Chapter 410: Southern Sea Immortal Market (Bonus Chapter: Combined Double Update)

The Great Yu will establish a Dao Academy, where outstanding disciples may directly join an Immortal Sect.

Immortal Sect disciples may also enter imperial service; the Immortal Sects must not obstruct this.

The Qingwei Sect is the place the Emperor holds in highest regard; with Grand Secretary Li here, the Emperor is most at ease.

All of this was told to him by Eunuch Hong.

Li Rui stepped out of the Provincial Military Command.

As expected.

The imperial court does not offer free salaries.

He was promoted to Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief and granted the title of Marquis of Pingyuan; correspondingly, the court now has greater burdens to place upon him.

Li Rui took this in stride.

He was no imperial prince; he could not do nothing and still receive promotion and noble rank from the Dragon Throne.

The court intends to use the Immortal Sects to cultivate immortal cultivators.

It will establish a Dao Academy to select those with spiritual roots and instruct them on the path of cultivation, but further advancement will still rely on the major Immortal Sects.

Without exception.

It was the work of Grand Secretary Zhang.

The cultivation of the immortal Dao is the great tide of the age; if forcibly blocked, even the Yu court would be shattered to pieces.

Thus, the court's task is to turn it to its own use.

To absorb immortal cultivators into imperial service.

An alliance between an Immortal Sect like Qingwei and the court can cultivate disciples faster and strengthen its power—there is no reason to refuse.

The court does this to select immortal cultivators for imperial office.

A win-win arrangement.

Li Rui pondered silently.

The court is playing a grand game!

But all this has little to do with an old man devoted solely to cultivation.

All he needed to do was ensure that Qingwei Sect elders and disciples intending to enter imperial service were not obstructed.

This was not difficult.

It required ability, but more importantly, loyalty.

This was why the Holy Emperor chose Li Rui.

Loyalty.

Not mere words on the lips—merely one insider among insiders.

Clearly.

Gu Changsheng was the Holy Emperor's insider, and Li Rui was Gu Changsheng's insider; thus, by inference, Li Rui was loyal enough.

The Holy Emperor also considered that this task required sufficient status.

So he promoted Li Rui in rank before Li Rui's official breakthrough to Tongxuan, and to give him the authority to stand firm, he specially granted him the title of Marquis.

He reached the third rank.

What mattered most was whether he could bring value to the Dragon Throne.

If useless, even the greatest strength would cap his official career.

It was not unheard of for someone in the upper three ranks to end up only as a fourth-rank official and resign in fury.

Eunuch Hong and Minister Wang stayed in Qinghe for three days, then returned to the capital to report.

Tian Niu Zhu Ha achieved his wish and became the God of the Chijiang River.

It was said the old turtle of the Chijiang River had gone to the Eastern Sea.

Tian Niu Zhu Ha was overjoyed; he dragged Li Rui out for three days of heavy drinking.

Was that celebration?

It was plainly just greed for Li Rui's hidden fine wine.

Li Rui did not expose him.

He let Tian Niu Zhu Ha drink for three days—hundreds of jars of fine liquor.

After all, from now on, Tian Niu Zhu Ha would be his colleague—and one of higher rank at that.

After drinking his fill, Tian Niu Zhu Ha called Li Rui "Little Brother Li" at every turn.

He even swore that anywhere the Chijiang River flowed, if anyone dared trouble Li Rui, he would go and settle the score.

Li Rui took it as a joke.

After finishing the wine, Tian Niu Zhu Ha headed north to assume his post.

Li Rui's backyard grew quiet again.

He did not remain long in the Qinghe General's Mansion either.

After several days,

he returned to Qingwei Sect with Wei Ming and Tan Hu.

Changqing Peak remained as peacefully quiet as ever.

Passing through a sea of bamboo, he saw the courtyard hidden beneath emerald greenery.

"Big Brother Li, after returning to Qinghe, I had an epiphany—I've finally entered the door of the immortal art."

Wei Ming, rarely smiling, showed a rare grin.

Back in Anning Guard, his thoughts gradually cleared.

Without realizing it, he had mastered the immortal art—he had finally touched the threshold of the immortal Dao.

"Excellent."

Li Rui patted Wei Ming on the shoulder.

As the saying goes: a tree dies when moved, but a man thrives.

He had seen Wei Ming nearly go mad from stagnation on Changqing Peak, so he deliberately brought him to Qinghe.

