The Jade Cauldron Domain covered an immense area. Though it did not span tens of thousands of miles like the Medicine King Domain, it possessed the bearing of a great domain in its own right.
Such a vast territory naturally could not be wholly occupied by the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.
It was merely the nominal overlord of the domain.
Within the domain, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect stood at the head, accompanied by six major Golden Core sects, collectively known as the Jade Cauldron Seven Sects.
Beneath them were quite a few sects, large and small.
Beyond that were gathering places for independent cultivators, primarily Immortal Cities and Marketplaces.
The larger Immortal Cities possessed high-grade spiritual lands, and their strength could even rival that of ordinary Golden Core sects.
Marketplaces, however, were rather peculiar.
There were over a thousand large Marketplaces throughout the Jade Cauldron Domain.
As for small Marketplaces, they were as numerous as carp crossing a river—impossible to count.
Wherever there was a Spiritually Flourishing Land or a vital transportation route, cultivators would always step forth to organize Marketplaces of varying sizes.
Some Marketplaces developed well enough to gradually draw the attention of sects, whose industries would then settle in one after another.
Among the countless Marketplaces, Great River Market was one of the rare exceptions.
It had not flourished because of people, but risen because of its location.
Facing the unexploited Million Mountains of the Eastern Wasteland, it held strategic importance.
Coupled with its abundant resources, it gradually accumulated a population.
By comparison, among the several nearby Marketplaces, only Snow Lotus Market possessed the same strategic importance. The rest were ordinary Marketplaces.
In terms of distance, they were all far removed from Great River Market.
Even Mount Tai Market, the second closest, lay a full eight