Chapter 70 - 69: Jingyue Marketplace

Chapter 70: Chapter 69: Jingyue Marketplace

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

Chen Jianghe stepped out of the cabin and looked up at the sky. Streaks of sword light flashed across the airspace above the Inner Waters, flying toward Huxing Island. In just a few breaths, over a dozen streaks of sword light had already shot past.

SWISH!

There were also some Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators who lacked Magical Artifacts. They expended massive amounts of Magical Power to maintain their Qi Manipulation Flight, passing over the Inner Waters.

"Flying twenty or thirty miles using Qi Manipulation Flight is manageable, but Huxing Island is several dozen miles away from the port. For a Fourth-Layer Qi Refining Cultivator, making this trip alone would drain nearly half their Magical Power," Chen Jianghe thought. "If someone could open a passenger ferry route across the lake from Port No.1 to Huxing Island, it could be a very profitable venture."

As these thoughts crossed his mind, dozens more Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators flew past his breeding zone using Qi Manipulation Flight.

"I wouldn’t need to charge much—just five grains of Spiritual Sand per Cultivator. At that rate, I could easily make dozens of Spirit Stones a day!"

However, Chen Jianghe quickly shook his head. If he could think of this money-making method, the Yun Family would certainly figure it out as well. Any method of earning Spirit Stones quickly was either monopolized or fell into the illicit domain of Tribulation Cultivators and Demon Cultivators.

"I could give Daniu a heads-up, though," he mused.

He was merely a Senior Fisherman and Farmer, lacking the qualifications to meddle in such a highly profitable business. Yu Daniu, on the other hand, was perfectly positioned. Yu Daniu had fathered five children with Spirit Roots for the Yun Family, served as a Steward at the Jingyue Immortal Tower, and had a father-in-law who was part of the Yun Family’s core decision-making circle.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. As long as Yu Daniu proposed this passenger route before anyone else in the Yun Family did, it would undoubtedly benefit him greatly.

HUM!

Suddenly, a piercing sound tore through the air. A massive Flying Ship emerged from the distant horizon, cleaving through the sea of clouds as it sailed toward Huxing Island. When the Flying Ship passed over the airspace of Zone C, Chen Jianghe noticed a massive character written on its flag: "Zhou."

It was the Flying Ship belonging to the Beast Taming Immortal Race Zhou Family.

The Yun Family had reserved an excellent location for the Zhou Family’s Beast Taming Workshop in the Jingyue Marketplace. In return, the Zhou Family naturally came to show their support for the marketplace’s grand opening.

Before long, another Flying Ship sailed in from the distant horizon, accompanied by streaks of sword light and "impoverished" Cultivators relying on Qi Manipulation Flight.

"Hey, look at all those powerful auras!" Little Black’s voice echoed on Chen Jianghe’s Spirit Platform.

"What do you mean, ’hey’? You ate my Spirit-Encompassing Flowers and now you don’t even call me ’Master’ anymore? You ungrateful turtle," Chen Jianghe scolded. Despite his rebuke, he asked curiously, "Can you sense those powerful auras passing by?"

Cultivators who hadn’t reached Late-Stage Qi Refining couldn’t project their Divine Sense outward. Even if they had reached Late-Stage Qi Refining and could project it, they couldn’t blatantly scan passing Cultivators. Doing so would easily invite fatal trouble.

"I can’t sense anything from those big flying ships in the sky, but among the Cultivators flying on swords, I can sense quite a few Tier One Peak Two-Legged Beasts," Little Black replied.

"Is a Spirit Beast’s perception really that sharp?" Chen Jianghe wondered. He looked up at the passing sword-riding Cultivators. He could only vaguely sense the vigorous fluctuations of Magical Power they emitted while controlling their swords, but he couldn’t accurately gauge their Cultivation.

"Master," Little Black said.

"Hmm?"

"Hurry up and go. I’ll hide deep in the mud at the bottom of the lake—at least thirty feet down. I definitely won’t be discovered."

Taken aback, Chen Jianghe asked in confusion, "Hurry up and go where?"

"To buy Spirit-Encompassing Flowers, of course!"

"..."

Chen Jianghe’s lips twitched. No wonder Little Black had so smoothly called him "Master." The turtle was just thinking about food again.

In the next instant, before he could say another word, he felt through the Spirit Platform Mark that Little Black was already diving down, burrowing into the lakebed’s mud.

