Qingtian Market!

"Qingtian Market currently has four peak True Essence cultivators, all at the fifth level of Sense Imprint. One is Senior Sister Qian Yu, and the other three are disciples you took in when you were at Yinlian Village."

"Below them are fourteen ordinary True Essence cultivators, including myself."

"And below them are two hundred True Qi cultivators, chosen from the best, and we don't accept just anyone."

"Inside and outside the market, there are eleven layers of formations set up, including Spirit Gathering, Bewildering Mist, Sword Qi, Dragon Binding, and Vajra. Unless a Qi Refining Immortal Master personally comes, it would be extremely difficult to break through."

"The market's sources of income are mainly from five aspects—"

"First is rent. Ghost Mother Mountain is dangerous both inside and out. Ordinary Inner Qi and True Qi cultivators face peril outside, so most are willing to rent or buy a room in Qingtian Market to cultivate and recuperate in peace. Currently, there are four hundred regular tenants, twenty-three who have purchased property, and even more who stay for a few days at a time. The annual rental income is about one hundred thousand taels of gold."

"Second is taxes. Qingtian Market is near Ghost Mother Mountain, which is teeming with Yao Beasts and abundant with spirit herbs. Many rogue cultivators obtain treasures and bring them to the market for trade, using them to purchase elixirs, magic artifacts, talismans, formation flags, and so on. Therefore, many rogue cultivators skilled in alchemy, artifact refining, talisman crafting, and formations have set up shops in the market, and they are the main source of tax revenue. The rest are minor fees from rogue cultivators renting temporary stalls. All in all, the annual income is about one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty thousand taels of gold."

"However, rent and taxes are minor items."

"The market has its own businesses and two Spirit Lands that can cultivate spirit herbs. It also recruits and trains alchemists. This is where the most profit is made. The annual income is calculated in Spirit Sand, bringing in three to four taels of Spirit Sand."

"The fourth is hunting Yao Beasts. The market has many True Qi cultivators, connected to Inner Qi below and True Essence above, forming formations with considerable combat power. They go out a few times a year, and each trip yields something."

I stayed at home for over ten days.

One day.

Zhao Xiaoshuang led Meng Nan out, showing him around the market and explaining the details of Qingtian Market.

"Chen De."

"Wang An."

"Chu Zhongliang."

Meng Nan knew these three.

Following the trajectory of his first life, 'Wang An' was a given. He advanced to the True Qi Stage at 23 and Meng Nan had taken him as a disciple in his second life.

The other two—

Chen De.

Chu Zhongliang.

Meng Nan had also heard of them and interacted with them in his first and second lives. Both had good character and decent talent. In his previous two lives, they had both advanced to the Inner Qi Stage before the age of 18, but failed to reach the True Qi Stage before 24.

In this life, Meng Nan discovered and nurtured them early. Ultimately, along with Wang An, the three senior and junior brothers successively entered Tianlin Cave, which became a widely told tale.

Meng Nan's status in Yinlian Village also rose significantly, becoming unshakeable.

Unfortunately, Tianlin Cave suffered a great upheaval. None of the three had time to advance to True Essence. The old Immortal Master passed away, and the new Immortal Master fled, leaving them with no future.

Otherwise, cultivating in Tianlin Cave, all three had the potential to aim for the Qi Refining stage and glimpse the realm of Immortal Masters.

Now, all three are sixty to seventy years old. Although they are at the peak of True Essence, their hope of becoming Immortal Masters is ultimately slim.

And then there's Qian Yu.

Qian Yu advanced to True Essence early, but it's still difficult for her to become an Immortal Master.

Of these four, three are Meng Nan's disciples, and Qian Yu is also Meng Nan's friend. Meng Nan even owes her a favor for gifting her a 'Suoluo Seed' to help her cultivate to True Essence.

Therefore, when he left 'Angming City' and later when 'Qingtian Market' was established, Meng Nan was the main driving force.

Qingtian Market's current success owes a great deal to Meng Nan.

Now, with nearly twenty True Essence cultivators and two hundred True Qi cultivators, in terms of high-level combat power alone, it is ten times what the original Yinlian Village had, and the quality is far superior.

Qingtian Market fears no one below the Immortal Master level!

After a tour.

Having met Qian Yu and Chen De and the others, Meng Nan and Zhao Xiaoshuang returned. Zhao Xiaoshuang then took out an item.

"This is Spirit Sand?"

Meng Nan held a handful of fine sand. The grains were irregular, each about half the size of a grain of rice.

"Where spiritual energy gathers in the world, it can be a Spirit Land, a Spirit Eye, or a Spirit Mine."

"Among these, 'Spirit Sand Veins' are the most common type, and the Spirit Sand they produce is highly beneficial for cultivation."

