Yunlai Market

Zhou Xuan didn't care at all; his footsteps were light, and he soon walked out of the sect's mountain gate formation.

Passing through a lush, verdant forest, the clamor of human voices surged toward him like a tide, growing from a distant murmur to an overwhelming roar.

Before Zhou Xuan's eyes, the view suddenly opened up.

In his imagination, a so-called market was probably like the village fairs from his past life: a muddy street with stalls set up on both sides, and a crowd of people in ancient costumes haggling over prices.

However, when he truly saw the scene before him, his entire body froze in place.

His eyes widened, bit by bit.

His mouth fell open, beyond his control.

His eyeballs nearly popped right out of their sockets!

"The hell is this a market?"

Zhou Xuan couldn't help but curse, his voice trembling.

Before him, this was no market!

This was clearly a city!

A massive, majestic city built on the plains at the foot of the mountain, grand in scale and imposing in presence!

The tall, thick city walls were constructed from a type of giant stone that emitted a faint cyan glow, covered in profound runes that shimmered with visible spiritual light under the sun.

The city gate was over a dozen zhang high and wide enough for four or five beast-drawn carriages to pass through side by side.

Above the gate, three vigorous, dragon-like characters were carved: Yunlai Market.

Inside and outside the gate, the flow of people was like a tapestry, a constant stream of carriages and horses.

Disciples wearing the various robes of the Spirit Sword Pavilion mingled with rogue cultivators and merchants from all over the world, moving in an endless flow.

In the sky, inner sect disciples stepping on flying swords would occasionally flash by like streaks of light, drawing gasps of shock and envy from the ground.

Along the sides of the streets, there were no simple stalls, but rather carved, painted, and antique-style pavilion shops.

Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, Hundred Herbs Hall, Divine Armament Pavilion.

Each golden sign glittered brilliantly in the sunlight.

Zhou Xuan stood at the city gate like a bumpkin who had just arrived in the big city, head tilted back, staring blankly at everything.

He felt his worldview being violently shattered at this very moment.

Damn it!

A market at the foot of a cultivation sect was actually more prosperous and more fantastical than any first-tier city he had ever seen in his past life!

"Hey! You in front, what are you spacing out for? Are you entering the city or not? If not, get lost and stop blocking the way!"

Zhou Xuan snapped back to reality with a start and quickly stepped aside.

He saw a few guys wearing outer sect disciple robes looking at him with disdain, their eyes treating him like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

He sheepishly rubbed his nose, not getting angry, and lined up at the back of the queue.

When it was his turn, the two Deacon Hall disciples guarding the gate didn't even lift their eyelids.

One of them lazily reached out a hand and said in a voice devoid of emotion, "Entrance fee, one Low-grade Spirit Stone."

"What?"

Zhou Xuan's eyes rounded again.

"You charge money just to walk through the door?"

The disciple finally deigned to lift his eyelids, casting a glance at him with undisguised contempt.

"Yunlai Market is Deacon Hall territory. Those are the rules. If you don't have the money, get lost; don't waste everyone's time here."

The other disciple yawned and added, "Or you can offer something of equal value. Damaged magical artifacts, low-grade materials—as long as we find them acceptable, they'll count."

Zhou Xuan's face twitched violently.

Good grief!

They really do pluck the feathers off every goose that passes!

Just looking at the flow of people coming and going every day, one Low-grade Spirit Stone per person—how much must this Deacon Hall be making in a single day?

No wonder they say this place is lucrative; this is practically daylight robbery!

He cursed inwardly, but he didn't dare show a hint of it on his face.

He had indeed come too abruptly, without even bothering to ask about the most basic rules.

Suppressing the pain in his heart, he fumbled around in his robes for a long time before finally taking a Low-grade Spirit Stone out of his Universe Bag.

Aside from the three Qi Gathering Pills he had, this was the only hard currency he could immediately produce.

"Here."

He handed over the spirit stone.

The disciple took it casually, tossed it into a box nearby as if it were a pebble, and waved his hand impatiently: "Get in."

Zhou Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in his heart, and stepped through the towering city gate.

Passing through the deep, arched gateway, the scene before him suddenly opened up, revealing a bustle and atmosphere of worldly life several times more intense than outside the mountain gate.

A mixture of scents from various spiritual herbs and magical artifacts rushed toward him!

On the wide bluestone street, the crowd surged, shoulder to shoulder.

