The appearance of the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower attracted countless geniuses and powerful people, but there was also another group of people who saw a business opportunity from this grand event in the cultivation world.
Long before Shen Yuan and others arrived, three large markets had been built around the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower, and thousands of practitioners were traveling back and forth between the markets, making it extremely bustling.
Shen Yuan and his group landed on the outskirts of the nearest Lingxu market, which was less than fifty miles away from the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower.
Even at such a distance, one can still feel the grandeur of the exquisite pagoda that reaches into the sky. Being under the heavy aura of the Xuanhuang Linglong Pagoda, all practitioners feel as small as a speck of dust.
Climbing up this Xuanhuang Linglong Tower as a mortal, even Wen Tiantai, who had been quite confident before, couldn't help but feel nervous at this moment.
As one of the thirty-six caves in the sky, Zixuandong Zhaotian has a great reputation in the Xuanhuang world.
As the disciple Zhaotian of Zixuan Cave, wearing purple robes, landed in the Lingxu market, many disciples from other sects around him immediately came closer and bowed to Wen Tiantai and the others.
“I didn’t expect that the leader of Zixuan Cave Zhaotian was actually Senior Brother Wen.”
"Tu Anlong of Cun Miao Sect greets Senior Brother Shangzong."
"Brother Li, I am Sun Yang from Mingzhao Mountain. Do you still remember me?"
"Senior Brother Wen, we haven't seen each other for more than ten years. I didn't expect that you have already entered the Spiritual Transformation Realm. You are indeed the pride of Lanzhou."
Shen Yuan, who was at the front of the team, noticed that facing the disciples who came up to him and tried to make friends with him, even the weakest disciples in the early stage of Qi training behaved quite arrogantly and did not make any response.
Wen Tiantai, the team leader, didn't even bother to look at these people. Instead, he turned to Shen Yuan and said gently:
"Fellow Daoist Shen, this is Lingxu Market."
"This Lingxu Market was built by several senior independent cultivators from Lingxu Immortal City to provide a place for us disciples from various sects who are participating in the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower Trial to live and trade."
After a slight pause, Wen Tiantai added a sentence.
“The upper limit of the Zhenlong small world can only accommodate the entry and exit of the Soul Refining Realm. In addition, the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower requires the trial-taker to be under 100 years old, so there will be no strong people above the Soul Refining Realm appearing in the Zhenlong small world.
The cultivation base of several independent cultivators in Lingxu Immortal City has reached the realm of True Spirit Refiners, and they are backed by Lingxu Immortal City, a holy place for independent cultivators, which is considered to be an extraordinary foundation. Even our disciples from Dongtian Blessed Land cannot act recklessly in Lingxu Market. "
The disciples of the major sects must be aware of the background of Lingxu Market, but considering that the Luoyun Sect where Shen Yuan came from is not well-known, Wen Tiantai specifically explained it to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan nodded slightly, and had a deeper understanding of this trip to the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower.
The way Wen Tiantai faced Shen Yuan was seen by the disciples from various sects around him, and they were suddenly surprised.
Although Wen Tiantai is not the most outstanding disciple of Zixuan Cave Zhaotian in the current era, he can also be ranked among the geniuses. In addition, his identity as a cave disciple is naturally extraordinary.
However, Wen Tiantai showed a hint of respect when facing Shen Yuan, which immediately caused the disciples of various sects to speculate about the identity of the young man in white at the front of the team.
"From the look of his attire, he doesn't look like a disciple of Zixuan Cave Zhaotian. Could he be a disciple of some other cave heaven?"
"Even if he is a top-ranked Dongtian disciple, he is not worthy of being treated like this by Wen Tiantai."
"It seems that in this Xuanhuang Linglong Tower trial, another dark horse seed will appear."
“Dark horse? Do you really think it’s that easy to be a dark horse?
It is said that in the other two markets, not only did the prodigies of the Dayin royal family appear, but also true disciples from the ten sacred caves appeared, vowing to take the lead in the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower trial. "
"Wen Tiantai has entered the Spiritual Transformation Realm at such a young age, but at best he has barely entered the tenth level. How much stronger can that young man be when he is with Wen Tiantai?"
