Chương 80: The Bane of the Yang Family

If Zhang Huaijin hadn't burst onto the scene so unexpectedly, Jiang Wenshi's strength would have guaranteed him a spot in the top ten. For any cultivator who made the top ten, the merit points earned would be enough to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill. That pill was the real prize at stake. Even though Zhang Huaijin had already demonstrated formidable combat prowess, Jiang Wenshi just couldn't let it go. Never mind that Zhang Huaijin had already become a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator.

He was only at Early stage, while Jiang Wenshi was at Late stage. In Jiang Wenshi's eyes, Zhang Huaijin was still practically a junior. And wasn't it perfectly normal for an elder to say a few words to a junior? Later, Jiang Wenshi managed to acquire a Diamond Stone, which finally settled the score a little in his mind and let him vent some of that pent up frustration. Huaijin's face remained completely impassive.

'How did this guy ever cultivate all the way to the Late stage of Foundation Establishment with such a narrow mind?' Zhang Huaijin felt a bit speechless. Jiang Wenshi's hostility was completely undisguised, hardly befitting someone nearly two hundred years old. He had clearly seen Zhang Huaijin's potential. But he just couldn't hide his inner turmoil, driven by the urge to put the younger man in his place. Fang Xinjin and Zhou Yuezi also witnessed this scene.

Their expressions were indifferent, showing no reaction whatsoever. The other cultivators watched quietly, but many inwardly despised Jiang Wenshi. Zhang Huaijin's merit points had been hard earned, fair and square. If you weren't as capable, then you should strive to surpass him when the next spirit beast tide comes. What was the point of sneering and making snide remarks? All it did was make Zhang Huaijin wary and widen the rift between them. Huaijin simply ignored the man and said nothing. The trade continued.

One by one cultivators stepped up, bringing out their treasured possessions to exchange for the resources they needed. Huaijin also took the stage. He offered a Tier 2, low grade spirit artifact in exchange for Tier 2 ore. In the end, he secured three pieces of low grade Tier 2 ore. Jiang Wenshi watched from the sidelines, his heart full of contempt. Granted, Zhang Huaijin showed great potential and his cultivation advanced quickly. But the path of cultivation was no easy journey.

The bottlenecks between Early and Middle, and then between Middle and Late, were not so easily breached. By the time Zhang Huaijin's cultivation caught up, Jiang Wenshi would have long since stepped into the perfection stage of Foundation Establishment realm. Zhang Huaijin returned to his seat, having gained three pieces of low grade Tier 2 ore. With his forging skills, and by adding some other materials, he could easily forge three Tier 2, low grade spirit artifacts from them.

A guaranteed profit with no risk of loss. His neighbors, Gao Zhengxin and Yan Siyan, also took their turns on stage, displaying their own rare collections. Each obtained what they were looking for. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Most Tier 2 spiritual objects were held in the hands of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. They didn't circulate very often, mostly being traded internally.

So this trade fair was an excellent opportunity for all the cultivators present. They could acquire the resources they truly desired, exchange what they had for what they lacked, and boost their overall strength. Just then, a cultivator rose and walked onto the high platform. He was tall and burly, with flaming red hair and a thick, bushy beard covering his chin. Dressed in a crimson robe, his eyes blazed with intensity. By his appearance alone, he looked like a man with an explosive temper.

Huaijin's eyes narrowed slightly. Having just recently advanced to Foundation Establishment Realm, he wasn't very familiar with all the Foundation Establishment cultivators present. But he had heard of this one. His name was Yen Tianyang, and he was one of Langya County's rogue cultivators. He was also the bane of the Yang Family (Qi Refining clan in Langya County).

Back in the day, the Yang Family had painstakingly saved resources for thirty years to finally get their hands on a single Foundation Establishment Pill. But someone ambushed them on the road, slaughtering their clansmen and making off with the pill. That someone was Yen Tianyang. If it weren't for Yen Tianyang, the Yang Family might have become a Foundation Establishment Realm power themselves. But that was fate. Yen Tianyang, a rogue cultivator from the start, had forged his path through bloodshed and battle.

His combat experience was terrifying. Using that stolen Foundation Establishment Pill, he successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Then he immediately fled Langya County. By the time the Yang Family found him, they were in no position to seek revenge. When Yen Tianyang finally showed his face again in Langya County, he was already at the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Even the three Foundation Establishment families in Langya County wouldn't casually provoke him.

It was wiser to stay on good terms. And so Yen Tianyang played both sides, settling comfortably in Langya County Town. He even drew a salary from the county for "guarding the market town," as the three families all tried to curry favor with him. As for the Yang Family, though they hated him to the bone, there was nothing they could do.

"Fellow Daoists! Feast your eyes on this!" Yen Tianyang's voice was gruff. From his palm, a black map fragment materialized. Slowly, he unfurled it before the assembly. Huaijin's expression remained unchanged, but his pupils contracted sharply before instantly returning to normal. Inside, he was shaken. Because the fragment in Yen Tianyang's hand was identical to the incomplete map he had found in the Purple Spirit Tiger's den.

The only difference was that his fragment bore the character for "Yin", whereas Yen Tianyang's fragment showed "Yang". A faint red glow seemed to ripple along the edges of the black fragment map.

"This is a fragment I stumbled upon by chance," Yen Tianyang continued.

"It may very well conceal the legacy of a Purple Mansion Realm, or perhaps even a Golden Core Realm cultivator! I've explored it extensively but haven't found any leads. So I've decided to trade it away for resources that will benefit me directly. My asking price isn't high. I'll take any kind of Tier 3 resource. Anything at all. And this fragment is yours." After Yen Tianyang finished speaking, a heavy silence fell over the entire pavilion.

"Fellow Daoist Yen, are you mad?" A Mid stage cultivator let out a cold laugh.

"Or do you take everyone here for a fool?"

"Exactly," sneered another.

"Hawk a vague, unsubstantiated map fragment and demand Tier 3 resources? You're living in a fantasy." Yen Tianyang's demands were truly outrageous. Fang Xinjin and Zhou Yuezi frowned slightly, their spiritual sense swirling as they repeatedly scanned the fragment. But they could make no sense of it. Seeing that the two most prominent figures found nothing, they lost interest. The first cultivator was right. A mere fragment of a phantom map, asking for Tier 3 resources was pure delusion.

"One Tier 2, low grade spiritual herb. Will you take it or not?" Suddenly, an Early stage cultivator spoke up. This was Lu Anlan, a rogue cultivator from Shangfu County. He was at the second level of Foundation Establishment, having been at this stage for over thirty years, his progress grindingly slow. Hope shone in his eyes, a gambler's hope, a desire to take a chance, to see if maybe, just maybe, this fragment held a destiny for him.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, are you joking?" Yen Tianyang looked exasperated.

"This is about a potential inheritance from a Purple Mansion Realm or Golden Core Realm expert! Do you really think a single, Tier 2 herb is enough?... I asked for Tier 3 resources. Not Tier 2!"