"Put away those thoughts, there is no 'what if.' The Ten Thousand Treasure Auction is about to be held. There's nothing wrong with a mysterious alchemist showing up. Our Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip is a business; everything is business-oriented. No matter who Wan Tianren is or which force he opposes, as long as he's not a demon cultivator and wishes to trade with us, he's our guest! The reason why our Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip has stood firm in the Chuyun Realm is due to our reputation for integrity. Do you want to tarnish our Immortal Trip's reputation for a little benefit?" Tong Xin reprimanded sternly.

"Your instruction is correct." Gu Xingdong trembled and quickly bowed his head, saying.

"This is your last warning. If you make another mistake, you should return to the main office for punishment." Tong Xin said slowly.

"Yes, I had inappropriate thoughts." Gu Xingdong showed utter terror, kneeling on the ground as sweat poured down his face.

"You are an elder of the East Extreme Sea branch. As long as you remember everything should be for the Immortal Trip, consider this matter settled. Stand up." Tong Xin's tone softened.

Gu Xingdong wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up.

"Take utmost care of the customer Wan Tianren. During the trade meeting in a few days, ensure everything goes smoothly to prevent our reputation from being damaged. When Fellow Daoist Wan comes, do not overly flatter him. He doesn't seem like someone who enjoys such praise, so be careful not to go overboard." Tong Xing further advised.

"Understood." Gu Xingdong immediately accepted the order.

"Moreover, I heard Wan Tianren had a minor conflict with Miss Qingqing when he first entered the store. You are tasked with resolving this matter. Ensure he doesn't develop a dislike for Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip." Tong Xin continued to instruct.

"Rest assured, Mr. Tong, I will handle it properly." Gu Xingdong replied.

...

On the other side, Yuan Ming left the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip and did not continue visiting other commerce guilds. Instead, he rented a room at an inn on the island to stay temporarily.

Then, he set up two formations as a precaution and entered the Shura Palace, summoning Dian Xiaosan.

Before coming to East Extreme Island, he had inquired about any notable figures in the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip from Dian Xiaosan, but Tong Xin's name was not mentioned.

"Oh, Tong Xin? He came to the East Extreme Sea too?" Dian Xiaosan was slightly surprised by Yuan Ming's inquiry.

"It seems Master Dian knows this person. Why didn't you mention him before?" Yuan Ming pursued the question.

"Don't be offended, Fellow Daoist Yuan. I didn't expect he would come to preside over the East Extreme Sea. After all, he is one of the store managers of Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip and rarely leaves Central Continent. Although his cultivation isn't very high, his business acumen is outstanding. It's said he has received recognition from the owner of Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip." Dian Xiaosan explained.

"Such a person suddenly coming to East Extreme Sea, could it be for the 'Pill King Secret Manual'?" Yuan Ming pondered aloud.

"Hard to say. The Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip's business is extensive but highly fragmented. It's normal for them to be eager for something related to a sect's legacy like the 'Pill King Secret Manual.' However, they highly value their reputation, so even if they covet the 'Pill King Secret Manual,' they probably won't act personally." Dian Xiaosan shook his head.

Yuan Ming nodded silently, then took out the token given by Gu Xingdong and touched the words "Guest Elder" with his finger.

"As I expected, Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip gave you a Minister Token. For ordinary big clients, they usually give out an Immortal Token, which only offers some price discounts. The Minister Token grants much greater privileges. With this, you can use many resources of the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip, making things much more convenient." Dian Xiaosan said, clicking his tongue in wonder at the token in Yuan Ming's hand.

"I see. It seems Tong Xin really needs the High Grade Soul Refining Pill." Yuan Ming chuckled slightly, put away the token, and left the Shura Palace.

Two days later, at Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip.

Yuan Ming arrived as promised, and the moment he entered, a tall girl in a dark blue dress approached him. She turned out to be the female cultivator named "Qing'er," with whom he had a minor conflict earlier.

"Fellow Daoist Wan, welcome to the trade meeting. The meeting will be held in the Hanhai Hall, please follow me." Qing'er wore a bright smile, gesturing politely.

Though smiling, Yuan Ming clearly sensed her reluctance. It seemed due to their prior clash, and the high-level management of Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip forced her to host him, trying to resolve the tension.

Yuan Ming nodded slightly, letting Qing'er lead the way, as he subtly observed the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip.

Because of the upcoming collaboration with Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip and the sudden arrival of Tong Xin, he used the Circular Light Technique and Black Incense Possession over the past two days to investigate the East Extreme Island's Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip thoroughly. He found that the branch had no intention to be hostile towards him, allowing him a slight breath of relief.

However, the fact that East Extreme Island could predict his attendance at the Ten Thousand Treasure Auction and unite all major forces on the island to seek him out made Yuan Ming feel uneasy.

Nearly a hundred years had passed, yet East Extreme Island's pursuit of him hadn't slacked at all!

