In Luoxia Prefecture, two major merchant guilds stood side by side, their businesses extending across the entire prefecture.
One of them was naturally Mingxin Pavilion, and the other was called Haohan Tower.
What Jiang He mentioned at this moment, the most famous market in Guanxia City, was an industry belonging to Haohan Tower.
It was rumored that at the end of every month, this market would hold a grand trading fair, with goods from all corners of the world. If you couldn't think of it, they couldn't get it.
"The monthly trading fair is nothing. The annual auction is the real highlight!"
Jiang He said excitedly.
Although he had never participated, he had heard people talk about it quite a bit during his days in the prefecture city. The annual auction of Haohan Tower could even attract cultivators from other prefectures.
Every year, many powerful cultivators, and even several immortal figures who stood above the clouds, would appear at the auction.
"Just an auction, is it really that much?"
Ji Yuan was taken aback, unable to imagine what such an event would be like.
Those were immortal figures who had reached the peak of their power, with boundless magical power and divine techniques. They were only one step away from achieving immortality.
The so-called moving mountains and filling seas, or splitting the heavens with a single sword, were just casual feats for such figures. They could soar through the heavens or descend into the netherworld to witness reincarnation.
In any case, he couldn't imagine such immortal figures sitting in an auction house fighting over items.
It was like being unable to imagine a detached fairy squatting by the roadside eating a bowl of hot and dry noodles.
"You haven't seen enough. Even if they are immortal figures, what of it? They are just much more powerful than others."
Zhao Yuansong shook his head.
When he mentioned those powerful existences, although there was respect on his face, he didn't really take them seriously, nor did he see them as unattainable celestial beings who did not exist in this world.
Seeing Ji Yuan's confused gaze, he immediately smiled and said, "Only some reclusive cultivators or those who haven't seen much of the world would truly treat those great beings as gods enshrined on an altar."
This was not Zhao Yuansong mocking anyone, but speaking his true thoughts.
In sects and schools with a well-established lineage, they respected such individuals, or looked up to them, but they would never truly consider them unapproachable immortals.
After all, the purpose of cultivation, besides seeking longevity, was also to attain the magical powers and divine abilities to traverse the heavens and the earth.
Not to mention that in some sects with thousands of years of history, such figures sat in charge. Although they were in seclusion for long periods, they would still appear in the sect every few decades to lecture the disciples.
Naturally, cultivators from great sects, while respectful, did not have the same sentiment of awe towards them as ordinary mortals did towards immortals and gods.
"We've reached the prefecture city!"
Half a day later, Xu Qiqi, who was leaning by the carriage window, suddenly shouted.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan immediately pulled open the curtain and saw a city stretching as far as the eye could see on the distant land.
This was a sight he had never seen before. Qianyu City was merely a slightly larger market district compared to this prefecture city. Even though they were still several li away, he could feel a powerful aura pressing down on him.
In front of this city, everything seemed to become insignificant. No matter if your cultivation was at the second or third realm, you wouldn't dare to confront that oppressive aura head-on.
"Every prefecture city in the Great Yu Dynasty is protected by dozens of layers of formations, one connected to another. Even if they are not activated on a daily basis, they are constantly emitting an extremely powerful aura."
Zhao Yuansong said calmly from inside the carriage.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan's expression changed. He wondered what kind of power would erupt if these dozens of formations were activated.
"Old Zhao, do you know the might of these formations?"
He turned back and sat down, asking with great curiosity.
However, without waiting for Zhao Yuansong to speak, Jiang He quickly interjected, "I heard from the elders in my sect that the great formations set up in each prefecture city have different powers and even focus on different aspects."
"Some are adept at defense, so much so that even powerful cultivators cannot easily break them. Others are skilled at moving mountains and rivers, concentrating spiritual energy, making the city rich in spiritual energy and the most suitable for living."
"But even the weakest of these formations, with dozens of layers fully activated, would force even the great cultivators guarding the region to avoid its edge. If they were even grazed, their souls would scatter on the spot!"
Ji Yuan subconsciously swallowed. He had imagined that the power of dozens of formations stacked together would be immense, but he hadn't expected it to be so formidable!
With dozens of formations activated, their full might could even kill cultivators who had formed a Golden Core!
On the path of cultivation, the gap between each realm was enormous, and as one's cultivation deepened, this gap transformed from the difference between a mountain foot and a peak, to the difference between the earth and the sky.
Cultivators in the first realm were already considered 'immortal masters' by mortals. Those in the second realm, after gaining magical power, were even treated as immortals by mortals.
Not to mention those who reached the third realm. Even major sects that dominated a prefecture would not easily offend them, and they were qualified to serve as elders, being figures that all forces needed to treat with courtesy.
However, compared to the true great cultivators who could guard a region, these were like the difference between heaven and earth, incomparable.
