Chapter 583: Market (A tribute to the alliance leader 'Night of Cramps'!)

Taiyuan Mountain Range.

Aaron was dressed as a hunter, mingling among the jungle, silently observing the valley and mist not far away.

For some time now, he had disguised himself as a hunter, mingling among the mountain folk, monitoring the valley.

By now, he had reached some general conclusions.

"It doesn't seem to be any faction or sect... Those mortals can't see it, but I can still see clearly... Occasionally a few Immortal Cultivators pass by, their attire is not uniform..."

"The personnel turnover is very high... Every now and then, one can see the light of Magic Tools..."

"Could it be... this is a gathering place for Loose Cultivators, or something like a market?"

Only those small, unranked sects or members of Immortal Cultivator families would cultivate them at their discretion.

"Exactly..."

Aaron was silent for a moment, but still answered truthfully.

Aaron said calmly.

After psyching himself up, Aaron moved his feet, slowly approaching the nameless valley.

"Immortal Cultivators are people too, they still have seven emotions and six desires..."

A faint light flashed at the bottom of Aaron's eyes as he used the 'Spirit Eye Technique'!

The next moment, those mists became vastly different in his eyes.

"Only copying the introduction for people to view, no wonder they aren't afraid of it being stolen or secretly recorded."

Aaron felt slightly regretful, then put down the cultivation method and found the introduction to the 'Hunyuan Art'.

After all, saying a few nice words doesn't cost money.

This day.

Even though he considered himself to have practiced the 'Fireball Technique' to the point of Chushen Ruohua, a fireball is just a fireball; it won't turn into a Fire Dragon or Fire Phoenix.

Aaron's eyes lit up; what appeared before him was not any architecture, other Immortal Cultivators, or bizarre scenes, but plot after plot of farmland!

"Although it's convenient for hiding one's identity, it should also be relatively dangerous, right? For example, are there Robber Cultivators appearing?"

Aaron followed the direction of the landmarks and walked for a distance in the white mist.

This valley was extremely large, and on the flat land within the valley, complete ridges of fields had been developed, with plants similar to rice growing inside.

Aaron muttered to himself in his heart.

At this moment, he only had one low-grade 'Iron Leaf Boat' as a proper Magic Tool, and it was only for transportation; he only had four spells as true Immortal Cultivator means, and among them, only the 'Fireball Technique' was for attack.

An old farmer straightened his body, saw Aaron, and greeted him with a grin.

"The concentration of Spirit Qi here is much denser than the outside world... The progress of cultivation should also be improved, right?"

"Found it quite easily... It seems that Lin Tuizhi isn't doing very well either, only able to buy half a cultivation method... He's also a poor wretch among cultivators."

He was still clear about the news that one should not reveal one's wealth.

"Hehe... First time coming to 'Dongmen Valley'?"

Aaron silently calculated his own strength.

The weather was fine.

And a cultivation base at the sixth level of a Foundation Cultivation Method can only be considered average among Immortal Cultivators, below a Foundation Establishment Dashiu.

On the contrary, those who 'sit in the shop' have storefronts and must maintain some business reputation.

Unless the Qingding Sect is willing to lower the threshold to one hundred and fifty years old... then Aaron still wouldn't try it!

After all, he had too many secrets, so he was only suited to be a Loose Cultivator!

As for those with Four Spirit Roots or Five Spirit Roots, they might spend their whole lives muddling through the early and middle stages of Qi Refining, and a Golden Core Sect wouldn't look at them.

The old man Donglong finished a pouch of tobacco, formed seals with both hands, and muttered something under his breath.

Although he didn't know what use these disguises had, doing them was better than not doing them.

"A Loose Cultivator, right?" The Spirit Light reaction on the old farmer was not strong, probably around the second or third level of a Foundation Cultivation Method, still an Immortal Cultivator at the early stage of Qi Refining, but at this moment, he had a trace of pride and smugness on his face. He pulled a jade-mouthed purple-gold copper pipe from his waistband, took a puff with great satisfaction, and then said unhurriedly: "Only you Loose Cultivators who come for the first time would be so secretive... Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. This entire Dongmen Valley and Dongmen Market are the territory of the Dongmen Family, and there is a Patrol Enforcement Team to uphold justice... The Dongmen Family is a family with a Foundation Establishment Dashiu, could they possibly cheat you?"

Aaron, the country bumpkin, decided to say less to make fewer mistakes; silence is golden, which made the old man Donglong lose a chance to show off.

Not only did the feeling of being unable to see clearly dissipate instantly, just like a person with high myopia putting on glasses, but there were also large landmarks standing directly by the roadside.

More accurately, it was the white mist in the valley!

"Very faint, no smell, but visibility is very low..."

The old man Donglong was a bit depressed. This 'Spring Breeze Turns to Rain' spell was the only thing he could show off, and it was rare to see a youngster, so he was prepared to show it off properly.

