Chapter 3071: Qiankun Zhenjun

On Glazed Island, the streets were bustling with people and noisy with carriages.

At a secluded manor, Ye Yiyan and a tall, slender elder in silver robes sat in a stone pavilion, drinking tea and chatting. The silver-robed elder had a stern, square face and piercing eyes, exuding an aura of natural authority. This was True Monarch Qiankun, the Grand Elder of Qiankun Palace, a cultivator in the late Body Integration stage. The most powerful cultivator in Qiankun Palace was always granted the honorific title of True Monarch Qiankun, a symbol of their supreme status.

Ye Yiyan held two pages of the Heavenly Void Jade Book, her delicate brows furrowed in thought.

"Fellow Daoist Qian," Ye Yiyan said, her expression troubled, "it's not that I don't want to help, but these two pages of the Heavenly Void Jade Book aren't valuable enough to trade for a Nine-Turn Poria Pill."

The Nine-Turn Poria Pill could assist Body Integration cultivators in their breakthrough to the Mahayana stage. It was a crucial factor allowing the Ye family to consistently produce Mahayana cultivators, and thus could not be easily exchanged with other cultivators or factions. The two pages of the Heavenly Void Jade Book offered by True Monarch Qiankun contained methods for cultivating tortoise-like spirit beasts and recipes for dozens of spirit wines, including even immortal wine. However, their overall value was limited. The Heavenly Void Jade Book contained a vast array of information, its value entirely dependent on the specific content. If they contained immortal realm cultivation techniques or powerful secret arts, exchanging them for a Nine-Turn Poria Pill would be no issue. But the content of these two pages simply wasn't worth a single pill.

"Madam Ye," True Monarch Qiankun pleaded, "could you reconsider? If I were to advance to the Mahayana stage, it would be a great boon for humanity on Qianyuan Continent." Without the aid of such a miraculous elixir, he had no chance of breaking through to the Mahayana stage.

"Fellow Daoist Qian," Ye Yiyan stated with a hint of displeasure, "you are an individual, and humanity is a collective. It's not as if Mahayana cultivators haven't appeared among humans on Qianyuan Continent before; they were simply slain by foreign Mahayana experts. Had it not been for our Ye family's protection, the Ancient Dome Clan would have wiped out humanity on Qianyuan Continent over fifty thousand years ago." He was attempting to morally bind her, a tactic she wouldn't tolerate. The Ye family's foundation hadn't been easily built, and their generosity had its limits.

"Madam Ye," True Monarch Qiankun persisted, "what if I were to acquire Qiankun Glazed Stone and Kanyuan Jade, in addition to these two pages of the Heavenly Void Jade Book?"

Qiankun Glazed Stone and Kanyuan Jade were primary materials for crafting realm-breaking artifacts. Qiankun Glazed Stone was one of the Ten Great Marvelous Stones, while Kanyuan Jade could only be produced by a particular rare beast. Without both materials, any artifact crafted would only be able to traverse lower realms, not the parallel realms of the Xuanyang Realm.

Ye Yiyan shook her head. "While those two materials are rare, they are still just raw materials, not a complete realm-breaking artifact. How could they compare to a Nine-Turn Poria Pill? Now, if you were offering an eighth-tier Lightning Absorption Orb, 200,000-year-old Eastern Yi Divine Wood, the corpse of an eighth-tier demonic beast, or the Nine-Colored Divine Mud excreted by an eighth-tier Nine-Colored Worm, then we might have a deal."

True Monarch Qiankun's brow furrowed, his face clouded with worry. Among all those items, only the corpse of an eighth-tier demonic beast seemed relatively attainable.

"I've heard that Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven contains the corpses of eighth-tier demonic beasts," Ye Yiyan said seriously. "You might consider sending someone there to search. Our Ye family has far more Body Integration cultivators than the human race on Qianyuan Continent. It's a case of too many monks and too little porridge; everyone wants a Nine-Turn Poria Pill."

"I've also heard about eighth-tier demonic beasts in Qianyuan Grotto-Heaven," True Monarch Qiankun replied, shaking his head. "My own master died there; it's far too dangerous." He shook his head, content to enjoy a few more millennia of freedom rather than meeting such a swift demise.

