PCJ – Chapter 553 The Three Great Holy Lands

The marketplace wasn’t set up inside the Xiyun Secret Realm, but rather in a different secret realm near the Xiyun Reservoir. However, this place had no spirit springs and was completely built up with houses.

“Dad, Daoist Friend Zhang is here,” Hua Shaobo called out loudly to Hua Zhaoyang.

Hua Zhaoyang paused his supervision of the workers and walked over. “Daoist Friend Zhang, I sincerely apologize. I’m too tied up here, so I had no choice but to let Shaobo receive you. We just got word that the Three Great Holy Lands will be sending people to participate in this marketplace. That’s raised the event’s level several notches, so some setups are being rushed last-minute.”

“The Three Great Holy Lands?” This was the first time Zhang Jiaohua had heard the term.

“You don’t know?” Hua Zhaoyang assumed that even if Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t from one of the Three Great Holy Lands, he must at least be from a reputable sect. But now it seemed that might not be the case. How could someone from a prestigious background not know about the Three Great Holy Lands?

“Shaobo, explain the Three Great Holy Lands to Daoist Friend Zhang. I’m too busy here. Daoist Friend Zhang, I hope you won’t take offense,” Hua Zhaoyang said, his enthusiasm noticeably cooled, though he remained polite.

Hua Shaobo, however, was as warm as ever. “Daoist Friend Zhang, come on, let’s find a place to sit in the lounge, and I’ll slowly explain what the Three Great Holy Lands are.”

The regular reception rooms were already prepared in advance, but now they were rushing to finish luxurious rooms specifically for those from the Holy Lands.

“Please, have a seat,” Hua Shaobo said as he led Zhang Jiaohua into a reception room and began to explain.

“To talk about the Three Great Holy Lands, we have to start with the Three Great Spiritual Veins. In China, the three main spiritual veins are Kunlun Mountain, Shushan, Mount Longhu, Buzhou Mountain, and Danxia Mountain. It’s said that these three have yet to decline like the others, so they naturally became sacred cultivation grounds. Cultivators from all over the world long to train there, but entering them is harder than ascending to the heavens. For most cultivators, access to those places is nearly impossible,” Hua Shaobo said with admiration.

It was Zhang Jiaohua’s first time hearing of these holy lands, so he wasn’t particularly impressed, even though Hua Shaobo held them in such high regard.

“Do they come to your marketplace every time?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“How could they? Most cultivation resources are controlled by them. Even a few crumbs from their fingers are treasures to us ordinary cultivators. With our meager offerings, how could we catch their eye?” Hua Shaobo said with a wry smile.

“Then why are they sending people this time?” Zhang Jiaohua asked, puzzled.

“Who knows what they’re thinking? But it’s a good thing. If we can connect with them and follow them into the Holy Lands, that would be amazing.” Hua Shaobo’s words bordered on wishful thinking.

“Hey, do you think they might be using this chance to scout for cultivation talents among the smaller sects?” Hua Shaobo suddenly suggested.

“How should I know? We’ll find out when they get here,” Zhang Jiaohua replied dismissively.

The Xiyun Marketplace actually had quite a reputation near the capital. Not only had local cultivators shown up, but others from neighboring provinces had come as well. Although the event officially started the next day, some cultivators had already arrived. Old acquaintances were catching up, and some had already begun trading cultivation goods.

The traded items were diverse—ranging from pills and spiritual herbs to regional specialties. What Hua Shaobo said was right: they weren’t trading in spirit stones like in novels. Spiritual energy was scarce these days; where would spirit stones even come from? Even if you had spirit stones, storing them in a vacuum couldn’t preserve their spiritual energy forever. Cultivators were becoming more like ordinary people, living regular lives. The mundane currency once looked down upon by cultivators had become a sought-after commodity.

“Authentic Tengchong glass-type jade, 20,000 yuan—firm price!”

“Wuyi Mountain Tea King, 100 grams—100,000 yuan!”

…

Hearing these cultivators shouting prices made Zhang Jiaohua blush—it felt like a knockoff version of Beijing’s Panjiayuan antique market.

“It’s always the same crowd at the marketplace. They don’t look like cultivators—they’re basically merchants,” Zhang Jiaohua complained.

Hua Shaobo chuckled, “There’s no helping it. Cultivation is an incredibly expensive pursuit now. The further you go, the harder it becomes. With the current scarcity of spiritual energy, the path of cultivation is like walking a tightrope. In the end, maybe no one will make it.”

Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t really listening—he kept glancing around.

“Why don’t I see anything on alchemy?” he asked curiously.

“Alchemy isn’t easy to sell, so not many people bring it,” Hua Shaobo remembered the promise he made. “Come on, I’ll show you the alchemy techniques.”

He brought Zhang Jiaohua to a room. “The materials are already prepared. Have a seat; I’ll have someone bring them in shortly. Even though these alchemy techniques aren’t top-tier secrets, we still can’t share them freely, right?”

Seeing Hua Shaobo’s tone, Zhang Jiaohua thought he wanted money and said, “You’re absolutely right, Daoist Friend Hua. How much do you want for the alchemy techniques? Just name your price—I won’t let you suffer a loss.”

“No, no, you misunderstood. I just meant you shouldn’t casually spread these techniques,” Hua Shaobo quickly clarified.

“Oh, I see. Well, once I refine some pills, I’ll give you a few as thanks,” Zhang Jiaohua offered.

“Then I thank you in advance,” Hua Shaobo said with a smile, clearly not taking it too seriously. For true cultivators, useful pills weren’t just made with common herbs like the low-grade ones used for basic energy replenishment. Real alchemical pills—spirit pills—were rich in concentrated spiritual energy and could boost cultivation rapidly. But alchemy was notoriously difficult, and spiritual herbs were rare.

Zhang Jiaohua eagerly flipped through the alchemy materials. The Xiyun Sect’s collection was quite comprehensive, but most of it was foundational theory. Crucial alchemical techniques were vague or missing—those were the truly valuable parts. There weren’t many actual pill recipes either. One that immediately caught his eye was the Gathering Spirit Pill (Juling Dan)—a low-grade pill, but far superior to basic ones.

Most importantly, the Gathering Spirit Pill was the only one Zhang Jiaohua currently had the ingredients to make. It was also the simplest pill he could possibly refine.