In the sea of sand, over a thousand miles from White Sand River Oasis.
Not long after Old Ancestor Chen piloted a gigantic tower ship over White Sand River Oasis, a streak of red fire crossed a thousand miles and flew from White Sand River Oasis into the hand of a black-robed cultivator waiting here.
"Chen Yaohui has already left with his people. Come quickly!"
Hearing the voice transmitted before the firelight in his hand dissipated, the black-robed cultivator's face lit up with joy, and he could not help laughing aloud. "Hahaha! That old thief Chen Yaohui has finally left. Since that is the case, it is time for us to act as well."
Before his laughter had faded, yellow light flashed around the black-robed cultivator, and he directly used the Earth Evasion Technique to vanish underground.
Half a day later, the black-robed cultivator who had gone underground reappeared on the surface. This time, however, he was no longer alone. There were over a hundred black-robed cultivators dressed exactly like him.
All of these hundred-plus black-robed cultivators wore black robes and veils over their faces, revealing only their eyes. Greedy light, like that of hungry wolves, shone from every one of those gazes.
Sand bandits!
These black-robed cultivators were all sand bandits!
Sand bandits robbing oases was an extremely common occurrence. Not every oasis in the Boundless Sea of Sand had a Foundation Establishment Cultivator stationed there. Many small oases without Third-tier Spirit Veins were occupied by small Qi Refining Stage families or powerful Qi Refining Stage Rogue Cultivators.
After occupying these oases, such small families and Rogue Cultivators would also cultivate spirit veins, raise ordinary mortals, and select mortals with spiritual roots to teach cultivation techniques and accept as disciples. Most Rogue Cultivators came from these small oases.
Since these small oases lacked Foundation Establishment Cultivators to guard them, they naturally became easy targets for sand bandits. Once their locations were exposed, they would basically be unable to escape being plundered.
However, while sand bandits might dare to raid small oases without Foundation Establishment Cultivators, or even medium-sized oases like Jade Spring Lake Oasis that had Foundation Establishment Cultivators stationed there, they should never have dared, nor had the ability, to raid a large oasis like White Sand River Oasis.
Yet after these hundred-plus black-robed sand bandits appeared, they headed directly toward White Sand River Oasis a thousand miles away.
This showed that either these sand bandits had all gone mad, stricken with insanity, or they had something to rely on and believed that White Sand River Oasis, now lacking Old Ancestor Chen, a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator, could not withstand their plunder.
And judging by the dozen or so sword lights flying through the sky as these sand bandits advanced, it was clearly the latter.
Meanwhile, after Zhou Yang and Zhou Xuanyu saw off the Old Clan Leader and the others, they returned to Jade Spring Tower.
Zhou Yang continued reading and pondering the Foundation Establishment experiences recorded by his predecessors, while Zhou Xuanyu, as usual, shut herself in the quiet chamber in the rear courtyard to draw spirit talismans.
Speaking of which, the reason the Zhou Lineage had sent her, a Steward Elder who had not left the Lineage for many years, to take charge of Jade Spring Tower was also because the artifact business in the market had temporarily become unprofitable after Zhou Yang's upheaval.
Previously, because the Zhou Lineage had Zhou Minghan, a Third-tier High-grade Artifact Forger, Jade Spring Tower had always focused on artifact sales. Only after Zhou Xuanhao, a Tier 2 High-grade alchemist, took up residence did pills and artifacts both become its primary businesses.
However, by the time Zhou Yang took over, Jade Spring Tower had once again become focused on artifacts, and he had promptly driven the entire market's artifact trade into a slump.
For this reason, after much struggle and hesitation, the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan sent his own granddaughter Zhou Xuanyu to oversee the market, hoping to use her superb talisman-making skills to transform Jade Spring Tower's main business.
The Zhou Lineage currently had relatively limited sources of income, only two in total. The first was selling resources such as the Fine Iron Ore Vein of Qingping Mountain and the Golden Pearl Rice grown in the Spirit Fields on Jade Spring Peak. The second was the income from the two shops, Jade Spring Tower and Drunken Immortal Restaurant.
Of these two sources, the first was stable and long-lasting, but its weakness was equally obvious: its annual income was fairly fixed, neither soaring nor crashing.
As for the second, when opportunities like the large-scale artifact forging Zhou Yang had undertaken arose, a single year's income could equal the Lineage's total income from several previous years.
Especially now that Jade Spring Tower had made a name for itself. Whenever many cultivators came to the market to purchase spiritual items, they would stop by and browse. These were all high-quality customers.
Whether they were artifacts, pills, spirit talismans, or even formations crafted by Zhou Lineage cultivators, so long as the quality was decent and the prices reasonable, they could be sold quickly in Jade Spring Tower.
After these goods were sold, not only would the Zhou Lineage cultivators who consigned them earn spirit stones, but the Lineage could also receive a considerable commission, greatly easing its rather difficult finances.
But reputation was a thing that came quickly and went quickly if it was not carefully maintained.
Once those cultivators who came to Jade Spring Tower because of its reputation discovered that there was nothing appealing here besides artifacts, there was a great chance they would not return next time.
Therefore, although Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan had been quite reluctant to let his granddaughter Zhou Xuanyu leave the Lineage and leave his side, for the sake of the Lineage's development, he had no choice but to send her here to oversee the market.
Just as Zhou Xuanyu had completed most of a Tier 2 Mid-grade spirit talisman and was preparing to finish it, deafening bell chimes suddenly rang out across the market. The bell rang nine times in succession, and the soundproof formation outside the quiet chamber seemed to have failed, proving utterly useless.
Bang!
Zhou Xuanyu's jade hand holding the talisman brush trembled slightly. Because the Talisman Master's mind had been disturbed, the spirit talisman that was about to be completed instantly exploded into a ball of flame and turned to ashes.
