Mortal: Starting by joining the Falling Cloud Sect

To Zhou Qing's surprise, Chen Qiaoqian was still somewhat unwilling to give up and wanted to try again. She tentatively asked, "Junior Brother Zhou, is there anything you urgently need right now? Perhaps I can find it for you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but recall something, and suddenly remembered that his Azure Phoenix Egg needed some wind-attribute spiritual objects to accelerate the hatching process.

He had originally planned to return to Tiantian City during his free time to search for the items there, so he didn't think much of it after arriving at Tiantai Valley.

Now that Chen Qiaoqian had suddenly brought it up, Zhou Qing had a bit of an idea. He remembered that Chen Qiaoqian came from a cultivation family, and there was a Golden Core cultivator in the family. Such a large family would surely have some treasures.

Therefore, after pondering for a moment, Zhou Qing said, "Senior Sister Chen is truly persistent. However, what you just said has indeed reminded me that I currently need some wind-attribute spiritual items. If Senior Sister Chen has any wind-attribute spiritual items, then I am willing to exchange them for a bottle of pills!"

"A wind-attribute spiritual object?" Chen Qiaoqian seemed to be in a bit of a dilemma. Wind-attribute spiritual energy is rare in the world, and even wind-attribute spirit stones are rare, let alone those more valuable spiritual objects.

"I didn't expect Junior Brother Zhou to want such a rare item. No wonder only iron essence caught his eye back then. I don't have any wind-attribute spiritual items right now, and it would probably take a lot of effort to find them. It seems I'm out of luck in exchanging them for Junior Brother's pills."

Chen Qiaoqian felt somewhat disappointed. Zhou Qing's pills were her only hope for a rapid advancement to the late Foundation Establishment stage. Without these pills, she would probably never be able to reach the Core Formation stage in her lifetime.

Two hundred years, two hundred years, two hundred years of lifespan, will I still be able to wait for him?

Zhou Qing saw all of this, but there was nothing he could do. As the saying goes, "When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven." He should take care of himself first, as he simply didn't have the ability to support others.

With a slight expression of regret, Zhou Qing cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and turned to leave.

He had completed his mission of meeting with Fairy Hongfu and reporting on the situation of Mulan's spies, and there was no reason for him to stay in Tiantai Valley any longer. Since it was still early, he might as well hurry back to the mining area.

As for the reward for killing the Mulan spy and reporting Mulan's intelligence, the Nine Kingdoms Alliance will send someone to deliver it to him in a few days, so he doesn't need to worry about it anymore.

Just as Zhou Qing turned to leave, Chen Qiaoqian recovered from her dejection and said softly, "Junior Brother Zhou, please wait. I remember there's a trade fair being held tomorrow at the Tiantai Valley Mountain and Sea Academy. The attendees are Foundation Establishment cultivators from various sects of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance stationed on the border, as well as some other invited cultivators from other sects. If you urgently need a wind-attribute spiritual item, you might have a chance to find one there."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing was somewhat tempted; the trade fair was indeed a good opportunity for him.

If all the Foundation Establishment cultivators from various sects participate, with such a large number of people, it's quite possible that one or two wind-attribute spiritual items might actually appear.

However, to Zhou Qing's surprise, Chen Qiaoqian was actually willing to tell him this information on her own initiative.

She could have easily gone to the meeting alone without telling Zhou Qing. Zhou Qing, unaware of the news, would have left Tiantai Valley that very day.

Furthermore, if a wind-attribute spiritual item were to appear at the trade fair, she might be able to seize the opportunity to acquire it, thus gaining leverage to exchange pills with Zhou Qing.

"Sigh, in this treacherous world of cultivation, I've always been inclined to think the worst of strangers. But now that someone without any ulterior motives has come along, I don't know how to deal with them," Zhou Qing thought to himself.

"Thank you for informing me, Senior Sister Chen. I'm very interested in this trade fair and would love to participate. I wonder if you could take me there?" Zhou Qing said with a slight smile.

