Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 313 Young Master of the Chamber of Commerce
Li Ji'an had heard of Fei Hong's discourse on Taoism in his previous life in the Tiancang Domain.

Its scale and level are comparable to the top competitions in the cultivation world of the Great Swamp, except for the major sects and holy lands of the ten central regions.

Even a few scattered legends have inspired immense envy and admiration among the cultivators of the Heavenly Azure Domain.

Unfortunately, 99% of people don't even have the chance to compete on the same stage as these contemporary geniuses.

Moreover, the Flying Goose Dao Discussion is highly valuable. Apart from one's natal magic weapon, the competition prohibits any external force. One can only rely on one's own magic power, physique, soul, and magical abilities, which almost fully reflects the cultivator's own foundation.

The top three finishers in each of the Flying Goose Dao Discussions have almost all formed the Upper-Level True Core, and there is even a 30% chance that they will form the Golden Core.

The proportion of those who eventually cultivate to the late stage of Core Formation is as high as 50%.

Even looking at it on a millennium scale, the number of Nascent Soul True Monarchs who ultimately reached the pinnacle of the Great Swamp cultivation world, as ranked by the top three in the Flying Goose Dao Discussion, reached one or two out of a hundred.

This means that the top three in every thirty sessions of the Flying Goose Dao Discussion have a chance to produce a Nascent Soul True Lord!
"Yao Rui's cultivation techniques and secret arts may not be enough to enter the finals." Li Ji'an had actually been concerned about this grand event all along.

I also learned some information and have a certain understanding of Yao Rui's strength.

Aside from the fact that her cultivation techniques and secret arts were not particularly outstanding, the most crucial point was that during Yao Rui's advancement to the Foundation Establishment stage, the Biyun Sect was plagued by years of war and lacked sufficient resources, so she was not given a prototype of a magic weapon.

In contrast, many of the other participants probably already possessed a ninth-grade natal magic weapon.

Ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators often lack sufficient magical power and spiritual strength, and may not even be able to fully unleash the power of a rudimentary magic weapon. However, these contemporary prodigies are naturally different; they may be able to unleash nearly 50% of the power of a ninth-grade magic weapon.

In that case, it would be almost equivalent to having the combat power of a fake core.

Yao Rui was powerless to resist.

Unless... the Sishui Chamber of Commerce can also provide her with a magical artifact.

After waiting patiently for half a day, the escort ship finally set off fully loaded and left Cold Mist Immortal City.

This was also the first time Li Ji'an had gone out alone in the three years since he came to Wanshang Domain.

Half a month later, the spirit boat arrived at Jinhui Immortal City, the headquarters of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce. More than half of the short-distance merchants disembarked from the spirit boat; they were all traveling merchants to and from the Immortal City.

At the same time, another group of cultivators headed to Bailuzhou.

Li Ji'an also saw an acquaintance among them.

Although the other party altered their appearance with magic, they still had nowhere to hide from his mid-stage Core Formation divine sense.

He was the manager of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce on the cross-domain spirit ship back then.

"Why would the manager of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce need to travel on a镖行 (escort agency) spirit ship to Bailuzhou?" Li Ji'an was filled with doubts.

However, after a moment, he noticed the young master being served by the steward and suddenly felt relieved.

Over the past three years, the relationship between the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce and the Surabaya Chamber of Commerce has deteriorated further due to the conflict on the Ling ship.

Whenever the Surabaya Chamber of Commerce transports important supplies, they are bound to encounter bandits who rob and plunder along the way.

Similarly, caravans belonging to the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce often encountered inexplicable ambushes and harassment.

Both sides infiltrated each other and sabotaged each other.

Comparatively speaking, those who go through the escort agency network, especially those under the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce, are the ones the other party would absolutely not dare to offend.

Moreover, judging from the relationship between the manager and the young master, Li Ji'an judged that the young master's status in the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce was not low.

After all, besides the steward and the young master, there was also a disguised fake alchemist protecting them.

