Chapter 679: Trade Fair

**Volume Five: Fame Spreads**

Gazing at the jade box in his hand for a long time, Han Li sighed and slowly placed it into his storage pouch.

Then, a faint green light flashed in his hand, and the light-green jade slip reappeared in his palm.

Should he risk cultivating this 'Second Nascent Soul'? Or should he first thoroughly comprehend the 'Profound Mother Soul Transformation Incantation' before deciding?

After all, the risks and difficulties involved were considerable, so it was better for him to be cautious.

With this careful decision in mind, Han Li immersed his spiritual sense into the incantation, once again entering a state of complete absorption.

The door to the cultivation chamber remained tightly shut, while Yin Yue, in another secret chamber not far away, was also meditating and cultivating diligently.

All other miscellaneous tasks within the cave abode were handled by several gigantic ape puppets.

Time flew by quickly; in the blink of an eye, spring turned to winter, and over a year passed.

On this day, near Zimu Peak, where Han Li's cave abode was located, two long streaks of light, one green and one white, flew through the air from a distance.

As the light receded, two figures appeared before the hazy mist. They were two elders of the Falling Cloud Sect: the silver-haired elder and the sallow-faced middle-aged man surnamed Lu.

Upon seeing the restrictive formation tightly locked, they exchanged a knowing smile.

The middle-aged man surnamed Lu flicked his finger, and a pre-prepared communication talisman shot out, transforming into a streak of fire that vanished into the restrictive formation. At the same time, he turned to the silver-haired elder beside him and said with a smile:

"It seems Junior Martial Brother Han hasn't left his cave abode since he returned last time. He truly dedicates himself to diligent cultivation."

"That's quite normal," Elder Cheng said with a thoughtful expression. "Otherwise, Junior Martial Brother Han couldn't have successfully formed his Nascent Soul at merely two hundred years old. Unfortunately, my lifespan is nearing its end, so it's impossible for me to advance further on the path of cultivation. And you probably don't have much of a chance either."

"Senior Martial Brother, you jest," the middle-aged man quickly said, trying to console him. "Given your age, you'll surely be fine for at least another one or two hundred years."

"Hehe, Junior Martial Brother Lu! Don't I know my own situation?" the silver-haired elder said calmly, shaking his head. "Perhaps before my last injury, I could have lived another one or two hundred years without an issue. But now, though my injuries have healed for the most part, the vital energy I lost cannot be fully recovered through meditation alone."

"Senior Martial Brother!" The middle-aged man surnamed Lu's expression changed upon hearing this. He wanted to say more.

But the elder waved his hand, interrupting him, and continued:

"Even if I never engage in battles again, I can at most hold on for another fifty or sixty years. There's no need to console me about this; it's beyond doubt. Otherwise, why would I be so eager to recruit Junior Martial Brother Han into the Falling Cloud Sect and deliberately befriend him? Under normal circumstances, no matter how eager one is to recruit someone, their background should be thoroughly investigated first. However, it now proves that my judgment was correct. Although his background is somewhat complicated, he genuinely has no ulterior motives against our Falling Cloud Sect." The silver-haired elder said slowly.

"Senior Martial Brother, did the disciples you sent out last time really uncover Junior Martial Brother Han's background?" The middle-aged man surnamed Lu was startled to hear this.

"Indeed," the elder calmly replied. "Although Junior Martial Brother Han has been vague about his background, based solely on his name, appearance, and origin in Yue State, several disciples from our sect secretly went to Yue State to inquire. They finally managed to ascertain a general outline of our Junior Martial Brother Han's past. You might not believe it, but over a hundred years ago, our Junior Martial Brother Han was actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Yellow Maple Valley in Yue State. He even had a bit of a reputation among the Foundation Establishment disciples. It is said that during the battle against the Demonic Dao, he single-handedly slew many cultivators of the same rank. However, when Yellow Maple Valley suffered its defeat, that cunning Old Monster Linghu, who was always as sly as a ghost, somehow misjudged him and treated our Junior Martial Brother Han as a dispensable pawn. After that, Junior Martial Brother Han vanished without a trace, cultivating in anonymity somewhere, until he suddenly reappeared recently with late-stage Core Formation cultivation, and even formed his Nascent Soul in our Falling Cloud Sect. It seems he must have had some extraordinary fortune during that blank period."

"Treated as a dispensable pawn. How amusing," the middle-aged man surnamed Lu said with a cold smirk, a hint of mockery in his tone. "A disciple they discarded turns out to be a cultivation prodigy, a rare talent seen only once in a millennium, progressing from Foundation Establishment to Nascent Soul in such a short time. I wonder if Old Monster Linghu will be stomping his feet in frustration when he learns of this! After all, Yellow Maple Valley isn't having an easy time in the Nine Nations Alliance these days; it's quite difficult for him to hold out alone. And if I recall correctly, he seems to be a cultivator from the same period as Senior Martial Brother, so his lifespan shouldn't be much longer either, right?"

