I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

Chapter 336 Seven Wonders Immortal and Xuan Qingzi Visit! Zhou Yuan's Scheme!

After leaving the Great Jin Imperial Palace, Zhou Yuan did not return directly to the inn, but instead headed east of the capital city of Jin.

According to the jade slip provided by the female cultivator Liu Xu, there was also a very large market town in the east of the city, which was no less prosperous than the south of the city, and even surpassed it in some specific types of treasures.

As Zhou Yuan entered the eastern market district, he found that the streets were indeed wider and the shops were more impressive. The cultivators coming and going were generally more powerful than those in the south of the city, with Core Formation stage cultivators everywhere, and he could even occasionally sense the divine sense of Nascent Soul stage cultivators sweeping over him.

He continued to use the same strategy, visiting one large store after another.

If I come across a medicinal herb that is old enough, whether it is common or rare, I will buy it all if the price is right.

He doesn't hesitate to buy rare minerals or special refining materials of excellent quality. He also purchases special magical artifacts or ancient treasures with unique functions and exquisite craftsmanship, keeping them for research or to enrich the sect's treasury.

After walking around for a while, half a day had passed.

Zhou Yuan's storage bag was once again filled with a large amount of supplies.

Although he still couldn't find top-tier puppet core materials like Radiant Crystals, the harvest of various auxiliary materials, substitute materials, and a large number of high-quality spiritual herbs had already made him quite satisfied.

Just as he was about to leave the East City Market and find a quiet place to stay, two undisguised auras approached him from the front of the market street.

Both auras were at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and carried a pure and peaceful Taoist magical power fluctuation.

Soon, two middle-aged cultivators dressed in blue Taoist robes, wearing Taoist hats, and holding whisks, dressed in standard Taoist attire, came to Zhou Yuan.

The two men had refined features and an otherworldly air, and their gazes toward Zhou Yuan were filled with friendly smiles.

"You must be the renowned Daoist Zhou Yuan who has recently gained fame in the Southern Frontier? I am Elder Qingyunzi (Qingmuzi) of the Tian'amen Sect. I have long admired your illustrious name, and it is a great pleasure to meet you today!"

The two Taoist priests bowed to Zhou Yuan in unison, their tone quite polite.

"God, O God?" Zhou Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

He remembered that Tian'amen was a well-known sect among the righteous sects of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Although not as dominant as the Taiyi Sect, it is still a first-rate force with a clean and upright reputation.

As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. Since the other party took the initiative to be friendly, Zhou Yuan wouldn't turn them away.

He returned the greeting with a cupped hand and a smile, saying, "So you are two fellow Daoists from the Heavenly Gate. I am honored to meet you. I am a wandering cultivator from overseas, new to this place, and do not deserve such high praise."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two sides shared their insights on cultivation and their views on the cultivation world of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Qingyunzi and Qingmuzi were quite polite in their words, expressing their intention to befriend him, and inviting Zhou Yuan to visit Tian'amen if he had the time.

Zhou Yuan gave a few perfunctory replies, and the two parted ways.

Over the next few days, Zhou Yuan practically swept through all the markets and neighborhoods in Jinjing City.

His figure appeared in some distinctive markets in the east, west, and even north of the city. He was generous and had a sharp eye, specializing in selecting ancient spiritual herbs, rare and precious refining materials, and ancient treasures or talismans with unique functions.

Before long, the name "Zhou Yuan, the overseas rogue cultivator" began to circulate among the low-level cultivators in Jinjing, becoming a topic of conversation among them.

After sweeping through all the major markets, Zhou Yuan felt that his gains were quite substantial, so he stopped running around.

In the western part of Jinjing City, he found a restaurant called "Xiankeju" that was specially designed to cater to high-level cultivators. It was a quiet place with abundant spiritual energy. He booked an entire backyard as his place of residence for the next few months and began to wait patiently for the highly anticipated "Heavenly Treasures Gathering" and the subsequent secret trading event.

Besides the necessary breathing exercises, he devoted his days to studying the "Ming Wang Jue" (a martial arts manual), and with the help of the Heavenly Corpse Pearl and the Vajra Relic, he steadily advanced the cultivation of the second level of the Ming Wang Jue.

Life was peaceful and fulfilling.

However, this peace was shattered three months later.