After three years of firsthand experience, Li Ji'an has a clearer understanding of the strengths of the various chambers of commerce within the Wanshang Domain.

Although many geniuses in various chambers of commerce have signed soul contracts, including some late-stage Core Formation experts, those above the late-stage Core Formation level are ultimately a minority.

In particular, the bottom two of the eighteen chambers of commerce, the Sishui Chamber of Commerce and the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce, have not been able to cultivate enough financial resources to produce a Core Formation Realm expert. Therefore, the highest spiritual contract holders of these two chambers are still only mid-stage Core Formation Realm experts.

Moreover, both have a service period, which the two chambers of commerce will not easily exhaust unless there are special circumstances.

As for the Sishui Chamber of Commerce, currently only two True Core Realm cultivators are fulfilling their Soul Contracts. These two are the ones who escorted Jade Flute Realm cultivator three years ago to bring Li Ji'an and the other two back to Cold Smoke Immortal City.

Apart from the two vice presidents, most of the long-term stable combat force in the chamber of commerce are pseudo-Dan Zhenren (True Immortals).

This young master, who is only in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, must have a fake Core Formation cultivator protecting him, so his status must be quite high.

After the three boarded the spirit boat, they cautiously observed Li Ji'an and the few other cultivators who remained on board.

"Are you all heading to White Deer Continent, fellow Daoists?" After everyone had chosen their seats, the steward greeted them with a friendly smile.

"We naturally want to go and see such a grand gesture from the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild," said the most talkative and imposing man among the remaining group without any hesitation.

With this person taking the lead, the others gradually lowered their guard, and curiosity drove them to shift their topic from the Flying Goose Discussion and the traveling auction to their trip to White Deer Island.

As expected, Li Ji'an was able to learn from the manager of Sishui Tower that the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild possessed a third-tier Azure Blood Pill, which meant that most people in the entire Wanshang Domain with a slight purchasing need and strength were aware of it.

After all, although the Fierce Tiger Chamber of Commerce has a spiritual contract with Sacred Beast Mountain and cannot publicize it, it is perfectly legal to secretly find target customers through the Chamber of Commerce's network of contacts.

The group of people, each contributing their own words, quickly explained the matter more thoroughly.

A large proportion of this group consisted of alchemists, and their purpose was clear: to try their luck in Tiger Roar Immortal City.

It wasn't that I was hoping to trade for the Azure Blood Pill from Sacred Beast Mountain, but rather that I hoped to catch a glimpse of it.

Even just smelling it might lead to a stroke of luck and the discovery of the elixir formula?

As the crowd discussed the matter, Li Ji'an frequently sensed the young man's contemptuous sneers.

It wasn't until a month and a half later, when the flying boat was about to cross the border of Baoping Continent and arrive at Bailu Continent, that Li Ji'an finally confirmed, through careful observation along the way and intercepting their spiritual transmissions, that the young master of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce was determined to obtain the Jade Blood Pill.

"Young Master? Wu Yehua... the Fifth Young Master of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce!" At the same time, the other party's identity was confirmed.

As a first-class guest elder of the Surabaya Chamber of Commerce, he would be exposed to information about rival chambers of commerce even if he didn't want to know it.

The Jinhua Chamber of Commerce differs slightly from the Sishui Chamber of Commerce. It is mainly composed of the Wu family and is a completely family-owned monopoly.

Although the Sishui Chamber of Commerce was also dominated by the Yuan family, it was jointly controlled by three families, and the other two families had the right to remove the Yuan family's head according to ancestral rules.

The man before them, Wu Yehua, is the fifth son of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce.

Meanwhile, the current president of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce is nearing the end of his life, and his three sons and two daughters are all potential successors to the presidency.

