Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 304 First Visit to Guiyun Market
Heading southwest.

As we gradually came into view, we saw some manors and villages, which clearly indicated that we had arrived in a relatively prosperous area.

However, Xiao Chen discovered that the concentration of spiritual energy here remained unchanged.

It's incredibly stable.

The further south you go, the more valleys and basins you encounter along the way.

Scattered among them are some spirit fields of varying sizes.

The larger ones can cover several hundred acres, often relying on nearby spiritual veins, where neat and uniform spiritual herbs are planted.

The smaller ones are only one or two acres.

In the very center is a visible spring, which supplies spiritual energy to the surrounding medicinal herbs.

However, regardless of the size of the spirit fields, they were all firmly covered by the spirit-gathering array, ensuring that not a single trace of spiritual energy would leak out.

At the same time, Xiao Chen also noticed that the spiritual herbs were planted extremely densely in those spiritual fields.

Regardless of the size of the spiritual fields, there is almost no empty space inside except for the irrigation ditches.

The monks' own dwellings were all built outside, without exception.

During the day, they enter the formation while working, and after finishing their work, they come out to rest or cultivate.

The intention behind this is obvious: to prevent low-level cultivators from using the spiritual energy in the spirit-gathering array for extended periods of time while nurturing the spiritual herbs.

"Hiss~, is it like this everywhere?"

Xiao Chen then passed by a large area of ​​spiritual fields, totaling more than 500 acres, which were clearly built using the second-order spiritual vein in the middle mountain.

This spiritual field is too large in area and has an irregular shape.

A single spirit-gathering array is clearly insufficient to provide effective coverage.

However, Xiao Chen saw that three large spirit-gathering arrays had been constructed below.

The third spirit-gathering array was even extended more than ninety feet, encompassing a small pond next to the spirit field.

That small pond wasn't actually a true sacred spring.

It's just that there used to be a stream flowing through the spiritual vein, but the flow was blocked by a pond that was dug by humans.

Then, a waterwheel that required human power was designed to divert the stream water, which carried a faint spiritual aura, from the pond back into the spiritual field.

Xiao Chen passed by in the morning.

Just then, they saw a Foundation Establishment cultivator leading several Qi Refining disciples, orderly turning a waterwheel to transport the spiritual water that had accumulated in the pond the night before.

"Good heavens, they're even going after the stream."

This was the first time Xiao Chen had ever seen such a scene; even the Li Huo Sect had never been this frugal.

Looking at the spirit-gathering arrays below, he seemed to guess the reason why the spiritual energy in this world was so thin and strangely uniform.

That's at least part of the reason.

That is because the spirit-gathering array in this world is too powerful, causing spiritual energy to be intercepted from various sources.

Xiao Chen hadn't paid much attention to the basin and the spiritual spring when he first saw them surrounded.

But now that he sees the spiritual veins sealed off, he finally realizes the serious consequences of doing so.

Suppose that all the spiritual veins of this world are sealed by the Spirit Gathering Array, what would happen?
It's not hard to deduce that this place was originally a world brimming with spiritual energy, but due to an overly powerful spirit-gathering array, it was forced into its current barren state.

"I'm speechless. You've got such great technology, and this is what you're using it for?"

Xiao Chen was somewhat speechless.

However, he could understand the situation.

When the first intelligent person in this world begins to use the Spirit Gathering Array to intercept spiritual energy, it will only be a matter of time before such consequences occur.

If Xiao Chen learns how to set up the spirit-gathering array here and sends it back to his original cultivation world...

I fear that in a few years, that place will become like that too.

Thinking about it this way, he felt it was best to carefully consider whether or not to transfer the array techniques from here over.

There are many ways to earn spirit stones; you don't necessarily have to choose this one.

Of course, this does not mean that he is against this method; he still needs to learn the necessary skills, but he must be cautious in disseminating them.

"But the rogue cultivators in this realm are probably in dire straits."

Xiao Chen sighed. As fellow rogue cultivators, the rogue cultivators in the Compassionate Sea were much happier than those here.

