At the border region where the Yue, Jing, and Wu kingdoms converged
In the blazing red mountain range, nestled within the rugged terrain, lay the Sanhui Market.
A man in a black robe, his hooked nose giving him a sharp and shadowy look, strode into the market. His cultivation at the late stage of Qi Refining was visible. Even with a smile on his face, he gave off a chilling aura that made others instinctively wary.
Yet despite that, the moment he stepped into the market, several figures hurried toward him with eager expressions.
They were mostly teenagers some mortals, others with only the faintest hint of cultivation at Qi Refining Stage One.
Their clothes were plain, but each had made sure to keep themselves neat and clean, just enough not to leave a bad impression.
Among them, the oldest was a girl with jet-black hair. She reached Li Ye first and forced a bright smile as she asked,
"Greetings, senior! Is this your first time at Sanhui Market? Would you need a guide? I only charge two no, just one spirit crystal!"
"Senior, I know this market like the back of my hand…"
Another boy immediately chimed in, "If senior's looking for some entertainment, I can take you to the best spots!"
The others quickly called out as well, trying to draw Li Ye's attention.
This market was a chaotic blend of people from all walks of life. None of the three kingdoms held real sway here, and even the Ding Clan had limited influence. Having a guide to show him around wasn't a bad idea.
Besides, Li Ye was in quite a good mood. He didn't mind letting one of these grassroots youths earn a little something.
"You'll do."
He casually pointed to the girl who had spoken first.
"Junior Ye Qiong thanks you, senior!" the girl exclaimed in delight, quickly taking the lead.
The rest didn't pester him further and tactfully backed off, running to pitch themselves to other cultivators entering the market.
"May I ask what senior is looking for here? Will you be staying overnight?"
Ye Qiong walked ahead and glanced back cautiously, "If senior does wish to enjoy a bit of entertainment, I can guide you there too…"
"Let's take a stroll first. Tell me more about this place… Hm, especially about the Red Earth Mountains."
Li Ye responded casually, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if familiarizing himself with the environment, his gaze carrying a trace of quiet emotion.
What a fine place far from the chaos of the demon clans. His decision had been a wise one!
"Yes, of course…"
Ye Qiong nodded, already guessing this senior wasn't a local, but showed no surprise.
She felt slightly relieved the man looked fierce but wasn't overbearing.
Turning her thoughts, she began to explain:
"The Red Earth Mountains where we are now lie at the border of the three kingdoms. Because of the many peaks and abundant geothermal energy, there are frequent volcanic eruptions hence the name…"
"Though it's at the crossroads of three realms, it's essentially a power vacuum. Due to the complex terrain, many rogue cultivators flee here after committing crimes, and tracking them becomes nearly impossible. Over time, this place has attracted countless cultivators from all over…"
"After many years of development, a loose alliance of mountain lords has formed to maintain basic order. That's how various markets like ours have been established and thrived to this day…"
Li Ye listened attentively, comparing the details with the information he had gotten from the Ding Clan it all matched up fairly well.
But it was clear: most of the peaks here already had owners, and with this alliance of mountain lords, if he wanted to claim a place to cultivate and establish a foundation, he would need to plan carefully.
After touring various parts of the market with Ye Qiong, Li Ye eventually rented a cave residence and casually handed her a spirit stone.
"Senior, this…"
Ye Qiong was overjoyed, but she also looked nervous, eyes darting around as if afraid of being targeted.
"I'll be staying here for the long term. I'll need someone to keep me informed of the local news. If anything happens, come to my cave residence and let me know. There will be another reward for each update."
Li Ye gave his instructions with a calm tone.
He found the girl sharp and cautious someone like her, though from the bottom of society, might prove useful in ways others couldn't.
Hearing his words, Ye Qiong finally tucked the spirit stone away safely and then bowed deeply.
"Thank you, senior! I will do my utmost to serve you well!"
.....
After entering the cave residence, Li Ye took a brief look around before immediately taking out various array-setting tools to re-establish a protective formation that would isolate the space.
He slowly sat down and exhaled deeply.
"A place where chaos and order coexist, with abundant geothermal flames for refining Foundation Establishment Pills this region truly is excellent. It was well worth the half-year journey to get here…"
"And after slowly absorbing my vital essence for two to three months, this seed has finally shown some signs of activity!"
Li Ye raised his right arm and gently stroked a seemingly unmarked area, a smile blooming across his face.
Just earlier shortly after he had left Yue Kingdom and entered the mountainous region near the Sanhui Market
He had suddenly felt a stir from the seed in his arm. Its life force had become noticeably more active, and a prompt appeared on his interface.
[Through the use of blood-refining techniques, you have successfully cultivated and awakened an unknown…#*… Grade Four Spiritual Plant: Jianmu Subspecies · Offshoot of the Voidrealm Tree. Due to its dormant state, it is unable to provide feedback at this time…]
[You have established a connection with the Grade Four Spiritual Plant Jianmu Subspecies · Offshoot of the Voidrealm Tree. Understanding deepened. Spiritual essence solidification +0.1%...]
Even Li Ye himself had no idea what kind of seed it was, yet the interface, after a few lines of garbled code, had identified it directly
which surprised him greatly, as he had always believed the system only displayed information based on his existing knowledge.
But more important than these technicalities
It was the name of the seed that truly caught his attention!
He hadn't had the chance to think deeply about it earlier while traveling, but now that he was settled, Li Ye's heart began to race with excitement.
"That ancient tree… it's somehow related to the legendary Jianmu a divine tree said to connect heaven and earth, allowing mortals to ascend directly to the Immortal Realm. No wonder it possessed void-based powers strong enough to serve as the core of the formation sealing the passageway between realms…"
"But what I have is merely an offshoot… Its rank is even lower than the original tree? Yet legend has it the Jianmu was already destroyed. If I want to go further, what path should I take?"
"Forget it! That's too far off for now. What I need is to first find a mountain to settle on and establish a foothold!"
With that thought in mind, Li Ye tidied himself up and headed out once again, making his way to the teahouse he'd seen earlier.
…
A few months later
"One cup of Lively Fragrance, please."
Li Ye, now a familiar face, ordered a cup of spirit tea as he casually flipped through the latest intelligence reports. Opposite him, Ye Qiong swallowed nervously as she relayed the information she had gathered.
Thanks to her work with Li Ye and the improved conditions, her cultivation had broken through to the second layer of Qi Refining. Her attitude toward him had grown even more respectful.
"Lord of Mount Zhaoxian has been visiting the market more frequently lately, often gathering with other mountain lords for entertainment…"
"After some recent unrest, Black Oil Mountain is recruiting spiritual herb cultivators, and many people from the market are rushing to apply…"
"Lord of Mount Changcui died during an expedition. Now, his second wife has colluded with outsiders to take over the mountain. The lord's eldest daughter and young son have gone missing some say they noticed something wrong and fled early…"
"Hmm… Wait!"
Li Ye had been listening with a relaxed expression, but at this last bit, his eyes suddenly flashed with sharp light.
He looked at Ye Qiong and asked in a low voice:
"Can you find those siblings?"
Ye Qiong hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and nodded, "I can try!"
"If you find them, you will be heavily rewarded."
Li Ye's voice was resolute.
He had spent all this time in the market collecting intelligence and waiting for an opportunity and now, at last, a glimmer of hope had appeared!
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