Golden Sand Market

"Golden Sand Market" was located on Golden Mist Mountain south of White Sand River Oasis, less than five hundred li from the White Camel Ridge Chen Family's main stronghold.

Golden Mist Mountain had originally possessed a natural Tier 3 Low-grade spirit vein. Later, as Golden Sand Market grew ever larger, the Chen Family spent a huge sum to raise the spirit vein's grade to Tier 3 High-grade.

The spiritual qi emitted by a Tier 3 High-grade spirit vein was enough to support several Foundation Establishment Cultivators and hundreds of Qi Refining Cultivators in breathing exercises and cultivation at once. Thus, by now, the number of cultivators permanently residing in Golden Sand Market alone had exceeded five hundred, while the various shops within numbered more than a hundred.

As the only cultivator market within tens of thousands of li, cultivators came to Golden Sand Market every day to buy or sell cultivation resources. This market collected several thousand spirit stones annually from its head tax alone.

Someone had once calculated that, even excluding the spirit stones earned each year by the Chen Family's own shops, the rents paid annually by the various shops and cultivation caves within Golden Sand Market, together with the head taxes paid by cultivators entering and leaving the market, could provide the Chen Family with a net income of ten to twenty thousand spirit stones.

Such a massive income naturally made people green with envy. Therefore, to protect this golden hen that laid eggs, the Chen Family had not only set up a Low-Grade Tier 4 Formation within the market, but also kept more than three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators stationed there year-round.

With three Foundation Establishment Cultivators stationed there, along with the enforcement team formed by the Chen Family within the market, even if Purple Mansion Stage Cultivators or Tier 4 Demonic Beasts attacked, they could rely on the formation to hold out for several hours until Chen Yaohui, Old Ancestor Chen, who guarded White Camel Ridge, arrived with reinforcements.

After leaving the Chen Family's reception point and riding his Sand Camel Beast for another day, Zhou Yang finally arrived outside this market, shrouded in the clouds and mist of its formation.

Chen Family cultivators outside the market were specifically responsible for collecting the head tax. Late Qi Cultivation cultivators who remained in the market for more than ten days had to pay an additional one low-grade spirit stone as a residence fee; stays of fewer than ten days were likewise charged one low-grade spirit stone.

However, as an allied lineage of the Chen Family, Zhou Family cultivators only needed to pay one-third of the head tax to enter the market.

Zhou Yang was not sure how long he would stay in the market, so he first paid for a year. Then, carrying proof of payment—a refined iron token marked with a special insignia—he slowly entered the market amid the swirling clouds and mist.

An immortal market was naturally vastly different from the towns built by ordinary mortals.

After entering the market, Zhou Yang discovered that what appeared from outside to be a market veiled in clouds and mist was in truth a spiritual mountain several hundred meters tall. Pavilions and towers stood thick across its slopes, treasure light shot into the heavens, and majestic, magnificent palaces, lofts, and pagodas shared the same mountain, radiating dazzling spiritual light of every color and drawing cultivators from all directions inside.

Day or night made no difference whatsoever to this immortal market.

"Our Zhou Family's Jade Spring Tower is over there."

After standing at the foot of the mountain and observing for quite some time, Zhou Yang finally spotted Jade Spring Tower, the establishment run by his family, among the many buildings.

This Jade Spring Tower stood beside a pond halfway up the market mountain. The entire structure was seven zhang tall and built wholly from Hundred-Year Ironwood. It had three floors: the lower two sold magical artifacts, pills, spirit talismans, and other goods crafted by Zhou Family cultivators, while the top floor was used to receive distinguished guests.

Of the two shops the Chen Family had gifted to the Zhou Family, one was this Jade Spring Tower. The other was called Drunken Immortal Restaurant, a restaurant that had previously been managed by Zhou Yang's mother, Lin Yuting.

