Ji Yuan's secluded cultivation lasted for one month and seven days.
When he opened his eyes again, he slowly exhaled a turbid breath. A sharp glint flickered in his eyes, and a faint sheen flowed across his skin.
Now, his aura was sharp and formidable, like a drawn sword. With every breath, sword energy emerged.
However, after a moment, the unusual phenomena on his body vanished, and he returned to his ordinary appearance. Even his cultivation had regressed from the peak of the Enlightenment realm to around the middle stage.
This illusionary technique was already mastered to perfection, making it extremely difficult for anyone below the third realm to discern any flaws.
"Still not quite enough..."
After a long while, Ji Yuan sighed to himself.
Within his lower dantian, a seven-layered, sky-blue Profound Heaven Spirit Devouring Pagoda was slowly revolving above a dense and pure essence. It was absorbing the essence within his body and the wisps of spiritual energy from his surroundings.
It could be said that every moment, this pagoda was purifying and increasing his cultivation. Although the progress was slow, the accumulated gains over time were substantial.
Deep within the pagoda's structure, a perfectly round demon core radiated light. It had successfully transformed from its initial blood-red hue to sky-blue.
However, a distinctly illusory trace was visible on the demon core, causing the spiritual energy within to circulate imperfectly.
Ji Yuan estimated that to fully repair this demon core, a long period would be required, gradually nurturing and refining it with his own cultivation and various spiritual materials.
Only after the damaged parts of the demon core were completely mended would this treasure be considered truly refined.
After assessing his condition, he got up and opened the door of his quiet room. Outside, he saw Xia Dong waiting.
This young woman, a year or two older than him, had somehow brought a futon and was meditating cross-legged outside the quiet room, both guarding him and attending to him.
"Young Master."
Seeing that he had finished his seclusion, Xia Dong quickly got up and bowed, saying sweetly, "Congratulations on your cultivation advancement, Young Master!"
She naturally couldn't discern Ji Yuan's specific cultivation level or the success of his seclusion, but that didn't prevent her from offering auspicious words.
"Has anything happened recently?"
He walked into the guest hall of the room and leaned back on the main chair, asking casually.
Xia Dong skillfully brewed him a pot of hot tea while she began to recount the events of the past month in broad strokes.
When she noticed something that piqued his interest, the young woman changed her topic and explained the matter in detail, demonstrating her attentiveness.
She spoke for a full hour and a half, finally covering the events that had occurred during Ji Yuan's seclusion. During this time, they drank a pot of spiritual tea together.
"Young Master, Haohan Tower sent an invitation a few days ago. Besides one for the Qian family, they specifically sent one to our courtyard."
She took out an invitation and respectfully placed it on the table.
Ji Yuan opened the invitation. The content was a general invitation to the upcoming trading fair, scheduled for three days later.
"Eat if you want to eat."
He glanced at Xia Dong, who couldn't help but look at the pastries and preserved fruits, and said casually.
Upon hearing this, Xia Dong giggled. She didn't stand on ceremony and took a small bite of a pastry, then squinted her eyes with an indescribably satisfied expression.
Ji Yuan shook his head and his gaze returned to the invitation in his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Haohan Tower's act of sending a separate invitation to the courtyard clearly indicated they were aware of his presence and was a gesture of importance. Otherwise, sending just one to the Qian family would have sufficed.
However, this was not surprising. After all, even other factions generally knew of his existence by Qian Nishang's side and that he had helped the Qian family overcome their immediate crisis.
With businesses spread across Luoxia Commandery and surrounding prefectures, Haohan Tower, known for its swift intelligence, had no reason to be unaware of this.
However, their action was both a show of consideration towards him and an attempt to separate him from the Qian family, a subtle maneuver to divide them.
If he guessed correctly, if he presented this invitation, he would be openly and covertly recruited by Haohan Tower. Conversely, sharing an invitation with Qian Nishang would likely result in no special attention.
"These power struggles between factions are truly bothersome."
Ji Yuan couldn't help but sigh. If he were less discerning, he might be manipulated by them over some trivial matter.
Shaking his head, he casually tossed the invitation aside. A wisp of sword energy abruptly emerged from the invitation, tearing it into tiny fragments.
What seemed like an insignificant matter could, if not handled carefully, plant a subtle seed of doubt in the minds of him and Qian Nishang.
In the eyes of some, this small seed of doubt would be magnified infinitely, becoming the foundation upon which everything could be manipulated.
Perhaps he was overthinking things at the moment, but it was better to be cautious than to face irreversible consequences.
"Young Master, this is the trading fair catalog that Haohan Tower sent to various families."
Seeing him destroy the invitation, Xia Dong couldn't hide her smile and took out a thick booklet. "Haohan Tower's catalog is divided into three tiers. This is the highest tier."
Ji Yuan gave her a playful glare and then took the catalog.
He knew that if he hadn't destroyed the invitation, she wouldn't have produced this catalog. The key was that she acted so brazenly, as if she wasn't afraid of him getting angry.
However, he wasn't truly angry about this.
The catalog listed hundreds of items for the trading fair, along with their order of appearance and a brief description.
Haohan Tower had produced three types of catalogs. The lowest tier only contained items from the first half of the auction. A slightly better tier included items from the second half.
Only the highest tier listed the few precious spiritual items that would appear at the end, as well as the finale of the trading fair.
