The moment the flying sword broke through the last layer of clouds, Lai Li’an froze completely.
The scene before him was the most shocking sight he had ever seen in his life.
It was a market built on a mountain ridge, with layer upon layer of pavilions spreading along the terrain, extending from halfway up the mountain deep into the mist.
Between the flying eaves and bracket sets hung countless spirit lanterns, radiating a gentle light even in broad daylight, like strings of pearls adorning the verdant mountain.
That scene reflected in Lai Li’an’s pupils.
His mouth opened slightly, then closed tightly.
This was the true cultivation world—not the mortal towns he had walked through for three years, but a cultivation world where countless cultivators gathered.
He subconsciously tightened his grip on Su Wan’er’s shoulder.
Su Wan’er felt the hand on her shoulder suddenly tighten, and she was slightly startled.
She followed her master’s gaze and saw the curious looks coming from all directions.
Two cultivators riding a single flying sword was indeed rare.
Sword flight required the unity of person and sword.
Unless someone was severely wounded and needed to be carried to escape, or the difference in cultivation was so vast that one could completely ignore the other’s existence, no one would fly like that.
But she and her master clearly did not belong to the “seriously injured fleeing for life” category.
Those cultivators’ eyes swept over her and her master, appraising them.
A few young male cultivators passing by on flying swords winked and whistled at them.
Su Wan’er’s ears instantly burned.
She bit her lip and tried to maintain the stability of the flying sword, but the blade still trembled.
She secretly turned her head to see her master’s reaction.
‘Would Master be angry? Being looked at so frivolously and whistled at—he would definitely be displeased.’
Then she saw Lai Li’an looking up, his gaze following a white crane that flew overhead.
The woman in green robes on the crane’s back happened to turn her head, her hair like a waterfall, her profile like jade, blending with the sea of clouds beneath into a painting.
His lips were slightly parted, his eyes reflecting the flowing light across the sky.
That expression was like a mortal seeing a fairyland for the first time.
Su Wan’er was stunned.
‘Master didn’t care about those people at all.’
Her heart suddenly calmed down.
‘That’s right. Someone like Master only has the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, only the sun, moon, and stars in his eyes. How could the gazes of ordinary people even enter Master’s sight?’
She had just warned herself not to mind others’ gazes, yet she had let her ears burn from the whistles of a few strange cultivators—how pathetic.
A blush of shame rose on Su Wan’er’s face.
She took a deep breath, composed herself, and said, “Master, this is Yunze Market.”
Lai Li’an did not respond.
“Master?”
Su Wan’er called again.
Lai Li’an snapped back to reality.
He had been looking at that woman in green riding the white crane—no, at that white crane.
‘That crane was so white. Whiter than any bird he had seen in the zoo in his previous life.’
Then he heard Su Wan’er’s voice.
“Mm.”
He withdrew his gaze, his look of amazement vanishing in an instant.
Su Wan’er began to descend on the flying sword, slowly landing on a relatively open platform at the edge of the market.
Lai Li’an’s feet finally touched solid ground.
He let out a long sigh of relief in his heart.
Suddenly, he remembered something: he seemed to have not eaten for a long time.
Now standing on the ground of Yunze Market, smelling the various scents wafting in the air, his stomach suddenly protested violently.
But his body was not weak.
The spiritual qi in his dantian was slowly circulating, as if it were absorbing some invisible nourishment from heaven and earth to maintain basic bodily functions.
But he wanted to eat!
“Wan’er.”
“Disciple is here.”
“Is there food here?”
Su Wan’er thought seriously, a troubled expression appearing on her face.
“In reply, Master, Yunze Market is a gathering place for cultivators, so ordinary mortal food is indeed rare. However, this disciple knows there are a few shops selling spirit meals in the market. They use spiritual herbs and spirit beast meat as ingredients. After consumption, cultivators can recover spiritual power, nourish meridians, and it is even slightly beneficial for cultivation. Only…”
“Those spirit meals are expensive. A basic serving of Spirit Ginseng Stewed Snow Chicken Soup costs three low-grade spirit stones. This disciple left the sect in a hurry and didn’t bring many spirit stones…”
As she spoke, a layer of embarrassment rose on her face.
