Qingyun Sect, back mountain.
Sect Master Qingsong and Ancestor Dafang Zhenjun sat facing each other, both silent and sighing.
"Senior Uncle, if the secret realm is closed, is there really no way to get out?"
The Great Gentleman shook his head.
"All secret realms are isolated from this world. If it's a natural secret realm... there's still a sliver of possibility, but the Purple Edge Secret Realm... it's said to have opened thousands of years ago and contains the inheritance of a top-tier sect. It's definitely a man-made secret realm."
Once a man-made secret realm is closed, it is impossible to exit it again, unless....”
The hope in Qingsong's eyes was shattered once again, and he murmured,
"Unless you pass through the secret realm and inherit the legacy, you will gain the status of a disciple."
The Great Gentleman nodded.
The Five Elements Sect's legacy exists within the Azure Cloud Secret Realm. Although the lower-ranking disciples are unaware of this, the two of them are.
If the sect's founder hadn't received the secret realm's inheritance, the sect wouldn't have been able to be established here.
According to the sect's records, to successfully complete the inheritance, one must pass at least one test of cultivation level.
Even if Ye Feng, a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage, mastered the Azure Lotus Sword Song and possessed astonishing comprehension, his combat strength was at most equivalent to that of an ordinary mid-stage disciple.
Such a result is already quite remarkable, but within the Purple Edge Secret Realm, it is utterly insignificant, practically not worth mentioning.
"That girl Qinghe...sigh!"
After this period of searching, most of the Golden Core elders in the sect now know about the relationship between the two.
And it's not just a normal relationship.
It was basically decided four years ago, when I was accepted as a disciple.
But now... especially since Li Qinghe has already reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment and is not far from advancing to the Golden Core stage,
If one's Dao heart is flawed, I'm afraid...
"I've already sent her out. A while ago, the surrounding markets for independent cultivators were raided. I heard that the founder of Yunxia Market annihilated the enemy. Now, outside of the sect, only Yunxia Market and the Zhang family remain."
This Yunxia Market is newly established and hasn't yet established contact with any sects. I sent her there to investigate and confirm some matters.
The Great Gentleman nodded.
"Several sects under the Hunyuan Sect have suffered during this sweep. The other side may come back again. If this Lord of Clouds is not a demonic cultivator, then try to befriend him as much as possible, offer him preferential treatment in the form of various spiritual herbs and pills, and it would be best to win over the sects and make him an honorary elder."
"I understand! Besides, I've already given Lu Jiu a gag order; keeping this a secret for a few years shouldn't be a problem."
The Great Gentleman nodded.
With the sect leader in charge, he doesn't need to worry about these things.
The biggest concern right now is that the sect doesn't have a Nascent Soul successor.
Even the upper sects don't have enough Nascent Soul Fruits, so how could they possibly share them with subordinate sects? If they want Nascent Soul spiritual items, they'll have to find their own ways to obtain them.
Aside from the secret realm, the only other option is the demon territory outside the Demon Control Pass.
Several peak Golden Core cultivators from the sect are at the Demon-Controlling Pass; I'm trying to figure out a way.
I've heard that the pressure at the Demon-Slaying Pass has increased significantly recently, and it seems the Upper Sect, Danyang Sect, is intentionally offering a Nascent Soul Pill as a reward.
If it's true,
At that point, I guess it'll be time for my old bones to get moving...
———
Li Qinghe landed on his flying sword and entered the market town known as Yunxia.
As soon as I stepped inside, I felt a sense of pressure decrease.
Level 2 formation!
However, this should be a standard defensive measure; for her, it only slightly suppresses her strength and has no impact whatsoever.
Rumor has it that the person here is a rogue cultivator at the Golden Core stage.
It seems that regardless of whether they have the background of a Golden Core cultivator, this set of level two formations alone is enough for them to establish themselves here.
Li Qinghe had only gone a short distance into the market when she saw a low-level female cultivator emerge from a magic artifact shop ahead.
The female cultivator, wearing a short-sleeved blouse buttoned up to the collar and a skirt that fell below her knees, greeted people as she walked to the door.
"The second fairy of bamboo has just refined a mid-grade flying sword. It's only 800 spirit stones. There are only three available. Those who have made a reservation can come and pay to purchase it!"
"I...I...I have an appointment!"
"And me... I'm number 79."
I'm 68.
...
At her call, five or six people rushed over. Although the female cultivator was only at the second level of Qi Refining, the people who came did not push or shove, but obediently lined up in numerical order under her direction.
Seeing that the three people in front of them had not given up, the others just shook their heads regretfully and left on their own.
Some of these people were passing monks, while others were shop owners from nearby stores.
He wasn't discouraged by not getting the flying sword; he just looked on with envy at the people ahead of him in line.
Li Qinghe's eyes flickered slightly, showing some surprise at this scene.
A mid-grade magic sword typically sells for around eight or nine hundred within the sect.
But in reality, you can sometimes buy things at a lower price at street stalls.
I wonder what's so special about the shop owners here that makes so many people scramble for things, yet everything remains so orderly...
As Li Qinghe walked along, she noticed that many of the shop assistants were dressed the same way.
The scene from before at the entrance happened every now and then.
The owners of these shops all use surnames like Lan (兰), Zhu (竹), and Ju (菊) and numbers as their pseudonyms; it's obvious they're using fake names.
If I'm not mistaken, there should be several people with the surname Mei in the market.
Although the market town only has three streets, each one is bustling with activity.
Selling magical artifacts, elixirs, exchanging magical techniques, renting out cave dwellings...
Most importantly, there is no law enforcement team here.
Whenever a dispute arises, the owners of the surrounding shops will take the initiative to come forward, mediate, and resolve the issue.
If they encounter someone unreasonable, they immediately put on a fierce expression.
Even if one's cultivation level is lower, it's the same...
Such a thriving scene immediately gave Li Qinghe a sense of goodwill towards the place.
This... is what the cultivation world should be like!
In the center of the market town, there is a small square. Directly opposite the square is a three-story building, which is the market town management office. All those who want to rent shops or run large businesses meet here.
As soon as Li Qinghe entered, the maid standing at the counter invited her to sit down, offered her a cup of spiritual tea, and then inquired about her purpose.
"Does the customer want to book a shop, or do they have a large business order to take on?"
"Neither!"
Li Qinghe took a sip of the spiritual tea and then took out the token from her bosom.
"I want to see the master of your market!"
The front of the token features azure clouds, while the back features azure snow!
More importantly, the token... is blue, blue foundation!
After the maid finished reading, she handed the token back with both hands, her expression turning solemn.
"Please wait a moment, esteemed guest. I will go and fetch the market manager immediately!"
Li Qinghe nodded and watched the maid leave.
In the official shops here, the maids are all dressed casually.
To be honest, although the style wasn't particularly attractive, it made the guests feel comfortable.
There was no haughtiness, nor any flamboyant attire.
Moreover, uniformity creates a consistent style, which naturally evokes a sense of order and discipline.
It seems the manager here is a woman...
Not necessarily. If it were Ye Feng, after building his villa, he'd definitely hire a bunch of beautiful women to massage his back every day...
Thinking of this, Li Qinghe's face showed both anger and a touch of longing.
I wonder where that guy went off to play, and whether he's advanced to the ninth level of Qi Refining...
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