On this day, Zhou Yuan was sitting cross-legged in the quiet room in the backyard, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Suddenly, his brow twitched slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

His powerful divine sense, comparable to that of the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, clearly sensed that several undisguised powerful auras belonging to Nascent Soul cultivators were rapidly approaching the outer perimeter of the Immortal Guest House, and were subtly surrounding the courtyard where he was located!

"Hmm?" A glint flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes, and his powerful divine sense spread out like an invisible tide, instantly enveloping the source of those auras.

One of the auras, though disguised, carried a familiar scent within its coolness, which he instantly recognized—it was none other than the Heavenly Maiden, Lin Yinping!

The other auras carried strong characteristics of cold, bloody demonic techniques, just like the Yinluo Sect cultivators he had killed back then!

"Heh, so they've finally come knocking?" Zhou Yuan's lips curled into a cold smile, his face showing no fear whatsoever. He slowly stood up, straightened his robes, and unhurriedly pushed open the courtyard gate and walked out.

As soon as he stepped out of the inn and onto the street, he saw seven cultivators walking towards him, lined up in a row, blocking his way.

The person in the lead was none other than Lin Yinping, who had a white veil covering her face, a graceful figure, and a cool and aloof temperament!

Beside her stood a middle-aged man with a sinister face, sharp eyes like a hawk, and an aura at the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He was none other than Li Gu, the new sect leader of the Yin Luo Sect!

The other five were Nascent Soul elders of the Yinluo Sect, with cultivation levels ranging from the early to the middle stages. They were all filled with murderous intent, staring at Zhou Yuan with hostile eyes.

"You really are here!" Lin Yinping saw Zhou Yuan walk out of the inn, and a complex look flashed in her beautiful eyes. It was a mixture of confirmation that she had found her target and fear of his strength.

Zhou Yuan calmly swept his gaze over the seven people before him, a half-smile playing on his lips. "What? Are you all making such a grand entrance, planning to fight me right here in Jinjing City?"

His tone was calm, yet it carried an invisible pressure.

It was as if the seven Nascent Soul cultivators in front of him were nothing more than chickens and dogs.

Li Gu was enraged by Zhou Yuan's nonchalant attitude and was about to shout an order to take action.

In his view, there were seven Nascent Soul cultivators on their side, including Lin Yinping, a peak Nascent Soul mid-stage expert, while Zhou Yuan was only one person. Even if he was strong, could he possibly fight seven people by himself?

However, Lin Yinping acted first, stopping Li Gu with her hand and quickly giving him a wink, then transmitting her voice: "Sect Leader Li, please calm down! Now is not the time to act! Our purpose here is only to confirm that he is indeed in Jinjing and has not left! The main force that is truly dealing with him, Fellow Daoist Qian and the Immortal Master Xu I invited, are still on their way! If we act now, we probably won't be able to stop him, and we might even alert him!"

Upon hearing this, Li Gu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, instantly sobering him up.

Yes! Senior Brother Qian hasn't arrived yet!

Xu Changqing hasn't arrived yet!

With Zhou Yuan's terrifying strength, which allowed him to kill the former sect leader, these few people probably wouldn't even be enough to fill his teeth!

Taking action now would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock!

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger and murderous intent in his heart. His face turned extremely ugly, but he stubbornly refused to utter another word.

Lin Yinping stepped forward, speaking to Zhou Yuan with a tone that carried a hint of pleading and negotiation, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, I know you took the Sacred Beast. As long as you're willing to return it, you can ask for anything! Spirit stones, magic treasures..."

"Cultivation techniques—anything my Tianlan clan can offer—I can give you! I can even, on behalf of the Tianlan clan, immediately withdraw from the alliance with the Yinluo Sect and cease all involvement in any actions against you!"

She genuinely hoped to resolve this matter peacefully.

The sacred beast is crucial to the future of the Tianlan Clan. She is willing to pay any price to reclaim it without resorting to force.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan chuckled softly, shook his head, and said with an undeniable resolve, "Your Highness, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you on this matter. I still have a great use for that sacred beast, so I cannot return it for the time being. As for the conditions—I don't want anything."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lin Yinping, Li Gu, and the others, his tone turning cold: "Alright, enough said. I have other matters to attend to, farewell."

