Chapter 117 Yangzhou Barter Convention

Of the 3 commanderies, Boyang Commandery lay in the heartland, shielded to the west by Yu Commandery and protected to the north by both Jiaoyang and Yunyang Commanderies, making it the safest among the 3.

The Jiaoyang County that Eldrin (Person Name) was heading to this time was quite similar to Yu County. Being the closest to the E'Shi Ridge, they served as the first line of defense for Yangzhou.

Within Scorchsun County, aside from 6 or 7 Foundation Establishment clans, there existed a supreme-grade, rank-3 spirit vein. It served as the primary bastion for Yang Province against the encroaching threats from the Lion Ridge Mountains.

This third-grade, top-tier spiritual vein was cultivated by the previous sect master of the Qingyang Sect, who overrode all objections and expended over 1,000,000 spirit stones to nurture it. A fourth-grade formation was then deployed, with numerous cultivators stationed to guard it.

It was precisely by relying on this barrier that for 5 100 years, the E’shi Ridge had never crossed Yangzhou, nor once successfully breached the heartland of the Chu Kingdom (Location). This allowed the immortal clans of Qingzhou to recuperate and rebuild their strength for centuries.

Eldrin (Person Name) traversed the Bianyang Mountain Range spanning Yu County, crossed over Boyang County, and flew a staggering 130,000 li before finally arriving at Jiaoyang County.

Jiaoyang Market.

Looking at the market before him, Eldrin's eyes flickered slightly as he recalled the intelligence he had gathered.

Scorchsun Market was the largest cultivation market in Yangzhou, situated beneath the third-grade superior spiritual vein of Scorched Sun Mountain (Location). It was jointly governed by the Qingyang Sect and the prominent immortal clans of Scorchyang County.

5-tenths of this market's tax revenue fell into the hands of the Qingyang Sect, the Pan Clan(Pan Clan) of Jiaoyang County's Zifu lineage claimed 3-tenths, while the remaining 2-tenths were jointly controlled by the Foundation Establishment clans of Jiaoyang County.

Don't underestimate these commission shares. You must understand that the tax revenue of Scorchsun Market far surpasses that of Solaris Bazaar, as it essentially combines the functions of both Fengyang Trading Post and Celestial Ruins Mountain.

This market had been in operation for over 5 100 years, ranking among the top 10 in the entire Chu Kingdom. Its annual tax revenue alone exceeded 30,000 spirit stones—more than 6 times that of the Yuyang Market.

With these thoughts in mind, Eldrin stepped into the Scorching Sun Market.

Entering Jiaoyang Market, he intended to locate the Qingyang Pavilion—an establishment under the Qingyang Sect specializing in the sale of elixirs and magical artifacts.

After inquiring about the location of the Suncrest Pavilion, he went straight there and was received by a Suncrest Sect steward.

This person was named Qin Lingyuan (Person Name), with a cultivation base at Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm). Upon seeing him, he smiled warmly and said.

"Fellow Daoist, your face is unfamiliar. Is this your first time visiting the Scorching Sun Market?"

Eldrin nodded. "I hail from the Chen Clan of Yu County, and have come for the Yangzhou Artifact Exchange Convention."

"Bianzhou is over a 100 1000 li from Scorched Sun Mountain (Location). You've endured quite the journey, Fellow Daoist." Qin Lingyuan smiled cordially before finally addressing the main matter: "Might I ask what brings you to our Qingyang Pavilion? What are you looking to acquire?"

"To be frank, I came to Jiaoyang Market specifically for the Qingyuan Pills."

Upon hearing his request to purchase the Qingyang Elixir, Qin Lingyuan (Person Name) revealed a bitter smile and shook his head repeatedly. "To be frank with you, in these 2 months leading up to the Exchange Assembly, you are the sixteenth fellow practitioner to inquire about the Qingyuan Pill (Elixir)."

"I've long since run out myself. Even if someone were to trade at the Exchange Assembly, Fellow Daoist should still brace yourself for what's to come."

Hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) could only shake his head helplessly before taking his leave.

No sooner had he departed than Qin Lingyuan stepped into the inner chamber, where an unfinished game of Go lay upon the board in the side room.

Across the incomplete board game, a white-haired elder held a chess piece, his brow furrowed in deep contemplation.

Seeing Qin Lingyuan approaching, the old man smiled faintly, "Why have you returned so soon, junior brother?"

"Another 1 coming for the Qingyuan Pills." Qin Lingyuan poised his chess piece above the board while adding casually, "A Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Chen Clan in Yujun of Bianzhou traveled all this way to Jiaoyang County for a single Qingyuan Pill. I'd say it's most likely a wasted trip."

