Chapter 627: The East Sea Cultivation World, Tiandancheng (Combined Chapter)

The East Sea cultivation world is quite different from the Floating Yunshan Range. Here, most cultivation sects are located on islands scattered like stars, rather than being divided by national borders.

Because they border the vast ocean, cultivators here can travel to various sea areas to hunt spirit beasts and search for precious spiritual materials, making the spiritual resources of the East Sea cultivation world far richer than those of the Floating Yunshan Range.

Although the population of the East Sea cultivation world is similar to that of the Floating Yunshan Range, the overall strength of its cultivation sects is much greater due to the abundant resources.

The entire East Sea cultivation world has over a dozen Nascent Soul sects. Including the numerous rogue cultivator factions, the total number of Nascent Soul cultivators here is nearly double that of the Floating Yunshan Range.

However, like the Floating Yunshan Range, there are no Soul Transformation cultivators in the East Sea cultivation world; the highest cultivation level is the late Nascent Soul stage.

The destination of Song Qingming and his companions, "Tiandancheng," is located on an island controlled by a Nascent Soul power, and it is also the headquarters of the "Heavenly Pill Alliance."

Upon entering "Meishan Market," Song Qingming immediately felt the unique aura of the East Sea cultivation world. Because it borders the ocean, water-attribute spiritual materials are significantly more abundant here than other types, and their prices for the same grade are also cheaper.

Furthermore, the local accent in the East Sea cultivation world differs greatly from that of the Floating Yunshan Range, to the point where Song Qingming sometimes struggled to understand when they spoke too quickly.

Fortunately, Song Qingyu had spent some time here and had mastered the local dialect, allowing Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan to quickly familiarize themselves with the local speech.

After resting for a day in Meishan Market, the rejuvenated trio set off eastward again. After traveling nearly several thousand miles, a different shade of blue suddenly appeared on the horizon.

As the flying boat approached, Song Qingming and the others finally saw the scene they had long read about in books: the ocean.

Having cultivated in the Floating Yunshan Range for over a hundred years, this was Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan's first time seeing the sea. They were filled with wonder and deliberately slowed the speed of the "Phantom Boat."

Unlike the boundless Taiyue Lake, the seawater here was a deeper shade of blue, and the surging waves crashing against each other carried an intimidating momentum.

In the distance, a flock of seabirds was dancing in the sky. Seeing the glowing "Phantom Boat" enter the airspace above the sea, they curiously trailed behind it.

Feeling the sea breeze on their faces and listening to the sound of tides crashing against the shore and reefs, the trio felt their hearts relax, immersing themselves in the beautiful scenery.

Guided by the sea chart purchased at the market, the trio crossed nearly ten thousand miles of ocean before finally seeing a massive island appear on the horizon on the third day.

As the "Phantom Boat" approached the island, Song Qingming immediately saw a giant formation shrouding the entire island and hurriedly slowed the boat down.

Before Song Qingming could observe his surroundings, a small flying boat appeared nearby, heading in the same direction.

An elderly man at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment on the boat saw the powerful aura of the two Jin Dan cultivators, Song Qingming and Song Qingyu. He hurriedly bowed slightly toward them, carefully steering his boat away and toward a harbor at the base of the island.

Seeing this, Song Qingming controlled the "Phantom Boat" to follow, and soon they arrived at a large harbor guarded by numerous cultivators.

Compared to the quiet journey, it was much livelier here. Flying boats arrived from afar, and cultivators on various flight artifacts departed constantly.

On several large ships docked at the harbor, people were busy loading and unloading cargo. In this one harbor alone, Song Qingming saw over a hundred cultivators.

Seeing the trio appear, a gray-robed man at the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment walked out from among the guards and bowed to them.

"Greetings, seniors. I am at your service. Are you here to purchase pills and spiritual materials, or do you intend to stay for a long time?"

Song Qingming scanned the man, smiled, and nodded. "We are here to purchase some pills and will leave in three to five days."

"We are visiting Tiandancheng for the first time and are unfamiliar with the local rules. Could you please advise us on the requirements for entering the city so we may proceed conveniently?"

"Seniors, you are too polite. Tiandancheng has always welcomed friends from all directions and has few restrictions on visiting cultivators. Ordinary Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators only need to pay the required spirit stones to enter."

