Transmigrating over ten thousand years late, I was forced to become a mighty presence

Shen Yuan casually took out the invitation given by Xue Mingzhi from his Storage Ring and sent it into the void, where the patterns on it began to glow. In the next moment, the fog obscuring Shen Yuan’s vision disappeared. Shen Yuan found himself standing at the entrance of a marketplace.

The words ¹ Yunfu’ were clearly written on the grand gate of the marketplace. Below it, several emblems of hidden sects and grotto heavens sacred ground were displayed, each with distinct traces of spirit energy that validated their identity.

Upon entering the market, what caught Shen Yuan’s eye was an expanse of antique wooden buildings, making him feel as though he had been displaced into ancient times.

This surprised Shen Yuan. He had read plenty about the markets in the Imperial Capital and the auction houses in the Demonic City on the forums. These were all large trading grounds for cultivators, and despite their ancient names, their architectural styles leaned heavily towards modernity.

But Yunfu Market, in contrast, much resembled the markets described in folk tales about cultivators.

Shen Yuan speculated that this might have something to do with the rich history of the Hidden World Major Sect, which had established the market. The higher-ups within the sect weren’t keen on modern concrete-and-steel style architecture, and their disciples, seeking to emulate them, had created a marketplace that evoked the spirit of ancient cultivation.

Upon entering, Shen Yuan’s first impression of Yunfu Market was that it was visibly deserted.

There were only relatively a few dozen cultivators and several monster tribe members strolling back and forth on the streets. Many of the shops had their doors closed, with a handful still in business, but those were largely deserted as well.

Many cultivators who had just arrived at the marketplace, like Shen Yuan, were caught off guard. Those who knew each other began to chat idly, and Shen Yuan, seizing this opportunity, listened intently and soon understood the reason for the desolation.

As the first marketplace established by the Human Clan and the monster tribe in the south, Yunfu Market had attracted a lot of attention from cultivators. Especially since Yunfu Market was located in Yunfu Mountains, and cultivators could trade with the monster tribe and buy many monster tribe products rarely found in human society. As such, many cultivators had high hopes for Yunfu Market.

However, with the fall of the Black Wind Mountain God five days ago, leading to a standoff between the monster tribe of Yunfu Mountains and the Zhennan Army, Yunfu Market abruptly lost its steam.

The monster tribe, which was a major part of the trading community, hurried to the frontline, leaving the cultivators in the market unsure of whom to seek business from.

Meanwhile, in the days that followed, conflict didn’t break out on the frontline but continued to rage in the hinterlands of Yunfu Mountains.

Three Mountain Gods and several monster tribe members at the Qi Transformation Stage were killed, news which shocked the entirety of Yunfu Mountains.

The monster tribe in Yunfu Mountains began an extensive search, during which there were multiple conflicts with visitors to Yunfu Market.

Though the officials of Yunfu Market repeatedly assured everyone that the monster tribe would not attack Yunfu Market, the endless stretch of mountains outside Yunfu Market was a constant threat. If a fight were to break out, the monster tribe wouldn’t need to strike within the market to harm cultivators.

Many cultivators felt threatened and didn’t think the potential profits in Yunfu Market were worth the risk.

Hence, a large number of cultivators left Yunfu Mountains, leaving only those who were confident in their power and weren’t afraid of ordinary monster tribe members. This contributed to Yunfu Market’s current desolation.

Hearing the conversations between cultivators, an odd expression flashed across Shen Yuan’s face.

The desolation of Yunfu Market seemed to have something to do with him. He had gravely injured the Black Wind Mountain God, using it as bait for the demon behind Aman.

The Mountain Gods and monster tribe members at the Qi Transformation Stage who have been falling in the recent days had gone in search of Aman under his direction, and died under the spells and magical treasures of the demon.

If it weren’t for Shen Yuan’s strategy changing the state of affairs in Yunfu Mountains, Yunfu Market might still be thriving.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Shen Yuan looked over the people on the street but didn’t see the cultivator who had taken the Blood Sea Ring.

It was evident that after entering the market, that person must have found a place to lay low for a while.

His eyes landed on several inns around the market, but Shen Yuan didn’t rush to search for the traces of the Blood Sea Ring.

Yunfu Market was only so large, and with spatial vision distance, finding that person would be a piece of cake.

However, there was no hurry to deal with that old monster presently, so Shen Yuan began to wander around the deserted marketplace.

Shen Yuan had some other objectives for coming to Yunfu Market this time.

The art of puppets and talismans in cultivation can’t be started due to lack of spirit objects. I might as well take this opportunity to collect the required materials in advance and then figure out a way to approach that old demon.” Noticing only a few customers in the shops along the street, Shen Yuan contemplated a bit but decided not to enter any of them. He followed the crowd instead, heading to the end of the street.

On the other end of the market, there was a small square.

In the square, numerous stalls were set up on the ground, cultivators were chatting leisurely; interspersed were arguments over haggling prices.

Here, Shen Yuan could sense the atmosphere of a cultivation market.