However, Zhou Xuanyu had no time to mourn the loss. Upon hearing the bell chimes, she stared blankly toward their source—the summit of Golden Mist Mountain.
"Nine chimes of the Soul-Shaking Bell! This warning is only sounded when the market is attacked by a Purple Mansion Stage enemy or a Tier 4 Demonic Beast!"
"Why? Why did it have to happen so coincidentally? Why did such a powerful enemy attack just after Old Ancestor Chen and Grandfather left?"
"No, something is wrong. This is a conspiracy! It must be a conspiracy planned long in advance! Danger—the market is in danger!"
Zhou Xuanyu's pretty face suddenly changed color. She hurriedly put away her talisman brush, rushed out of the quiet chamber, and headed for Jade Spring Tower.
As soon as she reached the ground floor, she saw that Zhou Yang and the other Zhou Lineage cultivators had already emerged from the building and were looking up toward the mountain summit.
At that moment, all three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had long been stationed at the market emerged from their caves. Riding sword lights, they hovered in the sky and looked down at the countless cultivators below.
"Fellow Daoists, we have just received an urgent warning from our Lineage cultivators ahead. A large group of sand bandits is charging toward the market. Not only do they have more than ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators among them, they may even have Purple Mansion Stage Cultivators concealed in their ranks!"
"Because the enemy is extremely powerful this time, we cannot guarantee that we can protect every cultivator in the market. Therefore, if any of you wish to leave the market and seek your own way of survival, we will give you one quarter-hour."
"After one quarter-hour, any cultivator who remains in the market must obey our commands. Let this old man make himself clear first: if anyone refuses to leave yet drags their feet when carrying out this old man's orders, be careful that this old man's flying sword does not take your head!"
"Enough. Time is pressing. Fellow Daoists, make your choice now!"
The cold voices of the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators spread throughout the entire market under the amplification of spell arts. Like a huge boulder crashing into still water, they stirred up towering waves.
Although most cultivators who understood the meaning of the Soul-Shaking Bell had already made some preparations in their hearts upon hearing its nine consecutive chimes, hearing the actual circumstances from the Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators still left them all dumbfounded and filled with shock.
"Did I hear that right? That senior said sand bandits were attacking? Since when did sand bandits have the nerve to attack a cultivation market protected by several Foundation Establishment Cultivators and a fourth-tier formation?"
"Sand bandits! They are actually sand bandits! We are finished! Sand bandits are vicious ghosts who eat people without spitting out the bones. They have not a shred of humanity left. If the market is breached, even handing over our Storage Bags will not stop them from silencing us!"
"A conspiracy, this is a conspiracy plotted long in advance! Even an ordinary Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator could not unite over ten Foundation Establishment Stage Sand Bandits. The market is in danger. We should flee! Those sand bandits are only targeting the cultivators of the major families in the market. We Rogue Cultivators are merely small fish and shrimps. As long as we do not provoke them, they may not be willing to stir up further trouble!"
Whoosh!
A flying sword tore through the air and instantly severed the head of the cultivator shouting about a "conspiracy," sending it tumbling to the ground.
"You jumping clown, so eager to seek death? Then this old man shall grant your wish!"
A cold laugh filled with disdain rang out from the sky. The Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had released the flying sword to kill the man darkened his face and swept his icy gaze over the trembling low-level Rogue Cultivators below. "This old man knows that there must be spies planted among you by the sand bandits. So if you want to live long enough to collect your reward, you had best shut your mouths and get out of the market obediently. Otherwise, if this old man later discovers even the slightest trace of wrongdoing from you, let us see whether this old man's flying sword recognizes you!"
"Anyone else who dares spread malicious rumors shall be treated as a spy!"
Once those words fell, the remaining cultivators in the market looked at one another. None dared say another word, their eyes flickering as they considered where to go.
Whether the cultivator who had just been killed truly was a spy sent by the sand bandits outside or was innocent did not matter to the other cultivators, who had no kinship or connection with him.
What mattered was that though he had died, his words were not without reason. Sand bandits attacked the market for wealth, of course. Many Rogue Cultivators believed their possessions were meager, and compared to the wealthy Family Cultivators in the market, they should not easily draw the sand bandits' attention.
Thus, after the Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator finished speaking, a bold cultivator quickly cupped his hands toward the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the sky and said, "Please forgive me, seniors. This junior has not cultivated easily and does not wish to lose his life here. Please pardon this junior's discourtesy!"
This time, the Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had killed with his sword made no move. Only another elderly cultivator with white hair and a bitter smile nodded to the speaker in response. "Little friend, if you wish to leave, then leave. Speaking of which, it is my Chen Family that has wronged you all. If the market can be preserved this time, this old man shall petition the Family to reduce the market's residence fee by half for the next ten years, in thanks for everyone's support!"
Upon hearing this, the speaking cultivator's face brightened with joy. He hurriedly called out, "Senior is righteous and noble. This junior admires you deeply. If this junior survives this ordeal, I will certainly spread the fame of Senior and the Chen Family among Rogue Cultivators everywhere!"
Having said that, he directly slapped a Divine Speed Talisman onto himself and ran out of the market. Sure enough, the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the sky did not make any move.
Seeing this, the other cultivators who intended to leave followed his example. They saluted the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the sky, offered a few flattering words, and then safely departed from the market as well.
In less than one quarter-hour, the market that had originally gathered seven or eight hundred people was left with fewer than half still standing in place.
Outside Jade Spring Tower, Zhou Yang, Zhou Xuanyu, and the other Zhou Lineage cultivators watched this unfold. Their expressions changed, and their eyes held an indescribably complicated look.
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