Aaron changed into a green shirt, used the Disguise Technique and Bone Shrinking Technique to change his face, and wore a bamboo hat on the outside, with pitch-black gauze hanging down from the hat to completely cover his face.

"Is this an Array Formation of an Immortal Cultivator? Does this count as me having walked out?"

Seeming to have long been accustomed to such customers, the scholar picked up a book again: "Customers are free to browse the books on the shelves, just be careful not to damage them."

If one possesses such aptitude, is under fifteen years old, and has a clean background, then even a Golden Core Sect would be very happy to accept them as an Outer Sect Disciple.

After figuring out the rules of this market, it wouldn't be impossible to come again in the future; there was no need to make a move the first time.

"And the water in those rice paddies also has a Spirit Light reaction; it should be spirit water, so what is planted should be 'Spirit Rice'?"

Even if the price is slightly higher, he could only accept it.

"Oh?"

It's just that this copy of 'Everlasting Spring Art' requires a full twenty-five Spirit Stones because it not only allows for fast cultivation progress but can also slightly extend one's life, making it highly sought after among the cultivator community.

"That's more like it..."

This immediately gave him some confidence.

"The old gentleman is right."

After opening it to take a look, he discovered it was a water-attribute cultivation method. Any cultivator with a Water Spirit Root could practice it, and it had a total of ten levels, which was quite complete.

There were only a few thin white clouds in the azure sky.

After strolling through several stalls in succession and seeing the general equivalent currency used by Immortal Cultivators, Aaron's eyes narrowed slightly.

The wood-attribute "Green Wood Art", the metal-attribute "Geng Metal Art", the fire-attribute "Blazing Sun Art"...

"I only entered the Immortal path by a stroke of luck; I cannot compare to you, old sir, I really cannot... May I ask your Great Ming?" Aaron was in no rush, stepping forward to strike up a conversation.

There were also cultivation methods of other Spirit Root attributes, such as the water-wood dual-attribute "Everlasting Spring Art", which made Aaron slightly tempted.

Aaron scanned the category labels on the bookshelves, then suddenly walked to the front desk and asked, "How come there are no books on other Immortal cultivation arts, such as Artifact Refining or Array Formation?"

"This guest, are you looking to buy books?"

Following this, streaks of clouds and mist flew out from his hands, landing above this acre of paddy field and turning into a fine curtain of Spirit Qi rain.

'Using spells to farm? I've seen it all now...'

Why didn't the other party offer more praise? Did they just leave?

Aaron sighed while walking into a bookstore.

Aaron cupped his hands and turned to leave.

As for those Foundation Establishment experts recorded by Lin Tuizhi in the "Hunyuan Art", Aaron would stay as far away from them as possible.

Aaron estimated that the piece of jade he had on him, which he had only felt once and then couldn't bear to use, could be split into at least a dozen "Spirit Stones".

"Haha... this old man is Donglong. Come to think of it, my ancestors were considered a side branch of the Dongmen Family!" The old man Donglong proudly puffed out his chest, then slumped back down: "It's just a pity my aptitude is poor; otherwise, I could have tried to join a Golden Core Sect like the Qingding Sect..."

A scholar who was reading at the counter put down his book and asked politely.

Suddenly!

The old farmer clearly did not discover Aaron's other layer of disguise and said in surprise: "If you haven't practiced any Youth Preserving cultivation methods, you look under forty, yet you have actually reached the Qi Refining Middle Stage; it seems your Spirit Root aptitude is quite good. What a pity, what a pity... If I had your Spirit Root aptitude, I wouldn't have had to waste my whole life."

Of course, only the introduction on the first page or two had text; the subsequent parts involving the cultivation method were blank, with only one line marked: "The price of this technique is ten Low-grade Spirit Stones. Those wishing to purchase, please pay the Spirit Stones at the counter to exchange for a Jade Slip."

There were pretty women dressed in thin gauze with alluring gazes, burly men wearing animal skins with tall builds resembling barbarians, as well as Taoists, scholars, and monks...

Aaron sighed; with his Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivation, he belonged to the middle tier, neither high nor low, and was completely inconspicuous mixed in the crowd.

And the various Immortal Cultivators gathered here, which opened Aaron's eyes.

"This white mist should be specifically used to block mortals and screen for Immortal Cultivators... so, the method to break the situation should be... a standard means for Immortal Cultivators!"

Many of them had Dharma Power fluctuations around the early or middle stages of Qi Refining, and occasionally a few late-stage Qi Refining cultivators could be seen, causing passersby to avoid them one after another.

The scholar lifted his eyelids slightly.

Of course, for him... fifteen years old?

'In this Immortal Cultivation World, the status of Immortal Cultivators with different strengths is worlds apart...'

It was clearly a very ordinary market, yet Aaron seemed to see the cruel laws of nature—the strong preying on the weak and the survival of the fittest...

Furthermore, if the opponent was careless and did not activate protective spells or Magic Tools, and he managed to get within seven steps, there was a possibility of a one-hit kill!

