Chapter 38 – 37 Qianchuan Market_1
At the entrance of Qianchuan Market, ten cultivators were collecting the entrance fee, among them a Foundation Establishment cultivator was leading the team.

One of the cultivators shouted loudly,

“To enter the market, each person must pay five spirit stones to enter, remember that fighting within the market is prohibited. Violators will be subject to on-the-spot execution by the Law Enforcement Team.”

Lin Tianming wore a bitter expression on his face; five spirit stones per person was indeed not cheap.

Lin Tianming couldn’t help but sigh, many low-order loose cultivators would need half a year to save up five low-grade spirit stones, just to pay the entrance fee. Considering the flow of people here, he wondered how many spirit stones they would collect in a day, easily in the tens of thousands. The daily entrance fee was almost the same as the Lin Family’s annual income.

“Fifteenth Grandfather, do you know if Core Formation cultivators have to pay the entrance fee?”

Lin Shilu, with a face full of disdain, answered,

“Of course, Core Formation cultivators don’t have to pay. At that level, they are esteemed figures, not only in Wei Kingdom but also in Qingzhou, revered as a powerful presence wherever they go. As far as I know, there are always several Core Formation cultivators present in Qianchuan Market all year round, including both loose cultivators and members from great sect families.”

Having said that, he didn’t care about Lin Tianming’s reaction.

Lin Shilu paid ten low-grade spirit stones, and after the scrutinizing cultivator let them through, the two of them were able to enter the city.

Once inside the city, they were on a wide road paved with bluestone, which was very broad. On both sides of the road, there were building after building, all different kinds of shops.

The entire market was divided into four zones: east, south, west, and north. The entrance area was located in the West District, which was full of large shops opened by various commerce alliances, offering a wide variety, from elixirs to magic artifacts, and talisman papers to formations.

“Elixir Pavilion,” “Hundred Treasures Hall,” “Sundry Goods Shop,” “Tavern,” “Inn”— such a dazzling array of establishments. Lin Tianming was very eager to go in and broaden his horizons, but the time was not right yet.

Moving further in, they reached the East District of the entire market.

Here stood a colossal building, towering dozens of feet high, the tallest in the whole market, covering a hundred acres; it was the core institution of the market, consisting of the auction house and Market City Hall.

Nearby, dozens of courtyards served as the residences of the market’s administrators and high-order cultivators. It was presumed that Core Formation cultivators lived here.

The North District was the residential area for cultivators, with thousands of neat courtyards arrayed in order, all developed by the market as dwellings, available for short-term or long-term stays, and quite expensive. Many cultivators preferring short stays chose to rent inns as the more economical option.

The South District was a vast square where cultivators could freely trade. Every cultivator who entered the city could rent a space spanning several square meters as a stall to sell their goods.

In the entire market, the Law Enforcement Team often patrolled, ensuring excellent public order. Hardly any cultivator dared to fight within the market. As for the grudges between cultivators, they were beyond the market’s control once outside its bounds.

One could say that the market provided a stable and prosperous sanctuary for the loose cultivators of the Cultivation World, where their cultivation efforts could be redoubled.

In the Cultivation World, markets could bring vast wealth, and each one was backed by sect families, without which it would be difficult to achieve such a scale.

And Qianchuan Market was established under the leadership of one of the Three Great Sects of Wei Kingdom, the Zhenyang Sect, bringing in a hefty sum of spirit stones to the sect every year.

The Zhenyang Sect was one of the three great sects in Wei Kingdom, with multiple Core Formation cultivators to its name, over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, and more than a thousand disciples, making it the leading power in the Southern Wei Kingdom.

In the land of the Qingzhou Wei Kingdom, aside from the Zhenyang Sect, there are also two major sects, the “Myriad Medicine Valley” and the “Golden Sword Sect,” as well as two major families, the Yingchuan Chen Family and the West River Li Family, each with a varying number of Core Formation Cultivators stationed there.

Listening to Lin Shilu’s introduction, the two of them walked along the bustling streets, weaving through the clamorous West City.

Lin Tianming felt his head spin as he passed by the various shops, with the shop boys shouting out front, much like the cities of the Secular World, except this city was entirely dominated by cultivators.

After a quarter of an hour, Lin Tianming and his companion made their way through the lively West City and arrived outside the great hall for renting cave dwellings.

After discussing, they hadn’t settled on the duration of their visit, which might be as short as three months or as long as a year; both decided that renting a small cave dwelling would be more cost-effective and safer.

The two entered the great hall, where a huge divine map displayed thousands of red dots representing occupied cave dwellings and hundreds of green dots for those available for selection.

Inside the hall, more than ten cultivators bustled about selecting cave dwellings, including several at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Lin Tianming and his companion approached the reception desk, and immediately a sixth-level Qi Refining Cultivator promptly greeted them.

“Welcome, seniors, to select a cave dwelling. Please examine the map above and instruct the junior if you find one suitable. This junior will introduce them to you,” the attendant said.

Lin Shilu nodded thoughtfully while studying the large screen.

The receptionist began to effusively introduce the options.

“The dots on the map above are divided into two major areas, inner and outer. Near the inner city area are the First Order cave dwellings with ten acres of space, and the inner ones are Second Order dwellings with thirty acres. The price for a First Order dwelling is five low-grade Spirit Stones per month, while a Second Order dwelling costs twenty low-grade Spirit Stones per month. The minimum rental period is one month. Which kind of dwelling would you like to choose?” he asked.

Lin Shilu pointed to one of the Second Order cave dwellings, took out one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, and handed them to the receptionist Qi Refining Cultivator.

Upon receiving the Spirit Stones, the receptionist quickly scanned them with his Divine Sense and then handed Lin Shilu a turquoise token, saying,

“Senior, please keep the token safe. You can proceed directly to the cave dwelling, as the token will automatically sense its specific location. When you display the token, it will unlock the various formations of the dwelling. If your rental period ends and you wish to extend, you can come to the hall to complete the procedures. If there’s anything else you need, please feel free to instruct this junior.”

Lin Shilu took the token, and he and Lin Tianming walked out of the great hall, heading towards the location of their cave dwelling.

Along the way, Lin Shilu held the token, navigating through dozens of alleys, sensing the location of the dwelling.

Within less than half an hour, the two stopped in front of a small courtyard located deep within the North District, a very quiet place. Lin Shilu displayed the token and cast a Law Decree, walking in first with Lin Tianming immediately following.

Upon entering the courtyard, they saw a yard of several zhang, complete with stone tables and chairs, artificial mountains, and a pond, fully equipped with guest rooms on either side, rooms for training, secret chambers for alchemy and refining, and even Earth Fire. The layout was quite refined, accommodating several cultivators without issue.

Feeling the Spiritual Energy of this place, which was in no way inferior to Green Bamboo Mountain and considering the one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones for half a year’s tenancy, it was hardly a surprise.

By now, twilight had fallen, and after more than twenty days of travel, both decided to rest first and visit Ye Pinghai the next day, as a show of respect.

They each picked a guest room and settled in. Weary from over twenty days of outdoor hardship, Lin Tianming was too exhausted to practice cultivation, so he immediately fell into a deep sleep.