Amidst the discussions, many people paid attention to the young man in white next to Wen Tiantai.
Shen Yuan and Wen Tiantai naturally paid no attention to other people's discussions. They had already stepped into Lingxu Market.
The Zhenlong small world is not an ordinary place. The practitioners who can step into the Zhenlong small world are either disciples of famous masters or free and easy practitioners with certain cultivation. The spending power of these practitioners with background is definitely not something that ordinary practitioners can achieve.
Shen Yuan noticed this the moment he stepped into the Lingxu Market barrier.
Lingxu Market is bustling with activity, and in the numerous shops there are endless transactions and auctions of all kinds of magic weapons, talismans, and spiritual objects.
On the streets on both sides of the market town, many practitioners displayed their treasures in their stalls.
The prices at these stalls are obviously much lower than those in the shops, but it is difficult to tell whether the goods are genuine or fake. If you don’t have a keen eye and are hoping to find a bargain, you will inevitably be cheated by fake goods.
But even so, there are still many disciples who have just come out of the sect and are very excited, trying to pick up some bargains by relying on the magic they have practiced in the sect.
In addition, there were also many cultivators with insufficient cultivation in the Qi Transformation Realm standing on both sides of the street. When they saw the cultivators who had just entered the Lingxu Market, they took the initiative to step forward and promote the so-called private trade fair.
According to them, these private trade fairs include all the rare treasures in the world, and even the magical powers of the Heavenly Gang and the Earthly Demons can be obtained.
If Shen Yuan had not been followed by a group of Zixuan Cave Zhaotian disciples, and no young cultivator had dared to talk to him, Shen Yuan would have really wanted to go and see what the Tiangang and Disha magical powers of the private trade fair were.
After walking forward all the way, Shen Yuan and others came to an archway.
This archway is decorated with carved dragons and painted with various mysterious Taoist inscriptions, forming a barrier.
"This is the insight barrier, which is used to identify whether there are any demons or demonic cultivators among you."
Seeing Shen Yuan's curious eyes, Wen Tiantai took the initiative to explain to Shen Yuan.
Having said that, it can be seen that the cultivators like Ruchu who have insight into the barrier are all wearing the uniforms of various major sects, and their cultivation is above the Qi training stage.
In addition to distinguishing between demons and evil cultivators, this insight barrier probably also has the intention of distinguishing between various types of cultivators. Only disciples from large sects or powerful cultivators with accomplished cultivation can step into the Lingxu Market within the archway.
Shen Yuan and others slowly stepped into the barrier.
Shen Yuan could feel as if an invisible gaze gently passed over Shen Yuan's body, and even tried to peek into Shen Yuan's body, but was easily blocked by several magical seeds.
The barrier was so slight that it barely paused, but then Shen Yuan stepped into it with ease.
Stepping into Lingxu Market, what caught Shen Yuan's eyes were not as many shops and stalls as those in the outside world, but instead luxuriously decorated inns and restaurants.
Occasionally, there were only a few people watching in front of a few shops and stalls, and there was no bustling trading atmosphere like outside.
After Wen Tiantai stepped into this place, he also received many greetings. The attitude displayed by Wen Tiantai at this time was completely different from that outside Lingxu Market.
"Brother Li, it has been five years since we last met at the sect competition. I wonder if Brother Li has made any progress in his sword skills?"
"Junior Sister He has become more and more outstanding. I remember that the last time I saw you, you were just a little kid."
"Friend Kun, how are you?"
Wen Tiantai responded to all greetings one by one, and would smile and nod even when greeted by someone he didn't know.
Wen Tiantai was like this too, and naturally there were many familiar faces among the Zixuan Cave Zhaotian disciples behind him. They all gathered together to talk about their experiences along the way.
After a round of greetings, another group of disciples from the sect came in from behind, and Wen Tiantai was able to get rid of everyone's greetings.
Looking at Shen Yuan standing aside, Wen Tiantai said with embarrassment on his face:
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Fellow Daoist Shen."
