Chapter 14
Liu Mengjing stood in the middle of the empty hall, her thoughts stirring.
The next moment, a strange scene unfolded.
Her outline began to blur. A shadow overlapping her figure slowly peeled away from her body.
At first, the shadow was indistinct, but it quickly solidified, eventually taking the form of a tall, upright young man.
It was Liu San, who had fused with her earlier.
“Phew...”
Liu San and Liu Meng both let out a long breath, their faces revealing an unmistakable trace of weakness.
Earlier, to break through to Qi Refining, the two had become one. Liu Meng had borrowed the clone’s yang energy to shatter the shackles of mortality in a single bound.
When they separated again, Liu Meng’s aura immediately slipped from the realm she had just broken through to, becoming somewhat unstable. Liu San, who had been an ordinary mortal, was even weaker after the separation; his face was as pale as paper, and he looked frail enough to collapse at any moment.
However weak they were, they were now true cultivators, as different from mortals as heaven and earth.
With every movement, they could still draw on the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth. The ceaseless stream of spiritual power flowing through their bodies was the clearest proof of their transcendent status.
The moment he appeared, Liu San strode out of the cave abode without delay.
As soon as he stepped outside, he channeled spiritual power into his legs. In an instant, he became a blur and sped westward.
He moved several times faster than a galloping horse from his previous life. Rocks and shrubs raced past beneath his feet, and the howling wind roared in his ears. This transcendent feeling filled his heart with boundless ambition.
Cultivators were so powerful!
Although this world was fraught with danger, even the weakest cultivator at the first layer of Qi Refining was worlds apart from a mortal. With his Myriad Forms Body System, he might still be able to survive here!
He needed to keep cultivating and reach a higher level of cultivation. More than that, he needed a Soul Banner to establish himself!
To that end, he needed to find the Three Talents Market Qin Shuang had mentioned and see if he could buy what he needed.
About two hours later, Liu San suddenly stopped. In a mountain hollow ahead, a brightly lit cave abode came into view.
This cave abode was completely different from the unoccupied ones he had seen before.
It showed no sign of disrepair. The entrance was neat and orderly, with two lanterns hanging outside that cast a gentle glow. Several maidservants in matching outfits bustled about, carrying box after box of unknown contents inside.
Liu San frowned. Wary, he wanted nothing to do with this cave abode. But just as he was about to take another route, one of the maidservants spotted him.
She was a slender young woman with no mask on her face. Her lively, wide eyes studied Liu San with curiosity.
“Senior Brother, you look unfamiliar. May I ask which cave abode you belong to?” the young woman asked, approaching him with a clear, pleasant voice.
Liu San grew even more wary, but kept his expression calm. He stopped and said evenly, “I’m a disciple under Su Meier, and I’ve been sent out on an errand.”
He had thought that invoking Su Meier’s name might intimidate her a little. Instead, the young woman’s expression turned even more delighted at the mention of “Su Meier.”
“So you’re one of Martial Aunt Su’s people! What a coincidence!” The young woman covered her mouth with a soft laugh, looking very friendly. “Martial Aunt Su is my master’s younger sister!”
Younger sister?
Liu San froze for a moment.
“My master is the 167th son of the Sect Master of the Profound Female Sect,” the young woman continued, apparently unaware of Liu San’s reaction. “And Martial Aunt Su is the Sect Master’s 171st daughter. Since they’re close in birth order, the siblings have always been on good terms and often exchange letters.”
The 167th son... the 171st daughter...
Liu San was stunned. It suddenly dawned on him that Su Meier... might not be what he had imagined!
He had assumed that, as the daughter of the Sect Master of the Profound Female Sect, Su Meier must have a noble status and an extraordinary position.
But now it seemed that wasn’t the case!
The Sect Master had an astonishing number of children, far more than Liu San had ever imagined!
Su Meier’s position among them was probably not as secure as he had thought, and the competition she faced was likely far more intense than his own!
The Profound Female Sect... So this was the Profound Female Sect. It was beyond the bounds of ordinary convention and common sense!
As his thoughts raced, the young woman had already directed her subordinates to carry the final batch of boxes deep into the cave abode.
Liu San glanced at the boxes and caught a glimpse of what looked like people inside.
They were all unconscious and bound from head to toe, just like... just like the men who had been brought into Su Meier’s cave abode.
The only difference was that these were all women. There wasn’t a single man among them.
He frowned and asked the young woman, “Do you... not have any men here?”
The young woman covered her mouth and laughed. “Of course not. In our cave abode, there’s no other man besides our master.”
“These women were all selected from the mortal world. They’re all reasonably good-looking. Those with the aptitude for cultivation can become our sisters and serve at our master’s side. Those without it can only be used once.”
Liu San’s heart tightened. This cave abode was no different in essence from Su Meier’s. Both were places that devoured people!
But he was even more curious about something else. “What about you? You’re already at the Qi Refining stage. Why haven’t you left and opened a cave abode of your own?”
“Leave?” The young woman shook her head repeatedly, as if she’d heard something unbelievable. “Why would we leave? All of us sisters are our master’s private women—his in life, his ghosts in death. How could we ever leave this cave abode?”
“Besides, the outside world is far too dangerous. Hardly any of the new disciples survive. We don’t want to go out and throw our lives away. Staying here, under our master’s protection, lets us improve our cultivation through dual cultivation with him. And the higher his cultivation, the safer we are. That’s the way to ensure our long-term security.”
After hearing this, Liu San was left speechless.
Within the Profound Female Sect, the rules governing each cave abode were so different!
Su Meier’s approach gathered resources faster, but carried enormous risks. The casualty rate among her disciples was staggering.
This cave abode, by contrast, followed the completely opposite path. It hunkered down in one place and gathered all its strength around its master. Gathering resources was difficult, but it had the advantage of safety and stability.
Both approaches had their pros and cons. It was hard to say which was better.
Liu San nodded thoughtfully and asked no more questions. After briefly bidding the maidservant farewell, he continued toward the Three Talents Market.
...
Several hours later, night had fallen.
Liu San crossed the last mountain and finally beheld a scene unlike anything he had seen before.
It was a market built inside a vast canyon.
But this market was simply enormous!
What’s more, it wasn’t built on the ground. Thick iron chains, covered in flowing runes, connected its structures, suspending them over a ten-thousand-zhang abyss!
Countless pavilions, halls, and shops of all sizes stood aloft, linked by the chains. Pearls shining with all kinds of light dotted the market like stars, illuminating the entire canyon as brightly as day.
Cultivators riding flying swords and piloting magical artifacts darted between the suspended platforms, leaving trails of brilliant light in their wake.
The din of crowds, the hum of magical artifacts, and the strange cries of spirit beasts blended into a noisy, vibrant wave that swept toward him from far away!
This was the Great Dao Heavenly Demon Sect’s other mountain gate—the Three Talents Market!