Translator: AnubisTL
In the pitch-black night sky, only a crimson moon hung high.
Li Qing stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the darkness. He observed the scene for a long moment, but still couldn't discern anything of note.
"The End of Dao Era..." he muttered. "This world devoid of spiritual energy truly feels stagnant and lifeless."
Having already embarked on the path of The Dao, Li Qing always felt a sense of unease whenever he found himself in the World of Eternal Night.
With the heaven and earth spiritual energy completely depleted, the natural laws of the Great Dao had also withered away. Even the most powerful cultivators would likely despair after prolonged exposure to this desolation.
But now wasn't the time for exploration. After dealing with Liu Tianbao, Li Qing needed to return to his original world as quickly as possible. He didn't want to run into Liu Clan search parties the moment he emerged.
As for the spoils he had plundered from Liu Tianbao, Li Qing had no intention of bringing them back. Their origins were dubious, and who knew if they contained tracking devices?
So Li Qing hid everything in the World of Eternal Night, without even bothering to catalog them. He planned to fence them later at the Heavenly River Market when an opportunity arose.
Back in the Azure Ridge Domain, Li Qing mounted Fan Tong, quickly tidied up the site of the recent battle, retrieved the Black Furnace, and then sped off toward the Heavenly River Market.
Several days later, Li Qing once again stood on the cliff overlooking the Heavenly River Market.
Gazing at the cluster of buildings hidden amidst the swirling clouds and mist, resembling an immortal palace, his heart surged with renewed excitement.
This was the second major milestone on his Immortal Path. In this bustling hub where opportunities converged, he would continue his pursuit of immortality.
Stepping onto the Peerless Hammer, Li Qing soared into the sky.
Having visited once before, he now navigated the market with practiced ease. He paid his spirit stones, received his token, and felt none of the initial awkwardness.
"First, I need to find a place to stay. With my limited spirit stones, a temporary inn is my only option for now."
"Next, I'll sell Magic Artifacts to earn more spirit stones. Although I can only craft Low-Grade Magic Tools at the moment, the cultivation world is beginning to show signs of turmoil, and their prices seem to have risen."
After silently considering his options, Li Qing headed to the same relatively affordable inn he had stayed at before.
Heavenly River Market offered long-term rentals of cave abodes and courtyards, but leases started at a minimum of one year. Even the cheapest independent courtyard reportedly cost at least fifteen hundred spirit stones.
Although Li Qing now possessed a considerable number of spirit stones, his financial situation was still precarious. Recklessly squandering such a sum would be foolish, as it would severely diminish his ability to weather unforeseen crises.
Upon entering the inn, Li Qing confidently produced thirty spirit stones, enough for a ten-day stay. "I'll set up a stall tomorrow," he mused, "but I wonder if anyone will buy these low-grade magic tools."
Exhausted from days of continuous travel and fresh from a brutal battle, Li Qing desperately needed a good night's rest.
Meanwhile, news of Liu Tianbao's disappearance had caused quite a stir within the Liu Clan. As a direct descendant, his sudden absence for several days naturally warranted an immediate investigation.
The first to notice Liu Tianbao's absence was a fellow clan member who shared his guard duty at the clan's protective formations. For the first day or two, the man paid little mind, assuming Liu Tianbao was simply absorbed in his cultivation, as usual. But when five or six days passed without a sighting, and the shift handover approached, the guard grew concerned. He immediately reported the matter to the clan.
"When was the last time you saw Liu Tianbao?!"
A Liu Clan Elder glared sternly at the clansman, his sharp eyes piercing like an eagle's.
"About seven days ago. It was his turn to guard the formation that night, so I went to rest."
The Elder's expression darkened as he listened. "You waited six or seven days to report the disappearance of your fellow formation guardian? Why the delay?!"
"It's not like that, Elder. Liu Tianbao often skipped a day or two for cultivation. I assumed it was the same this time, just a bit longer than usual."
"I never imagined he'd be gone for nearly a week."
The Elder's face grew even more grim.
If they truly investigated, Liu Tianbao could face charges of dereliction of duty. Disappearing intermittently while guarding the clan's Grand Formation—the very foundation of the clan's defenses—was a grave dereliction of duty. What if enemies had attacked? A single Mid Qi Refining Realm cultivator alone couldn't possibly manage a Second-Tier Grand Formation; they would have been breached instantly.
Just as the Liu Clan Elder was about to erupt in anger and reprimand the messenger, another person approached.
"Elder, Liu Tianbao's father has sent word. He says he used the Life Willow Art to implant a divine sense restriction within Liu Tianbao. If anything happens to him, his father will sense it."
The Elder investigating the matter immediately asked, "What's the situation? Has Liu Tianbao's father sensed anything?"
