Chapter 151: The Trade Fair Begins

The massive flying spirit ship of the Mirror Snow Pavilion, resembling a primordial beast from the ancient floods, slowly ascended high into the firmament. Then, with a sudden burst of acceleration, it transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the horizon.

Inside the pavilion upon the flying vessel:

"Greetings, Daoist Qin!"

"Hailing, Guest Elder Qin!"

Inside the luxuriously decorated private suite, the high-ranking members of the Tianhe Market branch of the Mirror Snow Pavilion had all arrived.

"Daoist Qin! Allow me to introduce you. This is Protector Li Mu of our pavilion. You two likely haven't met before." After welcoming Daoist Qin into the room, Aunt Long began making the introductions.

A middle-aged cultivator in his forties with a square face stood up from his seat, bowed toward Qin Ming, and greeted him, "Daoist Qin, I have heard of your great name for a long time!"

Qin Ming returned the courtesy politely, "Greetings, Daoist Li."

He swept his gaze around the room. Among the cultivators from the Mirror Snow Pavilion heading to Thousand-Leaf Spirit Island, this Li Mu possessed the highest cultivation base, standing at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm.

Counting Aunt Long, there were three other early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

One mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, accompanied by three powerful early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators to guard the flying ship, constituted quite a luxurious lineup.

Furthermore, Qin Ming had just secretly observed that Protector Li Mu; his spiritual power aura was profound and steady, far surpassing ordinary mid-stage Foundation Establishment practitioners. His combat strength was likely formidable.

After exchanging pleasantries, the group took their seats, sipped tea, and began to converse.

Several hours later.

The speed of the flying ship gradually began to slow down.

Aunt Long stood by the window, glanced outside, and said, "Thousand-Leaf Spirit Island has arrived. Everyone, please make your preparations."

Hearing this, Qin Ming also walked over to take a look. Below the flying ship, a massive spirit island appeared, its scale dozens of times larger than his own Wangyue Island. The island continuously expanded within his field of vision.

Thousand-Leaf Spirit Island had originally been battered and riddled with holes by the flames of war, but after a period of repairs and restoration, it had essentially returned to its original appearance.

Qin Ming walked out onto the outer deck and overlooked the entire island from above. The first thing that caught his eye was the towering and majestic Thousand-Leaf Mountain Range.

Amidst billowing seas of clouds, immortal cranes and spiritual birds soared continually between the peaks, making it feel as though one were immersed in an immortal paradise.

The outer perimeter of the spirit island was shrouded in a massive light barrier emanating a cyan flowing radiance, with runes drifting across its surface. Clearly, this was the third-tier grand array newly established by the Nie family after their rise to power.

The great array reflected the clouds and mist in the distant sky, casting a colorful and brilliant glow.

Numerous large and small flying vessels swept past continuously, taking on various forms, with the banners representing various factions fluttering against the wind on their masts.

Such a magnificent scene resembled a world of immortals, refreshing and exhilarating to the mind and spirit.

Half an incense stick's time later, the Mirror Snow Pavilion's flying ship docked at the harbor of Thousand-Leaf Spirit Island.

"Daoist Qin, let us descend first. Protector Li and the others still need to oversee the unloading of goods and other matters," Aunt Long said with a slight smile.

Qin Ming nodded and followed Aunt Long off the flying vessel.

At the entrance of the Thousand-Leaf Spirit Island harbor, a guard checkpoint had been set up. A long queue of cultivators was waiting in line for inspections, checking invitation letters, and verifying identities before entering the island.

Aunt Long led Qin Ming around these queues, entering through another designated entrance. Only a few Foundation Establishment guards were stationed here, and no queuing was required.

However, the inspection here was far stricter. Not only was there a high-grade array capable of detecting disguises, but a Foundation Establishment-grade spiritual hound beast continuously sniffed the auras of the cultivators arriving at the spot.

After Aunt Long presented the invitation letter of the Mirror Snow Pavilion, an elderly Foundation Establishment guard among the personnel of Thousand-Leaf Spirit Island hurriedly and warmly greeted them, "Ah! Daoist Long of the Mirror Snow Pavilion has arrived. Please, come right in!"