Chen Qiaoqian smiled gently. Since she had brought it up, she naturally had this idea in mind: "Of course, I will take you to the meeting at the Mountain and Sea Academy tomorrow."

Although Chen Qiaoqian was somewhat disappointed that she failed to obtain the elixir this time, it did not affect her opinion of Zhou Qing.

It's worthwhile to cultivate a good relationship with a junior brother who is skilled in alchemy, so that there will be opportunities to exchange pills with him in the future.

As for not mentioning the information from the trade fair, she had never thought of that.

After agreeing on a time and place to meet before the trade fair, Zhou Qing asked Chen Qiaoqian where he, a Foundation Establishment stage disciple, could rest.

Zhou Qing is going to attend the trade fair, so he will definitely need to stay in Tiantai Valley for a day or two. He can't do without a place to stay.

Chen Qiaoqian replied gently, "All cultivators stationed within the Tiantai Valley have designated residences. Outside cultivators can only temporarily reside at the Tianya Pavilion at the valley entrance."

After hearing this, Zhou Qing nodded and thanked him again.

Then he said goodbye and left.

Tiantai Valley is not very large, and Zhou Qing did not spend much time traveling from the east side of Tiantai Valley to the north entrance of the valley, arriving in front of Tianya Pavilion.

This pavilion, though not large in area, has two floors, with carved beams and painted rafters, and looks quite nice from the outside.

Zhou Qing stepped into the pavilion and found the manager of the pavilion in a small room on the right side of the first floor.

The steward was just a Qi Refining stage cultivator, who was currently reclining in a chair, humming a tune leisurely.

Sensing someone enter the pavilion, he glanced over calmly and, upon discovering a Foundation Establishment cultivator had entered, immediately stood up.

The steward strode forward, a smile instantly spreading across his face: "May I ask what brings you here, senior?"

"I'll be staying in the valley for a few days. Are there any vacant rooms in Tianya Pavilion right now?" Zhou Qing asked casually.

"Yes, yes. Senior is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so you can choose any room on the second floor." The steward replied with a smile, then took out a jade tablet from his storage bag, on which were marked the rooms that were not yet occupied.

The rooms were all pretty much the same, only suitable for cultivators to meditate, rest, and recover their energy, so Zhou Qing didn't make a special selection and just picked one at random.

Immediately afterwards, the steward respectfully handed over the room's restriction token.

Zhou Qing took the token, gave a soft "hmm," and turned to go upstairs.

After Zhou Qing left, the steward took a deep breath and plopped back down in his recliner: "Phew, serving people is really hard work."

After a burst of complaints, he began to sigh again: "Sigh, what can I do? I'm still only in the Qi Refining stage. If I were a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I could look as dignified and imposing as those people."

He then sat up straight and began meditating, as if he had really made up his mind to work hard. But not long after, he felt itchy all over his body and had to lie down to feel comfortable.

The enthusiasm for cultivation that had just been ignited was extinguished again.

Although Zhou Qing had gone up to the second floor early, his divine sense was extraordinary. Although he couldn't silently infiltrate the rooms with the restrictions activated, he could easily keep an eye on the manager.

Therefore, nothing the steward did afterward escaped his detection.

After witnessing this scene, Zhou Qing was speechless. He could only sigh that it was no wonder he was sent to such an insignificant place. The Nine Kingdoms Alliance had truly made the best use of everyone's talents.

After resting for a night, Zhou Qing went out early the next morning and rode his magical artifact straight to the center of Tiantai Valley.

Zhou Qing and Chen Qiaoqian met in a small pavilion built against the mountain.

The two of them walked together along the mountain path, deeper and deeper into the forest.

After passing through a dense forest, Zhou Qing looked up and saw a lake stretching out before him. The lake was as smooth as a mirror, without a ripple, and his and Chen Qiaoqian's figures were clearly reflected in the clear water.

On the lakeside, at the foot of the green hills, there sits a courtyard covering several acres.

That's the Mountain and Sea Academy.