At least over there, most of the spiritual energy dissipates between heaven and earth, and there is a spiritual energy surge every morning.

"Another Golden Core cultivator?"

After encountering Ling Tianyiduo, Xiao Chen quickly discovered another strange phenomenon.

In a 60-acre second-tier spirit field, a Golden Core cultivator was patrolling with his hands behind his back.

He supervised a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators who had mastered the art of cultivating spiritual plants as they cast spells to nurture spiritual herbs.

It should be noted that Xiao Chen has encountered a total of thirteen first-tier spirit fields and three second-tier spirit fields so far.

The former were all led and guarded by Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The latter are all supervised by Golden Core cultivators.

The key issue is that, forget about the hundreds of acres of spirit fields mentioned earlier, this place only has a mere sixty acres. Is it worth mobilizing a Golden Core cultivator for such a small matter?
"Could it be that there are quite a few Golden Core cultivators in this realm?"

Xiao Chen secretly guessed that since rogue cultivators were victims of the Spirit Gathering Array, there must also be beneficiaries of it.

In places where spiritual energy is highly concentrated, it is very likely that more Golden Core cultivators can be cultivated.

The specifics of what happened still require further investigation.

However, the situation in the cultivation world is more complicated than I initially imagined.

"Fortunately, I was careful enough and did not act rashly after I noticed that the spiritual energy was thin."

Xiao Chen secretly rejoiced.

If one truly believed this was some barren land where one could dominate the surrounding area with their cultivation, they might have already attracted the attention of major local powers.

Given the complexity of the situation in this world, I should continue to maintain a cautious and low-key approach.

Of course, being cautious does not mean completely refusing to communicate.

For example, when you need to ask for directions, you might as well ask if it's convenient to get there.

Seeing that there was another second-tier spirit field ahead, Xiao Chen immediately landed near the spirit field.

He actively spread a wisp of the Golden Core's oppressive aura.

"Oh, which fellow Daoist has come here?"

Suddenly a deep voice came from the side.

Turning around, they saw a middle-aged cultivator wearing a yellow and black robe and a hair-binding crown walk out.

He first looked Xiao Chen up and down, sizing him up.

Then his gaze fell on the three storage rings in his hand, lingering for a moment as if observing the details.

Finally, he looked at his face, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Judging from the style of the storage ring, this unfamiliar fellow Daoist does not seem to be a local.

"Fellow Daoist, I am Jin Guang Sanren."

Xiao Chen cupped his hands in a fist salute: "At the request of a friend, I am now preparing to go to the vicinity of Zejing Blessed Land to handle a private matter."

"I am new to this place and not yet familiar with the route."

"Excuse me, how far is it from there to reach the blessed land?"

One of the tips for asking questions is not to ask questions directly in your own name, but to start by saying that you have a friend who is like this or that.

"So it's Fellow Daoist Jin Guang in person! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

A smile appeared on the other person's face: "This place is not far from Zejing Blessed Land."

"Go about two thousand miles further south, and you will see colorful clouds returning to the stream. That is Guiyun Peak, where the blessed land is located."

"However, if Fellow Daoist Jin Guang wants to go to Guiyun Market, you'll have to head a little east."

As he spoke, he turned and pointed to the southeast.

He enthusiastically explained, "If you go straight to Guiyun Peak, it'll be difficult to find the market area again."

"Many fellow practitioners from outside the region often go to the wrong place."

Unexpectedly, the cultivators in this realm were quite friendly, and they actually helped point out the location of the market.

Now Xiao Chen no longer needs to search for it himself.

He immediately clasped his hands in thanks again: "I didn't know there was such a custom. Thank you for telling me, fellow Daoist."

The middle-aged cultivator smiled slightly and said, "Fellow Daoist Jin Guang, you are too kind. It was just a small favor, nothing to mention."

"I am Hong Xingfeng, a disciple of the Gao family in Yanggao City. My greatest hobby in life is to make friends with fellow Daoists from all over the world."

"I will stay here to look after the sacred fields from now until the end of the year."

