The years slipped by, time passing like a shuttle through the void.
Since the last time the Dao Fruit Tower opened in the Void Market, a hundred years have flown by in the blink of an eye.
A hundred years is but a fleeting moment in the cosmic void. The Void Market has long since returned to its usual tranquility. Occasionally, a few regular cultivators mention that during the last Dao Fruit Tower opening, a powerful human expert appeared in the Void Market.
At this moment, three cultivators were gathered around a tea table in the first-floor hall of Phoenix Roost Inn, discussing the events of years past.
The speaker was a slightly short cultivator named Vincent Fan, who gestured animatedly as he spoke, his expression even a bit excited.
"Vincent, you're exaggerating. Helping over a hundred people refine pills in a single hour? Ha! I admit that Joe Di is a Prime Dao Pill Saint, but think about it—a single batch of Transformation Pills takes at least an hour, right? Even if Joe Di is fast and refines four batches per hour, that's still nowhere close to a hundred. Besides, some of those were Prime Dao Pills."
A cultivator beside him couldn't help but interject, finding Vincent's boasting a bit much. Earlier, Vincent claimed that Joe Di had killed a Genesis Realm beast expert, seized the beast clan's territory in the Dao Fruit Tower Plaza, and driven out the Ethereal Pavilion. He hadn't argued then, but this latest claim was simply too much.
Vincent's face flushed with embarrassment as he retorted, "Maybe I got the time wrong—perhaps it was over two hours. But he did help seventy or eighty people refine pills."
"That just makes your story even less believable. You doubled the time, but the number of people dropped by dozens." The cultivator who had refuted him chuckled, more convinced than ever of his own reasoning.
"Believe it or not, Joe Di could even refine Origin Prime Pills—none of you believe that, do you? Not only that, he killed Sam Monk, the Genesis Realm Saint Emperor of the Skywood Clan. Do you believe it?" Seeing he couldn't provide proof, Vincent simply left it up to them to believe him or not.
In one corner of the hall sat a woman with a black veil, quietly listening to the cultivators’ conversation. She said nothing, but she believed that what Vincent Fan claimed was likely true. Here was someone in the Prime Realm who could easily slay late-stage Genesis Realm experts. She even recalled warning Joe Di not to flaunt his title as Prime Dao Pill Saint, lest it bring him disaster.
Joe Di would only bring out four Prime Dao Pills from a single batch, while, as she understood, a true top-tier alchemist could refine twelve pills per batch. In other words, Joe Di could trade with three cultivators for every batch he refined.
Ever since the Dao Fruit Tower closed a hundred years ago, she had been wandering the Void Market, hoping to see Joe Di again. Unfortunately, after waiting a century, not only had she not seen him, but even news of him was as old as that event.
Lady Blackveil sighed and stood up. She decided to leave the Void Market; waiting here in hope was futile. Perhaps she could first find Jaden Jiao. He had been with Joe Di back then—if she found Jaden, she might learn Joe Di’s whereabouts.
Little did she know, just as she left the Void Market, Joe Di returned.
......
On a desolate planet billions of miles from the Void Market, Joe Di opened his eyes.
After a hundred years in seclusion, he had expended two Supreme Ley Lines, a pile of Prime Divine Crystals, and countless Dao Pills and Dao Fruits. His cultivation had barely advanced from late Prime Realm to its peak, still a step short of perfection.
There were still dozens of drops of Millennium Divinewood Essence left, which Joe Di was saving for his breakthrough to the Genesis Realm. If he used them now, he could reach perfect Prime Realm, but what difference would that make from his current peak?
It was a pity that he hadn’t obtained the Unity Rainbow Fruit in the Dao Fruit Tower. Otherwise, he would have continued his seclusion for several more centuries to break through to the Genesis Realm.
A hundred years had passed, yet Bolt had barely advanced in rank; he remained a Tier Four Divine Beast.
There was little point in continuing his closed-door cultivation, so Joe Di decided to return to the Void Market. His main purpose wasn't to invite Vera Tang to the Outer Heaven, but to search for Darren Rice, who had come from the Sea of Void.