"By the way," Ye Yiyan asked, her face full of anticipation, "do you possess Qiankun Glazed Stone and Kanyuan Jade? I could offer you secret talismans in exchange; ensuring you pass your next great heavenly tribulation would be no issue."

True Monarch Qiankun shook his head. "No, I don't. However, the Nine Yuan Merchant Alliance is holding a grand auction at Tianyu Mountain, the sacred land of the Winged Race. I've heard that Qiankun Glazed Stone and Kanyuan Jade will be featured there, along with seventh-tier automaton beasts and complete sets of mid-grade Profound-tier Spiritual Treasures." The Winged Race were born with wings, granting them superior flight speed. They could cultivate Nascent Souls, distinguishing them from clans like the Golden Roc, Golden Eagle, or Thunder Crane.

"Oh, the Nine Yuan Merchant Alliance is holding a grand auction," Ye Yiyan said, an interested expression on her face. "It seems I'll need to extend my stay here." The Nine Yuan Merchant Alliance was a super-force, comprising members from various races. Their primary focus was trade, and they remained neutral in racial conflicts.

"Indeed!" True Monarch Qiankun said enthusiastically. "Madam Ye might as well stay a bit longer, allowing this old man to properly play the host." He was enthusiastic, reasoning that even if he couldn't get the Nine-Turn Poria Pill now, befriending Ye Yiyan might eventually lead to acquiring a treasure to help him pass his heavenly tribulation.

"Very well then! I shall impose on your hospitality." Ye Yiyan agreed.

The streets were wide and clean. Wang Mengbin and five companions strolled leisurely, looking relaxed.

"Have you heard?" one cultivator asked. "The Nine Yuan Merchant Alliance is holding a grand auction! There will be seventh-tier automaton beasts, complete sets of mid-grade Profound-tier Spiritual Treasures, and even materials for crafting realm-breaking artifacts!"

"Heh, those don't concern us much," another chimed in. "I just hope to acquire a good defensive artifact to help me break through to the Refinement Void stage."

"Me too," a third added. "A grand auction like this is an opportunity for all of us."

"I heard it's at the Winged Race's sacred mountain," another noted. "We should get there early."

As they passed a teahouse, they overheard snippets of conversations among other cultivators.

"The Nine Yuan Merchant Alliance, seventh-tier automaton beasts! Complete sets of mid-grade Profound-tier Spiritual Treasures! Materials for crafting realm-breaking artifacts!"

Wang Mengbin's expression became serious. The Nine Yuan Merchant Alliance truly lived up to its reputation as a super-force, offering so many remarkable items. The Seven Star Merchant Alliance on Xuanyuan Continent couldn't even compare. Such a grand auction might even feature materials or treasures for transcending heavenly tribulations, presenting a significant opportunity for them.

A quarter of an hour later, the six of them were in a secluded small courtyard, sitting in a stone pavilion and chatting.

"You absolutely must not miss this auction," True Master Hunyuan advised earnestly. "The Nine Yuan Merchant Alliance is far superior to those smaller trading guilds. I once attended one of their auctions where even a high-grade Profound-tier Spiritual Treasure was put up for bid and acquired by a foreign Mahayana cultivator."

"Zongyun has just endured her great heavenly tribulation," Wang Mengbin stated firmly. "She needs to recover for a while. Once she's better, we can attend the auction."

"Opportunities like this are rare; let's depart sooner!" Wang Zongyun urged. "I'm perfectly fine. We should leave soon. The Winged Race's territory is quite far from Glazed Island, and we'll have to pass through many different racial territories along the way." Wang Zongyun urged, recognizing that this auction presented an opportunity for all of them, especially Bai Yuqi and Liu Hongxue. If they could acquire suitable materials, they could use them for setting up formations or refining pills, which would greatly benefit their future endeavors.

Wang Mengbin nodded. "In that case, we'll depart in three days!"

"I'll go gather information about the auction, purchase maps, and learn about the other races, to ensure smooth travel," Liu Hongxue volunteered.

Wang Mengbin nodded, and the five of them began to divide tasks. As for True Master Hunyuan, he had to remain by Wang Mengbin's side and not stray from their sight.

Three days later, the six of them departed from Glazed Island, making their way towards Tianyu Mountain.