shàng gǔ zhī shí ， xiū shì xíng shì bǎi wú jìn jì 。 tú lù yī fāng shēng líng liàn huà fǎ qì ； huǐ shān zhǔ hǎi 、 fén lín chén lù ； wú shì yuē dìng 、 chū ěr fǎn ěr ； shā rén yuè huò 、 wéi lì shì tú …… fán cǐ zhǒng zhǒng ， jiē shì cháng tài 。
上古之时，修士行事百无禁忌。屠戮一方生灵炼化法器；毁山煮海、焚林沉陆；无视约定、出尔反尔；杀人越货、唯利是图……凡此种种，皆是常态。
In ancient times, cultivators acted without any taboos. They would slaughter and devour living beings to refine magical artifacts; they would destroy mountains, boil seas, burn forests, sink lands; disregard agreements, go back on their word; kill people for profit, act solely in pursuit of gain… all these were the norm.
jiū qí yuán yīn ， zé shì yīn wèi suí zhe xiū xíng jìng jiè de tí gāo 、 zì shēn shí lì de bù duàn zēng zhǎng ， xiū shì suǒ shòu dào de yuē shù yě yuè lái yuè shǎo 。
究其原因，则是因为随着修行境界的提高、自身实力的不断增长，修士所受到的约束也越来越少。
The reason was that as cultivators' cultivation realms improved and their strength grew, the constraints placed upon them diminished.
yī wèi huà shén xiū shì ， kàn shàng le zhù jī xiū shì ǒu rán huò dé de yì bǎo 。 qīng ér yì jǔ biàn kě jiāng qí miè shā ， bǎ yì bǎo jù wéi jǐ yǒu 。
一位化神修士，看上了筑基修士偶然获得的异宝。轻而易举便可将其灭杀，把异宝据为己有。
A Transcendence Realm cultivator could easily slay a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who had stumbled upon an extraordinary treasure. With minimal effort, they could take it for themselves.
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， yòu yǒu duō shǎo rén huì xuǎn zé yòng
这种情况下，又有多少人会选择用
How many would choose to obtain such treasures through "trade"? Similarly, when faced with a proposal from a much stronger Transcendence Realm cultivator, how likely was a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator to disagree? If the other party broke their word and reneged on the deal, what could he do?
“ jiāo yì ” de fāng shì qǔ dé yì bǎo ne ？ tóng lǐ ， dāng yī wèi zhù jī xiū shì ， miàn duì bǐ zì jǐ qiáng dà bù zhī dào duō shǎo bèi de huà shén xiū shì suǒ tí chū de
“交易”的方式取得异宝呢？同理，当一位筑基修士，面对比自己强大不知道多少倍的化神修士所提出的
He could only bear it silently, even feeling grateful that they didn't take his life. When both parties were in an unequal position, the fairness of the trade became questionable.
“ jiāo yì ”， tā gǎn bù tóng yì me ？ rú guǒ duì fāng huǐ yuē 、 fān liǎn bù rèn rén ， tā yòu yǒu shén me bàn fǎ ne ？
“交易”，他敢不同意么？如果对方毁约、翻脸不认人，他又有什么办法呢？
However, with the existence of various contracts in today's Five Elders Association and throughout the Xuanhuang Realm, this situation had been completely transformed.
hái bú shì zhǐ néng rěn qì tūn shēng ， shèn zhì hái yào qìng xìng duì fāng méi yǒu qǔ zì jǐ xiǎo mìng 。 jiāo yì de shuāng fāng rú guǒ chǔ yú bú duì děng de zhuàng tài ， jiāo yì de gōng píng xìng yě jiù wú cóng tán qǐ 。
还不是只能忍气吞声，甚至还要庆幸对方没有取自己小命。交易的双方如果处于不对等的状态，交易的公平性也就无从谈起。
These contracts—such as the Soul Pact signed by cultivators selling themselves, the Merchant Contract Li Fan once used multiple times, and special golden contracts for trading mystical techniques—all these omnipresent mysterious forces could truly constrain cultivators. Even a Great Daoist cultivator couldn't defy the power of a contract once it was signed; they had to abide by its terms.
dàn zài rú jīn de wǔ lǎo huì ， nǎi zhì zhěng gè xuán huáng jiè ， zhè yī qíng kuàng dōu dé dào le chè dǐ de gǎi biàn 。
但在如今的五老会，乃至整个玄黄界，这一情况都得到了彻底的改变。
With the establishment of order driven by contracts, if the Heaven Xuan Mirror and Derivation Jade were the foundation of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, then contracts were the lifeline of the Five Elders Association.
