Lord Shenxiu
Chapter 416 Elder Xu Yuan (Happy Day 2 of the Lunar New Year!)

Chapter 416: Chapter 416 Elder Xu Yuan (Happy Day 2 of the Lunar New Year!)

Xuankong Mountain.

This mountain was very peculiar, originally a massive peak, but it seemed as if a cultivator had severed it at the waist and flipped it over.

An array was then set up to suspend it in mid-air, with the bottom pointed and the top level, upon which a huge market had been constructed, named Feitian Square.

It made Zhong Shenxiu momentarily believe he was seeing a floating city.

However, this city had its prohibitions fully activated, and every moment one could see countless lights soaring up and down, the daily flow of cultivators and the volume of goods swallowed and spewed out had reached an astonishing number.

And this was merely an ordinary market on the frontier of Da Jing.

"Da Jing really is the world’s foremost sacred land for cultivation, no wonder the scriptures within Taixu Sect recorded that if an outside cultivator doesn’t visit Da Jing at least once, they are ultimately like a frog in a well..."

Zhong Shenxiu had a green sparrow perched on his shoulder, his cultivation had reached the state of returning to simplicity and truth as he landed in the market, looking like an ordinary Loose Cultivator, taking in the market scenery.

Even in Da Jing, Core Formation Ancestors were local tyrants, Loose Cultivators mainly practiced Qi Refinement and Condensing Evil, and the occasional sighting of someone who could Refine Gang was considered a great master, attracting many admiring gazes.

And on the stalls to both sides, transactions mainly consisted of various Spiritual Objects.

Ranging from all kinds of exotic flowers and herbs, to the essence of metals, Hundred-refined Mysterious Iron and other Artifact Refining materials, as well as Arrays, Daoist texts, and so on, the selection was dazzling.

And the currency used for transactions here was actually a type of Spirit Pill!

Shenxiu found this interesting and chose a bookstall that sold books on local customs and cultural knowledge, casually picking a few volumes.

The stall owner was a young scholar, and he also accepted talisman money, but when Shenxiu inquired, he replied with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, "fellow Daoist must be from out of town, right? This kind of Spirit Pill is produced by Heavenly Ding Sect, it can replenish Mana, and has long been recognized by many cultivators from Southern Dao State..."

’This is also considered monopolizing the right to print currency? Indeed, there are no fools among cultivators... With this, Heavenly Ding Sect is making a fortune every day.’

Shenxiu casually asked a few questions and knew that in the Da Jing Cultivation World’s trading system, there wasn’t a general equivalent, but the powerful sects of various regions held the power to print money.

In Southern Dao State, it was the Spirit Pills of Heavenly Ding Sect, and further north, in the domain of Taufu Sect, their unique Spirit Talismans were the main currency.

However, the biggest advantage of such currency was that it wasn’t purely a credit currency; it had intrinsic value too, so the Spirit Pills from Heavenly Ding Sect were accepted in other regions as well.

"Essentially, it’s still impossible to escape the framework of bartering..."

Shenxiu casually found a quiet corner in the market and started to read those books.

After all, being unfamiliar with the place, it was better to understand more.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and he gradually became engrossed in the books.

"So it turns out the Da Jing Royal Family has long been in decline, with real power slipping away, factions rising in various places, forming de facto secessions, but always wary of a few major sects that support Da Jing, hence nominally still showing reverence to Da Jing as the main authority..."

"There are many cultivation sects within Da Jing, and later admirers sorted them out several times, listing the top Five Peerless Forces, Six Great Orthodoxies, Twelve Major Sects, Thirty-six Cultivation Families, Seventy-two Loose Transmissions, and One hundred and eight Heterodox Powers, encompassing Xuanmen Orthodox, Demon Sect Giants, Cultivation Families, families of notable Loose Cultivators, as well as some special inheritances... Those who make the list all have at least a Core Formation heritage..."

"Within Da Jing, there doesn’t exist a Primordial Spirit Boss, the strongest cultivators are those of the Golden Core Nine Revolutions..."

"If I’m not mistaken, among the ranking powers, there must be Ancient Spiritual Treasures that have been inherited, suppressing karma... And among the mid to upper-tier forces, there must surely be Returning Elixir Old Monsters presiding..."

