Chapter 682 Wanxiang Sect
"This is the Wanxiang Sect..." Ning Zhuo looked around.
The surrounding scenery is like a dream, with a sea of clouds and towering mountains, just like a fairyland.
The most eye-catching are the eight main peaks, each with its own magical appearance. They are all towering into the clouds, majestic and upright, like giants standing in the sky, with clouds gently brushing their waists.
A mysterious light shone from the peaks of the heavy formation, cunningly forming layers of formation diagrams in the air, looming in and out. Each layer of the formation disk slowly rotated, and a vast number of talismans, like stars and swimming fish, shuttled between the formation diagrams. A group of cultivators, each with a Jindan level of cultivation, some manipulated the talismans to fill the formation diagrams, while others mobilized their magic power to weave the formation lines out of thin air.
On Ten Thousand Beasts Peak, tigers and leopards roamed the forest, dragons and snakes lurked in the distance. Everywhere one looked, there were honeycomb-like dens. From the east side of the mountain, a large flock of bluebirds soared gracefully. A shepherd boy sat on the back of their leader. The boy played a flute, its melodious notes piercing the clouds.
On Danxia Peak, various alchemy furnaces churned, creating countless plumes of elixir smoke. Some plumes were thick and hard, rising straight up into the sky like pillars, while others curled and wisped like celestial beings. Countless elixir clouds and elixir smoke converged in the sky above Danxia's main peak, occasionally illuminated by the glow of the furnaces, blending into a dazzling, ever-changing spectacle of radiant light.
Atop Purple Thunder Peak, a massive chain clung. Pitch-black, like a coiled dragon pillar, it wound several times around the mountain. It connected the main peak and, stretching across the sea of clouds, connected to several surrounding secondary peaks. The mountain mist blew, shaking the chain and causing a clanging sound.
On Jianming Peak, a stone sword is stuck upside down. The mountain is dotted with sword pavilions and dense bamboo forests.
On Baicao Peak, the vegetation is dense, and enchanting giant flowers bloom in the rainforest. When thorny and poisonous vines migrate, they look like millions of pythons moving close to the ground.
On the Fuyao Peak, the wind was blowing wildly, sometimes rushing straight into the sky, sometimes forming a vortex of green wind.
On Flowing Cloud Peak, the clouds were the densest. The mountain seemed to be cultivating, constantly swallowing and exhaling the surrounding clouds, forming countless cloud formations.
Eight main peaks!
In addition, there are secondary peaks, small peaks and broken peaks.
Ning Zhuo was now on the hillside of a small peak, with a huge palace behind him containing a teleportation formation.
There are many small peaks and sub-peaks, and Ning Zhuo even saw a hill floating in the clouds.
Some peaks are covered with flying pavilions and jade-like buildings, while others are covered with flower gardens, medicinal gardens, animal pens and heavenly lakes.
Countless cultivators shuttled between these peaks like flying ants. Some flew on swords, some rode monsters and cloud beasts, some controlled mechanical flying boats, and some even rode the clouds.
Exactly——
Thousands of cloud seals lock the dark sky, and eight pillars support the sky and suppress the nine dragons.
The star symbols in the formation form a sea, and the beasts make their nests in the clouds and the young boy herds them.
The elixir burns nine times and the clouds turn into blood, the thunder bans three times and the chains bind the evil.
The sword rings and hangs upside down, bringing tears to the eyes of the people; the vines dance and the grass devours the immortals' traces.
The ups and downs of the sky roll up the energy of the universe, and the flowing clouds exhale and breathe in all the disasters.
Suddenly I saw stars and rain falling from the jade tower, and then I realized that this scene was not a dream!
Wen Ruanyu was beside Ning Zhuo and introduced him at the right moment: "The eight main peaks are not accessible to ordinary cultivators. Even if I want to climb them, I have to report it in advance."