"For Jin Dan cultivators like yourselves, no spirit stones are required. You only need to register your names here and carry this token of identity to enter the city directly."

After speaking, the gray-robed man took out a bamboo slip and three glowing red rings, placing them before Song Qingming and his companions.

Seeing the rings, Song Qingming understood they were tokens of identity and accepted them from the man.

Song Qingming then used his spiritual power to write their names on the bamboo slip, handed it to Song Qingyu and Huang Siyuan, and returned it to the man once all three names were recorded.

"Seniors! The spiritual light on these rings will dissipate on its own after ten days. If you wish to stay longer or have plans for a long-term residence, please go to the Heavenly Pill Pavilion in the east of the city to exchange them."

Song Qingming nodded and led Song Qingyu and Huang Siyuan toward a massive city gate not far from the harbor.

After presenting their identity tokens to the guards, the trio followed the crowd directly into "Tiandancheng."

The entire "Tiandancheng" is built on the eastern side of a fourth-tier spirit vein, occupying nearly half the island. It spans a radius of over a thousand miles and is home to both a large number of cultivators and countless mortals.

After entering the city, Song Qingming inquired at the gate and soon led the others to an inn, where they rented two rooms to stay.

After resting for a night to wash away their fatigue, the trio set off early the next morning for the "Heavenly Pill Pavilion" located in the east of the city.

This "Heavenly Pill Pavilion" was much larger than the branches Song Qingming had seen in the Floating Yunshan Range. The people coming and going were mostly cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage or higher.

As soon as they entered, a Foundation Establishment cultivator busy in the hall saw two Jin Dan cultivators and, knowing a big business opportunity had arrived, hurriedly invited them into a private room on the second floor.

After they were seated, before the manager could ask, Song Qingming took the initiative to present a green jade token to identify himself and state his purpose.

Recognizing the token, the manager bowed enthusiastically. "Oh! So you are introduced by Elder Gu. Please forgive my negligence! However, the items you require are quite precious, and I cannot make the final decision. Please wait a moment while I invite the executive elder."

The manager ordered the maid outside to serve some fragrant spirit tea before hurrying upstairs.

After half a cup of tea, a thin, tall old man in a green Daoist robe with a short beard walked in with a smile.

"I am Ye Qiuyuan, executive elder of the Heavenly Pill Pavilion. Greetings, fellow Daoists!"

"Greetings, fellow Daoist Ye!" Feeling the Jin Dan aura radiating from the old man, Song Qingming and the others stood up to return the bow.

Ye Qiuyuan scanned the trio, invited them to sit, and took a sip of tea before speaking slowly.

"As my nephew Chen mentioned, you have come from the Floating Yunshan Range to purchase Foundation Establishment pills and Core Formation spiritual materials. Please tell me in detail how many pills you need and what specific materials you are looking for."

"We have traveled ten thousand miles, so naturally, we wish to purchase more. If it is convenient, we would like to purchase five Foundation Establishment pills. As for Core Formation materials, we only need one Heavenly Fire Profound Pearl."

For this trip to the East Sea, Song Qingming had brought nearly seventy thousand spirit stones from the family treasury. Purchasing five Foundation Establishment pills and the "Heavenly Fire Profound Pearl" for Huang Siyuan should be just about right.

In addition, they had over forty thousand spirit stones of their own, which Song Qingming intended to use for other daily cultivation needs.

Hearing this, Ye Qiuyuan looked troubled. "Fellow Daoist Song, to be honest, Foundation Establishment pills are also very important spiritual items for us. It is difficult to provide so many at once."

"However, since you were introduced by Junior Brother Gu, I will not let you return empty-handed. I can authorize the sale of two Foundation Establishment pills at the market price of ten thousand spirit stones each. The Heavenly Pill Pavilion will not take advantage of you."

"As for the five-element Core Formation materials, to be honest, they are also very scarce here. Except for the auctions held every twenty years, we do not sell them, so I cannot promise you anything. I apologize."

"However, if you are looking for secondary auxiliary Core Formation materials, we do have some, and I can sell you one or two."

Song Qingming felt a wave of disappointment.

