The Great Wilderness Market was affiliated with the Five Elements Sect and was originally a market established by the sect at the edge of the Great Wilderness.
Over the past decade or so, more and more Cultivators had gathered, and its scope had expanded repeatedly. Many Loose Cultivators no longer called it the Great Wilderness Market, but Great Wilderness City.
The official name, however, was still Great Wilderness Market.
It was a large market enveloped in a Magic Array, covering an area of more than ten li.
The market was near Grand Wilderness Mountain, and what came into view were terraced Spirit Fields.
The Spirit Fields grew blue-green rice seedlings, which, before the harvest season, swayed with the wind—an impressive sight to behold.
"Do you have an Identity Token?"
"To enter the market, without a dwelling, you're not allowed to stay overnight."
The guards inquired of the new Cultivators, typically giving them a warning. But seeing Jia Ren returning with his fish basket on his back, they couldn't help but chuckle.
"The fisherman's back so early? How's today's catch?"
"Don't get too close, stay away from me!"
Smelling the fishy scent, one guard instinctively stepped back, barely hiding his contempt.
The storm over the Spirit Fish from Lake of Smoky Waves had arisen the day before. Cultivators aware of the lake's peril just laughed it off, paying it no mind.
As the first Loose Cultivator to 'test the waters,' Jia Ren hadn't earned any Spirit Stones but had instead attracted a large number of other Loose Cultivators scrambling for a share.
Truly pitiful.
Even among Loose Cultivators, there existed a hierarchy of contempt.
At the top were those who possessed cultivation skills and had a craft or trade to make a living. Those with average skill levels just managed to scrape by on a "sustenance" living. The highly skilled, meanwhile, even had the chance to become honored guests of families and Sects.
Below them were those with stable sources of income, like the position of guard at the Great Wilderness Market, who earned a decent amount of Spirit Stones each month—not great, but not bad either.
The worst off were the Loose Cultivators who hustled every day, with unstable income and an uncertain future.
Every few years, a number of familiar faces also disappeared.
"One Jade Carp and a dozen or so small fish, just enough to get by."
Jia Ren didn't mind the guards' disdainful looks, glad to use their words to promote himself a bit.
"You really got lucky…"
The guard's mood turned sour. Once Jia Ren was out of sight, an idea struck him.
I'll help promote Lake of Smoky Waves even more, attract more Loose Cultivators, and see if he can still smile then!
He didn't realize his spiteful thoughts aligned perfectly with the outcome Jia Ren wanted to achieve.
Jia Ren had changed the way he made money and couldn't wait for more people to promote Lake of Smoky Waves.
「...」
The Great Wilderness Market initially only had the Inner City. But as more and more Loose Cultivators gathered, its scale expanded several times over.
By then, it was divided into the four districts of East, South, West, and North, and the Inner City.
The four districts of East, South, West, and North were collectively known as the Outer City, where the lower-level Loose Cultivators struggling to make a living were concentrated.
The Inner City was the core area of the market, boasting richer Spiritual Energy. It also had Caves specially opened for High-Order Cultivators, equipped with Spirit Gathering Arrays, making it far superior to the outer districts.
As for the cost of the Caves... well, one Spirit Stone a day was a sky-high price for bottom-tier Loose Cultivators.
Jia Ren lived in the West District and frequently visited the West District Market.
He had two channels to sell his catch. One was to sell to restaurants and immortal vegetarian eateries, where the prices would be suppressed by the purchasing Stewards, offering little profit.
Setting up a stall took more time but yielded higher prices.
After paying the daily stall fee of one Fragmented Spirit Stone, he arrived at the West District Market.
By midday, Loose Cultivators streamed in continuously, and the shouts of sellers rose and fell.
"White Corn for cheap! Two Crystal Shards a pound! Don't miss out as you pass by!"
"Low-Quality Magical Artifacts on clearance! Each one a fine piece!"
"Poison Widow Beast eggs on sale! Looking for a powerful Spirit Beast? This is the perfect choice!"
"Quality talisman stand! Ten years of reputable service, credibility guaranteed!"
Jia Ren, walking on the muddy path and smelling odors akin to sewage, along with a urine stench from an unknown source, couldn't help but frown.
Even then, he still couldn't adjust to the dirty and disordered environment of the market.
Stepping carefully in his beast-skin boots to avoid the mud, it took him quite a while to find a suitable open spot.
He took out a large leather sack from his Storage Bag and threw thirteen Spirit Fish into it.
"Gather Water Spell!"
A subtle ripple of Spiritual Energy spread, and water gathered as if from a spring, quickly filling the sack.
Spirit Fish were tenacious and could survive out of water for up to half an hour without dying.
A fine mesh net covered the sack to prevent the Spirit Fish from leaping out.
The price tag was set up: Green Scaled Carps, one pound for one Fragmented Spirit Stone.
The Jade Carp, weighing six pounds and eight ounces, for three Spirit Stones and Four Fragmented Spirits.
Jia Ren sat on the beast skin, quietly waiting for customers.
The Spirit Fish weren't expensive, each having its own merits compared to Spirit Rice.
Lake of Smoky Waves had always been a forbidden zone, and Spirit Fish were scarce, so they weren't difficult to sell.
"Daoist Jia, nice haul! You've even got a Jade Carp. Lake of Smoky Waves is a good spot."
"Share some secrets with me; I've been thinking of fishing too."
The fisherman's appearance in the West District Market, with a good catch and a Jade Carp, was the best advertisement.
Loose Cultivators from the West District Market, who made their living there, approached with smiles to get acquainted.
Previously, Jia Ren would have definitely found a way to drive them off, lest they disturb his business.
