Chapter 104: Sights and Sounds of the City, Exchange Meet
Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Sights and Sounds of the City, Exchange Meet
Li Ping slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping around with great interest as he carefully observed the inner workings of this Immortal City, renowned throughout the Western Wilderness.
Although Jixia Immortal City was a multi-layered city built into a mountain, its ground-level streets were planned with extreme precision, showing no signs of disorder.
The roads were wide and flat, not at all crowded even with five or six people walking side-by-side. Low-tier Cultivators came and went, moving in an orderly fashion.
Along both sides of the streets, rows of uniformly designed shops were neatly arranged. Some had signs for "Pill Workshops" or "Artifact Shops," while others were marked "Spiritual Materials" or "Talismans." Qi Refining Cultivators entered and exited from time to time, and the faint sounds of haggling could be heard from within.
He followed the street for a short while before arriving at an "Expressway."
Jixia Immortal City was founded by Cultivators of Confucianism, and they had always placed the utmost importance on ceremony and rules. Naturally, they would not permit Cultivators to fly about freely within the city and disrupt the order.
In fact, most of the Immortal City was covered by a powerful flight-restricting Restriction. Without a Token, one simply could not fly.
However, Jixia Immortal City was hundreds of miles across, and being a multi-layered city that ascended layer by layer, its actual area was far greater than that figure.
If one had to rely solely on walking, it would be extremely inconvenient and time-consuming to get from the districts at the base of the mountain to the areas on the mountainside or even the summit, even for Cultivators who were far faster than mortals.
The Expressways were constructed specifically to solve this problem.
They weren’t true roads but were formed by connecting long, narrow zones between different city districts.
Within these zones, no flight-restricting Restrictions were in place, allowing Cultivators to fly at will.
Using these Expressways, Cultivators could ride their Escape Lights to quickly reach their desired districts.
The design was somewhat similar to the subways in the cities of Li Ping’s previous life.
Though the principles were different, both enabled rapid transit through designated "lines," achieving a similar effect through different means.
...
Li Ping knew.
Neither millennium-old Spirit Medicine nor Tier Three Spiritual Fire could be bought in the ordinary shops of the lower city at the mountain’s base.
Those shops mostly sold Low-Tier Spiritual Materials and basic Talismans; they would never deal in High-tier Spiritual Materials.
After taking in the city’s sights, he wasted no more time and flew directly along an Expressway toward the Upper City on the mountainside.
As his altitude increased, the surrounding Cloud Mist gradually thickened. By the time he reached the Upper City district, the city below was already hidden in a faint haze, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi in the air was several times richer than in the lower city.
Not only was this location closer to the cloud layer, but it was also the very core and most prosperous part of Jixia Immortal City. High-tier Pill Workshops, top-tier Artifact Shops, and markets for rare Spiritual Materials were all gathered here.
As for the area above the clouds, that was where the Academy Palace was located, and it was not open to ordinary Cultivators!
Flying along the Expressway and looking down at the tiered districts arranged from lowest to highest, Li Ping was suddenly struck by a strange sense of familiarity.
He frowned slightly, thinking for a moment before a smile of realization spread across his face. ’Isn’t this just like the layout of Fenglan Immortal City?’
The lower city was the activity area for Low-tier Cultivators, while the upper city gathered high-tier resources and powerful individuals, with the core restricted area situated at the very top.
He figured that when Fenglan Immortal City was first established, its layout was most likely inspired by Jixia Immortal City, the "benchmark of the Western Wilderness."
...
The moment he arrived in the Upper City, a group of Low-tier Cultivators swarmed him.
Similar to what he had seen in the lower city, they wore eager smiles and began pitching their guide services, their voices full of anticipation.
This time, Li Ping did not refuse them outright. Instead, his gaze swept over the crowd and finally landed on an Early-stage Qi Refining Cultivator with graying hair and a slightly stooped figure. "You, then."
Although the Cultivator was plainly dressed, his eyes were clear, and he didn’t have the same desperate eagerness as the others, projecting a certain calm.