He stretched out his hand and drew a circle with his finger. "But these small peaks are home to the sixteen halls of the Wanxiang Sect. They are places my nephew will frequent in the future, so it would be best to familiarize yourself with them this morning."
Ning Zhuo was curious and asked with his spiritual sense, "Senior Wen, you are the true disciple of the Wanxiang Sect's Golden Elixir, but you can't enter and exit the eight main peaks freely?"
Wen Ruanyu smiled bitterly, "Even your mother doesn't have the qualifications. Our Wanxiang Sect is huge, with a large number of members, so there are... quite a few Golden Core True Transmissions. And there are many internal matters involved. Your mother didn't tell you, probably because it involves too many things, and the situation has changed. I will explain it to you after I finish my report."
After a pause, Wen Ruanyu continued, "Of course, you have to give me some time to find out the current situation within the sect. After all, I've been away from the sect for too long."
"Are you really going to act alone and not live in my cave?"
Ning Zhuo shook his head and refused again: "Since the environment is safe, I would rather use my own feet to measure this sacred land. After all, this is the sect my mother joined."
Wen Runyu laughed, then thought of her senior sister Meng Yaoyin and sighed.
He patted Ning Zhuo on the shoulder and told him again before leaving: If there is an emergency, tell Ning Zhuo not to hesitate and just crush the jade pendant to warn him. He will do his best to help!
During the trip to Baizhi Fairy City, apart from anything else, Wen Runyu has become Ning Zhuo's most reliable and most useful person in the Wanxiang Sect.
This is not only the friendship between Meng Yaoyin and Wen Runyu, Wen Runyu's admiration and respect for Meng Yaoyin, but also Wen Runyu's optimism about Ning Zhuo himself!
The two chatted for a few more words and then parted ways in the square.
Wen Ruanyu took out a blue cloud, put one hand behind her back, and walked away calmly and gracefully.
Ning Zhuoze, like other monks, also left this place.
He was cautious by nature, and when he first entered the treasure land, he naturally wouldn't use the Wanli Youlong technique—it was usually used by cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage. If Ning Zhuo used a small Foundation Establishment technique, it would be too ostentatious.
The Wanxiang Sect was about to hold the Feiyun Conference, and a large number of monks were rushing to join the Wanxiang Sect. Therefore, the Wanxiang Sect also specially dispatched many monks to take on new members.
Ning Zhuo approached one of the monks in charge of receiving the disciples and briefly inquired about the direction. The monk pulled out a stack of jade slips and said, "These are my homemade jade slips. They contain a rough map of the sect's topography, as well as many detailed descriptions. If this fellow Daoist needs anything, all it takes is ten low-grade spirit stones."
The cultivator who was guiding them was only at the Qi Refining Stage. Facing Ning Zhuo, the outsider who was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he rubbed his hands and his eyes were bright.
Ning Zhuo paid the spirit stones and bought a jade slip.
The jade slip contained a brief introduction to the Wanxiang Sect, which was exactly what Ning Zhuo needed most. Although Buddhist doctor Meng Yaoyin had left him a message on the jade slip, it didn't cover this basic knowledge.
Following the map in the jade slip, Ning Zhuo first arrived at a place above the moving clouds.
Xingyun is not a large area, with only one palace and a plaque with the words "Twelfth Branch of Tongshang Hall" on it.
The Wanxiang Sect has eight main peaks and sixteen halls, among which the Tongshang Hall is responsible for internal and external transactions and manages many traveling merchant teams.
The entire branch palace is cast from red copper, and the roof tiles are all cast in the shape of a Pixiu swallowing gold. The bronze beads hanging from the eaves collide with each other in the wind, making a tinkling sound.
Ning Zhuo stepped over the cyan-gold threshold, stepped on the floor tiles that shone with auspicious light, and saw that the layout of the hall was extremely simple.
The four walls were lined with cabinets, their tops reaching up to the ceiling. Outside the cabinets were long tables, interlocked and arranged in a circle. Inside the long tables were monks conducting business, while outside were people sizing, bargaining, or selling.
