Chapter 115: The Predicament of the Haoran Alliance

Southern Yun Province, Falling Cloud City.

Under a boundless expanse of clear blue sky and shimmering sea, the city bathed in bright, radiant sunlight, bustling and prosperous as it had always been. In the center of the city, atop the vast plaza, stood a highly conspicuous landmark: a teleportation array suspended in mid-air, emitting a profound and mysterious glow. Such arrays were common among major cities, allowing cultivators to traverse thousands of miles in an instant and significantly reducing travel time.

At this moment, the tranquil array suddenly rippled, much like a mirror-still lake disturbed by a gentle breeze. A moment later, two figures stepped out. One was a young man, roughly eighteen or nineteen years old, tall and upright with an impressive aura of cultivation. The woman was in the prime of her youth, possessing a beauty so breathtaking it could topple cities. Her expression, however, was icy and distant, as if keeping everyone at arm's length; only when she looked at the youth beside her did her gaze soften.

"Finally back. There's truly no place like home," Wang Ran said, stretching lazily as he took in the familiar streets. He felt the weight of his exhaustion and vigilance finally lift. Falling Cloud City fell under the jurisdiction of the Weiwo Sect, and in their territory, they were safe; no one would be foolish enough to strike an inner sect disciple of the Weiwo Sect here. Having endured the relentless pursuit of the Hongyuan Sect and the Beize Sect in the North Marsh, Wang Ran felt a profound sense of comfort and familiarity in Falling Cloud City.

He smiled slightly and asked the woman beside him, "Senior Sister, now that we have returned to the sect, will you continue your secluded cultivation?"

"Yes. Once Master helps me break the seal, I intend to transform every detail of the past few months into enlightenment. I cannot let this experience go to waste; I must strive to create a new Daoist technique," Yao Jianjia replied, clapping her hands in contemplation.

There were no strict limitations on how a cultivator might attain enlightenment; inspiration could be found anywhere. Yao Jianjia's time with her cultivation sealed had been a rare journey into the mundane—a precious life experience that served as the perfect foundation for deep meditation.

Wang Ran nodded, chatting idly with Yao Jianjia as they strolled toward the streets of Falling Cloud City. Before they realized it, they had arrived at a marketplace. This was the largest trading hub in the city outside of the Falling Cloud Pavilion. Many cultivators came here to purchase or exchange supplies, and it was the premier venue for talisman masters, alchemists, and the like to sell their wares. After all, not everyone could command the high prices Wang Ran could by selling directly to Huang Huifeng at the Falling Cloud Pavilion; many preferred the bustle of the open market.

It was Wang Ran's first time here, though he had heard of it often. According to Zhao Xiaobai, the major alliances within the sect frequently visited this place to procure large quantities of resources to bolster the strength of their members. The path of cultivation was never smooth; as the saying went, "The scholar is poor, the warrior is rich." The journey of cultivation required the accumulation of various resources, and money was needed at every turn. Although the sect provided a monthly stipend and allowed for the exchange of contribution points for supplies, it was never enough. When alliances sought to compete and grow stronger, they turned to these external markets for pills, talismans, and other cultivation aids.

Because places capable of supplying such vast quantities of pills and artifacts were rare, and the Falling Cloud Pavilion’s prices were exorbitant, these civilian markets became the primary target for the major alliances. Over time, the Falling Cloud City market became a fiercely contested territory, with prices reaching staggering heights. Wang Ran had previously leveraged his identity as "Chen Wangran" to carve a lucrative niche for himself at the Falling Cloud Pavilion, selling talismans at high prices and distributing the spirit jade to his subordinates, so he had never felt the need to visit this place. He had only heard of it, but now that he was here, he couldn't help but look around.

At the same time, a wave of anxiety washed over him. He had been gone for four or five months, and without his spirit jade supplies, the morale of the Haoran Alliance must have plummeted. Perhaps many disciples had already defected. The thought made him restless; he wondered how many people remained in the Haoran Alliance. The reality was cruel: every organization required financial backing. Since he had founded the Haoran Alliance, he had to accept this responsibility, whether he liked it or not. He could only hope that Zhao Xiaobai had managed things well and that the alliance wasn't on the verge of collapse.