Darren Rice and his companions had come here mainly for the Dao Fruit Tower. Although Joe Di hadn't seen Darren Rice at the Dao Fruit Tower plaza, he believed he could find news of Darren Rice within the Void Market.
......
Although the Ethereal Pavilion was still somewhat famous within the Void Market, the number one pill pavilion was the Void Market Trading Hall. The Void Market Trading Hall operated on a much larger scale than the Ethereal Pavilion; pills and artifacts were just two branches among many.
The true owner behind this trading hall was shrouded in mystery and had never appeared. However, the hall master was a well-known figure throughout the Void Market—Henry Xing.
No one dared to provoke the Void Market Trading Hall—not only because its true owner was so mysterious, but also because of its hall master, Henry Xing.
Henry Xing was a man of many talents. Not only did he have good relations with the powerful figures of all major races, but he was also a mid-stage Hunyuan Saint Emperor himself. More importantly, his relationship with Lord Ye back in the day was anything but ordinary.
All these factors combined gave the Void Market Trading Hall a transcendent status within the Void Market.
Recently, Henry Xing had been in a foul mood. He had just returned from outside and heard that a supremely powerful human cultivator named Joe Di had appeared in the Void Market. Joe Di was not only a master of the Dao of Alchemy but also a formidable cultivator.
Such a powerhouse had arrived, yet he was not in the Void Market to meet him and missed the opportunity to make his acquaintance. This left him feeling deeply regretful.
On this day, Henry Xing was brewing tea in his own sanctum within the Void Market Trading Hall when a steward hurriedly arrived at the entrance and reported anxiously, "Hall Master, Joe Di is here and requests an audience."
Joe Di? Henry Xing was startled. Who was Joe Di, to dare seek an audience with him? To put it bluntly, even the Void Market's city lord might not hold a higher status than Henry Xing, so what business did this Joe Di have requesting an audience...
Wait a moment...
Suddenly recalling something, Henry Xing sprang to his feet, so agitated he knocked over his freshly brewed tea without a second thought. He said excitedly, "Is this Joe Di the Prime Dao Pill Saint from the Dao Fruit Tower plaza back then?"
The steward quickly replied, "Yes, it is indeed the Prime Dao Pill Saint."
He thought to himself, If it weren't that Joe Di, would I dare come report to you? Would I bother you for some insignificant nobody? Of course, he didn't dare say this aloud.
"Quick, invite him in..." Henry Xing called out urgently, then immediately added, "Wait, I'll go out myself."
Standing outside the Void Market Trading Hall was indeed Joe Di. Joe Di had come to see Henry Xing mainly to inquire about Darren Rice's whereabouts. The Void Market Trading Hall was the largest trading hall in the Void Market, and Joe Di believed that as long as Henry Xing had been in the Void Market, the Trading Hall would be able to find out.
"Haha, Brother Di! Back then, I was away from the Void Market due to some matters and missed the chance to meet you. I was just regretting it—who could have imagined you'd grace us with your presence? What a stroke of luck!" An enthusiastic voice rang out, and Joe Di saw Henry Xing in his gray robe.
It was likely related to his cultivation technique; not only did Henry Xing wear gray robes, even the skin on his face had a faint grayish hue.
Joe Di didn't even need to use his spiritual sense to see that Henry Xing's cultivation was at the mid-stage Hunyuan Realm.
"Hall Master Xing, you're far too polite. I'm humbled. Actually, I've come here today to trouble you with something..." Joe Di felt a bit uncomfortable in the face of Henry Xing's enthusiasm.
Henry Xing patted his chest. "Brother Di, just say the word! If it's within my power, I won't delay even a moment."
Henry Xing knew very well that his own talent was mediocre, yet he had managed to step into the Hunyuan Realm. Many others with better talent and even higher status were still stuck in the Dao Origin Realm. The main reason was that he had befriended an extraordinary powerhouse—Lord Ye.
Back when he met Lord Ye, Lord Ye had no advantages at all and was just a minor cultivator in the Dao Transformation Realm. Henry Xing had recognized Lord Ye's uniqueness and deliberately built a relationship with him, which led to a fortuitous opportunity that allowed him to step into the Hunyuan Realm.
Now, encountering Joe Di—who was in no way inferior to Lord Ye—Henry Xing naturally knew how to act.