CHAPTER 436: CHAPTER 406 PURPLE FIRE CASTLE

Don’t be fooled by the fact that only eight sects have been recruited by the Dubhe Institute this time, the number of people dispatched by the other seven sects is several times that of the Cyan Mountain Sect.

As Wind Yuzi toured the Eight Great Sects, in recent days, the prices of magical artifacts, elixirs, talismans, and other items have seen some increase in Qinghe Market, Xihe Market, Nine Cold Mountain Market within the Chu Kingdom, and even in several cultivation markets outside the Chu Kingdom.

Especially items like Qi Recovery Pill and Qi Blood Pill, which restore qi blood and magical power, have soared rapidly in price, reaching more than double the past prices.

News of the Southern Wilderness Beast Tide has also gradually spread as cultivators from various major sects shop for supplies in the markets.

This has led to the circulation of many sensational rumors.

For example, the Southern Wilderness Frontline is about to collapse, and the Demon Beast Tide is on the verge of breaking through into the Chu Kingdom, causing a certain panic in the secular world of the Chu Kingdom, with many common people feeling anxious and uneasy.

Fortunately, with the intervention of the Dubhe Institute and the major sects, the spread of such rumors was stopped.

However, as the Southern Wilderness war rises, the prices of combat supplies in each major market were increasing day by day.

After all, going to the frontline to slay demon beasts is not child’s play.

Any cultivator with some worth will try their best to equip themselves with more magical artifacts and elixirs, to enhance their equipment, strengthen their power, thus increasing their chances of survival.

Moreover, it is worth mentioning that alongside the soaring prices of various strategic supplies in the markets, the Cyan Bamboo Sword produced by the Cyan Mountain Sect has also increased from one hundred spirit stones per sword to one hundred and fifty spirit stones per sword, adding a bit to the sect’s spirit stone income.

Besides, Heaven-Facing Sect’s Profound Moon Mirror and Hengyue Sect’s Mountain Seal did not see a particularly significant price increase, roughly increasing by ten spirit stones per piece.

The reason behind this is not that Profound Moon Mirror and Mountain Seal are of a lower tier or less powerful than the Cyan Bamboo Sword; rather, Cyan Bamboo Sword, as a flying sword spiritual artifact, has a very extensive audience.

The Cyan Bamboo Sword can be used for sword control flying or as a weapon against enemies, making it very popular among cultivators.

Among magical artifacts, flying sword spiritual artifacts are the best-selling and most common artifacts, also the first artifact many cultivators use after entering the immortal dao.

Thus, the price of the Cyan Bamboo Sword will be higher than the same-tier Profound Moon Mirror and Mountain Seal.

After such sales, the Cyan Bamboo Sword quickly sold out, and there were even cultivators on the market privately reselling Cyan Bamboo Swords at an increased price of ten spirit stones per sword.

A Tier Two Lower-grade Spiritual Artifact sword can sell for one hundred seventy spirit stones, a price slightly more can purchase a Tier One Middle-Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Currently, the Cyan Bamboo Swords produced within the sect have already been sold out, leaving only a dozen in the sect’s treasury, which Lu Yuanshan did not sell but retained for the sect, making them available for sect disciples to exchange and use.

In some time, the Cyan Jade Bamboo will mature, and at that time, a large batch of new Cyan Bamboo Swords can be refined.

The popularity of the Cyan Bamboo Sword also made Lu Yuanshan see the popularity of flying sword spiritual artifacts in the cultivation realm, making the Cyan Mountain Sect’s strategy to produce Cyan Bamboo Swords undoubtedly correct.

Time flies swiftly, and the departure day has arrived, Lu Yuanshan and Lu Zhiwei led ten disciples aboard the Flood Dragon Ship heading southwest of the Chu Kingdom, towards the direction of the Southern Wilderness.

A group of disciples stood on Cyan Lotus Mountain, watching the flying ship depart into the distance.