As Wang Ran pondered these things, his gaze wandered aimlessly until he noticed a crowd gathered around a small building ahead. Curious, he looked over.

"Fellow Daoist, we agreed last time that nine thousand spirit jades would be enough to purchase this batch of pills. Why has the price gone up again?" A young cultivator asked, his face pale and his brow furrowed.

Before him stood a gray-robed man, clearly the shopkeeper, who sneered, "Heh, brother, it's not that I don't want to sell to you, but someone has already offered a higher price. In business, one must pursue greater profit. My apologies."

"You are breaking your word!" The young disciple’s face flushed red, and he shouted in indignation. The shopkeeper remained silent, feigning indifference.

"Ha! I say, Ma Rulong, your Haoran Alliance is about to go belly-up. You're so dirt-poor, yet you dare to compete with our Cangtian Alliance for supplies? Brother Ye has already ordered the acquisition of this batch of pills. Forget your crumbling Haoran Alliance; even the Chu Alliance or the Jiangshui Alliance couldn't stop us! We are determined to have them!"

At that moment, a man walked out from the crowd, looking arrogant and haughty. He wore the robes of a Weiwo Sect inner disciple, and the white tiger token hanging at his waist marked him as a member of the Enforcement Hall. He laughed, his Foundation Establishment Great Perfection aura radiating outward and drawing many glances.

"Wu Gang!" The young disciple, Ma Rulong—who had joined the Haoran Alliance alongside Xu Ke—gritted his teeth, his eyes turning bloodshot at the sight.

Wang Ran, who had been indifferent until then, was stunned for a moment, his brows knitting together.

Inside the small building, Wu Gang of the Cangtian Alliance continued to jeer. He looked at the flushed Ma Rulong and shook his head with disdain. "Do you really think being the fifth-largest alliance is easy? Every one of them requires immense financial support. With your pathetic, poverty-stricken state, you think you’re worthy of competing with our Cangtian Alliance? You are merely overestimating your own strength."

"I'll say this plainly: our Cangtian Alliance offers fifteen thousand spirit jades for this batch of pills. If you can top that, take them!"

The announcement caused an uproar among the cultivators.

"These disciples from the major sects are truly wealthy! They deal in tens of thousands of spirit jades without blinking!"

"Nonsense, that’s Wu Gang, a prodigy of the Weiwo Sect. The man behind him is none other than Ye Cang, the number one genius of the Weiwo Sect who has made a name for himself across Yun Province. They come here every month to buy supplies, and they are always incredibly generous. They are truly wealthy beyond imagination!"

"Fifteen thousand spirit jades... what kind of rich person could even afford that? I can't even fathom it!"

"It seems this kid won't be able to top that price. Trying to compete with the Cangtian Alliance in wealth—he’s still too green."

As the onlookers chatted, they noticed Ma Rulong's distress. Facing the massive sum of fifteen thousand spirit jades, he was powerless. It was true: without Wang Ran’s financial backing, the Haoran Alliance’s advantages had vanished, and their situation grew increasingly dire. Even the nine thousand spirit jades they had offered had been scraped together by the entire alliance.

"Damn it! If Senior Brother Wang were here, would we ever suffer such humiliation?" Ma Rulong gritted his teeth, but facing the arrogant Wu Gang, he finally released his fists in defeat.

"Get lost, you pauper. If you don't have the money, don't stand here and make a spectacle of yourself," Wu Gang sneered, signaling for them to leave.

Just then, a cold voice drifted into the ears of the crowd—light and airy, as if coming from beyond the nine heavens, yet laced with annoyance and mockery.

"How truly laughable. You have the audacity to show off with a mere fifteen thousand spirit jades in front of my Haoran Alliance? To say nothing else, the tip I give to a mere maidservant is worth more than that!"