Tianxia Chamber of Commerce

"Senior, that's a huge joke!" Guan Zhongkai's tone lacked confidence, and his eyes became slightly confused. Hearing Niu Youde's words, he remembered some things. As the third-generation chief disciple of the World Commerce Association, he knew that the World Commerce Association was definitely not as simple as it seemed on the surface. Although he hadn't been deeply involved in some matters, he had sensed that something was amiss.

Grandmaster Yin Baikang, besides having numerous wives and descendants, had another remarkable abundance: a vast number of disciples. Everyone in the Cultivation World knew of his exceptional skill in training disciples; he had trained two Spirit Transformation stage disciples to become successful, and as for experts at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage, he must have had over a hundred! Even he himself couldn't keep track of how many senior uncles he had. This was one of the main reasons why the World Commerce Association wielded such immense power in the Cultivation World.

To outsiders, these martial uncles were the backbone of the World Commerce Association's headquarters, stationed at the Treasure Gathering Basin, and their master, Yin Baikang, rarely used them for anything. However, he inadvertently discovered that these martial uncles seemed to be doing something in secret. Once, he went to ask his master about it, only to be scolded and told not to worry about so much and to just do his own job.

Guan Zhongkai had always harbored doubts, but after hearing Niu Youde's words, everything became clear. At the same time, he was secretly astonished; could 'Hero' really be a force of the World Commerce Association?

Yue Qianchou's eyelids twitched slightly as she looked at him. She glanced at Yu Landu, who seemed to be listening intently, and a smile appeared on her lips. Then, she leaned forward and coaxed, "I'm right! Did you remember something?"

"Ah!" Guan Zhongkai came to his senses and repeatedly denied it, "Senior, you can't say such things carelessly. Our World Commerce Association is absolutely not a hero. Think about it! Our World Commerce Association is also one of the victims this time. We also had a Spirit Stone mine that was bloodily wiped out by heroes."

"Hehe! You can fool others, but you can't fool me." Yue Qianchou grinned mischievously, "The reason why the heroes even robbed the Spirit Stone mine of the World Commerce Association was precisely to help the World Commerce Association clear its name. Otherwise, everyone else would always suffer while your World Commerce Association would be unscathed. It would be a miracle if outsiders didn't suspect anything if the World Commerce Association had the power to do something so big. So, you World Commerce Association are very clever and ruthless! To cover your tracks, you're using your own people as scapegoats to divert everyone's suspicions."

Yue Qianchou's words became increasingly plausible, turning falsehoods into truths, which startled Guan Zhongkai. Especially after subconsciously glancing at Yu Landu in front of him, Guan Zhongkai was filled with annoyance at the sight of Yu Landu listening intently, wishing he could gag Niu Youde with something.

I blame myself for being so foolish; of all things to ask, I had to bring up this topic. If word gets out, the World Commerce Association will immediately become the target of public criticism, and my master will skin me alive.

"Absolutely impossible. Senior, you may not know this, but back then, the first person the hero kidnapped was my grandmaster's grandson. This is something the entire Cultivation World knows. This is the second time the World Commerce Association has been targeted by the hero for robbing the Spirit Stone mine. If the World Commerce Association were the hero, it wouldn't keep targeting itself!" Guan Zhongkai couldn't wait to clear his name.

"Anyway, the journey is boring, so I'll just tease you a bit!" Yue Qianchou sneered, lazily speaking from the stern of the boat, "Stop arguing. Some things can't stand up to scrutiny. I ask you, why did the hero kidnap your World Commerce Association members the first time he appeared, and not someone else? Did they try to show that they had nothing to do with the World Commerce Association as soon as they appeared? Also, why did the hero only harm others once, but specifically target your World Commerce Association twice? Little do they know, the more eager someone is to clear their name, the more suspicious that person is."

"This..." Guan Zhongkai was almost sweating profusely from what he said. He kept glancing at Yu Landu in front of him and said with a wry smile, "Senior, the hero really has nothing to do with our World Commerce Association."

"I told you not to argue with me." Yue Qianchou crossed his legs and said, "If you keep arguing, do you believe I'll figure out your purpose and motives for doing this?"

"I..." Guan Zhongkai was speechless. Should he admit the truth if he didn't continue to defend himself? He decided to stop talking; otherwise, he'd probably get sick from the fright. He immediately changed the subject, saying, "Senior, let's get down to business. You said last time that Yan Zhuixing possessed unparalleled martial arts skills, but after my master's investigation, it's completely fabricated. We're about to arrive at the World Commerce Association. Have you thought about how you're going to explain this to my master?"

In fact, Guan Zhongkai had been puzzled all along. The whole thing had been exposed, proving that Niu Youde was lying, but why did Niu Youde still seem to be doing nothing? Wasn't he afraid at all?

