Chapter 501: Seven Stars Market

Just as the flying boat landed, before everyone could walk down from it, an old man with a horse face wearing the Star Sect Daoist robe had already taken the initiative to greet them respectfully.

"May I ask the seniors, are you here to participate in the Star Assembly held by our sect?"

"We are from the Xiaoyao Sect of Wei Guo, and we are here to participate in the assembly at the invitation of Senior Fu of your sect. Please lead the way, little friend!" Yao Yao Ganshu, who was standing in front, explained slightly and threw a red invitation card to the person who came. 【

After opening it to check carefully, the horse-faced elder from the Star Sect immediately nodded, respectfully returned the invitation to Yao Yao Ganshu, and then very politely led everyone into the market.

Seven Stars Market was built upon a fourth-tier spirit vein. This market was far more prosperous than the Mount Guiyun Market, which was second to none in the Wei State, and it was also the largest market within the Wu State.

Because the Star Assembly was about to be held, many cultivators from other regions had already gathered in the market. There were local rogue cultivators and family cultivators from the Wu State, as well as many outside cultivators from other countries, just like Song Song Qingming and his companions.

This lively scene, where cultivators from numerous large and small sects were gathered, was somewhat similar to the opening of the Taiyue Lake Secret Realm that Song Song Qingming had experienced back then, only the scale of the Star Assembly was clearly much larger.

Because only Foundation Establishment cultivators could enter the Taiyue Lake Secret Realm to search for treasures, almost everyone who went to the Wei State back then was at the Foundation Establishment stage. However, this time at the Star Assembly, Song Song Qingming had only been in Seven Stars Market for a short while before he had already seen several unfamiliar Golden Core cultivators; clearly, the level of the cultivators coming to participate was significantly different.

After entering Seven Stars Market, Yao Yao Ganshu declined the reception offered by the Star Sect cultivators and led everyone directly into a shop named "Mount Guyang Pavilion."

The Foundation Establishment disciple responsible for managing "Mount Guyang Pavilion" was named Wang Wang Mengxiao. This person was a bit older than Song Song Qingming. Back when Song Song Qingming had just reached Foundation Establishment, he had dealt with him because of his third brother, Song Song Qingze, and he had a very deep impression of Wang Wang Mengxiao's secret technique for tracking people by bloodline; as soon as he saw him, he remembered him immediately.

In addition to the dozens of Qi Refining disciples busy in the shop, the sect also arranged for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to be stationed here year-round. These people had long since received the news that the sect elders were coming and had already made preparations, arranging for people to wait at the entrance for these past few days. As soon as they saw Song Song Qingming and the other sect Golden Core elders arrive at the entrance, they immediately welcomed them inside.

Besides dealing in the buying and selling of various spiritual items, "Mount Guyang Pavilion" also provided various services such as lodging for cultivators. It was a shop with a relatively wide range of business operations. Generally, when Xiaoyao Sect cultivators came to the Wu State, they would prioritize choosing to stay here.

"Reporting to the Sect Master and Senior Uncle, ever since the Star Sect widely distributed invitations, the major sects in the dozen or so surrounding countries all seem to have received them. As of today, including us, cultivators from over a dozen large sects have already arrived at Seven Stars Market."

The reason the Xiaoyao Sect arranged for so many disciples to be in "Mount Guyang Pavilion" was that, besides managing this shop, they also had the task of helping the sect gather information in secret. Many of the major events that occurred here in the Wu State were also transmitted through "Mount Guyang Pavilion" to the Xiaoyao Sect, which was ten thousand miles away.

"This disciple greets all the Senior Uncles and Senior Aunts." After leading Song Song Qingming and the others to a private room on the second floor, a Foundation Establishment elder dressed in gray robes walked in immediately.

This shop was a business that the Xiaoyao Sect had been operating in the Wu State for over a thousand years, specifically responsible for helping the sect buy and sell spiritual items here. This time, during the demon beast chaos, quite a bit of the demon beast material obtained by the Xiaoyao Sect had already been transported here for sale; this place could also be considered one of the Xiaoyao Sect's external assets.

When Song Song Qingming first met Wang Wang Mengxiao, he himself only had a Foundation Establishment second-layer cultivation base, while Wang Wang Mengxiao was already a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator at that time. A hundred years had passed in a flash; Song Song Qingming had become a Golden Core cultivator famous in the region, yet Wang Wang Mengxiao's cultivation had remained stuck at the late stage of Foundation Establishment without much progress. When the two met, they both felt a wave of emotion in their hearts.

After glancing at Wang Wang Mengxiao, Yao Yao Ganshu smiled and waved his hand, asking directly in front of everyone: "Business here seems quite good recently; it looks like you have put in the effort. Is there any news regarding the matter I asked you to inquire about last month? Who exactly has the Wu State invited to come for this Star Assembly?"

For Foundation Establishment cultivators like Wang Wang Mengxiao who were already over two hundred years old and had no path forward, it was impossible for the sect to invest resources in them. Being sent by the sect's General Affairs Hall to manage a shop in a large market like this in the Wu State, performing a task that was neither dangerous nor lacking in the spirit stones needed for their daily cultivation, was actually a pretty good choice for them.

"The Fog-Snow Ice Lotus that the Senior Uncle asked us to inquire about now indeed has definite news. A few days ago, I found an opportunity to ask Shopkeeper Yang of the Seven Stars Tower again. According to him, this Fog-Snow Ice Lotus was found by the Star Sect in Taiyue Lake over twenty years ago, and the quality of the spiritual medicine should also be third-tier mid-grade. This time, it is highly likely that the Star Sect will place it directly into the auction on the last few days of the assembly."