Shen Yuan just shook his head slightly and did not respond.
Wen Tiantai showed a trace of helplessness on his face and said:
"I'm afraid Fellow Daoist Shen will think that I ignore the disciples of small sects outside Lingxu Market, but warmly welcome these monks from large sects, which is too much." "In fact, the reason why I maintain this attitude is also helpless.
Most of those disciples and monks from small sects were complete strangers to me. There was even one who approached me and tried to get close to me just because he and I were both from Lanzhou.
Once I respond to these people, they may claim to be friends with me after they return to their clan or family, and even use my reputation to do something.”
“Within the sphere of influence of Zixuandong Zhaotian, they naturally dare not act rashly.
But there are dozens of subordinate sects under the Purple Profound Cave Zhao Tianxia. If they act recklessly in the subordinate sects under my name, it is likely to bring serious consequences. These are all lessons learned from previous experiences."
“As for his gentle attitude towards these disciples from large sects, his purpose is very practical.
The thirty-six caves and seventy-two blessed places have existed for tens of thousands of years, and the connections between their Taoist traditions have long been inseparable. Practicing in the world of cultivation is not just a competition of talent, but also of one's own background and connections.
I come from a humble background and I hate these things, but my talent and strength are not enough to ignore these rules. If I want to climb to a higher level, I can only choose to integrate into them. "
As he spoke, a look of regret appeared on Wen Tiantai's face.
Shen Yuan's expression did not change, he just chuckled and said:
"Fellow Daoist Wen, there is actually no need to explain this to me. Everyone has his or her own way of practicing."
Wen Tiantai shook his head and said with emotion:
"Normally, I shouldn't have explained these mundane matters, but for some reason I didn't want Fellow Daoist Shen to look down on me, so I took the initiative to explain to Fellow Daoist."
While the two were talking, they had already reached the other end of Lingxu Market, close to the direction of Xuanhuang Linglong Tower.
The other Zixuan Cave Zhaotian disciples had already dispersed when they met with disciples from other sects, looking for old friends to drink and have fun.
For the vast majority of ordinary inner disciples, this Xuanhuang Linglong Tower trial is just a formality. Those disciples in the Qi training stage do not expect to achieve good results, so they simply treat it as a place for socializing.
This is also why there are not many practitioners trading in the core area of Lingxufang City, but mostly inns and restaurants.
As he got closer to the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower, Shen Yuan could even see the large amount of Xuanhuang Qi hanging from the top of the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower. The seemingly inconspicuous wisp of Xuanhuang Qi carried the weight of a mountain and could easily crush the earth.
Although most of the Xuanhuang Qi was restrained by the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower, a small amount of Xuanhuang Qi still dissipated in all directions.
The grassland near the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower had already been collapsed by the Xuanhuang Qi. In the cracked earth, only three major methods were used to set up huge formations to resist the terrifying weight of the Xuanhuang Qi.
And above the collapsed earth, there were several soul-refining masters with auras as bright as the morning sun, flying freely, collecting the mysterious and yellow energy that was escaping.
The Xuanhuang Qi is the original mother energy of the earth. If a wisp of Xuanhuang Qi is integrated into a magic weapon with earth attribute, there is a chance that the magic weapon can be promoted to a spiritual treasure, which is enough to show the preciousness of such a treasure.
This is also the important reason why various forces set up a market in front of the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower. Normally, the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower will last for more than half a year after it is opened.
If a True Man of Refining the Spirit makes every effort during this period of time, he can collect more than ten strands of Xuanhuang Qi. The value contained in it will make even a True Man of Refining the Spirit tempted.
"As long as a few days pass, the agitation of the Xuanhuang Qi will subside, and then we can start climbing the tower."
Wen Tiantai looked at the powerful spirit refiners one by one and said with envy:
“The realm of soul refining requires going through external disasters to sharpen the Yin spirit before it can be achieved. It can be regarded as the first natural barrier in the cultivation world, blocking countless people who try to ascend to immortality.
Once one reaches the stage of refining the spirit and attaining the status of an immortal, one can enjoy a lifespan of three thousand years and thus pursue the path to immortality.
