With the addition of the two scholars, short journeys had already lost their meaning for Chen Qiu.
Teleportation out of thin air was possible as long as they didn't encounter a powerful being who restricted space, basically making the whole world accessible.
In the blink of an eye, he had returned to the Wentian Market and arrived at the auction house Fat Long had mentioned.
"Zhao's Commerce."
It was said to be a fairly influential family business, primarily generating income through trading and auctions. The low-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman he needed was here, not as an auction item but sold separately in the shop.
"Can't it be a bit cheaper?"
Fat Long stood in Zhao's Commerce, gazing at the Shopkeeper and earnestly haggled, "How about 10 spirit stones each? Hardly anyone needs these, as you know, and no one will buy them if they're too expensive."
The Shopkeeper glanced at Fat Long with a strange expression and said, "If no one needs them, why are you buying it?"
"If no one buys it, how can it have a price?"
"Of course, if someone buys, then it has a price."
"Ninety percent of people in the Qi Refinement Realm don't even get a chance for three choices on the entry level, but there are opportunities in this world, and this item is prepared for these people. Since you came to buy, it means you need it. 50 spirit stones is really a fair price, it can't go any lower."
"..."
Fat Long was momentarily at a loss for words, his argument seemed logical, and he couldn't refute it.
"Let it be at that price."
Chen Qiu did not want to delay any further, as time was of the essence to him. He paid and took the two low-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans, slipping them into his storage bag, and then walked out of the shop.
...
Chen Qiu didn't stop as he walked out of the shop, heading straight towards the outskirts of Wentian Market along the main path, with the two scholars waiting for him at the old spot.
He had killed the Seventh Elder of the Huang family, but the Huang family either hadn't received the news yet or was too preoccupied to seek him out—at least for now, no further news had come.
At that moment—
"Young friend, please wait."
An elderly man with silver hair sat by the street, holding a tattered black flag, stopping his way and saying, "I see many Wandering Ghosts and heavy resentful energy on you, your brow is darkened, I fear there may be a bloody disaster soon."
"One spirit stone, and I can calculate for you, perhaps saving your life."
And on that black flag, two rows of somewhat crooked letters were embroidered with white thread.
"Fate dare not be fully told, fearing the heavens and the spirits."
"Words cannot be fully expressed, fearing the world falls into chaos."
"..."
Chen Qiu glanced briefly at the fortune-teller without stopping, merely nodding slightly to show he was aware, and continued walking forward. It was unclear whether the old man was speaking offhand or had truly perceived something.
Indeed, many Wandering Ghosts adorned him, but they were just resentful spirits.
He knew his own affairs; these were all his methods, not some specter possession.
He soon left Wentian Market and arrived at the cliff's edge.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw two scholars on the edge of the cliff, gazing far into the horizon, seemingly observing something unknown. Chen Qiu followed the scholars' gaze, his eyelids twitching slightly, a trace of shock flashing in his pupils.
In the distant clouds just below the cliff.
A middle-aged man about forty yards tall, with a giant sword over thirty yards long on his shoulder, was calmly stepping on blossoming lotuses in the air, approaching the Ask-Heaven Market under the watchful eyes of countless people.
"Goodness..."
Fat Long couldn't help but slightly open his mouth in disbelief, stunned on the spot. With a smash of that sword, even if it weren't sharpened, merely the blade itself could kill a large group of people—was this a cultivator?
This wasn't much different from the Giant Clan, was it?
Meanwhile, the seated scholar softly said, "This person is called Zhao Yishi, ranked one hundred and seven on the 'Da Xia Heavenly Pride Leaderboard', with a Cultivation at the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment Stage and no family backing him.
"In his early years, he was an ordinary loose cultivator, who later supposedly had some great fortune and subsequently joined the Caotian Sect."
"He possesses a Pink Entry 'Heaven-reaching Giant'. With each demon beast he kills, he grows taller by about an inch, and his physique also enlarges. It's a strong Body Cultivation Pink Entry, and he has only become a known Heavenly Pride in recent years."
"That doesn't sound right,"
Fat Long, standing to the side, looked at the robust man approaching them, stepping on blue lotuses, and said in confusion, "Killing one demon beast increases his height by an inch. After all these years, he's only forty yards tall?
"Shouldn't he also be over a hundred yards tall by now? With his strength, he could specifically target weak but numerous demon beast groups to kill. It should be easy, right?"
"Hmm."
The scholar nodded and explained softly, "The Pink Entry level is extremely high, something that ordinary people could never possess in their lifetime, but most Pink Entries don't directly convert to combat power."
"Take the 'Heaven-reaching Giant' Pink Entry, for instance."
"Pink Entries only have one effect, which is to allow some aspect of you to increase boundlessly, like the 'Heaven-reaching Giant's height and physique, just like I know a Pink Entry called 'I Have a Sword', which makes your Flying Sword speed increase by a minute amount with every demon beast you kill."
"And in the Cultivation World, where talented and powerful individuals abound, having a body over forty yards tall has almost no use, becoming more of a sitting target, the focal point in a crowd."
"Only by gathering some compatible entries, like entries that increase bodily strength with size, or certain matching Cultivation Techniques, can the full power of a Pink Entry be unleashed. Otherwise, a single Pink Entry isn't very strong."
"The power of Pink Entries lies in their rarity and their boundless growth potential. To truly bring out the strength of Pink Entries, however, you must possess other entries that match well with them."
"It's just..."
"In this world, there are countless entries, and aside from those obtained by breakthroughs in Great Realms, acquiring additional entries through other means is incredibly difficult."
"Without these matching entries, his stature, no matter how tall or large it becomes, is meaningless. And with this appearance in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, his Cultivation precisely meets the entry conditions. Such a level of Secret Realm could potentially grant him additional entries."
"This sudden arrival here likely means he is preparing to enter the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, taking a gamble."
"..."
Chen Qiu stood in place, looking at the robust man in the sky who, despite being quite far, appeared as though he was only an arm's length away. His expression was complex, and he remained silent; he also possessed a Pink Entry.
'Dantian Expansion (Unique)'.
Moreover, it was the only Pink Entry, and he had already matched it with a compatible White Entry, just waiting to break through the Foundation Establishment Stage and master a spell. Then, his combat power would greatly increase.
Only then would he truly have a voice in this strange world.
"Let's go."
Without saying more, he gestured to the scholar to get ready to move. The scholar nodded in understanding, and as the green peak shot into the clouds, the four people quickly vanished from the spot.