Chapter 152: The Trading Assembly Begins

The massive dharma ship of the Mirror Jing Xue Ge rose slowly into the high sky like a primordial behemoth, then suddenly accelerated, transforming into a streak of light that vanished beyond the horizon.

Inside one of the pavilions atop the dharma ship.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qin!"

"Greetings, Guest Elder Qin!"

Within the lavishly decorated private room, the high-ranking members of the Mirror Jing Xue Ge's Tianhe Market branch had all assembled.

"Fellow Daoist Qin! Allow me to introduce you; this is Protector Li Mu of our pavilion. I believe you two have not met before," Aunt Long said after welcoming Fellow Daoist Qin into the room, beginning her introductions.

A square-faced middle-aged cultivator in his forties rose from his seat, bowed to Qin Ming, and greeted him: "Fellow Daoist Qin, I have long heard of your great name!"

Qin Ming politely returned the bow. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li."

He glanced around the room; among the cultivators from the Mirror Jing Xue Ge heading to Thousand Leaves Lingdao, the aforementioned Li Mu possessed the highest cultivation, being at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

As for the other early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, including Aunt Long, there were three in total.

One mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator plus three early-stage Foundation Establishment experts escorting the dharma ship constituted quite a luxurious lineup.

Moreover, Qin Ming had just secretly observed Protector Li Mu; his magic power aura was profound and thick, indicating he was by no means an ordinary mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and his strength should be considerable.

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone took their seats to drink tea and converse.

Several hours later.

The speed of the dharma ship gradually began to slow down.

Standing by the window and glancing outside, Aunt Long said, "We have arrived at Thousand Leaves Lingdao; everyone, please make preparations."

Hearing this, Qin Ming also went over to take a look, seeing a massive spirit island appear below the dharma ship, dozens of times larger than his own Moon Gazing Island, constantly growing larger within his field of vision.

Thousand Leaves Lingdao had originally been riddled with holes and scars from the trials of war, but after this period of repair and restoration, it had nearly returned to its original appearance.

Qin Ming walked out onto the outer deck to look down upon the entire island from above; the first thing that entered his eyes was the towering and majestic Thousand Leaves Mountain Range.

Within it, seas of clouds churned, while red-crowned cranes and spirit birds flew continuously between the mountain peaks, making one feel as though they were in a fairyland.

Surrounding the outside of the spirit island was a vast curtain of light emitting a cyan flowing glow, within which runes drifted; clearly, after the Nie family had recently taken power, they had re-established a third-tier great formation on the island.

The great formation reflected the clouds and mist on the distant horizon, glowing with colorful, variegated rosy light.

Countless dharma ships, large and small, swept past continuously, each with a different form, while flags representing various factions fluttered in the wind atop their masts.

Such a magnificent scene resembled an immortal spirit world, filling one's heart with joy and ease.

Half an incense stick later, the Mirror Jing Xue Ge's dharma ship docked at the port of Thousand Leaves Lingdao.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, let us disembark first; Protector Li and the others still need to supervise the unloading of cargo and other matters," Aunt Long said with a slight smile.

Qin Ming nodded and followed Aunt Long off the dharma ship.

At the entrance to the port of Thousand Leaves Lingdao, guard checkpoints had been set up; a long line of cultivators was queuing, waiting for their invitation letters to be inspected and their identities verified before entering the island.

Aunt Long led Qin Ming around these queues, entering through a separate entrance where only a few Foundation Establishment cultivators stood guard, requiring no queuing.

However, the inspection here was even stricter; not only was there a high-tier formation capable of identifying disguises, but also a Foundation Establishment-stage spirit dog-type beast monster, constantly sniffing the aura of cultivators arriving at this location.

After Aunt Long presented the Mirror Jing Xue Ge's invitation letter, an elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator among the guards of Thousand Leaves Lingdao hurriedly greeted them warmly: "Oh! Fellow Daoist Long of the Mirror Jing Xue Ge has arrived; please, come in quickly!"

Having said that, his gaze fell upon Qin Ming standing nearby; a trace of shock first flashed across the old man's face, followed by an expression of delight as he cupped his fists toward Qin Ming: "Island Lord Qin has also come! What an immense honor!"

Qin Ming handed over his invitation letter as well, a smile hanging on his face: "Hehe! I merely heard that Thousand Leaves Lingdao was hosting a grand event, and having nothing better to do, I came along to join the excitement." "Island Lord Qin is a renowned spirit planting master of the Spirit Perch Archipelago; naturally, you are most welcome."

The elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator personally led Qin Ming and the other two into the island.

They traveled all the way to a spacious valley where many buildings, large and small, had been constructed, which should serve as the venue for this trading assembly.

In the very center lay a massive square capable of accommodating over ten thousand people, complete with seating and viewing stands.

The elderly man from the Nie family led the two of them into a courtyard villa within the valley, which must be the temporary residence for the Mirror Jing Xue Ge for the coming days.

Subsequently, that old man explained some matters needing attention to them, specifically mentioning several forbidden areas within the island that were off-limits.

Qin Ming and Aunt Long entered this courtyard villa arranged by the Nie family; inside, lush greenery provided shade, while pond water, rockeries, and garden landscapes were exquisitely crafted, creating a serene environment.

From time to time, antique pavilions and towers, along with exquisite stone and wood carvings, came into view.

Outside the courtyard villa was a row of shops open to the public, where goods could be traded.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, please rest in your room for a while, or you may go outside and stroll around first; I will go check on the situation with the cargo," Aunt Long said to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming nodded. "Fellow Daoist Long, please attend to your business first."

After Aunt Long departed, Qin Ming went out alone to observe the surrounding situation.

The members of the Mirror Jing Xue Ge also began busying themselves, arranging all the cargo inside the street-facing shops.

A little less than half a day later.

Within the valley of Thousand Leaves Lingdao, all the shops began opening to the public.

Standing on the stone slab path outside, Qin Ming looked at the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and the rows upon rows of shops, unable to help but sigh with emotion: "The San Alliance and the Nie family truly made a grand gesture; this is even more lively than the former Qingyang Market."

After spirit island families, large and small, along with invited representatives from various factions, had all settled in, the valley presented a scene of a sea of people, with merchants and guests gathering in dense clouds.

"Oh ho! Come take a look, come take a peek!"

"Blue-Water Spirit Fish, a specialty of Dragon Kui Island, effective for enhancing the magic power of Qi Condensation cultivators; the taste is extremely delicious!"

"Special sale on talismans produced by the Wan family! Quality guaranteed, honest to children and elders alike!"

"What? The Wan family has come too? Their talismans are famous far and wide; quick, sell me two sheets!"

"Little Tuo Mountain Artifact Refining Workshop; all kinds of magical tools available! Essential fine items for daily life, travel, combat, and self-defense!"

"..."

Qin Ming also wandered throughout the valley, casually purchasing a few items that caught his fancy.

These trading exchanges between the spirit islands had gathered considerable popularity for the upcoming trading assembly.

At the first quarter of the hour of noon.

Aunt Long notified Qin Ming to come over, as the first day's trading assembly on Thousand Leaves Lingdao was about to begin.

Representatives from the various spirit island families and factions had also all arrived, taking their seats in order around the seating areas surrounding the central square.

Qin Ming also arrived at the location of Mirror Jing Xue Ge and casually picked a chair to sit down.

He glanced around at the people present and discovered quite a few with domineering auras.

Among them were several familiar figures; Huo Qianqiu and others from the San Alliance of the Seventy-Two Islands had also come, and moreover, judging by the magic power aura on their bodies, they had remarkably broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

(End of Chapter)