With that, his gaze fell upon Qin Ming standing beside her. A trace of astonishment first flashed across the old man's face, which was instantly replaced by a pleasant surprise. He cupped his fists toward Qin Ming, "Island Master Qin is also here! What an absolute honor!"

Qin Ming handed over his invitation letter as well, wearing a smile on his face, "Heh heh! I heard that Thousand-Leaf Spirit Island was holding a grand gathering, so having nothing better to do, I tagged along to join in the lively atmosphere."

"Island Master Qin is a renowned spiritual planting master across the Spirit-Perch Archipelagos. You are naturally welcome beyond measure."

The elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator personally escorted the two of them into the interior of the island.

They walked all the way to a spacious valley where numerous buildings of various sizes had been constructed, presumably the venue for the upcoming trade fair.

At the very center lay a huge plaza capable of accommodating tens of thousands of people, equipped with seating and viewing stands.

The elderly member of the Nie family led the two of them into a secluded courtyard within the valley. This place was undoubtedly the temporary residence of the Mirror Snow Pavilion for the next few days.

Subsequently, the old man briefed them on several precautions, specifically highlighting several restricted areas within the island that were strictly forbidden to enter.

Qin Ming and Aunt Long entered the courtyard arranged by the Nie family. Inside, green foliage shaded the grounds, pond water and rockery formed exquisite garden landscapes, and the environment was serene and secluded.

Unassuming ancient pavilions, terraces, storied buildings, as well as exquisite stone and wood carvings constantly came into view.

Outside the courtyard stood a row of commercial storefronts facing the outside, available for cargo transactions.

"Daoist Qin, please rest in your room for a moment, or you may go outside for a stroll. I am going to check on the situation regarding the goods," Aunt Long said to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming nodded, "Daoist Long, please attend to your matters first."

After Aunt Long left, Qin Ming walked out alone to observe the surrounding conditions.

The members of the Mirror Snow Pavilion had also begun to bustle about, arranging all their merchandise inside the street-facing shops.

By late morning.

Inside the valley of Thousand-Leaf Spirit Island, all the shops opened their doors to the public.

Standing on the outer flagstone path and gazing at the bustling crowds as well as the rows upon rows of shops, Qin Ming couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "The Loose Alliance and the Nie family certainly possess deep pockets. This is even livelier than the former Qingyang Market."

After various large and small island-owning families and invited factions completed their move-in, the valley presented a scene teeming with people, bustling with merchants and honored guests alike.

"Hey now! Come take a look, come check it out!"

"Clearwater spiritual fish, a specialty of Dragon Sunflower Island, are effective at boosting spiritual power for Qi Refining practitioners, and their taste is utterly delicious!"

"Special sale on talismans produced by the Wan family! Quality guaranteed, fair to young and old alike!"

"What? The Wan family has come as well? Their talismans are renowned far and wide. Quickly, get me two of them!"

"Little Hump Mountain Artifact-Forging Workshop has all kinds of magical instruments you could possibly want! They are essential fine tools for staying at home, traveling, and defending oneself in magical combat!"

"..."

Qin Ming strolled around the valley as well, casually purchasing a few items that caught his eye.

These commercial exchanges among the various spirit islands gathered a tremendous amount of popularity and momentum for the upcoming trade fair.

At the early hour of noon.

Aunt Long notified Qin Ming to come over, as the first day's trade fair on Thousand-Leaf Spirit Island was about to commence.

Representatives from major spirit island families and factions had already arrived, taking their seats in order around the central plaza.

Qin Ming also arrived at the designated seating area of the Mirror Snow Pavilion and casually chose a chair to sit down.

Scanning the people seated around him, he discovered quite a few individuals possessing formidable auras.

Among them were a few familiar figures; Huo Qianqiu and others from the Seventy-Two Islands Loose Alliance had also arrived. Furthermore, observing the aura of spiritual power emanating from him, Qin Ming noted that Huo Qianqiu had already successfully broken through to the late Foundation Establishment realm.