Chapter 366 - 364: Revisiting the Market

Chapter 366: Chapter 364: Revisiting the Market

Several Treasure Beads were strung into a bracelet. Each one was perfectly round and full, without a single impurity.

At the head was a Mirage Pearl, its light hazy and its scenes mesmerizing. If one listened closely, they could hear the hustle and bustle of a busy city, the clamor of crowds, the clash of combat, and the collision of Treasure Light.

Within that tiny bead, thousands of scenes flickered past like a whirlwind tour, dazzling the eye.

Next was a Clam Pearl, as warm and smooth as jade, radiating a gentle heat.

When activated with True Essence, it would emit a misty, smoke-like rainbow glow that made one’s figure indistinct.

There were also a Celestial Fragrance Bead, a Mind-Confusing Bead, an Illusion-Destruction Bead, and others—nine beads in total. Strung together, the bracelet itself exuded a hazy, illusory aura.

’The Celestial Illusion Bracelet... Let’s see if it’s as amazing as they say.’

Bai Zichen put on the bracelet. Nine streams of illusory light merged, and a seven-colored radiance descended. His figure immediately shrank by two inches, and a face with strong, sharp features appeared.

’A complete transformation! Even my aura is completely different. I almost didn’t recognize myself!’

Looking at the unfamiliar face in the Water Mirror, Bai Zichen reached up to touch his cheeks. Even his hands had become a size larger and coarser.

It wasn’t just a change in his face; his limbs, posture, aura, and build were all different. Even his voice had become deep and raspy.

A year ago, while organizing his storage bag, he had found a Clam Pearl. It was a remnant from when he had slain a Clam Spirit while developing Feiyue Lake.

This item had reminded him of a Magical Treasure recorded in the Naihe Sect’s Tier Four Refining Inheritance: the Celestial Illusion Bracelet. Thinking he might need it for his future travels, he gathered the materials from the Artifact Refining Hall and the Secret Hall and successfully refined this Mid-Grade Magical Treasure.

Whether in the Endless Sea of Suffering or the Central Domain, he anticipated encountering even more conflict and bloodshed than he had in the Liang Country Cultivation Realm.

In Liang Country, he had already earned the title "Slayer of Core Formation True Men." In a new place, he feared even more cultivators would die by his sword.

For safety’s sake, a cover identity was essential. At critical moments, it would allow him to distance himself from his actions, preventing any trouble he caused from implicating the Sect.

Once a cultivator reached the level of a Core Formation True Man, simple disguises and illusion techniques were no longer enough to hide them.

Any cultivator whose Divine Sense was stronger than yours could see through an illusion’s flaws with a single glance and discover your true appearance.

Even those with comparable Divine Sense could detect traces of an illusion, knowing full well that the face you showed was not your real one.

But the Celestial Illusion Bracelet was different. The Magical Treasure itself didn’t change the user’s appearance. Attached to its refining inheritance was a Physical Body Secret Technique for complete transformation.

It worked by restructuring the body, subtly adjusting facial features, and creating a completely new persona.

The Celestial Illusion Bracelet’s only function was to conceal the signs that this Physical Body Secret Technique was being used; it didn’t apply any effects directly to the body.

According to the refining inheritance, it was impossible for anyone below the Nascent Soul stage to see through it.

When Bai Zichen examined the Physical Body Secret Technique, he wasn’t sure if the technique itself wasn’t difficult to learn, or if it was because he had the foundation of the Five Crystal Glaze Body.

In just a few days, he finished his cultivation and mastered this transformative Secret Technique.

At the same time, by using the Celestial Illusion Bracelet to conceal the technique, he looked—at least to his own eyes—completely flawless. He was an entirely different person.

Bai Zichen changed into a different Daoist Robe, used Sword Control to leave Flame Mountain, and headed for Black Mountain Market. With his cultivation suppressed, not a single person recognized him.

The market had undergone a century of improvements and expansions. Its area had doubled, and the large number of Loose Cultivators who had once gathered there had long since been diverted elsewhere.

It was no longer like before, when thousands of Loose Cultivators were crammed into tiny boxes, living depressing lives less comfortable than those of wealthy mortals.

As the Qingfeng Sect greatly increased its recruitment of servant disciples, the more outstanding individuals among the Loose Cultivators were all absorbed into the Sect.

Furthermore, through several land-clearing wars, numerous Spirit Veins had been opened up and many new resource points had been established, all of which required cultivators to manage them.

The newly formed Cultivation Families, resource outposts, and subsidiary Spirit Lands provided a mountain of job opportunities for Loose Cultivators.

Of course, the most important factor was the conquest of Hejian County.

Because the Ghost Spirit Sect and a large number of its vassal Cultivation Families had been eliminated, the Qingfeng Sect was so short on manpower at the time that even a Mid-Stage Qi Refining Loose Cultivator from Black Mountain who signed up to go to Hejian County could be assigned a Tier-Entry Spirit Land.

Although it was only the lowest-grade Tier One Low-Grade Spiritual Land, the temptation of owning a hereditary Spirit Land was immense for Loose Cultivators in Black Mountain who otherwise had no permanent property.

At once, over a thousand qualified Loose Cultivators signed up to relocate. It was said that during that time, the residential area for Loose Cultivators in Black Mountain Market was completely deserted.

Later, with the establishment of Hejian Market, there was yet another place to make a living.

The number of Loose Cultivators who lived long-term in Black Mountain Market, surviving on odd jobs and apprenticeships, had dropped to fewer than a thousand—a far cry from its peak.

However, the foot traffic in Black Mountain Market had increased by more than four or five times.

