Profound Heaven Soul Sovereign

"Go to a pharmacy and buy these Pills. Take one of each every day for a month, and you’ll be fine."

Guan Wei took the list and looked it over. He saw that the Pills on it were all Third or Fourth Grade, nothing particularly precious. A sense of disbelief washed over him.

’It’s that simple?’

An ailment that had plagued him for over half a year, one that even a Seventh Grade Lord Level Alchemist was helpless against, could be cured so easily?

Ye Xuan smiled. "If you don’t believe me, try circulating your Profound now."

Guan Wei subconsciously began circulating it. The moment he tried, he was shocked to find that the Profound in his body could actually condense. It wasn’t fast, but it was definitely condensing. Moreover, the paralyzing sensation in his Profound Veins was gone.

Guan Wei was so moved he nearly burst into tears.

How long had it been? How long since he’d been able to cultivate so freely?

"As for that Gathering Essence and Qi Pill, you must not take it," Ye Xuan added as a final warning. "Not only will it fail to help your condition, but it will also hasten its decline."

"Yes, yes!" Guan Wei grabbed Su Xiuyi’s hand. "Young Master Ye, Pavilion Master Su, thank you! Thank you so much! I, Guan Wei, owe you a great debt. If either of you ever needs anything in the future, just say the word. I, Guan Wei, would face death itself for you."

Guan Wei was simply overwhelmed. He had meant to grab Ye Xuan’s hand, but he felt that this Young Master Ye was too mysterious and unfathomable, and he didn’t dare to rashly grab his hand.

In his heart, he now utterly despised Master Hongde of the Ancient Pill Tower. Thank goodness for Young Master Ye; otherwise, he would have been led to his death without even knowing it.

"Young Master Ye, Pavilion Master Su, I won’t mince words. It was my order to suppress your application. There are some hidden circumstances that I’m not at liberty to discuss. What I can say is this: please be wary of the Ancient Pill Tower. For your Profound Light Pavilion to expand its market in the Western District, certain people will absolutely not let it go."

Although Guan Wei didn’t state it outright, the meaning behind his words was clear: suppressing Xiuyi Pavilion’s application had been the Ancient Pill Tower’s idea.

A glint flashed in Su Xiuyi’s eyes as he quickly said, "Thank you for the warning, Steward Guan."

"Well, Steward Guan, we won’t stay any longer. Farewell."

Their business was concluded, so Ye Xuan and his group had no intention of lingering. They cupped their hands in a salute and left the Household Registration Section.

"Allow me to see the three of you out."

Guan Wei felt no embarrassment, respectfully escorting Ye Xuan and the others all the way to the main entrance of the Household Registration Section. This left the other staff members of the section staring, dumbfounded.

Steward Guan was always so arrogant; when had he ever been so cordial to anyone? Especially when the people in question were from Xiuyi Pavilion—the very ones whose application he had carefully instructed them to suppress just a few days ago.

"Take care, you three."

At the main gate, Guan Wei watched until Ye Xuan and his companions had completely disappeared from view before he turned to leave. In his hand, he clutched the list Ye Xuan had written, feeling its weight as if it were heavier than gold.

"Eh? Since when did that fellow Guan Wei become so deferential to Xiuyi Pavilion?"

On the second floor of the adjacent Steward’s Mansion, Steward Chen, who had been resting by the window, happened to see this scene and couldn’t help but show a trace of surprise.

He, Chen Tairan, knew that fellow Guan Wei’s temperament all too well. You could say he was impervious to both bribes and persuasion, completely unyielding.

In all his years working at the Steward’s Mansion, this was the first time he had ever seen Guan Wei be so respectful to anyone.

’Looks like the people Su Xiuyi found are quite extraordinary. Interesting. It seems the days ahead in my Western District won’t be so peaceful.’

Chen Tairan murmured to himself.

"Everyone, come and receive your Identity Tokens."

Inside Xiuyi Pavilion, Ye Xuan and the others quickly distributed the Identity Tokens to everyone.

Everyone was quite delighted to receive their Identity Tokens.

Don’t underestimate this small Token. It was a symbol of one’s identity, protected by the laws of Celestial Capital Prefecture, and it granted access to most places within the prefecture.

You could say that only those with an Identity Token were considered official citizens of Celestial Capital Prefecture.

"Young Master Ye, after the last two days of crafting, this old man’s supply of materials is running low. Should we figure out a way to procure some more?" Master Lu Li stepped forward and asked.

"My materials are also running short," Elder Yao said with a frown.

Elder Dong and the others all expressed the same sentiment.

In preparation for the upcoming opening of the Profound Light Pavilion, Master Lu Li and the others had been working hard at crafting. However, they hadn’t brought many materials with them from the Dream Realm Plain, so they were quickly finding themselves in a tight spot.

Master Lu Li was still holding up, as he had a large reserve to begin with. Elder Yao, on the other hand, had a real headache.

Back when Ye Xuan broke through to Tier Seven Martial King, he had consumed nearly all of Gale Light Academy’s Tier Seven Spirit Medicines. As the saying goes, even a clever housewife can’t cook without rice. Without Spirit Medicines, this Seventh Grade Alchemist couldn’t refine any high-grade Pills.

