Ming Qi made no effort to conceal his aura. Having learned from the previous incident with the black-clothed man in the mountains, greedily seizing the Great Destruction Battle Suit, Ming Qi sheathed it upon entering the cultivators' area. At this moment, he exuded the faint aura of a powerful innate cultivator.
"Welcome, Senior, to Fengxian City. How may I assist you?"
Ming Qi had barely taken his stand when the gatekeepers approached him with respectful expressions.
Though these gatekeepers lacked strength and talent, they possessed unparalleled eyes and a keen intuition surpassing that of ordinary innate cultivators.
Though not innate masters, they could discern the strength of any cultivator below the fifth level of the innate realm with unerring accuracy.
"I want to buy something. I wonder if there's a larger auction house or trading area in Fengxian City."
Ming Qi wasn't surprised by the other party's address. He was already familiar with the ways of survival in this world: the strong are respected, especially in the world of immortal cultivation. The powerful are respected, while the weak are trampled upon at will. In the world of immortal cultivation, there are no so-called laws, only one unchanging, ironclad rule: the strong are respected.
However, Ming Qi was also very knowledgeable about the ways of the world. To persuade others to willingly share the information you needed, sheer strength wasn't enough, especially when facing the gatekeepers.
So, as he spoke, Ming Qi unstintingly pulled two mid-grade Yuan Crystals from his ring. With a flick of his finger, the two Yuan Crystals flew out, separated in mid-air, and landed in front of the two gatekeepers.
The two gatekeepers had initially been offering a bit of perfunctory flattery, but upon seeing the young senior's generosity, their faces beamed with joy, and they hurriedly gathered up the Yuan Crystal that had flown before them and clutched it tightly.
"Well, Senior, you've arrived at the right time. In three days, Junzilou, Fengxian City's largest auction house, will be holding its grand year-end auction. There's also a grand free trade event happening in Fengxian City's trading district, and tomorrow is the last day. I'm sure you'll be able to find what you want here."
One of the middle-aged men enthusiastically explained to Ming Qi.
"Is it really such a coincidence?"
A hint of confusion crossed Ming Qi's face. This was true; he hadn't expected to stumble upon both an auction and a trade event taking place simultaneously. It seemed his chances of securing the demon-suppressing treasure would be significantly higher this time.
"Indeed, our Tan Mansion has always relied on trade routes. Furthermore, with the New Year approaching, there will undoubtedly be no shortage of large-scale trade events and blockbuster auctions. Senior, rest assured, even if you can't find something suitable in Fengxian City, you can still catch some large-scale auctions in the nearby major cities."
Another gatekeeper monk also began to speak. Also in his thirties, this one was noticeably more composed than the one who had spoken first.
"That's perfect, then."
Ming Qi smiled faintly and stepped into the city.
"Senior, please wait a moment..."
Ming Qi hadn't taken a few steps when he heard the calm gatekeeper approach a few steps and respectfully say, "Senior, this must be your first time in Fengxian City. If you don't have a place to stay, you might consider staying at the Fenglai Restaurant in the east of the city. It's very close to the Junzi Tower and the trade fair. Furthermore, the restaurant owner is my brother, and he doesn't practice cultivation, so you can be completely assured."
Hearing this, Ming Qi gained a deeper understanding of the Bailing Tan Mansion's trade routes. It seemed that, influenced by the Bailing Tan Mansion, everyone there was highly skilled in trade, never missing out on any opportunity to make money.
"Haha, okay. I'll go to the east of the city and take a look."
Ming Qi replied with a smile, blending into the flow of people in Fengxian City.
Having entered Fengxian City, Ming Qi finally realized the strength of the Tan Mansion's trade. While Fengxian City wasn't a large city, it was undoubtedly prosperous, and many foreign cultivators and merchants plied its trade. It was clear that the Tan Mansion had made remarkable achievements in trade routes.
Walking through Fengxian City, Ming Qi could see a diverse crowd of people coming and going. Not only were there disciples from the major cultivator sects in the area, but there were even a significant number of demonic cultivators. Yet, they all walked peacefully on the same street.
The Tan Mansion's trade tactics were truly sophisticated!
Admiring the prosperity of Fengxian City, Ming Qi strolled eastward.
Soon, a lavishly decorated restaurant appeared before him.
Fenglai Restaurant.
The gatekeeper's words were true. When Ming Qi entered the restaurant, he noticed that the attendants were all ordinary mortals, devoid of any trace of spiritual energy.
The servants were all mortal, so it goes without saying that the boss was also mortal.
"Sir, would you like a meal or a night's lodging?"
Ming Qi had barely paused when a jolly servant came over to greet him respectfully.