Hearing Wang Wang Mengxiao patiently explain it all, a trace of joy immediately appeared on Yao Yao Ganshu's face.

"Hmm! You have done well. This Fog-Snow Ice Lotus is extremely important to the sect. This time, as long as we can successfully obtain this item, the General Affairs Hall will give you rewards as appropriate. After you go down, you must keep a close watch on news related to this spiritual medicine; you must not let others get their hands on it first!"

The reason Yao Yao Ganshu, this Xiaoyao Sect Master, dragged his injured body ten thousand miles to the Wu State this time was precisely because he heard that "Mount Guyang Pavilion" had obtained news of the spiritual medicine "Fog-Snow Ice Lotus."

Ever since Yao Yao Ganshu forcibly consumed the "Deer Soul Pill" to fight against the demon beasts for the sect at Purple Star Market last time, his original injuries had worsened by a few degrees, and he had also damaged quite a bit of his own vital essence. If he wanted to recover normally, it would likely take at least twenty years.

For this reason, in recent years, both the Xiaoyao Sect and Yao Yao Ganshu himself had been desperately looking for ways to help him recover from his injuries ahead of schedule. The "Fog-Snow Ice Lotus" that Yao Yao Ganshu came to Seven Stars Market to find this time was precisely a spiritual medicine extremely useful for treating his injuries. As long as he could successfully obtain this "Fog-Snow Ice Lotus" this time, Yao Yao Ganshu would at least have a way to shorten his healing time by about ten years.

However, even if Yao Yao Ganshu could recover from his injuries ahead of schedule, the loss of vital essence in his body before was not something that could be easily restored. Apart from some rare spiritual items that existed only in legends within the cultivation world, there were almost no miraculous pills or medicines that could return to the source and quickly restore a cultivator's vital essence.

Cultivators in the cultivation world who could break through to Nascent Soul were basically under five hundred years old. Yao Yao Ganshu's current lifespan was already approaching five hundred years. If he had not chosen to swallow the "Deer Soul Pill" back then, theoretically, as long as he healed in time and waited for his injuries to recover, Yao Yao Ganshu would still have had one last chance to form a Nascent Soul.

Now, because the loss of vital essence in his body could not be restored in a short time, Yao Yao Ganshu's hope of breaking through to Nascent Soul was almost gone. But because he had consumed some life-extending spiritual medicines, Yao Yao Ganshu, as a Golden Core cultivator, still had about seventy or eighty years of lifespan. As long as he could recover from his injuries in time and maintain the peak state of a Golden Core cultivator for a few decades, Yao Yao Ganshu could still manage that.

After Wang Wang Mengxiao retreated, Yao Yao Ganshu spoke softly to everyone in the room: "This Star Assembly is estimated to take another ten days or so to begin. If you Junior Brothers are bored, you can go around the market, but everyone should not leave Seven Stars Market casually, lest something happens and you cannot be found for a while."

"Also, this is after all the jurisdiction of the Star Sect, not our own territory. Do not cause trouble when you are out, so as not to bring unnecessary trouble upon yourselves."

After hearing Yao Yao Ganshu's instructions, everyone present hurriedly responded, and then they all retreated together.

After coming out of Yao Yao Ganshu's room, Song Song Qingming walked down to the second floor alone, wanting to go around the market first to see what kind of good things were in a large market like Seven Stars Market.

The reason Yao Yao Ganshu invited Song Song Qingming to come to the Wu State together this time was also because he intended to bring him out to look around and see some of the Golden Core powerhouses in the cultivation world around the Wei State. Being able to get to know a few more cultivators of the same tier would naturally be of some benefit to his future path.

After this great battle with the demon beasts, because Song Song Qingming had killed the White Lion Demon King and repelled the demon beast army at Jinshan Market, he had made a great contribution to the sect and was also an important hero in the Xiaoyao Sect's successful survival of the demon beast chaos. Some of the Golden Core elders within the Xiaoyao Sect had also gradually changed their previous attitudes toward him.

Sect Master Yao Yao Ganshu's attitude toward Song Song Qingming had also changed very quickly. Not only did he take great care of this guest elder, but he also already had some thoughts in his heart about pulling Song Song Qingming directly into the sect. However, because the sect's Supreme Elder Li Li Mufeng still had some fear in his heart regarding the expert behind Song Song Qingming, he had been unable to make up his mind about this matter.

"Junior Brother Song, are you going out for a walk?" Just as Song Song Qingming had walked to the entrance of "Mount Guyang Pavilion," a clear, ethereal voice suddenly came from behind, causing him to turn around and stop his steps.

Seeing Bai Bai Yuxian walking toward him, Song Song Qingming was also somewhat surprised. He hurriedly cupped his hands in a salute and replied: "Greetings, Senior Sister Bai. This is my first time coming to a large market like Seven Stars Market, and I couldn't suppress my curiosity. I was just thinking of going out to the street to have a look."

"This is also my first time coming to the Wu State. If Junior Brother doesn't mind, how about you take me along for a walk?" After Bai Bai Yuxian finished speaking, she had already walked in front of Song Song Qingming, her face full of anticipation as she waited for his reply.

Facing Bai Bai Yuxian, who was already within arm's reach, Song Song Qingming's expression was somewhat awkward. He was slightly stunned for a moment before he spoke: "Senior Sister Bai, please don't joke. If Senior Sister doesn't mind me, that is already giving me face. How would I dare to say the word 'mind' in front of you?"

Hearing the answer he had expected, a satisfied smile appeared on Bai Bai Yuxian's face.

"Then it's settled. On the way here just now, I saw several interesting shops. Junior Brother, accompany me to have a look first!"

(End of chapter)