Zane Du watched as Joe Di's figure disappeared, letting out a long sigh. "Even though your fate is extraordinary and you work tirelessly, it's a pity that in the end, you'll still fall at the hands of either my master or Morgan Du. I just hope you never meet them, or at least not for a long, long time..."
He accepted the jade vial from Joe Di, fully aware of Joe Di's intentions. Joe Di had taken a pot of wine from him, and that wine was no ordinary brew. Although he hadn't spent much time with Joe Di, Zane Du knew that Joe Di was not someone who would let his friends suffer a loss, so whatever Joe Di gave in return, he had to accept.
Zane Du opened the jade vial, and immediately cried out in shock, "Cosmic Essence!"
If there was one thing in this universe he desired most, it would be the Cosmic Essence—without question, it ranked first. Even Zane Du never imagined Joe Di could produce such a precious treasure. In fact, calling it precious was an understatement; even Morgan Du might not be able to obtain the Cosmic Essence. This was a treasure that could only be acquired through great fortune.
Zane Du cupped his fists toward the distance. "Joe, you’ve done me a great favor. Someday, even if it costs me my life, I’ll save you at least once."
......
As soon as Joe Di stepped out from the foot of Mountainview, he sensed something was off. The place he landed was not the black stone road he had traveled before, but rather the plaza before the Grandway Exchange Hall in the Grandway Abyss.
"Brother Joe, you’re back?" Lord Voidbreaker stared at Joe Di in shock. Although he had been locked up here the whole time, he wasn’t completely cut off from news; he could still hear rumors from passing cultivators. It was said that going to Mountainview took at least tens of thousands of years, and returning would take just as long. Surely, it shouldn’t be less than hundreds of thousands of years.
"Voidbreaker, how many years have I been gone?" When Joe Di was merging with the Dao at Mountainview, he was completely immersed in constructing his own laws. Because his Rule Cycle was not yet complete, and he had overlooked the cosmic laws of the Five Elements Universe, he had lost all sense of time.
"A hundred years... Wait, you’ve already merged with the Dao?" Lord Voidbreaker sensed that Joe Di’s aura was noticeably different from before.
Joe Di stood with his mouth half open, unable to believe that a hundred years had passed without him noticing the flow of time. His divine sense settled upon Nora Xiu inside the Ninth World, and to his delight, he discovered that Nora Xiu was now breathing. Her soul was becoming more solid, and it looked like she could awaken at any moment.
Joe Di let out a sigh of relief. He had expected Nora Xiu to awaken within a few years after using the Duality Fruit, but unexpectedly, more than a hundred years had passed and she still hadn't awakened. Thankfully, things hadn’t taken a turn for the worse—at least, it was still within his expectations.
Feeling much better, Joe Di patted Voidbreaker on the shoulder. "You were right. I’ve already merged with the Dao, but I truly didn’t expect a century to have passed. As for you, even though you’ve been locked up here, it seems they haven’t done much to you. Looks like the Grandway Abyss has a bit of humanity after all."
Lord Voidbreaker sneered, "A bit of humanity? Heh, that's only because I know too many people here. These bastards turn their backs on you in a heartbeat—many of them used to be my underlings. Of course, that's not the main reason. The real reason is that no one wants this place to become too strict. Rules are necessary, but if you break them, it doesn’t always mean death. After all, everyone here knows they might break the rules themselves one day."
"How many years are you locked up for?" Joe Di asked with a smile. He planned to take Voidbreaker away when he left, but now wasn't the time.
Voidbreaker sighed, "Ten thousand years. It’s not that long, but being locked up here alone, unable to cultivate, really makes the days drag on endlessly."
"Don’t worry. Once I obtain the Soul Lotus, I’ll take you away right away. Trust me, with my current strength, few people could stop me if I forced the issue," Joe Di said.
Voidbreaker glanced at Joe Di, hesitated, but finally nodded. "If that’s the case, I’ll count on you. Worst comes to worst, I’ll just be locked up for another million years."
Voidbreaker knew very well how severe the consequences would be if Joe Di broke the rules here by force.
"Let me ask when the next trade fair will be held." Before obtaining the Soul Lotus, Joe Di dared not break Voidbreaker's bindings and take him away.
Voidbreaker chuckled, "Many cultivators in the Grandway Abyss have sensed some changes in the universe, so there have been a lot of trade fairs lately. The next one is in two days. If you present something truly valuable at the Grandway Exchange, you’re sure to attract many participants. But if you have nothing special to offer, you might not even get to see the Soul Lotus, let alone trade for it."
"That’s easy enough," Joe Di replied with a chuckle, glancing at the Grandway Exchange Hall not far away. He might not be wealthier than the cultivators here, but he could certainly produce a few items that would catch their eye.
......
Standing by the window to the right of the Grandway Exchange Hall, Joe Di felt like a traveler waiting to buy a ticket, which left him somewhat disgruntled.
"There are three levels of sanctuaries in the Grandway Abyss. Which one do you want to rent?" came a cold voice from inside the window.
Joe Di snorted, matching the cold tone. "I’m not here to rent a sanctuary. In two days, there’s a trade fair, and I plan to trade two items. Of course, my items are extremely rare—they’re all innate grade..."
The cultivator inside the window was about to snap at Joe Di to step aside and just come back for the trade fair in two days. But when Joe Di said 'innate grade,' the words stuck in his throat.
"You should know, if you’re lying and can’t produce an innate treasure, you might never get another chance at reincarnation." The attendant’s tone softened slightly, but his words carried a hint of menace.
"That’s not your concern. All you need to do is spread the word," Joe Di retorted with another cold snort.
This chapter isn’t finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting story!
"Alright, I’ve already sent out your message." The attendant tossed out these words and ignored Joe Di after that. Trading innate treasures could indeed attract many strong cultivators, but there were plenty of innate treasures here, so it wasn’t anything special.
Regardless, Joe Di’s words had an effect. In no time at all, nearly every cultivator in the Grandway Abyss knew that two innate treasures would appear at the Grandway Trade Fair in two days.
Anyone who had survived in the Grandway Abyss until now was anything but simple. If you presented something ordinary, they might not even bother to glance at it, let alone come to the Exchange Hall.
But innate treasures were extremely rare, no matter who you were. Even cultivators preparing for long-term seclusion decided to postpone their retreat and attend the trade fair first. Even if they couldn’t trade for the treasures, just seeing what they were and who ended up with them was worthwhile.
......
Two days passed in a flash. Normally, on the roads of the Grandway Abyss, Joe Di would rarely see another soul. But as soon as the Grandway Trade Fair began, he found countless people emerging from every small path. They were like ants swarming to a piece of sugar; when one ant found it, the others quickly followed.
The doors of the Grandway Exchange Hall swung wide, and cultivators poured in. Aside from a select few who exchanged a few words, most came and went in a hurry. If Joe Di couldn’t sense the powerful Dao resonance and formidable auras from each of them, he might have thought he’d wandered into a ghost realm, entering the hall with a crowd of specters.
(That’s all for today’s update. Good night, friends!)