"If Fellow Daoist Jin Guang needs anything, whether it's to do some business or to find a job in exchange for cultivation resources, just come here to find me."

Hong Xingfeng smiled憨厚ly, looking like a kind-hearted older brother.

But in reality, he should be a middleman.

No wonder they were so enthusiastic; they wanted to leave a good impression so they could earn a commission in the future.

But it doesn't matter, Xiao Chen is really lacking a partner who has familiar local connections and a wide circle of friends.

As long as the other person is a law-abiding person, he wouldn't mind making another friend.

“Alright, if I need anything another day, I will definitely come to find Fellow Daoist Hong.”

Xiao Chen immediately nodded in agreement: "However, I have some personal matters to attend to today, so I will take my leave now."

Although he really wanted to stay and chat a little longer, hoping to get some information out of them.

But he just made an excuse that he had something to do, so he can't forget about it.

If we really want to talk, we'll have to wait a couple of days before coming back.

Upon hearing this, Hong Xingfeng's smile widened: "Of course, of course. Fellow Daoist Jin Guang, please take care. I have duties to perform, so please excuse me for not seeing you off further."

After watching Xiao Chen leave.

He then took out a thick notebook from his storage ring and turned to the latest page.

With a few strokes, he sketched out Xiao Chen's approximate appearance, his figure and face almost perfectly.

Then below, it is continuously labeled: Jin Guang Sanren, outsider, asking for directions.

He then closed his eyes and carefully recalled what had just happened.

First, he drew a question mark under 'Jin Guang Sanren', and then he drew a small question mark under 'Wen Lu' as well.

The name of the outsider is unreliable, and similarly, the purpose of his questioning may not be entirely credible.

However, Hong Xingfeng didn't think much of it and simply put away the roster.

The two met by chance, and who knows if they will ever meet again? It's not worth wasting time and energy.

Just making a quick note, in case we have the chance to meet again in the future, or even collaborate.

Then it's not too late to think about it carefully later.

Otherwise, you'd have to be extra careful with everyone you meet, because even a hundred hearts wouldn't be enough.

Thanks to Hong Xingfeng's guidance, Xiao Chen no longer needed to search on his own and arrived directly at Guiyun Market.

This market town, which shares the same name as the Guiyun Sect, covers a vast area.

There are all kinds of houses lined up one after another, and a rough estimate suggests there are tens of thousands of them.

Meanwhile, not far from the outskirts of the market, there are several equally large gardens, squares, and a unique wall.

The wall was divided into two parts.

First, there is a huge wooden wall at the entrance of the market, made of many wooden planks, one zhang high and three zhang wide.

It was painted with white primer and covered with hundreds of different wanted posters.

This part is actually quite normal; the special part is the second half.

Behind the wooden wall, the remaining walls were made of interlocking black iron spears and chains. Xiao Chen saw that at intervals, there was a corpse impaled on a spear.

You can see several hundred people at a glance, and if you walk around the whole area, there should be even more.

"What does this mean? Is it a warning to others?"

Xiao Chen couldn't quite understand why hanging such things outside the market would look so unsightly.
He walked to the bottom of the wooden wall and looked up at the layers of wanted posters on it.

In the most conspicuous middle position, there is a large warning sign.

Those who steal spirits shall be killed without mercy!

Anyone who harbors or conceals those who steal spirits, or who knows about such activities but fails to report them, will be considered an accomplice and punished accordingly!

Providing timely and effective clues will earn you a generous reward from the Guiyun Sect, and those who perform outstandingly may be granted a blessed cave dwelling.

There is another line of smaller text below.

Practicing demonic arts harms both oneself and others; fellow Daoists, do not make this mistake for yourselves.

"Spirit Thief?"

The name was simple and easy to understand, and Xiao Chen could easily grasp its meaning.

But judging from this, is stealing spiritual energy actually more serious than cultivating demonic arts?

Are you really sure you haven't got it backwards?

To be honest, petty theft is at most a minor offense, but cultivating demonic arts and becoming a demonic cultivator is a truly heinous crime.

However, this may be a unique feature of this world.

