Chapter 347

Chapter 347

Yaoguang Immortal City…

Established by Yaoguang Sacred Land, it was the largest immortal city in Mingwang Province.

Due to its proximity to several sacred lands, numerous ancient ruins, and battlegrounds, treasures and secret realms frequently emerge.

With these geographical advantages, an immense number of cultivators enter and exit Yaoguang Immortal City daily.

The city also hosted a permanent population of over 30 million cultivators.

This abundance of traffic has made Yaoguang Immortal City unimaginably prosperous, earning it the title of the central city of Mingwang Province.

Just from entry fees, and the high rents of shops and cave abodes, Yaoguang Sacred Land earned a fortune annually, making it one of the wealthiest factions in Mingwang Province.

Recently, however, the city’s residents have noticed a surge in the number of visiting cultivators.

Guesthouses from the outer to the inner city were fully booked, with no rooms to spare.

The businesses of major faction-run shops have skyrocketed due to the influx, leaving their managers grinning ear to ear.

But why were so many cultivators arriving?

Could it be that treasures have emerged from an ancient battleground?

Curious but uninformed cultivators speculated about what might have happened.

—

In the core cave abode within the inner city, the Supreme Elder of Yaoguang Sacred Land, responsible for overseeing the city, awoke from a three-year-long seclusion.

Out of habit, he scanned Yaoguang Immortal City with his divine sense, and immediately frowned.

On ordinary days, the city’s population was about 30 million cultivators.

Today, however, the count had doubled.

What is going on?

Was an ancient ruin discovered?

Or had some treasure emerged?

He immediately summoned the city lord of Yaoguang Immortal City with his divine sense.

When the Deity Transformation city lord arrived nervously, the Supreme Elder spoke indifferently, “The sudden increase in cultivators, has some treasure appeared nearby?

“But that’s not the point.

“With so many cultivators, send more patrols to maintain order. For those who dare violate the city’s laws, show no mercy. Execute one as a warning to the rest.

“If chaos arises outside the city due to treasure disputes, intervene early. I don’t care what happens outside, but the city must not be affected. Yaoguang Immortal City must remain stable.

“This is the bottom line.

“If manpower is insufficient, request reinforcements from the Sacred Land. Have them send more elders if necessary.”

The Supreme Elder wasn’t concerned about treasures or ruins.

Yaoguang Immortal City was the Sacred Land’s most important source of wealth.

Maintaining the city’s stability and order was paramount.

If the city descended into chaos, the number of visiting cultivators and merchant caravans would dwindle.

Without prosperity, Yaoguang Immortal City would quickly decline.

This was absolutely unacceptable.

Hearing this, the city lord flinched, then softly replied, “Supreme Elder, the surge in cultivators is not due to any treasure emergence.

“It’s because a shop is opening in three days.

“These cultivators have all come for that reason.”

The Supreme Elder’s eyes narrowed as he sharply retorted, “A shop opening?

“What nonsense is this!

“What kind of shop could attract so many cultivators?”

The Supreme Elder didn’t believe it.

He suspected the city lord was neglecting his duties and had made up an excuse, thinking he wouldn’t be returning from seclusion so soon.

Facing the Supreme Elder’s imposing aura, the city lord felt immense pressure.

With an innocent look, he hurriedly handed over a storage ring.

“Supreme Elder, I swear it’s true.

“This shop is selling this item.

“It’s called the Heavenly Origin Little Spirit Communicator. Even if separated by millions of miles or across two provinces, as long as you know each other’s communication numbers, you can talk as if face-to-face.

“And its wonders don’t end there. It has many other incredible features.

“The cultivators coming here are all eager to buy it.”

The city lord’s explanation was genuine, but he noticed the Supreme Elder’s face growing darker.

Panicking, he quickly added, “This is the Saint Master’s number. Please test it yourself, Supreme Elder. I guarantee I’m not exaggerating.”

The Supreme Elder frowned.

A mere low-grade magical tool capable of cross-provincial, face-to-face communication?

That seemed utterly impossible.

But the city lord had served the Sacred Land diligently for over a century and didn’t seem like someone who would lie.

After some thought, the Supreme Elder decided to test it.

With a wave, he retrieved the ring and wore it.

If it proved useless, he would ensure the city lord paid the price for deception.

When he put on the ring, his pupils shrank slightly.

Looking at the unfamiliar interface, he entered the number provided by the city lord.

