Chapter 126: The Exchange Meeting

Zhu Jie was momentarily stunned by Chen Luo’s response and inadvertently asked, “What do you need a cemetery for?”

“Primarily to pay respects to the esteemed predecessors of the cultivation world, especially those at Foundation Establishment or higher. I believe being close to them can enhance my comprehension,” Chen Luo replied without any hint of deceit.

His earnest expression left Zhu Jie questioning reality.

“You’re not planning to rob graves, are you?”

“Just purely paying respects to the predecessors,” Chen Luo corrected his assumption.

Behind them, Hu Qiudao couldn’t bear it anymore. To speak about grave-robbing with such innocence, no wonder Chen Luo had advanced so swiftly to Late Stage Qi Refinement.

‘I must admit, Junior Brother Chen outdoes me here; I need to improve.’

Hu Qiudao noted this as something he should learn from Chen Luo.

“Forget about the tombs of cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage or higher. Such beings are rare within the three kingdoms region. Occasionally, one might encounter passing solo cultivators, but they usually come and go hastily. Finding their graves, let alone even locating them, is nearly impossible. Only within sects would you have better chances.” As if recalling something, Zhu Jie casually questioned, “Weren’t you previously a disciple of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect? If you enjoy paying respects to predecessors, why didn’t you do more of that while still in the sect?”

“I’ve already had the opportunity to pay respects. The senior predecessors on Wu Dao Peak were very amiable,” Chen Luo reminisced about his days on the mountain.

With so many accomplished elders, any breakthrough would promptly replenish their knowledge. The only regret was not being able to visit the other nine main peaks for similar ‘paying respects,’ missing out on significant opportunities.

Now, outside the sect, finding cultivators’ minds to supplement his own would become considerably more challenging.

”!!!”

Behind them, Hu Qiudao stumbled, feeling as if he had just uncovered a remarkable secret. Recalling that Chen Luo had already become a gravekeeper disciple before leaving the mountain, it suddenly dawned on him.

‘So, even back then, I had fallen behind my junior brother.’

As they chatted casually, the trio passed by stalls set up by early-stage Qi Refiners and entered the large building hosting the exchange meet.

Upon crossing the entrance, their tokens lit up briefly.

Inside, the crowd visibly thinned, and the flooring transitioned from bluestone to white jade. The lengthy corridor, entirely of white jade, featured mist emanating from palace lanterns along the walls, creating an ethereal ambiance akin to a celestial realm.

After passing through the corridor, they entered a massive circular hall.

The walls around them transformed into intricate wooden structures, with paintings hung every ten steps. The soft white mist emanating from palace lanterns created a mesmerizing ambiance, almost as if immortals were gracefully dancing amidst the artwork. In the center of the hall stood over a dozen stalls, each crowded with people predominantly at the Middle Qi Refining stage or higher; those in early Qi Refining couldn’t even enter.

The stall vendors conversed in hushed whispers, maintaining a serene atmosphere devoid of any clamor.

“This grand hall was arranged by an elder ancestor from the Luxury Nation’s royal family,” Zhu Jie explained. “He was once a disciple of Xingdou Peak at the Divine Lake Immortal Sect and is now a tier-one array master.”

As she spoke about him, a hint of admiration flickered in Zhu Jie’s eyes.

Among the Four Arts of Immortality, becoming an array master demanded the most innate talent. Their potential growth was also the most formidable, as both equipment forging and talisman creation at their pinnacle levels require assistance from array masters. Sect defenses, clan strongholds, exploration of arcane realms, and even setting up protections for Core Formation ancestors facing heavenly tribulations—all rely heavily on array masters.

Due to this, array masters held the most exceptional status within the cultivation world.

The Four Arts of Immortality—Formations, Pills, Equipment, and Talismans—are widely recognized in the cultivation realm. However, from an array master’s perspective, aside from their own discipline, they often view the other three as inferior.

“A tier-one array master? How old is he?” Chen Luo inquired.

If still in the Qi Refinement stage, his lifespan would not exceed one hundred fifty years. With patience, there might be an opportunity for him to claim the treasures without competition.