He left Ning Zhongtian and Ge Hong behind to continue their cultivation.

Unexpectedly, it actually worked.

"Making the first step is already excellent, Little Brother Wei—you might yet become a great cultivator."

Wei Ming swept away his former gloom; a surge of righteous spirit rose within him.

He knew his own condition well.

His martial talent was limited; otherwise, he would not have remained stagnant for so many years.

Without exception, he would remain stuck at the seventh rank for life.

He was unwilling.

That was why he sought the immortal Dao.

He took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Li Rui: "Big Brother Li, I will remember this favor for the rest of my life."

He knew well.

These past days, Li Rui had deliberately taken care of him.

If he couldn't see that, he'd wasted half his life.

A debt of grace must be repaid properly!

Li Rui waved his hand: "We're brothers—why speak of such things?"

Wei Ming was his old friend, and since he felt Wei Ming still had potential, he had chosen to help.

After all, his own status kept rising; he truly needed assistants, and they couldn't be weak.

Outsiders were unreliable—he needed to cultivate a few trusted men himself; his closest brothers were the most suitable candidates.

One Ning Zhongtian wasn't enough.

He needed more.

But he couldn't view Wei Ming purely as a tool for cultivation; after all, he still didn't believe in Wei Ming's potential.

Entering the door was one thing; whether he could go far was another.

Of course,

he had his own opportunities—perhaps Wei Ming would too. There were cases of those starting from the lowest level who eventually became Immortal Sovereigns.

He was leaving Wei Ming a possibility.

This was friendship.

Tan Hu watched Wei Ming eagerly vanish into his room: "Big Brother, Old Wei's been happier lately."

Li Rui nodded.

Tan Hu: "Old Wei still needs to push harder."

Then he grinned: "I broke through yesterday while training—I didn't tell him because I saw how down he was. Guess I'll wait a bit longer."

Li Rui smiled faintly.

As a Tongxuan martial cultivator, he had clearly seen Tan Hu's breakthrough.

Tan Hu, like his disciple Liu Tiezhu, was a natural Golden Body.

Their breakthroughs before the sixth rank were swift, but the sixth rank was a true barrier—the term "Dragon Gate" wasn't idle talk, especially for natural Golden Bodies.

That was why he brought Tan Hu and Liu Tiezhu to Qingwei Sect.

Though they did not cultivate the immortal Dao.

But the spiritual energy here can help the two cultivate their qi.

Once you pass through Longmen Pass, the path ahead will become much smoother.

"Hu Zi, don't goad Old Wei."

Li Rui warned.

He truly feared that Tan Hu would shatter Wei Ming's hard-won confidence all over again.

Tan Hu grinned: "Big brother, rest assured—I know my limits."

Days flew by swiftly.

Before they knew it, another year had passed.

Changqing Peak, with its evergreen bamboo, exuded serenity; most of those on the peak spent their time cultivating.

Establishing a Dao academy is a long-term project.

It cannot be accomplished overnight.

So Li Rui, for the most part, continued as before, sealing himself in his chamber.

"This Five Elements Array is quite suitable."

Li Rui held a scroll in his hands.

He had spent nearly one hundred merit points to buy it from the Transmission Hall.

As the saying goes, talismans and arrays are inseparable.

Now that his talisman art had made progress, he had begun to consider studying arrays as well.

As he had expected.

With his foundation in talisman art, his entry into arrays came swiftly; within just a year, he could already set up simple arrays.

Just like alchemy.

Arrays and talismans are each divided into nine ranks.

Li Rui was currently at Rank Five in talisman art and Rank Seven in arrays—his progress was extremely rapid, and with his high comprehension, he often found clever applications.

"If I could reverse this Five Elements Array, it might make a fine mountain-protection array."

He stroked his chin.

He recalled the scene where the Purple Gold Palace's master had reversed the Duotian Array.

Although Changqing Peak lay within Qingwei Sect's territory,

strictly speaking, it was under Yu State's jurisdiction.

Like an embassy from his past life.

Yu State and Qingwei Sect currently had good relations, but who knew what the future held? Moreover, Li Rui disliked leaving his safety in others' hands.

A mountain-protection array was essential.

Hiring an array master to set it up would anger Qingwei Sect.

But if he claimed to be studying arrays and secretly installed a mountain-protection array, no one could complain.

As Li Rui delved into the Five Elements Array,

someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

When he stepped out of his room, he saw Chunxu Zi being led in by Liu Tiezhu.

