It was noon.
Ning Fa and his group finally arrived at Tianshui Island, where Tianshui Market was located.
Still high in the sky, Ning Fa looked down through the porthole of the Spirit Boat.
He saw a majestic city situated on a massive island ahead.
Spiritual light flashed above the city, forming a colossal spiritual light shield.
It was like an inverted jade bowl, enveloping the entire city.
It could be described as magnificent and awe-inspiring.
Even from a distance, Ning Fa could feel a sharp aura.
At this moment, Ning Fa, under Ning Shaohong's introduction, already knew this was Tianshui Market's third-tier defensive array: the [Upper Yuan Light Splitting Array].
An array of this caliber was difficult for even Golden Core cultivators to break easily.
Because Tianshui Market had an aerial restriction, the flying boat landed before the market.
Ning Fa and his group disembarked from the Crimson Silk Boat.
They saw streams of escape lights of various colors flashing around them, either entering the market like them or leaving.
The large number of people also reflected the liveliness of Tianshui Market.
After all, this market was the largest in Thousand Wave Lake.
It attracted many cultivators every day.
The surrounding cultivators were mostly low-level cultivators in the early to middle stages of Qi Condensation.
Upon seeing so many high-level cultivators like Ning Fa's group, their expressions changed.
When they saw the character "Ning" on the uniform ceremonial robes of Ning Zonglie and other Blazing Wind Hall members, they showed reverence.
After all, the Ning Family was now the second-largest power in Thousand Wave Lake, second only to the Xue Family.
And it was currently flourishing, with its family influence constantly growing.
This made cultivators from small families or rogue cultivators feel both reverence and envy.
Ning Fa also directly felt the benefits of coming from a major power.
Just then, a Spirit Boat with a similarly imposing presence landed not far away, kicking up a cloud of dust.
And at the bow of the Spirit Boat, a conspicuous flag fluttered in the wind.
A large character was written on it in a bold, flowing script.
"Qian"
A group of seven cultivators emerged from the Spirit Boat, all wearing uniform deep yellow ceremonial robes.
The middle-aged man leading them was at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Condensation.
Moreover, this person was far from an ordinary peak Qi Condensation cultivator.
He was tall and thin, wearing a tall crown. His pale, gaunt face was expressionless, and his long, narrow eyes emitted wisps of sharp light, making people feel as if they were being pricked by needles, unable to look directly at him.
He had his hands behind his back, and an aura of killing intent, as if it were tangible, emanated from him, creating immense pressure.
Ning Fa narrowed his eyes.
This person was definitely formidable.
Such an astonishing killing intent suggested how many cultivators he must have slaughtered to achieve it.
He might not be comparable to an anomaly like Ning Huarong, but he was certainly not someone an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator could match.
Judging by the flag, were these people from the Qian Family of Thousand Wave Lake?
They were old rivals of the Ning Family.
Several years ago, the Ning Family had soundly defeated the Qian Family, thus establishing their position as the second-largest family in Thousand Wave Lake.
At that moment, Ning Shaohong, who had been about to walk towards the city gate, suddenly stopped.
She stared intently at the tall-crowned man radiating killing intent, her beautiful eyes shooting out bone-chilling hatred.
She spat out word by word: "Qian Shouzhong!"
The tall-crowned man seemed to sense something and turned to look in their direction.
His long, narrow eyes immediately shot out a sinister and venomous gaze, like that of a poisonous snake.
His killing intent surged, forming an invisible gust of wind that violently spread outwards.
It sent several nearby rogue cultivators flying uncontrollably.
Those few people scrambled to their feet with expressions of shock and anger, but upon clearly seeing the tall-crowned man and his companions, their faces changed drastically, and they quickly left.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, other cultivators in the vicinity quickly departed, lest they be caught in the crossfire if the two groups started fighting.
In the blink of an eye, only the Ning Family and the Qian Family remained in this area.
On Ning Fa's side, a tall, middle-aged man clad in golden armor stepped forward.
He stood before everyone, staring unflinchingly at the man in the tall hat.
This person was Ning Yuanchong, the captain of the guards escorting Ning Shaohong, and also a cultivator at the peak of Qi Condensation, ninth layer.
Currently, his face, covered in thick beard, was filled with coldness, but his eyes held a deep seriousness.
Clearly, this man in the tall hat made him feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
The other guards, including Ning Zonglie, also arrived behind him, looking at the Qian Family entourage with equally menacing gazes.
The man in the tall hat suddenly let out a cold laugh, then retracted his imposing aura and, as if nothing had happened, led the Qian Family members into the city.
Ning Shaohong took a deep breath, her expression returning to calm, and said, "Let's go too."
Ning Fa followed behind her.
He secretly guessed in his heart, feeling that Ning Shaohong's hatred for the man in the tall hat named Qian Shouzhong was not as simple as the grievances between the two great families.
Ning Shaohong beckoned Ning Fa to her side, then subtly distanced herself from the others.
Ning Shaohong asked, "Do you know who that Qian Shouzhong is?"
Ning Fa shook his head.
Ning Shaohong paused for a moment, then said with a trace of hatred, "You must remember him! Because he is the one who killed your parents!"
Ning Fa trembled all over.
He had only known before that his parents had died in an ambush by Qian Family cultivators.
Now, hearing Ning Shaohong say this, it seemed the one who personally killed them was the man in the tall hat.
No wonder Ning Shaohong harbored such hatred for him.
Ning Fa suddenly raised his head and said with absolute certainty, "Aunt Hong, don't worry. This nephew will definitely kill him personally in the future to comfort my parents' souls in heaven!"
Ning Shaohong nodded, "It's good that you have this intention, but this person is very powerful, few among Qi Refining cultivators can match him. You are not his opponent yet. If you encounter him outside in the future, it's best to stay far away from him."
Ning Fa remained silent.
This person was indeed very powerful, but Ning Fa was confident that with a little more time, it wouldn't be impossible to kill him personally.
However, he wouldn't say this so easily.
Afterward, the group entered the city through the west gate of the market, paying one Spirit Stone each as an entry fee.
After this, they would not have to pay this fee again within a month, but they were not allowed to stay overnight within the market unless they rented a residence or stayed in a dedicated inn.
Upon truly entering the market, Ning Fa felt a sense of sudden enlightenment and his horizons broadened.
Before him lay a straight avenue, over ten zhang wide, running east to west, with numerous branch roads extending from it.
The avenue was bustling with people and cultivators, a constant flow like traffic.
While not quite shoulder-to-shoulder, it was close.
Not only were there cultivators, but also many mortals, with occasional mortal guides stepping forward to solicit customers.
On both sides of the avenue stood rows of pavilions, tall buildings, and jade palaces, built closely together, presenting an extraordinary sight.
Various shop banners hung high outside, featuring not only major commercial firms renowned throughout Yun Prefecture, and even the entire Jiang Kingdom, but also old establishments that had been in business for hundreds of years, creating a dazzling array.
From the names on these banners alone, it was easy to see that these shops offered all sorts of spiritual items.
Numerous cultivators were entering and exiting these pavilions.
In some areas along the avenue, many cultivators were setting up stalls to sell their wares.
Various spiritual items shimmered with colorful light, attracting many cultivators to browse, and the sounds of bargaining could be heard incessantly, making it extremely lively.