The Rise of the Sect: I am the most persistent person in the world of immortal cultivation

After inviting Ye Yang aboard, Song Fengzi flicked his finger, and the flying boat shot towards the sea like an arrow.

The spray from the waves condensed into glistening droplets at the stern of the boat, which then dissipated into tiny sparks of light upon landing.

Ye Yang stood at the bow of the boat, the sea breeze caressing his face, carrying a faint scent of water.

He gazed into the distance, gliding across the East China Sea and through the ethereal mist shimmering with seven-colored light.

From time to time, long sea fish leap out of the water in the mist, their scales reflecting a glass-like luster.

The water droplets that spewed from its mouth turned into dew pills as they landed. Although they were not of high quality, they were still rare spiritual objects in the mortal world.

A short while later, while sailing, they saw cranes flapping their wings faintly in the distant clouds.

The crane's cry was clear and melodious, and its wings left golden trails as they passed, upon which stood many children.

Seeing this, Matsukaze spoke up.

"This is the crane-releasing boy from Penglai, who has gone off to herd sheep on a crane."

Halfway through their journey, a floating fairy island suddenly rose from the sea.

The island is dotted with magnificent buildings, their roofs covered with pale golden glazed tiles that shimmer brilliantly in the sunlight.

Matsukazeko continued to explain.

"That's Liuxia Island. The island is rich in Liuxia grass, which can be refined into a spiritual elixir to stabilize the mind."

Along the way, we were greeted by a dazzling array of wonders.

A pure white tortoise carries the sacred mountain slowly, its shell covered with thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, radiating a rich spiritual energy.

There is a spiritual plant garden suspended in mid-air, with vines as green as jade, covered with fist-sized fruits, the peels of which shimmer with a faint spiritual light.

You can also see the wreckage of ancient warships lying on the seabed. Although the hulls are broken, they still exude a majestic ancient aura.

Ye Yang was amazed.

Such an ethereal aura is truly extraordinary.

Only the undeveloped Penglai Immortal Mountain, situated between the secluded and the visible world, possesses such scenery.

After about half a day, the group finally arrived at their destination.

The outline of a sacred mountain finally came into view.

Ye Yang looked up and saw that the mountain was made entirely of light blue jade.

The mountains are majestic, piercing the clouds, with their peaks hidden in thick clouds.

The Wind Chaser slowly landed at the foot of the immortal mountain.

Song Fengzi led Ye Yang deeper into the mountains.

Before long, the two arrived at a secluded valley.

At the entrance of the valley stand two huge blue stones, with twisted runes carved on them. A faint black spiritual light flows between the runes, giving them a mysterious air.

"This is the entrance to the Ghost Market. It is usually covered by an array, and only those with invitations can enter."

As Song Fengzi spoke, he took out a jade talisman and gently touched it on the bluestone. The talisman suddenly lit up, and a black light screen instantly appeared at the entrance of the valley. Within the light screen, figures could be vaguely seen moving.

Passing through the light curtain, the view inside the valley suddenly opened up.

Dozens of cave dwellings were located in the center of the valley.

The cave entrance is made of sandalwood, adorned with ink washes, radiating a soft, ethereal glow and creating a unique atmosphere.

Song Fengzi led Ye Yang to a cave dwelling.

The words "Yunxi Cave" are engraved on the lintel of the cave entrance. The characters are vigorous, powerful, and incredibly elegant.

"Senior, this is the cave dwelling prepared for you. There is a spirit-gathering array inside to help you cultivate. The spirit tea and spirit fruit you need have also been prepared."

Ye Yang nodded.

"Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist." After saying that, Ye Yang stepped into the cave. He saw that the interior was simply furnished but elegant.

On the stone table sits a tea set made of mutton fat jade, with a tea caddy made of millennia-old purple clay, its surface engraved with exquisite cloud patterns.

Clearly, the other party had made careful preparations.

Next month.

Ye Yang cultivates in his cave every day, and occasionally he will leave the cave to explore the depths of Penglai Immortal Mountain.

He discovered a thousand-year-old snow lotus beside a desolate spring. Its petals were snow-white, but the center was faintly golden, exuding a rich spiritual energy.

I also found a Buddhist relic under the ruins of an ancient temple in a primitive old forest road.

Although it has lost most of its power, it is still a rare material for refining weapons.

Time flies, and the month-long period has passed in the blink of an eye.

That morning, Ye Yang was meditating in his cave when he suddenly sensed a strange fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from the direction of the Ghost Market entrance.

He got up and walked out of the cave, only to see the black light curtain at the entrance of the valley suddenly become denser.

A commotion arose from within the light screen, and countless figures could be vaguely seen converging towards the valley.

Song Fengzi had appeared outside the cave at some point, smiling as he spoke to Ye Yang.

"Senior Ye, the Ghost Market has opened."

Ye Yang looked up and saw the black light curtain in the valley slowly unfold, revealing a road paved with bluestone slabs.

Lanterns made of spirit fire hung on both sides of the avenue, their eerie blue light illuminating the road ahead.

At the end of the avenue, a huge square can be vaguely seen, filled with various stalls displaying a dazzling array of treasures.

Ye Yang was well aware of the strange custom of the Ghost Market: "not recognizing identities and not revealing true appearances."

He raised his hand and took out a black silk scarf from his storage ring.

This silk scarf was taken from the storage bag of some unlucky cultivator who had been killed.

It has the ingenious function of changing one's appearance and concealing oneself from being investigated.

Ye Yang gently placed the silk scarf over his face, and it quickly transformed into a thin layer of black mist, completely concealing his face.

Seeing that Ye Yang was ready, Song Fengzi also took out a bronze animal horn mask and put it on.

The two walked along the bluestone-paved road.

The eerie blue flames on both sides of the road flickered, casting the shadows of the surrounding cultivators at varying lengths.

The monks along the way all adhered to the rule of "not speaking".

They don't speak to each other unless the topic of exchanging treasures comes up.

Even when passing by, they would only glance quickly at each other's stalls without pausing for a moment.

There was a monk wrapped in a dark red cloak, whose stall displayed the remains of half an ancient puppet, its bronze joints already rusted.

He simply sat quietly on the futon, his fingers unconsciously stroking the puppet's head, neither shouting nor introducing it.

"Senior Ye, this is the 'Quiet Sale Custom' of the Ghost Market."

Matsukaze explained in a low voice.

"The stall owners never actively promote their products. Buyers have to rely on their own judgment and ability to distinguish between genuine and fake items. If they make a mistake and buy something worthless, they can only accept their bad luck and cannot get compensation later."

“Last year, a cultivator traded half of a Daoist manual for a stone that seemed to contain spiritual energy. When he got back and cut it open, he found it was full of ordinary stone marrow. He was so angry that he vomited blood on the spot, but he could only accept it.”

Ye Yang nodded, his gaze falling on a stall surrounded by many cultivators.

The stall owner was a short monk, wearing a large gray-brown cloak.

Even his hands were hidden in his sleeves, and only three items were displayed on his stall. (End of Chapter)