Zhu Jie and Hu Qiudao remained silent, finding the topic difficult to discuss.

This Pill Master Chen exhibited an extraordinary fixation on tomb raiding, even before the individual had passed away.

“Feel free to explore on your own. For matters concerning Woodmount City, head directly to the second stall; it’s set up by the royal family of the Luxury Nation,” Zhu Jie reminded him before leaving.

She had numerous tasks to attend to during her visit and couldn’t accompany Chen Luo throughout.

After parting ways, Chen Luo and Hu Qiudao approached the second stall together.

Unlike the others, this one was unusually quiet. An elderly man dressed in the attire of the Luxury Nation’s royalty sat here, half-asleep. The table displayed no items for sale, only a single map.

The entire terrain of the Luxury Nation was depicted on the map.

Chen Luo glanced over it briefly. The map divided the Luxury Nation into nine major regions and one hundred eight districts, with each region labeled accordingly. Similarly, the corresponding one hundred eight districts were also named. Quickly scanning through, he found the sector containing Woodmount City.

Sector Seven, District Seventy-Two.

A small ‘Hu’ character marked this area, indicating that Woodmount City fell under the jurisdiction of the Hu Family.

“This is a distribution map,” Hu Qiudao explained from behind. “Simply place your token on the corresponding district.”

As someone in the Middle Stage of Qi Refinement, occupying a city would invite challenges. However, Chen Luo, being at the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining, stood on different footing. At his level, he could easily claim popular territories like Divine Wind Territory within the Luxury Nation. Choosing a minor location like Woodmount City seemed quite an understatement for his capabilities.

“Does the Luxury Nation have so many cultivators?”

Chen Luo was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t anticipated such a significant number of cultivators in a relatively small nation like the Luxury Nation; the total count appeared remarkably high, possibly nearing a thousand.

“Not particularly,”

Hu Qiudao shook his head.

“Despite its vast territory, the Luxury Nation has only around a thousand cultivators. Among them, those in the Late Stage Qi Refinement number less than a hundred, and even fewer reach the Perfection Realm, barely exceeding fifty. To an immortal sect, this is insignificant compared to just one main peak.”

Indeed, individuals with aptitude for immortal cultivation were rare.

Considering all the cultivators across the three kingdoms, including those from the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, the total count did not exceed five thousand. Compared to the massive population of ordinary people, their numbers were minuscule. It was common for many individuals to go their entire lives without ever encountering a single cultivator, especially in remote regions.

“Woodking City”

Chen Luo took out the token given by Old Man Hu and gently pressed it against the map. With this act, he had repaid the favor owed for the spirit materials provided by Old Man Hu.

As soon as the token touched the map, the aura of Eleventh Layer Qi Refinement instantly radiated out. The nearby drowsy old man was startled awake by this energy surge. Upon seeing that Chen Luo had chosen Woodmount City, he visibly relaxed.

The old man stood up, attempting to strike up a conversation with Chen Luo, “Sir, may I inquire…”

However, Chen Luo had already completed the transaction and left with Hu Qiudao, tossing the token to him as he headed towards a nearby stall selling medicinal herbs. Earlier, he had noticed that this stall contained several spirit materials he needed.

“Good, at least it wasn’t the Divine Wind Territory; otherwise, explaining to the Cang family would have been troublesome.”

The elderly royal glanced briefly at Woodking City, his curiosity flickering away swiftly. He then reclined again, waving his palm-leaf fan. Cultivators above the tenth layer of Qi Refinement were exceedingly rare in the Luxury Nation; one might not encounter even a single such individual for years. With Chen Luo’s departure, the old man could now resume his peaceful slumber.

Half a day later.

Having purchased some spirit materials, Chen Luo returned to the accommodations provided by the Luxury Nation’s royal family.

As a cultivator, naturally, he couldn’t be lodged in an ordinary inn, nor was the royal family so impoverished.