Shen Yuan began looking for goods in the stalls, attempting to experience the classic ‘stumble upon hidden treasure at a roadside stall’ trope.

However, when he used his sight to look at the closest stall, he involuntarily twitched his mouth.

On that stall, bottles, jars and bronze ceremonial objects were piled up, many of them emanating a faint spirit energy. Shen Yuan could tell at a glance that the spirit energy was the residue of some spirit liquid smeared on them.

“Flat price, 800 million!”

“This is an ancient ceremonial object from the Western Zhou. Do you know what that was? It’s an even older dynasty than the Great Yin which was from ten thousand years ago. Can a ceremonial object from that era be something ordinary?”

“Once the spirit energy completely revives in the future, the Immortal Seeds and primordial Qi contained within this ancient ceremonial object will surely re-emerge!”

Staring at a bronze cauldron that was less than a week old, the stall owner was animatedly hoodwinking an innocent, beautiful young girl in front of him.

The young girl’s eyes sparkled even brighter as she listened to the stall owner’s boasting. “One price, eight million!”

Facing a price cut to one percent, the stall owner didn’t hesitate at all: “Deal!”

The girl immediately took out a bank card from her pocket and loudly declared,

“I’ll pay by card!”

Shen Yuan, who had been watching from the side, couldn’t bear it anymore and reminded, “The thing he’s selling is clearly fake, it’s not worth eight million.” However, the young girl rolled her eyes at him and retorted,

I m not stupid, of course I can tell it’s a fake coated with some gold spiritual liquid.”

Shen Yuan was taken aback: “Then why are you still paying for it?”

“Even though it’s a fake, bringing it outside Yunfu Mountain can easily dupe those rich rural wealthy gentlemen, earning me tens of times the profit.” “Those rural rich people don’t understand real from fake, they only know about investing in spirit objects. By then, just tell them it’s an artifact passed down from the Western Zhou and they’ll surely fall for it.”

“Even if they bring a worldly appraiser, what’s the point? Who says artifacts passed down from the Western Zhou must have antique characteristics? Are those appraisers the cultivators, or am I the cultivator?”

Saying this, the girl joyfully took the bronze cauldron after paying and left the stall.

Many cultivators in the surroundings, having heard the young girl’s words, had their eyes brightened and surrounded the fake antiquities stall.

Shen Yuan watched as the stall became instantly lively, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

“That works?”

Having learned from the previous antique stall, Shen Yuan became much more cautious when looking at the other stalls.

After scanning them all, Shen Yuan gained a certain understanding of these trading stalls.

Observing that there were quite a lot of stalls, the majority didn’t have anything good. Fake spirit objects, antiques, magic artifacts and even spirit stones flooded the place.

And among the authentic items, they often featured low-value classics.

After all, classics can be copied and sold repeatedly, circulating in far greater numbers than spirit objects, which are unobtainable after trading.

As for finding a bargain at a roadside stand, that’s utter nonsense.

Items displayed for sale are generally verified thoroughly. If any uncertainty existed, they would have been kept and definitely not sold for a cheap price.

Moreover, most of the people in the square were hoping to snag a bargain, any missed opportunity would be traded immediately.

After the search, Shen Yuan finally stopped at a remote stall in a corner.

Pointing to stacks of neat spirit wood next to the stall, Shen Yuan asked,

“How much for these Ironwoods?”

Ironwood is considered one of the most basic types of spirit wood in the cultivation world. Apart from being as sturdy as metal and storing a certain amount of spirit energy, it doesn’t have any other noteworthy characteristics.

If the Spirit Energy Tidal Surge continued for hundreds of years, you could find such Ironwood anywhere in a spirit-rich area. However, during the Qi Transformation Stage, such Ironwood could still be considered a decent spirit object.

The stall owner raised his eyelids and gave Shen Yuan an up-and-down look.

“One spirit stone for the whole lot.”

Shen Yuan shook his head: “What you have here is at most half an Ironwood tree, selling it for one spirit stone is too expensive.”

One spirit stone is the least, but you can choose any other item on the stall.”

Shen Yuan glanced at the random items on the stall: broken stones, rotten leaves, old books. It looked like a junk collection.

But Shen Yuan knew very well that these battered-looking items were far more valuable than the dazzling fake antiques on the previous stall, because these were genuine spirit objects and cultivation classics.

After a brief consideration, Shen Yuan picked up a tattered book and casually threw a spirit stone at the stall owner.

“I’ll take this.”

With a wave of his right hand, all the spirit wood on the stall was collected into his storage space.

After doing all this, Shen Yuan turned and left, leaving the stall owner stunned on the spot.

“He actually has a storage magic artifact, could he be the prodigy of a major sect or clan?”

“Did I sell that book at a loss?”

The stall owner scratched his head in confusion, took out a dozen identical books from the package, and examined them without finding anything unusual.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the square, Shen Yuan took out the book he had just acquired with a smile on his face.

Ironwood was common on many stalls, but what truly drove Shen Yuan to buy the Ironwood at that stall, was actually the book that the stall owner had displayed.

Elemental Qi Fusion Method of Heaven and Earth.”