"Master Chunxu?"

Li Rui was startled.

As Yu State's inspector, he was naturally at odds with several elders of Qingwei Sect; though he would occasionally intervene in critical moments, apart from Ziyang the Daoist occasionally visiting Changqing Peak, none of the other disciples of Qingding True Person had ever come.

Chunxu Zi smiled faintly at Li Rui:

"Master Li, have you heard of the Southern Sea Immortal Market?"

Li Rui blinked:

"The Southern Sea Immortal Market?"

Chunxu Zi: "It's merely a gathering place for immortals from overseas sects, where they trade with one another—many fine items are found there. It occurs every three years and will open soon."

"I heard you've been searching for the Water of Longevity—perhaps you'll find it there."

The Water of Longevity was the final spiritual ingredient Li Rui needed to upgrade his spiritual root.

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly:

"Thank you, Master Chunxu, but I'm preparing to seal myself off to break through—perhaps I'll skip it this time."

Chunxu Zi was taken aback.

After a long pause, he spoke: "Congratulations, Master Li. I won't disturb you further."

With that,

he walked down the mountain without looking back.

"Master, doesn't the Southern Sea Immortal Market have countless treasures?"

As soon as Chunxu Zi left,

Liu Tiezhu hurried forward eagerly.

He had no interest in cultivation, but treasures were another matter.

Was there anyone in the world who didn't love treasures?

He then sighed regretfully: "Too bad Master is sealing himself off—we'll have to wait another three years."

Li Rui merely smiled lightly.

He turned and walked back into his room, hands behind his back.

The moment he entered, his smile vanished instantly, replaced by a trace of coldness.

Chunxu Zi's intentions were not pure!

He himself already knew about the Southern Sea Immortal Market and had made preparations specifically for the final ingredient—the Water of Longevity.

Though he had relied on the Tianyuan Trading Association to help search for it,

what surprised him was that

the spiritual items recorded in the Ascending Spirit Scripture had already been completely swept up.

Items capable of enhancing spiritual roots were divine treasures, inherently rare.

Moreover, a mysterious buyer had been secretly hoarding them in bulk—very little remained in circulation.

No need to guess.

It must have been some exiled immortal doing this.

After careful inquiry, Li Rui, through Lin Lang's connections, had located the Water of Longevity in a Southern Sea Immortal Sect—the transaction was set for the Southern Sea Immortal Market.

He would definitely go to the Southern Sea Immortal Market.

But Chunxu Zi's visit this time was suspicious.

First,

he and Chunxu Zi were not close—there was no reason for him to come all the way here to invite him.

And while searching for the Water of Longevity hadn't been deliberately hidden, very few knew about it.

How could Chunxu Zi, a cultivator who spent his days secluded on Qingwei Sect's mountain, know?

Unless Chunxu Zi had been deliberately inquiring about him.

A flash of cold light passed through his eyes.

News that Li Rui was sealing himself off to break through to Tongxuan Realm spread quickly through Qingwei Sect.

The source of the rumor was not Chunxu Zi.

It was Sang Kong.

Of course, this was exactly what Li Rui intended.

Everyone assumed he was sealing himself on Changqing Peak, but in truth, he had already arrived at a sea thousands of miles away.

Ten thousand miles of waves, the sky washed clean.

On the calm sea, a large ship sailed slowly.

Its flag bore the characters "Tianyuan."

It was the Tianyuan Trading Association's vessel.

Inside one of the ship's cabins, Li Rui sat cross-legged, glancing out the window at the distant island now visible.

His current identity was guest advisor to the Tianyuan Trading Association.

His face had also changed into that of an ordinary middle-aged man.

It was a transformation talisman he had mastered.

Unless one was a Rank One Land Immortal, it was impossible to see through.

Though the Southern Sea Immortal Market was famous, it was unlikely to attract Rank One experts; combined with Lin Lang's cover from the Tianyuan Trading Association, Li Rui's identity was virtually impossible to expose.

At this moment,

someone knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Then Lin Lang walked in, smiling broadly.

The Southern Sea Immortal Market held countless rare treasures; Tianyuan Trading Association, one of Yu State's three great trading houses, had long desired to trade there.

"Brother Li, with you here, I can rest easy."

Lin Lang sat comfortably across from Li Rui.

Li Rui said nothing in response.