The ultimate item of the finale, however, was not marked or hinted at in any of the catalogs. Besides the few high-ranking officials of Haohan Tower who organized the fair, no one else knew.
Only some major powers could make educated guesses about a few spiritual items based on subtle clues.
"All the factions are guessing what the final finale might be. Perhaps it's a relic of an ancient immortal, or a rare cultivation technique that leads directly to the Golden Core realm, or even a stone stained with the blood of a phoenix."
Xia Dong said with a serious expression.
These pieces of information were clearly not something a mere maidservant could casually obtain. Qian Nishang had specifically instructed her to tell Ji Yuan.
As for the first two speculations, Ji Yuan felt indifferent. He lacked neither cultivation techniques nor magical treasures. Even if the items at the trading fair were superior to what he cultivated, he wouldn't be greatly tempted.
In factions with well-established lineages, disciples were taught a fundamental principle by their elders from the beginning of their cultivation: cultivation techniques and magical treasures are not about being stronger, but about being most compatible with one's own Great Dao.
Only by fulfilling this condition as much as possible could one then pursue their inherent quality.
Both the Profound Heaven Sword Art and the Nine Yuan Heavy Water Sutra were already highly compatible with his attributes, and there was no need for replacement at the moment.
Perhaps when his cultivation reached a higher level in the future, he could replace the Nine Yuan Heavy Water Sutra with a more profound technique.
However, the stone stained with phoenix blood did cause a slight ripple in his state of mind.
Mythical beings like dragons and phoenixes had not been seen in this world for thousands upon thousands of years, with no traces reported. Many cultivators even suspected they were extinct.
But it was undeniable that the vital blood of such beings contained endless wonders!
According to legend, a drop of phoenix blood could not only heal the living and regenerate flesh and bone, but it could also allow a cultivator to be reborn, bestowing them a high affinity for fire and improving their innate aptitude and physique.
If obtained by avian spirit beasts, it could purify their bloodline, leading to ancestral reversion and evolution towards phoenix bloodline.
"I heard that some demon cultivators have appeared this time, all for the sake of this stone."
Xia Dong said with a grave expression.
Hearing this, even Ji Yuan couldn't help but be stunned, then marveled inwardly.
The laws of the Great Yu Dynasty did not classify all demon and ghost cultivators as outlaws. As long as they had no karma, had never harmed living beings, they were even permitted to establish their own territories and reproduce.
Of course, on the surface, these demon and ghost cultivators had to respect the rule of the Great Yu Dynasty and offer tribute annually, obeying imperial conscription.
However, laws were laws, and most human cultivators inherently disliked these异类 (different kinds). Extremists even viewed them as mobile treasure troves.
Under such circumstances, most demon races tried to minimize their excursions and avoid interacting with the human world, remaining in their mountainous abodes to cultivate silently. Occasionally, when they traveled, it was in deep mountains and wildlands.
It was unexpected that Haohan Tower's trading fair would attract some demon cultivators. Such a sight was rare even in the prefecture city.
"Young Master, would you like to visit Haohan Tower's market district? Although the trading fair hasn't started yet, it's already very lively."
Xia Dong suddenly changed the subject and asked with anticipation.
The trading fair, held once every eleven years, was undoubtedly a grand event. However, the days leading up to it were also bustling with activity in Haohan Tower's market district.
Indeed, the items that appeared here were not necessarily inferior to the finale items of the trading fair, but encountering them depended entirely on luck and one's own ability to find bargains.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan did not immediately refuse or agree. His eyes showed a contemplative expression.
Currently, he lacked nothing in terms of cultivation techniques or magical treasures. The spiritual materials he would need for the next few years were already prepared. Moreover, Qian Nishang still held his deserved share of the spoils.
The market district of Haohan Tower would undoubtedly be a melting pot of various factions, sects, countless wild cultivators, and demon races drawn by rumors. A single misstep could lead to unforeseen karma.
In his opinion, it was unnecessary to take such a risk.
Who knew if some seemingly insignificant karma might lead to a life-or-death tribulation?
"Let's go to Mingxin Pavilion to find the owner first."
After pondering for a while, Ji Yuan decided to go out for a walk.
On one hand, he needed to exchange his useless items for other things.
On the other hand, he wanted to retrieve his share of the spoils after the destruction of the Li family.
As for whether to visit Haohan Tower's market district, that could be decided after these matters were settled.
However, what surprised Ji Yuan was that upon emerging from his seclusion, he did not see Zhao Yuansong and the others. They were neither lounging in the courtyard nor cultivating in the quiet rooms.
Even his master, senior brother, and disciple Zhao Yuebai were not in the courtyard.
"Did they all go to the market district?"
He turned and asked.
Xia Dong nodded. In the past few days, everyone had often gone out together, sometimes to browse the market district, sometimes to visit the bustling streets inhabited by mortals.
However, the Qian family had dispatched several second-realm cultivators and over a dozen first-realm cultivators to accompany them, so there was no need to worry too much about their safety in the commandery city.
"Thank you."
Ji Yuan nodded slightly. He was well aware of the Qian family's current shortage of manpower, yet they had still sent so many people to ensure the safety of his friends and relatives.
He kept this favor in his heart and was somewhat touched.
"You should say that to the family head yourself."
Xia Dong said with a smile.