Chapter 175: Chapter 174: The Ever-Changing Jade Emperor Valley

Day was just breaking.

The door, which had been shut tight for nearly two months, slowly opened.

Chu Mu stood in the doorway, his clothes filthy and disheveled, his exhaustion undeniable.

HUFF...

Chu Mu took a deep breath. The crisp mountain air seemed to clear his groggy head a little.

He stepped out of his residence and began to walk leisurely down the street.

For Cultivators, there had never been a distinction between day and night.

Even at dawn, the Marketplace was bustling.

This prosperity had been growing by the day, practically by the hour, ever since the Longevity Sect took control of Jade Emperor Valley.

And Jade Emperor Valley itself was changing just as rapidly.

A Tier Three Spirit Vein—on par with the power of a Golden Core Realm expert—was more than enough to support the needs of additional Cultivators and sustain a larger, more prosperous Jade Emperor Valley Marketplace.

Compared to when the Sun Family ruled, the Jade Emperor Valley of today had expanded to more than two or three times its original size.

The residences were divided into four tiers: A, B, C, and D. Chu Mu didn’t know much about Tiers A, B, or C, but as for Tier D, he knew it like the back of his hand—he lived in one and rented two others.

The Tier D residences were divided into thirty-six zones, with ninety-nine buildings in each.

That meant there were 3,564 Tier D residences alone.

As for the secular housing outside the Marketplace, the number was undoubtedly even greater.

The number of permanent Cultivators residing in the entire Jade Emperor Valley Marketplace was likely already in the tens of thousands!

And the vast majority of them were Loose Cultivators, just like him.

Furthermore, it was easy to predict that the number of Loose Cultivators in Jade Emperor Valley would only continue to grow.

After all, in the past, the high rent of three Spirit Stones in Jade Emperor Valley, coupled with the ban on Cultivators living within a hundred-li radius of the Marketplace, had all but eliminated the possibility of Low-Cultivation Cultivators settling down or even staying for long.

But now, while the cheapest residence inside the Marketplace still cost a steep three Spirit Stones, secular housing had been opened up outside the Marketplace. The rent for these places was priced in Broken Spirit, and they still enjoyed the protection of the Longevity Sect.

This guaranteed that more and more Low-Cultivation Loose Cultivators would come to settle in Jade Emperor Valley.

Cultivators were human, too, and being human meant having the seven passions and six desires.

There were certainly no shortage of Cultivators who formed pairs as Dao Companions.

With more and more Loose Cultivators settling down and starting families, the next generation would be exposed to Cultivators from the moment they were born.

If both parents possessed Spirit Root Talent, their offspring would have a high probability of possessing a Spirit Root as well.

Under the Longevity Sect’s current policies, if this continued for generations, the number of Cultivators in Jade Emperor Valley would only increase, and the Jade Emperor Valley Marketplace would only grow more prosperous.

Most of the Loose Cultivators in Jade Emperor Valley nowadays came from such backgrounds. Those like Chu Mu, who came from a purely secular world with no prior connections—"wild," one might say—were a true rarity, even across the entire Cultivation Immortal Realm.

’The Longevity Sect really lucked out...’

Lost in thought, Chu Mu shook his head and chuckled softly.

Looking at the current situation, the motives behind the Sun Family’s old policies became clear.

The Sun Family had clearly been trying to nurture the Spirit Vein in Jade Emperor Valley, which was why they deliberately limited the number of Cultivators there.

Then, just as they were on the verge of success, they moved in numerous businesses, opened up residences for a low rent of one Spirit Stone, and massively expanded the Marketplace. They were likely planning to wait for the Spirit Vein to reach Tier Three, then turn the Jade Emperor Valley Marketplace into the Sun Family’s core Treasure Basin.

But in the end... with everything set up and just waiting for the opportune moment, the Longevity Sect swooped in and stole the prize!

And so, riding the wave of the Spirit Vein’s advancement to Tier Three and building on the foundation the Sun Family had left behind, the Longevity Sect propelled the Jade Emperor Valley Marketplace to its current zenith!

It was no wonder the Sun Family had been so hostile toward the Longevity Sect.

Anyone in their position would have been furious enough to become bitter enemies.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Chu Mu found a secluded spot. He changed his form and appearance back to his true self, donned his usual green robe, and then returned to the streets of the Marketplace.

Now without his disguise, he felt a bit more at ease. He strolled around the Marketplace for a while before stopping in front of a pavilion at the far end of the valley.

The pavilion was clearly a recent construction. At least, he didn’t remember it ever being part of the Jade Emperor Valley Marketplace.

’This must be where the Sun Family’s Law Enforcement Team Government Office used to be.’

Chu Mu compared it to his memory and quickly identified the building’s predecessor.

’Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion... A Longevity Sect business?’

Chu Mu gazed at the building’s plaque and the Longevity Sect emblem on it, a flicker of confusion on his face.

After all, every other shop in the entire Marketplace had a screen at its entrance detailing the goods for sale, along with their prices and effects.

But this Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion alone revealed nothing.

He stepped inside, and less than a quarter of an hour later, he walked back out.

’Interesting...’

Chu Mu’s interest was clearly piqued.

From what he had just seen inside, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was a comprehensive emporium. It sold everything commonly found on the market: Cultivation Techniques and Magic, Magical Artifacts and Puppets, Elixirs and Spirit Medicine.

It also purchased various Spirit Materials and Spirit Medicine. Most importantly, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion held an auction every six months.

And being an auction, the items up for bid were obviously rare treasures not commonly found on the market.

However, he was clearly a step too late. Based on the inquiries he’d just made, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion’s first auction in the Jade Emperor Valley Marketplace was already over...

Rumor had it that a... Foundation Establishment Pill had even appeared at the auction!