Seeing that the Senior had chosen him, the white-haired Elder Cultivator’s face lit up with joy, while the other Low-tier Cultivators dispersed, their faces showing their disappointment.
"Thank you for your favor, Senior!" the white-haired Elder Cultivator said, his face wreathed in smiles. "Senior, this old man knows every street and alley in the city, as well as the details of all the shops, like the back of my hand. May I ask if Senior has come to the city looking for a Pill Workshop, an Artifact Shop, or if you have other needs?"
Li Ping nodded slightly, quite satisfied with the Elder Cultivator’s familiar manner, and got straight to the point. "No need to look at ordinary shops. Just take me directly to the shops in the Upper City that specialize in high-end Spirit Medicine. Preferably the kind where one can find hundred-year-old Spirit Grass or even millennium-old Spirit Medicine. The more top-tier, the better."
Upon hearing this, a flash of understanding appeared in the white-haired Cultivator’s eyes. He quickly bowed and replied, "Of course, Senior. Please follow me."
As he walked, he introduced in a low voice, "When it comes to the most top-tier shop for Spirit Medicine in the Upper City, it has to be the Cyan Mushroom Pavilion. Generally, Seniors at the Foundation Establishment Stage choose them when buying Spirit Medicine. It’s even said that on occasion, patriarchs at the Core Formation Stage have patronized them..."
...
Less than an hour later, led by the white-haired Elder Cultivator, Li Ping stopped before a quaint and elegant seven-story building.
The entire building was constructed from smooth, lustrous white jade. The window lattices were carved with intricate patterns of Spirit Grass. Outside hung a plaque of sandalwood as black as ink. On it, the gilded words "Cyan Mushroom Pavilion" glittered in the sunlight.
The white-haired Elder Cultivator gazed at the bustling scene inside the building and gave a somewhat awkward, fawning smile. He quickly bowed to Li Ping and said, "Senior, the Cyan Mushroom Pavilion is just ahead. This is a top-tier Spirit Medicine merchant in the Upper City. This junior’s status is too low to enter and cause a disturbance, so I will wait for you out here."
Li Ping glanced at him but said nothing more, striding directly into the building.
The moment he stepped inside, he discreetly released a sliver of his Foundation Establishment Stage aura.
In a mere instant, a Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator dressed in a green brocade robe with a calm demeanor hurried over. A respectful smile on his face, he bowed in greeting, "Greetings, Senior! This junior is a first-floor Steward of the Cyan Mushroom Pavilion. We have private rooms upstairs specially prepared for Foundation Establishment Seniors. Please, follow this junior."
With that, he led Li Ping to the second floor, showed him into an elegantly furnished private room, and served him Spirit Tea before bowing and retreating.
A moment later, the door to the private room was gently pushed open, and a young woman in a verdant silk dress walked in, a radiant smile on her face.
As soon as she entered, the young woman spoke with a smile, "This Fellow Cultivator looks a bit unfamiliar. I am Gongsun Yu, a High-tier Steward of the Cyan Mushroom Pavilion. Might I ask for Fellow Cultivator’s name?"
Li Ping rose and nodded, looking at her with a calm gaze and a placid tone. "My surname is Yan. I’ve only recently arrived in the Immortal City."
The green-robed young woman, Gongsun Yu, looked up and saw Li Ping’s face clearly, a trace of astonishment flashing in her eyes.
The "Fellow Cultivator Yan" before her was exceptionally handsome, with a face like polished jade and a high-bridged nose. His aura was steady yet tinged with a noble air. Even just standing there, it was hard to conceal his outstanding immortal bearing.
But it was only for an instant. She quickly composed herself, resuming her poised and proper demeanor, and said with a smile, "So it is Fellow Cultivator Yan. I have been with the Cyan Mushroom Pavilion for many years. If you have any needs, Fellow Cultivator Yan, please feel free to ask me."
