Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 316 Returning to Dendrobium Market
As the most renowned cultivation market in Hao County, Dendrobium Market is shrouded in a huge array, filled with spiritual energy, clearly indicating that it is located in a spiritual vein area.

Similar to Pushui Market, Dendrobium Market is also divided into "inner market" and "outer market".

The so-called inner market refers to the Dendrobium Market, which is jointly governed by dozens of cultivation forces, including Hengyue Sect.

The outer city, on the other hand, is a commercial district formed by cultivators who are short of money, cannot afford to live in the market, but are unwilling to leave.

These people mainly set up stalls, hoping to benefit from the spiritual energy of the Dendrobium Market and seek its protection. They stayed very close to the market, and the market couldn't drive them away, so they just let them be.

Over time, these commercial areas grew larger and larger, eventually merging with the original Dendrobium Market and covering an area of ​​over a thousand acres.

Although the outer city is also considered part of Dendrobium Market.

Whether you are purchasing magical artifacts, talismans, or elixirs, you can find everything you need in the outer markets.

However, Dendrobium Market has never recognized them over the years.

They wouldn't even spare a fraction of their protective formations for the outer cities.

Furthermore, the Dendrobium Market also built a city wall between the inner and outer markets, stipulating that anyone entering the inner market must pass through a designated city gate.

Those who sneak in will have their cultivation abolished at best, and will be executed at worst.

You can't just walk through this city gate; you need to pay spirit stones.

Each person receives one spirit stone and stays for only two days.

It's even more corrupt than Pushui Market.

Despite this, the Dendrobium Market was still bustling with activity.

"It's quite lively today."

As soon as he arrived at the city gate, Li Xiangming saw a large crowd gathered at the entrance.

However, these people don't seem to be coming to the city.

Ding Xia glanced at it and casually explained, "The Qingfeng Dharma Assembly held by the Hengyue Sect is coming to an end soon, so the Qingfeng Ranking should be updated."

"The List of Outstanding Individuals?"

Li Xiangming raised an eyebrow. It is said that this Qingfeng Dharma Assembly is held only once every five years. Any Qi Refining cultivator under the age of thirty can participate. As long as one can achieve a ranking in the Dharma Competition during the assembly, one will almost certainly become famous and respected.

If one lacks connections, they might even be personally recruited by prestigious sects, thus reaching the pinnacle of their lives.

Of course, it is extremely difficult to squeeze into the Qingfeng Ranking.

Because you have to compete with all the young cultivators in Hao County, and even most of Zhangning Prefecture, it's like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

The Li family has been a regular attendee of the Qingfeng Dharma Assembly for decades.

People from generations such as Cheng and Qian have been listed on the Qingfeng List.

Li Chengsu, in particular, made it into the top ten of the Qingfeng List, causing quite a stir.

Many high-ranking members of the Hengyue Sect asserted that Li Chengsu would definitely reach the Foundation Establishment stage, and might even have the potential to enter the Golden Core stage.

Li Chengsu's outstanding performance made Hengyue Sect extremely eager to win over the Li family, even going so far as to rent out Jinguang Lake.

The Li family was naturally delighted with this outcome and continued to gravitate towards the Hengyue Sect.

However, reality dealt the Li family a heavy blow.

Just two or three months later, Li Chengsu died like a shooting star after taking a poison pill.

To this day, the Li family has still not found the murderer who killed Li Chengsu.

Although we don't know who it is, it's nothing more than a local bully in Hao County.

If every outsider becomes close to Hengyue Sect, where will other local sects find a way to survive?

Therefore, it is certain that the Li family will be suppressed.

The Li family at the time didn't anticipate this.

It wasn't until Li Chengsu became a cripple that he suddenly realized the truth.

Since then, the Li family has become extremely low-key, rarely appearing in front of the cultivation world in Hao County except for doing things for the Hengyue Sect.

Within the Li family, this Qingfeng Dharma Assembly gradually became an optional activity.

The Qian generation participated a few times, while the Xiang generation never did.

Actually, it was just the Li family being paranoid, because the Li family's Xiang generation had produced another genius comparable to Li Chengsu—Li Xiangren.

Fearing that Li Xiangren would follow in Li Chengsu's footsteps, the Li family forbade him from participating in the Qingfeng Dharma Assembly.