In the center of the hall is an octagonal counter that forms the shape of the Bagua formation.
The octagonal counter was very large, with at least fifty monks gathered inside.
A square white jade stele stood in the center of the counter, inscribed on all four sides. The inscription scrolled, displaying the real-time price list. Ning Zhuo glanced at it and saw words like "Heavenly Fire Sand," "Mysterious Ice Marrow," and "Flowing Cloud Tea."
He had the jade slip of guidance he had bought before, and knew that this octagonal counter in the Wanxiang Sect was called the Eight Directions Treasure Appraisal Platform.
The monks in the platform are responsible for identification.
Some used rulers to measure the age of medicinal herbs, some used basins to trace the origins of magical weapons, and some relied on the array above their heads to distinguish the real from the fake. Wherever the array's light passed, the authenticity of the goods would be revealed in rainbow-colored lights.
Ning Zhuo looked around, walked to the counter in the southwest corner, stated his needs and asked for the price.
What he wants to buy is still intelligence.
Of course, there is information trading in the Trade Hall.
The monk gave Ning Zhuo a quote, offering five price ranges. After asking a few questions, Ning Zhuo fell into deep thought.
The highest-end ones are extremely expensive, so Ning Zhuo is the first to rule them out.
Ning Zhuo didn't want to pay the second price.
Even at the third price, he estimated that the cash on hand would be quite stretching.
When Ning Zhuo was in Baizhi Immortal City, he invested all his energy in forming the Qingjiao Army, and basically used up all the war funds of the two countries.
However, he eventually destroyed the Lord of Wangchuan's century-long conspiracy and collected the spoils.
These spoils can be piled up into a small mountain, but it will take a lot of time and a relatively long process to transform them.
This is because these spoils are things from the underworld, and taking them out in large quantities will inevitably cause market turmoil and a huge sensation.
Too much attention!
It will also reveal a lot of Ning Zhuo's secrets.
Although Ning Zhuo reached an alliance with the Lord of Baizhi City, he did not use her channels to convert the spoils on a large scale.
His previous explanation to the Lord of White Paper City was that the Qingjiao Army had fought in the underworld for a while before returning immediately. How could he explain the large amount of spoils he was now taking out?
The Qingjiao Army also needs to work closely with the Baizhi Immortal City. This newly formed alliance has already revealed a false side, which is definitely harmful rather than beneficial.
Before leaving, Ning Zhuo traded his Yang Qi for a batch of spirit stones from the White Paper City Lord. Knowing that Yang Qi was extremely important to the White Paper City Lord, he did not take the opportunity to raise the price, fully demonstrating his sincerity in cooperation.
Ning Zhuo used the Wanli Wandering Dragon to travel faster, which consumed some of his spirit stones. The transportation fee consumed the majority of them.
The cost of using the teleportation array is not based on the number of people, but is based on actual usage. The higher the cultivator's level and the more treasures they have, the higher the fee will be.
The Wanli Youlong on Ning Zhuo's waist, Qing Chi, Sun Lingtong, and the chef who are hiding here, as well as many mechanical pedestals, etc., are all included in the price.
Of course, Wanli Youlong itself has the ability to travel through the void, and Sun Lingtong has also absorbed the marrow of the Void Evil God. With this blessing, the fee Ning Zhuo paid was still lower than the usual price.
Cultivators with this ability would have an advantage when using teleportation arrays. If a cultivator traveled from place to place, had no fixed abode, and frequently used teleportation arrays, this advantage would accumulate over the years, saving a considerable amount of spirit stones.
Ning Zhuo hesitated at the third and fourth highest prices.
Just as he was about to ask the monk selling the goods in detail about the difference between the two prices, two monks walked up to Ning Zhuo.
One of them smiled and took the initiative to talk: "My fellow Daoist, my name is Shen Xi, and this is my cousin Su Lingkou. We are both from Jiugong Immortal City."
