Time flowed on, years wore away.
The heavens' waves faded easily; even an inch of summer could not be held.
In a daze, five years had flashed by.
For the entire North Sea Cultivation World, five years were but the flick of a finger. The vast sea had not changed, nor had mulberry fields shifted.
The so-called Righteous-Demonic War seemed like a backdrop, still raging in full swing.
Yet for low-level cultivators, five years meant that far too many things had changed.
Perhaps a minor breakthrough in cultivation, perhaps a choice that determined one's life's course, or even the birth of a small new life.
Within Dragon Abyss Immortal City.
A weathered-looking man was chattering away as he discussed business with someone.
"Why is the price of this batch of Copper Essence different from usual? It's risen by a full twenty percent!"
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, Shouyang Mountain has been breached."
"Shouyang Mountain—the mountain reputed to have the highest confirmed copper reserves in the Northern Sea?"
"Yes. Shouyang Mountain was originally under the Azure Sea Alliance's control, steadily mining vast quantities of brass every year and refining Copper Essence. But the Devilbreak Sect launched a massive invasion, while the Penglai Immortal Sect kept them tied down from the rear. Even heavily garrisoned Shouyang Mountain was forcibly captured. Now that there is no stable source of Copper Essence, prices have naturally risen with the tide."
At this point, the cultivator gave a bitter smile. "And it isn't just Copper Essence. Even basic materials such as Iron Essence, Lead Wood, and cinnabar needed for Talisman Making have recently risen in price because of the Righteous-Demonic War."
Seeing Zhang Jiadi's shifting expression, the cultivator suddenly changed the subject.
"Actually, your Azure Sun Shop isn't very large. Why do you need such an enormous amount