"That's right, Old Monster Linghu is a little older than me. But that old rogue is skilled in the art of nourishing life, so his lifespan is comparatively a bit longer. And with his reputation as a Nascent Soul cultivator, Yellow Maple Valley won't face too many problems, at least until he passes away. I originally had the same concern for the Falling Cloud Sect. If I were to depart, I truly feared that Junior Martial Brother alone would be unable to cope."

"If we hadn't occupied a spiritual mountain and sacred vein like Cloud Dream Mountain, Junior Martial Brother alone would actually be sufficient to ensure the prosperity and security of the Falling Cloud Sect. But now, if the sect's strength falters even slightly, I'm afraid many envious sects would emerge. My original intention was to instruct you, Junior Martial Brother, that after my departure, the entire sect should voluntarily withdraw from Cloud Dream Mountain to avoid any major catastrophe. But with Junior Martial Brother Han's addition, everything is naturally different now."

"Although Junior Martial Brother Han appears to be a devoted cultivator solely focused on pursuing the immortal path, seemingly indifferent to the sect, this very trait makes me more at ease. As long as we properly secure his loyalty, unless we encounter some catastrophe unseen in ten thousand years, our Falling Cloud Sect can remain worry-free for another thousand years." The silver-haired elder stroked his long beard, looking thoroughly confident.

"However, although Junior Martial Brother Han is a cultivation prodigy, he is still quite young and has only just formed his Nascent Soul. We really don't know the true extent of his divine abilities," the middle-aged man said, hesitating slightly with a hint of worry.

"Yes, I share that concern," the silver-haired elder said with a mysterious expression. "After all, there are some devoted cultivators who refuse to waste time cultivating powerful divine abilities, focusing solely on improving their realm. While such cultivators possess profound cultivation, they can't even defeat cultivators one or two ranks lower when engaging in battle. Although Junior Martial Brother Han doesn't seem like that kind of cultivator to me, it's still better to test him. That's why, for this upcoming trade fair, I deliberately chose to stay within the sect and have you accompany Junior Martial Brother Han on this trip."

"Is Senior Martial Brother implying...?" the middle-aged man said, somewhat enlightened by these words.

The elder smiled faintly. Just as he was about to say more, the mist before them suddenly churned. Seeing this, the elder immediately fell silent.

The middle-aged man likewise remained silent.

The surging mist gently parted to either side, revealing a passage. Without hesitation, the two walked in side by side, their figures gradually disappearing into the thick fog until they were no longer visible. The grandest trade fair was about to commence in Yu State, located in the northernmost part of Tiannan.

Tianfeng City, built deep within a mountain range in Yu State, served as the headquarters of the Nine Nations Alliance and was also the only city of cultivators in Tiannan.

Every resident of this city, regardless of gender or age, possessed spiritual roots and was a cultivator. There were as many as six or seven 'old monsters' from the Nine Nations Alliance, all at or above the Mid Nascent Soul stage, residing here. They were more than capable of instantly eradicating any cultivator who caused trouble or provocation.

Therefore, neither the righteous or demonic factions, the Heavenly Dao Alliance, nor the unruly rogue cultivators dared to act too recklessly or cause trouble here.

One or two months before the commencement of Tiannan's grandest trade fair, the Nine Nations Alliance, as the host, began lifting most of the restrictions of the city's renowned protective formation, the "Supreme Yuan Annihilation Light Formation."

This was because some cultivators from distant lands had already arrived in the city, and even a few impatient ones had set up stalls early in the city's marketplaces. Indeed, other cultivators were approaching them to inquire about prices and conduct transactions.

After all, during the actual days of the trade fair, while there would certainly be countless treasures and an abundance of rare materials, they would also be far beyond the means of ordinary cultivators. For those truly wishing to acquire slightly rarer and suitable materials, it was better to seek them out and purchase them early.

Tianfeng City, which had been somewhat quiet, soon became bustling, as lively as any ordinary mortal city.

The only difference was that the people walking along the city streets were all cultivators of considerable cultivation levels.

The sole currency used for shopping and trading was spirit stones.

The city's only auction house, also operated by the Nine Nations Alliance, had begun accepting rare items for auction and appraisal. The entire Tianfeng City gradually grew vibrant.

When only half a month remained until the trade fair, three streaks of light were steadily flying towards the city from thousands of miles away.

As the streaks of light drew closer, it became clear that they were three cultivators: two men and one woman.

One of them, a stunningly beautiful female cultivator with a cool demeanor, stood close beside a plain-looking young man in a green robe, her expression quite affectionate.

The other person was a middle-aged man in a blue robe, his sleeves fluttering, exuding an extraordinary aura.