As for whether the shops will successfully open next month, who can say?
After all, if Lingxian Sect fails to gather enough spirit stones and the deal falls through, well, so be it. It's not like there haven't been countless failed or shuttered markets in the mortal realm before.
However, a piece of news about Lingxian Sect spread through the world of mortal cultivators like wildfire.
Lingxian Sect has a Nascent Soul cultivator!
This rumor initially came from the sects and royal families that attended Lingxian Sect's New Year banquet. They were cautious when spreading the word, saying it was "possible" that Lingxian Sect had such a cultivator, as none had seen one with their own eyes.
But, as is often the case with rumors, details can get muddled. Before long, the "possible" became a certainty, and soon everyone was saying Lingxian Sect definitely had a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Many believed this, given that so many prestigious sects and royal families had shared the news. They wouldn't all be wrong, right?
Yet, some sects and nations remained skeptical.
After all, in the mortal realm, there hadn't been a Nascent Soul cultivator for many years. No matter how great one's cultivation talent, the highest anyone could reach was the Great Perfection of the Core Formation stage before quietly passing away.
Many in the mortal realm speculated that these great cultivators simply couldn't cross the threshold into the Nascent Soul stage.
But why, for so many years, had no one in the mortal realm been able to break through to the Nascent Soul stage?
This was a question all cultivators in the mortal world tacitly agreed never to delve into.
"Senior Brother Wan, wait for me!" A disciple of Qinglian Sect ran after his senior brother. "Senior Brother Wan, how many Speed Talismans did you make yesterday?"
"Not many, just twelve." The disciple addressed as Senior Brother Wan shook his head.
The younger disciple looked at him enviously. "That's amazing, Senior Brother! I only managed to make eight yesterday."
Senior Brother Wan continued walking and said, "Talisman-making materials are scarce, and the sect doesn't usually require us to specialize in this. For you to make eight Speed Talismans in a day after only a few days of practice is quite impressive." Speed Talismans were considered more difficult among basic talismans, and it wasn't uncommon for some to manage only three or four a day when they were still learning.
The younger disciple beamed, pleased with the praise. "Now that Qinglian Sect has gathered so many materials, we can make a lot of talismans! I heard from the elders in the Talisman Hall that if this trade deal goes through, each disciple will receive plenty of spirit stones based on the number and type of talismans they make."
"It's likely connected to the trade deal with Lingxian Sect," Senior Brother Wan remarked, clearly aware of the news.
The younger disciple nodded eagerly. "That's what everyone's saying. Though the Sect Master and elders haven't said anything directly since returning from Lingxian Sect, they've been acting with such urgency that it's probably related."
"And isn't there a city Lingxian Sect built in the Pusi Kingdom? I think it's called Shuishui City? Strange that it's not called Lingxian City. I heard there are a lot of interesting things for sale there."
Senior Brother Wan frowned. "Even though Shuishui City was built by Lingxian Sect, it's still just a mortal city, right? What could there be that would interest cultivators like us?"
The younger disciple leaned in with a mysterious grin and whispered, "You don't know, Senior Brother. Shuishui City is said to have many cultivators. There are even places that only sell treasures for cultivators. They have plenty of things we don't even have in our sect, and the prices are reasonable!"
Senior Brother Wan gave him a doubtful look. "Where did you hear this from?"
The younger disciple puffed out his chest. "Senior Brother Liu Shanqing said so."
"What, Senior Brother Liu said that?" Senior Brother Wan was surprised.
Liu Shanqing wasn't just any disciple. He was one of the personal disciples of Sect Master Qiu Juncong and had recently accompanied the sect master to Lingxian Sect's banquet. If he said it, then the information was highly credible.
"Of course! Would I lie to you, Senior Brother?" The younger disciple patted his chest as if to guarantee the truth of his words. Then, with a sly grin, he added, "Senior Brother, if we get our spirit stone rewards next month, shall we go to Shuishui City together for a visit?"
"Let's talk about next month when it comes. For now, let's focus on finishing the Speed Talismans that Elder has requested." Senior Brother Wan, ever practical, cut off his junior's daydreaming.
Conversations like these were happening across the sects and royal families that had attended the Shuishui City auction.
While none of the sects or royal families had immediately revealed everything about Shuishui City or Lingxian Sect upon returning, they hadn't stopped their disciples from speculating and spreading rumors.
As long as the heads of the sects hadn't formally spoken on the matter, they couldn't be accused of breaking any promises.
And some things, like the generous rewards of cultivation resources Lingxian Sect handed out to its disciples, were best kept secret. After all, how could sects justify telling their disciples about such lavish treatment when their own resources paled in comparison? That kind of information could seriously undermine morale.
While other sects and royal families were busy rushing to fulfill their orders, the renowned Lingxian Sect was hardly resting either.
Although Shuishui City's official holiday was from the first to the seventh day of the New Year, in truth, the members of Lingxian Sect only had three days off.
Once those three days passed, classes on various cultivation methods resumed, and the sect's various technical departments returned to work.
The orders Lingxian Sect had sent to the trading center in Shuishui City weren't small, but they consisted primarily of basic goods, which were in high demand in the cultivation world but weren't difficult to produce. These orders were suitable for the mortal realm sects to handle.
However, the orders taken on by Lingxian Sect itself were of a much higher level.
The items they needed to produce were far more advanced, as the sect still had a debt of 100,000 spirit stones to repay.
Though this sum of spirit stones would be nothing if Lin Xiao and Senior Liao were to ask for help, they weren't inclined to do so.
Since Senior Liao had reached the Nascent Soul stage and reshaped his physical body, all the wealth and treasures he had accumulated before returning to the sect were now fully accessible to him.
But Lin Xiao didn't want to burden Senior Liao by asking for assistance.
For Senior Liao, 100,000 spirit stones were indeed a drop in the ocean. He wouldn't hesitate to give them to Lin Xiao if asked, without a second thought.
However, Lin Xiao didn't want to set a precedent for relying on others for money. Once you opened that door, it could be hard to close.
Though Lin Xiao often joked about taking the soul-nurturing bed from Senior Liao's cave, he was always careful to maintain boundaries. Senior Liao was not just a senior elder of the sect but also one of the closest people to him. Lin Xiao had no intention of complicating that relationship by introducing financial entanglements.