"The most important part of fishing is the bait. If you want a big catch, you must use top-notch bait."
"Starting tomorrow, I will be selling bait, and I hope all you fellow Daoists will support my business."
"Certainly."
The Loose Cultivators made some polite conversation and then scattered.
In less than half an Hour of setting up his stall, only the small Green Scaled Carps, merely two inches long, remained. The Jade Carp had also been bought by a generous customer who didn't haggle over the price.
Jia Ren was in a great mood, having raked in four Spirit Stones and Two Crystal Shards in such a short time.
Time to stock up on goods.
The materials used to make bait weren't ordinary; otherwise, they wouldn't attract Spirit Fish.
These included Green Bud Rice, Earth Dragon Worm powder, Yellow Essence Mushroom, plus a little Spirit Musk and some Fruit Wine.
Having packed up his stall and remaining Spirit Fish, Jia Ren headed straight for familiar vendors.
"Daoist Jia, I've gathered another ten Earth Dragon Worms. Do you want them?" A man with a simple, honest face and a dark red complexion stood up from his stall. He waved at Jia Ren, his face bearing an indelible smile.
Earth Dragon Worms were considered trash-tier Spirit Insects, naturally beneficial creatures that Spirit Farmers usually bothered little with.
Since Jia Ren's fishing had attracted many Loose Cultivators to follow suit, Earth Dragon Worms had become a sought-after item. The increase in Loose Cultivators buying them had turned into extra income for the Spirit Farmers.
"I'll take all ten Earth Dragon Worms. And give me another twenty catties of Green Bud Rice."
"Twenty catties of Green Bud Rice for two Spirit Stones, and ten Earth Dragon Worms for one Spirit Stone. That's a total of three Spirit Stones—a fair price."
After saying this, Yang Bingzhi rubbed his hands awkwardly.
Jia Ren took the Green Bud Rice and inspected it carefully.
Not every stall could guarantee quality, and it was all too common to pass off inferior goods as superior ones.
The quality is good, no inferior products mixed in. The weight is accurate. He's an honest man.
The ten Earth Dragon Worms were of a decent size, each one over a foot long, and he was very satisfied with their quality.
"Let's continue to collaborate in the future."
"Definitely! I'm counting on earning more Spirit Stones with you, Daoist Jia."
"How about some Corner Worm corpses? They've been flooding the market recently, so they're cheap in bulk."
Jia Ren glanced at the Corner Worm corpses and had no interest.
He still had half a Yellow Essence Mushroom left, which was enough. The remaining items needed were Spirit Musk and Fruit Wine. The former was quite expensive; an inferior piece, the size of the tip of his little finger, cost one Spirit Stone and Two Crystal Shards.
After half a day of haggling, he managed to get the price down by Two Crystal Shards.
The amount of Spirit Musk needed wasn't much, and for the version he intended to sell, he would save where he could.
Finally, there was the Fruit Wine, a cheap Spirit Wine that Loose Cultivators loved. It cost one Fragmented Spirit Stone per pot. He bought three pots at once, the extra for his own enjoyment.
Money earned in the Market is spent in the Market; not a sliver of it should be taken home.
All four Spirit Stones and Two Crystal Shards were spent, with an extra Fragmented Spirit Stone thrown in.
Time to go back and make the bait.
Jia Ren made his way to the edge of the West District without any trouble. Simple stone houses were scattered everywhere, distributed unevenly.
From time to time, one could spot yellowish puddles and muddy ground. A faint stench of urine, along with traces of feces, permeated the air, making the environment no better than the slums of some backward regions.
The Great Wilderness Market was located in a desolate and treacherous area, plagued by numerous Bizarre Demons and other monstrous creatures. The nearest human stronghold was a thousand miles away.
The only good land was planted with precious Spirit Rice, while ordinary rice had to be transported by merchants from afar, famously costing a tael of Gold per catty. There was no room for ordinary people to survive.
Most Cultivators were indifferent by nature, each clearing the snow from their own doorstep.
The Great Wilderness Market was even less likely to spend effort on improving the environment, resulting in the birth of an atypical slum over time.
Jia Ren cautiously avoided the pits and entered his stone house.
The stone house was not big, but it had everything he needed.
A resting room, a bait-making room, a kitchen, and a guest area—it had them all.
Jia Ren first threw the Spirit Fish into a water tank, skillfully found the rice bin, and took out half a catty of ordinary rice.
The newly purchased Green Bud Rice was still in his Storage Bag, not dumped into the rice bin.
Security couldn't be guaranteed in the West District, where theft was common. Without the protection of a Magic Array, it was best to carry valuable possessions with him at all times.
Half a catty of jade-colored Green Bud Rice and half a catty of ordinary rice were mixed and cooked together.
For lunch, he simply fried some leftover smoked fish from the morning along with some seasonal vegetables. His meal was ready.
While eating his lunch, with a thought, the Proficiency Panel visible only to himself emerged.
[Name: Jia Ren]
[Lifespan: 30/65]
[Realm: Third Level of Qi Refinement (232/300)]
[Cultivation Technique: Return to Origin Technique Third Level (268/300)]
[Spell: Wind Control Skill: Beginner (98/100)]
[Fireball Technique: Proficient (25/200)]
[Spirit Eye Technique: Proficient (23/200)]
[Spirit Shield: Beginner (79/100)]
[Sun Locking Technique: Expert (196/400)]
[Return to Origin Sword Qi: Proficient (146/200)]
[Gather Water Spell: Beginner (28/100)]
[Tempting Bait (Fish): Expert (121/400)]
[Skill Breaking Point: 0.975]