Big Deal (Seeking Monthly Votes and Follow-Up Reads)

"Jingcheng, this is the magic artifact I promised you last time. After giving it much thought, I still think a pill furnace suits you best. But after refining it for so long, I've never successfully made one before!" Ye Jingli took out a three-eared pill furnace and handed it to Ye Jingcheng.

He looked somewhat embarrassed as well. After all, he had spoken with such certainty back then.

Pill furnace-type magic artifacts had to withstand earthfire while also controlling the furnace temperature with precision. Their spirit-pattern formation diagrams were several times more difficult than those of ordinary magic artifacts.

On the market, they were even a little pricier than defensive magic artifacts!

"You don't lack offensive magic artifacts. This is just the right time to trade you for one!" Seeing that Ye Jingcheng was about to shake his head, Ye Jingli hurriedly added, "Your Sixth Brother's Azure-Scaled Snake is far more useful than this lousy furnace. I'll show it to you when there's a chance. I'm still hoping to get some spirit pills from you!"

Ye Jingcheng had not thought much of it. That time, he had merely lent a hand, feeding in some spiritual radiance from ancient books.

But seeing Ye Jingli insist so firmly, he accepted it. With the furnace and the Crimson Flame Fox, he would finally no longer need the family's Earthfire Hall or its pill furnaces.

It would also be more convenient when he went to the marketplace. Even if he refined spirit pills for the spirit fox, he could do so in private.

Besides, a first-tier mid-grade pill furnace was indeed quite valuable.

Making use of this opportunity was all the more worthwhile.

By the time Ye Jingcheng and Ye Jingli had settled matters, Ye Jingyun and Ye Xingyu had finished choosing as well.

Ye Jingyun chose the standard flying sword magic artifact and golden shield magic artifact, while Ye Xingyu selected a black tower and a small seal.

"Once you enter the cultivation world, never judge people by appearances. Remember to watch more, listen more, and speak less. And do not meddle in other people's affairs!" Seeing that all four had chosen their magic artifacts, Ye Haiping cautioned them once more.

Having said that, he returned behind the table where he had been sitting, took out a jade slip, and continued studying it.

"Thank you for your guidance, Eighth Grandfather!" Ye Jingcheng and the other two repeatedly cupped their hands.

Ye Xingyu took the lead, pulling out a palm-sized wooden spirit vessel and tossing it into the sky. As spiritual light flashed, it expanded to a length of ten zhang in the blink of an eye.

Under the sunlight, the spirit vessel's shadow stretched long, making it look exceptionally imposing.

The other three could not help feeling a little envious. Such spirit vessels cost at least several hundred spirit stones, making them even more expensive than ordinary spirit beast cubs.

The four of them boarded in turn and sped directly eastward.

Ye Xingyu's spirit vessel was clearly even more precious than that of his Fourth Brother, Ye Jingyu. It even had several rooms aboard.

Moreover, Ye Xingyu did not need them to take turns operating the spirit vessel.

He piloted it alone with perfect steadiness, without the slightest bump or sound of wind.

Ye Jingli and Ye Jingyun both entered their rooms. Ye Jingcheng, meanwhile, stood behind Ye Xingyu, leaning against the mast and observing the surroundings.

Ye Xingyu gave Ye Jingcheng a rather surprised glance, but said nothing and continued steering the spirit vessel.

The cultivation world of Yan Kingdom was vast. The spirit vessel crossed who knew how many towering mountains along the way, and even at night, they sought out places to rest.

These rest stops were all caves the Ye Family had used before. Every cave entrance had been arranged with safeguards; if anyone had tampered with them, they would leave immediately.

If they had not been touched, they would set up a formation, rest for the night, and recover their spiritual energy.

On the third day, they finally saw cultivators streaking through the distance. Most of those cultivators disguised themselves as mortals and traveled through the forests. Only those at the late Qi Refinement stage or above flew through the skies on magic artifacts of every color and kind.

