The True Perfected Lord Pinglu has not yet shown himself, but for some reason, Xu Long suddenly thought of the streak of lightning he had seen while traveling earlier.
As if a thought had dawned on him, Xu Long's heart tightened inexplicably. Would that streak of light amidst the smoke and dust truly not wreak havoc on the land of Lai Province?
Suppressing his restlessness, Xu Long was temporarily safe within the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary, so he should hurry to purchase defensive formations before returning to the Rotten Peach Mountain Dao Field.
With distracting thoughts in his mind, Xu Long quickened his pace noticeably. After observing the terrain for a while, he followed the swaying tassels and banners.
Xu Long knew that this was a gathering place for shops in the Pinglu Mountain Range, so he chose a shop guarding the temple to enter and look for some powerful large shops.
It wasn't that he lacked insight, but rather that as a newcomer, he simply couldn't believe that anyone was more accomplished in the art of formations than Perfected Lord Pinglu.
So, not wanting to waste time, he bypassed the market area filled with cultivators and headed straight for the large shops.
The cultivators among the mountains all seemed to be in a hurry, but once they entered the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary, their initial wariness had largely dissipated.
Because private duels are strictly prohibited within this training ground, cultivators who are filled with apprehension in the Boundless Wilderness will lower their guard somewhat once they enter the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary.
After arriving at the large trading market, Xu Long took out the jade token and had it checked by the garrisoned cultivators.
The cultivator used some unknown method, simply scanning with his True Spirit to obtain Xu Long's information.
After the light on the jade tablet flickered for a moment, the garrisoned cultivator secretly copied Xu Long's information and then returned the jade tablet to him.
After receiving the jade token, Xu Long officially stepped into this huge trading market.
Upon entering this large marketplace, he immediately sensed an atmosphere completely different from that outside the dojo.
Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary was Boundless Wilderness. No matter how much Xu Long urged the Vulture King to travel thousands of miles, he never saw a few cultivators.
This shows that the Boundless Wilderness is boundless, and the so-called earth-shaking cultivators are nothing more than a drop in the ocean within this Earth Realm.
Being in this Boundless Wilderness, you can feel the desolate and savage atmosphere at all times.
The dense population that cultivators could maintain has been cut off for a long time in this area.
But at this moment, in the large market town within the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary, what greets you is not the desolation of the Boundless Wilderness, but a vibrant atmosphere of life.
This is the vitality gathered by the cultivators; this is the beginning of the source of civilization.
Xu Long carefully examined the large market town. Tall jade buildings had been erected along both sides of the street, and rows of large shops had their vermilion doors open to welcome customers.
The gate towers are tall and magnificent, and wind chimes hang from the eaves of the pavilions.
When a cultivator arrives, the breeze created by their body will cause the wind chimes to spin, and the copper bells inside will make a soft "ding-a-ling" sound.
The number of people inside the large shops was unknown; the rows of shops, nestled among the rolling mountains and valleys, seemed to stretch to the horizon.
The streams that originally flowed downhill were now being channeled from between the valleys.
As the cultivators coming and going along both sides of the street stopped, Xu Long could already see a river encircling the area in front of him.
The river that flows through the area divides the market into several sections, and the paths to mastering various arts and crafts are clearly defined within the market.
Countless cultivators crossed the jade bridge over the river, heading towards their destinations.
This large market area within the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary is like a giant city, encompassing countless cultivators.
One by one, vivid characters, some joyful, some sorrowful, entered the large shops, and amidst the incessant "ding-a-ling" sounds, the city came alive.
The cultivators who once stood tall between heaven and earth now resembled ants, constantly moving about within this giant city.
Those massive shops stretching to the horizon, like anthills, continuously attract cultivators coming and going.
The crowds gathered at the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary were enormous, and its extraordinary charm was on full display at every moment within this large trading arena.
As a master of array formations, the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary naturally sells all kinds of array formations. After crossing the jade bridge, Xu Long walked towards a huge gatehouse along the street.
After the "ring-a-ling" sound, Xu Long's eyes suddenly lit up.
Inside the gatehouse stood several tall bronze lamps, their cups filled with solidified white grease, and a flame the size of a head flickered in the air.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that within the flickering flame, there appeared to be a cow tendon serving as the wick, and beneath the wick, slowly melting grease.
This was the first time Xu Long had ever seen such lighting, and his gaze lingered on the bronze lamp for a moment.
He thought to himself: Perhaps it is because the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary is built in the wilderness that its style of doing things has a rough and rugged feel.
Once he regained his composure, Xu Long was greeted by a smiling waiter.
