Vol. 1 - Ch. 315 - Buy More

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The two men broke free of the mist with a burst of speed.

Seeing the wide, open view before them, they were overjoyed.

However, when they tried to determine their location, they froze in surprise.

They had not reached Chaotic Burial Mountains, but had somehow returned to the road leading toward them.

Their brows furrowed as they turned to look back at the mist.

What they saw made their hearts sink—the once-thinning haze had grown thick again and was spreading outward with alarming force. Panic flashed across their faces, and they fled immediately without hesitation.

Failing the mission would earn them a scolding at most. But if they were trapped in the mist again, who knew how long it would take to escape?

As they ran, they soon spotted other strangers in the forest. Judging by the panic etched on their faces, it seemed they had also just escaped the suffocating fog.

Their gazes met briefly, but none spoke. Each group hurried away in silence.

…

"This divine art works quite well."

In the ancestral hall of Chaotic Burial Mountains, Ji Yang sensed that everyone caught in the mist had left. A note of admiration stirred in his heart.

Ji Yang had only trapped those people to test the power of the mist formation and better understand its effects.

From his observations, capturing Innate Realm martial artists was not difficult. Furthermore, while in the white fog, Ji Yang used the Spiritual Awakening Divine Art to grant intelligence to several great trees. At critical moments, he could summon them through the Heart of Spirit Wood.

With the aid of the mist, even a Great Completion Innate Realm martial artist would be easy to defeat.

However, it was far less effective against those above the Innate Realm, the Qi Manipulation Realm.

The main issue was that Qi Manipulation cultivators could fly, but the mist could not shroud the entire sky.

Still, it was a useful tool for deterring ordinary martial artists. At the very least, Ji Yang no longer had to worry about Chaotic Burial Mountains being spied on constantly.

Of course, the main road connecting the mountains to the outside world had to remain open. He could not risk trapping his own clansmen inside.

Seeing that no one else had entered the mist, Ji Yang withdrew his consciousness and focused on absorbing the sun's essence.

Although he had only recently awakened, the clan already had many places in need of life force. It seemed that, in the short term, relying solely on solar and lunar essence would still leave the supply of life force insufficient.

Ji Yang wondered if future divinations would reveal more techniques like this one. For now, however, his spiritual power was insufficient, and he would have to wait a while longer.

…

Time slipped by swiftly. In the blink of an eye, only one day remained until the Chen family’s sale of Blood Rice.

Inside the grand hall of Hidden Mountain Pavilion, clans that had settled there wandered among the shelves of goods on display.

At one counter selling medicinal herbs, Zhao Qimeng stood quietly. In truth, he was listening closely to his clansmen's hushed report.

"Clan Elder, that is the situation."

After recounting the events of their mission, Zhao Si fell silent and stood respectfully to the side.

Zhao Qimeng’s expression grew contemplative. After a moment, he finally spoke.

"A mist capable of trapping Innate Realm martial artists cannot be ordinary. It must be tied to the Chen family’s totem. Clearly, they do not wish to expose themselves.”

“Then should we just let it go, Clan Elder?”

"Let it go? Of course not. The more the Chen family hides, the more I must uncover. If we cannot investigate the Chaotic Burial Mountains, then we will turn our attention to Yong’an City instead."

Zhao Qimeng let out a cold laugh.

Beside him, Zhao Si remained silent. Matters such as these were surely already within the Elder’s calculations. There was no need to ask further.

At that moment, a voice rang out from nearby belonging to a servant in green robes.

“Honored sirs, you truly have fine eyes!”

"This item is called Cornus officinalis, a specialty of the Chaotic Burial Mountains. It nourishes the liver and kidneys and strengthens and stabilizes the body. Even martial artists will benefit from it. I guarantee it, esteemed sirs...”

The servant’s words flowed like a river, leaving the group momentarily stunned.

Only then did they notice that he was referring to the herbs displayed on the counter before them. Their prolonged pause had led the servant to mistake their interest.

Upon hearing the servant’s introduction, Zhao Qimeng’s brows furrowed and his expression darkened. He snapped, “Hmph! I am an Innate Realm martial artist—why would I need this? Absurd!”

With a sweep of his sleeve, he turned and strode away.

Startled, the servant quickly bowed and apologized. Though he was only responsible for selling herbs, he knew that the Chen family’s guests were all from powerful clans. He dared not offend them.

Hmph... If they don't want it, then so be it. But why get angry? These clan folk are truly fickle.

"Clan Elder, the goods sold here at Hidden Mountain Pavilion are mediocre at best. Most of these herbs are common and useless to martial artists. Even the iron tools are only forged a hundred times at best and are far inferior to our clan’s smiths'. I haven't seen a single martial technique or cultivation manual on display either."

As they left the hall, Zhao Si began to complain about the Pavilion, seeing the Elder’s displeasure.

Zhao Qimeng paused briefly and nodded, but then spoke in a measured tone:

"Still, that herb is rare within our clan. It may prove useful to our people. Go and purchase more of it.”

"In a clan, the flourishing of descendants is vital. Only with abundant offspring can the family continue to grow strong."

Zhao Si, who had been grumbling moments before, froze at the Elder’s words. Seeing the solemn expression on Zhao Qimeng’s face, he did not dare to ask any more questions. He quickly nodded in agreement and turned back toward the hall to carry out the order.

…

The next day, many clans gathered early, eager for the Chen family to begin selling Blood Rice.

Though no one knew how the Chen family planned to sell the Blood Rice, its value was undeniable. It offered great benefit to many clans, and the fact that it could be purchased with jade coins made it all the more enticing.

Soon, Chen family members led them into a vast chamber.

The chamber was immense and shaped like a fan. A tall platform rose at its front, and rows of seats were arranged in tiers before it. They were carefully designed as though for this very occasion—the sale of Blood Rice.

Though enclosed, the chamber was unusually bright overhead. The ceiling appeared to be made of a translucent material with skylights cut into it.

This eased the wariness of many clansmen. After all, they were within another family’s domain, so caution was only natural.

Zhao Qimeng and his entourage frowned but followed nonetheless. When he saw the dozens already gathered inside, his heart tightened.

Among them were more than ten martial artists in the Innate Realm. Though their strengths varied, each one represented a clan.

Who would have thought that mere Blood Rice could bring so many powerful figures together?

It seemed that buying Blood Rice would not be easy this time. Yet, Zhao Qimeng remained calm. Even though the Chen family was selling a considerable amount, how much could each clan truly obtain once it was divided among so many?

Besides, the Zhao family's purpose here was not just to buy the rice. Their true aim was the Chen family’s endless supply.

That was far more valuable than the rice itself.

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