Transmission

A magical talisman used by cultivators to send short messages or signals over a distance.

Definition

A magical talisman used by cultivators to send short messages or signals over a distance.

Story context

Get ready, fellow Daoists, because the mortal world's rules are about to get a serious upgrade. After chapters of mortal gang wars and cutthroat politics, we finally step into the true cultivation world. Our resident pragmatist, Han Li, learns he's been wandering around like a country bumpkin at a rocket launch. He bumps into the chatty, naive Wan Xiao Shan, a youth from a friendly cultivation family who spills the beans about the 'Southern Lesser Assembly' (太南小会)—a five-year trading fair for low-level cultivators in Lan Province. There's just one tiny problem: Han Li showed up thinking he was just visiting a neighbor, not attending a massive barter bazaar. The chapter ends with him entering a hidden valley packed with cultivators, stalls, and a harsh reality check: he is spectacularly unprepared.

Why it matters

Welcome to the economics of immortality! This chapter is a massive breather after the Shen Zhong Shan climax, but don't mistake its calm for irrelevance. This is a mandatory worldbuilding and pacing interlude. The 'Southern Lesser Assembly' is the perfect environment for Han Li: a high-risk, high-reward trading floor where he can leverage his alchemical knowledge and medicinal skills, if he can find the capital to start.