The Fifth Young Master has just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, making him the lowest in cultivation. His two older brothers are also at different levels: the eldest is over two hundred years old and at the Pseudo-Core stage, the second is over eighty and at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, the third sister is over sixty and at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment stage, and the fourth sister is about the same age as him but has not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

Moreover, the bloodline of the Wu family in this generation is not very good. After spending a lot of spiritual resources to nurture their spiritual veins, their spiritual roots are not much different and are all in the middle to upper grade range.

The ones who coveted the position of chairman were the second and fifth young masters.

Competition is fierce right now. Wu Yehua's trip to Bailuzhou was actually aimed at gaining the support of most of the older generation of the Chamber of Commerce by unexpectedly acquiring the Jade Blood Pill, and also at proving his business acumen.

"Boom!" In the dead of night, most of the cultivators on the spirit boat were resting with their eyes closed when a loud explosion suddenly rang out.

Immediately, three concentrated bursts of magical energy erupted forth.

"Young Master, be careful!" The fake Core cultivator beside Wu Yehua immediately summoned a protective shield of magic to shield him.

"Bang bang bang!" In the next moment, three spells struck the shield.

The target was very clear: Wu Yehua.

"How dare you cause trouble in my Tai'an Escort Agency! Aren't you afraid the Merchant Alliance will slaughter your entire clan?" The guards from the escort agency reacted immediately, appearing one after another to surround the three late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Hmph, this has nothing to do with the escort agency; it's all because these scoundrels are going too far."

"The hatred of having one's wife stolen is irreconcilable. Even if I die today, I will surely kill this traitor!"

"Wu Yehua, there's no need to hide anymore. Even if you turn to ashes, I will still recognize you."

The three late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were filled with righteous indignation, their eyes fixed on Wu Yehua, who was heavily protected.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yehua's face immediately darkened.

"Who leaked my whereabouts?" His first reaction was not to be angry at the three assassins in front of him, but to glare at his colleague in charge.

He's no fool; he's determined to vie for the chairmanship.

Regardless of the other party's excuse, the objective has been achieved.

If trouble breaks out at the escort agency of the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce, regardless of whether it is their fault or not, the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce will definitely be reprimanded by the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce has always followed the lead of the Liehu Chamber of Commerce, and the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce may make an example of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce.

As a result, his reputation within the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce will plummet, almost wiping him out of the chance to compete for the position of president.

"We must obtain the Jade Blood Pill on this trip!" He instantly grasped the current situation.

Only by obtaining the Jade Blood Pill can this impact be offset.

"Young master, this old servant is utterly loyal to you and has been entrusted by the madam. I would never betray you," the steward hurriedly explained.

Wu Yehua slowly exhaled, looked at the escort team, and showed a look of shame: "Gentlemen, this matter really cannot be blamed on me, nor is it something that I could control. I hope you will forgive me."

"Sir, there's no need to blame yourself. Since you trust our escort agency, you are our honored guest. Such petty thieves will be dealt with by our agency." The escort agency's guards upheld the principle of putting customers first.

"Thank you!" Wu Yehua bowed and expressed his gratitude, but he was not at ease. Although the guards of the escort agency said so, their employers certainly did not think so.

A fierce battle broke out instantly. The passengers had already hidden far away, and some had even flown out of the spirit ship to watch from a distance.

The escort team consisted of nine members, all of whom were Foundation Establishment stage experts. However, the three interceptors possessed near-third-tier spirit talismans, and the escort team was hesitant due to the fighting on the spirit boat, making it difficult to resolve the situation quickly.

Li Ji'an flew out of the spirit boat early on, hovering in mid-air to watch the battle from afar.

"Buzz!" Just then, a flash of light appeared in mid-air again, followed by a giant net of spiritual light blocking the path of the spirit boat.

"There are also bandits!" The escort team immediately became serious.

Because they were backed by the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce, and the last time the Tai'an Escort Agency had an accident was more than 300 years ago, they were indeed much more relaxed in their branch in a place like Hanyan Immortal City.

