Chapter 428: Trade Fair

Qin Sang realized that the cultivators from the Minor Cold Domain lacked strong fighting spirit. They missed the best opportunity to pursue the Heavenly March Alliance cultivators and quickly separated after a few brief exchanges.

Without using his magic treasures, Qin Sang's strength would be significantly diminished, leaving him no choice but to let the Heavenly March Alliance cultivators escape.

Qin Sang met up with the Minor Cold Domain cultivators. After confirming their identities, he learned that they hadn't been assigned a joint mission; instead, they were on their way to attend a secret trade fair.

Unexpectedly, after the trade fair concluded, they were discovered by the infiltrating Heavenly March Alliance cultivators, which led to the skirmish.

No wonder the battle had been so disorganized.

Fortunately, they weren't far from the trade fair's location at the time and hadn't spread out too much. Otherwise, the Heavenly March Alliance would have defeated them one by one, and they wouldn't have been able to hold out until now.

Qin Sang was well aware that with so many cultivators gathered in the Cloudsoar Great Lake, secret trade fairs were bound to exist. However, he had been in seclusion for intense cultivation and hadn't had the leisure to seek them out.

Seizing this opportunity, Qin Sang naturally wouldn't let it slip by and immediately sought information from them.

The secret trade fair was small-scale, and after its exposure, the location was no longer safe. Once their shock subsided, they didn't plan to organize another trade fair anytime soon. However, Qin Sang learned the address of a different trade fair from one of them.

This trade fair was in a very secluded location and opened once every three months. A token was required for entry.

This particular trade fair was quite large, a true melting pot of cultivators, including both righteous and demonic rogue cultivators, mostly at the Foundation Establishment stage. Many valuable items could be found there.

In gratitude for Qin Sang's help, this person gave him their trade fair token. After verifying the fair's authenticity, Qin Sang began to visit regularly, sometimes finding items he desired.

Tomorrow marked the opening day of the trade fair once again.

Qin Sang emerged from seclusion, his aura more composed than two years prior.

After instructing Xie Ying to guard the medicinal garden, Qin Sang flew out of the protective enchantment. He oriented himself, then concealed his presence and quietly flew towards the southwest waters.

Through the channels available at the trade fair, Qin Sang gained a general understanding of the latest developments concerning the Minor Cold Domain and the Heavenly March Alliance.

Currently, battles were occurring in both the Cloudsoar Great Lake and the southern part of the Heaven's End Mountains. However, there were no signs of a major war; both sides were exercising restraint. The strongest combatants on the battlefield were only at the False Core stage, and there had been no reports of cultivators above the Golden Core stage engaging in combat.

Nevertheless, it was rumored that Golden Core cultivators from various major sects had arrived at the Cloudsoar Great Lake. They gathered to secretly control the situation's development, wielding significant power acknowledged by all major sects.

They could arbitrarily conscript disciples from any major sect, and no one was permitted to disobey, or they would be treated as collaborators with the enemy.

Many disciples from Shaohua Mountain had been conscripted.

This wasn't the first time such battles had occurred; they seemed to follow a fixed pattern.

Most often, both sides organized forces to infiltrate enemy territories, destroying vital locations like spirit stone mines and medicinal gardens, or ambushing lone cultivators, thereby thoroughly muddying the waters of the Cloudsoar Great Lake.

Only a few minor sects were caught in the crossfire.

Whether infiltrating the Heavenly March Alliance or patrolling the borders, casualties were unavoidable. In comparison, Qin Sang found his current assignment to be quite favorable.

Seeing that the situation wouldn't truly descend into chaos anytime soon, Qin Sang felt relieved. He decided to wait until the spiritual herbs in the medicinal garden matured, complete the task assigned by Qi Yuanshou, and then decide where to develop next.

It was best not to get caught in the center of the vortex.

Although he was stronger than cultivators at the same stage, he couldn't expose his magic treasures. Moreover, if he were to be caught in a chaotic battle, where the situation was unpredictable, his magic treasures wouldn't guarantee his safety either.

Fortunately, with Qi Yuanshou as his backer, he didn't have to worry about being used as cannon fodder.

Qin Sang traveled stealthily, skimming the water's surface. His flight speed was not fast, and it took him a full day to reach the vicinity of the trade fair's waters.

This area had a peculiar topography, with countless stone islands of various sizes scattered like stars over a vast expanse. Unfortunately, the spiritual energy was extremely sparse, and the underground spirit veins were barren, making none of them suitable for cave dwellings.

These desolate stone islands, however, were excellent hiding places for the trade fair.

Qin Sang flickered and landed on a desolate island. After observing for a moment, he took out a jade compass from his mustard seed pouch. In the center of the compass was a drop of circular, blood-red liquid.

The moment Qin Sang took out the compass and touched the blood drop with his spiritual power, the blood drop seemed to be pulled by some kind of gravitational force, gradually thinning into the shape of a blood needle. No matter how Qin Sang rotated the compass, it consistently pointed in one direction.

Holding the compass, Qin Sang's figure flickered as he darted in the direction indicated by the blood needle.

As Qin Sang flew swiftly, the blood needle gradually shortened, finally returning to its original blood drop shape. At this moment, Qin Sang was directly above a stone island. He looked down.

The stone island was small, only a few dozen feet in circumference. The entire island was composed of stone, with no vegetation. Under the erosion of the lake water, the stones were covered in moss, and their bottoms were stained bluish-black.

Qin Sang found no traces of enchantments on the island, but upon closer inspection, he noticed something unusual about one particular stone.

It was a mundane mechanism.

Such a mechanism would be instantly exposed by a cultivator's divine sense, yet here, it was more suitable for concealment than an enchantment.

Qin Sang landed in front of the stone and made a few pressing motions in the air at a certain spot. With a "click-clack" sound, the center of the stone parted, revealing a stone staircase.

The stone staircase wound downwards. Reaching its end, Qin Sang stood before a stretch of darkness when he suddenly heard a soft shout from within: "Who's there!"

"Cough!" By then, Qin Sang had put on his cloak. He let out a light cough, changing his voice to a hoarse tone, and said, "I'm here for the trade fair. This is my token."

As he spoke, Qin Sang raised his hand, revealing the compass.

A moment later, Qin Sang felt spiritual array fluctuations from ahead. A cultivator wearing a tiger-head mask emerged, nodded slightly at Qin Sang, and gestured with his hand, "Please enter, fellow Daoist!" He said nothing more.

Knowing their nature, Qin Sang remained silent and quietly stepped into the darkness. After only a few steps, a flash of light appeared before his eyes, and he found himself in a stone room.

Pushing open the stone room door, he stepped out into a spacious hall. The hall was rudimentary, clearly excavated hastily with spiritual power.

The trade fair only lasted one day, and its location would change for the next market opening.

At this time, dozens of cultivators had already gathered in the hall, most of them squatting on the ground like mortals, haggling over prices.

This trade fair was quite famous in the vicinity, and more people would arrive later. Each opening saw at least a hundred cultivators.

The main hall had no exits. Many identical stone rooms lined its periphery, sealed by enchantments, where private transactions took place.

There was also a second level below.

Qin Sang's appearance drew many gazes, some looking at him with anticipation.

However, Qin Sang hadn't come for the trade fair itself. After a quick glance around, finding nothing of interest, he withdrew his gaze, targeted a specific stone room, and walked in.