Heavenly Laws of the Cultivation World

"Disband?" Lin Xuan was startled. "Would that avert the looming disaster? Would that Core Condensation Realm senior stop and spare them?"

"Of course." Li Hai looked astonished and somewhat puzzled. "Could it be that Senior Brother has never heard of the heavenly laws of the Cultivation World?"

"Heavenly laws?" Lin Xuan shook his head, putting on an embarrassed expression. "I usually do not like reading, nor have I ever heard any elders speak of them. I will have to ask Senior Brother for guidance."

That was naturally a lie. Lin Xuan often visited the Library Pavilion, but he only looked up information. In other words, he only read books beneficial to his cultivation. This was indeed his first time hearing of the heavenly laws of the Cultivation World.

Playing dumb was one of Lin Xuan's greatest skills. Li Hai did not suspect a thing. This man truly loved to talk, and it was rare for a highly cultivated junior brother to seek his advice. It suited him perfectly, and he immediately launched into an endless explanation.

The cruelty of the Cultivation World was common knowledge. During the several years Lin Xuan had spent in the valley, though he had never gone out to gain experience, he had absorbed much through what he saw and heard. Laws still existed in the mortal world, but the Cultivation World had nowhere near so many rules. Whoever had the bigger fist was the boss; even crooked reasoning became truth when it came from them. Everything was settled through strength.

People were killed over a single disagreement, and innocent men were condemned by the jade they possessed—murders for treasure happened every day. Strictly speaking, there was no true distinction between righteous and evil. Cultivators acted according to their strength and their own preferences.

However, nothing was absolute. Though bloody storms raged through the Cultivation World every day, there were still some restrictions. These were the heavenly laws Li Hai had mentioned.

Their contents were as follows: if a dispute arose between sects, or between a sect and Rogue Cultivators, then no matter how deep the enmity between them, once one side admitted defeat and crippled its own cultivation, the matter was over. For Rogue Cultivators, this meant crippling their own cultivation. For a sect, every member had to cripple their cultivation, and the sect itself had to be disbanded.

So long as this was done, the other side was forbidden from making things difficult for them or seeking revenge, no matter how great the hatred. Otherwise, they would become the public enemy of the entire Cultivation World and be hunted until their souls scattered and their spirits dispersed.

This was an ironclad rule. For ten thousand years, no cultivator had ever dared violate it.

For Mortals, nothing was more serious than death. But for cultivators, losing their power and becoming an ordinary, mediocre person was the greatest agony. It was a choice harder than death, and crippling one's cultivation was irreversible. In other words, there would never again be any hope of cultivation. The side that spared them also need not worry about leaving behind future trouble or facing revenge.

These heavenly laws had endured for tens of thousands of years. Who had established them and why was no longer clear. In any case, no one had ever defied them. In truth, for ninety-nine percent of cultivators and sects, after becoming lofty "immortal masters," they would rather die as jade than live as common clay; they would never wish to become Mortals again. Those willing to cripple their own cultivation were as few as the hairs on an ox.

Thus, although Lingyun Sect was merely a fourth- or fifth-rate minor sect, the news still caused a sensation once it spread. Cultivators within several thousand li all came rushing at the scent of it, preparing to attend the Treasure Trade Fair.

"Treasure Trade Fair?" Lin Xuan immediately paid close attention. Could this be what they had mentioned earlier—the sale of mid-grade cultivation techniques for Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators? Though he was eager to gather information, Lin Xuan did not reveal anything on the surface. Casually, he said, "What is a Treasure Trade Fair? I would ask Junior Brother to enlighten me."

Though they had only been together a short while, Lin Xuan had already seen through Li Hai's character. This fellow was the type who could not keep words bottled up. So long as Lin Xuan casually prompted him, he would naturally continue talking.

Just as expected, Li Hai grew more excited as he spoke. The man beside him named Chen Feng tried several times to interrupt, but could not get a word in edgewise. Watching the two compete to speak and reveal information to him, Lin Xuan secretly found it amusing, yet listened to their introduction with an unruffled expression.

The Treasure Trade Fair was, put plainly, very simple. Since Lingyun Sect had disbanded and all its disciples had crippled their cultivation to become Mortals, the sect's cultivation techniques, Spirit Stones, Spirit Tools, Talismans, and other treasures important to cultivators were naturally of no further use to them. They would all be sold off.

However, unlike ordinary cultivator transactions, which used Spirit Stones as currency, this special trade fair accepted only medicinal pills. The reason was simple: Spirit Stones were useless to ordinary people. Medicinal pills were different. Cultivators' various spiritual elixirs could not only raise cultivation and assist in training, but when eaten by ordinary people, they could also strengthen the body, dispel illness, and prolong life.

Since the members of Lingyun Sect feared death and would rather become ordinary people, they naturally wished to live happily for as long as possible, free of sickness and disaster. Therefore, they intended to exchange all the treasures they would no longer need after becoming Mortals for medicinal pills. Not only would they have more than enough for their entire lives, they could also pass them down to their descendants and ensure their family's prosperity.

As for whether they would invite disaster by possessing vast quantities of medicinal pills after losing their cultivation, there was no need to worry. The heavenly laws offered protection here as well. Cultivators could ordinarily murder others and seize their treasures as they pleased, but they were forbidden from robbing the possessions of cultivators who had crippled their cultivation and become Mortals. Otherwise, they too would become public enemies and be hunted to death.

Though Lingyun Sect was weak, it had still been passed down for over a thousand years. It would have some assets no matter what: cultivation techniques, Spirit Stones, Talismans, all manner of materials, and perhaps even precious Spirit Tools.

It was said that in regions with numerous cultivation sects and flourishing cultivators, there were Marketplaces dedicated to the exchange and sale of goods among cultivators. However, in Yanzhou of the Zhao State, where Floating Cloud Valley was located, there were only a handful of minor cultivation sects within several thousand li, and Rogue Cultivators were sparse as well. Thus, there were no Marketplaces. Lingyun Sect's disbandment and this Treasure Trade Fair immediately drew nearby cultivators in, giving everyone an opportunity not only to pick through Lingyun Sect's treasures, but also to exchange what they had for what they lacked. It was sure to be exceedingly lively.

After gathering the information, Lin Xuan was delighted. He had searched everywhere in worn-out shoes, only to find it without the slightest effort. At such a trade fair, he would certainly be able to buy a method for cultivating the Spirit Control Technique. "May I ask, Junior Brother, when and where will this trade fair be held?"

"What, does Senior Brother wish to buy treasures as well?"

Li Hai gave Lin Xuan a curious look. Though this Junior Brother Zhao's cultivation was remarkable, that was only relative to his age. A mid-stage Spirit Movement cultivator should not have anything to trade.

"Hehe, of course not." Lin Xuan would not be foolish enough to expose his intentions. "How could your senior brother possibly have anything to exchange? At most, I can only watch with envy. I am merely curious and wished to ask about it."

His words were entirely reasonable, and coupled with Lin Xuan's flawless deceptive expression, Li Hai and Chen Feng indeed had no suspicions. Once again, they answered what Lin Xuan wished to know.