Logically, each branch should be equipped with at least one fake Dan Master to secretly escort goods, but the branch in Hanyan Immortal City has been receiving this salary for nearly a hundred years, so where is there any fake Dan Master to oversee things?

"We are the Tai'an Escort Agency under the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce. Who are you? Show yourself!" The head of the escort agency realized the seriousness of the problem and had no choice but to reveal his biggest backer.

I had just witnessed three thieves attacking and killing another passenger, and I thought it was just a minor incident, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

However, the fact that the other side has reinforcements, and that they were clearly prepared in advance, makes the problem quite serious.

If anything goes wrong on this trip, the head office will definitely conduct a thorough investigation, at which point their branch's practice of receiving salaries without working will be exposed.

According to the rules of the escort agency, all of them had to run away, and would most likely end up as bandits, hiding in various places.

"We are only seeking revenge, it has nothing to do with anyone else!" After the spirit boat was trapped, a group of people flew up from the mountains below, pointing directly at Wu Yehua in the spirit boat.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~" This time, all the remaining passengers in the spirit boat flew out of the spirit boat and watched from afar, just like Li Ji'an.

Only nine guards from the escort agency and Wu Yehua remained on the spirit boat.

Including the three previous ambushers, the opposing force numbered fifteen, all of whom were at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

"Hmph! Who are you, bandits? Who are you ordering around?" Wu Yehua looked at the leader with a livid face.

Unexpectedly, the other party insisted that it was all for personal revenge.

Wu Yehua shook his head inwardly. However, even when facing a group of thieves whose overall strength far surpassed his own, he showed no fear. Instead, he turned around and clasped his hands in a salute to the cultivators who had flown out of the spirit boat and were watching from afar: "Fellow Daoists, I am Wu Yehua from the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce. My father is Wu Yishan. I am willing to offer a reward of one thousand spirit stones. Anyone who is willing to help will receive one thousand spirit stones. If anyone kills a thief, I will add another one thousand. If anyone captures a thief alive, I will add two thousand."

There were twenty-three cultivators observing at this moment.

Apart from the four Qi Refining stage cultivators who accompanied their elders, the rest were all Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

If all the punches are delivered with full force, a powerful and overwhelming attack can indeed be achieved instantly.

"One thousand spirit stones!" The fact that one could get one thousand spirit stones simply by making a move made a group of people eager to try it.

Li Ji'an looked at Wu Yehua with secret admiration; his talent wasn't great, but his character was extraordinary.

During his three years in Hanyan Immortal City, his biggest impression was that although the Wanshang Domain was free, had developed commerce, and was rich in spiritual resources, life for the lower-level cultivators here was much more difficult than in the autocratic cultivation domain of Tiancang Domain.

Spirit stones are needed everywhere in the Wanshang Domain, and prices are extremely high, especially for lower-level cultivators, where items like spirit rice and basic pills are much more expensive than in the Tiancang Domain.

Most importantly, while Wanshangyu appears to be a thriving commercial hub with various chambers of commerce actively recruiting and nurturing talented individuals, the truly ordinary people at the bottom of society have virtually no chance to defy fate and change their destiny.

Its upward mobility is almost completely blocked by the Chamber of Commerce; unless one joins the Chamber of Commerce, one will be subject to its control for life.

Therefore, this thousand spirit stones are extremely attractive to ordinary rogue cultivators.

Sure enough, the next moment, several late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators stepped forward and flew to Wu Yehua's side.

Wu Yehua didn't hesitate and paid the spirit stones to the group on the spot.

Soon, more people couldn't resist and rushed to Wu Yehua's side to help him.

Not only can you get spirit stones, but you also stand on the same side as the Tai'an Chamber of Commerce, and even for the young master of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce. Most importantly, your side can instantly turn from disadvantage to advantage. No matter how you look at it, it is a righteous and rewarding project.

A moment later, of the people who had traveled together on the spirit boat, only Li Ji'an and four Qi Refining cultivators remained, watching from afar instead of going to help.

(End of this chapter)