"Tianlin Cave, where the Tianlin Immortal Master resided, was a Spirit Land, favored by heaven and earth, an excellent place for cultivation. Within the cave, there was a Spirit Sand Vein that could produce several catties of Spirit Sand annually. Seven caves with the densest spiritual energy were opened in the mountain. The first was the Tianlin Immortal Master's cultivation cave. The remaining few were for disciples of the Immortal Master with the highest cultivation and the greatest potential to reach Qi Refining. The later Immortal Master Zheng broke through in one of these caves."

"Qingtian Market contains a small 'Spirit Sand Vein,' which is the foundation of the market. It can produce four to five taels of Spirit Sand annually, and this is the fifth source of income for the market."

After cultivating for sixty years, many hidden secrets were no longer secrets.

Such as 'Spirit Sand'.

After his first life ended, Meng Nan saw Spirit Sand in the 'Activation Progress' and had never heard of it before. In his second life, he inquired further but still knew nothing.

But in this life, as soon as he arrived and began, he not only knew the origin and details of 'Spirit Sand' but even had a handful in his hand.

"Spirit Sand."

"Spirit Land."

"Back when Tianlin Cave was built, eight cities were established, with each city's location chosen based on Spirit Land. Several small Spirit Sand Veins were also discovered at the city sites."

Meng Nan recalled that in his vast, smoke-like sixty-four years of notes, there were records of Spirit Land. The summarized memo highlighted the eight city sites, and the Spirit Land and Spirit Sand.

City construction only began in Immortal Calendar year 40.

In Immortal Calendar year 18, these small Spirit Lands and veins had not yet been explored. If Meng Nan returned to reality and occupied them early, he could mine 'Spirit Sand' from them.

Spirit Sand can be used to complete the opening progress.

Spirit Land can be used for cultivation breakthroughs.

"Right!"

"And this sorcery!"

Thinking of this, Meng Nan flipped through his cultivation summary from over sixty years ago—

Thunder Illumination Scripture.

Palm Thunder.

Blood Arrow Secret Technique.

Giant Spirit Mysterious Technique.

Gale Thunder Sword Technique.

Hundred Changes Thousand Illusions Cloud Mist Movement Technique.

"'Gale Thunder Sword Technique' is a supplement to 'Pine Wind Swordplay'."

"'Hundred Changes Thousand Illusions Cloud Mist Movement Technique' is a supplement to 'Spirit Wandering Steps'."

"'Blood Arrow Secret Technique' has been continuously cultivated."

"'Palm Thunder' is a sorcery that integrates with the 'Thunder Illumination Scripture', which I obtained during city construction."

Every sorcery has its origin; they were all meticulously planned beforehand, carefully selected afterward, and finally kept.

As for the 'Giant Spirit Mysterious Technique', it was, like the 'Blood Arrow Secret Technique', something Meng Nan and Zhao Xiaoshuang stumbled upon externally.

The 'Blood Arrow Secret Technique' has been of great help to them as a couple over the years, especially when combined with the 'Iron Token' and 'Essence Blood', maximizing its utility.

But the 'Giant Spirit Mysterious Technique' is different.

"This secret technique is impossible to cultivate."

"Cultivating it requires devouring large amounts of spiritual energy, a lot of Spirit Sand, and mixing in considerable spiritual precious materials before one can finally achieve 'Giant Spirit'."

"You've spent a lot of energy on this over the years, pouring in a lot of Spirit Sand and precious materials, but even now, this 'Giant Spirit God' secret technique hasn't been completed, and the 'Giant Spirit God Body' is still just a prototype."

"Too difficult."

Seeing Meng Nan pull out the 'Giant Spirit God' secret technique, Zhao Xiaoshuang shook her head.

When they first obtained this secret technique, they saw its described potential and all thought they had found a miraculous true method. But when they started cultivating, they found difficulties everywhere.

Cultivation is difficult.

Resources are scarce.

It was much harder than when Meng Nan first started practicing alchemy.

In the following decades, Meng Nan consumed nearly two pounds of Spirit Sand in total, but the 'Giant Spirit God' secret technique was like a bottomless pit, impossible to fill.

It left them in a predicament, unable to advance or retreat.

Stuck in a dilemma.

Zhao Xiaoshuang gave up long ago, but only Meng Nan persisted, consuming a small amount of Spirit Sand and precious materials each year, meticulously pondering, and recording thick stacks of insights and epiphanies.

He acted as if it were a serious matter.

But it still didn't work out.

"Giant Spirit God."

Meng Nan didn't dwell on the past. At this moment, a surge of joy welled up in his heart.

With the Spirit Land and Spirit Mines where Tianlin Cave was built, if he could find them one step ahead, and then use the spiritual energy and Spirit Sand in the Spirit Land for cultivation, perhaps the foundation for the 'Giant Spirit God' secret technique could be successfully laid.

A secret technique that is so difficult and demanding to cultivate, once mastered, its power must be extraordinary.

"It's worth a try!"

Meng Nan thought to himself.