"This Da Jing, many forces have intricate connections to the ancient Daoist lineages, especially the Five Peerless Forces which are said to be direct descendants from antiquity, having existed before the Chaos of Heavenly Transmutation, perhaps holding many books related to the transmutation... Alas, I can’t quite handle them yet."

After quite a while, Zhong Shenxiu sighed.

Heavenly Ding Sect was one of the Twelve Great Sects, capable of dominating one of the ninety-nine states, Southern Dao State. Their Returning Elixir Old Monsters were never in short supply generation after generation.

The top five peerless experts and the six Xuanmen Orthodox Sects must be even more extraordinary.

"Perhaps... I should make a trip to the Heavenly Ding Sect and weigh the mettle of their Returning Elixir Old Monsters?"

Zhong Shenxiu pondered that with his Primordial Pill level mana and position, he was unbeatable by any Returning Elixir Cultivator below the Golden Core Sixth Transition, so he had no fear.

"I should change my appearance, though, or else if I ruin my reputation so soon after arriving in Da Jing, things will get tough later on."

"Wait... have I entered some misconception? Why resort to deceitful conquest when I could just try to make direct contact with the top five peerless experts?"

"If that doesn’t work, I could always abduct a few disciples or elders and impersonate my way in..."

Having made up his mind, Zhong Shenxiu walked into the square.

While meandering through the square, he suddenly saw a streak of light flying to the top of the square, revealing a tall and upright figure.

It was a pleasant-faced middle-aged man, speaking slowly, "Everyone, our Elder Xu Yuan from Heavenly Ding Sect has recently had a confluence of the dragon and tiger forces, achieving a Second-grade Pill. This grand event glorifies our ancestors, thus we have specially organized a Golden Core Conference. It will be held on the fifteenth of next month at Tian Ding Mountain, with a grand banquet. We kindly ask for your presence!"

This announcement was like a bomb dropping into the square. Many Loose Cultivators were utterly astonished, showing expressions of envy and shock.

"Heavenly Ding Sect’s Xu Yuan is only sixty years old, isn’t he? To forge a Golden Core in just one cycle of sixty years is incredible."

In this world, Qi Refining Cultivators live up to a hundred years, while those who practice Refining Gang after Condensing Evil can live up to three cycles.

Most Core Formation Old Monsters only achieve it after a hundred years.

To forge a top-grade pill in just one cycle is definitely the mark of a genius.

"Not just that, he has plenty of time left, and with the top-grade pill already achieved, he could very well step into the Golden Core Nine Revolutions practice, possibly becoming a Returning Elixir Ancestor. The Xu Family is a major power within Heavenly Ding Sect; perhaps in several hundred years, Heavenly Ding Sect will be under Xu Yuan’s leadership."

Some seasoned Loose Cultivators quietly pondered, nurturing the thought of making contacts, and could not help but declare, "Thank you for the invitation from Heavenly Ding Sect. We will surely attend and bring a generous gift."

"Elder Xu Yuan’s talent, even when considered across the whole of Da Jing, is enough to compare with the Tiandu Five Sons, Shushan’s Double Stars, the Seven Swords of Heavenly Mountain, and other Cultivators..."

Someone immediately sighed at this revelation.

The top five peerless experts, representing the superpowers of both the righteous and demonic paths, consist of Tiandu Sect, Shushan Sword Sect, Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect, Western Regions Great Snow Mountain, and Wuji Demon Sect!

These five major forces date back to ancient times. With unfathomable foundations and Ancient Spiritual Treasures supporting their destinies, they have thrived ceaselessly, dominating the power structures of the Da Jing Cultivation World.

The ’Tiandu Five Sons’, ’Seven Swords of Heavenly Mountain’, and the like are the up-and-coming stars of these five peerless sects, mostly individuals under fifty years of age with the prospect of achieving top-grade Golden Core.

"Elder Xu Yuan might come from a slightly lesser background, and is a bit older, but having entered the Golden Core stage, how can those youngsters compare?"

In Da Jing, once one achieves Golden Core, they can establish a sect or found an Immortal Sect.

Amidst the Loose Cultivators’ lively discussions, Zhong Shenxiu appeared to hear a sigh.