Their direction was much the same as Ye Jingcheng's group. As a shaft of sunlight fell, two extraordinarily tall mountains appeared in the distance.

Where the mountains joined stood countless towering green bamboos. The bamboo rose into the clouds, lush and verdant.

Every bamboo joint was enormous, and some were even covered in white frost.

"We've arrived ahead. This is Taihang Marketplace. There are Purple Mansion seniors within, along with other clans. Our Ye Family is neither particularly strong nor particularly weak, so the fewer shops we put out there, the better!" Ye Xingyu had clearly been here before. He gave a brief introduction to prevent the three of them from becoming high and mighty and running wild within the marketplace.

Ye Xingyu put away the spirit vessel, then formed a hand seal. In an instant, many bamboo groves parted to either side, forming a small bamboo path.

The path twisted and turned. After walking two or three li, the view suddenly opened up, and rows of shops appeared before them.

Most of the shops were only two stories tall, and their names were exceedingly simple.

Li Clan Shop, Chen Clan Pill Shop...

Names like Myriad Treasures Tower or Hundred Treasures Pavilion, which Ye Jingcheng had imagined, were instead quite rare.

"Those who can open shops all have Foundation Establishment clans or Purple Mansion clans behind them. They also fear evil cultivators or Rogue Cultivators blinded by greed, so they use their clan names. Only then can they deter petty scoundrels!"

"Purple Mansion clan shops have three stories, Foundation Establishment clan shops have two, and Golden Core clan shops have four. It's just that Taihang Commandery, where our Ye Family is located, currently has no Golden Core clans!"

"In Taihang Marketplace, aside from Supreme One Pavilion and the Purple Mansion Xu Clan and Mo Clan, you should also watch out for the Buqing Li Clan, the Xianyun Chu Clan, and the Shanyue Chen Clan, who stand alongside our Ye Family..."

Ye Xingyu pointed out the corresponding shops as he introduced them to the three.

These shops sold every kind of treasure imaginable—pill refinement, artifact refinement, spirit talismans, formations, spirit plants, and all manner of goods, dazzling the eye.

"Of course, aside from the many clan shops in Taihang Marketplace, some powerful Rogue Cultivators also open shops. Toward the southern side of Taihang Marketplace lies the Rogue Cultivator Plaza, where there are large numbers of Rogue Cultivators. But remember, don't believe in any inheritance caves or ancient relic treasures..."

Ye Xingyu spoke a great deal along the way, utterly unlike the man aboard the spirit vessel, who had not uttered a single word.

Yet Ye Jingcheng could tell that the Ye Family probably did this every time they brought cultivators here. It had become a fixed procedure.

And explaining things within the marketplace itself made the lessons all the more memorable.

Within the Ye Family, cultivators could remain on Soaring Cloud Peak until the age of twenty-five. After turning twenty-five, if their cultivation had not reached the family's requirements, they would need to undertake certain miscellaneous duties for the family.

Some went to the marketplace, some joined the family's demon-hunting teams, while others were stationed in mortal towns.

Ye Jingcheng and the others had all been dispatched on an urgent family mission before they had come of age.

Otherwise, ordinary cultivators leaving the mountains would not be given magical artifacts.

Ye Xingyu had only received one by riding on the coattails of Ye Jingcheng and the other two.

"Oh, right. Quite a few of the family's cultivators have had their soul slips shatter recently. Someone may be targeting the Ye Family. If you notice anyone suspicious following you, send me a voice transmission at once!"

Ye Xingyu abruptly stopped. This time, his expression was exceptionally grave.

Only after seeing the three of them nod did he continue forward.

In the distance, a two-story pavilion came into view before the four of them.

This was a rare shop that came with its own courtyard. The plaque on the pavilion bore four large characters: Ye Family Shop.

Within the courtyard, they could vaguely see quite a few small spirit beasts, including Long-eared Deer that Ye Jingcheng had captured a year ago.

"Xingyu, you've come at just the right time. The family has just received a huge order!" A middle-aged figure emerged from the courtyard in the distance and spoke with delight.