So although Xiao Chen didn't quite understand, he still expressed his respect.

He glanced at the wanted posters.

About half of the cultivators were clearly marked as 'Spirit Thieves' and were wanted throughout the entire territory by the Guiyun Sect.

Among them are a few individuals who are the longest-recorded and have the most numerous charges against them.

Below the wanted posters are the names of many other sects and families, including the Gao family of Yanggao City.

It was a joint bounty; as long as any one of them was captured, multiple bounties could be claimed.

Besides them, Xiao Chen also saw a slightly yellowed wanted poster closest to him.

Its content is: to capture Shi Ruiqing, the demonic cultivator from the Rebellious Immortal Alliance.

As long as you can provide valid clues, you can obtain a cave dwelling located in a blessed land.

Next to it was a newly posted wanted poster.

There was neither a portrait nor a name on it.

It was only mentioned that the night before last, spirit thieves attacked the market warehouse, killing two warehouse guards and attempting to plunder the spirit stones stored there through improper means.

Fortunately, a senior disciple of the Guiyun Sect intervened in time, successfully forcing the opponent back and protecting the safety of the spirit stones.

The enemy has already fled north in panic. All families along the route are advised to be vigilant and take precautions.

A hefty reward is offered for this person's identity information; the reward will be doubled for anyone who provides valid clues within five days.

"They fled north the night before last?"

Xiao Chen immediately recalled the sounds of battle he had vaguely heard the night he arrived.

If nothing unexpected happens, then it should be the spirit thief who attacked the market, right?
Unfortunately, he didn't go out to join the fun at the time, so he knew nothing about the other party's identity and probably won't be able to receive the reward.

But then again, it's probably better not to get involved in these messy things.

The most urgent thing is to go to the market area to experience and learn about the local customs and find out about the situation in this area.

"Strange, where is everyone?"

Xiao Chen strolled through the market, but felt a strange sense of desolation.

Not only were there almost no people on the streets, but the place seemed to have been abandoned.

What's even stranger is that it's already afternoon.

However, most of the shops in the market were closed and not open for business at all.

"what 's wrong?"

Xiao Chen was a little confused: "Could it be that I came at the wrong time?"

"It can't just be that they're closed for the Lunar New Year, can it?"

Of course, that's not the reason.

Even though the time periods in the two realms are different, according to the information provided by Hong Xingfeng, this is not the New Year.

Xiao Chen carefully examined the shops and then realized that they did not appear to be abandoned.

Every household's door panels were polished to a shine, and many shops with copper bells or colorful ribbons hanging under the eaves were completely free of dust.

It's obvious that someone is taking care of it.

"Hey, what the hell?"

If Xiao Chen hadn't had the Divine Protection Veil, he would have had every reason to suspect that he was under an illusion.

Fortunately, just as he was looking around...

Suddenly, a thin old man emerged from the alley on the right and hurried towards the outside of the market.

"Wait a minute, young... um, old gentleman."

The other cultivator was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, but Xiao Chen hesitated for a moment, feeling that calling him "young friend" was not quite appropriate, so he changed his address at the last minute.

Anyway, he didn't really care that much about these etiquettes or seniority.

When the old man heard his greeting, he raised his slightly cloudy eyes and looked at him, then immediately lowered his head tremblingly.

He bowed respectfully and said, "This old man pays his respects to the venerable one."

He was about to ask further, "May I ask what your instructions are, Master?"

But after he finished speaking, he hesitated for a moment and ultimately swallowed the rest of his question.

"Sir, I am passing through this area and would like to find a place to rest."

Xiao Chen went straight to the point: "But why are all the gates in this market closed?"

"Where has everyone gone? Is there some kind of holiday today?"

Ok?
Upon hearing this question, the old man couldn't help but look up at him.

A look of obvious surprise appeared on his aged face, and his eyes were filled with incomprehension.

Then, as if remembering something, he immediately lowered his head.

He bent down even lower: "Reporting to the Master, today is not a festival."

"The reason the door is closed is because it's only late afternoon, and everyone is cultivating in their own places and doesn't have time to come out."