"Investigate?" Yue Qianchou scoffed. "All you found was a baseless claim? Your grandmaster Yin Baikang's judgment is highly questionable! Let Yan Zhuixing come before me and see what happens! Others may not know, but don't you? Have you forgotten the scene where Yan Zhuixing fled in disgrace after I exposed his true colors that day?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Zhongkai recalled the scene of Yan Zhuixing and the others leaving that day, and it was indeed very suspicious. He nodded and said, "I'm afraid you'll have to explain this to my grandmaster yourself; we can't explain it clearly."

"Explain my ass! Believe it or not, I didn't order him to hunt down Yan Zhuixing, it's none of my business." Yue Qianchou sneered, "So what if I don't explain? What can your grandmaster do to me? You're crazy!"

Guan Zhongkai was stunned. He had hoped to bring him to the main headquarters so he could explain things to his master himself. A clear explanation would ease his own burden. But judging from his tone, he actually wanted to act tough with his master. What if he angered his master? Wouldn't that be another grave offense for Guan Zhongkai, the one who brought him here?

An endless expanse of towering mountains and ancient, pristine forests. Beneath the boundless verdancy lies a sinister and terrifying atmosphere, where dense vines and creepers abound, and various ferocious beasts frequently appear, uttering fierce roars. This is the location of the World Commerce Association within the territory of the Tuan Kingdom.

Yue Qianchou lay prone beside the flying Law Artifact, watching the receding mountain scenery below. Only cultivators would settle and live in such a treacherous place; it would be difficult for ordinary people to venture deep into it. He fiddled with a pile of silver balls in his hand, occasionally tossing one down, seemingly to hunt birds. The other two watched with a toothache!

The terrain ahead suddenly became precipitous, with peaks rising abruptly from place to place. Yue Qianchou walked to the front of the flying Law Artifact and saw that in the distance, clouds and mist swirled, and within the clouds stood a tall mountain. Although it wasn't very high, its altitude clearly dwarfed the surrounding mountains. In the ethereal atmosphere, it had a somewhat fairyland feel. Yue Qianchou raised his chin and asked, "That should be the God of Wealth Peak?"

Guan Zhongkai, who switched hands to pilot the flying Law Artifact, replied, "That's right. The place protected by the clouds and mist is the Treasure Gathering Basin, and that highest peak is the core area of the Treasure Gathering Basin, the headquarters of the World Commerce Association, the God of Wealth Peak." He then shook his head with a wry smile and said, "It's all thanks to you, senior. We can go directly to the God of Wealth Peak without having to enter from the entrance. This is the first time in all these years that I've been qualified to descend directly to the God of Wealth Peak."

Yue Qianchou crossed his arms and pinched his chin, saying, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I'll go in through the entrance and see what this world-famous Treasure Gathering Basin is really like."

Guan Zhongkai nodded without saying much. In fact, he was also a little uneasy because he had made a mistake and dared not see his master. It would be better to postpone the meeting.

Soon, the flying Law Artifact landed at the foot of the two mountain peaks. These two mountains weren't high, but they were strangely shaped, like twins, almost identical in appearance. Standing on the edge of the clouds, like two silent guardians, they added to the mystery of the place.

Guan Zhongkai put away the flying Law Artifact and said to Yue Qianchou was looking around, "Senior, please follow me."

Yue Qianchou nodded and followed the two people on his left and right. Once they were deeper into the clouds, they realized the fog was incredibly thick; even with his cultivation level, his visibility was only about three meters. After crossing between two mountains, they discovered a cliff ahead, with an iron chain bridge extending from the clouds connecting it to the edge. Judging from the thick main chains of the suspension bridge on both sides and the direction behind them, the bridge should be anchored to those two mountains.

Walking on the swaying bridge, Yue Qianchou asked in bewilderment, "What does this mean? Why not just fly across? Why bother building a suspension bridge?"

As Guan Zhongkai walked, he turned back to explain, "Senior, you may not know this, but this place is the headquarters of our sect, so the defenses are extremely tight. This cloud formation is not an ordinary protective array, but an extremely powerful killing array. The only way for outsiders to enter and exit this place is through this suspension bridge. When crossing this bridge, anyone who is pulled out of the area above, below, left, or right of the bridge will be immediately drawn into this killing array. Of course, those who have the sect's permission will be allowed to enter and exit through other channels."

Yu Landu also turned around and said, "Moreover, this passage can be closed at any time."

Yue Qianchou clicked his tongue and said, "The defenses are indeed quite tight. It's very difficult for someone who wants to cause trouble to get in. And it's even more difficult for someone who has caused trouble to escape."

"That's natural. The World Commerce Association has always strived to provide the safest trading venue for cultivators across the world," Guan Zhongkai said with considerable pride.

The three walked nearly two hundred meters before reaching the end of the bridge, where they found themselves in a cave. On either side of the cave were two enormous tiger heads, seemingly crafted from black iron, their heads poking out with lifelike detail. The two main chains of the suspension bridge extended from the tigers' mouths, creating a majestic and imposing sight.

Upon entering the cave, it was brightly lit, illuminated by fluorescent stones. About five or six meters in, he discovered two stone chambers carved into the cave walls, each containing several cultivators. Yue Qianchou looked around and realized that he couldn't discern the cultivation level of any of them...

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