The first to third realms of cultivators were respectively called the Enlightenment Realm, the Spirit Awakening Realm, and the Dao Enlightenment Realm.
The first to third realms of martial artists were called the Flesh and Skin Realm, the Tendon and Bone Realm, and the Intent Nurturing Realm.
These three realms were a process of refining the foundation and solidifying the Dao base, through various means to lay a solid foundation for oneself.
Only after forming a Golden Core did one truly embark on the path to immortality, departing from the mortal world and gaining the qualification to seek immortality.
For example, breaking through from the second realm to the third realm could increase one's lifespan by 120 years, allowing them to live to the age of 300.
But forming a Golden Core could increase one's lifespan by a full 200 years at once!
And before the Golden Core, regardless of the realm, the lifespan one could gain through external means was extremely limited, at most not exceeding fifty years.
But after forming a Golden Core, this restriction would be greatly weakened. As long as you had sufficient wealth and extraordinary opportunities, increasing your lifespan by several hundred years at once would be no problem.
The reason for this was that Golden Core cultivators had shed their mortal bodies. With every movement, they could destroy mountains and rivers, and their divine techniques and magical powers were truly immortal abilities.
Yet, the great formations in the prefecture city could kill such figures!
Ji Yuan shook his head silently, finding it truly difficult to imagine such a scene.
While the few of them were talking, the carriage they were riding had already reached the city gate. When the guards at the gate saw the Qian family's banner and Li Wenqing's token, they let them pass without collecting any city entry tax.
After the carriage drove into the prefecture city, the scene Ji Yuan had imagined, where traffic was too congested for carriages to pass, and one had to walk, did not occur.
The streets in the prefecture city were built much wider than those in Qianyu City. Even if four or five carriages traveled side by side, they wouldn't appear crowded.
"He's left."
Through the carriage window, Ji Yuan saw Li Wenqing's carriage turn at an intersection and disappear from his sight in no time.
After returning to the prefecture city, the tasks he had to undertake would be far more numerous than theirs.
After all, Qian Nishang's presence in the entire affair was already very weak. Coupled with the current favor from the Prefect, she wouldn't encounter any major trouble.
But Li Wenqing was different. Whether voluntarily or by force, he was already in the spotlight. He not only had to face accountability from the thirteen factions but also had to play a game of cat and mouse with the Li family.
At the very least, before his plan was realized, he could not reveal the slightest flaw. He had to create a situation with significant profit potential, otherwise, the Li family would not easily get involved.
Furthermore, the collision between the thirteen factions and the Li family would attract the covetous gaze of other interested parties. These were all risks that Li Wenqing would have to bear and resolve.
If he was not careful, dying without a burial place would be considered fortunate.
There were countless ways in this world to make life worse than death. For cultivators, even if you died, there were still countless unorthodox methods that could make you suffer endless torment after death.
Until the three souls and seven spirits were completely scattered and vanished into this world.
Although the prefecture city was large, fortunately, there were roads specifically for carriages to travel quickly. After more than an hour, as the sky gradually darkened, they finally stopped outside a mansion.
"For the time being, you will stay at my Qian family residence."
After getting out of the carriage, Qian Nishang said to Ji Yuan and the others.
Before her words had even finished, over a dozen maids came out from the gate, forming two rows on either side. They bowed and shouted, "Welcome, honored guests."
Qian Nishang led them inside. A dozen maids followed closely behind them. At the very front were four young girls, each holding an incense burner in one hand and gently fanning with a round fan in the other, allowing everyone to smell a faint fragrance.
After smelling this fragrance a few times, everyone felt their internal energy surge. They became exceptionally active, and even the circulation of their blood became very smooth.
With Ji Yuan's attainments in alchemy, he roughly estimated that such incense would cost at least dozens of taels of silver for a piece the size of a fingernail.
This made him secretly gasp. People said that the Qian family was not as prosperous as before, and was even on the verge of decline. Whether in terms of wealth or power, they had reached their lowest point.
However, such a grand gesture and display, even the richest man in Qianyu City, the Zhao family whose sect had been destroyed, could not compare in the slightest.
Not to mention that in this prime location of the prefecture city, this mansion of the Qian family alone covered an area of several li, which was comparable to a market district in Qianyu City!
Walking through it, the design of each courtyard alone was probably an considerable sum, and he wondered how much money would be spent annually on its maintenance and repair.
"This courtyard never hosts guests. You will stay here for the time being."
Qian Nishang said with a smile, "If you feel it's too small, just tell Granny Chen."
Granny Chen was the person in charge of managing this courtyard, and she was currently standing by, waiting for their instructions.
"It's... already big enough..."
Hearing this, Ji Yuan's mouth twitched slightly. Looking at the courtyard, which was more than ten times larger than Xuan Tian Temple, he was speechless for a moment.