There were those dressed in gray servant robes just like him, their eyes filled with curiosity and timidity.

There were those in green outer sect robes, moving in groups of three or five, talking loudly.

There were even those in white inner sect robes, looking arrogant, surrounded by a few followers, walking straight ahead without glancing at anyone, causing the surrounding crowd to scatter in avoidance.

Besides the disciples of the Spirit Sword Pavilion, there were even more rogue cultivators and merchants in various attires; some were hawking their wares along the street, while others hurried busily between the various shops.

Zhou Xuan was like a drop of water merging into the ocean, instantly submerged by this bustling torrent.

He did not rush to find a place to set up a stall; instead, like a true country bumpkin, he tucked his hands into his sleeves and wandered aimlessly through this massive marketplace.

As he walked, he pricked up his ears, taking in all the noisy discussions around him.

Soon, he had a clear grasp of the basic rules of Yunlai Market.

The layout of the entire marketplace was clearly divided into three tiers.

The outermost perimeter, which was also the most chaotic area, consisted of the winding alleys and remote streets where he currently stood.

There was no management here; as long as you found an empty spot, you could spread your goods on the ground and start selling.

The items here were also a motley collection, with a bit of everything.

"Ancestral treasure map, only three Low-grade Spirit Stones, don't miss out!"

"Come and take a look, an unknown spiritual herb just dug up from the Monster Beast Mountain Range, it might be an ancient divine medicine!"

"Fellow Daoist, I see you have an extraordinary bone structure; I have a remnant cultivation technique here, selling it to you cheap!"

It was a place of scams and deceit, where truth and falsehood were hard to distinguish.

You might spend one spirit stone to buy a priceless treasure, or more likely, spend a hundred spirit stones to bring home a pile of absolute trash.

This was a paradise for treasure hunters and a hell for novices.

Zhou Xuan shifted his gaze away from a stall owner who was spitting as he promoted a beast skull, having made up his mind.

He continued walking inward, and the streets began to become neat and spacious.

On both sides of the road, uniform, small storefronts appeared.

These shops were not large in scale, but they all hung legitimate signs, such as Li Family Smithy, Zhang Family Talismans, and so on.

The number of customers here was clearly smaller than in the outer area, but everyone who walked in had a very clear purpose.

Zhou Xuan leaned against the entrance of a shop called Hundred Goods Pavilion to listen for a while, and he understood.

These shops were basically built by the sect and then rented out to disciples or merchants who had connections or stable sources of goods.

They dealt in stable material businesses, such as purchasing monster cores and spiritual herbs, or selling standardized magical artifacts and pills.

The prices were fair and honest, but it was absolutely impossible to find a bargain here.

Moreover, the things sold here were all common goods, nothing truly exceptional.

"This place isn't for me."

Zhou Xuan shook his head. If he brought his refurbished goods here to sell, the shopkeepers probably wouldn't even spare them a second glance.

He passed through this shop district and finally arrived at the central main thoroughfare, the core of the entire Yunlai Market.

When he saw the scene before him, he was stunned once again.

This main thoroughfare was wide enough for ten beast-drawn carriages to travel side by side!

The ground was paved with white jade as smooth as a mirror, and on both sides of the street stood magnificent, multi-storied buildings with carved beams and painted rafters!

Signs with bold, golden calligraphy flashed with blinding light under the sun.

At the entrance of every building, there were beautiful maids in uniform attire and fierce-looking guards.

Everyone entering and leaving these places was a cultivator with luxurious clothing and a powerful aura.

Zhou Xuan even saw an inner sect disciple arrive on a flying sword and land in front of a building called Heavenly Pill Pavilion, where a manager-like figure immediately greeted him with a beaming smile.

This was the true den of wealth!

To the current Zhou Xuan, this place felt more like the high-end luxury malls of his past life; the items in any single display case were likely worth more than what he could earn in several decades of hard work.

It was said that these places occasionally held auctions, and those who could enter were all prominent figures in the sect or children of wealthy cultivation families.

"One day, I will also walk in here with a swagger!"

Zhou Xuan clenched his fists, a flicker of heat in his eyes, before he calmed down again.

Meals must be eaten one bite at a time, and the road must be walked one step at a time.

He no longer hesitated and turned to walk toward the chaotic stall area on the outermost perimeter.

That was the place most suitable for a profiteer like him to get his start!