What puzzled Li Xue the most was a description in the book regarding a cultivation realm called Hongmeng. It was said to house dozens of Upper Sects, one of which was the Bai family, a subordinate clan renowned for cultivating spirit herbs—specifically the primary ingredients for Foundation Building Pills. The text described their herbs as being sold in wholesale quantities, illustrating just how prosperous the Hongmeng cultivation realm was. However, no one knew where this realm actually was; many cultivators had searched for it in the past, yet it remained elusive. Li Xue doubted whether this so-called Hongmeng realm was even on this planet. According to the geography she knew, the continent where Mangyun Mountain was located was the largest landmass in the world. If ten Upper Sects existed elsewhere, that place would have to be even larger than this continent. Of course, these were merely Li Xue’s private suspicions; her immediate concern was the situation regarding the Yunjin Sect.
Since the Yunjin Sect was one of the five Great Upper Sects, its strength was naturally beyond question. Given that Li Ran had been a core disciple of such a sect, his enemies must have been of significant standing. She truly couldn't understand why Li Ran hadn't returned to his sect, choosing instead to linger in the mortal realm. He had once claimed that his cultivation had regressed and he lacked the face to return, which Li Xue found difficult to fathom. Regardless of the circumstances, life was surely more important than pride. Perhaps the internal strife within the great sect was fierce, or perhaps he was simply a spoiled child with a weak will. Whatever the reason, he had perished in the outside world, and now everything was over. It was truly a lamentable tragedy.
Li Xue did not reveal the matter of Li Ran and the Yunjin Sect to the others. It wasn't that she distrusted Ji Rufeng, but rather that she knew nothing about the sect. She didn't know if rashly seeking them out would be a good thing. At the very least, she needed to learn more about the Yunjin Sect before making a decision—ideally, she wanted to uncover the specifics of Li Ran’s history there. At this moment, she felt a flicker of resentment toward this body’s former husband for leaving everything so vague, forcing her to waste so much time and energy. She even wondered if Li Ran had been one of those cultivation fledglings who knew nothing of the world and threw his life away—a truly tragic character. In truth, Li Xue was overthinking things; with Li Lin’s aptitude as a Single Spirit Root, he could be accepted as a core disciple even without Li Ran’s sect token. If that happened, both mother and son would have the protection of a sect for their cultivation.
After finishing the primer on cultivation world common knowledge, the three of them felt they had benefited immensely. If they wanted to delve deeper into the cultivation world, they would have to head toward the heart of Mangyun Mountain. There were three teleportation arrays on the periphery, but the cost was exorbitant, requiring over twenty low-grade spirit stones. Once one’s cultivation reached a certain level, one could fly there on a sword, which took anywhere from three to five days. However, Li Xue’s group clearly couldn't fly there themselves and would have to use a teleportation array. Thus, their most pressing need was to find a way to earn spirit stones.
The three continued further into the market. Soon, the area grew livelier. People gathered in groups of twos and threes in a small square; some set up stalls while others haggled. The trio watched in a bit of a daze; it was surreal how much this place resembled a common vegetable market.
"Fellow Daoist Ji! Fellow Daoist Ji!" a voice suddenly called out from the side.
Ji Rufeng looked toward the sound and felt a surge of joy. He hurried forward and said, "Fellow Daoist Tang!"
It was a young man of about seventeen or eighteen, also a cultivator at the third level of Qi Condensation.
This cultivator surnamed Tang appeared quite shy. After introductions were made, they learned his name was Tang Yiran. He warmly invited Li Xue’s group to walk with him, enthusiastically explaining, "This is the Tang family’s triennial trade fair. Most of the people who come here are from cultivation clans on the periphery of Mangyun Mountain, along with some rogue cultivators. People from the major sects generally don't come here; this place is simply too small!" He looked a bit embarrassed as he finished.
Li Xue was puzzled. Why did the size of the fair matter to him, and why was he being so overly hospitable? But his next words cleared things up.
"Our Tang family is only a small cultivation clan, so we can only hold a trade fair once every three years. The reason we scheduled it before the disciple recruitment trials was to drum up some popularity, haha!" Tang Yiran said.
So that was it. No wonder he was so helpful; he was a member of the Tang family.
The items most commonly sold at the trade fair were talismans, materials, and low-grade artifacts. Tang Yiran enthusiastically introduced everything as they browsed, explaining which materials were used for what and the typical prices for various talismans. The three of them learned a great deal.
Ji Rufeng took the opportunity to ask many questions about the cultivation world, specifically inquiring about how to earn spirit stones. Tang Yiran explained everything in detail. Finally, Li Xue couldn't resist asking for specifics about the Yunjin Sect. Unfortunately, the Tang family was only a tiny clan and didn't even understand the internal affairs of Beast Spirit Mountain, let alone the Yunjin Sect. He could only provide a detailed overview of the general information known to the public.
The Yunjin Sect was located in the northwestern part of Mangyun Mountain, far from the sphere of influence of Beast Spirit Mountain. As one of the five Great Upper Sects, its power was immense. It was presided over by a Deity Transformation stage cultivator, with seven Nascent Soul cultivators beneath him, hundreds of Golden Core cultivators, and thousands of Foundation Building cultivators. It ranked second among the five Great Upper Sects.
Its subordinate sects and clans were countless, and it held properties within the territories of other powers. However, it had no direct industries on the outer periphery. One thing was certain: once they entered the inner regions of Mangyun Mountain, they would surely find proxy industries of the Yunjin Sect. If they wanted to find someone, they could inquire through those various proxy offices.
Ji Rufeng looked at Li Xue with some curiosity, wondering why she was interested in the Yunjin Sect, but he didn't ask.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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鸿蒙 | Hongmeng | A legendary, prosperous cultivation realm; often refers to the "Grand Primordium" or "Primordial" state in Chinese mythology.
白家 | Bai Family | A cultivation clan in the Hongmeng realm known for growing spirit herbs.
筑基丹 | Foundation Building Pill | A pill used by Qi Condensation cultivators to break through to the Foundation Building stage.
唐亦然 | Tang Yiran | A young cultivator from the Tang family, Qi Condensation level 3.
云劲宗 | Yunjin Sect | One of the five Great Upper Sects of Mangyun Mountain, ranked second in power.
交易会 | Trade Fair | A gathering for cultivators to buy, sell, or exchange goods.
单灵根 | Single Spirit Root | A rare and superior talent for cultivation involving only one elemental affinity.
传送阵 | Teleportation Array | A magical formation used for instantaneous travel over long distances.
御剑 | Sword-flying / Sword-kinesis | The act of flying by standing on a specialized flying sword.
散修 | Rogue Cultivator | A cultivator who does not belong to any specific sect or clan.
弟子大选 | Disciple Recruitment / Great Selection | An event where sects recruit new disciples.