Lu Changfeng’s face was full of seriousness: "I’ll be at the Cyan Mountain Sect, waiting for your triumphant return!"

...

Traversing across most of the Chu Kingdom, Lu Yuanshan and his group entered the territory of the Yue Kingdom.

The Yue Kingdom, located to the west of the Chu Kingdom, is twice the size of the Chu Kingdom and has been established for over a thousand years. It is a nation where sect power is strong, and the royal family’s governance is weak.

The entire Southern Wilderness forest is located in the southern part of the Yue Kingdom, occupying one-fifth of the Yue Kingdom’s territory.

The gathering point designated by the Dubhe Institute for the major sects, Purple Fire Castle, is located in Nanling County, one of sixteen counties in the Yue Kingdom.

Nanling County is a vast and sparsely populated county, bordering the Southern Wilderness forest and serving as the frontline battlefield against the Southern Wilderness Beast Tide.

Every hundred years, large-scale beast tides erupt from the Southern Wilderness forest, swarming into Nanling County, causing the area to progressively develop into a frontier battlefield, with several major sects from the Chu and Yue Kingdoms sending people to guard against the once-every-hundred-years beast turmoil.

Lu Yuanshan commanded the Flood Dragon Ship across most of Nanling County, arriving at the gathering place mentioned by the Dubhe Institute, Purple Fire Castle, and from afar aboard the flying ship, he saw the massive outline of Purple Fire Castle.

It towered majestically, like a mighty lion, sitting on the vast and boundless land.

Within this city of Purple Fire Castle, a purple flame ascends to the sky, reaching thousands of meters high, emitting dazzling and colorful purple divine brilliance that illuminates the surroundings into a pale purple hue.

This purple divine fire is located at the center of Purple Fire Castle, continuously burning, never extinguished.

According to legend, the Purple Fire Castle was originally a cave mansion constructed by a Great Divine Power User named Purple Fire Celestial Venerable whose strength had reached the Nascent Soul Stage.

However, after Purple Fire Celestial Venerable perished together with three Nascent Soul Demon Emperors during a counter against the Southern Wilderness Beast Tide more than eight hundred years ago, the Purple Fire Castle was passed on to the Dubhe Institute, becoming one of the strategic places on the Southern Wilderness Frontline.

Purple Fire Celestial Venerable’s spirit of fighting for the Human Race, sweeping across the eight wilds and six directions, and guarding the realm, also circulated on this vast land, deeply revered and worshipped by cultivators from all directions.

The existence of Purple Fire Castle can be said to be the eternal flame in the hearts of many cultivators fighting against the Southern Wilderness Beast Tide.

As long as Purple Fire Castle persists, the borders of the Chu Kingdom are secured.

Upon commanding the Flood Dragon Ship to land on the vast square of Purple Fire Castle, Lu Yuanshan found that thousands of cultivators had already gathered here.

Most of these cultivators were from the Dubhe Institute and Nine Cold Mountain.

Even cultivators from the Eight Great Sects had gathered here, making the place exceptionally lively, with cultivators in different sect attires visible everywhere, trading or chatting casually.

As soon as Lu Yuanshan and his party descended from the Flood Dragon Ship, they quickly became the focus of attention for many nearby cultivators, who began studying the origins of Lu Yuanshan’s party.

"Cyan Mountain Sect."

Seeing the Cyan Mountain Sect’s banner on the Flood Dragon Ship, some sect cultivators narrowed their eyes, scrutinizing Lu Yuanshan a few times, trying to discern his cultivation level.

When other sect cultivators saw that Cyan Mountain Sect sent only twelve people to participate in the recruitment this time, they couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, feeling incredulous.

Isn’t Cyan Mountain Sect’s representation too small?

"Sect Leader Lu, I didn’t expect you to come in person."

A voice sounded.

"Come over here."

Wind Yuzi beckoned slightly with a casual smile at Lu Yuanshan from not far away, seeming very approachable and not at all aloof.