Separation Valley Market

Seeing the cultivators ahead disappear one by one into the dense fog, Xu Yan and Du Fei did not hesitate and followed them in.

The moment Xu Yan stepped inside, Du Fei's voice reached his ears.

"This mist is produced by a low-grade tier-one illusion formation, mainly to keep ordinary mortals out. Cultivators like us only need to circulate a little magical power to see the way ahead."

Xu Yan nodded lightly at those words and began circulating his cultivation technique.

Just as Du Fei had said, as his magical power circulated, the fog before him gradually vanished, allowing Xu Yan to see his surroundings.

Ahead of them lay an enormous valley wreathed in clouds and mist, with numerous buildings faintly visible within. A small gate stood at the valley entrance, bearing the words "Separation Valley Market" in ancient seal script.

On either side of the gate, a middle-aged cultivator in black Daoist robes sat cross-legged on the ground, radiating a powerful aura. A blue-green flying sword hovered before each man's chest, its sword light flickering in and out. Their Sword Qi struck fear into the soul, as though they might unleash a deadly blow at any moment.

Before the black-robed cultivators, everyone heading into Separation Valley Market obediently formed a single line and waited to enter.

In addition, a bronze cauldron with three legs and round handles stood in the center of the gateway. Taotie patterns adorned its body, along with strange engraved runes. Streaks of white light occasionally spouted from its mouth, lending it a wondrous air.

Just then, an extremely faint voice drifted into Xu Yan's ear.

"See those two men in black? They're law-enforcement cultivators under Senior Qi Yun. To be stationed at the entrance to Separation Valley Market, they must at least have Qi Refining Perfection. With those Spirit Artifact flying swords, they could probably even hold their own against an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator for a while."

The plump youth, Du Fei, spoke in wonder.

Xu Yan wholeheartedly agreed. The two black-robed cultivators before him felt unfathomable, and the flying swords hovering in front of them in particular gave him a sense of mortal danger. If they attacked him, he probably could not withstand even a single move.

While the plump youth was speaking, the cultivators ahead began to move.

At the front of the line stood a pockmarked middle-aged man. He slowly approached the gate, then fumbled around at his waist. Before long, he took out a Low-Grade Spirit Stone and dropped it into the bronze cauldron in the middle of the gateway, looking somewhat pained.

Once the Low-Grade Spirit Stone entered the bronze cauldron, a streak of white light shone from its mouth. The pockmarked man then cupped his fist toward the two black-robed cultivators and walked straight into Separation Valley Market.

The cultivators behind him followed suit, each dropping a Low-Grade Spirit Stone into the bronze cauldron before entering Separation Valley Market.

Seemingly noticing Xu Yan's confusion, the plump youth, Du Fei, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Every cultivator attending Separation Valley Market's trading fair, held once every five years, has to pay one Low-Grade Spirit Stone to enter. There's no such fee at ordinary times."

Hearing this, Xu Yan wore the same pained expression as the pockmarked cultivator. He only had seven Low-Grade Spirit Stones in his Storage Bag—the entirety of what Golden Light Daoist had left behind. Having to surrender one as an entrance fee naturally made his heart ache.

Moreover, he had come to Separation Valley Market for a low-grade tier-one Fire Array and still had no idea how much it would cost. The thought left Xu Yan uneasy.

"Quick, look! What's that?"

Just as Xu Yan was lamenting the spirit stone, a commotion arose among the crowd ahead. Some cultivators pointed at the sky, their faces filled with shock.

Xu Yan followed their gazes.

An enormous bird several dozen feet long circled above everyone's heads. Its wingspan exceeded a hundred feet, and blue-green scales covered its entire body. Though it was still far from the crowd, a fierce killing intent radiated from it.

Two black-robed cultivators sat upright on the giant bird's back, their faces too distant to make out. Behind them stood more than a dozen boys and girls.

"Screee!"

As everyone watched, the enormous bird let out a piercing cry, then beat its wings fiercely and dove toward Separation Valley Market like a sharp sword!

By then, someone in the crowd had recognized the bird and cried out shrilly.

"Th-this is the Azure-Scaled Dove, the peak tier-one demonic bird Senior Qi Yun subdued! They say it can fight a cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection. Those boys and girls on its back must be the mortals selected from Inkstone City, coming to Separation Valley Market to have their Spiritual Roots tested."

The speaker had barely finished when someone nearby voiced agreement.

"That's right. Anyone with decent Spiritual Roots might become Senior Qi Yun's nominal disciple. Then they'd truly ascend to heaven in a single step."

"Still, it's not as though we have no chance either. Senior Qi Yun is taking five nominal disciples this time—the most he's accepted in the past sixty years."

Once the Azure-Scaled Dove disappeared from sight, the crowd soon quieted down and resumed entering Separation Valley Market in an orderly line.

About an incense stick's worth of time later, Xu Yan and Du Fei reached the gate.

Each dropped the Low-Grade Spirit Stone he had already prepared into the bronze cauldron, and they entered Separation Valley Market without incident.

Xu Yan had only just entered and had yet to survey his surroundings when he felt an indescribable energy waft toward his nose. He could not help taking a deep breath, and felt his cultivation technique circulate a little faster throughout his body.

Du Fei did exactly the same beside him. Seeing Xu Yan look over, he immediately explained, "Separation Valley Market was built over a tier-one spirit vein, so the spiritual energy here is richer than elsewhere. Living here for a long time would greatly benefit your cultivation. Unfortunately, unless you're a merchant in the market, you can only stay here for a month at most."

Xu Yan nodded at this, then began carefully examining Separation Valley Market.

The first thing that caught his eye was an enormous square paved with blue bricks, already packed with a bustling throng of cultivators. Many had claimed a spot and set up small stalls before them, with other cultivators stopping by from time to time to inquire about their wares. The place was lively beyond measure.

Beyond the square lay an extremely prosperous street stretching into the depths of Separation Valley. Shops of every kind lined both sides, numbering no fewer than a hundred.

Beyond the street stood a vast cluster of towers and halls, some soaring into the clouds. Spirit birds occasionally flew past, making the scene look like an immortal paradise.

Wonder filled Xu Yan's eyes at the sight. This was the first time he had encountered so many cultivators, and for a moment, he felt dazed.

Soon, however, he came back to his senses. Many of these cultivators were far from benevolent and could easily destroy him. He would have to be exceedingly careful while moving about Separation Valley Market, acting as cautiously and keeping as low a profile as possible.