Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 42: Floating Market, New Map!

"Well said, well said. However, when it comes to brewing wine, it’s still best to find spirit fruits. If you have the exceptional skill to brew spirit fruit wine filled with spiritual energy and bring it to the market, you can earn quite a few spirit stones."

"Good idea, but spirit fruits are hard to find. I’ll practice with wild fruits first. How should I address you, fellow Daoist?"

The Ice-winged Eagle saw he was seated steadily, flapped its large wings and took off silently. In a sonorous voice, it said, "I rank fifty-third in the tribe; you can call me Eagle Fifty-Third, sir."

Jiang Yuan opened the character relationship interface and, sure enough, there was no spot for someone named Eagle Fifty-Third.

According to the map, Jiang Yuan directed Eagle Fifty-Third to land at the edge of the swamp. They agreed to meet here at tomorrow night after the wilderness arrival to ride to the mine for clocking in. With a good tacit understanding, they parted ways.

He deliberately waited until he could no longer see the shadow of the Ice-winged Eagle, then grabbed his jujube wood cane and sprinted under tree cover towards his courtyard, where he would finally be safe and could build the floating market and unlock the new map’s gate!

The courtyard was quiet. Jiang Yuan glanced at Wan Mingchuan, who was lying on the bed sleeping soundly. The good feelings he had intermittently gained ceased entirely, suggesting he hadn’t been asleep for long.

Eagerly, Jiang Yuan opened the store interface, selected the antique-styled floating market, dragged it to the empty space beside the thatched house, and excitedly clicked to build.

He watched as if invisible hands were casting magic; the ground was quietly excavated and paved with layers of stones for foundation. Within breaths, the rustic, simple house was quickly shaped.

The wooden windows, wooden doors, and even the signboard hanging on the door were assembled. The Moonlight Pearl and the Moon in the Water finally fused into the floating market. With a soft light passing, the system prompted: [Please enter the floating market’s store name]

"What should it be called?" Jiang Yuan pondered for a few seconds and entered the words—Cloud Grocery Store!

[Task 1 completed, rewards have been issued]

[Task 2: Build the beginner’s melting workshop. Reward: Stove blueprint]

A black cloak that could be equipped appeared in his storage bag, lighting up his eyes. With the blueprint, he could build a stove, cook food to replenish physical strength without needing rest. Very practical!

Immersed in a sense of achievement and excitement, Jiang Yuan equipped the black cloak, wrapping himself thoroughly, gaining an air of mystery.

Curious about the market Yun Mo often mentioned, he pushed open the floating market’s wooden door and entered the store.

"Squeak—"

The wooden door closed automatically, the light outside immediately shifting with a soft click.

The originally cold, clear moonlight disappeared, replaced by blurry red and green colors. A large round orb embedded in the store ceiling emitted a soft yellow glow.

The store’s layout was simple; the counter displayed a row of four ancient, blank stream cards. Beside it was an unknown-purpose platform; on one side, a wooden handle;

Further inside were rows of empty shelves;

Below the wooden window were four empty slots, which, when opened, became showcases. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

"The floating market will automatically receive orders. Complete orders within the limited time by placing the required items on the platform. Pull the handle to complete the transaction, earning spirit stones or other trading items. Orders expire after time limits..."

"Showcase slots can hold any idle items, automatically priced for sale..."

"Shelves display items for sale. When the floating market reaches Level Two, it can automatically replenish showcase slots for sale..."

"The beginner’s floating market can only access the closest beginner’s market. Push the door inwards to enter the market; outward to return home..."

......

After carefully reading the instructions, Jiang Yuan, filled with excitement and curiosity, opened the wooden door by pulling inward.

Indeed, a bustling street filled with luminous colors lay ahead, populated by towering, robust, or bizarrely shaped demon beast shadows rather than human ones.

Clearly, most demon beasts entering the market have methods to restrain their aura and avoid revealing their true form.