Hearing this, Li Ping didn’t beat around the bush. He got straight to the point and stated his purpose. "Fellow Cultivator Gongsun is straightforward, so I’ll be direct. I wish to purchase a millennium-old Spirit Medicine from your esteemed pavilion. I wonder if you have any for sale?"
"A millennium-old Spirit Medicine?" Hearing this, Gongsun Yu’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, as if she were in a difficult position. Her tone also grew more somber. "Fellow Cultivator Yan needs a Spiritual Object of that level?"
A faint sense of foreboding rose in Li Ping’s heart, but he maintained a calm expression and replied impassively, "Yes. I can purchase it at the market price. Spirit Stones are not an issue."
Gongsun Yu gently shook her head, her tone tinged with apology. "Fellow Cultivator Yan is new to the Immortal City, so you probably aren’t aware of the rules here. To be honest with you, our Cyan Mushroom Pavilion is actually backed by a Core Formation Stage Senior.
"When our pavilion occasionally manages to acquire a Spirit Medicine over a thousand years old, by rule, it is prioritized for that Senior’s use and will not be sold to the public."
Hearing this, Li Ping’s expression darkened slightly.
Seeing the change in Li Ping’s expression, Gongsun Yu quickly explained, "Actually, it’s not just our Cyan Mushroom Pavilion. Any reasonably sized business in Jixia Immortal City is backed by a Core Formation Cultivator.
"On one hand, these shops operate to earn Spirit Stones. On the other hand, their more important duty is to procure all sorts of useful High-tier Spiritual Materials for the Core Formation Senior behind them, and that includes millennium-old Spirit Medicine."
His hopes for Jixia Immortal City dashed, Li Ping couldn’t help but curse inwardly.
’Damn those Core Formation Cultivators!’
...
He took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration.
Unable to buy the millennium-old Spirit Medicine, Li Ping then inquired about a Tier Three Spiritual Fire. "Fellow Cultivator Gongsun, does your pavilion have any Tier Three Spiritual Fire for sale?"
Gongsun Yu’s answer was not unexpected.
Tier Three Spiritual Fire was also completely monopolized by the Core Formation Cultivators.
...
Half an hour later, Li Ping walked out of the Cyan Mushroom Pavilion with a gloomy expression.
Needless to say, he had failed to acquire either the millennium-old Spirit Medicine or the Tier Three Spiritual Fire.
Evidently, his plan to compete with Core Formation Cultivators for high-tier resources through public commercial channels was simply not feasible.
In his opinion, the ultimate issue was the severe scarcity of resources in the Western Wilderness Cultivation Realm.
Whenever a High-tier Spiritual Object appeared, it would immediately attract a scramble among Core Formation Cultivators.
They barely had enough for themselves, so how could they possibly let such Treasures flow into the hands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators?
...
However, Li Ping quickly reined in his disappointment. It wasn’t as if he had absolutely no chance of obtaining those two Spiritual Objects.
He recalled his conversation with Gongsun Yu inside the pavilion. According to her, it was highly unlikely he could buy the millennium-old Spirit Medicine and Tier Three Spiritual Fire he needed through public channels.
But every few months, the circle of Foundation Establishment Cultivators in Jixia Immortal City would hold a resource exchange meeting.
At these meetings, rare Spiritual Objects like millennium-old Spirit Medicine and Tier Three Spiritual Fire would occasionally appear, either for barter or high-priced auction. It offered a better chance than the shops, so he could go to the exchange meeting and try his luck.
At this thought, the gloom in his heart lifted slightly. At least there was still another path to take.
"Senior!" The white-haired Elder Cultivator waiting outside saw him emerge and quickly came over with a fawning expression.
Li Ping nodded. "Take me to a reliable Artifact Refining shop, the kind that can handle commissions for Tier Two and above Dharma Artifacts."
Since he had hit a wall with buying the millennium-old Spirit Medicine and Tier Three Spiritual Fire, Li Ping decided to first take care of refining the viper fangs into a Flying Needle Spiritual Artifact.