Chapter 50: Cultivators of the Dao of Plunder Block the Road!-From Servant to Saint: The Path to Enlightenment(The mountains rise high beneath a small, distant moon.)

“Neither I, Zhao, nor Junior Sister Xu are anything more than Qi Condensation cultivators. Merely running errands for the three market masters is already a great favor; how could we possibly know the specifics of the talisman treasure?” The man surnamed Zhao squinted, casting a sidelong glance at Shen Yan as he spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“My apologies for overstepping,” Shen Yan replied, though he didn’t believe a word of it. This pair, man and woman, were at most fifty years old, yet their cultivation had already reached mid-stage Qi Condensation. Perhaps such talent was unremarkable in some cultivation sects, but within the three great cultivation families, they were certainly considered the backbone.

After all, in this small Lan Mountain market, late-stage Qi Condensation was already a force to be reckoned with—most would not provoke such individuals lightly. People of their standing would undoubtedly be well-informed about the talisman treasure. Although talisman treasures were rare and precious, three Foundation Establishment cultivators were fully qualified and capable of possessing one, especially if it was a damaged artifact in need of repair.

“Could it be that this talisman treasure is particularly unusual?” A thought flickered through Shen Yan’s mind, and he felt increasingly certain of his suspicion. The fact that they’d dispatched two late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators just to escort him, a craftsman specializing in repairing magical artifacts, spoke volumes about how much the three market masters valued this talisman treasure.

“Let’s hope there won’t be any trouble.” Exhaling a long, quiet breath, Shen Yan held his tongue and followed the two forward, entering the grand hall at the very heart of the Lan Mountain market.

This was the headquarters of the three great families on Lan Mountain. Apart from family members, any cultivator who dared intrude upon the hall would be seen as showing grave disrespect—and even outright hostility—toward the families. It was Shen Yan’s first time here. The moment he stepped through the doors, he was greeted by a rush of dense spiritual energy that instantly refreshed his mind.

“This market sits atop a first-grade spiritual vein,” Shen Yan silently calculated as he felt the change in the ambient energy. “Second-grade spiritual veins—those blessed lands are beyond my reach, but spirit springs and spirit eyes… perhaps there’s still a chance.”

“Is this your first time in such a place, Fellow Daoist Yan?” the woman surnamed Xu asked, her expression openly mocking as she caught Shen Yan’s look of surprise.

“You’ve caught me off guard,” Shen Yan replied without irritation, thinking to himself that this woman was simply naive, far less shrewd than her male companion. “Since we’ve arrived, may I ask when you will take me to meet the three market masters?”

Shen Yan turned the conversation to business. Since there was no avoiding it, he would face it head-on. Glancing about at the diverse crowd of cultivators in the hall, he realized that the three market masters must have summoned every cultivator in the market with the skill to repair magical artifacts, all for the sake of this talisman treasure.

“No rush, no rush,” the man surnamed Zhao said with a wide smile, gesturing with a wave of his hand. “When the three market masters are ready, they will call for all the fellow Daoists.” He cast Shen Yan a meaningful look and suddenly added, “Fellow Daoist Yan, repairing this talisman treasure is the most important matter to the three market masters—don’t hold back your true abilities.”

Without waiting for Shen Yan’s reply, he took the woman with him and left. Watching them go, Shen Yan found a quiet corner, took out a meditation cushion from his storage pouch, arranged a simple formation, and silently began to circulate his breath and absorb spiritual energy.

After a period of rest, Shen Yan resumed his studies in the arts of formations, alchemy, and artifact refinement. It wasn’t until early the next morning, when a clamor of voices roused him from meditation, that he packed away his cushion and compass and headed toward the gathering crowd.

“Fellow Daoists, the three market masters invite you. Please follow me,” called an imposing elder at the front, cupping his hands in respect before raising an arm to usher everyone along.

Now that their fates were in the hands of their superiors, no one was foolish enough to slight a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The group followed the elder through the hall and arrived before a square building.

“This is the forge shared by the Chen, Xu, and Zhao families. The three market masters are already waiting for you inside the Hall of Artifice,” the elder announced, beckoning everyone to enter.

Bringing up the rear, Shen Yan was startled to find that more than forty cultivators had been summoned—far more than he’d expected.

“In the past, I never imagined that such a humble market as Lan Mountain could harbor so many cultivators skilled in artifact repair. Truly, the world is full of hidden talents,” he mused as he entered the hall with the others.

Inside, rows of implements reminiscent of mortal anvils lined the hall, their purpose to temper impurities and shape magical objects during the forging process. However, unlike the mundane flames of the mortal world, the anvils here were heated by earthfire, whose higher temperatures were far more suitable for refining magical artifacts.

At the far end of the anvils stood three figures—two men and a woman. In the center was an elderly woman, the Chen family’s Grand Elder, now well over a hundred and fifty years old and the only mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator among the three families. Flanking her were the Xu and Zhao family Grand Elders, both at early Foundation Establishment and around a century in age.

“Greetings to the three market masters,” the cultivators saluted respectfully, Shen Yan among them, bowing with proper decorum.

“There’s no need for such formality, fellow Daoists,” the Chen family Grand Elder said with a gentle smile, waving her hand. Once the company straightened, she continued with poise, “You are all the outstanding talents of our Lan Mountain market. I imagine you can all guess why we’ve invited you here today.”

After a brief pause, she went straight to the point. “Rest assured—this task of repairing the talisman treasure will not go unrewarded. Should you succeed, the three families will offer generous gifts.”

The Xu family Grand Elder, standing to her left, nodded in agreement. “You have been summoned not only to repair the talisman treasure, but also as a means to select for talent. Whoever makes a significant contribution in the process will be handsomely rewarded.”

The Zhao family Grand Elder chimed in, “The rewards will be supplied jointly by our three families: first, a supreme-grade magical artifact; three high-grade artifacts; and five mid-grade artifacts!”

At these words, an excited murmur rippled through the crowd—supreme-grade artifacts! Most present were mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivators, with a handful at the later stage and only one at the peak. No matter their level, none possessed a supreme-grade artifact, whose cost and difficulty of forging were daunting even to dream of.

That the three families were willing to offer such a prize spoke volumes about the value they placed on the damaged talisman treasure. The cultivators’ hearts stirred—even if they couldn’t win the supreme-grade artifact, there were still three high-grade and five mid-grade ones to vie for! And this was only the first reward; what more might await? Their curiosity about the talisman treasure soared—what kind of treasure could drive the three great families to such extraordinary lengths to see it restored?