"Just wait a little longer, and by evening, all the shops will naturally open their doors to customers ahead of time."

what?
Do they only open for business in the evening?
Xiao Chen was taken aback by this answer.

Aren't your local customs a bit too strange?
Who's the kind person who always comes out at night?
Is it something that can't be exposed to the light of day?
That doesn't make sense either. We're all from the same place, and the spirit farmers in the spirit fields outside are already up and working very early.

Xiao Chen really wanted to ask: Why does everyone only come out at night?
However, from the old man's surprised and confused reaction, he realized that in this world, this should be a question similar to common sense.

Unless you intend to kill someone to cover it up, it's best not to ask these questions.

Besides, since it's something like common sense, it's not difficult to acquire. You should be able to figure it out after observing it for a couple of days.

We have now received news that the market will open in the evening.

That's enough. We can figure out the rest gradually.

So Xiao Chen sighed in feigned surprise, "Ah, I've been cultivating for so long that I've gotten the dates wrong. It's alright then, old sir, if you have something to do, please go ahead and take care of it."

Upon hearing this, the old man bowed respectfully once again and said, "This old man takes his leave."

Then he quickened his pace and hurried out of the market.

"There should be about an hour and a half until evening."

Xiao Chen looked up at the sky and estimated the time: "What can we do in this little bit of time?"

After thinking for a moment, he decided to go to the outskirts of the market.

I started looking at those wanted posters again, just to gather information and pass the time.

After looking around for a while, the setting sun finally reached the edge of the mountains and was about to disappear below the horizon.

At the same time, some sounds gradually came from inside the market.

The shop assistants and managers had already come out ahead of time, ready to open the doors and welcome customers.

So Xiao Chen returned to the market.

I slowed down and observed the gradually bustling market environment.

In just one hour, the once quiet market became much more lively.

As lanterns were lit one by one, many pedestrians gradually appeared on the streets.

Many of the cultivators looked tired, as if they had been busy all day.

Walking on the street, I frequently greeted acquaintances warmly and chatted with them from time to time.

For them, this seems to be a way to relax.

However, this actually helped Xiao Chen understand the situation here.

He immediately pricked up his ears, carefully listening to the scattered conversations around him.

Although these are just a few words, they are enough to understand the environment.

Of course, Xiao Chen would filter out most of the useless greetings and polite words, focusing on memorizing the useful information.

"Hey, Fellow Daoist Li, why are you out so early today?"

"Oh dear, don't even mention it. I've been busy cultivating lately, spending too much time in the spiritual cave, and as a result, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to calm my mind."

"That's right, you need to get out more often."

A sacred burial site?

A glint of light flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes.

If nothing unexpected happens, this should be the reason why people in the neighborhood didn't come out during the day.

Judging from the name, it must still be underground.

I don’t know what kind of place it is. Could it be a cultivation room built in the ground?

As he pondered, he also gathered the remaining information.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, have you heard? The youngest grandson of the Jin family in Linggu, the one the old lady loves the most, has gone out to start his own household."

"I found out yesterday; I heard they went outside the mausoleum."

"Oh, didn't they say the other day that the old lady of the Jin family doted on this little grandson? How come she was thrown out?"

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, don't you know? I heard that it was the old lady who made the decision to let him set up a separate household outside and also allocated forty acres of spiritual land."

"Oh my, it seems you're really favored!"

The Jin family of Linggu?

They sound quite powerful; they must be a prominent local family.

After all, he could give the spirit field to his second grandson based solely on favoritism, instead of passing it on to his eldest grandson or the most talented disciple in the clan.

Under normal circumstances, this indicates that the cultivation resources they possess are absolutely abundant.

If you encounter any Jin family cultivators in the future, be extra careful.

Avoid conflict with these powerful cultivators unless absolutely necessary.

Of course, when the time truly came to take action, Xiao Chen would not hesitate.

If forced by circumstances, they will have no choice but to clash with these powerful clans and cultivators.

Then you need to be decisive and efficient, and try to do it as cleanly as possible.

(End of this chapter)