Chapter 1048: Changes in Five Years
Jiushan State.
After five years of development, the only free trade state within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance has undergone earth-shaking changes.
From being deserted and desolate, it has become bustling and prosperous.
As far as the eye can see, the continuous plains have all been occupied by the abodes of cultivators, guarding the central Jiushan Trade City.
After several expansions, the scale of the trade city has increased by nearly ten times compared to its original size. However, it still cannot meet the growing demands of trade.
Every cultivator who arrives in the city is filled with excitement and curiosity, lost in the variety of goods within the city.
Zhao Xian knelt on the ground, respectfully bowing to the faceless stone statue in the shadows.
He then left the secret room, opened the shop door, and began his first business after completing the purchase.
There was no need for him to actively promote, and in no time, the shop was crowded with cultivators coming to shop.
The product descriptions and prices were all marked, and the cultivators could make their purchases on their own without Zhao Xian's personal assistance.
There was no bargaining, as in Jiushan State, goods were often sold out shortly after being displayed.
This was not only due to the rare and unique products from various states that could be sold in Jiushan State. But the fundamental reason was...
Zhao Xian maintained a full smile on his face, but inwardly he sighed, "No wonder everyone wants to come to Jiushan State. They say it's a place where money comes easy, and it's true."
"Three years ago, the Tianxuan Mirror's trading function suddenly closed, and cultivators could no longer trade freely. However, the demand for trade could not disappear. In a short time, there were five major trade cities in the world, barely taking over the Tianxuan Mirror's trading function."
"Jiushan State is the largest of them all in terms of scale and the number of goods."
"It's not just the cultivators from the various states of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance who come here to trade, but also cultivators from the Five Elders Association who sell special products and buy goods."
Zhao Xian watched the continuous flow of people in the store, filled with gratitude in his heart, "It's all thanks to the help from above. Otherwise, as a small Yuanying cultivator from the Cumulus Sea, where else could I afford to buy a property here?"
Even though half of the profit from the shop had to be turned in, the speed of earning contribution points was much faster than in his hometown.
"As long as I accumulate for ten years, I can not only pay off all my debts, but I can also buy Nascent Divinity techniques and the 'Changes of Heaven and Earth' at a discounted price from the coalition."
"If I can achieve Nascent Divinity, my status will be much different in the future!"
"Even if things don't go well, I can still be a guest official in the Cumulus Sea. After all, the entire Cumulus Sea only has two Nascent Divinity cultivators presiding."
Zhao Xian imagined a bright future in his mind, his eyes getting even more fervent.
After a while, the successful sale of an item in the store snapped Zhao Xian back to reality.
It was a seemingly ordinary white jade statue. Just a simple decoration, with no special functions. If there was anything special about this white jade statue, it should be the carved female face.
An unparalleled beauty, vividly lifelike.
However, because the price was exorbitant, at a high cost of 200,000 contribution points, it had been on display in the store for more than two years without being sold.
Yet today, someone actually bought it. It was crucial for the task given to him by the higher authorities!
Suppressing his excitement, Zhao Xian hurried forward, "Please wait, fellow Daoist!"
A cultivator in black robes, hidden in the shadows and indistinct in appearance, paused in their steps. However, they paid no attention to Zhao Xian, neither turning their head nor acknowledging him and walked away directly.
Instead of chasing after, Zhao Xian simply smiled meaningfully and quietly made his way back to the underground chamber.
He knelt in front of the faceless stone statue.
"Higher authority, the white jade statue has been bought by someone."
This was not the first time he had reported his work to the higher authorities, but Zhao Xian's heart was still very tense. Holding his breath, he had no thought of distraction.
After his prayer, he patiently waited.
Before long, a cold voice sounded in his mind.
"I know."
With just that one sentence, there was no more sound.
But Zhao Xian keenly felt the divine aura enveloping him, then disappearing.
Yet his cultivation realm had unexpectedly and suddenly advanced.
Overwhelmed with joy, Zhao Xian quickly knelt and bowed his head several times.
"With the rewards from the higher authorities, even with my aptitude, I'm afraid I can achieve Nascent Divinity within a hundred years."
"Those so-called geniuses who are arrogant on normal days are no match for me."
With great pride in his heart, Zhao Xian took even more serious care of the affairs within the Ten Realms Union.
In the Lingmu realm.
Li Fan had already located the whereabouts of the cultivator who bought the white jade statue.
"So it's him, he's still alive."
The cultivator's disguise could not escape Li Fan's eyes. After a quick comparison with the list in his mind, Li Fan quickly confirmed his identity.
Jia Yiyuan, a former guide coordinator at the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.
During the tumult at the alliance headquarters, he happened to be on duty.
After the incident, Jia Yiyuan's family was wiped out from the world. A total of 342 cultivators above the Golden Core stage, not one of them survived.
And Jia Yiyuan himself had disappeared without a trace.
Surprisingly, he had now appeared in the Jiushan State.
After a brief thought, Li Fan understood the reason he would purchase the white jade statue.
Li Fan had personally crafted that white jade statue, and it didn't have any special features.
But the figure carved in the statue was not ordinary. It was a very important figure that Li Fan had secretly investigated over the years.
After the turmoil at the alliance headquarters, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance had carried out a bloody purge.
Numerous cultivators were purged, and many innocent ones were implicated.
But where there was oppression, there was resistance.
Some cultivators within the alliance did not sit idly by, instead reaching out to help those innocent people.
They had vast supernatural abilities and, under the high-pressure pursuit by the alliance, they managed to save the lives of many cultivators.
The woman carved in the white jade statue was one of these "saviors."
As if appearing out of nowhere, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance had no knowledge of her background. But she knew the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance very well, even knowing about some top-secret orders before they were issued.
Before the butcher's knife swung, she would rescue people, leaving the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance desperate to capture her but unable to do so.
They couldn't even get a clear picture of her appearance.
The reason Li Fan knew what she looked like was because he had probed the memory of a rescued cultivator.
It was a pity that the person didn't know much about their savior.
In his mind, Li Fan only saw an unmatched beauty.
(End of this chapter).