Ming Qi had already taken a quick look and noticed that quite a few cultivators were inside the restaurant, clearly waiting for the Junzilou auction or patronizing the trade fair. Without further hesitation, he told the servant, "I plan to stay here for a few days. Please arrange for a quiet room."
The servant's eyes lit up, and he said, "Respected Immortal Master, we have a room specially prepared for Immortal Masters. The fee is ten low-grade Yuan Crystals a day. Please follow me."
Ming Qi nodded and followed the servant through the bustling hall. After several twists and turns, they arrived at a quiet area, shaded by flowers and lush greenery. It seemed that the area had been meticulously decorated.
Ming Qi surveyed his surroundings and discovered he was already at the rear of the Fenglai Restaurant. It was indeed quite quiet, and the tranquil atmosphere of the surroundings made him quite satisfied.
After paying Wu Tian's fee in advance, Ming Qi gave the servant a few instructions and went straight into his room.
Closing the door behind him, he surveyed the room's decor. It was clean and tidy, and every piece of furniture was exquisitely crafted, even imbued with a subtle spiritual aura, evidently the work of a cultivator.
Ming Qi was quite satisfied with such a place.
However, Ming Qi did not let his guard down. After surveying the room's furnishings, he sat quietly and activated his spiritual sense. His aura quickly spread out over a one-mile radius, completely covering the entire Fenglai Restaurant.
He then activated the mysterious energy within the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map, strengthening his aura.
With a surge of Yuan Energy, he took in everything around him.
He noticed many other rooms like his nearby, though some were occupied and some were empty. Clearly, not all cultivators would choose the Fenglai Restaurant as their base.
After observing carefully for a moment, Ming Qi found nothing unusual, and finally felt relieved.
Gathering his spiritual thoughts and withdrawing his aura, Ming Qi then placed a stream of Yuanli around the room. This way, even in a deep state of meditation, he would instantly detect anyone attempting to enter.
With everything arranged, Ming Qi finally felt at ease.
After Ming Qi sat in meditation for half an hour, the waiter duly delivered dinner. Ming Qi took out a low-grade Yuanjing and rewarded the waiter, but he didn't eat immediately.
This wasn't due to Ming Qi's caution; rather, after reaching the Xiantian realm, one's food requirements greatly increased. While ordinary food could still fill the stomach, it would introduce many unnecessary impurities into the body. Therefore, cultivators who had reached the Xiantian realm were very particular about their food requirements.
While the meal the servant had brought was exquisite, the ingredients used were common and familiar, clearly meeting the needs of a post-natal cultivator.
This was only one factor influencing the food. Another factor was that after entering the Xiantian realm, the functions of the internal organs underwent subtle changes. With these changes, the normal three-meal-a-day routine was completely overturned. By absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, Xiantian cultivators could maintain a full state of vitality and energy even without rest or food for days and nights.
After sitting quietly in his room for another half hour, Ming Qi stood up and left.
He planned to first visit the trading market in Fengxian City. After all, it was a gathering place for various forces, and perhaps he could find unexpected treasures in this seemingly ordinary market.
However, Ming Qi still placed his hopes on the grand auction to be held at Junzi Tower in three days, as more valuable treasures would appear there.
Fengxian City's trading area is located in the south of the city. A vast open space has been specially designated for this purpose, and Fengxian City has dispatched law enforcement teams to patrol the area throughout the day to maintain stability.
When Ming Qi arrived at the trading area, it was evening and bustling with activity. Everywhere he looked, cultivators of varying realms were engaged in bargaining and conversation.
The entire trading area was very simple, with only a large roof and a simple dividing line for the most part. This immediately reminded Ming Qi of a place he had often seen in his past life: a vegetable market.
This trading area, however, was far more upscale, as even the smallest item was associated with cultivators and imbued with some degree of spiritual energy.
Ming Qi wandered aimlessly through the trading area, quietly spreading his spiritual awareness within a ten-meter radius and amplifying his aura with the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map. This allowed him to clearly sense anything within a ten-meter radius of him.
While Fengxian City's trading area wasn't large, it was still significantly larger than the one he'd visited in the Biyou Sect. Whether it was magical weapons, elixirs, medicinal materials, or demonic beasts, the offerings were clearly of a higher quality.
Ming Qi's primary goal this time was to find a treasure that could suppress Meng Ling's demonic nature. However, after wandering around the trading area for a while, he did manage to buy some talisman materials that he thought might be useful.
Unconsciously, an hour had passed, and while he'd bought quite a few miscellaneous items, he hadn't encountered any treasures capable of suppressing demonic nature.
Ming Qi felt somewhat disappointed, but then he sensed a strange presence near him.
At first, Ming Qi was startled, feeling he'd seen this presence before, but a few seconds later, he suddenly remembered!