Chapter 32

Guiyuan Market is said to be the largest, liveliest, and most well-stocked marketplace in the entire Guiyuan Continent.

This marketplace alone occupies a full third of Guiyuan City.

Standing beneath the grand archway of Guiyuan Market, Chun Chou and Ling Wuji watched the stream of cultivators coming and going, exchanging glances.

The market… was astonishingly vast.

To stroll through the entire place would likely take them several days.

As Chun Chou pondered what to do, a young boy with bright, blinking eyes approached them.

Just like when they had first entered Canglan City and encountered that boy from the western district, this child was also here to serve as a “guide.”

Chun Chou thought of that boy from Canglan City. Unfortunately, they had never met him again. He wondered how the boy had fared afterward, and whether he was still dragged down by his family. The boy before them was at the fourth level of Qi Refinement—clearly a child from a large city, with a cultivation level higher than that of ordinary children.

Upon seeing Chun Chou and Ling Wuji, the boy quickly cupped his hands respectfully and said in a flattering tone,

“Senior, is this your first time in Guiyuan City? Would you like me to guide you? Don’t worry—hiring me for a whole day only costs ten low-grade spirit stones. I’m the cheapest and most knowledgeable guide in all of Guiyuan City! Guiyuan Market is enormous—if you explore on your own, it’ll take quite a while just to find the shops and stalls you’re looking for.”

Seeing that the boy looked clever and resourceful, Chun Chou and Ling Wuji—both bumpkins from the mortal realm —only found the price of ten low-grade spirit stones a bit expensive, but otherwise had no objections.

“Do you know which shop here offers the most reasonable prices for buying talismans?” Chun Chou asked. “Preferably a shop under the Guiyuan Sword Sect.”

The boy nodded, then shook his head.

“Of course I know which shops offer the fairest prices. But, Seniors, the shops under the Guiyuan Sword Sect are quite arrogant. They don’t lack anything. Even though they’re a sword sect, they have their own Talisman Peak, Alchemy Peak, Artifact Peak, and so on. The talismans, pills, and magical artifacts produced by their own disciples are already more than sufficient for their needs.

“The shops they run in Guiyuan Market mostly sell items made by their own disciples. They don’t rely on goods from outsiders. So no matter how good your items are, the prices they offer won’t be as good as other shops.”

Chun Chou and Ling Wuji exchanged a glance. Chun Chou asked again,

“What if it’s spatial talismans? Would their shops still refuse to offer a reasonable price?”

Spatial storage items had always been rare—mainly because spatial-type heavenly materials were hard to come by, and cultivators with spatial spiritual roots were even rarer. Although ordinary talisman masters could occasionally produce spatial talismans if they were exceptionally gifted, such individuals were few, and even then, success might come only once out of ten attempts.

Even so, the most basic type—a spatial talisman with a ten-day duration and thirty cubic meters of storage—was not particularly rare among major sects and powerful families. After all, there was never a shortage of talented individuals in the world.

Hearing this, the boy quickly asked,

“May I ask what level of spatial talismans you can draw, Senior?”

Chun Chou looked toward Ling Wuji.

Ling Wuji replied calmly,

“The most basic spatial talismans are what I’m best at. In addition, I can now draw spatial talismans with a hundred cubic meters of storage lasting a hundred days. As for spatial jade talismans lasting a year—if I have high-quality jade, I can also produce ones with a hundred cubic meters of space and a one-year duration.”

In truth, storage pouches were already quite common. However, most of them only had a capacity of thirty cubic meters. In comparison, relatively affordable spatial talismans with a hundred cubic meters of space allowed cultivators venturing out to fully store large demon beasts they hunted.

This was precisely why Ling Wuji’s spatial talismans had been so popular in Canglan City.

The young boy couldn’t help widening his eyes. “Senior, do you have a spatial spiritual root? You’re incredibly powerful!” After speaking, he seemed to realize he had asked too much and hurriedly added, “Second-grade spatial talismans and spatial jade talismans like these can be accepted at the Guiyuan Sword Sect’s shop. It’s just that their prices aren’t as good as other shops. Would you like me to take you there?”

Ling Wuji naturally did not possess a spatial spiritual root. He glanced at Chunchou, vaguely feeling that the reason his spatial talismans had improved in grade was entirely because Chunchou’s cultivation was getting stronger, and he had benefited from it.

But there was no time to think further. Ling Wuji nodded to the boy. “Lead the way to the Guiyuan Sword Sect’s shop.”

Chunchou and Ling Wuji followed the boy toward the largest shop of the Guiyuan Sword Sect in the marketplace.

The boy said, “I’ve heard that the shopkeeper today is a powerful talisman master. He’ll definitely understand how impressive someone who can draw spatial talismans is.”

The boy was indeed quite clever.

When the three arrived outside the shop, they looked up and saw that this “Treasure Pavilion” truly lived up to its name. It wasn’t particularly luxurious, but it was a seven-story building filled with all kinds of items. However, this pavilion mostly sold goods and rarely purchased them.