Moments later, he heard the voice of the Saint Master in his mind.

The Supreme Elder was stunned.

Yaoguang Immortal City was a million miles from Yaoguang Sacred Land.

While strong individuals could traverse such a distance with ease, instant communication was exceedingly difficult.

Yet this Heavenly Origin Little Spirit Communicator truly enabled face-to-face communication across such distances.

It was astonishing.

As someone deeply familiar with commerce, the Supreme Elder immediately recognized the enormous potential of this device.

“Which Sacred Land created this item?

“Was it Dao De Sect, Feathering Sect, or Tiandao Artifact Sect?”

He was intensely curious.

The city lord shook his head.

“None of them. The Heavenly Origin Little Spirit Communicator was developed by Heavenly Origin Sacred Land in Great Yan Province.”

Great Yan Province?

Heavenly Origin Sacred Land?

The Supreme Elder frowned, trying to recall.

After a moment, he found a vague memory.

Such a remote place managed to create this miraculous device?

However, with such immense profits at stake, could a mere Sacred Land in Great Yan Province hold onto it?

And they dared to come to Mingwang Province to sell it.

How bold.

The Supreme Elder’s eyes glimmered with a trace of greed.

“This item is so precious. It’s a divine artifact for cultivators, something they cannot do without.

“If we were to control its distribution, selling it exclusively in our Yaoguang Immortal City, it would not only bring immense profit but also attract countless cultivators, making our city even more prosperous.”

With that, the Supreme Elder rose to his feet, feeling he needed to take action.

However, the city lord, hearing these words, broke into a cold sweat on the spot.

“Supreme Elder, please calm down! Please don’t act recklessly!”

In his panic, the city lord blurted out some new phrases he’d recently learned while browsing the Immortal Net.

The Supreme Elder narrowed his eyes, glaring at the city lord with a dark expression. “Act recklessly?”

Under the oppressive aura of a Great Advancement powerhouse, the city lord trembled uncontrollably.

Normally, he wouldn’t dare say another word. But the problem was, provoking Ye Chen was a line that absolutely could not be crossed.

The city lord hurriedly added, “Supreme Elder, the Beidou Sacred Land, Fulou Sacred Land, Samsara Holy Land, and Fusheng Sacred Land once coveted the Heavenly Origin Spirit Communicator too.

“In the end, they provoked the Heavenly Origin Saint Master!

“The Heavenly Origin Saint Master personally crossed provinces to arrive in Mingwang Province.”

Hearing this, the Supreme Elder frowned.

A Saint Master from the remote Great Yan Province?

At most, he would be a Deity Transformation cultivator.

How dare he come to Mingwang Province?

Seeking death, surely.

And yet, they dare to use the term “descend,” which is reserved for great powers?

Could it be that the Heavenly Origin Sacred Land has already fallen under the secret control of the four Sacred Lands?

If that’s the case, there might be no chance left for us.

The Supreme Elder pondered this, but the city lord wasn’t finished. He continued urgently, “The Heavenly Origin Saint Master battled against the Silent Spirit Venerable and two others near the coast.

“All three of them perished in succession.

“And the Seven-Kill Star Sovereign, who arrived late, only managed to survive by immediately submitting and showing utmost sincerity.

“Still, the four Sacred Lands paid a tremendous price.

“Especially the Fulou Sacred Land and its two allies. Because their Supreme Elders perished, they fell directly from first-tier Sacred Lands to third-tier.

“Recently, many Sacred Lands have been taking advantage of the chaos to seize their external resources, causing endless troubles.”

The Supreme Elder’s eyes widened as he processed the city lord’s words.

The Silent Spirit Venerable and two others fell?

The Seven-Kill Star Lord submitted?

What kind of nonsense was this?

Any one of those great powers could utterly crush him.

How could they possibly fall to a mere Saint Master from Great Yan Province?

But looking at the city lord’s earnest expression, the Supreme Elder felt his heart skip a beat.

Without hesitation, he dialed the number of the Yaoguang Saint Master again.

The Yaoguang Saint Master, having witnessed the events personally, provided an even more detailed account.

By the end of the call, the Supreme Elder was sweating profusely, his legs giving way as he sank back into his chair.

With a serious expression, he turned to the city lord and said, “Cultivation isn’t about fighting and killing. It’s about building connections!