Before Zhou Xuanhao achieved Foundation Establishment, Jade Spring Tower had always been under his management. After he returned to the lineage to prepare for Foundation Establishment, the Zhou Family cultivator managing Jade Spring Tower became the newly promoted elder, Zhou Xuanlin.

Zhou Xuanlin ranked seventh among the Xuan generation. Aside from Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan and Zhou Yang, he was the Zhou Family's only other Second-Rank Artifact Forger. However, his talent in artifact forging was not particularly impressive. Even though his cultivation had recently broken through to Qi Refining Layer Nine, he could only forge Tier 2 Mid-grade artifacts, and his success rate was not very high.

At present, aside from Zhou Xuanlin, the Zhou Family elder stationed at Jade Spring Tower, there was also Qian Hongyu, a member of the Zhou Family by marriage, along with three juniors of the Yuan generation—Zhou Ping, Zhou Yu, and Zhou Xiong—working there as sales clerks responsible for selling the shop's goods.

Qian Hongyu was the Dao companion of Zhou Xuanchen, who ranked twelfth among the Xuan generation. Zhou Ping, Zhou Yu, and Zhou Xiong ranked fourth, fifth, and thirteenth respectively among the Yuan generation. Among these people, Zhou Yang was only fairly familiar with Zhou Xiong, Thirteenth Brother, who was closest to him in age.

As it happened, because Zhou Xiong was relatively young, he had specifically been assigned to solicit business outside Jade Spring Tower, supposedly to temper his eloquence and eye for people.

Thus, when Zhou Yang led the Sand Camel Beast to the front of the building, Zhou Xiong immediately recognized this clan brother who had already become famous throughout the lineage.

"Ah! Ninth Brother, why have you come to the market too? I never heard Seventh Uncle and the others mention it beforehand!"

Zhou Xiong was five years younger than Zhou Yang and only twenty-seven this year. He was also quite handsome, with an excellent appearance.

The instant he saw Zhou Yang leading over the Sand Camel Beast, he first let out a startled cry. Then he hurried forward with an eager expression, taking the reins from Zhou Yang's hand as he warmly greeted him, "Ninth Brother, you must be exhausted after traveling all this way. Let your younger brother lead this camel beast to the rear courtyard and look after it. Seventh Uncle happens to be upstairs today, so you can see him if you go up to the third floor."

Zhou Yang was now a figure of the hour within the Zhou Family. Even if news of Zhou Xuanhao's Foundation Establishment had not yet reached White Sand River Oasis, Zhou Yang's own reputation as a Second-tier High-grade Artifact Forger and his Qi Refining Layer Eight cultivation were enough to make peers like Zhou Xiong look up to him.

Everyone in the Zhou Family now knew that, barring any unforeseen mishap, Zhou Yang would definitely become the next clan leader.

Under such circumstances, if one could build a good relationship with Zhou Yang ahead of time, then once he took power and inherited control of the lineage, would there be any need to fear receiving no benefits?

Therefore, not to mention junior cultivators like Zhou Xiong, even most elders of the Xuan generation—apart from a small handful—now dared not flaunt their seniority before Zhou Yang to suppress him.

After all, the Cultivation World respected the strong. Seniority was not a reason for them to act recklessly. If they dared use their status as elders to suppress Zhou Yang today, were they not afraid that after Zhou Yang achieved Foundation Establishment and became clan leader, he would retaliate fiercely?

Even if they themselves were unafraid, could their descendants also be unafraid?

Thus, even for the sake of their descendants, once it had been confirmed that Zhou Yang could take a Foundation Establishment Pill and attempt Foundation Establishment, few Zhou Family elders still dared put on airs before him. That went without saying for peers like Zhou Xiong.

Having lived two lives, Zhou Yang's true age was already much greater than his outward appearance suggested, so he did not find this particularly inappropriate.

He would not use his status to oppress others, but neither did he like people deliberately using seniority to suppress him. If the elders could set aside their status in dealing with him, he would naturally honor them as elders and not fail in the duties of human relations.

