Three Factions

The clouds parted and the sun emerged, its warmth falling over him. In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.

After getting up that morning, Lin Xuan washed up, used his waist token to break the restriction, and descended from the pavilion. It was still early, yet cultivators could already be seen everywhere in twos and threes. It seemed he was far from the only one who had arrived early to prepare for the Treasure Trade Fair.

According to the Jade Slip's introduction, there would be a plaza south of the valley where cultivators could set up stalls.

There were not many cultivators within several thousand li of this place, nor were there any proper Marketplaces. Thus, Lingyun Sect's dissolution provided an opportunity—not only to pick through Lingyun Sect's treasures, but also for everyone to trade what they had for what they needed.

The Treasure Trade Fair would not open until tomorrow, so the cultivators setting up stalls in the plaza now were all outsiders.

After reviewing the information mentioned in the Jade Slip, Lin Xuan identified the route and headed toward the southern plaza. He had several purposes in doing so:

First, he naturally wanted to familiarize himself with the surroundings, such as clearly remembering the roads. That way, should some accident occur midway, it would be easier to escape.

Second, he wanted to learn the market prices. Although Lin Xuan had cultivated for quite some time, he had always remained within the sect. This was his first time attending a gathering of cultivators, and he had no real grasp of what the various items were worth. He needed to browse around first and learn the prices of different goods, so that once the Treasure Trade Fair began, he would not be cheated when buying a mid-tier cultivation technique.

Otherwise, if something worth only a hundred pills was priced at two hundred, and he foolishly paid because he did not know better, would he not become a complete sucker?

Third, he wanted to broaden his horizons. Staying in his room was boring anyway, and a cultivators' market was a rare sight. Naturally, he had to open his eyes and join the bustle.

With these three purposes in mind, Lin Xuan entered the market. Once he reached the plaza, he discovered that there were far more cultivators setting up stalls than he had imagined. A stall here, a shop there, and cries of sale rang out without end. Anyone who did not know better would have thought they had arrived at a mortal vegetable market.

"So many cultivators!" Lin Xuan made a rough estimate. There were at least two thousand cultivators setting up stalls and wandering around the plaza. Lingyun Sect's dissolution truly had far-reaching consequences. From the looks of it, not only cultivators from Yanzhou had come; cultivators from other places had also rushed here upon hearing the news.

Independent cultivators made up the majority. The various cultivation sects had also sent people, more or less. For instance, Floating Cloud Valley had two Foundation Establishment Realm elders leading the group. Though Floating Cloud Valley ranked only around the middle to lower end in strength across the entire Cultivation World, within Yanzhou it was absolutely an influential major sect. Two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were enough to draw attention and deter petty scoundrels.

Besides Floating Cloud Valley, seven or eight sects of varying sizes from Chongzhou—such as Fire Spirit Sect, Daofu Mountain, and Heavenly Star Sect—had also sent elders.

Among all the parties attending the Treasure Trade Fair, these cultivation sects possessed the greatest power. Their targets were likely precious materials for refining tools and Spirit Tools. Such treasures could greatly strengthen a sect's power, so naturally they could not be allowed to fall easily into others' hands. One could foresee a fierce struggle ahead.

But that had nothing to do with him. He already possessed three Spirit Tools, one of them even a top-grade one. He had more than enough. Lin Xuan had never intended to acquire any Spirit Tools, so his needs did not conflict with those of the major sects. He merely had to be careful not to be recognized by members of his own sect.

In truth, though, there was no need to worry about that. He had never met the two elders, and the others who had come were elite disciples who had entered the sect far earlier than he had. Even if they stood face-to-face, neither side would recognize the other.

Apart from the major sects, the next strongest were the various cultivation families. These small cultivation groups bound by blood ties were, strictly speaking, miniature sects. Their strength and numbers varied: some had over a hundred members, while others had only three or five. Their head was simply the family patriarch.

Although they were vastly inferior to the major sects, these cultivation families still possessed a certain degree of strength. Their targets were the poorest low-tier Spirit Tools that the major sects disdained, stronger Talismans, and cultivation techniques.

This overlapped with his own needs. They might become competitors when the time came. Lin Xuan frowned as he considered ways to deal with them.

Then there were the independent cultivators. They were the most numerous group, but also had the lowest cultivation and the least influence. Other than a small number like Lin Xuan, most had no particular goal in coming here. At most, they wanted to see the world, or try their luck at the Treasure Trade Fair and pick up things that the first two groups disdained but that they happened to need.

Thus, Lingyun Sect's dissolution and sale of its assets sounded pleasant enough on the surface: fellow cultivators could each obtain what they needed according to their financial means. But that was not really the case. The Cultivation World respected strength and knew no reason. If you happened to acquire something the major sects prized, then sorry—watch yourself. If things went badly, you might invite a bloody calamity.

To put it bluntly, the major sects picked first and ate the meat. Then came the cultivation families, who drank the soup. As for the independent cultivators, without any power to back them, they could only look on with envy and pick through scraps, hoping to find overlooked bargains.

Of course, it could not be said that independent cultivators gained nothing and labored for nothing. At the very least, this was a rare grand occasion in the Cultivation World, and they could broaden their horizons somewhat. That was one thing. Secondly, before the Treasure Trade Fair began, everyone could set up stalls. The sects and families might look down on these goods, but independent cultivators could use exchanges to find things they urgently needed.

Looking at the dense throng of cultivators before him, Lin Xuan analyzed the situation surrounding this Treasure Trade Fair. This was intelligence he had gathered and summarized before coming here. The only thing he had not expected was that the fair would be even grander than he had imagined. It had not even opened yet, but it had already drawn so many cultivators.