[Cyan Fish Mountain Beginner’s Market Rules: No violent threats, no fighting or killing, and no stealing others’ possessions. Violators will be randomly teleported out of the market and barred from re-entry for a set time. After three violations, one’s name will be blacklisted from this market, banned for eternity.]

The system provided him with a sense of security; otherwise, he would truly feel a bit fearful in this strange environment.

"Huh? A human cultivator?!"

"It’s a human! A human managed to sneak into the market!"

"The human’s scent is strange. I can’t even tell if it’s male or female?"

"It’s probably the magic treasure’s effect, right? One that can hide their aura."

"Hehehe, interesting, interesting..."

......

As soon as he stepped out of the store, Jiang Yuan heard a burst of whispering and felt several probing stronger auras.

The system continuously popped up reminders, but thus far, no danger warnings appeared. Most of the gazes and discussions were mere curiosity.

Adding to the atmosphere’s uncanny valley effect was the demon beasts speaking human language and using human text. Their voices varied, some with accents; listening closely felt intimate, yet there was no other human companion. He was the sole entity truly using the language and text!

Luckily, the shadows turned slightly as they passed, not coming to surround him. He tightened the black cloak around himself and walked two more steps down the street, gradually blending into the street scene like an elusive shadow.

Not being able to fight within the market does not mean one can’t ambush or rob once outside. Many protagonists in online novels can’t acquire the treasure they want, and they find an excuse to kill and rob for zero-cost acquisition?

Thankfully, he didn’t need to leave the market. He could switch between entering and exiting from his own store, greatly increasing his safety.

As Jiang Yuan strolled down the street, using the black cloak to observe the many stores within the market, he realized why the beginner’s floating market could only enter beginner markets.

On this street, the stores on both sides ranged from rugged stone houses to colorful wooden buildings, and his simple "Cloud Grocery Store" fit right in.

With its motley street and interspersed humanoid-but-not-human shadows, it exuded a peculiar sense of surreal absurdity, akin to a protagonist wandering into an Otherworld in a fantasy film.

Thankfully, all the signboards and banners displayed were in simplified Chinese. Jiang Yuan noticed the market mostly consisted of various restaurants and taverns, with a clothing and shoe shop not far away, its sharp roof painted to resemble a scholar’s hat. The showcase displayed exclusively human apparel.

Carefully observing the passing shadows, one could barely discern that most demon beasts wore human clothing to cover private areas.

For instance, there was what seemed like a monkey-type demon beast, wearing a vividly painted mask, a robe draped over its body, bouncing energetically as it walked, its human apparel adding an extra layer of oddity.

The map showed the Cyan Fish Mountain Market was enveloped in thick white fog, with the newly unlocked map comprising only a street about a thousand meters long paved with blue stone slabs.

At the far end was the most bustling building, also the largest and most luxurious—a wooden tower over ten stories high with "Auction" written on it; beside it stood a slightly more subtle stone building labeled Money Shop.

Virtually all stores flung their doors open, warmly welcoming guests. Somewhere, a pipa’s sound drifted, adding life to the market’s colorful lights and shadows.

"Would you like to see some clothes and shoes, dear guest? Our tailor sews efficiently and well, and our prices are very fair!" Jiang Yuan had just reached the clothing store’s door when a snow-white fox’s head poked out from the second floor, inviting him in a melodious feminine voice.

It didn’t hide its face, sporting smooth, groomed white fur with a dazzling red flower pinned at its temple, dressed in luxurious palace attire in blue and white, revealing snow-white shoulders and slender white human-like hands, holding an exquisite long smoking pipe emitting wisps of blue smoke.

From the start, Hu Jiu Girl had noticed the human cultivator unexpectedly appearing in the market.

To locate and enter the Cyan Fish Mountain Market, a demon cultivator must at least be in the Foundation Establishment Realm. She had operated a store in the market for years, having even witnessed Golden Core Realm experts openly displaying their cultivation, yet had never seen a human, particularly one cultivating to the Foundation Establishment Realm!

Hu Jiu Girl, who loved watching a commotion, couldn’t resist approaching Cyan Fish Mountain Market’s grand spectacle?