A four-star traveling merchant was already an extraordinary existence—especially given the timeline.
After all, the Eternal World had only existed for forty-nine years—or more accurately, just forty-eight years, since the new year had barely begun. That made the rise of a four-star merchant all the more impressive.
It showed just how lucrative it was to travel between the various realms. Especially during the chaotic early years of the Myriad Realms' convergence—when natural treasures were scattered everywhere like fruit on the ground.
For the traveling merchants, that was a golden age, a wild feast of opportunity.
Those who seized that window had risen swiftly.
Of course, not just anyone could reach the four-star rank—even among traveling merchants, it took great capability.
Once a merchant's base evolved into a mall, they ascended to a different level altogether. They could carry other cultivators aboard, even sell travel tickets, ferrying people across realms.
That kind of service was irresistible to countless cultivators.
Even now, there were many foreign cultivators walking the lands of Great Yi, having arrived through such a mobile mall.
Among them were many human cultivators.
These visitors were deeply impressed with Great Yi. After all, it was the strongest human Destiny Dynasty, and everything about it fascinated them.
Especially StarNet.
When they heard Great Yi citizens speaking about StarNet features—the King's Battle Chess, virtual worlds, Nightmare Realm expeditions, video calls, even live streaming—they were utterly stunned.
They could barely believe their ears.
The prosperity of Great Yi surpassed anything they had ever seen.
Every immortal city was vibrant, thriving, and lively. In any other realm, these cities would be capitals—here, they were simply part of the infrastructure.
Even more shocking was that each city was rich in resources, with abundant supplies and powerful foundations.
Each one rivaled the golden ages of past dynasties.
Most importantly, in Great Yi, everyone was a cultivator.
There were no barriers to cultivation. Anyone could train, and as long as one obeyed the law, even the powerful weren't suppressed.
Every government department offered opportunities to use one's talents:
The Hunter Hall sent people into the wild to hunt fierce beasts.
The Nightmare Realm allowed endless exploration and tempering.
The Death Arena provided real battles with savage monsters.
StarNet gave a way to hone skills through competition.
Great Yi offered a safe environment, the best cultivation atmosphere, the richest resources, and the most complete support system.
The more they saw, the more these outsiders felt that Great Yi was a paradise—a sanctuary for cultivation, and for the human race.
Many of the humans who had come with the traveling merchants had been seeking a better place to train.
There was no better option than Great Yi.
Others—outstanding talents—wanted a stage to shine, a court to serve, a ruler to assist.
And again, Great Yi stood as the top choice, unless they were willing to become tools for other races.
Everyone who traveled through Great Yi came away impressed and satisfied.
Meanwhile, several cultivators gathered at a restaurant, as previously agreed.
But for now, let us return to Yi Tianxing and Zhen Chengxin.
After some conversation, Yi Tianxing followed the traveling merchant into his mobile mall.
This mall was massive, more than enough to house fifty to sixty thousand people.
Inside, numerous Great Yi citizens were already browsing the stalls.
Most of the vendors were foreign cultivators from many races—visually bizarre and diverse. Anything one could imagine, one could find here.
The items for sale were equally bizarre—racial specialties, rare treasures, mysterious objects of unknown origin. Many were clearly valuable, even if their purpose wasn't obvious.
Great Yi citizens were excited and eager, knowing that such traveling merchants were rare. Every visit was a stroke of fortune.
Even the imperial consorts like Cai Yan and the children were out enjoying the spectacle, moving through the market with joy.
Yi Tianxing and Zhen Chengxin appeared at the mall's centerpiece—a grand pavilion built of spirit jade, adorned with emeralds and gemstones. It radiated wealth and power.
"Your Majesty, please," said Zhen Chengxin, smiling."This is my Treasure Pavilion, housing over ten thousand rare treasures.Perhaps you'll find something of use."
"Let's have a proper look," Yi Tianxing replied calmly."If the goods are good—money is no concern."
Having dealt with traveling merchants before, he knew that their wealth was beyond imagination. Many of the exotic treasures in his own collection had come from such merchants.
And this was a four-star merchant—not to be underestimated.
"Please take a look, Your Majesty," Zhen Chengxin said cheerfully.
He led Yi Tianxing into the Treasure Pavilion, which had four levels, each representing a tier of goods:
1st Floor – One-star items
2nd Floor – Two-star items
3rd Floor – Three-star items
4th Floor – Four-star items
As for five-star treasures, whether they existed here remained a mystery—only the merchant himself would know.
Yi Tianxing glanced over the first floor.
Even the so-called one-star items were impressive. Rare herbs, spiritual fruits, materials, and resources—nothing was common.
For example, spiritual herbs were generally under a thousand years old, but even those were still highly valued. There were also spirit seeds, formulas, pills, puppets, talismans—even money swords and paper servants.
It was a massive collection with astonishing variety.
"Iron Armor Technique," Yi Tianxing muttered, picking up a manual."A body refinement method—makes the body as hard as iron. But the grade is too low—useless to me."
Such techniques were abundant in Great Yi already.
"Ah, don't underestimate that one," said Zhen Chengxin with a laugh."It's part of a tiered system—Iron Armor, Copper Armor, Silver Armor, and finally Golden Armor Technique."
"The Golden Armor Technique rivals top-tier body cultivation arts.Iron is Yellow Grade, Copper is Profound, Silver is Earth Grade, and Gold... that's Heaven Grade."
"Once mastered, the body becomes truly indestructible—invulnerable to fire, water, and evil forces."
Yi Tianxing nodded slightly.
Then, with a wave of his hand, he said:
"I'll take everything on this floor. Name your price—I'll pay in Eternal Coins."
The words stunned Zhen Chengxin on the spot.
This was beyond extravagant—it was terrifyingly generous.
Each of these so-called low-tier treasures was a core treasure in many realms—many factions would treat just this first floor as their entire foundation.
Zhen Chengxin had never encountered a customer like this.
"Your Majesty… You… you really want to buy the entire floor?" he asked in disbelief.
"A ruler does not joke. Calculate the total, and I'll pay immediately."
Yi Tianxing remained utterly calm.
"A-Yue," Zhen Chengxin called out.
A young woman in moon-white robes stepped forward, her eyes flashing with divine light.
In just a moment, she spoke:
"The total for all items on the first floor, including stored inventory of similar goods, is 1.013 billion Eternal Coins."
An astronomical number.
Even if these were just "low-grade" items, the sheer quantity and diversity made the price skyrocket.
"Very well. That price is acceptable."
Yi Tianxing waved his hand, and 1,013 golden Eternal Coins appeared—each worth 1 million standard coins.
The transaction was simple and smooth.
"Deal!" Zhen Chengxin said, grinning from ear to ear.
He loved customers like this—irrationally wealthy, yet decisive.
Yi Tianxing then swept the entire floor clean with a gesture. Zhen Chengxin deactivated the wards, allowing him to collect everything freely.
In the blink of an eye, the first floor was emptied completely.
Not even a single needle remained.
"To the second floor," Yi Tianxing ordered with a flick of his sleeve.
The first floor hadn't really impressed him. He hoped the second would offer something better.
Meanwhile, Zhen Chengxin had only one thought:
"Is this god-tier customer planning to clean out my entire Treasure Pavilion?"