Chen Luo’s assigned residence was located above the trading hall, within a large circular area filled with guest rooms. The higher the floor, the greater the cultivation level of its occupants. As a powerful cultivator at the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining, nearing Perfection, his room was naturally on the topmost level. This entire floor housed only two suites, distinctly different from where Hu Qiudao resided below.

The room’s interior was extravagantly furnished, featuring not only common luxuries but also a small spirit gathering array. Although its effect was minimal, it was remarkable to find such an array in this mundane setting. This further piqued Chen Luo’s interest in the royal family’s ancestral array master.

‘I wonder how old the Luxury Nation’s array master is. And surely, they must have a royal mausoleum?’

His thoughts began to race.

Once his mind opened up, possibilities outnumbered obstacles. He decided that after the exchange meet, he would visit the royal mausoleum; it was time for the ancestors of the Luxury Nation to stop idling away underground!

“Your face seems unfamiliar. Is this your first time attending the exchange meet?” A voice suddenly interrupted Chen Luo’s musings.

Looking towards the sound, Chen Luo noticed someone had emerged from the opposite room at some point. With a cultivation base at the Twelfth Layer of Qi Refinement, it was a plump man with a round and smooth appearance, dressed in flashy silk attire adorned with a large golden ingot on his chest.

“I am Wang Tianji from Zangzhou,” the jovial man introduced himself promptly.

Wang Tianji? Zangzhou?

Chen Luo recalled seeing this name when the Hu Family occupied Woodmount City earlier. Among the nine regions of the Luxury Nation, the area closest to the Corpse-Raising Sect bore this very name.

“Chen Luo,” came the brief response.

After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Tianji began probing, “Fellow Daoist Chen, are you also here for that secret scripture?”

“What secret scripture?”

Before arriving, Chen Luo had not paid attention to the exchange meet organized by the Luxury Nation’s royal family. His purpose was clear, with two main objectives: first, to assist Old Man Hu in maintaining control over Woodmount City for five years; second, to purchase Foundation Establishment materials. If the original items were unavailable, substitutes with similar medicinal properties would suffice.

“It’s a sword cultivation secret scripture. Rumor has it, a solo cultivator named Si Yu unearthed it from the Situ Clan’s ancestral tombs, and it supposedly contains a Foundation Establishment legacy.” Wang Tianji revealed without hesitation.

This matter had already stirred widespread gossip, and Chen Luo could have easily learned about it by simply inquiring around outside.

“A Foundation Establishment legacy?”

Chen Luo did not expect to stumble upon such an opportunity.

“The authenticity is uncertain, but most fellow daoists come here adhering to the principle ‘better safe than sorry.’”

“Hasn’t the Situ Clan intervened?”

“They released this information themselves. I suspect they might have ulterior motives.” As he spoke, Wang Tianji couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

“An unstable upper sect makes life difficult for those below as well.”

After brief chatter, Wang Tianji descended on his own. He had only stopped to chat upon noticing Chen Luo while leaving.

Every attendee at the exchange meet had their own agenda to pursue.

Nightfall arrived.

As Chen Luo concluded his cultivation session, he heard commotion downstairs. Opening the door, he saw a crowd gathered around a stall in the main hall below.

The stall owner was a pale-faced scholar, slender and dressed in light blue robes. Holding a white jade spiritual slip, he continuously shouted out loud.

“Sword Cultivator Divine Ability - Subduing Demon Sword Incantation! Three hundred spirit stones, any higher bids?”

Sword Cultivator Divine Ability?

Standing at the edge of the corridor, Chen Luo looked down at the bustling scene below.

The scholar’s strength was not weak, already reaching the seventh layer of Qi Refinement. In the Luxury Nation region, cultivators at Late Stage Qi Refinement could establish their own clans. However, the individual selling the sword incantation below was peculiar; despite possessing such power, they concealed themselves with a false appearance.

Although hidden, Chen Luo’s mind, aided by solo cultivator Wan Ming’s knowledge, continually provided insights.

‘Skin Changing Technique, a minor evil cultivation art. This person has yet to fully master it.’

In the Luxury Nation region, even reaching the Late Stage Qi Refinement allowed one to establish their own clan.