Chapter 320: Yinshan Pass

Yinshan Pass, one of the Seven Hero Passes, is situated between Chungang City and Tianyou Pass.

This city presented a completely different scene from Xuanlu Pass.

The large city was situated in an endless marshland. Though also located in the extreme cold of the northern reaches, the swamp did not freeze. Instead, mud bubbles gurgled and burst, releasing a warm vapor.

It was as if a hot spring lay at the bottom of the marsh.

The continuous flow of hot vapor, unable to dissipate quickly enough, enveloped the entire marsh in a thick, dense fog, making it very dim.

Only by flying high above could one see the sun.

Despite this harsh environment, numerous plants and trees grew in the swamp. Most of them were bizarrely shaped, and within the thick fog, their twisted forms resembled menacing specters.

The city walls of Yinshan Pass were formed by a row of these strange ancient trees. The towering ancient trees were entirely a dark greenish-black, and even the smallest ones were so thick that dozens of people were needed to embrace them, making them truly astonishing.

These ancient trees stood closely together, appearing to be dead, their forms as hard as iron and stone.

The defenses of Yinshan Pass were not particularly strict. After Qin Sang ascended to the 'city wall' and paid spirit stones to the city guards, he received a waist token, which allowed him free entry and exit until the runes on it expired.

Overlooking the entire Yinshan Pass, Qin Sang's expression held a hint of surprise.

This was a city built on treetops.

It was said that many cultivators in Yinshan Pass established their cave dwellings within tree hollows, and this indeed proved to be true.

At this moment, Yinshan Pass was bustling with people, creating a lively and prosperous atmosphere. What was truly rare was that all those coming and going were cultivators, presumably drawn by the upcoming auction.

The cultivators' attire varied wildly, a truly motley assortment of characters.

Within Yinshan City, under the suppression of a Nascent Soul stage City Lord, neither righteous, demonic, nor evil cultivators dared to cause trouble. Even if conflicts arose, they could only challenge each other to battles outside the city. Thus, the city maintained a harmonious, albeit somewhat strange, appearance.

Qin Sang landed on the net-like ground woven from countless fine branches. Looking down, he could clearly see the churning black mud in the marsh below, which was nauseating, though it emitted no foul odor.

Furthermore, the underground heat could not penetrate Yinshan Pass. It was daytime now, with the sun shining brightly, illuminating the entire city.

He stepped down firmly, and the tree-net shimmered with a faint restrictive light, proving remarkably stable.

Qin Sang glanced around, then squeezed into the crowd, turned down a few streets, and stopped before a three-story wooden building.

The wooden building was constructed on the fork of a large tree, supported below by only two relatively thin branches. However, Qin Sang could tell that these branches were not bearing the building's weight, or they would have long snapped. Instead, there was a levitation restriction applied to the wooden building.

Perhaps to match the tree's form, the wooden building appeared slightly crooked, yet it adhered well to the main trunk, possessing an unusual harmonious beauty.

This type of wooden building was very common in Yinshan Pass, and this particular one, being only three stories tall, appeared quite modest compared to others.

Spirit Pill Pavilion.

Its name was also unassuming.

Unbeknownst to many, this Spirit Pill Pavilion was a branch of the Taiyi Pill Pavilion.

Shaohua Mountain also had businesses in Yinshan Pass, but their operations were not as extensive as the Taiyi Pill Pavilion's. To inquire about the auction, it was necessary for the Taiyi Pill Pavilion to take the lead. Therefore, Qin Sang directly brought Steward Liu's token and sought them out.

Upon presenting his token and stating his identity, Qin Sang was warmly invited into a quiet room by the Spirit Pill Pavilion's steward.

The Spirit Pill Pavilion's steward, surnamed Pu, said that his humble shop was crude and a sight to be mocked. His cultivation level was comparable to Steward Liu's, but unlike Steward Liu, whose age limit for service was approaching, Steward Pu had voluntarily come to Yinshan Pass to take over the business.

From Steward Pu's introduction, Qin Sang learned that the vast majority of businesses in Yinshan Pass were under the City Lord's control.

The City Lord of Yinshan Pass had numerous cultivators affiliated with him, maintaining strict order. It was clearly a powerful independent force, though it did not openly establish a sect.

The Taiyi Pill Pavilion dared not contend with the City Lord in Yinshan Pass, so they only kept one storefront, catering solely to cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and above. In any case, the Taiyi Pill Sect's reputation was sufficient, so they didn't need a grand facade to impress.

Due to their specialized operations, the Taiyi Pill Pavilion frequently interacted with the high-ranking figures in Yinshan Pass, relying on their connections to gather information.

Unfortunately, information about the auction was limited; nearly a year had passed, and no new details had emerged.

Steward Pu kindly offered that the auction would begin in ten days and he would arrange a quiet room for Qin Sang to cultivate undisturbed.

Qin Sang shook his head, declining the offer, noting that with only ten days, there was no rush to cultivate immediately. He then openly admitted to Steward Pu that he had only learned about the Yinshan Pass auction from Old Liu and did not know much about it. He asked if Steward Pu could kindly provide a detailed introduction to the auction's rules and important considerations.

Steward Pu readily agreed, stating it was no trouble at all.

Steward Pu ordered fragrant tea to be served, and as they sipped the spiritual tea, he began to explain to Qin Sang.

He explained that the auction at Yinshan Pass was not held within the city itself, but on a stone island located a hundred *li* north of the city. Outside this island, there was a large formation designed to ward off cloud beasts, posing no danger to cultivators. Any cultivator at Qi Condensation Stage Level 10 or above could easily ascend to the stone island.

Within the confines of the stone island and its formation, fighting was strictly prohibited. All transactions had to be conducted with the willing consent of both parties.

It was rumored that a Core Formation stage expert, presuming his strength, had once forcibly seized items. The very next day, his corpse was found hanging from a stone pillar at the center of the island, and the sect behind him dared not utter a single word of defiance.

Not only was the auction held there, but the stone island also served as a trading hub for cultivators, functioning as a small market that opened only for one month at a time.

This trading fair was far from simple; it was frequented by many individuals wanted by major powers. However, both righteous and demonic factions respected the Yinshan Pass City Lord, and at least overtly, they would not interfere with the fair's operation.

Combined with the allure of the auction, the stone island attracted a large number of cultivators every time it opened.

He suggested that if Qin Sang was interested, he should explore the island, as he might come across some rare treasures there.

Steward Pu said, his words laden with deeper meaning.

Qin Sang listened thoughtfully. The fact that the trading fair was held outside the city, rather than within it, seemed to be a result of the City Lord's negotiations with various major powers.

From Steward Pu's tone, it appeared the trading fair likely featured many illicit treasures that could not be openly presented at the auction and were only circulated privately.

It was indeed worth a look.

Qin Sang had acquired considerable spoils from defeating Yu Daiyue and others, in addition to what he gained from Old Man Di Que. His spirit stones alone exceeded ten thousand low-grade spirit stones, making him undoubtedly wealthy among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

A high-quality, top-grade magical artifact, through regular channels, would cost around three thousand spirit stones.

As long as it wasn't a rare and invaluable treasure like a talisman treasure, a thousand-year spirit herb, or Soul Guiding Grass, he could essentially afford it.