Within Chu Kingdom, if Celestial South Market claims to be the first market, then truly no other market dares to claim second.
The Qinghe Market, established by Heaven-Facing Sect, is already the top market in Lushan County, yet it cannot compare to Celestial South Market at all.
They are not even in the same league.
The overseer of Qinghe Market is merely a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator of Heaven-Facing Sect, nowhere near the Golden Core level Elder Jiang.
Moreover, as a gathering place for loose cultivators, wanting to establish oneself in Celestial South Market is impossible for a loose cultivator without strength of their own.
Celestial South Market is established on a Tier Four Middle Grade Spiritual Vein, originally a territory of demon beasts.
A Golden Core Great Demon named ’Cyan Divine Falcon’ occupied this place with many lesser demons under its command, making it a forbidden area for the human race, widely renowned.
Over a hundred years ago, Elder Jiang came alone from Qingli Sea and, upon his initial venture to this place, chose this mountain range as his cultivation cave, defeated the Cyan Divine Falcon, and thus occupied this Tier Four Spiritual Vein.
He renamed it to Nine Cold Mountain and established a small cultivation market, developing its economy.
It was precisely this Tier Four Spiritual Vein of Nine Cold Mountain that allowed the market, over the following century, to continuously establish various cultivation cave mansions, chambers, etc., filled with rich spiritual qi.
To reside here, paying spirit stones is necessary, and the fees are not low. Ordinary loose cultivators can hardly afford it and can only live on the outskirts of the market, in some courtyards with sparse spiritual qi.
As for the pricing of other magical artifacts, elixirs, and various cultivation resources, they do not differ much from each other, and there’s no chaotic pricing.
You get what you pay for.
This is also one of the features of Celestial South Market, fair and just, with no deception.
When Elder Jiang took in these loose cultivators for management, the loose cultivators were not protected without reason, as they had to pay a certain price.
The most well-known is the summoning order Elder Jiang issued every fifty years.
Since Nine Cold Mountain is located in the far west of Chu Kingdom, bordering the Southern Wilderness forest.
The Southern Wilderness forest is full of innumerable demon beasts, and every fifty years, the leaders of these demon beasts would command a massive invasion eastward, flooding into Chu Kingdom.
This leads to a beast tide every fifty years, also known as the demon beast chaos.
At this time, as the first line of defense against the beast tide, Elder Jiang would summon the loose cultivators in Celestial South Market to jointly exert effort against the beast tide to curb its eastward invasion.
One could say that with Elder Jiang, the Golden Core Ancestor, guarding Nine Cold Mountain, it’s akin to having a stabilizing needle, intimidating the edge of the Southern Wilderness forest, significantly contributing to Chu Kingdom’s resistance against the beast tide invasion.
For this reason, Elder Jiang is highly respected by all sides, receiving high praise.
This also makes Celestial South Market renowned, continuously attracting loose cultivators from various places to seek refuge. In terms of strength, it can already rival an established Golden Core Sect.
"Elder Jiang, long time no see."
During such sect meetings, Lu Ping naturally attended.
While Lu Yuanshan and the others were conversing, Lu Ping was listening on the side.
He recalled Elder Jiang.
He was an old acquaintance of his.
Within Chu Kingdom, there are just a few Golden Core Ancestors, few enough to count on one hand, and Lu Ping was acquainted with them all, with the best relationship with Elder Jiang of Nine Cold Mountain.
In the usual times, Elder Jiang was a person of cool temperament and did not establish sect forces externally, merely occupying the small territory of Nine Cold Mountain, providing an ideal cultivation and trading place for loose cultivators, occasionally choosing a few talented loose cultivators to accept as disciples.
They had not seen each other for decades, and Lu Ping wondered what cultivation Elder Jiang had achieved now, whether he had touched the threshold of the Nascent Soul Stage?
Did he have descendants?
"Regarding the acquisition of the Foundation Establishment Pill this time, why don’t I accompany you?"
"Elder Jiang and father had some interactions in the past, I believe their rapport isn’t bad. Elder Jiang is just and dislikes scheming against others."
"As long as the items we present pique Elder Jiang’s interest and are suitable, we still have a chance to acquire a Foundation Establishment Pill."
Lu Yuanshan looked serious, deciding to lead Lu Changfeng to Nine Cold Mountain together.
As the largest market in Chu Kingdom, the number of loose cultivators within it reaches several thousand, enough to rival a large sect.
The scale of its cultivators is comparable to the Heaven-Facing Sect and Shenxiao Palace.
And since loose cultivators do not have the protection of family or power, they have to rely on themselves for everything, navigating through tough conditions, generally developing a self-reliant disposition.
In terms of combat experience and means, they far surpass family or sect cultivators, definitely not mere greenhouse flowers.
In Celestial South Market, where dragons and fishes mingle, Lu Yuanshan himself, as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, would fear being schemed against and must act with extreme caution.
Not to mention Lu Changfeng, a Qi Cultivator.
Lu Changfeng, by nature, was impetuous, easily falling into traps, leaving Lu Yuanshan worried about letting him go alone.
"We must secure the Foundation Establishment Pill in Celestial South Market this time!"
Lu Changfeng was already eager to try.
"However, there are numerous affairs in the sect recently, and it’s close to the autumn harvest day, elder brother, you still need to stay and manage sect affairs with me, accompanying me might hinder sect operations."
Changfeng shook his head, deciding to go by himself.
"I can go alone, it’s not like I haven’t traveled far before. Regarding obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill this time, I’ll act according to the situation and won’t act rashly."
"You going alone, how is that possible."
Lu Zhiwei, who had been listening, spoke up, furrowing her willow-like eyebrows, "The matter of the Foundation Establishment Pill is significant, and after obtaining it, it’s easy to attract external coveting, leading to conflict and battles. It’s too dangerous for you to go alone."
"Younger sister, you don’t need to worry about that. In Celestial South Market, there’s a martial prohibition. Who would be foolish enough to act under Elder Jiang’s watch? That’s just daring death!"
"The martial prohibition is true for Celestial South Market, but what about outside it?"
That question indeed stumped Lu Changfeng; he scratched his head momentarily.
The distance from Celestial South Market to Cyan Mountain Sect is nearly three thousand miles, and within this distance, once out of the three hundred-mile martial prohibition zone of Celestial South Market, the remaining journey lies without Elder Jiang’s protection.
If someone ambushes, it really relies on oneself to resolve it.
"Younger sister is indeed right, that is what I am most worried about."
"If we truly acquire the Foundation Establishment Pill, how do we keep this news under wraps and safely bring the Foundation Establishment Pill back to the sect."
Lu Yuanshan spoke out, expressing his thoughts.
A Foundation Establishment Pill’s allure to a Qi Cultivator needs no explanation.
Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators might be willing to rob to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill for their descendants, doing whatever it takes.
"Changfeng, though you are at the Great Perfection Realm of Qi Cultivation, holding the strength for self-preservation, this is only in front of Qi Cultivation stage opponents." This update is available on nοvelfire.net
"If faced with several opponents of the same realm, or if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator strikes, do you think you can still resist?"
Lu Yuanshan asked seriously.