The sun and moon turned, and time flowed on.
Amid the green mountains, a figure moved busily to and fro. Clad in green robes, he worked with swift, practiced motions. From tilling the soil, planting, watering, and harvesting fruit to tempering his mana and refining Dharma treasures, everything flowed in one smooth, natural sequence.
This person was none other than Zhu Yin.
He had returned to the mountain five thousand years ago and resumed his tranquil life. Aside from repairing the earth veins, he grew tea, refined pills, cultivated his body and spirit, and honed his divine abilities. His days were full yet peaceful.
Since breaking through to the Great Principle realm, Zhu Yin had grasped a higher level of the Dao of Vitality. Combined with the various spiritual treasures in his possession, his efficiency in repairing earth veins had improved considerably.
Now, he needed only a hundred years to restore a small earth vein. However, he did not covet that small amount of Merit. Instead, he gave those opportunities to the living beings in the surrounding mountains while focusing on more complex medium-sized earth veins.
The larger an earth vein was, the harder it was to repair and the longer it took. Even Zhu Yin needed two thousand years to barely complete one.
However, the Heavenly Dao was fair. The more one gave, the greater the reward. Repairing a medium-sized earth vein not only aided his enlightenment, but also increased his Merit.
Over the past five thousand years, Zhu Yin had cultivated while researching and pondering, accumulating ever-deeper understanding and foundations. Not only was he skilled in artifact refinement, but he had also begun studying pill refinement and formations.
Because the Western Lands lacked resources and spiritual vitality, Zhu Yin could only improve the situation through his own efforts. Pill refinement could replenish creation, while formations could stabilize spiritual vitality.
With the advantages of his true form and the Vitality Great Dao, his pill refinement progressed rapidly. In only five thousand years, he had achieved modest success and could even use the Vitality Cauldron to refine spiritual pills suitable for Golden Immortals.
Although his progress in formations was somewhat slower, he had gradually laid down a foundation. So long as he persisted, he would one day shine brilliantly.
As for the artifact-refining Dao he excelled at most, it improved steadily as well. In the past, even refining a Postnatal High-Grade Spiritual Treasure like the Merit Pavilion required a bit of luck.
But now, he had successfully refined two Postnatal High-Grade Spiritual Treasures in succession. This was no longer luck, but true skill.
Spirit Platform Mountain, inside a pavilion.
Zhu Yin held a teacup and took a light sip of Enlightenment Tea, its fragrance lingering on his tongue. His divine sense extended outward as he looked beyond the mountain.
As more and more spiritual roots appeared within the mountain, its spiritual energy grew increasingly rich, benefiting even the surrounding ranges. Recently, three Spirit Lands had formed—two Low-Grade Spirit Lands and one Middle-Grade Spirit Land.
This time, he took the initiative to allow the nearby living beings to settle in those Spirit Lands. Although only the Low-Grade Spirit Lands were opened, this was already exceedingly rare.
One Spirit Land was reserved for independent cultivators, while the other was given to the nearby races. As for how they divided it, that was for them to decide. Zhu Yin did not interfere much, requiring only that they observe the bottom line and not act recklessly.
If minor conflicts arose over the Spirit Lands, he would not concern himself with them. But if anyone dared disturb his peace, the consequences would not be so simple.
Now, the two Low-Grade Spirit Lands were exceptionally lively. Independent cultivators gathered in groups to exchange insights and spar, while the various races multiplied and gradually grew stronger.
At this moment, Zhu Yin's gaze fell near the Blessed Goodness Spirit Land.
The once-in-a-century market had arrived again. Immortals gathered together to exchange treasures. In the past, only Heavenly Immortals participated, but now even True Immortals and Mysterious Immortals had begun appearing.
His heart stirred as he recalled a spiritual treasure he had recently refined. This was the perfect opportunity.
With a thought, his figure vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already within that newly formed Middle-Grade Spirit Land.
He circulated his mana and instantly manifested his Dharma form... a jade bamboo golden body tens of thousands of feet tall. Golden light enveloped heaven and earth, carrying the fresh fragrance of grass and trees.
A golden copper coin hung from the bamboo, swaying in the wind, mysterious yet sacred.
A calm and majestic voice rang out:
"Under the Heavenly Dao, I am the master of Spirit Platform Mountain. Seeing the hardships of cultivation in the Western Lands and the scarcity of resources, I hereby establish a Hundred Treasures Hall in the Blessed Goodness Spirit Land for all beings to fairly exchange what they need. Regardless of cultivation level, once a trade is completed, neither party may go back on it. Spirit Stones shall serve as the common currency..."
As soon as his words fell, a seven-story golden pagoda descended from the sky and landed firmly at the center of the Blessed Goodness Spirit Land.
This pagoda was the Hundred Treasures Hall.
Each floor could accommodate a million living beings and was divided according to the grade of spiritual items:
First floor: Ordinary spiritual items
Second floor: Low-grade spiritual items
Third floor: Middle-grade spiritual items
Fourth floor: High-grade spiritual items
Fifth floor: Top-Grade spiritual items
Sixth floor: Ordinary auction pavilion
Seventh floor: Advanced auction pavilion
Each floor was further divided into areas for "pills," "formations," "Dharma artifacts," "talismans," "medicinal herbs," "spiritual fruits," "metals," and more. There were even storefronts available for rent.