"Let us not speak of him. It has been over a dozen years since we last met as fellow disciples—let us resume our game of chess!"

"Wait a moment!"

Before he could finish his words, the white-haired elder’s smile faded.

The old man lost all interest in the chess game, tossing down his piece with an expressionless face as he spoke.

"Chen Immortal Clan (Organization) of Yu Prefecture?"

"If I recall correctly, my brother-in-law Zuo Yunian (Person Name) fell by their hands."

"Senior Brother Yan..."

Qin Lingyuan’s expression shifted slightly. He rose to close the door securely before lowering his voice to caution,

"I have also heard of the Chen family's strength."

"Could it be Eldrin? This man's power is not to be underestimated."

Elder Martial Brother Yan slightly furrowed his brow, his gaze lingering on him with profound intensity before ultimately withdrawing. He resumed speaking at his own measured pace.

"If the newcomer is Eldrin, then I'm afraid we truly cannot afford to underestimate him."

"Rest assured, Brother Wei has been guarding Scorched Sun Mountain (Location) all these years. He and Zuo Younian (Person Name) have been close friends for a century, bound like blood brothers."

"Now that the opportunity has arisen, Senior Brother Wei likely won't let it slip by either."

As Elder Yan spoke, Qin Lingyuan finally nodded.

Although this Senior Martial Brother Yan before me was at Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm), his strength was rather ordinary. However, that Senior Martial Brother Wei’s origins were anything but commonplace.

That Senior Brother Wei, named Wei Mingyuan, was now over 1 100 and 70 years old. As the son of the Purple Mansion cultivator Chongyang (Person Name) from the Qingyang Sect, and with the support of his Purple Mansion father, he had already attempted to break through to the Purple Mansion realm twice.

Although both breakthroughs had failed, wasting 2 Li Fire Crystals (Spiritual Object), they had managed to unblock over half of his 'Purple Mansion Meridians'. His strength now far surpassed that of ordinary Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators.

At this thought, Qin Lingyuan nodded with a faint smile. "If Senior Brother Wei takes action, Eldrin will surely lie dead in Yangzhou this time."

Eldrin was completely unaware that he had already caught the attention of cultivators from the Qingyang Sect.

Zuo Yunian had spent nearly 2 100 years in the Qingyang Sect, and it was expected by the Chen Family that he would have formed lasting friendships with some longtime companions.

Eldrin never imagined that these old friends would still seek vengeance for the fallen Zuo Yuannian, let alone encounter them by chance at the Scorching Sun Marketplace.

After leaving the Green Sun Pavilion, Eldrin refused to give up and proceeded to the establishment of the Violet Mansion's Pan Clan. Unfortunately, neither the Green Origin Mushroom nor the Green Origin Pills were available in the Pan family's shop either.

Left with no other choice, Eldrin could only wait for the Yangzhou Exchange Convention to commence.

Cultivation knows no time. A dozen or so days passed in the blink of an eye, and on this day, the Yangzhou Artifact Exchange Convention finally commenced.

Compared to the Bianzhou Trading Fair, this Yangzhou Trading Fair was noticeably more lively. At the previous Fengyang Trading Post (Location), the cultivators participating in the trading fair were primarily Foundation Establishment cultivators from Bianzhou, so there were only 50-some attendees.

However, Yangzhou and Qingzhou were largely under the control of the Qingyang Sect. Thus, aside from the cultivators from Yangzhou, many cultivators from Qingzhou also participated in this event.

With the beast tide approaching, the Border Province Exchange Convention was exceptionally lively, drawing the participation of over a 100 Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Eldrin entered the trading assembly venue only to find cultivators gathered in small clusters of twos and threes. Standing alone, he appeared conspicuously solitary, his isolation making him a distinctive figure amidst the crowd.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, it has been a long time."

At that very moment, a voice suddenly rang out:

Chapter 1: Rebirth of the Immortal Monarch The sky tore open with a thunderous roar, crimson lightning dancing across the heavens like vengeful serpents. Amidst the raging storm, a figure stood tall upon the peak of Mount Celestial, his white robes stained with blood. "Fellow Daoists, have you truly come this far just for my Eternal Heaven Scripture?" Lin Xuan's voice remained calm, though his spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Before him stood tens of thousands of cultivators from the 3 immortal sects and 9 demonic clans. "Lin Xuan, hand over the scripture and we might spare your soul!" roared the white-bearded elder floating in the lead, gripping his Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure). Lin Xuan chuckled, a trace of irony flashing in his eyes. "Spare my soul? What a joke! You've hunted me down across 90-8 realms, slaughtered my disciples, and destroyed my sect. Did you ever think to show mercy?" He raised his hand, a golden scroll materializing in his palm. "Since you all desire this Eternal Heaven Scripture so much... let us perish together!" Before the crowd could react, Lin Xuan channeled his remaining spiritual power into the scroll. A blinding golden light erupted, engulfing the entire mountain peak. "Madman! He's detonating the supreme treasure!" someone screamed in terror. The last thing Lin Xuan felt was his soul being torn apart by the terrifying energy... *** "Brother Xuan! Brother Xuan! Wake up!" A familiar voice echoed in his ears. Lin Xuan struggled to open his eyes, finding himself lying on a simple wooden bed. The youth shaking his shoulder was none other than his childhood friend from the Lin family - Lin Xiaohu. "Am I... dreaming?" Lin Xuan looked at his own hands - no wounds, no bloodstains, just the smooth skin of a teenager. "What nonsense are you talking about? The aptitude test is about to begin! If we're late, the elders will skin us alive!" Lin Xiaohu dragged him out of bed anxiously. Walking through the familiar corridors of the Lin family estate, Lin Xuan finally confirmed it - he had returned to 3 100 years ago, to the day that determined his fate! At the training ground, hundreds of Lin family youths had already gathered. On the high platform sat several clan elders, their expressions stern. "Next, Lin Xuan!" Hearing his name, Lin Xuan took a deep breath and stepped onto the testing platform. He placed his hand on the Testing Spirit Stone (Magical Artifact), which immediately began to glow. "Fifth level of Qi Refinement, low-grade spiritual roots!" announced the elder in charge of testing, his voice filled with disappointment. Mocking whispers immediately arose from the crowd: "Tch, and I thought he was something special!" "The son of the former clan leader, yet he only has low-grade spiritual roots?" "What a waste of the family's resources!" Lin Xuan paid no attention to the sarcastic remarks, silently stepping down from the platform. In his previous life, he had been devastated by this result, but now... he only felt endless excitement. Though his current aptitude was indeed poor, as the reborn Immortal Monarch who had once reached the Mahayana stage, he possessed countless supreme techniques and cultivation experiences. What did spiritual roots matter? The test continued, and soon it was Lin Xiaohu's turn. "Eighth level of Qi Refinement, high-grade spiritual roots!" The entire training ground erupted in an uproar. The clan elders who had been sitting expressionless now looked at Lin Xiaohu with shining eyes. "Excellent! Our Lin family has finally produced a genius!" The Great Elder laughed heartily. "From today onward, Xiaohu will receive 5,000 spirit stones per month as cultivation resources!" Lin Xiaohu walked down the platform surrounded by envious gazes, but when he passed by Lin Xuan, a barely noticeable trace of pity flashed in his eyes. After the test, Lin Xuan returned to his simple room. Just as he was about to begin cultivating, he heard a knock at the door. "Brother Xuan," Lin Xiaohu's voice came from outside, "I've brought you some Spirit Gathering Pills (Elixir)." The door opened, and Lin Xiaohu stood holding a jade bottle, speaking sincerely, "With these pills, your cultivation should improve faster." Looking at the friend who had once betrayed him, Lin Xuan's eyes flickered. In his previous life, it was these very Spirit Gathering Pills that had damaged his meridians, causing his cultivation to regress instead of advance. "Thank you for your kindness, but I cannot accept these." Lin Xuan declined calmly. Lin Xiaohu was momentarily stunned, then forced a smile. "Brother Xuan, are you being polite with me? We grew up together..." "Precisely because we grew up together," Lin Xuan interrupted, his gaze sharp, "that I understand your... good intentions." A flash of panic crossed Lin Xiaohu's eyes, but he quickly returned to normal. "Since that's the case, I won't insist. But Brother Xuan, if you ever need anything, feel free to ask me." Watching Lin Xiaohu leave, Lin Xuan sneered coldly. In this life, he would not repeat the same mistakes. He sat cross-legged on his bed, beginning to operate the Eternal Heaven Scripture. Although this supreme technique required tremendous spiritual power to activate, its foundational chapters were surprisingly suitable for low-level cultivators. As the spiritual energy between heaven and earth gathered towards him, Lin Xuan suddenly felt a strange sensation in his dantian. A golden light emerged - it was actually the Eternal Heaven Scripture that had self-destructed with him! "This..." Lin Xuan was both shocked and overjoyed. The Eternal Heaven Scripture had actually merged with his soul! With the assistance of this supreme technique, his cultivation speed increased dramatically. In just 1 night, he had broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement! Opening his eyes, Lin Xuan looked at the morning light filtering through the window, a confident smile curling at the corners of his mouth. His path to revenge had just begun.