I really don’t know if I will ever have the chance to enter this realm of spiritual refinement in this lifetime.”
Shen Yuan's expression changed slightly and he was about to speak, but at this moment several powerful auras moved towards where the two were.
The aura at the front had already entered the middle stage of the Spiritual Transformation. Before he even got close, he spoke loudly:
"It turns out that Junior Brother Wen is leading the team of Zixuan Cave Zhaotian this time. It seems that we will have another powerful opponent in climbing the tower this time."
Shen Yuan and Wen Tiantai looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man in a blue Taoist robe descending from the sky with a smile on his face.
Upon seeing this, Wen Tiantai immediately responded with a cupped hand:
"It turns out to be Senior Brother Liu. It has been a long time since we last met. It seems that you have improved a lot in your cultivation."
As he spoke, Wen Tiantai said to Shen Yuan beside him:
"This is Senior Brother Liu Hang, born in Taiyuan Xuanzhen Heaven. He is the contemporary genius of Taiyuan Xuanzhen Heaven and is expected to be ranked among the True Transmission Hall."
Shen Yuan's expression changed slightly.
During the Taoist Conference, Yunxiazi, who fought with Gong Buyu, was from Xuanzhentian in Taiyuan. This was the first Taoist school that Shen Yuan knew of that had connections with later generations.
Liu Hang looked at Shen Yuan in surprise, but before he could say anything, the seven cultivators followed him down one after another.
The eight people, including Liu Hang, were wearing robes bestowed by the blessed land, and their origins could be recognized at a glance.
Everyone's cultivation has entered the realm of transformation, and they are considered geniuses of the younger generation.
Shen Yuan, dressed in white and only in the late stage of Qi training, felt quite out of place here.
Wen Tiantai also noticed this and quickly introduced it to others:
"This is Fellow Daoist Shen, who was born in the Luoyun Sect and has an extraordinary sword-controlling skill that makes me feel inferior."
When Wen Tiantai spoke like this, several disciples from the major sects frowned. One of them, a female master cultivator, said bluntly:
"Luoyun Sect? How come I have never heard of this name among all the sects and lineages?"
"I haven't heard of it either. Maybe it's some unknown small sect?"
As soon as these words were spoken, many disciples from major sects looked at him with scrutiny.
However, Shen Yuan no longer cared about the thoughts of these disciples from the major sects. The moment the other party opened their mouths, he realized a very important issue.
“Although Luoyun Sect is not one of the Ten Holy Lands, the Thirty-Six Holy Lands, or the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, it has the inheritance of the Hutian Divine Power and has had great earthly immortals in every generation. It is a first-rate sect in the entire Xuanhuang Realm.
Even though it is still early, and the previous leader of Luoyun Sect may not have reached the realm of earthly immortals, the size of Luoyun Sect in charge of a cave heaven is definitely not something that can be unknown. "
Shen Yuan felt a chill down his spine, and as his heart trembled, a terrifying thought arose in his mind.
"The previous leader of Luoyun Sect attempted to lead the entire sect to ascend to heaven, but was punished by heaven. All information about his existence was erased, and there is no trace of Luoyun Sect in history.
This view is just what I saw when I searched the literature from the perspective of a person from later generations.
Perhaps what was erased from Luoyun Sect was not just the future records, but the entire sect was completely wiped out on this timeline!"
Above the sky, a bolt of thunder exploded, and the roar spread throughout the entire Zhenlong world. The white thunder made Shen Yuan's face pale.
"Since the Luoyun Sect has been completely erased from the timeline, what is the legend of the Supreme Daoist that has been passed down to later generations?"
Shen Yuan subconsciously looked at the magnificent pagoda in front of him, and at the top of the eighteenth floor that reached into the sky.
The artificial intelligence system, which had been in a dead state ever since Shen Yuan traveled back to tens of thousands of years ago, finally responded at this moment.
A message popped up from the system interface.
Side quest: Climb to the top of the Xuanhuang Linglong Tower and leave your own legend in the Xuanhuang Realm.
Mission reward: unknown!