This was a problem that could not be ignored.

Su Xiuyi frowned. "If we’re short on materials, we can buy some at the Trading Center for now. But in the long run, we’ll need to find a stable source of supply."

"The Trading Center?"

"Mhm," Su Xiuyi nodded. "The Trading Center is located in the central district of our Celestial Capital Prefecture and is controlled by several of the prefecture’s most powerful families. Anyone can sell or buy things there, which means you can find all sorts of items. Whether it’s Pills, Spirit Medicines, Soul Crystals, Array Discs, Profound Soldiers, and so on—you can find them all there. Think of it as a distribution hub."

"Compared to auction houses and shops, the Trading Center has one major advantage: its sheer variety. You can find almost anything you need there. But it also has a disadvantage: it’s a jumble. Sometimes fakes even turn up, so it really tests your judgment."

"Sometimes, if you want to trade for certain treasures, going to the Trading Center is even more convenient than an auction house. Plus, if anything major happens there, it tends to cause a bigger stir."

"Besides trading goods, you can also network, purchase intelligence, and so on. Pretty much anything you can think of, you can find it at the Trading Center."

Hearing Su Xiuyi’s description, Ye Xuan and the others became interested. "In that case, let’s go check out the Trading Center."

Soon, the group set off, renting a flying carriage and heading toward the Trading Center in the heart of the city.

The Trading Center of Celestial Capital Prefecture was the most prosperous place in the entire prefecture, and also the most crowded. A bustling, jostling crowd moved through it, a veritable river of people and carriages that gave one a feeling of congestion.

"Please present your identification!" At the entrance to the Trading Center, two cold-faced guards stopped Ye Xuan’s group. They were actually two Martial King experts.

"Martial King experts acting as guards... This is really..."

After presenting their Identity Tokens and entering the Trading Center, Ge Puzi and the others couldn’t help but murmur to themselves and click their tongues in wonder.

They could feel the terrifying power of a second-tier force in every aspect. In the Dream Realm Plain, a Martial King expert was a top-tier figure, majestic and awe-inspiring wherever they went. Here, they were merely guards. It completely overturned their perception of the world.

Su Xiuyi smiled. "This Trading Center is managed by several of the most powerful families in Celestial Capital Prefecture, so naturally, it’s extraordinary. The Clan Leaders of the two strongest families, in particular, are both Tier Eight Triple Peak Martial Emperors, renowned and illustrious. So you don’t have to worry about security here. No one dares to cause trouble in the Trading Center."

’Tier Eight Triple Peak Martial Emperors?’

The group felt their mouths go dry and their hearts pound. For beings of that caliber, killing them would be as easy as breathing.

"It’s not that simple," Ye Xuan said, suddenly shaking his head.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Ye Xuan said faintly, "A Tier Eight Peak Martial Emperor is not enough to support a second-tier force. For a power to be rated as second-tier, it must have a Nine Heavens-level existence."

"What?" Everyone was startled, their faces showing disbelief.

"It’s actually quite simple. Take the Dream Realm Plain, for example. Tang Zhao, the Sect Master of the Profound Mystery Sect—one of the three major powers—is a Tier Seven Triple Peak Martial Emperor. But is he the strongest person in the Dream Realm Plain?"

The group fell into thought. It was true. Although Tang Zhao was the public face of the Profound Mystery Sect, Elder Tianyi was actually their strongest expert.

By that logic, it wasn’t impossible that Celestial Capital Prefecture had a Nine Heavens Martial Emperor.

At the thought of a Nine Heavens Martial Emperor, the group felt their hearts flutter with panic and their palms begin to sweat. For a figure of that level, killing them would be no harder than squashing a bug.

Ye Xuan was speechless. "Do you all need to be so nervous? A Nine Heavens Martial Emperor is powerful, but not omnipotent. The Martial Dao is vast. As long as you’re willing to climb, it’s not impossible for you to reach that realm as well."

Just then, a scornful laugh rang out. "Truly, you don’t know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. If the Nine Heavens Martial Emperor realm were so easy to reach, why would it be so rare? A toad shouldn’t dream of eating swan meat, and an earthworm will never transform into a divine dragon."

Not far away, a young man with a disdainful expression had clearly overheard Ye Xuan’s words and couldn’t help but mock him.

He wore a gilt-patterned robe with an insignia engraved on the chest, giving him an air of nobility.

Seeing that insignia, Su Xiuyi’s pupils suddenly contracted.

"Young Master Li, they’re just a bunch of country bumpkins. Don’t lower yourself to their level. Let’s go in and see if there’s anything good at the Trading Center lately."

Beside the young man stood several other youths, all of whom looked pampered and carried themselves with an imposing air. Hearing his companion’s words, the young man didn’t even spare Ye Xuan’s group a glance before walking into the Trading Center.

"The Li family of Celestial Capital Prefecture," Su Xiuyi said in a low voice.

"Is this Li family very powerful?" Ge Puzi asked curiously.

"The two most powerful families in Celestial Capital Prefecture are the Yuchi family and the Xiao family. Below them are several other major families, and the Li family is one of them. They are not to be trifled with." Su Xiuyi’s expression was grave.

Seeing Su Xiuyi’s expression, the group already understood the extent of the family’s power.