A quick glance was enough to tell that this was Nascent Soul cultivator; it was unexpected that he was working as a greeter and farewell servant in this shop.
Before Xu Long could even speak, the man approached him.
Perhaps because he had been doing welcoming and seeing off guests for a long time, this shop assistant was very perceptive. When he saw Xu Long's gaze lingering on the bronze lamp with surprise, he made a judgment in his mind.
This person, perhaps visiting my Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary for the first time, was preoccupied with their own thoughts, yet maintained a genuine smile as they explained:
"The arrival of distinguished guests brings great honor to our humble abode!"
" The Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary is a humble place, its crude objects only adding to the amusement. The flame on this bronze lamp can burn for a thousand years without ceasing; the wick is made from the sinews and bones of the Kui Ox, and the oil is refined from the blood and flesh of the Kui Ox. The Kui Ox was taken by the senior disciple of the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary. Today, a distinguished guest has arrived; let its power congratulate the distinguished guest on a long and bright path to immortality!"
As the waiter ushered Xu Long into the building, he slowly explained the origin of the bronze lamp.
Finally, he also gave Xu Long a nice compliment, since saying nice things didn't cost any money anyway.
Xu Long was secretly amazed by the quick wit of the staff at the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary. Upon hearing that the material for the copper lamp flame came from Kui Ox), he felt a bit surprised by the "senior brother" the staff had mentioned.
It should be known that this Kui Ox is a high-level ferocious beast in the Boundless Wilderness. Only its flesh, blood, tendons, and bones can be fused together to support the flames burning for thousands of years without going out.
Although the Kui Ox usually lives alone, it has thick hide and tough flesh, making it difficult to kill, whether by ambush or by a group of cultivators.
Xu Long figured that the senior disciple mentioned by the waiter would not resort to such an ungentlemanly method as a group attack.
The combat power of the high-level ferocious beast Kui Ox is almost equivalent to that of a cultivator at the Immortal Realm realm, so this senior disciple of Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary really has some strength.
"Haha! Well then, I'll take your kind words! I've come to your sect to purchase a defensive formation, just enough to protect a small training ground."
Hearing what the waiter said, Xu Long chuckled in agreement.
This large shop was indeed an extraordinary experience; without even asking Xu Long what he needed, they directly ushered him inside.
After Xu Long explained his needs, the two of them went inside and sat down.
The waiter was clearly very professional. After learning what Xu Long needed, he glanced discreetly at the blue robe Xu Long was wearing, and finally took out a set of formations from the passageway.
"Greetings, distinguished guest. This defensive formation, consisting of four array flags, was specially made for small training grounds. It offers temporary protection against high-level ferocious beasts, but it falls short against hordes of beasts."
The shopkeeper opened his palm and unfurled four purple array flags in front of Xu Long. The small flags looked like children's toys in his palm, appearing quite tiny.
As the waiter spoke and explained, he subtly Magic Power the four purple array flags, which looked like toys, into his palm.
As the Magic Power was activated, the four purple array flags began to slowly rotate in his palm.
They seemed to be quite connected, and a meticulous aura emanated from them, no longer the playthings they had been before.
Xu Long's heart skipped a beat when he saw the battle flags being raised.
After a long time, the things I encountered in the Legend of Mount Shu World seemed to come back to life.
The scene of maple leaves fluttering in the air reappeared in my mind, and the figures hidden among those leaves seemed to come alive.
Upon seeing the array flags raised in the hands of the shopkeeper, Xu Long recalled his past experiences and almost subconsciously recited a spell.
As soon as the incantation left his mouth, the four purple array flags in the shopkeeper's hand paused slightly.
Then, as if summoned by some kind of energy, they began to spin and rise in the air. At this moment, Xu Long inexplicably reached out and took the four array flags.
Once he had put aside his previous thoughts, Xu Long spread out his large hand, and the array flags within it spun steadily, their momentum many times stronger than when the shopkeeper had urged them to do so.
When the shop assistant noticed that Xu Long was acting strangely, he was quite puzzled.
As Xu Long silently recited the incantation, the array flag in his hand vanished without a trace, leaving the shopkeeper greatly shocked.
I only retrieved the incantation for the formation; I never actually used it.
What's going on? Why is the formation acting strangely? Is someone sabotaging it?
Before the shock could even settle, the four array flags, after being launched, did not go far, but landed steadily in Xu Long's palm on the other side.
Xu Long was also surprised at this moment, as he had thought that Hong Gu's incantation in the South Foothill Dao Field was an unintentional transmission.
But to his surprise, it could activate other formations, which astonished Xu Long.