For some reason, Chu Mu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret. He knew his own limits, of course; even if he had attended the auction, he likely wouldn’t have had the capital to win any bids.

But... that was a Foundation Establishment Pill!

Although the Foundation Establishment Pill was only a Tier Two Lower Grade Elixir, its effects were incomparable to any other Tier Two Elixir.

It was an all-but-essential Elixir for any Cultivator at Qi Cultivation Realm Perfection hoping to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm!

Furthermore, one of the main ingredients required for a Foundation Establishment Pill was rumored to be an eight-hundred-year-old Spirit Medicine, which was exceedingly rare.

This was what made the Foundation Establishment Pill so incredibly scarce.

Being both rare and indispensable, it was naturally priceless on the market—a classic case of too many wolves and not enough meat.

Chu Mu shook his head to himself. With such high demand for an essential and rare treasure, its appearance would inevitably cause a bloodbath.

As his thoughts swirled, Chu Mu suddenly froze.

The Foundation Establishment Pill was so precious because it was indispensable for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

But why was a Foundation Establishment Pill an absolute must for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm?

It seemed like a chicken-and-egg paradox, didn’t it?

BUZZ...

Just as he was pondering this, a sudden vibration from his robes interrupted his thoughts.

He reached into his robes and pulled out a Talisman.

He extended his Divine Sense into it, and dozens of messages from Wang Mazi flooded his mind one after another.

’This crappy Sound Transmission Talisman... I’ll have to get a Sound Transmission Order sooner or later!’

As he endured the bombardment of messages, Chu Mu grimaced and grumbled to himself.

Just as he’d suspected, long-distance communication in the Cultivation Immortal Realm was highly advanced, almost on par with the information technology of his previous life.

The Sound Transmission Talisman in his hand, for example, was one such method of communication. Its function was equivalent to a walkie-talkie that could store voice messages.

They usually came in pairs—so-called ’mother-son’ Talismans. With each person holding one, they could achieve two-way communication, though the maximum range was only a hundred li.

Of course, these mother-son Sound Transmission Talismans were merely the most basic means of communication in the Cultivation Immortal Realm.

There were also multi-directional Sound Transmission Talismans that supported communication between multiple people; the greater the distance, the higher the price.

The most advanced version was the Sound Transmission Order, which was said to support communication over a distance of ten thousand li.

However, it was a special type of Magical Artifact, and its price was exorbitant—far beyond what he could currently afford.

These low-grade Sound Transmission Talismans were hardly convenient. If one didn’t check incoming messages in a timely manner, they would accumulate, resulting in a sonic assault.

And Wang Mazi’s messages all boiled down to one thing: asking about the status of the Vein Nourishing Pill’s Refining.

Chu Mu controlled his voice to mimic Li Gang’s, sent a message to placate Wang Mazi, and then put the Sound Transmission Talisman away.

After wandering about, Chu Mu returned to his residence in Zone D3. It was nearly noon. Xu Yuan was already at his post, so apart from an excited Wangcai darting about, Chu Mu was alone.

"Here, I’ve got something good for you."

He grabbed Wangcai and pulled a Wooden Box from his robes. Opening it revealed a round, black Elixir Pill.

The Elixir was called a Feeding Spirit Pill, a type of Elixir specifically used to raise Spirit Beasts. It was classified as Tier One Lower Grade.

According to the Steward at Huichun Pavilion, long-term consumption of this Feeding Spirit Pill could accelerate a Spirit Beast’s growth and was effective on all Spirit Beasts of Tier One or below.

He obviously couldn’t afford to feed Wangcai these Feeding Spirit Pills on a long-term basis.

But he could afford to buy one for Wangcai to try, just to see what effect it had.

After feeding the pill to Wangcai, Chu Mu held on to him for about a quarter of an hour before letting go.

’Body Tempering?’

Chu Mu frowned, carefully analyzing the medicinal effects he had just observed.

Chu Mu had a faint feeling that his prediction had been wrong.

It was like with human Qi and Blood Cultivation. The ultimate goal was simply to use the symbiotic relationship between Essence, Qi, and Spirit to eventually manifest the Divine Soul.

And it seemed to be the same for Wangcai.

After years of daily medicinal baths and the subtle influence of the Spiritual Qi from living in this residence, Wangcai’s body had already reached the peak of what was possible without the guidance of Spiritual Wisdom.

He had thought this peak was a bottleneck. It was like how after a person’s Qi and Blood reaches Great Success, if their Divine Appearance doesn’t occur, their Cultivation stagnates, and they can only wait for it to happen by chance. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

But now, after consuming this one Spirit Feeding Pill, its Body Tempering effects had strengthened Wangcai’s Qi Blood, pushing that so-called limit back a little further.

This was undeniable proof that Wangcai hadn’t truly reached his secular limit. And without reaching that true limit, given Wangcai’s level of Spiritual Wisdom, there was clearly no possibility of a Divine Appearance.

After all, humans could achieve an early Divine Appearance because they were influenced by the seven passions and six desires; it was their own Spiritual Wisdom that guided the process.

Wangcai, however, clearly lacked such Spiritual Wisdom. He could only rely on the slow, honest process of the symbiotic relationship between Essence, Qi, and Spirit to eventually manifest a Divine Soul, transcend the mundane, and transform from a common mutt into a Demon Beast!

Looking at Wangcai before him, Chu Mu rubbed his nose. In the end, it was just another cycle.

He had previously thought that Wangcai had reached his secular limit, held back either by his lack of Spiritual Wisdom or by the limitations of his own bloodline.

He had planned to figure something out once he had some spare Spirit Stones.

And now...

Chu Mu felt the few Spirit Stones left in his robes and grimaced.

’Well, I guess it still comes down to your master’s luck.’

...