Every floor had an enormous stone stele bearing the Hundred Treasures Hall's trading rules:
1. Fair trade, no deception of young or old;
2. Equal mutual benefit, oppression prohibited;
There were nine rules in total.
The rules were not numerous, but they were enough to let all living beings trade with peace of mind.
In addition to daily trade, the Hundred Treasures Hall would also hold regular auctions:
The sixth floor's auctions were open to cultivators below the Golden Immortal realm and would be held once every thousand years, auctioning pills, spiritual treasures, spiritual fruits, and all kinds of valuables.
Every five thousand years, there would also be a "surprise auction," offering rare treasures of unspecified types and filling everyone with anticipation.
The seventh floor was exclusive to beings at the Golden Immortal realm and above. It would hold an auction once every ten thousand years, bidding on top-tier spiritual pills, Top-Grade spiritual treasures, and other fine items.
To ensure transaction security, the Hundred Treasures Hall would also keep bidders' identities confidential.
As for Spirit Stones, they were not considered rare in the current Primordial Wilderness. They formed naturally in places rich with spiritual energy and sometimes appeared as Spirit Ponds, spiritual springs, or spiritual jade.
However, most Spirit Stones came from postnatal Spirit Veins, while innate Spirit Stones were exceedingly rare.
Though this was still the early period of the Wu-Demon era, the Primordial World was still dominated by innate spiritual energy. Postnatal Spirit Veins had yet to attain much status, and Spirit Stones were not valued highly.
But in a barren place like the Western Lands, the situation was different. Postnatal Spirit Veins had instead become treasures, and the value of Spirit Stones became apparent.
By establishing the status of Spirit Stones as currency early on, Zhu Yin was not only benefiting the living beings of the Western Lands, but also paving the way for future cultivation.
...There were two main reasons Zhu Yin could receive the Heavenly Dao's reward of Merit Golden Clouds.
First, absorbing the fortune of all beings.
The Hundred Treasures Hall itself was a special Dharma treasure. When Zhu Yin refined it, he incorporated the Trade Dao he had comprehended.
By creating this trading platform and allowing everyone to exchange goods for what they needed, he not only made things convenient for the living beings of the Western Lands, but also quietly collected a tiny bit of fortune whenever a transaction was completed.
Though he collected only a little each time, the sheer number of transactions and the long passage of time turned drops into a stream, eventually forming an exceptionally considerable resource pool.
The more people came to trade at the Hundred Treasures Hall, the more fortune it accumulated. The more famous it became, the stronger its appeal grew.
Second, advancing the order of heaven and earth and refining spiritual treasures.
Zhu Yin's two supreme treasures—the Treasure-Gathering Basin and the Fallen-Treasure Coin—were Dharma treasures closely tied to trade. To fully control them, he first had to establish Spirit Stones as a common currency and use that foundation to truly establish the Trade Dao.
This would not only completely refine the Dharma treasures, but also advance the evolution of heaven-and-earth rules, benefiting all beings and naturally earning Heavenly Dao Merit.
Of course, Zhu Yin was not doing all this for nothing. The transaction fees he collected and the Spirit Stones earned from auctions were all put to practical use.
Over the past five thousand years, he had used these resources to refine many spiritual treasures. The strongest two were the Hundred Treasures Hall and the Heaven-and-Earth Altar.
One was responsible for gathering Spirit Stones, while the other was responsible for spending them.
For example, at the Heaven-and-Earth Altar, offering Spirit Stones in sacrifice could be exchanged for postnatal Spirit Veins. The more Spirit Stones offered, the higher the quality of the Spirit Vein.
After the Witch-Monster War ended, innate spiritual energy would diminish, and postnatal spiritual energy would gradually become mainstream. Zhu Yin was storing up strength for the Western Lands' future development.
He was in no hurry. Instead, he intended to let the Western Lands rise completely in the future Age of Saints!
Merit Descended, Dharma Treasures Advanced
On this day, Zhu Yin sat meditating beneath the Heaven-Piercing Jade Bamboo when the Heavenly Dao suddenly trembled and bestowed a vast, mighty power.
The entire Western Lands heard him establish the currency rules and learned of the Hundred Treasures Hall's existence.
Immediately afterward, ninety-nine mu of Merit Golden Clouds descended from the heavens, dyeing the sky a deep yellow.
Of it, three hundred and thirty-three mu of Merit fell directly into the Hundred Treasures Hall, allowing it to advance in one stroke into a Postnatal High-Grade Merit Spiritual Treasure. Its golden radiance became dazzling, and its aura grew even more powerful.
Even the Spirit Land where the Hundred Treasures Hall stood was nourished, gaining a chance to advance into a Top-Grade Spirit Land or even a Grotto-heaven Blessed Land!
The remaining six hundred and sixty-six mu of Merit entered Zhu Yin's body. Golden Merit light gathered behind him into an enormous golden wheel, as though a deity had descended into the world.
The entire Heaven-Piercing Jade Bamboo also transformed into a Merit Spirit Bamboo, and the surrounding heaven and earth became sacred and solemn.
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