Ning Zhu's heart moved slightly, and he quickly recalled that it seemed that he was a group of cultivators who boarded the teleportation array and came here at the same time.
One of the transit stations for Ning Zhuo and Wen Runyu is the Jiugong Fairy City.
"My name is Ning Zhuo, and it's a pleasure to meet you two fellow Taoists." Ning Zhuo greeted them.
Chen Xi explained his purpose: "It's not that I intend to spy, but our goal is the same as yours, and we also want to come here to buy information about the Wanxiang Sect."
"In my humble opinion, why don't we join forces and purchase a third-tier jade slip? What do you think, fellow Daoist?"
Ning Zhuo looked carefully at the two people in front of him.
Chen Xi was a thin man, his complexion like cold jade, his eyebrows and eyes gentle as ink. His right palm, covered with calluses, was currently holding a round jade pendant, rubbing it continuously.
He held his hair together with an ebony hairpin, the tip of which was inlaid with a Sumeru mustard seed stone, emitting the aura of a magical weapon. Over his plain green robe lay a cloak with a black silkworm cloud pattern, the corners of which were adorned with two-yin and two-yang colored glaze buckles, emitting a protective aura. The jade pendant in his hand was also a magical array disk.
Chen Xi's cultivation is at the foundation-building stage, much stronger than Ning Zhuo.
On the other side, Su Lingkou had a light complexion and lively eyes.
Her hairband was made of plain silver chain buckles, and she wore a honey-colored short jacket with a slanted collar and a moon-white pleated skirt. Both wrists were tied with five-colored ropes.
She was also at the Foundation Establishment stage, but the magical aura of the headband could not be concealed.
Both of them are only of average appearance, but they have the bearing of a noble person.
Magical weapons are usually used by cultivators at the Jindan and Yuanying levels, but the two men each possessed one or two, revealing their considerable wealth. Their attire, all of it imbued with magical artifacts and a connected aura, was clearly a set. This appearance alone was enough to make them stand out from the crowd.
In comparison, Ning Zhuo's appearance, aside from his large, conspicuous head that gave him a handsome air, was unremarkable, whether in clothing or in treasures (although the mechanical dragon was wrapped around his waist, it was hidden under his outer garments, also to reduce his aura).
Ning Zhuo smiled at Er Xiu: "This is a good suggestion!"
But then he looked at the monk selling the goods in embarrassment and asked whether the joint venture between the two parties complied with the rules of trade?
The monk waved his hand, saying it was fine, but he also reminded Ning Zhuo that there were risks involved. For example, one of the monks had checked ahead and used his spiritual sense to erase some key information, and he had the means to do so without anyone noticing.
After hearing this, Chen Xi took the initiative to extend his palm and said to Ning Zhuo, "The jade slip can be passed through Fellow Daoist Ning's hands first."
Ning Zhuo was not polite and thanked him.
The two parties cooperated, and the jade slip was handed to Ning Zhuo by the sales monk. He immediately took out a blank jade slip and began to copy the contents.
Chen Xi asked the sales monk, "The contents of this jade slip can be reproduced. If multiple parties jointly purchase it, then buy low and sell high, wouldn't that be a big blow to Tongshangtang's intelligence business? Isn't there a clause about this in the Wanxiang Sect's rules?"
The sales monk waved his hand and said, "Our Wanxiang Sect is one of the best among the super sects in terms of size and number of people, but our sect rules are pitifully few."
"It is precisely because of the lack of shackles that we can give full play to the potential of such a large number of disciples, allowing our Wanxiang Sect to always be the number one sect in Feiyun Country!"
"Of course, this kind of buying low and selling high situation has happened before, and after a period of time, it will be cracked down on and severely punished."
"You are obviously new here. Allowing you to do this is my personal decision. Of course, you may lie to me. But overall, it's just this kind of intelligence."
The sales monk's answer was quite generous, and Ning Zhuo, who was engraving the jade slip, also took it to heart.
(End of this chapter)
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