The crowd was left speechless.
This sect... truly impressive, in every possible sense.
Looking further ahead, they noticed several more streets, though currently not open for business. The shop doors on these streets remained tightly shut, but there were two large signs at the entrance of the fourth and fifth streets.
One sign read "Aquatics," while the other read "Poultry and Beasts."
Seeing this, the group couldn't help but recall the feast at the Lingxian Sect's annual banquet a few days earlier.
Indeed, there had been many types of meat they had never seen before.
Some of them had already made up their minds: once they earned enough spirit stones, they would definitely come back to buy some of these agricultural products to try.
But wait... they didn't have any spiritual chefs. If they bought the ingredients and ruined them, wouldn't that be a huge waste? They wondered if Lingxian Sect might open some shops to help process ingredients or even cook meals for them...
Lost in their thoughts, they absentmindedly made their way out of the agricultural district and left Shuishui City.
While these sect leaders and elders departed, more and more cultivators and commoners were arriving at Shuishui City.
Thanks to the guidance of the Li Clan, news of Shuishui City's establishment spread throughout the Pusi Kingdom in just a few days. While the common people were relatively unaffected—reluctant to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary—the news stirred a very different reaction among the wandering cultivators.
The number of scattered cultivators in this land was not small.
Most of them were low-level cultivators who had once belonged to one of the three great sects or their descendants.
Though the three great sects did accept disciples, maintaining low-level cultivators was costly—more expensive than keeping ordinary mortals. As a result, the benefits these low-level cultivators received from their sects were minimal, often leaving them feeling as though they were clinging to scraps.
Moreover, their status within the sect was often so low that they were better off leaving and living among mortals, where they could at least enjoy some level of superiority.
However, their cultivation levels weren't high, and they hadn't mastered many techniques. And since spiritual energy was scarce in the mortal world, they found it increasingly difficult to maintain their cultivation levels. Furthermore, with the Li Clan overseeing the government, these scattered cultivators dared not cause trouble, knowing they could be quickly subdued.
Many of them feared that sect disciples might covet their meager possessions, so they lived under assumed names, blending into mortal society, simply hoping to live long, healthy lives as wealthy landowners.
Now, upon hearing about the establishment of Shuishui City by the Lingxian Sect, many of these wandering cultivators considered it a promising place to settle.
Firstly, with the Lingxian Sect overseeing the city, it was bound to be safer than most other places.
Over the years, the reputation of the Lingxian Sect within the Pusi Kingdom had been exemplary. In some cases, wandering cultivators had even been rescued by Lingxian Sect disciples during natural disasters, treated no differently from common folk. These disciples, despite recognizing their status as cultivators, didn't take advantage of them, extort their possessions, or treat them any differently.
By moving to Shuishui City, they wouldn't have to live in constant fear.
Secondly, and more importantly, word had spread that Shuishui City had a street dedicated to selling resources for cultivators!
This news excited scattered cultivators immensely.
Although their resources were meager, the fact that the city was overseen by the Lingxian Sect meant that opportunities were bound to be more plentiful than elsewhere.
As for why they didn't choose to live near one of the three great sects? That was obvious—they didn't want to be exploited or overworked.
Thus, without any coordination, scattered cultivators from across the kingdom began packing their belongings, moving their families, and, in some cases, relocating entire clans to Shuishui City.
Some cultivators even set off with their families on the first or second day of the new year.
Wen Xiangzhi was one such individual.
He was seventy-three years old. In his youth, he had been fortunate enough to enter the Outer Sect of the Shangyang Sect, but his cultivation progress had been so slow that he was expelled after twenty years.
After leaving the sect, Wen Xiangzhi didn't give up on cultivation immediately. He lingered outside Shangyang Sect, doing odd jobs for the sect in hopes of finding another opportunity to progress in cultivation.
However, as he grew older, it became clear that his hopes of becoming a true immortal were fading. Toiling daily for the sect, surrounded by mortals, he barely had any time left for cultivation, and his Qi Refining Stage 2 cultivation level was already teetering on the edge of collapse.
Finally, at the age of fifty, Wen Xiangzhi gave up his dream of cultivation and returned to his mortal hometown. But by the time he got there, his parents had long passed away, and his siblings had all started families of their own. Not wanting to burden them, he paid his respects at his parents' graves before leaving to settle in a peaceful, secluded town.
Fearing future trouble, Wen Xiangzhi had exchanged all his meager cultivation resources for mortal wealth. He built a large estate in the town, married several wives, fathered children, and purchased a hundred acres of fertile land, living out his days as a wealthy landowner.
Twenty-five years had passed since Wen Xiangzhi left Shangyang Sect.
In that time, he had married one wife and taken six concubines, fathering a total of thirty-three children: eighteen sons and fifteen daughters.
Of his children, those aged seventeen and older were already married, and Wen Xiangzhi was now a grandfather, with over a dozen grandchildren.
This time, he was leading a group of more than fifty family members—his children, grandchildren, and their spouses—on a journey from the neighboring province to Shuishui City.
He hadn't sold his original estate or land, leaving it in the hands of his old steward.
During the journey, Wen Xiangzhi's second son sat inside the carriage, watching as his wife suffered from the bumpy ride. He couldn't help but complain, "Why did Father insist on traveling so far to Shuishui City? Sure, Lingxian Sect is stationed there, but weren't we doing just fine back at home?"
The eldest son, who was in the same carriage with his family, turned to glance at his youngest daughter sleeping soundly in her mother's arms. He calmly replied, "Father must have his reasons. We just need to follow his lead."
Ever since Wen Xiangzhi had left Shangyang Sect, he had never revealed his identity as a cultivator, fearing unwanted attention. Each day, he meditated alone in his study, consolidating his cultivation, so his family was unaware of his past as a cultivator.
However, his eldest son had always been the closest to him. Though Wen Xiangzhi had buried his desire for cultivation deep in his heart, he hadn't completely abandoned the notion. Whenever one of his children was born, he would secretly test their innate talents. While he didn't possess the ability to detect spiritual roots directly, his many years of cultivation had granted him a certain sensitivity to spiritual energy and roots. Through careful observation, he was able to make some rough judgments.
He had tested every one of his children. Unfortunately, most of them showed little to no sign of having spiritual roots.