—he suddenly found that gazing at Qing Yue and the stars felt far better than burying his head in Cultivation.