zhèng shì yīn wèi zhǒng zhǒng qì yuē de cún zài 。 wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì mài shēn suǒ qiān dìng de 【 shén hún qì 】、 lǐ fán céng jīng shǐ yòng guò duō cì de 【 shāng qì 】、 kě yǐ yòng lái mǎi mài gōng fǎ de tè shū jīn sè qì yuē …… zhè zhǒng wú chǔ bù zài de shén mì lì liàng ， gēn gòu duì xiū shì chǎn shēng zhēn zhèng de xiàn zhì 。
正是因为种种契约的存在。五老会修士卖身所签订的【神魂契】、李凡曾经使用过多次的【商契】、可以用来买卖功法的特殊金色契约……这种无处不在的神秘力量，跟够对修士产生真正的限制。
Returning to the Soul Points. The essence of a Soul Point was a special form of energy hidden deep within one's soul through the power of a contract.
nǎ pà shì hé dào xiū shì ， yě wú fǎ wéi kàng qì yuē de lì liàng 。 yí dàn qiān dìng ， jiù bì xū zūn shǒu 。 qì yuē de tuī dòng xià ， zhì xù yě yīn zhī jiàn lì 。
哪怕是合道修士，也无法违抗契约的力量。一旦签订，就必须遵守。契约的推动下，秩序也因之建立。
Apart from being used for daily transactions, it had another unique purpose: consuming Soul Points could activate the Immortal Sect Armory.
rú guǒ shuō tiān xuán jìng 、 yǎn fǎ jué shì wàn xiān méng de gēn jī ， nà me 【 qì yuē 】 zé shì wǔ lǎo huì de mìng mài 。
如果说天玄镜、衍法珏是万仙盟的根基，那么【契约】则是五老会的命脉。
There, various mystical techniques, ancient texts, and treasures originating from the vast ancient sects were available for exchange.
zài shuō huí 【 shén hún diǎn 】。 shén hún diǎn de shí zhì ， shì jiè yóu qì yuē zhī lì cáng yú shén hún shēn chù de mǒu zhǒng tè shū néng liàng 。
再说回【神魂点】。神魂点的实质，是借由契约之力藏于神魂深处的某种特殊能量。
More importantly, the Immortal Sect Armory contained the true illusions of many ancient sects.
chú le rì cháng yòng lái jiāo yì zhī wài ， tā hái yǒu gè tè bié de yòng chǔ 。 nà jiù shì xiāo hào shén hún diǎn ， kāi qǐ 【 xiān zōng wǔ kù 】。
除了日常用来交易之外，它还有个特别的用处。那就是消耗神魂点，开启【仙宗武库】。
Creating these real illusions was a power similar to that of the Fallen Heaven Realm. Here, cultivators could explore the ruins of numerous extinct ancient sects.
zài nà lǐ ， yuán yú shàng gǔ xiān zōng hào rú yān hǎi de gè zhǒng gōng fǎ 、 diǎn jí 、 zhēn bǎo ， dōu kě rèn yóu nǐ duì huàn 。
在那里，源于上古仙宗浩如烟海的各种功法、典籍、珍宝，都可任由你兑换。
Within these sects, there were images of ancient cultivators, most of whom lacked their own consciousness and existed merely as empty shells.
gèng zhí dé yì tí de shì ， xiān zōng wǔ kù nèi hái cún zài zhe shàng gǔ shí qī zhū duō zōng mén de zhēn shí huàn jǐng 。
更值得一提的是，仙宗武库内还存在着上古时期诸多宗门的真实幻景。
But in combat, their actions carried almost the same power as real beings. Five Elders Association cultivators could repeatedly challenge these ancient souls to improve their combat skills.
chuàng zào chū zhēn shí huàn jǐng de ， shì gēn yǔn xiān jìng jí qí xiāng sì de yī zhǒng lì liàng 。 zài nà lǐ ， xiū shì men kě yǐ yóu lì zhū duō yǐ jīng miè jué de shàng gǔ zōng mén 。
创造出真实幻景的，是跟陨仙境极其相似的一种力量。在那里，修士们可以游历诸多已经灭绝的上古宗门。
Moreover, any injuries sustained within the Immortal Sect Armory did not affect one's physical body but only caused minor damage to the soul.
zōng mén nèi hái cún zài zhe xǔ duō shàng gǔ xiū shì de yǐng xiàng ， tā men dà bù fèn méi yǒu zì shēn shén zhì ， zhǐ shì dān chún de qū qiào 。
宗门内还存在着许多上古修士的影像，他们大部分没有自身神智，只是单纯的躯壳。
Even more miraculous was that such soul injuries could be healed by consuming Soul Points. In theory, if a person had enough Soul Points, even someone who had just started cultivation could become extremely powerful through repeated battles.
