Eternal Life: I Can Sell Everything

In Pinglan City, a saying circulates: "To live an Immortal Lifespan of three thousand years without seeing Bright Moon Square is to live in vain."

The words might be an exaggeration, but the beauty of Bright Moon Square was indeed undeniable and apparent at a single glance.

Standing before the main archway of Bright Moon Square, one’s gaze was first drawn upward to the giant "bright moon" deep within the marketplace.

It was nearly evening, but the sun had not yet completely set.

Though the air was a bit chilly, a golden radiance drifted like motes of dust between the buildings with their hooked eaves and soaring corners, making the magnificent spectacle of the Mortal World resemble a heavenly palace.

The descending sun and the great moon deep within the streetscape complemented each other, creating the wondrous spectacle of the sun and moon shining in the sky at once!

Before Song Ciwan could even ask, Xie Yunxiang, as if reading her mind, spoke in a proud and admiring tone, "Brother Xin, this floating moon isn’t just a decoration. It’s actually an Anomalous Grotto Heaven! Here in Bright Moon Square, some guests receive invitations to the Bright Moon Grotto Heaven. It’s said that if you go inside, one day of Cultivation is equivalent to an entire year outside!"

Song Ciwan asked in surprise, "What’s an Anomalous Grotto Heaven?"

’She thought of her own Vast Sea Grotto Heaven!’

Xie Yunxiang said, "A true Grotto Heaven is usually at least Spirit Treasure Level. Those are treasures only the most powerful Upper Sects possess; they’d never appear in the secular world. Anomalous Grotto Heavens are said to be a slightly lower Level. They need to be attached to an Earth Vein to take form and can’t exist as a self-contained, independent world like a true Grotto Heaven."

"Still, Anomalous Grotto Heavens are quite remarkable. Every single one can generate at least one specialty product."

"Take this Bright Moon Grotto Heaven, for example. Its specialty is Bihua Spring. I’ve heard that Bihua Spring has the special effect of refining one’s innate aptitude. A single drop often fetches a price of over a thousand Primordial Pearls at auction!"

"What an outrageous fortune!" Xie Yunxiang sighed in conclusion. "If the backer of the Bright Moon Grotto Heaven weren’t Qionghua Pavilion, people would be cracking skulls to get their hands on this Bihua Spring... Tsk!"

Song Ciwan listened intently, offering encouraging words at just the right moments. This spurred Xie Yunxiang on, and he began to talk even more animatedly, revealing a torrent of information.

As Song Ciwan listened, she compared his words to her own Vast Sea Grotto Heaven and was inwardly astonished.

Her Vast Sea Grotto Heaven currently had an internal space of about thirty cubic meters.

Compared to a normal, mature Grotto Heaven, this space was pitifully small.

But the Vast Sea Grotto Heaven was an independent Grotto Heaven. It could exist on its own, without needing to rely on Earth Vein Primordial Qi!

From this perspective, the foundation of the Vast Sea Grotto Heaven was far more sound than that of the Bright Moon Grotto Heaven. It was a true Grotto Heaven, not like the Bright Moon Grotto Heaven—which, though called an "Anomalous Grotto Heaven," was in reality a "pseudo-Grotto Heaven."

And the Vast Sea Grotto Heaven also had its own specialty product.

’The One Element Heavy Water must be the Vast Sea Grotto Heaven’s specialty!’

Although the output of this specialty was minuscule, and its production rate was so slow that Song Ciwan had no idea when the Vast Sea Grotto Heaven might produce a second drop of One Element Heavy Water, its Level was also far higher than that of Bihua Spring.

After all, One Element Heavy Water was one of the Innate Ten Great Divine Waters!

The prospects of the Vast Sea Grotto Heaven were truly thrilling to consider.

Song Ciwan reined in her emotions and continued to walk into the districts of Bright Moon Square, making small talk with Xie Yunxiang.

Bright Moon Square covered an immense area. It boasted eight main avenues, each wide enough for sixteen horse-drawn carriages to travel abreast, not to mention its innumerable smaller streets and alleys.

Besides the commoners who had always lived within the market district, those who entered Bright Moon Square were either from well-to-do families or were Cultivators.

Of course, anyone from a family with some means would generally embark on the path of Cultivation.

Even if they lacked the aptitude to become an Immortal through Cultivation, they would at least pursue Martial Arts Training or scholarly studies.

In a world where ultimate power resided with the individual, who wouldn’t yearn for greater strength?

Without power, even a vast fortune was as precarious as duckweed on water or a willow catkin in the wind; it could all vanish into thin air at any moment.

Xie Yunxiang said, "Brother Xin, look up ahead. That’s Yao Fang Courtyard. It’s the home of Princess Chunshui, the one who’s been causing such a stir in the city lately, making several young masters from prominent families fight over her. The affair even led to a death."

His tone was one of morbid curiosity, and he lowered his voice, snickering. "So, Brother Xin? What do you say? Should we go pay a visit to this Princess Chunshui?"

Song Ciwan arched a brow. ’See Princess Chunshui?’

’Honestly, she wasn’t that curious. Who knew what schemes were at play with this Princess Chunshui? Several young masters from prominent families had already died over her, yet instead of her business suffering, she was attracting even more onlookers!’

’What did that say about the baser side of human nature?’

Just as Song Ciwan was about to politely decline Xie Yunxiang’s offer, a group of young men suddenly burst out of the main entrance to Yao Fang Courtyard up ahead.

The young men were all dressed as Scholars, each wearing a square cap and a blue robe. At a glance, they all seemed to possess a refined air.

One of them was especially conspicuous. He stormed out from the crowd, shoving aside someone who tried to hold him back. With a flick of his sleeves, he said furiously, "Brother Sheng, I have already made it clear! I intend to mourn my fiancée for three years, and I will honor that promise with single-minded devotion!"

He was so furious his eyes were rimmed with red, and his voice trembled. "Lady Yue and I knew each other since we were children. We were childhood sweethearts, bound by our betrothal. But fate is fickle, and our connection was ultimately too shallow. When disaster struck Su Yang City, Lady Yue... did not survive..."

Overcome with emotion, he choked back a sob.

And then, Song Ciwan, standing ten paces away, watched as the Heaven and Earth Scale materialized before her eyes.

A mass of qi was collected: [Human Desires: The sorrow, pain, and regret of a Qi Nourishing Realm Scholar. Eight taels, nine mace. Exchangeable.]

Song Ciwan was stunned. This mass of qi came from the Scholar up ahead—her "former fiancé," Wang Yi!

’Not long ago, she had been thinking about Wang Yi. Of all the little lambs she had sheared for their wool, Wang Yi was the one who shed his most willingly.’

’If such a high-quality, renewable source of wool could exist forever, Song Ciwan truly hoped he wouldn’t go astray...’

’But Song Ciwan truly never expected Wang Yi’s output to be so explosive. He hadn’t just avoided going astray; he was flourishing far too magnificently!’

’After all, "Song Ciwan herself" wasn’t even here.’

’The person standing here, the one everyone saw, was "Xin Mian"!’

’Wang Yi wasn’t even facing her, nor had he noticed "Xin Mian" standing nearby. He was just pouring his heart out to his companions, and yet his emotions were so intense they had triggered the Heaven and Earth Scale.’

’The Fetal Transformation Technique could deceive the eyes of the world, but it couldn’t interfere with the Heaven and Earth Scale’s ability to collect "human desires."’

’All she could say was that Wang Yi truly was a peerless actor, one with a conviction so strong he could deceive the heavens, the earth, and even himself.’

’He was just so touching!’