Cultivation begins with ice harvesters

Chapter 128: Honglan Market

Having just passed through the forest of ice pillars, Tong Bingfeng was greeted by a familiar and lively hawking sound, which made him feel a little disoriented.

The last time I saw such a bustling scene, with people coming and going, shoulder to shoulder, and vying to sell their wares, was in the Ice Sea Market.

Even deep within the ice domain where the spirit ice mine is located, the five trading points mainly consist of simple shops, and when a cultivator occasionally appears, he usually comes and goes in a hurry.

This Bitter Sea Ice Domain, located above the Lawless Ice Domain, is barren of spiritual creatures and teeming with demonic beasts. The appearance of such a bustling market here is naturally extremely surprising and unbelievable.

Judging from the expressions on the faces of the passing cultivators, they were clearly aware of the situation in Honglan Market. They were only focused on finding the spiritual items they needed and did not pay attention to the expression of Tong Bingfeng, a newcomer to the market.

Apart from the sizable area where individual cultivators set up stalls, deep within the market, rows of uniformly sized shops rose up, all surrounded by two-story stone pavilions. The core area of ​​the market consisted of four-story stone pavilions. Although there were many cultivators coming and going in the market, the layout was orderly and well-organized.

In the bustling market, Tong Bingfeng also saw several evil cultivators, clearly carrying a bloody aura, entering and leaving different shops.

These unruly, murderous, and wicked cultivators, who committed all sorts of evil deeds, actually traded spirit stones or spiritual items in the market. Although other cultivators were wary, they did not take any extreme actions.

Every fifteen minutes, a market guard team of ten late-stage Qi Refining cultivators would pass through the market. These cultivators wore standard first-grade high-quality defensive magic armor, and their spears and broadswords were equally menacing.

If any cultivator fails to follow the rules of Honglan Market, the market's guards will immediately take action to kill them in order to maintain the market's dignity and normal operation.

"In Honglan Market, the supply of commonly used first-tier spiritual items is basically complete. Spirit pills, magic tools, spirit talismans, formations, and spirit beast eggs are all sold stably by various shops."

"There are also some shops that specialize in selling items used by evil practitioners, such as bones, blood, grave soil, hanging ropes, century-old yin wood, and rotten coffins."

"It is said that among the four-story shops located in the heart of the market, there is a special area for Foundation Establishment cultivators to purchase second-tier spiritual items. Being able to find the location of this market with the help of the map makes this battle worthwhile."

Half a day later, Tong Bingfeng took a temporary rest in a tavern that specializes in selling spiritual food and wine, and analyzed the information gathered from all sides.

They were quite satisfied with the Honglan Market before them, where they could buy almost all the spiritual items needed for daily cultivation with just spirit stones.

The only drawback is that the price for acquiring various monster corpses is relatively low, while the prices for various magical artifacts, elixirs, formations, and other spiritual items are much higher.

The tavern was bustling with people coming and going. Since cultivators from the Bitter Sea Ice Domain were constantly fighting with demonic beasts and walking on the edge of life and death, one can imagine how tense they were.

Therefore, spirit wine becomes an indispensable companion, which is beneficial for cultivation and can effectively relax the mind. When one feels dizzy and lightheaded, some boastful words will naturally come out.

Tong Bingfeng sat comfortably in an inconspicuous corner, eating spiritual food and drinking spiritual tea. However, during his observation period, his ears were perked up, searching for any possible useful information to improve his understanding of the Bitter Sea Ice Domain and Honglan City as much as possible.

"No wonder such a large number of cultivators gathered in Honglan Market, and they were so orderly. It turns out that there were two Foundation Establishment cultivators in charge behind the scenes."

This is the most valuable information obtained in the tavern: the Foundation Establishment cultivators behind Honglan Market are a married couple who specialize in dual cultivation. Together, they can fight four cultivators of the same level without being at a disadvantage.

Such strength is in no way inferior to some Foundation Establishment stage families stationed on small to medium-sized second-tier spirit islands, so ordinary cultivators naturally dare not provoke them.

The evil cultivators who usually act recklessly transform into law-abiding children here, mainly engaging in transactions. Under the absolute suppression of power, all rules can be effectively crushed.

"Honglan Market also has cave dwellings for rent. Qi Refining Stage 8 cultivators can rent a Tier 1 High-Grade Cave Dwelling. Under the protection of two Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, safety is not a concern. The annual rent is a full 500 spirit stones, which is quite expensive."

After summarizing, analyzing, and organizing all the information, Tong Bingfeng no longer hesitated and headed straight for the area specifically responsible for renting out cave dwellings.

Five hundred spirit stones in exchange for a cave dwelling where he could live in peace and with an abundant supply of spiritual energy was, from his perspective, an extremely suitable deal.

Only after securing a relatively stable place to live can Tong Bingfeng's subsequent plans be launched; otherwise, everything will remain nothing more than a mirage, something unattainable.

"This is the place where the cave dwellings are rented."

A quarter of an hour later, in the northwest corner of Honglanfang, five large characters on the entrance of a rough-hewn stone building were very eye-catching.

Tong Bingfeng stepped inside, where there were quite a few cultivators bustling about, most of them handling various different tasks.

Some were paying spirit stones to rent a cave dwelling, others were preparing to change cave dwellings, still others were renting cave dwellings, and there were also some cultivators canceling their leases.

As the only market in the Bitter Sea Ice Domain with two Foundation Establishment stage cultivators stationed there, Honglan Market is naturally very popular among cultivators who value safety.

"I'd like to rent a top-grade first-tier cave dwelling. Are there any vacant areas available?"

After an incense stick had burned, Tong Bingfeng stood in front of a cultivator who specialized in renting first-grade high-level cave dwellings and asked him a question.

"It costs 500 spirit stones per year. If you cancel the lease early, the spirit stones will not be refunded. The rent is payable on an annual basis. If you have no objections, you may rent it."

The monk, who specialized in renting out cave dwellings, gave a rather indifferent introduction.

"Very well, I'll rent a first-grade superior cave dwelling."

Tong Bingfeng immediately handed over five hundred spirit stones. This was the most important task of this trip, so he naturally did not hesitate at all.

"Cave No. 21, Area C. This is the token. Fellow Daoist, please follow the directions to proceed."

After counting the spirit stones, the cultivator expressionlessly tossed out a token numbered C21, which was the unique identifier for passing through each protective and vigilant array.

These cave dwellings, which are rented out, are protected by arrays that are not particularly outstanding in quality. However, their advantage lies in their direct connection with the array of the entire market. If they are forcibly destroyed, it will trigger a chain reaction.

"This cave dwelling is actually a real cave dwelling. Although small, it has all the essentials: a cultivation room, a spirit beast room, a rest room, and even a spirit field specifically for cultivating spiritual herbs."

Upon arriving at the rented cave dwelling and entering, he was surprised by the scene before him. After all, according to the rules of the Northern Ice Region, the so-called cave dwelling of Qi Refining cultivators was mostly just a small courtyard with three rooms for cultivation.