"Cowardly, greedy, and opportunistic. What a terrible set of habits," Chen Jianghe muttered, cursing under his breath. Following that, he steered his boat toward the Huxing Island port.

New Year’s Eve.

With the Jingyue Marketplace officially opening, Yu Daniu had long told him about the opportunities available on opening day. Naturally, he had to go. Moreover, another year had passed. He needed to sell the Spirit Talismans he had drawn and split the profits evenly with Talisman Master Chu Lang.

Upon arriving at the port, Chen Jianghe noticed that it had been expanded outward once again. It was at least ten times larger than the last time he had visited. The crowd bustling through the port was far denser, with foot traffic easily a hundred times greater than before.

"Mortals?" he thought in surprise.

He was shocked to spot mortals at the port. Judging by their attire, they weren’t descendants of the Yun Family who lacked Spirit Roots. These mortals seemed incredibly familiar with the newly opened Jingyue Marketplace, weaving through the crowd to act as guides in exchange for Spiritual Sand.

"Shouldn’t the Yun Family be controlling this business?" Chen Jianghe wondered. "Why are there outside mortals doing this job?"

Since most Cultivators were visiting the Jingyue Marketplace for the first time, none of them would be stingy about spending a couple of grains of Spiritual Sand to hire a guide.

"Could they be the descendants without Spirit Roots from other Cultivation Families in the Jingyue Lake region?" he thought. "If that’s true, the Yun Family’s level of support for them is remarkably generous."

Chen Jianghe didn’t need a guide. He had been to Huxing Island many times. Even with the establishment of the Jingyue Marketplace and the massive renovations, he still had a rough idea of the layout. Without hesitation, he followed Huxing Island’s main waterway toward the Jingyue Marketplace.

"Boss, look! It’s that kid!"

"You’re absolutely right. That kid is too damn resilient."

In the crowd at the port, a lean middle-aged man spoke to the white-haired elder beside him. "It’s been another fourteen years, and he’s still alive and kicking!"

The sturdy elder stroked his beard, having noticed Chen Jianghe as well. He nodded and said, "He managed to dodge two Death Tribulations. Let’s see if he can dodge a third."

"Are you planning to make a move on him, Boss?"

"That depends on whether he takes the bait."

Chen Jianghe had no idea he was being watched, and even if he did, he would have merely brushed it off with a calm smile. As long as he didn’t believe in free lunches dropping from the sky, he wouldn’t fall into any traps. At most, he would lament the ruthlessness of time. The once middle-aged man had turned into a white-haired elder, and the formerly thin young man now had a face lined with wrinkles, reaching his twilight years.

Of course, if they decided to target him when he left Jingyue Lake, he would definitely find an opportunity to finish them off first.

A moment later, he followed the crowd into the Jingyue Marketplace. The thirty-foot-tall ornamental archway stood out conspicuously.

Huxing Island’s main water system had been rerouted. As if to accentuate the nobility of the Hundred Treasures Tower, the stream flowed straight from the archway to the front of the tower, encircled it once, and then branched off into several smaller streams leading into other streets. Just stepping into the marketplace, one could immediately see the resplendent, crystal-clear Hundred Treasures Tower. Its roof was covered in Gilded Crystal tiles, dazzling the eyes with its brilliant colors. It made the similarly magnificent Jingyue Treasure Pavilion and Beast Taming Workshop beside it pale in comparison.

"The Yun Family spared no expense to curry favor with the Celestial South Sect. Gilded Crystal is priceless in the mortal world, and even in the Cultivation Realm, it’s highly valuable. Yet, they used it as mere roofing tiles to build the Hundred Treasures Tower."

"Heh, how many Spirit Stones could building a Hundred Treasures Tower possibly cost? You should know that the Yun Family paid an astronomical price to invite an Array Master from the Celestial South Sect to construct a Tier Two Top Defense Array for the Jingyue Marketplace. Even a Foundation Establishment Ancestor wouldn’t be able to break through this Defense Array. That is their true masterstroke."

"The Yun Family is trying to put their Jingyue Marketplace on par with the Qinghe Marketplace!"

"Indeed. I heard that to fund this marketplace, the Yun Family not only drained hundreds of years of savings but also borrowed Spirit Stones from other Foundation Establishment Immortal Races in the Eastern Territory."

Amidst the amazed discussions, a loud voice rang out, causing all the Cultivators to surge toward the Hundred Treasures Tower.

"The Hundred Treasures Tower is opening! Haha... I’ve finally waited until the Hundred Treasures Tower’s opening day discounts again!"