"Thousand Star Island."
Elian looked at the marked location on the map, his expression shifting slightly.
Thousand Star Island, spanning 30,000 miles, was one of the largest islands in Yan Kingdom. It wasn't owned by the Deng family but was instead a spiritual island managed by the Yan Kingdom Cultivator Alliance. Every ten years, a barter gathering was held here.
Thousand Star Island was one of the top three cultivator markets in Yan Kingdom, comparable in status to Qingyang Sect's Qingyang Market. Every gathering attracted hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators, with rare third-rank treasures often appearing. The event was significant enough to sometimes draw Purple Mansion cultivators.
The island was 300,000 miles from Yan Mountain Market. Elian flew at full speed on his sword, covering 30,000 miles daily. After a little over ten days, he arrived at Thousand Star Island.
Upon entering the market, Elian heard a timid voice.
"Senior…" Looking down, he saw a dirty little girl nervously staring up at him, her hands trembling.
"Senior… do you need a guide?"
She seemed frightened, her eyes glistening as though about to cry. She hesitated before holding up her fingers and adding, "Just one… or two… just two steamed buns will do."
Elian's brows furrowed slightly. He bought a few steamed buns, crouched down, and handed them to her.
"How old are you?"
"Seven."
"Seven?" Elian chuckled softly, shaking his head. He retrieved a spirit stone, thought better of it, and replaced it with a few silver ingots, which he handed to her.
"Use this to buy food."
The girl took the silver, clutching it tightly as she nibbled on a bun. "Grandpa said… we mustn't take anything for free."
"I'll guide you. I know all the roads here."
"Alright, show me the way," Elian said with a smile.
Under her guidance, Elian found the Lingmiao Pavilion, where the barter gathering was usually held. However, he discovered that the next gathering wouldn't take place for another three years.
Upon hearing this, the little girl eagerly led him to the island's rental office. Elian rented a second-rank spirit spring cave, inspected it, and nodded in satisfaction.
Before parting, he asked, "Have you tested for a spirit root?"
"Spirit root?" The girl shook her head timidly.
"It costs… spirit stones."
"Show me your hand."
Elian sighed, shaking his head, and took her hand. Infusing a wisp of his spiritual energy into her meridians, he immediately felt a bone-chilling cold that even he found startling.
"This…" His eyes lit up with surprise as he delved deeper, confirming his discovery. Cold spiritual energy flowed steadily within her meridians.
"Ice Spirit Root," he said with joy. Unique spirit roots were one in ten thousand. Yu County might not see one in a century, yet on this trip, he had encountered such a rare talent.
The girl, nervous and expectant, waited anxiously as he finished his examination. Seeing her trembling with cold, Elian smiled, patted her head, and asked, "What's your name?"
"Yaya," she said, shivering from the reaction of her spirit root to his spiritual energy.
"Yaya," Elian murmured, using his spiritual energy to soothe her cold.
"Where's your grandfather?"
The girl teared up, clutching a small bottle hanging from her neck. Elian understood immediately—her grandfather had passed away. It explained why she was begging on the streets for just a couple of buns.
Elian patted her head gently.
"From now on, you'll follow me."
"Okay. Thank you, uncle," she said excitedly, clenching her fists.
"We met on Thousand Star Island, and your name is Yaya. From now on, your formal name will be Chen Xingya." ("Xing" generation )
…
Adopting a girl with a unique spirit root was either Elian's good fortune or hers. Without their chance encounter, she might have frozen to death unnoticed in a corner of the market, her extraordinary talent lost forever.
After taking her in, Elian passed on the Bright Origin Dao Technique to her and began her foundational training. Teaching a child wasn't difficult for Elian, who had raised Chen Xianyan and Chen Xianye. Guiding a unique spirit root cultivator wasn't much more effort.
Yaya was bright, mature for her age, and quick to learn. She only sought Elian's guidance after he finished his cultivation, ensuring she didn't disrupt his progress.
Time flew by, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.
In the third year, spiritual energy surged within Elian's spirit spring cave. Massive amounts of spiritual energy flowed from the spring, coursing into his meridians and transforming into true essence. Finally, he broke through an invisible barrier.
"Foundation Establishment, eighth level."
Opening his eyes, Elian took a deep breath, a look of satisfaction on his face. Since reaching the later stages of Foundation Establishment, it had taken him less than eight years to take another small step, bringing him closer to the Purple Mansion stage.
After consolidating his cultivation, Elian emerged from his retreat. Yaya had been waiting for him and rushed to greet him.
"Uncle Elian, the barter gathering is starting today!" she exclaimed.
"Alright," Elian nodded. If not for the gathering, he would have continued consolidating his progress.
After instructing Yaya not to leave the cave lightly, Elian headed straight to Lingmiao Pavilion.
The Thousand Star Island barter gathering lived up to its reputation as one of the most prestigious events in Yan Kingdom. Upon entering the venue, Elian quickly scanned the crowd and counted over 260 participants, all Foundation Establishment cultivators at the very least.
Among them were several individuals whose auras were so formidable that even Elian found them daunting. They were undoubtedly Purple Mansion cultivators.
Typically, Purple Mansion cultivators rarely attended Foundation Establishment barter gatherings. However, the Thousand Star Island event was prestigious enough to attract such participants, proving its exceptional status.
Elian understood this well. Purple Mansion cultivators were few and far between, and gatherings specifically for them were rare, often held only once every few decades.
In Chu Kingdom, for instance, the Purple Mansion barter gathering occurred only once every thirty years. With fewer than a hundred Purple Mansion cultivators in the entire Kingdom, more frequent gatherings would result in insufficient participants.
...
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