After saying that, he actually took a step forward and walked towards the front of the street, as if the seven Nascent Soul cultivators in front of him were just stones on the roadside.

Lin Yinping and Li Gu's expressions changed, and they instinctively wanted to follow.

However, Zhou Yuan suddenly stopped, and without turning his head, said a sentence that was not loud, but carried a chilling aura and an unquestionable authority: "Follow me again, and you will die."

As soon as he finished speaking, a terrifying pressure, as if it were a tangible force, erupted from his body like a dormant volcano suddenly erupting!

The pressure was so strong that Lin Yinping, Li Gu, and the five Yinluo Sect elders felt as if they could barely breathe, and their hearts felt as if they were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand!

They had no doubt that if they dared to take another step forward, Zhou Yuan would not hesitate to strike and kill them on the spot!

The seven people were frozen in place as if under a spell, watching Zhou Yuan's figure disappear around the corner of the street, but none of them dared to actually chase after him.

Only when Zhou Yuan's aura completely disappeared did the seven of them breathe a sigh of relief, feeling that their backs were soaked with cold sweat.

"This fiend—his strength is even more terrifying than the rumors suggest!" an elder of the Yinluo Sect said with lingering fear.

"Hmph! Let him be smug for a few days!" Li Gu said through gritted teeth, his face ashen. "As long as we confirm he's in Jinjing, that's all that matters!"

Our reinforcements will arrive within a month! Zhou Yuan has been staying here for so long this week, it must be for the auction three months from now! That will be his death day!

Lin Yinping nodded, her beautiful eyes flashing with a cold light: "Let's keep a close watch on them secretly first, without alerting them."

Once Fellow Daoist Qian and Immortal Master Xu arrive, we'll lay a trap so he can't escape!

After the seven had made their decision, they quickly dispersed and disappeared into the crowd to continue secretly monitoring Zhou Yuan's movements.

Zhou Yuan didn't take the little incident to heart.

He walked slowly along the street, but his mind was preoccupied with something else. His divine sense detected two extremely powerful auras, like lighthouses in the night, rapidly approaching him from different directions.

The strength of these two auras far surpasses that of Lin Yinping and Li Gu from before, clearly indicating that they are both outstanding individuals in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm!

"Interesting. It seems that Jinjing is getting more and more lively."

A playful smile appeared on Zhou Yuan's lips.

Instead of avoiding it, he strolled into a rather elegant-looking teahouse by the roadside, ordered a pot of fine spiritual tea, sat down by the window on the second floor, and leisurely began to savor the tea.

Before long, two figures appeared at the entrance of the teahouse stairs almost simultaneously.

The first person was dressed in a colorful brocade robe, with a handsome face but a hooked nose and sharp, piercing eyes.

A middle-aged scholar exuding an aura of both wickedness and domineering power.

He held a folding fan in his hand, walking with ease, like a noble young master on an outing, but the overwhelming pressure of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator made the air in the entire teahouse freeze.

Following closely behind was an old Taoist priest with white hair and a youthful face, wearing a blue Bagua Taoist robe, holding a white jade whisk, and exuding an air of otherworldly wisdom.

The old Taoist priest had a kind face and clear eyes, and his body emanated pure and peaceful Taoist magical energy fluctuations. He was also a great cultivator in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

The moment these two appeared, the few scattered cultivators in the teahouse turned deathly pale, not daring to even breathe loudly, and all lowered their heads, pretending they didn't exist.

Zhou Yuan, however, seemed oblivious to the two powerful pressures and continued sipping his tea as if nothing was amiss.

Only when the two men reached his table did he raise his head, smile slightly, and gesture "please" to the empty seat opposite him: "Fellow Daoists, since you're here, why not sit down and have a cup of tea? Please."

The middle-aged scholar in the brocade robe and the old Taoist priest exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

They had expected Zhou Yuan to be on high alert, but to their surprise, he was so calm and composed, as if he had anticipated their arrival.

The two of them didn't stand on ceremony and sat down opposite Zhou Yuan.

"I am the Seven Wonders True Man of the Heavenly Demon Sect." The middle-aged scholar in brocade robes spoke first, his voice carrying a strange magnetism, as if it could captivate the soul.

