My Longevity Simulation - Chapter 1048: Five Years of Change
Nine Mountains Prefecture.
After five years of development, this sole free trade prefecture within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had undergone earth-shaking changes.
From its former desolation and emptiness, it had become prosperous and bustling.
In every direction, the vast plains were entirely occupied by cultivators’ cave dwellings, encircling the central Nine Mountains Trade City.
After several expansions, the trade city’s scale had grown nearly tenfold from its initial size. Yet it still could not meet the ever-increasing trade demands.
Every newly arrived cultivator in the city wore an expression full of excitement and curiosity, lost amid the dazzling array of goods that left them overwhelmed.
Zhao Xian knelt on the ground and respectfully bowed to the Faceless Stone Statue shrouded in shadows above.
He then exited the secret chamber, opened the shop door, and began his first business of the day after restocking.
There was no need for him to actively promote; before long, the shop was crammed with cultivators eager to shop.
The introductions and prices for all goods were clearly marked, so the cultivators could complete their purchases on their own without the shopkeeper’s personal involvement.
There was no haggling, for in Nine Mountains Prefecture, goods were often snapped up the moment they were put on display.
This was partly because everything sold here consisted of rare specialties from various prefectures.
But the root cause was…
Zhao Xian maintained a full, welcoming smile on his face while sighing inwardly: “No wonder everyone wants to come to Nine Mountains Prefecture now. They say even a pig can make a fortune just by lying around, and it truly does not deceive.”
“Three years ago, the Tianxuan Mirror’s trading function suddenly shut down, preventing cultivators from trading freely. But trade demands cannot simply vanish, so in a short time, five major trade cities emerged across the world to barely take over the Tianxuan Mirror’s trading role.”
“Among them, Nine Mountains Prefecture is the largest in scale and has the most goods.”
“Not only do cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s provinces come here to trade, but even those from the Five Elders Association sell their specialties and buy goods here.”
Looking at the endless stream of customers in his shop, Zhao Xian’s heart filled with gratitude: “Thanks to the emmisary’s help, otherwise, a minor Nascent Soul cultivator like me from Congyun Sea could never afford a property here.”
Although half the profits had to be handed over, even so, the speed of earning contribution points was far faster than back home.
“As long as I save for another ten years, I can not only pay off all my debts but even buy a Soul Transformation technique and [Heavenly Life-Transformation of Birth] at a discount from the Alliance!”
“If I can achieve Soul Transformation, my status in the future will be entirely different!”
“Even in the worst case, returning to Congyun Sea as a guest elder would be guaranteed. After all, the entire Congyun Sea has only two Soul Transformation cultivators in charge.”
Zhao Xian’s mind wandered to this bright future, his eyes growing increasingly fervent.
He did not know how much time had passed when the successful sale of one displayed item suddenly snapped him awake.
It was an apparently ordinary white jade statue. A simple decorative piece with no special functions attached. If one had to say what made this white jade statue special, it would be the appearance of the carved woman.
An otherworldly beauty, lifelike and vivid.
However, because the asking price was outrageously high, at two hundred thousand contribution points, it had sat unsold in the shop for over two full years.
And today, someone had actually taken the initiative to buy it. One must know, this statue was tied to the task assigned by the emmisary!
Zhao Xian suppressed the agitation in his heart and hurriedly stepped forward: “Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment!”
A cultivator dressed in a black Daoist robe, hidden in the shadows with his face obscured, paused at his feet.
However, he paid no attention to Zhao Xian and left without looking back.
Zhao Xian did not pursue him.
Instead, he revealed a meaningful smile and quietly made his way to the underground secret chamber.
He knelt and bowed before the Faceless Stone Statue.
“My Lord Emissary, someone has bought the white jade statue.”
Even though this was not the first time he had reported to the Lord Emissary, Zhao Xian’s heart remained extremely tense. He held his breath and focused his mind, not daring to harbor even the slightest stray thought.
After finishing his prayer, Zhao Xian waited patiently.
Before long, a cold voice echoed in his mind.
“I understand.”
After just that one sentence, there was silence once more.
But Zhao Xian keenly sensed the holy aura enveloping him descend and then vanish.
And his cultivation had suddenly surged without warning.
Joy overflowed on his face. Zhao Xian hurriedly kowtowed several more times.
“With the Lord Emissary’s bestowed grace, even with my aptitude, I fear I could reach Soul Transformation within a century.”
“Those so-called heavenly prodigies who strut about arrogantly on ordinary days are far inferior to me.”
Zhao Xian felt immensely proud in his heart and became even more diligent in handling the affairs of the Federation of All Worlds.
…
Spiritwood Realm.
Li Fan had already locked onto the location of the cultivator who purchased the white jade statue.
“So it is him; he has not died after all.”
The cultivator’s disguise naturally could not fool Li Fan’s eyes. After comparing against the list in his mind, Li Fan quickly confirmed the other’s identity.
Jia Yiyuan, once a receptionist at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters.
During the period when anomalies occurred at the Alliance headquarters, it happened to be his shift.
After the incident, Jia Yiyuan’s family was erased from the world. Three hundred and forty-two Golden Core cultivators and above perished without exception.
As for Jia Yiyuan himself, he vanished without a trace.
Who would have thought he would appear in Nine Mountains Prefecture today.
After a moment of contemplation, Li Fan understood why he had made the purchase of the white jade statue.
The white jade statue was personally crafted by Li Fan and indeed held nothing special.
But the figure carved into the statue was no ordinary person; it was one of the extremely important figures Li Fan had secretly investigated over these years.
After the anomaly at the Alliance headquarters that day, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance launched a bloody purge.
Countless cultivators were liquidated, and even many innocent ones suffered in the crossfire.
Yet where there is oppression, there is resistance.
Some cultivators within the Alliance did not stand idly by during this slaughter but extended aid to the innocent.
With their profound abilities, under the Alliance’s high-pressure pursuit, they still managed to save a large number of cultivators’ lives.
The woman carved in the white jade statue was one of these “saviors.”
She seemed to appear out of thin air; the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance knew nothing of her background.
But she knew the Alliance intimately; she could anticipate even the most classified orders before they were issued.
She would rescue people just before the butcher’s blade fell.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was furious and offered a bounty for her capture, yet it yielded no results.
They could not even ascertain her appearance.
The reason Li Fan knew what she looked like was because he had soul-searched a cultivator she had saved.
Unfortunately, that person knew little about his savior.
In his mind, Li Fan had only glimpsed a peerlessly beautiful visage.
