Due to its proximity to the Wulao Association's territory, Jiushan Prefecture could be considered a true frontline in the ongoing war. Ownership of this region had changed hands several times over the centuries. Instead of expending effort on construction that might ultimately benefit others, both the Wanxian Alliance and the Wulao Association decided to let it remain in chaos, serving as a buffer zone for their conflicts.
Before reaching Tianchang Mountain, Qingmu True Immortal revealed his identity. After a brief moment, everyone entering Tianchang Mountain City collectively sighed with relief, and their tense nerves relaxed. Fatigue filled their hearts, and everyone decided to take a good rest in the city.
Li Fan felt it was not a big deal since he was just a clone, and there wouldn't be significant losses if he died. Not feeling much exhaustion himself, he decided to stroll around Tianchang Mountain City.
Built along the mountainside, the city's architecture and layout were quite different from other celestial cities. It consisted of nine layers, with the Transcendent Heavenly Sovereign towering at the highest level, overseeing all beneath. The next layer housed official Wanxian Alliance buildings like the Martial Arts Hall and the Celestial Mechanism Hall.
The layer below marked a clear boundary, housing the core of the city's protective array. The lower levels were more chaotic, featuring various shops and residences. Observing Tianchang Mountain City, Li Fan suddenly felt as if the upper three layers were directly pressed against the mountain, creating an out-of-place sensation compared to the other building landscapes.
One notable difference in the cities of Jiushan Prefecture was the absence of the Heavenly Mirror. Li Fan already knew before arriving that, perhaps for security reasons, no city in Jiushan Prefecture would be equipped with the Heavenly Mirror. If both parties involved in a transaction didn't possess portable Heavenly Mirrors, they had to settle transactions using spirit stones.
Li Fan's clone came here to purchase cultivation techniques. After inquiring with passersby, he quickly arrived at the Wanfa Trading Company on the sixth level. It was an inconspicuous small building, and if not for the familiar character "Wan" embroidered on the flag outside, Li Fan might have thought he had the wrong place.
No one welcomed him at the entrance, and upon entering, the lighting dramatically changed. Li Fan then realized that the small building held a hidden world inside, filled with bustling crowds resembling a lively marketplace. It seemed as if he had entered a vibrant bazaar where many cultivators set up stalls.
After a brief observation, Li Fan noticed that the crowd was divided by several bright flags, each bearing the words "Artifact," "Formation," "Pill," "Talisman," "Scroll," and "Miscellaneous." In the center of all trading markets stood a towering building with a sign hanging from the top that read "Fa" (Law).
Li Fan navigated through the crowded people towards the Wanfa Tower. Inside the high building, cultivators were busy going in and out. A Qi Refinement cultivator wearing Daoist robes quickly approached and greeted him, "Esteemed guest, what are you here to buy? Techniques, restricted items, or slaves?"
"I'll just browse around for now," Li Fan replied nonchalantly. The shop attendant nodded with a warm smile, "Certainly, please feel free. If you need anything, just let us know at any time."
Li Fan began to leisurely stroll through Wanfa Tower. According to occasional prompts within the building, he understood that the goods on the first floor were only for Foundation Establishment and below. However, the variety of products astounded him. Techniques were displayed like books, demonstrating their effects in detail. There were also enslaved cultivators standing silently with lifeless eyes, specially crafted artifacts made by masters, storage rings claimed from fallen cultivators, and even personalized services for customized artifacts, slaves, or techniques.
As long as you spend some money, you can quickly obtain what you want without strolling around and searching slowly in the Wanfa Tower.
Products could only be observed, not touched. A faint light curtain separated them from the visitors.
When the spiritual sense locked onto a product, text descriptions would appear on the light curtain. If you wanted to purchase a product, you only needed to call a shop assistant and use contribution points for a swift checkout through the Heavenly Mirror.
After being purchased, the displayed image would immediately be replaced with other products, ensuring no empty spots in the shop.
...
After a stroll, Li Fan couldn't help but recall his experiences shopping before crossing over. Compared to shopping in the Heavenly Mirror, the consumption experience in Wanfa Tower seemed somewhat primitive but appeared to stimulate desires to spend even more.
Passing through a barrier, Li Fan arrived at the second floor of Wanfa Tower. According to the instructions inside, cultivators could generally only enter a floor one realm higher than their own cultivation level. The second floor focused on items related to the Golden Core realm, and it was currently the highest floor Li Fan could access.
The types of products here were similar to the first floor, just fewer in quantity. The shop assistants serving here were at the Foundation Establishment level, but they still wore smiles and maintained a courteous demeanor.
Li Fan strolled for a while and stopped in front of a cultivation technique called "Boundless Mist." Using his spiritual sense to lock onto it, the introduction appeared.
"Water attribute Golden Core cultivation technique."
"After cultivation, the spiritual energy in the body is like an endless lake, boundless in its use; the figure is like faint and ethereal light smoke, difficult for gods and spirits to fathom."
"Selling price: 70,000 contribution points."
"Buyout price: 140,000 contribution points."
This buyout price was something that didn't appear on the first floor. Curious, Li Fan inquired with the shop assistant.
After an explanation, Li Fan understood. The normal selling price actually only sold the right to use the cultivation technique, and a backup copy of the technique remained in Wanfa Tower. For some reason, if the sold cultivation technique went unused for thirty years, it would revert to the backup copy.
Wanfa Tower will re-list and sell this cultivation technique.
As for the buyout price, it represents the complete and permanent purchase of the cultivation technique.
Once sold, Wanfa Tower will no longer retain a backup copy of the cultivation technique.
The buyer cultivator will possess the full ownership of the cultivation technique.
If the buyer accidentally loses the cultivation technique, they cannot retrieve it through Wanfa Tower.
If the buyer cultivator dies without leaving behind an inheritance, then this cultivation technique will be completely lost.
"It's quite interesting, the buyout of a cultivation technique..."
"The price is twice the regular selling price..."
"Whether it's a profit or a loss, it's really hard to say."
Not in a hurry to make a purchase, Li Fan remembered that he hadn't seen any of the "forbidden items" mentioned by the shop assistant when entering.
He couldn't help but inquire about it.
"It's like this, the forbidden items sold in Wanfa Tower don't necessarily have high prices."
"It's just that, due to various reasons, they are not suitable for open sale."
"If you want to visit, you need to sign a confidentiality contract first."
The shop assistant explained enthusiastically.
Li Fan had no objections and promptly signed the contract.
The assistant took out a golden "法" character talisman.
A layer of golden light emerged from above, enveloping the two.
In the blink of an eye, Li Fan appeared in another unknown floor.
There were even fewer products and customers here.
Li Fan looked around with great interest.
Indeed, these were forbidden items.
The first thing Li Fan saw deeply piqued his interest.
"Seizure of the Supreme Primordial Scripture Chart by the Transmission Law Celestial."
(End of this chapter)