Of course... this was aimed at cultivators in the Qi Refining stage.

That thing called a "Spirit Stone"—he did indeed have one on him!

It was the piece of jade obtained from the White Snake Gang!

It was just that the Spirit Stones used by Immortal Cultivators were all cut into uniform sizes the size of a fingernail.

Aaron chatted for a few more sentences and learned that having Three Spirit Roots was indeed considered quite good among Immortal Cultivators.

And in the empty spaces on both sides of the street, there were scattered Immortal Cultivators setting up stalls.

He looked at these scenes full of market life and felt as if he had returned to the beginning, still that little fisherman.

And the vast majority of Loose Cultivators who stumbled onto the path of Taoism in ignorance were actually those with inferior Spirit Roots!

"What a pity..."

'Farming spells... but I haven't seen them before...'

Aaron knew he might have over-disguised, so he took off his cloak, revealing a face in his thirties with slightly sallow skin that looked completely unremarkable.

Aaron nodded and looked through the cultivation methods one by one.

He walked a bit further and indeed saw a market.

And several Immortal Cultivators with spiritual light on their bodies were working diligently in the fields, just like ordinary farmers.

"Sure enough... only Immortal Cultivators are welcome here."

Calling it a market, it was actually more like a street in the mortal world, with various pavilions on both sides of the street, and spiritual light flickering on the walls, seemingly hiding some powerful Forbidden Technique.

What if he provoked a Robber Cultivator who had his eyes on his wealth?

Was the Dongmen Family truly worth trusting?

'Although it's unlikely anyone would covet a mere dozen Spirit Stones, it's better to be prepared.'

The next moment, his figure completely disappeared from outside the valley.

Seeing a stall owner and a customer arguing until they were red in the face over a piece of merchandise, a realization suddenly emerged in Aaron's heart.

"Exactly..."

There were not many pedestrians on the street; at least in a mortal city, it would be considered quite deserted.

Aaron took a deep breath of the air and felt completely refreshed.

After probing the perimeter without any results, Aaron lifted his foot and walked completely into the range of the white mist.

Aaron came to the bookshelf labeled "Cultivation Methods", picked up a book with a blue cover, and saw the three large characters "Water Origin Art" written on it.

"In any case, this first step must be taken."

After all, they were just Loose Cultivators who came to make a quick buck and leave; perhaps they wouldn't be setting up stalls the next day, so it was only natural to peddle some counterfeit goods.

After all, he had water, wood, and earth Three Spirit Roots; it should be better to use a cultivation method that could utilize his Spirit Roots a bit more, right?

Those buildings all had signs hanging out, some were "Heavenly Talisman Pavilion", some were "Qingdan Workshop", "Refining Fire Furnace"... and the largest one, "Dongmen Inn".

The only thing worth mentioning was that after practicing Wu for many years, his reactions were very fast.

"Is this guest new to the Immortal Cultivation World?"

"Moreover... they should be quite friendly to outsiders and maintain an open attitude... the Landmark is proof of that!"

The white mist ahead dissipated, and the view suddenly opened up.

According to his observations, although the goods displayed at the stalls were cheap, they were of uneven quality, and there was no telling what pitfalls might be hidden within.

And within the white mist, Aaron discovered that he was truly unable to distinguish directions, as if his sense of direction had been subjected to a certain degree of interference and tampering!

"I am a Martial Master who has even slightly dabbled in Refining Spirit, and it is like this for me... if it were an ordinary person, wouldn't they just be spinning in circles on the spot?"

He calmly put down the book that only contained the introductory part of the 'Hunyuan Art' and looked at the other bookshelves containing spells and local customs, feeling quite enlightened.

'So I actually have the currency of an Immortal Cultivator? This is truly not easy...'

Aaron feigned a look of regret, which greatly satisfied the old man Donglong's desire to show off, and only then did he offer a few pointers: "Keep walking forward, and you will reach Dongmen Market. Fighting is strictly prohibited within the market, and violators will be severely punished. Besides that, if you do not stay at an inn owned by the Donglong family at night and are caught by the patrol, you will also be fined Spirit Stones. Alright, you go on and get busy, kid; this old man still has to continue tilling the land."

'Suitable for Immortal Cultivators of any Spirit Root, totaling ten levels, priced at twenty Spirit Stones.'

He possessed a cultivation base of around the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining; he was, surprisingly, also an Immortal Cultivator!

"I'll just take a look, just look..."

Aaron felt as if he had become a country bumpkin, staring at a rice plant in a trance.

Aaron sighed.

"Then you don't know this: alchemy, Artifact Refining, making Talismans, and setting up an Array... to master even one of these is a skill that allows one to settle down and make a living in the Immortal Cultivation World. Even within sects and Immortal Cultivator families, a legacy of the Four Arts is a Secret that is not passed on; how could it be easily leaked?" The scholar explained with a smile, his tone seemingly tinged with disdain.

(End of this chapter)