"Then I'll trouble you, Thirteenth Brother. I do indeed have something to discuss with Seventh Uncle." He nodded lightly and thanked him before releasing the reins and walking into the building.

Hearing footsteps enter, Zhou Ping and Zhou Yu, who had been somewhat listless inside due to the lack of customers, perked up at once. Thinking a customer had arrived, they hurriedly gathered themselves to receive the guest.

"Sir, you are... Ninth Brother!"

"Ninth Brother, why have you come to the market?"

Seeing that the visitor was Zhou Yang, whom they had not seen for many years, Zhou Ping and Zhou Yu were both stunned. Like Zhou Xiong, they had received no prior notice, and were extremely surprised by the sudden visit of this Zhou Family genius.

"Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, it has been many years since we last met. I hope you have both been well." Zhou Yang smiled faintly and warmly greeted his two clan brothers.

Seeing his manner, Zhou Ping and Zhou Yu both shuddered, looking flattered and overwhelmed as they repeatedly returned the greeting. "Ninth Brother is too polite. We have not seen each other for many years, and we have missed Ninth Brother greatly as well."

It was not false to say they missed him. The two had been away from home for years and could only return to the lineage once every three to five years on average. Usually, they had to rely on merchant caravans to bring news of the lineage, and in recent years, most of the news brought by those caravans had concerned the Ninth Brother before them.

Every time they heard news of this Ninth Brother, they could not help wondering how that quiet, taciturn, somewhat solitary youth from back then had managed to accomplish things that countless Zhou Family elders over the past two hundred years had failed to achieve.

"Hehe, the younger brothers and sisters back in the lineage miss you two elder brothers as well. Little Fourteenth and Little Fifteenth especially are always clamoring to grow up quickly and come down the mountain to the market, so they can roam the Cultivation World with their two elder brothers."

Zhou Yang chuckled. He could see their restraint, so he smiled and shared some amusing stories about their younger peers to help them relax.

Sure enough, upon hearing these amusing matters unrelated to cultivation, the restrained expressions on Zhou Ping and Zhou Yu's faces eased somewhat. They hurriedly followed up by recounting amusing stories from when the three of them were children.

After chatting like this for a while, the slight unfamiliarity between brothers who had not seen one another for years quickly vanished. Once they grew more comfortable, Zhou Ping and Zhou Yu soon displayed the conversational skills they had honed over many years as clerks, vividly telling Zhou Yang about the grand scenes they had witnessed in the market over the years, as well as their experiences working at Jade Spring Tower.

Naturally, during the conversation, the two could not help showing envy over Zhou Yang's rapid cultivation progress. They also brought up several problems they had encountered in cultivation and asked Zhou Yang for guidance.

Zhou Yang did not hold anything back. He answered whatever he could as thoroughly as possible, and even lent them the notes in which he had recorded his cultivation insights.

After the three had talked for roughly half an hour, Zhou Yu, who was still talking enthusiastically, suddenly smacked his forehead and cried, "Ah! We were so busy catching up with you, Ninth Brother, that we forgot the important matter. You must have something important to convey by coming to the market, right? Seventh Uncle is upstairs, so we won't delay you from handling your business."

Hearing this, Zhou Ping beside him was also startled. Then he hurriedly nodded and said, "Fourth Brother is right. Ninth Brother, your business comes first. There is no rush for us to catch up. Once you are done, we will have plenty of time to chat."

Hearing this, Zhou Yang also felt that today's reunion had gone about far enough. From his conversation with his two clan brothers, he had gained some understanding of Jade Spring Tower's recent situation. Thus, he smiled and nodded. "Since both elder brothers say so, I'll go up first to pay my respects to Seventh Uncle. We'll meet again later."

Uh, I was too tired last night and fell asleep directly, so I forgot to update... Please continue to vote with recommendation tickets and invest in the new book.