Fortunately, since arriving on the island, he had only visited the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip and then stayed hidden at the inn. East Extreme Island probably hadn't discovered his whereabouts yet.

Yuan Ming cleared his thoughts, looking at the girl in front of him, and asked, "Has the trade meeting started?"

"Yes, but Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip has prepared numerous treasures for this trading fair, which will last for a long time, so Fellow Daoist Wan doesn't need to worry about arriving late and missing out on good items," Qing'er said, maintaining her smile.

Yuan Ming frowned, "Fellow Daoist Shen, you don't need to force yourself to smile; just watching you makes me feel tired. The friction from the other day was a small matter, and I haven't given it much thought. There's no need for Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip's members to be so cautious."

Qing'er didn't expect Yuan Ming to say this suddenly and was momentarily stunned.

However, the girl immediately realized another issue, "You know me?"

"One of the three major families of Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip, the Shen family—who hasn't heard of them? I didn't expect the granddaughter of the Shen family head to personally come to such a remote place as the Dongji Sea," Yuan Ming said in a calm tone.

While investigating the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip, he inadvertently learned about the situation of this girl in front of him.

The person before him was named Shen Qingqing, hailing from the Central Continent, a direct descendant of the Shen family, one of the three major families of the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip. This time she came to the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip branch on East Extreme Island to gain experience and build connections for future development.

The Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip's influence spans the Chuyun Realm, with countless subordinate branches, yet its foundation lies with the three powerful families from the Central Continent: the Hua, Shen, and Lei families.

These three families are immensely powerful, and any one of them is a colossal entity. It's because of these three strong backers that the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip can remain unfaltering and always firmly occupy the top spot as the Chuyun Realm's premier commerce association.

"How do you know my name? Only a few people like Tong Xin, Gu Xingdong, and others know my identity. Where did you get your information?" Shen Qingqing stared intently at Yuan Ming, her eyes narrowed into slits.

"This expression suits you better; the forced smile doesn't work for you," Yuan Ming said with a smile, bypassing the girl and continuing to move forward.

Shen Qingqing watched Yuan Ming's back and quickly followed, her little face stern as she continued to lead the way.

The two soon arrived at another circular hall connected to the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip shop.

This place was deserted, and a white Light Gate floated there, emanating waves of Space Power.

"The Void Gate, did your shop open a space secret realm?" Yuan Ming's eyes showed a curious expression.

"Fellow Daoist Wan, you overestimate it. It's just that land on West Union Island's workshop is precious, so we opened a small space to expand the shop area," Shen Qingqing explained, then took the lead and stepped in.

Yuan Ming's eyes flickered, and he stepped in as well.

His vision blurred for a moment, and he found himself in a massive hall, at least ten times the size of the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip shop.

There were no excess items in the hall, only numerous jade stone exhibition stands surrounded by Forbidden light shields, showcasing various treasures in the center of the hall. Each stand had a mahogany placard in front and behind it: the front described the treasure, while the back recorded the items or Spirit Stones required for the trade.

There weren't many people browsing here, but upon scanning, they were mostly Returning Void existences, with the lowest cultivation being that of Nascent Soul cultivators.

"This seems unlike any trading fair I've heard of," Yuan Ming glanced around and couldn't help but feel curious.

"This is a specially designed trading method by our shop. You can directly place the items you wish to trade on the stand, and when someone wants to trade, we will handle it all, ensuring no privacy issues. Of course, with mutual consent from both parties, you can also meet the trader directly. Regardless of the choice, our shop doesn't charge extra fees, rest assured," Shen Qingqing explained in detail, having put away her fake smile and assumed her role as a Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip staff member.

"What if I'm not comfortable entrusting you with the treasures for safekeeping beforehand? Also, what if there is an error during storage or trade—will you compensate for it?" Yuan Ming asked.

"We certainly will compensate. Please trust in the reputation of our Immortal Trip. As for the prior concern, our shop provides special Illusion Arrays on the exhibition stand, allowing you to display a shadow of your treasure. However, choosing this service requires a small usage fee, so please be mindful," Shen Qingqing replied immediately.

"I see," Yuan Ming nodded, his gaze sweeping over the stands, searching for the item Senior Kong had mentioned.

Nearly all the items on display were rare, but unfortunately, he needed none of them.

Yuan Ming browsed most of the stone platforms in the hall but didn't find anything, and just as he intended to directly inquire with Kong, something on a jade platform in front caught his attention.

On the jade platform was a blue stone the size of a washbasin. It looked unassuming, yet the Spiritual Energy around it was so abundant, it almost condensed into a visible mist.

"Gathering Spirit Stone! And it's so large! What a good item! Senior Kong, is this what you mentioned earlier?" Yuan Ming suppressed the joy in his heart and communicated with Kong.

He had previously been troubled by the Shura Palace's lack of nature's spiritual energy and didn't expect to find a Gathering Spirit Object here.

If this Gathering Spirit Stone were placed in the Black Tower Space, it should significantly alleviate the scarcity of Spiritual Energy.