She had brought her master to the market to buy things, yet her own purse was empty—she couldn’t even treat him to a meal.
Lai Li’an’s expression froze for a moment.
Both of them looked up at the same time, their eyes meeting in the air.
Lai Li’an saw two words in Su Wan’er’s eyes: no money.
Su Wan’er saw the same two words in Lai Li’an’s eyes: no money.
The air was silent for a moment.
Both of them looked away at the same time.
Neither spoke, but the air was thick with a wordless awkwardness.
‘Oh no, Master has no money either.’
‘Oh no, the disciple has no money either.’
The silence stretched between them for a few breaths.
Su Wan’er broke the silence first.
“Master! Actually, we don’t necessarily have to buy tools. This disciple has heard that many shops in Yunze Market offer rental services. Elixir furnaces can be rented, spiritual flames can be rented as flame-inducing talismans, and even alchemy rooms can be rented by the hour. Although rented items are not as handy as ones you buy, they should be sufficient just for learning alchemy. As for spirit meals… this disciple has been in the Grain Avoidance state for a long time, so not eating is fine.”
After she finished, she cautiously glanced at Lai Li’an.
She thought her words were still appropriate.
Lai Li’an glanced at her.
‘This girl, she was quite clever.’
‘Knowing they had no money, she had preserved both their dignity and solved the practical problem. But she had said everything, so where would his face as a master be?’
Lai Li’an was displeased.
He cleared his throat.
“Wan’er.”
“Disciple is here.”
“Venerable Self knows what you are worried about.”
Lai Li’an spoke with the calm of someone who had everything under control.
“Spirit stones are mere external possessions. Wanting to earn them—isn’t it as easy as reaching into one’s pocket?”
Su Wan’er’s eyes suddenly lit up.
‘Yes, what kind of person was Master? Someone who casually took out a ninth-grade pill! How many spirit stones was a ninth-grade pill worth? She didn’t know, because she had never seen a ninth-grade pill traded.’
‘But a single seventh-grade pill was enough for the Heavenly Mist Sect to enshrine as a Sect-Guarding Treasure. The value of a ninth-grade pill was probably a number she dared not even imagine.’
‘If Master really wanted to earn spirit stones, he could just refine a batch of pills and sell them. All the spirit stones in Yunze Market combined wouldn’t be enough to fill Master’s teeth.’
‘And she was still worrying about a meal costing three spirit stones—how shortsighted.’
“Master! Then how do we earn spirit stones?”
Su Wan’er’s voice was full of anticipation.
“Should we sell pills? Or take on bounty missions? This disciple heard that Yunze Market has a dedicated Task Hall where cultivators can accept various commissions…”
Lai Li’an raised one hand, interrupting her.
His expression remained calm and carefree, but inside he was screaming: ‘Stop asking! I’m just pretending! How would I know how to earn spirit stones! I can’t really sell pills, can I? What do I have to sell? I’m dead broke.’
He was just about to make an excuse to brush it off, his mouth barely opening, when a voice came from the side.
“You two! Over here!”
Lai Li’an and Su Wan’er turned at the same time.
At the edge of the platform stood an old man.
He was short, slightly hunched, wearing a shabby bamboo hat, and waving at the two of them.
Lai Li’an and Su Wan’er exchanged a glance.
“Master?” Su Wan’er asked in a low voice.
At that moment, the System panel quietly appeared.
[Target: Qian Fu]
[Cultivation: Late Stage Qi Refining]
[Spirit Root: Low-grade Earth Spirit Root]
[Status: Suffering from Bone-Erosion Curse]
Late Stage Qi Refining.
Lai Li’an felt slightly relieved.
An old man at Late Stage Qi Refining who was suffering from a curse—not much of a threat.
“Let’s go see.”
He said calmly, and walked over.