Upon entering, Chunchou was surprised to find that even the attendants on the first floor were at the 11th and 12th levels of Qi Refining, while the lazily seated shopkeeper was actually at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Chunchou and Ling Wuji exchanged a glance and cautiously stepped forward.

The boy seemed to be a familiar face here. He ran to a friendly attendant he knew and whispered their situation. The attendant looked surprised and approached them. “You two, come with me to see my martial uncle.”

As expected, even shop attendants from major sects carried a certain arrogance.

Chunchou thought to himself—had Fusheng and the others become like this too?

The attendant led them to the late-stage Foundation Establishment shopkeeper and spoke quietly to him. Only then did the shopkeeper lose his lazy demeanor. He casually tossed the book in his hand backward, and an attendant quickly caught and put it away.

Dressed in white, the shopkeeper looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning Chunchou and Ling Wuji. He was born with spiritual eyes and could see through others’ aptitudes at a glance, which made him highly valued in the sect.

He looked at Chunchou several times, thinking it was rare to see someone with such mixed and poor spiritual roots.

Then his gaze fell on Ling Wuji. “You’re a talisman master?”

Ling Wuji maneuvered his wheelchair forward.

“This junior can draw a few talismans.”

He then presented his best spatial talismans and spatial jade talismans.

The shopkeeper examined them carefully and said in surprise, “According to the records of our sect’s talisman peak, ordinary talisman masters can draw basic spatial talismans if they have sufficient talent. But second-grade spatial talismans and spatial jade talismans can only be drawn by those with spatial spiritual roots.

“Yet you clearly have a top-grade ice spiritual root. Hmm… your spiritual energy isn’t pure enough. Without a good marrow-cleansing pill, your cultivation will be delayed. Where do you come from?”

Ling Wuji was startled and worried how Chunchou might react upon learning his aptitude. He lowered his head. “We wouldn’t dare deceive you, Senior. We come from the mortal world.”

He glanced at Chunchou, only to see no reaction. Only then did he realize Chunchou had already known about his aptitude.

The shopkeeper was even more surprised and looked at Chunchou, whose spiritual roots were hopelessly mixed.

Chunchou bowed. “Senior, we indeed came from Hongye Town in the mortal world a year ago. At that time, disciples from the Guiyuan Sword Sect took four of my younger siblings as disciples. Not long after, I decided to come to the cultivation world via a teleportation array. I came here to see how my siblings are doing now.”

The shopkeeper said in astonishment, “That teleportation array was abandoned long ago. You actually survived the journey?”

He paused, realizing he had said too much, and continued, “Four siblings? Those taken from the mortal world should all have single spiritual roots. Four… I see. You’re Xie Fusheng’s older brother?”

Chunchou’s eyes lit up instantly. “Senior is wise. I am indeed his elder brother. I also have three other siblings—Xie Yaoyao, Xie Changnian, and Xie Youyou.”

He intentionally listed all their names.

The shopkeeper fell silent, tapping a folding fan against his hand before finally saying, “Your brother Xie Fusheng is now the only personal disciple of our sect leader. He is highly valued, personally taught daily by elders or the sect leader himself.

“He is destined to be the pride of our sect, always putting the sect first. As for you… with your aptitude, you would only hinder his cultivation. The sect will not easily allow you to meet him.”

Chunchou opened his mouth to speak, but the shopkeeper suddenly snapped his fan open and laughed. “Of course, those old fossils in the sect would say that. Fortunately, you met me. I don’t care about them. Since you are his brother, I can at least deliver a letter for you.”

After a moment, he pointed at Ling Wuji. “Our sect is currently holding a competition. Your companion…”

Ling Wuji immediately said, “I am Chunchou’s fiancé.”

Chunchou’s ears turned slightly red, but he did not deny it.

The shopkeeper: “…” What a public display of affection!

He looked at them with a complicated expression. Given the disparity in their aptitudes, he had many thoughts but chose not to say anything.

He continued, “Chunchou, right? Your fiancé draws excellent spatial talismans. Has he registered for the competition? If he ranks in the top twenty, he can enter the outer sect and compete with our talisman cultivators. At that time, I can arrange for your brother to meet him. As for you…”

Chunchou quickly said, “Senior, my fiancé did not register, but I am a second-grade spirit plant cultivator and will participate.”

The shopkeeper was even more surprised. Someone with such poor spiritual roots had actually become a second-grade spirit plant cultivator—truly unheard of.

Chunchou then wrote a letter and handed it, along with four candied hawthorn skewers from Hongye Town, to the shopkeeper. Seeing him accept them, Chunchou hesitated before asking, “My parents have passed away, and I am the eldest. I would like to ask… are my other three siblings still in the Guiyuan Sword Sect?”

The shopkeeper looked deeply at Chunchou, a trace of pity in his eyes.

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