The moment the Flying Sword broke through the last layer of clouds, Lai Li’an completely froze.

The sight before his eyes was the most breathtaking scene he had seen in his entire life.

It was a market town built on a mountain ridge. Layers upon layers of pavilions and buildings spread out along the natural contours of the mountain, stretching from halfway up the peak all the way into the depths of the clouds and mist.

Between the flying eaves and wooden brackets hung countless spirit lamps. Even in broad daylight, they emitted a warm and gentle glow, like strings of bright pearls adorning the verdant mountainside.

The scenery was reflected in Lai Li’an’s pupils; his mouth opened slightly, then closed tightly.

This was the true Cultivation World. It was not like the mortal towns he had wandered through over the past three years, but the Cultivation World where countless cultivators gathered.

He subconsciously gripped Su Wan’er’s shoulder. Feeling the hand on her shoulder suddenly tighten, Su Wan’er was slightly taken aback.

She followed her Honored Master’s gaze and noticed the curious glances being cast their way from all directions.

Two cultivators sharing a single Flying Sword was indeed a rare sight. Sword flight emphasized the unity of man and sword. Unless someone was heavily injured and needed to be carried to flee for their life, or the gap in their Cultivation Bases was so massive that one person could completely ignore the other’s presence, no one would fly like this.

And she and her Honored Master clearly did not belong to the “heavily injured and fleeing for their lives” category. The gazes of the other cultivators swept over her and her Honored Master, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

A few young male cultivators passing by on their Flying Swords winked at each other and let out a whistle in their direction.

Su Wan’er’s ears instantly burned. She bit her lip and tried her best to maintain the stability of the Flying Sword, but the blade still trembled for a moment.

She stealthily turned her head, wanting to see her Honored Master’s reaction.

Then she saw Lai Li’an with his head tilted back, his gaze chasing a white crane that was gliding overhead. The green-clad woman on the crane’s back just so happened to look back, her black hair like a waterfall and her profile like jade, blending with the sea of clouds beneath her feet into a picturesque scene.

His lips were slightly parted, and the sky full of flowing light was reflected in his eyes. He wore an expression like a mortal seeing an immortal land for the first time.

Su Wan’er stared blankly for a moment. Her Honored Master didn’t care about those people at all, and her heart suddenly quieted down.

Just now, she had merely reminded herself not to care about the gazes of others, yet she actually felt her ears burn because of the whistles of a few unfamiliar cultivators, making her appear flustered.

A blush of shame could not help but rise on Su Wan’er’s face. She took a deep breath, collected her thoughts, and said, “Honored Master, this is the Yunze Market.”

Lai Li’an did not react.

“Honored Master?” Su Wan’er called out again.

Lai Li’an suddenly snapped back to his senses. He had just been looking at the woman in the azure dress riding a white crane, no, he was looking at the white crane.

That crane was truly white, whiter than any bird he had ever seen in a zoo in his past life.

Then he heard Su Wan’er’s voice.

“Mm.” He withdrew his gaze, the marvel on his face vanishing in an instant.

Su Wan’er began to lower the flying sword, slowly descending toward a relatively empty platform on the outskirts of the market.

Lai Li’an’s feet finally touched solid ground, and he let out a long sigh of relief in his heart. Suddenly, he remembered something, he hadn’t eaten in a long time.

Now, standing on the ground of the Yunze Market, smelling the various scents wafting through the air, his stomach suddenly began to protest fiercely.

However, his body was not weak. The spiritual qi in his dantian was slowly circulating, seeming to draw some invisible nourishment from heaven and earth to maintain the basic operations of his body.

But he wanted to eat!

“Wan’er.”

“This disciple is here.”

“Is there any food here?”