Looking at the four array flags spinning endlessly in his palm, Xu Long's gaze became deeply fixed on the center of the array.
The subtle aura within it, just like the look in Hong Gu's eyes before, seemed forever unfathomable to ordinary people.
"Oh, hehe! Your skill is truly remarkable, esteemed guest. You wield the array with effortless ease; I am deeply impressed. Thank you for your generosity, 5000 High-Grade Spirit Stone!"
As expected of a waiter who was used to welcoming and seeing off large groups of people, he managed to suppress his panic even after seeing Xu Long's inappropriate behavior.
Instead of shouting or yelling, they very diligently quoted the price of the defensive formation.
Xu Long:...
What?! 5000 High-Grade Spirit Stone!
Xu Long suddenly felt an urge to throw the array in his palm back.
He secretly thought: even without a defensive formation, using Feng Sihu to guard the Rotten Peach Mountain Dao Field... seems like it might work, right?
But upon seeing the waiter's obsequious expression, he momentarily froze in his tracks.
It's all Hong Gu's fault for leaking those spells to me. Now look what's happened, I'm being forced into a sale just because I recited them.
It wasn't that Lao Yinbi was stingy, but that after arriving in the Earth Realm, he only had nearly ten thousand High-Grade Spirit Stone on him.
I thought that a small defensive formation wouldn't cost much in Spirit Stone stones, but I didn't expect it to be so expensive at the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary!
Only then did Xu Long realize that he had entered a large commercial shop in the market!
The VIP experience was great, and the service was very attentive. Xu Long hasn't felt the slightest bit annoyed since entering the building, but the price is also quite shocking!
If Xu Long hadn't been familiar with array formations before, and had been given a persuasive sales pitch, he would have had a chance to decline after hearing the price. But now, with this array in his hands...
Seeing Xu Long deep in thought, staring at the formation for a long time, the waiter wondered if a rude customer had come looking to renege on his debt.
How dare a mere cultivator from a sect like you provoke the major shops within my Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary?
Fortunately, the old schemer was pragmatic. After pondering for a while, he chanted the incantation again, flipped his hand, and instantly put away the four spinning array flags.
"My apologies for my indiscretion. Here are 5000 High-Grade Spirit Stone; please count them."
"Haha! Your methods are truly remarkable, I am deeply impressed. Today, this defensive formation has found a wise master!"
When the shopkeeper accepted the storage bag, he didn't count it in front of him. Instead, he casually tucked it into his sleeve, seemingly not afraid that Xu Long would find anything amiss.
Xu Long knew immediately that the jade token he entered had been recorded by the garrisoned cultivators. If he tried to play tricks in the large shops of the Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary, he would never be able to leave this Metal Moat and Boiling Rampart.
After the shop assistant and Xu Long exchanged money and goods, the shop assistant wisely refrained from asking Xu Long if he needed anything else.
After a few words of flattery, Xu Long was once again escorted to the door by a smiling waiter.
As Xu Long recalled this terrible shopping experience, it seemed he only realized it was a large shopping mall after walking out of the tall gate.
And those trade fairs and markets among cultivators before were indeed for a reason.
Ordinary cultivators don't have the same needs as Xu Long; purchasing array formations is something only those with considerable power can consider.
Since he had taken over Feng Sihu's identity, he should act accordingly.
Losing half of his Spirit Stone reserves at once was extremely painful for Xu Long, and he secretly blamed Feng Sihu for it.
I thought to myself: I'll make that guy work 996 for me for the rest of his life to pay off his debt.
It's a perfect depiction of the Blackheart nature of capitalists Earth Lord.
After purchasing the defensive formation, Xu Long had very few Spirit Stone stones left, but this did not dampen his spirits as he strolled around the market.
After leaving the large shops at Pinglu Daoist Sanctuary, Xu Long went to the shops set up in Luo River Valley and Immortal Rosy Cloud Ridge.
Although they harbored secret animosity towards each other, it did not affect their business dealings in the slightest.
Even though there was some speculation about the power of the Perfected Lord Pinglu, it did not affect the operation of the shops in the slightest.
In this Boundless Wilderness, it seems that only cultivation resources can attract cultivators.
No matter what grudges may have existed before, there were still smiling faces to greet people between the doors.
Luo River Valley is one of the three major powers in the Daning Commandery Kingdom. It is a cultivation world power based on families, and all members of the clan share the surname "Luo".
This tribe also cultivated its own secluded paradise, but in this Boundless Wilderness, who would complain about having too many resources?
Therefore, aside from blessed lands and grotto-heavens, they also excavated some spiritual veins occupied by ferocious beasts in the outside world, and used them as their own dojos.