"No, he hasn't sensed anything at all. This means either Liu Tianbao is still alive, or he was brutally killed by a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator."
Hearing this, the investigating Elder finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Tianbao shouldn't have offended a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he thought. If that's the case, he must still be alive.
The Life Willow Art was a secret technique unique to the Liu Clan, and he was naturally familiar with it. Once a person implanted with this technique dies, the dormant divine sense within their body would activate, sending a message back to its source.
Normally, this secretly implanted divine sense would remain dormant, as if it didn't exist.
Of course, a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator could eradicate the divine sense seed if they intervened.
"Hmph, as long as he's alive, that's all that matters. Now, dispatch the Law Enforcement Hall to conduct a thorough search."
Thus, the matter of Liu Tianbao's disappearance faded away without causing much of a stir.
Apart from a few close acquaintances, few people paid it much attention.
After all, the cultivation world was far from peaceful. Most eyes were focused on the Heavenly River Sect's spirit stone mine.
Although the identity of the attackers remained unknown, the incident could very well ignite another major conflict in the cultivation world.
The next morning, Li Qing finally experienced his first time setting up a market stall.
He was selling the Low-Grade Magic Tools he had previously crafted for the Liu Clan. To prepare, he had researched the current market prices for such artifacts.
Low-Grade Magic Tools typically sold for sixty to eighty spirit stones, while Low-Rank Magic Tools fetched around one hundred to two hundred spirit stones.
At present, Li Qing only had a few Low-Grade Magic Tools to offer for sale. He needed the rest for his own use; there was no way he would part with either the Peerless Hammer or the Storm Pear Blossom Nails.
Earning spirit stones was important, but survival took priority.
"The loot from that other storage pouch will have to be sold at a more discreet trade fair," Li Qing muttered to himself. "I can't openly display it here. If the Liu Clan found out, I'd be in serious trouble."
With that, he laid out the low-grade magic tools he had crafted earlier, one by one. He wasn't worried about finding buyers; after all, cultivators proficient in the Artifact Refinement Technique were rare. He had already scanned the bustling square and found only two other stalls selling magic tools, both offering low-grade wares like his own. In contrast, there were four or five stalls selling talismans, making that market far more competitive.
Pill Refiners and Formation Masters were the rarest of all. Li Qing had spotted only one rogue cultivator selling pills, and not a single rogue Formation Master—they were exceedingly scarce.
Among the four core cultivation techniques—Pill Refinement, Artifact Refinement, Formation Mastery, and Talisman Creation—Pill Refiners and Formation Masters faced the highest barriers to entry. Pill Refinement consumed vast resources, while Formation Mastery demanded innate talent and exceptional comprehension.
After waiting for nearly half the day, Li Qing finally welcomed his first customer!
What a coincidence! Li Qing recognized the man standing before him.
"You're an artifact refiner too? I never would have guessed!"
Hearing the voice, Li Qing looked up to see a young man standing before his stall, dressed in a flamboyant purple robe and radiating self-importance. It was none other than the young Talisman Master Li Qing had encountered at the Liu Clan earlier!
"Haha, what a small world, fellow Daoist!" Li Qing chuckled softly and clasped his hands in greeting. "It seems our paths cross in unexpected places."
"Did you leave the Liu Clan too?" the young Talisman Master asked curiously.
Li Qing nodded truthfully. "Alas, the spirit mine work became unbearable. I had no choice but to come to Heavenly River Market and see if I could scrape by."
But Li Qing quickly noticed the word "too" in the man's question. "Could it be that you also left the Liu Clan, fellow Daoist?"
The young Talisman Master smiled mysteriously and whispered, "That's right. I bolted from the Liu Clan months ago. To be precise, I resigned from my position shortly after their precious daughter returned."
Li Qing blinked, silently inquiring about the reason behind the man's actions.
The man's next words sent a shockwave through Li Qing's mind.
"According to reliable sources, the Essence Fusion Fruit—the key ingredient for the Liu Clan's Foundation Establishment Pill—has indeed fallen into the hands of the Flying Eagle Bandits. I have a premonition that the Liu Clan might be in serious trouble soon, so I made my escape beforehand."
"But you absolutely must keep this a secret! Swear you won't breathe a word to anyone!"
It took Li Qing a long while to fully process the implications of this revelation.
"Whew! Unbelievable!" Li Qing exhaled sharply.
"Hehe, Fellow Daoist, since I've shared such a vital secret with you, how about gifting me a Magic Artifact? This water-attribute Magic Sword isn't too bad. It's just a Low-Grade Magic Tool anyway, so I'll graciously accept it."
Hearing this, Li Qing rolled his eyes and swiftly pressed his hand against the Curved Water Sword on the stall, preventing the man from reaching for it.
(End of the Chapter)
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