"This humble Taoist is Xuan Qingzi of the Taiyi Sect," the old Taoist bowed, his voice gentle.

Heavenly Demon Sect! Taiyi Sect!

Zhou Yuan's heart stirred slightly.

These two names are legendary in the cultivation world of the Great Jin Dynasty!

The Heavenly Demon Sect, the number one demonic sect in the Great Jin Dynasty!

Taiyi Sect, the number one righteous sect in the Great Jin Dynasty!

Both of these sects have a legendary Nascent Soul cultivator in charge.

The Heavenly Demon Sect's Old Demon Hu and the Taiyi Sect's Old Ghost Bai! These two are the truly terrifying beings standing at the very top of the pyramid in the Great Jin Dynasty!

Seven Wonders True Man and Xuan Qingzi are among the top late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators in the Heavenly Demon Sect and Taiyi Sect, respectively, aside from those two old monsters who have transformed into Nascent Souls!

His reputation was formidable, and his methods were extraordinary!

"So it's Fellow Daoists Qi Miao and Xuan Qingzi. I've long admired your names." Zhou Yuan returned the greeting with a cupped hand, his expression calm. "May I ask what brings you two here to see me?"

Master Qimiao shook his folding fan and laughed, "I've long heard that a strange late-stage cultivator has recently emerged in the Great Jin Dynasty. His supernatural abilities are extraordinary, and he's stirring up quite a storm. Seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."

Xuan Qingzi stroked his beard and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, there's no need to be nervous. Fellow Daoist Qi Miao and I have come with no ill intentions. We simply heard that Fellow Daoist Zhou is also interested in the Ye family's imitation of the Spiritual Treasure Ping Shan Seal, and have come specifically to exchange ideas with you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan understood. These two had indeed come for the Ping Shan Seal!

They were probably worried that this sudden "outsider" would become a strong competitor in their bidding for the Pingshan Seal, so they came to test the waters in advance, or perhaps they wanted to join forces to put pressure on them and make them back down.

He remained expressionless, smiling faintly: "Who in the world doesn't love a replica of a magical treasure? Now that I've learned of such a treasure's existence, I naturally want to see it. If I have the opportunity, bidding for it and studying it would be a wonderful thing."

His words neither admitted his determination to win nor denied his interest, leaving room for maneuver.

Seven Wonders Immortal and Xuan Qingzi exchanged a glance. Seven Wonders Immortal smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou is straightforward. However, this auction is not about ordinary spirit stones. The Ye family has announced that they only accept barter, and they are demanding extremely high-quality items." He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: "You're a newcomer; how much foundation do you have to compete with us veteran cultivators?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan wasn't angry. He simply picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and smiled, "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Qi Miao. Although I'm new here, I still have some trump cards up my sleeve. I believe there will be people who are interested. — At that time, it will depend on each person's methods and fate."

His words were neither humble nor arrogant, indicating that he would not give up easily, and also implying that he was not unprepared.

Seeing that Zhou Yuan was unyielding and that his seemingly gentle but actually firm attitude was actually a combination of softness and hardness, Qi Miao Zhenren and Xuan Qingzi knew that further words would be of no use.

After chatting for a few more minutes, the two got up to say goodbye.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, then we'll meet at the trade fair." Seven Wonders True Man left these words behind and departed the teahouse with Xuan Qingzi.

Zhou Yuan watched the two leave, his fingers lightly tapping the table, but his thoughts drifted in another direction.

He recalled the memories of the "original work" in his mind.

In Jinjing, Han Li seemed to have gained quite a few opportunities.

Among them, what impressed Zhou Yuan the most was a rare treasure called "Cold Marrow"!

This substance is the essence of the ancient ice from the extremely cold land, containing the primordial power of extreme yin and cold. It is one of the main ingredients for refining the miraculous medicine, Rejuvenating Water!

He once obtained a small bottle of Cold Marrow in the Frozen Path of the Void Heaven Palace.

And with the help of that bottle of cold marrow, he successfully cultivated six great demons at the transformation level!

He has personally experienced the amazing effects of its products!

However, the whereabouts of the Nascent Soul cultivator carrying the Cold Marrow are unknown, and how can they be found?

"Looks like I'll have to go to Jinxi Market more often, hoping to run into that guy with the Cold Marrow technique—"