When Gu introduced him to "Tiandancheng," he made it sound much easier—that with enough spirit stones, Foundation Establishment pills could be bought at will, and five-element Core Formation materials were not hard to find.

It turned out that the old man's words were mostly boasting, just to lure them here to spend spirit stones.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, we have traveled ten thousand miles primarily because Elder Gu told us we could find five-element Core Formation materials here. May I ask when the next auction will be held?"

Ye Qiuyuan set down his tea and smiled. "You have come at an slightly inconvenient time. The last auction was five years ago, and it will be another dozen years before the next one. If you are willing to come then, five-element Core Formation materials will certainly be available. However, whether you can obtain them depends on your luck."

Knowing that the auction would not be held for at least fifteen years, Song Qingming frowned.

Although Huang Siyuan's lifespan was still relatively sufficient and she could afford to wait fifteen years, for the sake of her future path, Song Qingming did not want to delay her Core Formation.

After a moment of thought, Song Qingming continued:

"Fellow Daoist Ye, we are indeed in a hurry to find this item. We cannot wait that long. I have a top-grade spirit stone and some second-tier spiritual herbs here; could I exchange them for a Heavenly Fire Profound Pearl? If you agree, I am willing to offer more spiritual items. I hope you can do us a favor; we would be deeply grateful!"

Ye Qiuyuan waved his hand with a smile. "Fellow Daoist Song, you misunderstand. It is not that I am intentionally making things difficult for you; it is a rule set by the Supreme Elder. All five-element Core Formation materials in the Heavenly Pill Pavilion cannot be sold to outsiders at will."

"Although you were introduced by Junior Brother Gu, this is our first time dealing with each other. It is against the rules to exchange such items rashly. Even if I were willing, the other executive elders would not agree."

Seeing that the other party would not budge, Song Qingming could only nod helplessly. "In that case, we will have to try our luck another time. Regardless, thank you for your guidance. This spirit tea is something I brought from home; I hope you do not mind. If you ever visit the Floating Yunshan Range, please come to Funiu Mountain!"

After accepting the spirit tea, Ye Qiuyuan called a clerk from the Heavenly Pill Pavilion and gave him careful instructions.

Soon, the clerk returned with two blue jade boxes and delivered them to the private room.

Seeing the boxes, Song Qingming opened them to inspect the Foundation Establishment pills. Confirming they were in order, he immediately took out twenty thousand spirit stones and handed them to Ye Qiuyuan.

Although they did not purchase all the items they wanted, successfully buying two Foundation Establishment pills meant the trip was not in vain. After putting away the boxes, Song Qingming finally showed a hint of relief.

After verifying the spirit stones, Ye Qiuyuan ordered the clerk to put them away and took out a yellow jade token for Song Qingming.

"Fellow Daoist Song, this is a token for honored guests of the Heavenly Pill Pavilion. With this, you can enjoy a five percent discount on any pills purchased here in the future. Since we are fated to meet today, I gift it to you."

Accepting the token, Song Qingming was delighted and bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye! We also intend to purchase other pills for our cultivation. If we can get them all here, it would be even better, saving us from running around elsewhere."

"Please help us check this list; we will take anything you have on it."

Before coming, Song Qingming had made preparations.

In addition to the pills needed for his and Song Qingyu's daily cultivation, he had also recorded the pills the family lacked and were hard to find near Wei. Since they were in the East Sea, they should try to get as much as possible.

Ye Qiuyuan glanced at the paper and nodded with a smile. "Fellow Daoist Song, rest assured, we have most of these. Please wait a moment, and I will have them prepared for you."

He then handed the paper to a clerk and returned to chatting with Song Qingming and the others.

Although it was their first meeting, they were all Jin Dan cultivators and found common topics. Through their chat, Song Qingming learned more about this executive elder.

Ye Qiuyuan was much older than Song Qingming, with a lifespan of over four hundred years. In the Floating Yunshan Range, he would be of the same generation as Jin Ziyuan and Li Wutong.

His cultivation talent was not high; he had only reached the sixth layer of the Jin Dan stage and had not yet broken through to the late stage. Among Jin Dan cultivators, his potential was considered exhausted, and he would likely never reach the Nascent Soul stage.

However, while his cultivation talent was average, his alchemy skills were outstanding, far surpassing Chu Fengping's, making him a rare top-grade third-tier alchemist.

