Cultivating Disciples to Breakthrough

Not knowing how long there was until the auction that had been mention by the old man began and wanting to secure an escape path in case he ended up running into a problem that he couldn’t deal with at his current realm, Xuan Hao wasted no time as he made his way over to the Explorer Union branch located close to the small temple at the core of the city. In the process, he also had the chance to observe the people moving around the city in more detail. Allowing him to understand that the number of people present inside the city was indeed far too many for such a small city.

At the same time, it also gave him a clear understanding of the importance of this auction that had even managed to draw the attention of the Heavenly Dragon Temple. After all, most of the people currently wandering around the streets of the city were clearly not from the Western Central Region but instead composed of a mix of people who should be from the Southern Central Region and explorers from the Explorer Union who had been drawn over by the auction.

All things considered, the current state of the city was rather chaotic and was only kept stable by the fact that the city itself was under the protection of the Heavenly Dragon Temple, a major power in the Western Central Region.

If not for the fact that it was under the protection of such a powerful major power, he didn’t doubt that some of the people he had seen on the street would already have started causing trouble. At least for now, it was only limited to the streets being a bit more chaotic. Forcing the normal residents to stay at home for now to avoid offending one of the powerful outsiders walking around on the streets outside.

After all, even though the city itself was under the protection of the Heavenly Dragon Temple and no one would dare cause trouble inside, the same could not be said for outside the city.

Understanding this, the local residents had all decided to stay indoors for the next few days to avoid ending up offending someone who might potentially harbor a grudge and attack them the second they stepped outside the city.

In a sense, it was because most of the local residents stayed home that the streets of the city didn’t end up becoming even more chaotic.

Shaking his head as he thought about the fearful locals hiding at home while their city had essentially been overtaken by outsiders because of the auction, Xuan Hao finally found himself standing at the entrance to the Explorer Union Branch inside the city... And to absolutely no surprise, the branch was by far one of the most crowded locations inside the city.

Understandable considering how a large portion of the people who had flocked to the city were explorers from the Explorer Union, but at the same time annoying, as he understood that this would mean that it was going to take longer for him to get the information he wanted from the Explorer Union.

His current displayed cultivation realm at the Soul Ascension Realm might aid him in getting ahead of some weaker explorers, but he understood that there was no real way of forcing things inside the Explorer Union Branch, unless he was prepared to completely fall out with the Explorer Union and turn them into enemies like the Blue Sea Empire had done in the past.

Although he was more than strong enough to withstand it with his current strength and felt confident in being able to properly hide his identity in case he really did something, he didn’t want to risk it.

After all, at the end of the day, the Explorer Union wasn’t just a powerful faction spread throughout the entire continent, but it could also be considered an important trading partner for the Star Shattering Sect. Not just helping with cultivation resources, but also helping the sect gather information on things currently far beyond its reach.

Falling out with any other major power would be acceptable, but the Explorer Union was currently far too important for the development of the Star Shattering Sect to risk a potential clash.

Even if there was a clash in the future with the Explorer Union, it would be done when the Star Shattering Sect had managed to fully establish itself and had the ability to procure some of the cultivation resources that were currently difficult to produce inside the sect’s own territory. Resources that often required some kind of special environment that the Star Shattering Sect did not have under their control or were unable to reproduce artificially.

Stepping inside the Explorer Union as he thought about this together with a large crowd of people who were similarly entering the Explorer Union for their own reason, he didn’t linger around the entrance for long and went directly for one of the counters with the least people waiting in front of it.

Looking over the line of people, there were only five or so people waiting in line, while other counters had more than a dozen people, but a quick glance at the people in the line made it clear why this was the case, as all of them had at least reached the Soul Ascension Realm. Making it clear that this counter was one that had been created specifically for the stronger cultivators to more easily access the Explorer Union Branch without having to wait as long as the other people visiting the branch.

A benefit that he hadn’t expected, but a welcome one considering he didn’t really want to wait around in line at the Explorer Union if possible and just wanted to get the information on the different forbidden zones he needed to avoid throughout the Western Central Region before getting back to investigating the auction that was going to take place in this city.

Maybe I could also use this opportunity to ask more about the auction from the Explorer Union? Even if it will cost a bit extra, I doubt it will be that expensive considering that kind of information should be easy to find by just asking around a bit

.As he stood in line while aimlessly looking around the place, he realized that outside of the information on different forbidden zones in the Western Central Region, he could also ask the Explorer Union for information on the upcoming auction.

Given just how much attention this auction had drawn, he doubted that the Explorer Union Branch here would be unaware of the auction. Giving him a potential chance to learn more about it from the Explorer Union Branch instead of having to ask around on the streets.

Speaking of which, he preferred getting the information from the Explorer Union, as it would at the very least save him a bit of time from asking around the city.

The simple reason why he decided against using his divine sense being that doing so might alert the Celestial Immortal Realm cultivator from the Heavenly Dragon Temple who might already have arrived at the city.

His earlier scan of the city before he entered had mostly just been cursory and was only really used to detect the strength of the people inside the city. Using his divine sense to listen in would be more difficult and had a higher chance of alerting the other party to his presence...

”Hello, what can I help you with?” As he was lost in his own thoughts while waiting in line, it was soon his turn, as he came face to face with the staff member from the Explorer Union, who with a kind smile asked him what he wanted.

”I want to buy information.” And without a second thought he answered in a rather plain tone, causing the staff member to nod his head before showing him towards another more secluded room before returning his attention to the person next in line after him.

From this alone, it was clear that this person was telling him to go on his own... And honestly, he didn’t mind.

But... Others might not be like that and for that simple reason, the strength of this staff member was also nothing to scoff at, as he had also reached the Soul Ascension Realm. Hinting that this branch might have received substantial reinforcements due to the auction being held. Allowing the branch to stay secure even if some chaos did end up erupting during or after the upcoming auction.

The Explorer Union might also be involved in that auction...

Silently thinking this to himself as he turned his attention away from the Soul Ascension Realm Staff Member of the Explorer Union, he didn’t linger around and made his way for the room he had been pointed towards. Soon enough finding another staff member meeting him at the entrance of the room before smilingly guiding him inside.