He took a scroll from the storage ring and solemnly handed it to Li Ye.

The scroll detailed Li Ye's assessment task after reaching the Golden Core Period—constructing Dongcang Marketplace and Netherworld Marketplace over the ruins of Dongcang Town.

Li Ye is free to choose disciples and cultivators skilled in array construction and other relevant fields to accompany him, and he must immediately head to Dongcang Town to begin the construction task.

He is granted significant authority, he can even forcibly enlist any Golden Core cultivator to participate.

The scroll was made from a leaf of the ginkgo of God Tiansui, indicating it has been officially recorded in the ginkgo book of God Tiansui.

If Li Ye does not complete this task, not even True Man Suoxing would be able to erase his failure.

Li Ye understood the importance of this matter, and his expression became equally solemn.

This was his first sect task after reaching Golden Core—after reaching Golden Core, disciples need to contribute to the sect, and this kind of basic marketplace construction is considered the most crucial link.

The Four Seasons Sect relies on thousands of marketplaces of various sizes to manage the vast land of the Eastern Domain.

He took a deep breath, solemnly accepted the scroll; "Disciple obeys!"

...

The news of Li Ye taking up the sect task quickly spread among the circle of Golden Core True Men.

Constructing a marketplace!

Moreover, both the third disciple and the youngest disciple of True Man Suoxing are going, even if some True Men are unaware of the true inside story of Dongcang Marketplace, this news alone was enough to intrigue them.

It should be known that the number of marketplaces in the sect has been fixed for over a thousand years without the creation of new marketplaces.

A marketplace represents not just a source of business and taxation but also the management rights of the area.

Those who participate in the construction and management of the marketplace will be officially recorded in the book of God Tiansui.

There is no more radiant "gold" than this.

Quite a few people planned to visit shamelessly to see if they could recommend their children and descendants to Li Ye.

Of course, they wouldn't be foolish enough to arrange some wastrels to gild themselves.

If it affects the construction of Dongcang Marketplace, it wouldn't be gilding, it would be courting disaster.

So they all chose excellent descendants, not one of them was a wastrel.

Yet, before they truly visited, Third Senior Brother publicly stated that he already had assistants arranged and directly rejected all attempts by Golden Core True Men to insert people.

The True Men were helpless but could only give up.

If he has said so, it would be quite unseemly to push further.

They couldn't help but be curious about who the third disciple of True Man Suoxing had chosen.

"So, Senior Brother, who have you chosen?"

Li Ye was quite curious, he withdrew his gaze from the dazzling treasures around him; "The True Men are unaware, did you choose the Spirit Race behind Peach Blossom Mountain?"

"Indeed."

Third Senior Brother and Li Ye walked within the treasure-filled vault, speaking calmly; "I found the Dangkang, Xuan Turtle, Bifang, Yinglong, and Enlightened Race, and they gladly entrusted some outstanding disciples to me.

The location of Dongcang Marketplace is somewhat special, we can't let the disciples of so many True Men participate, this marketplace... is very important."

"Oh."

Li Ye nodded.

In fact, he was also worried about the question of who to choose and who not to.

Although these social interactions are normal, he found it hard to make a choice, and selecting among them indeed occupied too much of his energy, it would be better not to choose anyone.

So he entrusted Third Senior Brother to help him look, not expecting him to directly find the Spirit Race.

Li Ye accepted this matter calmly, turning his gaze back to the surroundings, continuing to evaluate the strange treasures.

The most important thing in marketplace construction is the foundation.

They came to the vault this time to collect a piece of Earth Spiritual Soil, using it as the foundation of the marketplace to easily construct any array in the future.

Oh?

Third Senior Brother couldn't help but curl his lips: "Little Brother, aren't you curious about why I chose them?"

He still wanted to boast a bit.

"Why ask?" Li Ye expressed puzzlement, "I entrusted this matter to Senior Brother, naturally I trust his choices."

He truly didn't want to worry about such trifles, so while Third Senior Brother was looking for people, he arranged matters within the Cave Mansion, preferring to meditate and cultivate rather than waste time socializing.

"..."

"It's nothing."

"Isn't this the Earth Spiritual Soil we are looking for?"

Seeing Li Ye glance away, Third Senior Brother immediately changed the topic, waved his hand towards a floating light sphere in the distance.

The light sphere instantly floated before them.

Within a white spiritual light seal was an inconspicuous lump of yellow clay, weathered and cracked, if left by the roadside, only a child might pick it up as a toy.

"So this is the Earth Spiritual Soil." Li Ye was seeing the real thing for the first time, gazing at it attentively.

This item, a type of Xi Soil, can maximize the power of the Earth Wishing Technique.

He extended his jade pendant to touch the light sphere, which burst like a bubble, causing the yellow clay inside to fall into Li Ye's hand.

Very light, with no spiritual qi.

It doesn't just look like ordinary soil, it feels like it too.

"Let's go."

"Now that we have acquired this item we can head to Dongcang Town."

"Dao You Ying Ying should already be there."

After receiving the Earth Spiritual Soil, Li Ye left with Third Senior Brother using a special teleportation array, arriving at the location of Dongcang Town.

Dongcang Town, though called Dongcang, is actually close to the Northern Domain, and leaving Dongcang Town for five thousand miles leads one into the Northern Domain's territory.

Five thousand miles in the cultivation realm isn't very far.

Due to its proximity to the Northern Domain, although it's in the Eastern Domain's territory, construction in all aspects is entrusted to some families in this area.

Thus it developed into a situation where the Hell Path turned Dongcang Town into an experimental ground for cultivating Hungry Ghosts.

When such a matter arose, naturally those families could not escape, they were all brought back to the Four Seasons Sect to be planted into trees for repentance—as cultivators, we have the duty to protect mortals, failing such a minor duty and not reporting it in time carries a hefty guilt.

Standing on this land which was arguably desolate, Li Ye gazed into the distance, where an utterly decayed village lay, originally bustling, it must have spanned at least a thousand acres.

But now, only a desolate scene remains.

There's no telling if anything remains inside, not only is the village shrouded in countless black qi, but the sky is also covered with dark clouds, although extremely hot, white snowflakes drift about.

Li Ye's Golden Core Tribulation encapsulated the Four Seasons Changes, he is well-versed in the flow of seasons, he can sense here the absence of seasonal concepts, even... a complete lack of "vitality."

Neither the earth nor the sky seems to hold any life, desolate to the point where even the smallest trace of spiritual qi cannot remain.

He immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

The situation here was likely more complex than he imagined.

Third Senior Brother's expression was also complex, he had been here before, and at that time, the situation wasn't as dire as it is now, yet it has worsened in just two months, why has it become so complicated?

"Brother Chen!"

Just then, a flood dragon with wings and radiant gold flew from afar, at first distant, appeared before them in the next breath.

After a flash of golden light, it transformed into a tall, armored woman with dragon horns atop her head, striking in appearance.

She surveyed Li Ye briefly, laughed and said: "This must be True Man Lingye, I have long heard your name, I am Yinglong Race's Ying Ying."

Li Ye responded with a smile: "So it is Dao You Ying Ying, you are my senior brother's friend, simply call me by my name, there's no need for such formality."

He habitually smiled, and it resulted in Dao You Ying Ying's eyes lighting up. She gazed at Li Ye for a while, feeling that there seemed to be a familiar aura of the Five-Colored Stone about him.

She elbowed Third Senior Brother and asked in a lowered voice: "Chen Mo, does your junior brother have a Dao companion?"

"..."

"???"

Third Senior Brother Chen Mo and Li Ye were both stunned.

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