About half an hour later, as Ye Qiuyuan and the others were chatting happily, a knock on the door interrupted them.

Soon, several clerks entered with the list and dozens of porcelain bottles and jade boxes.

A Foundation Establishment manager holding two slips of paper bowed and said to Song Qingming:

"Seniors, except for the Barrier-Breaking Pill and the Dragon Pill, which are currently out of stock, all other pills and spiritual materials have been prepared. After the discount, the total comes to thirteen thousand six hundred spirit stones. Please verify."

Song Qingming nodded and let Huang Siyuan and Song Qingyu step forward to help inventory the items. He then took out another bag of spirit stones and placed it before Ye Qiuyuan.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, please count these spirit stones!"

"Ah! Fellow Daoist Song, no need to rush. Let them finish verifying the items first. The Heavenly Pill Pavilion has always verified the goods before collecting payment; I cannot break the rules."

Seeing Ye Qiuyuan's insistence, Song Qingming did not press the matter and put the spirit stones back on the table beside him.

Just as Song Qingming and Ye Qiuyuan were talking, Huang Siyuan, who was holding a jade box, sniffed the pills inside and hesitated for a moment before turning to the clerk.

"Fellow Daoist, could you exchange this Jade Pill for another one?"

Hearing her request, before the clerk could respond, the Foundation Establishment manager standing beside Song Qingyu walked over with a solemn expression.

"May I ask why you wish to exchange the pill? Are you dissatisfied with it?"

Seeing the manager's serious tone, Huang Siyuan remained calm. "The scent of this Jade Pill is slightly off; it seems to contain impurities. Please exchange it for me."

The manager took the box, examined the pill, and sniffed it, looking puzzled. "We have already carefully inspected these pills and found no quality issues. Could you be mistaken?"

Huang Siyuan shook her head firmly. "Please forgive me, I am not speaking nonsense. I am certain there are impurities in this pill. If you do not believe me, you can melt it down to verify."

Hearing this, the manager's face darkened.

A Jade Pill was worth only a few hundred spirit stones, not a precious item for the Heavenly Pill Pavilion, but having a customer point out a quality issue on the spot would affect the pavilion's reputation, so he could not be careless.

"Bring the pill here for me to see!"

Just as the manager was about to continue questioning Huang Siyuan, Ye Qiuyuan, who had been chatting with Song Qingming, noticed the commotion and walked over with him.

Seeing that the person's words were a bit serious, the expression on Huang Siyuan's face did not fluctuate, and she still said calmly: "The taste of this Qingyu Pill is faintly wrong. It seems that there are some impurities in it. Please help us change one."

That "Heavenly Elixir Pavilion" Foundation Establishment manager heard this, quickly took the jade box in Huang Siyuan's hand, checked the "Qingyu Pill" in the box, picked it up and smelled it carefully, and said with a puzzled face:

"These elixirs have been carefully checked by us, and no quality problems have been found. Fellow Daoist, could it be that you made a mistake!"

Huang Siyuan saw this, still insisted on shaking her head: "Please don't blame me, Fellow Daoist. I didn't mean to talk nonsense here. The smell of this elixir is indeed a bit wrong. I can be sure that there are some impurities in it."

"If you don't believe it, you can take it back to the furnace to dissolve it, and you will naturally know."

Hearing Huang Siyuan say this, the face of the Foundation Establishment manager of the "Heavenly Elixir Pavilion" suddenly became a bit ugly.

A "Qingyu Pill" is only worth a few hundred spiritual stones. For the huge "Heavenly Elixir Pavilion," it is not a precious spiritual item. Taking it back to the furnace to dissolve it is not a big deal.

However, the elixir that so many of them had carefully checked was actually seen to have quality problems by the customer on the spot. If this spread out, it would affect the reputation of the "Heavenly Elixir Pavilion," so naturally, he could not be careless.

"Bring the elixir over for this old man to see!"

Just when this Foundation Establishment manager of the "Heavenly Elixir Pavilion" still wanted to continue to ask Huang Siyuan, Ye Qiuyuan, who was chatting with Song Qingming not far away, also noticed what happened here, stood up, and walked over here with Song Qingming. (End of chapter)