Li Xiangren was a role model for the Xiang generation, and since he didn't participate, the others followed suit and didn't go either.

Later, the Li family moved to Pu County.

This Qingfeng Dharma Assembly thus became part of the Li family's history.

The mention of it now feels somewhat unfamiliar. "Let's go take a look."

Li Xiangming gave a shout and squeezed through.

Ding Xia grumbled discontentedly, "You, an elder who has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, are concerned about this?"

Li Xiangming chuckled to himself.

Ding Xia is right, he has already reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

Even if the people on the Qingfeng List are all exceptionally talented, what does it matter?
If one hasn't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage, who would dare to call themselves a genius in his presence?

However, he was not a lone wolf. The backgrounds of those on the Qingfeng Ranking could reflect the cultivation landscape of Hao County to some extent, and it was his duty as the deputy head of the Foreign Affairs Hall to pay appropriate attention to these things.

Upon getting closer, Li Xiangming discovered that the list had already been snapped up.

Even the notices posted on the wall were torn down.

The guards at the gate were so angry that they started cursing.

Despite the insults, these guards, who possessed cultivation, did not react in any other way, probably because they were used to it.

Ding Xia chuckled and said, "Did you make a wasted trip? These lists are worthless in the city because Hengyue Sect posts notices everywhere, but they can be sold for money outside the city."

Separated by only a wall, the same paper has different values.

Li Xiangming seemed to be deep in thought. He didn't say much, but instead handed over a spirit stone to the city guard in exchange for a talisman, which could record how many days you stayed in the city.

When the time comes, Fu Chuan will remind you that it's time to leave the city.

Of course, you can stay, but for every extra day you stay, you'll have to pay an extra spirit stone.

Some people will deliberately discard the talisman to avoid paying spirit stones.

However, the consequences are also severe, because your magic power is marked by the city gate. If the market doesn't investigate, it's fine, but once an investigation is ordered, you will always have nowhere to hide.

As for smuggling out of the city, forget about it.

The entire Dendrobium Market was under a no-fly zone, and guards were stationed at every city wall and gate.

These guards may look unremarkable, but they are actually elite disciples sent by various sects to stand guard.

Even the lowest level of cultivation is at least in the late stage of Qi Refining.

And the number is staggering.

If anyone is alerted, I'm sorry, the Foundation Establishment and even Golden Core cultivators stationed at Dendrobium Market will immediately be mobilized.

Actually, there is another way, which is to provide a certificate from Dendrobium Market. Whether you are purchasing or leasing property or cave dwellings in Dendrobium Market, as long as you can prove that you have a long-term legal status in Dendrobium Market, you can be exempted from paying extra spirit stones.

This is very similar to Pushui Market.

In other words, the model of Pushui Market is largely copied from that of Dendrobium Market.

When Li Xiangming last came to Dendrobium Market, he used the cave he rented from the Li family to prove his talisman.

However, the Dendrobium Market is very cunning, requiring that the information of the talisman be updated every six months, otherwise it will be considered invalid.

The place to obtain the certificate is located within the city.

In other words, if you don't stay in the market, even if you have a talisman, you often won't be able to update the information in time, causing the talisman to become invalid, and you will have to use spirit stones to apply for a new talisman.

Using this trick, Dendrobium Market has consumed countless spirit stones.

Ding Xia, on the other hand, should frequent the Dendrobium Market.

Her talisman worked, and she easily entered the city without paying any spirit stones.

However, she looked at Li Xiangming with some suspicion: "You don't even have a talisman from the Dendrobium Market. Could you be from out of town? Don't tell me you're a rogue cultivator."

"Miss Ding is so concerned about my identity. Speaking of which, I haven't yet asked about your sect."

Li Xiangming glanced at the other person indifferently.

Ding Xia pursed her lips and didn't say anything.

Let's leave this topic at that.

Upon entering the city, shops line both sides of the street, each with its own unique characteristics.

Some shops had glittering signs hanging in front of them, while others had phantom images of various magical artifacts floating above them, attracting the attention of passing cultivators.

After walking for a while, the two saw that many shops had the Qingfeng List posted in front of them.

Hengyue Sect wishes they were known throughout the world.

Li Xiangming glanced at it casually, then suddenly his eyes narrowed as he saw a name that was completely unexpected.

(End of this chapter)