I only reached the Foundation Establishment stage at eighty years old, and then the system appeared.

In the Bo Bai Immortal Sect, Yang Hongbo would occasionally take his junior brothers and sisters on missions, but most of the time he would go out alone. The Central Region was simply too vast and rich in resources. In just over a year, he had already completed the missions for hundreds of millions of living beings in the thousand small worlds.

Now, it's just a matter of waiting for one's spiritual energy to settle and for one to advance to the Tribulation Transcending stage.

Although Yang Hongbo's thousand small worlds had already fulfilled their mission for billions of living beings, he did not stop his exploration. He knew that the path to ascending to the Immortal Realm not only required the accumulation of one's own spiritual power to advance to the Tribulation Transcending stage, but also needed more opportunities and preparation. Therefore, he decided to travel between the various giant cities in the Central Region, searching for treasures and opportunities in the markets that might be able to help him.

On this day, Yang Hongbo arrived at the renowned Tianlan Giant City in the Central Region. This giant city was incredibly prosperous, with streets bustling with traffic and pedestrians shoulder to shoulder. The market was even more lively, with a dazzling array of stalls and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares rising and falling.

Yang Hongbo strolled through the market, his gaze sweeping over the various stalls. Suddenly, he stopped in front of one stall, where a seemingly ordinary stone was displayed, yet Yang Hongbo vaguely sensed a mysterious power contained within it.

"Boss, how much is this stone?" Yang Hongbo asked, pointing to the stone.

The stall owner was a thin, middle-aged man. He sized Yang Hongbo up and down, a sly glint in his eyes, and said, "Fellow Daoist, this stone is something I obtained from a mysterious ruin; it's no ordinary item. If you want it, give me a thousand mid-grade spirit stones."

Yang Hongbo sneered inwardly; the stall owner was clearly overcharging. He shook his head slightly and said, "Boss, your price is a bit outrageous. This stone is somewhat special, but it's not worth this much. Five hundred mid-grade spirit stones, will you sell it?"

The stall owner frowned, feigning difficulty, and said, "Fellow Daoist, your bargaining is too ruthless. Eight hundred mid-grade spirit stones, that's the lowest I can go."

Yang Hongbo turned around as if to leave, saying, "Then I'll go take a look elsewhere."

Seeing this, the stall owner hurriedly called out, "Fellow Daoist, please wait! Fine, I'll sell it to you for five hundred mid-grade spirit stones, consider it a gesture of friendship."

Yang Hongbo stopped, paid the spirit stones, and put the stones into his pocket. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard an argument next to him.

"Your pills are clearly fake, and you're trying to cheat me out of my spirit stones!" a young cultivator said angrily.

Another stall owner said with a disdainful look, "What do you know? These pills of mine are genuine top-grade pills; you just don't know their value!"

Curious, Yang Hongbo walked over. He examined the pills on the stall carefully and then said to the young cultivator, "Fellow Daoist, these pills are indeed fake. Genuine high-grade pills have a smooth, round appearance and a rich aroma, while this pill has a dull color and a very pungent smell. It's clearly a low-quality pill being passed off as a genuine one."

Upon hearing Yang Hongbo's words, the young cultivator suddenly realized what was going on and gratefully said to Yang Hongbo, "Thank you for your guidance, fellow Daoist. I was almost cheated by this unscrupulous merchant."

Seeing that he had been exposed, the stall owner angrily retorted, "Mind your own business! Who do you think you are?"

Yang Hongbo gave the stall owner a cold look and said, "I just don't want to see anyone being cheated. If you continue to cheat and swindle like this, you'll get your comeuppance sooner or later."

The stall owner, intimidated by Yang Hongbo's imposing presence, dared not utter another word. Yang Hongbo led the young cultivator away from the stall, and the young cultivator said gratefully, "Fellow Daoist, thank you so much for today. My name is Lin Yu; may I ask if we can become friends?"

Yang Hongbo smiled and said, "Of course. My name is Yang Hongbo, and it must be fate that we've met."

Lin Yu said excitedly, "Brother Yang, I know a place where rare treasures often appear. Would you be interested in going there together?"

Yang Hongbo's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "Oh? There is such a place? Then I'll trouble Brother Lin to lead the way."

Lin Yu led Yang Hongbo to a secluded corner of Tianlan Giant City, where there was an underground trading market. The market was dimly lit, bustling with people, and had a somewhat mysterious atmosphere.

As Lin Yu walked, he said, "Brother Yang, although this place is a bit messy, there are indeed quite a few good things here. However, we should also be careful, as this place is a mixed bag, and there are bound to be some people with ill intentions."

Yang Hongbo nodded and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Lin. I will be careful."

As they strolled through the market, Yang Hongbo suddenly spotted an ancient martial arts manual displayed on a small stall. He walked over, picked it up, and began to peruse it.

"Boss, how much is this manual?" Yang Hongbo asked.

The stall owner was an elderly man with white hair. He glanced at Yang Hongbo and said, "This manual is an heirloom of my ancestors, and I will not sell it to anyone but those with the right destiny. If you can explain some of the secrets within this manual, I will give it to you."