Under the current Qingfeng Sect, there were too many places to earn Spirit Stones. As long as one was hardworking and had a skill, it was always better than staying in the market to run errands.

A youth of average height quickly walked up, speaking in a rapid-fire burst, "Senior, do you need a guide? I’ll show you around the market for just one Spirit Stone a day... I grew up here, so I know every single shop like the back of my hand. If you want to visit the shop where Ancestor Bai bought his sword, I can help you get a ticket for tomorrow."

His clothes were plain and had been washed so many times they had faded to white. From the stitching, one could tell it was originally a Magical Robe that had been tailored down to fit the youth’s size.

From its color, it was clear the robe had been worn for a very long time, but there wasn’t a single stain or frayed thread. The youth himself seemed bright and cheerful, showing no sign of shyness or fear.

’A guide...’

Bai Zichen, who was only revealing an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, looked at the boy who had rushed ahead of his peers. He was only at the Qi Refining Second Layer.

’It seems he hasn’t been on the path of cultivation for long, and his Spiritual Root isn’t outstanding.’

’Otherwise, becoming a servant disciple in the Qingfeng Sect would be much better than working as a guide in the market, surviving on tips from leading people around.’

’More importantly, he’s wasting time on this sort of thing during the crucial foundation-building stage instead of cultivating properly.’

’Even if he saves up some Spirit Stones, it will be hard for him to catch up to his peers who started earlier.’

"Alright, lead the way and give me a good tour."

Bai Zichen had been about to say he knew the place like the back of his hand, but after a glance at the market, which bore no resemblance to how it was a hundred years ago, the words changed on his lips.

He tossed out a Spirit Stone and hired the young guide.

"Senior, what are you looking to buy? That way, I can take you to the right shops... My full name is Gan Congju, but you can just call me Xiaoganzi."

Gan Congju received the Spirit Stone, wiped it carefully, and tucked it into a pocket close to his body before speaking seriously.

"First, tell me about this place where Ancestor Bai bought his sword. You need to buy a ticket?"

Bai Zichen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. They had actually turned a place he had visited into a pilgrimage site, capitalizing on his fame.

He hadn’t passed away; he was still alive and well. The whole thing felt rather odd.

"Senior, you must not be a Black Mountain Cultivator, right? All the local cultivators know that Ancestor Bai bought his very first Flying Sword in this market, which started him on his legendary life as a Sword Cultivator... That’s why cultivators come from all over, hoping to buy a Flying Sword here and soak up some of Ancestor Bai’s Spiritual Qi."

Gan Congju’s tone was proud as he explained the matter in just a few words.

"Later, so many people came to visit that it started to affect the shop’s normal business. So, they partitioned off that hall and turned it into a place dedicated to honoring Ancestor Bai. They limit the number of visitors every day. If you don’t have connections, you might have to wait three to five days for your turn."

"Is that so? This is the first I’m hearing of it... Judging by your tone, you hold Ancestor Bai in high esteem?"

"Of course! Everyone knows that besides being a peerless Sword Dao genius who appears only once in ten thousand years, Ancestor Bai is also a man of noble character who truly cares for the world. The Black Mountain Loose Cultivators owe their current lives to the Ancestor... Besides him, what other great figure gives a damn about the lives of us bottom-tier cultivators?"

Gan Congju’s eyes shone and his face flushed as he spoke with excitement.

Bai Zichen had no idea when he had gained such a high reputation among the Loose Cultivators.

’Still, my own little fan is right in front of me and hasn’t recognized that I’m the Ancestor Bai he’s talking about. This proves the transformation was a great success.’

Portraits of Bai Zichen had long since circulated throughout Black Mountain. Someone like Gan Congju, who admired him so much, would surely be very familiar with his face.

But the Celestial Illusion Bracelet didn’t rely on Illusion Technique; it generated a new face based on the original facial structure.

Below the Nascent Soul stage, the ability to see through it had less to do with one’s cultivation level and more to do with how familiar they were with the person.

Therefore, Bai Zichen planned to interact with more Qingfeng Sect disciples and specifically go to crowded places to see if anyone would find his features and build incongruous.

"Which shop in the market does the best business? Just take me there."

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn later, Bai Zichen followed Gan Congju through several streets and arrived before a five-story shop. The memorial archway in front of it towered toward the clouds.

"Guanghui Trading Company... Isn’t Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion the shop with the best business in the market?"

Bai Zichen asked, his curiosity piqued by the unfamiliar name of the trading company.

After reaching Core Formation, it was impossible for him to keep track of every trivial matter within the Sect.

It wasn’t like when he was still contracting Spirit Fields and had to deal with several trading companies regularly.

"You may not know this, Senior, but Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion might have the best business back in your hometown, but not here in Black Mountain... I heard from the older generation of Qingfeng Sect disciples that Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion offended Ancestor Bai back in the day, buying low and selling high when the Upper Sect was in difficulty. A few years after the Ancestor reached Core Formation, their business got worse and worse, and eventually they just moved out of Black Mountain Market."

Gan Congju chuckled, looking rather pleased with himself.

"And in Hejian Market, they weren’t given a shop location at all... This Guanghui Trading Company has a powerful background. Anyway, they can get their hands on any good stuff and even hold auctions from time to time. Even the Elders of the Upper Sect often come here to purchase Treasures."

"I see. In that case, let’s go inside and take a look."

Back then, when he was selling Spirit Rice, the new Pavilion Master of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion branch had indeed shown him no respect and had pushed the price down.

He had long since forgotten about it. He never expected someone in the Sect to remember and kick Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion right out of Qingfeng Sect’s territory.