Su Wan’er thought seriously for a moment, a trace of difficulty appearing on her face. “Answering Honored Master, Yunze Market is a gathering place for cultivators, so ordinary mortal food is indeed rare. However, this disciple knows of a few shops in the market that sell Spiritual Cuisine, which uses Spiritual Herbs and spiritual beast meat in their meals. After cultivators consume it, they can recover Spiritual Power and nourish their Meridians, and it is even slightly beneficial to cultivation. It’s just…”

“The prices of that Spiritual Cuisine are not cheap. A serving of the most basic Spiritual Ginseng and Snow Chicken Stew costs three Low-Grade Spirit Stones. This disciple left the Sect in a hurry and did not bring many Spirit Stones…”

As she spoke, a layer of embarrassment surfaced on her face. She had brought her Honored Master to the market to buy things, but ended up being so strapped for cash that she couldn’t even afford to treat him to a single meal.

Lai Li’an’s expression stiffened for a second. The two raised their heads at the same time, their gazes colliding in mid-air.

In Su Wan’er’s eyes, Lai Li’an saw two words: No money. In Lai Li’an’s eyes, Su Wan’er saw the exact same two words: No money.

The air fell quiet for a moment. Both of them looked away at the same time; neither spoke, but an unspoken awkwardness permeated the air.

Oh no, the Honored Master had no money either.

Oh no, the disciple had no money either.

Silence spread between the two for a few breaths before Su Wan’er took the initiative to break it.

“Honored Master! Actually, we don’t necessarily have to buy the tools. This disciple heard that many shops in Yunze Market offer rental services. An Alchemy Cauldron can be rented, Fire-Igniting Talismans can be rented for Spiritual Fire, and even an Alchemy Room can be rented by the hour. Although rented items are not as handy as having our own, they should be enough for just learning Alchemy. As for Spiritual Cuisine… this disciple has been Fasting for a long time, so it is fine if I don’t eat.”

After speaking, she carefully glanced at Lai Li’an. She felt her explanation was quite tactful.

Lai Li’an glanced at her.

Knowing they had no money, she had managed to preserve both of their dignities while solving the practical problem. But since she had said everything, where was he supposed to put his face as the Honored Master?

Lai Li’an was displeased. He cleared his throat. “Wan’er.”

“This disciple is here.”

“This Venerable knows what is troubling you,” Lai Li’an said with the calm composure of someone who had everything under control. “Worldly possessions like Spirit Stones, isn’t earning them effortless?”

Su Wan’er’s eyes suddenly lit up.

That’s right, what kind of person was her Honored Master? Someone who casually brought out a Ninth-Grade Pill! How many Spirit Stones was a Ninth-Grade Pill worth? She didn’t know, because she had never even seen a Ninth-Grade Pill being sold.

But a single Seventh-Grade Pill was enough for the Heavenly Veil Sect to enshrine as their Sect’s sacred treasure. The value of a Ninth-Grade Pill was probably a number she didn’t even dare to imagine.

If her Honored Master really wanted to earn Spirit Stones, he could casually refine a batch of pills to sell, and all the Spirit Stones in Yunze Market combined wouldn’t be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

To think she had been worrying over a meal that cost three Spirit Stones, she was truly short-sighted.

“Honored Master! Then how are we going to earn Spirit Stones?” Su Wan’er’s voice was full of expectation. “Are we going to sell pills? Or accept bounty missions? This disciple heard that Yunze Market has a dedicated Mission Hall where cultivators can accept various commissions…”

Lai Li’an raised a hand, interrupting her words.

His expression remained nonchalant, but in his heart, he was screaming frantically:

He was just trying to find an excuse to brush her off, but just as he opened his mouth, a voice came from the side.

“You two! Over here!”

Lai Li’an and Su Wan’er turned their heads at the same time.

At the edge of the platform stood an old man. He was short, his back slightly hunched, and he wore a worn-out bamboo hat on his head as he waved at the two of them.

Lai Li’an and Su Wan’er exchanged a glance. “Honored Master?” Su Wan’er asked in a low voice.

At this moment, the System Panel quietly popped up.

Late Qi Condensation. Lai Li’an breathed a slight sigh of relief in his heart. An old man at the Late Qi Condensation stage afflicted by a curse didn’t pose much of a threat.

“Let’s go take a look,” he said indifferently, stepping forward to walk over.