Chen Qiu quickly stepped forward and looked towards where the bearded man had been just a moment ago. He was now in midair, falling through the clouds at the speed of a free fall into the abyss. With the height of this mountain, even a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage would undoubtedly be doomed.
However—
About a dozen breaths later.
The bearded man suddenly appeared out of nowhere beside him, still holding Fat Long. Without speaking to them, he took a running start and jumped into the cliff once again.
"How about that?"
Fat Long surveyed the surroundings and said excitedly, "Feels good, doesn't it? This is also my first time; one or two silvers each time was too expensive for me before. I never felt like splurging."
"That bearded guy and the man next to him eating sunflower seeds are brothers."
"These two brothers awakened an extremely special 'Bloodline Entry' right when they broke through the Qi Refinement Realm."
"It's an entry that can only awaken between direct blood relatives with an extremely low probability."
"The entry effect allows their blood separated by water to be one and the same; as long as they are within a hundred kilometers of each other, one can instantly teleport to the other's side, regardless of the environment."
"I'm not sure exactly what level the entry is, but it's definitely not low,"
"And that bearded guy, after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, gained the rare blue entry, 'Never Fall to Death,' which means no matter how high he falls from, he won't get hurt."
"Just like that, the two guys started a rapid transit business here in 'Seeking Immortality Gate Market,' and it's been over a year now. It has also become a wonderful story around the 'Seeking Immortality Gate Market.'"
"..."
Chen Qiu stood there expressionless, silently, somewhat at a loss for words.
'Bloodline Entry.'
'Instant Teleportation.'
'Never Fall to Death.'
'Absolute Rule.'
With these immensely powerful entries, he could conceive countless ideas to maximize their benefits; wouldn't anything be more lucrative than this rapid transit venture?
One or two silvers each time.
In a day, that probably wouldn't amount to more than a few Spirit Stones, right?
What's the difference between that and using an Emperor's golden hoe for gardening?
At the very least... at the very least, couldn't you set up some sort of long-distance rapid transit between two cities, and definitely earn more than this?
He wasn't sure whether you could only take one person at a time, but if any physical contact sufficed, or if control was enough for the transport, then taking seventeen or eighteen people at once shouldn't be a problem.
This is just considering its commercial value; if it's strategic, then it's like having a sneak-attack squad that can strike anywhere unexpectedly!
Such a powerful ability... and you use it for mountain climbing rapid transit?
Chen Qiu felt somewhat faint; such wasteful handling of resources made the corners of his mouth twitch involuntarily.
Just then—
The young man sitting cross-legged on the ground next to him, absorbed in a comic book and idly cracking sunflower seeds, casually said, "The guy who brought you up is my brother. He's a bit shy around strangers and doesn't talk much."
"You can find me if you need to go back down as well, same price."
"How much are you earning per day now?"
Chen Qiu stared at the young man and asked; he truly felt these two were squandering their potential, "No matter how much you make, work for me, and I'll pay you three times as much each day."
Although he didn't have that many Spirit Stones right now, he believed that if he could employ these two, he would quickly earn a large amount of Spirit Stones.
"Oh."
The young man, upon hearing the words, lifted his eyelids and glanced at Chen Qiu, then couldn't help but laugh. "Brother, you are quite interesting. Many have tried to recruit us, but you're the first to offer such a modest price."
"In your eyes, do my brother and I only worth six Spirit Stones a day?"
"Or is it that your family can only afford to offer this much?"
"Alright, alright."
The young man waved his hand somewhat helplessly. "Looking at your clothes, it's clear you're not from a wealthy family, and you don't have much backing. Those with even a slight amount of backing would have flown here themselves, not using our fast track."
"Head over to the market through that way, and if fate allows, we'll meet again and I'll treat you to a drink."
...
Chen Qiu, upon hearing this, didn't say much more and simply turned around, taking Fat Long up a small path paved with stone steps. He had thought these two hadn't realized how powerful he was, but now it seemed they were as clear about it as one could be through a mirror.
He was merely using "Ask-the-Sky Market" to spread his fame.
Then seeking a master he could reliably serve.
Indeed.
He felt slightly envious of these two brothers. Other powers sending out recruiters would likely be even more numerous. With time, they would probably manage to join a very decent power.
This was indeed a good strategy, evidently better than proactively seeking a master to serve—as being actively recruited meant holding a much higher status and confidence within the power.
But these two brothers... clearly hadn't realized the danger involved.
Others shouldn't have what one can't have themselves—a thought not uncommon among many.
Regardless of the power they join, they would easily become targets of assassination by other powers afterward. Fame was a double-edged sword, it had its benefits and its drawbacks.
...
Not long after following the stone path, they saw a city. Its walls were even taller than those of Fufeng City and felt much thicker, shocking in appearance. But Chen Qiu didn't understand why—a city already perched atop the summit, building such expensive walls seemed like an investment against no one.
It somewhat felt like spending money just for appearances.
Fat Long, having been there once or twice, now took the lead like a tour guide and began explaining, "Once you enter those city gates, you are considered to be inside the market, access to which is free, they don't charge a fee."
"Inside, it's divided into 18 small districts and one central area."
"This gate we're entering from is 'Seeking Immortality Gate,' the main gate on the western wall of Ask-the-Sky Market."
"This market is nearly as large as Fufeng City, obviously it's more than just a trading platform. If you have embarked on the path of Cultivation, almost any demand can be met here."
"The first area you come across after entering this gate is Zone 4, also known as 'Life-Buying Zone.'
"Previously, this place was merely a platform for posting and taking assassination missions, which eventually evolved into countless forms of cooperative trading, though the area is still called 'Life-Buying Zone.'"
Chen Qiu nodded to show his understanding and stepped through the city gate, then glanced at the broad main street paved with blue bricks, which was wide enough for eight carriages to pass side by side.
The shops on both sides of the main road were festively adorned and bustling.
It all seemed quite positive energy; it was hard to associate it with the posting of assassination missions.
Along the sides of the road, numerous cultivators were sitting cross-legged, many with a sign placed in front of them.
He looked at the bald man closest to him—topless, hugging a saber with closed eyes, sitting cross-legged on the side of the main road, wearing ragged hemp pants tied at the legs, his exposed body covered with scars from healed wounds.
His head was thick with muscles, his face full of pockmarks.
He looked fierce, as if he wasn't credited with killing a hundred or so people, it would be a disservice to the fearsome image his parents had given him.
But the sign in front of this bald man made Chen Qiu ponder for a moment before his brows slightly furrowed, and then he suddenly smiled.
"Quite good."