Yang Hongbo smiled slightly and said, "This manual requires a special mental technique to guide spiritual energy during cultivation. In the process of cultivation, one also needs to rely on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to impact the meridians, thereby achieving the effect of breaking through the bottleneck. However, this manual also has some drawbacks. If cultivated improperly, it is easy to suffer from qi deviation."

Upon hearing Yang Hongbo's words, a hint of surprise flashed in the old man's eyes. He said, "I didn't expect you to be able to see the secret within. It seems you are indeed destined for this manual, so I will give it to you."

Yang Hongbo said gratefully, "Thank you for your generosity, senior. I wonder if you have any wishes? If I can fulfill them, I will do my best."

The old man shook his head and said, "I am already old and have no other requests. I only hope that you can carry forward this secret manual and not let it be buried."

Yang Hongbo solemnly replied, "Senior, rest assured, I will certainly live up to your expectations."

After saying goodbye to the old man, Yang Hongbo and Lin Yu continued strolling through the market. Suddenly, a group of men in black emerged from all directions and surrounded them.

Lin Yu's expression changed, and he said, "Brother Yang, these people are coming for us. It seems we're in trouble."

Yang Hongbo remained calm and said, "Brother Lin, don't panic. Let's see what their purpose is."

The leader of the men in black coldly said, "Hand over your treasures, and we'll spare your lives!"

Yang Hongbo sneered and said, "You think you can rob someone here?"

With that, Yang Hongbo flashed forward, charging towards the men in black. A flash of light appeared in his hand as his longsword was drawn, unleashing a sharp sword aura that slashed towards the men in black. The men in black dodged, then brandished their weapons and attacked Yang Hongbo.

Lin Yu was not to be outdone. He unleashed his magic and engaged in a fierce battle with the man in black. In an instant, shouts of battle filled the market, and spiritual energy overflowed.

With his peak Mahayana cultivation, Yang Hongbo moved freely among the men in black, constantly slaying enemies. Although Lin Yu's cultivation was slightly weaker, he was also extremely brave and cooperated perfectly with Yang Hongbo.

After a fierce battle, the men in black gradually lost their grip and began to flee. Yang Hongbo and Lin Yu did not pursue them, but instead cautiously observed their surroundings.

"Brother Yang, I am so grateful to you today, otherwise I would have been in danger," Lin Yu said gratefully.

Yang Hongbo said, "Brother Lin, there's no need to be so polite. Since we are friends, we should naturally help each other. However, it's rather strange that these people would suddenly attack us."

Lin Yu frowned and said, "I also find it strange. We haven't offended anyone, so I don't know why they're targeting us."

Yang Hongbo pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is probably not that simple. We need to be more careful in the future."

After leaving the underground trading market, Yang Hongbo stayed in Tianlan Giant City for a few more days. After parting ways with Lin Yu, he headed to the next giant city—Xuanfeng Giant City.

The Xuanfeng Great City was equally bustling and lively, with people coming and going in the market. Yang Hongbo was strolling through the market when he suddenly heard a commotion ahead.

He walked over and saw a stall surrounded by people. He squeezed into the crowd and saw a sword exuding a mysterious aura on the stall.

"I obtained this precious sword from an ancient ruin; it possesses immense power. Today, I'm offering it for sale at a low price—only five thousand high-grade spirit stones," the stall owner announced loudly.

Upon hearing this, everyone began to discuss it amongst themselves.

"Five thousand high-grade spirit stones, that's way too expensive."

"That's right, although this sword looks nice, it's not worth the price."

Yang Hongbo also had some doubts. He examined the sword carefully and then said, "Boss, although your sword has a mysterious aura, could I try it out?"

The stall owner hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, but be careful not to damage the sword."

Yang Hongbo took the sword, channeled his spiritual power into it, and instantly, the sword shone brightly, releasing a powerful force. Yang Hongbo wielded the sword, unleashing streaks of sword energy that distorted the space around them.

Everyone was amazed when they saw this.

"This sword is indeed formidable!"

"It seems that these five thousand high-grade spirit stones were worth it."

Yang Hongbo frowned, returned the sword to the stall owner, and said, "Boss, although your sword is quite powerful, it harbors an evil aura. Long-term use may have adverse effects on cultivators."

The stall owner's expression changed, and he said, "Stop talking nonsense! How could my sword have an evil aura?"

Yang Hongbo said coldly, "Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you know in your heart. I advise you not to sell this sword to anyone else, lest you harm someone else."

The stall owner, enraged, retorted, "Mind your own business! If you're not buying, leave. Don't interfere with my business!"

Yang Hongbo shook his head and turned to leave the stall. He was secretly on guard; it seemed that this Xuanfeng Giant City also hid many unknown secrets.

In the days that followed, Yang Hongbo continued to travel through the various giant cities and markets of the Central Region, searching for opportunities and treasures. He experienced many interesting things, and also encountered many darker aspects. But he never forgot his goal: to ascend to the Immortal Realm.

Each discovery, each battle, enhanced his strength and strengthened his resolve. He believed that as long as he persevered, one day he would be able to embark on the path to ascension and begin a new journey of cultivation.