Even without him, the ship still carried a Xuan Realm attendant from the Tianyuan Merchant Guild; the Southern Sea Immortal Market was no place that killed indiscriminately for treasure—so long as one behaved, the Tianyuan Merchant Guild would suffer no harm.

"Young Lin, if this deal goes through, when the old Guildmaster retires, it'll be your turn."

Lin Lang grinned.

If it were anyone else, he'd have offered polite refusals.

Something like, "The old Guildmaster is still vigorous, Tianyuan Merchant Guild has no shortage of talent, it's not yet time for me," and so on.

But facing Li Rui,

"Old Brother Li, if I become Guildmaster, I won't claim this honor alone—you'll always be my old brother."

Li Rui smiled slightly:

"For you to become Guildmaster is your own merit—I'm merely basking in your glory."

Lin Lang said no more.

Yet inside, he silently hailed Li Rui as his stroke of fortune.

Business with Wu Country grew heavier by the day; his standing in the Tianyuan Merchant Guild rose with it. If he could now open the trade route to the Southern Sea Immortal Market, his position as Guildmaster was certain.

Both of these major matters depended heavily on Li Rui's help.

He knew this well.

Moreover, word from the palace indicated Li Rui held considerable weight in the Emperor's eyes.

Added to Li Rui's demonstrated talent,

Lin Lang had long bet on him secretly—did he truly believe treasures like the Seven Stars Stone and the Cold Soul Purple Crystal were so easily found?

He had paid an enormous price.

His actions were not merely due to valuing business with Li Rui, but because he valued Li Rui himself.

"In commerce, people matter more than trade."

This was what an old shopkeeper told him on his first day handling Tianyuan Merchant Guild business.

Lin Lang found it profoundly sensible.

The Tianyuan Merchant Guild's current patron is the Dingyuan Marquis, but no patron lasts forever—perhaps Li Rui will one day become the Guild's new patron.

Then, with their bond, the Tianyuan Merchant Guild's prosperity would far surpass its present state!

Lin Lang: "Old Brother Li can rest assured—the one who possesses the Elixir of Longevity is a Senior Elder of an Immortal Sect. I happened to hear of it from Lord Hou's private secretary, Master Feng."

Li Rui nodded: "Young Lin, you've gone to great trouble."

The Master Feng mentioned by Lin Lang held the same status as Liu Qing in the Annan Marquis's household.

Acquiring this information about the Elixir of Longevity had cost him a major favor.

Half an hour later,

The large ship docked, and Li Rui, Lin Lang, along with the Tianyuan Merchant Guild's Xuan Realm guest attendant, descended the deck.

Tianyuan Merchant Guild's crew were straining to haul the ship onto the beach.

"It truly has an aura of immortality."

Lin Lang said.

Though he understood nothing of cultivation, he understood feng shui.

From a feng shui perspective, this island was an exceptional treasure site.

The Southern Sea Immortal Market's choice of location was truly remarkable.

Li Rui and the Tianyuan Merchant Guild guest attendant named Fei Ming could see even more.

The spiritual energy concentration here far exceeded any other place.

Not only was the island itself a treasure site, but someone had also set up a grand array upon it.

Lin Lang continued: "I heard the Southern Sea Immortal Market was established single-handedly by a great cultivator called the Southern Sea Immortal Elder. I wonder if we'll get to see his venerable presence this time."

Li Rui slightly narrowed his eyes.

Regarding the cultivator who called himself the Southern Sea Immortal Elder, he had specifically checked the secret guard's archives. Since the man had never set foot on Yu Country's territory, information was scarce—only one thing was certain: he was a Rank One cultivator.

His strength was unfathomable.

Just as the three stepped onto a path through the forest on the beach,

Suddenly,

A rainbow streak shot past overhead.

A cultivator arriving for the Immortal Market.

Fei Ming's face showed a flicker of displeasure: "Weak cultivation, but what a showy display."

He saw at a glance:

The cultivator riding a magic treasure through the air was roughly at the Primordial Realm level.

Naturally, he felt insulted.

Lin Lang frowned but spoke up: "Master Fei, we're here to do business—let's hold our temper for now."

Fei Ming knew this well, and merely nodded faintly.

But just as he was about to look away,

He saw a flying sword shoot from the center of the island.

It struck down the airborne cultivator.

Killed instantly!

All three were startled.

Then a powerful voice echoed across the entire island:

"Those who come to the Southern Sea Immortal Market must abide by its rules—this is the fate of those who do not!"

(End of Chapter)