“The Heavenly Origin Sacred Land has come all this way. They are our honored guests.

“Opening a shop in Yaoguang Immortal City is a great show of support for our Sacred Land. We must repay their kindness.

“Henceforth, waive the shop’s rent for a hundred years.

“Moreover, with so many cultivators flocking to the Heavenly Origin Pavilion, the opening will undoubtedly be a grand event. The Heavenly Origin Sacred Land’s personnel may not be sufficient to manage the crowd.

“Take more men with you and help maintain order during the opening.”

The city lord hastily nodded. “Supreme Elder, your wisdom is unparalleled!”

He wasn’t surprised by the Supreme Elder’s sudden change in attitude. After all, anyone who learned of Ye Chen’s feats would be filled with dread.

After the city lord respectfully withdrew, the Supreme Elder let out a long sigh of relief, feeling profoundly grateful.

“Good thing I kept my patience and listened to the city lord a bit longer.

“Otherwise, wouldn’t I have been courting death?

“Thank goodness! Truly, thank goodness!

“But how could such a figure suddenly emerge from a remote place like Great Yan Province?

“Six accompanying visions of the Dao? I’ve never even heard of such a thing!

“Could this be a reincarnated Immortal King?”

The Supreme Elder mused over the possibilities while opening the Heavenly Origin Spirit Communicator once more, marveling at its incredible features and becoming increasingly fascinated.

Meanwhile, Yaoguang Immortal City had become exponentially livelier than usual.

Waves of cultivators poured in from all directions, creating a chaotic mix of people from all walks of life.

Though the city was located in the eastern region of Mingwang Province, even cultivators dressed in distinct Western-style attire were present in significant numbers.

This illustrated just how many had gathered, filling the city to its absolute limit.

Despite the influx, more cultivators continued to arrive, leading to crowd control at the city gates.

For every person who left, only one could enter, leaving a vast number of cultivators stranded outside, anxiously awaiting their turn.

Within the city, the central marketplace district was the most bustling area.

The first thing every cultivator did upon entering was to rush to the yet-to-open shop, which was still being outfitted with formations.

Since flying was prohibited below the Deity Transformation Realm, the crowd in front of the store became an ocean of people.

The sight was utterly unprecedented, a spectacle of extraordinary fervor.

“Hey, Fellow Daoist Zhang, you’re here too?”

“Of course! My master sent me to buy one of these. Look at this crowd, it’s terrifyingly large!”

“Brother Ye, didn’t you already buy a Heavenly Origin Spirit Communicator at a high price? Why are you here again?”

“Ah, I’ve been pursuing my Senior Sister lately. She said she’d accept me if I gave her one. But these devices bind to the user’s divine sense, so no one else can use them. I had no choice but to come and try my luck!”

“Is your Senior Sister as beautiful as the Senior Sister from the Demonic Supression Sect?”

“The Demonic Supression Sect? Who’s that? Are they pretty? And where’s this sect located?”

“I have no idea. I just heard that in Great Yan Province, people often use her name as the standard for judging a woman’s beauty. She must be stunning.”

“Look at this crowd! It’s not even open yet, and there are already so many people. What will it be like once the shop opens?”

“No choice. This is the only Heavenly Origin Pavilion in all of Mingwang Province. Cultivators from nearby sects and cities have all rushed here.”

“It’s terrifying. If I don’t manage to buy one, how am I going to explain myself?”

“That’s why you have to line up early. See? I’m far from the shop, but I’m already in the queue! If you don’t get in line soon, you’ll be stuck outside the central marketplace!”

“Dammit…”

Three days before the store’s opening, the line already numbered tens of thousands.

This phenomenon left shopkeepers of nearby establishments envious beyond measure.

“Look at how they’re doing business. It’s enough to make one jealous.”

Over the next three days, the line continued to grow, eventually swelling to an estimated one million people, and still, it showed no signs of stopping.

The line snaked and twisted, stretching from the inner city to the outer districts.

Yet, under the deterrent power of Ye Chen’s reputation and the proactive involvement of Yaoguang Sacred Land’s experts in maintaining order, the cultivators remained remarkably disciplined.

Even Deity Transformation cultivators queued obediently.

Finally, after days of anticipation, the morning of the grand opening arrived.

With the cry of the dawn-singing Vermillion Bird echoing across the city, the first Heavenly Origin Pavilion of Mingwang Province officially opened its doors!