dàn shí zhàn qǐ lái ， jǔ shǒu tóu zú jiān wēi néng ， jī hū hé zhēn rén wú yì 。 wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì kě yǐ xiāo hào shén hún diǎn ， gēn zhè xiē shàng gǔ xiū shì bù duàn fǎn fù qiē cuō ， tí gāo zì shēn zhàn lì 。
但实战起来，举手投足间威能，几乎和真人无异。五老会修士可以消耗神魂点，跟这些上古修士不断反复切磋，提高自身战力。
With the Soul Pacts as constraints, the Five Elders Association did not need todeliberately suppress the combat power of ordinary cultivators like the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
bìng qiě zài 【 xiān zōng wǔ kù 】 nèi ， yī qiè shāng shì dōu bú huì yǐng xiǎng dào xiàn shí zhōng de shēn tǐ ， zhǐ huì duì shén hún zào chéng lüè wēi de qīng shāng 。
并且在【仙宗武库】内，一切伤势都不会影响到现实中的身体，只会对神魂造成略微的轻伤。
Of course, all this came at a price. Cultivators needed to earn it themselves. At the border of Wuzheng State, by the White Mist Barrier, Lu Fan was looking at various True Man Prudence Boats and felt quite tempted.
gèng miào de shì ， zhè zhǒng shén hún shāng shì ， yě kě yǐ tōng guò xiāo hào shén hún diǎn zhì yù 。 cóng lǐ lùn shàng lái jiǎng ， ruò shì shén hún diǎn zú gòu ， nǎ pà yí gè gāng gāng xiū xíng bù jiǔ de fán rén ， yě kě yǐ zài yī cháng chǎng sī shā zhōng ， biàn dé jí wéi qiáng hàn 。
更妙的是，这种神魂伤势，也可以通过消耗神魂点治愈。从理论上来讲，若是神魂点足够，哪怕一个刚刚修行不久的凡人，也可以在一场场厮杀中，变得极为强悍。
Unfortunately, as he wasn't a member of the Five Elders Association, he had no Soul Points and could only watch enviously.
yǒu zhe shén hún qì zuò wéi yuē shù ， wǔ lǎo huì bìng bù xū yào xiàng wàn xiān méng nà bān ， kè yì yā zhì dà zhòng xiū shì de zhàn lì 。
有着神魂契作为约束，五老会并不需要像万仙盟那般，刻意压制大众修士的战力。
At this moment, a vendor approached: "These two friends should be from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance who haven't yet joined our Five Elders Association, right?" Lu Fan's expression changed slightly as he cautiously scanned his surroundings before lowering his voice and nodding. "That’s correct. May I ask your name? How did you notice this?"
dāng rán ， zhè yī qiè yě dōu bú shì miǎn fèi de ， xū yào xiū shì zì jǐ qù zhēng qǔ 。 cǐ kè wú dìng zhōu biān chuí 、 bái wù bì zhàng páng ， lǚ fàn kàn zhe gè shì gè yàng de 【 pǔ xián zhēn zhōu 】， bù jīn shí fēn xīn dòng 。
当然，这一切也都不是免费的，需要修士自己去争取。此刻无定州边陲、白雾壁障旁，吕范看着各式各样的【普贤真舟】，不禁十分心动。
The vendor led them to a stall and said: "You don’t need to be so tense. My name is Gu Binliang, and I deal in buying and selling."
nài hé bú shì wǔ lǎo huì chéng yuán ， bàn diǎn shén hún diǎn dōu méi yǒu ， zhǐ néng yǎn bā bā 、 shí fēn xiàn mù de kàn zhe 。
奈何不是五老会成员，半点神魂点都没有，只能眼巴巴、十分羡慕的看着。
"Regarding how I noticed… " Gu Binliang smiled. "Whether or not someone has signed a Soul Pact makes a difference. I heard recently that some Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators were undergoing the Purification Ritual, so this is just a guess based on that." Seeing Lu Fan's nervousness, he added: "Actually, most members of our Five Elders Association don’t harbor any hostility towards your Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. After all, many cultivators have been captured and undergone the Purification Ritual to reform themselves and become loyal members."
zhè shí ， yī wèi xiǎo fàn shàng lái dā huà le ：“ zhè liǎng wèi dào yǒu ， yīng gāi shì wàn xiān méng nà biān de 、 shàng wèi jiā rù wǒ men wǔ lǎo huì ba ？” lǚ fàn wén yán ， wēi wēi sè biàn 。
这时，一位小贩上来搭话了：“这两位道友，应该是万仙盟那边的、尚未加入我们五老会吧？”吕范闻言，微微色变。
"Those people are even more loyal than ordinary members!" Hearing this, Lu Fan's expression turned somewhat awkward.
tā jǐng tì de sǎo shì le sì zhōu ， yā dī shēng yīn 、 diǎn tóu dào ：“ zhèng shì 。 bù zhī zhè wèi dào yǒu zěn me chēng hū ？ yòu shì rú hé kàn chū lái de ？” nà wèi xiǎo fàn jiāng èr rén dài dào zì shēn tān wèi páng ， shuō dào ：“ èr wèi dǎo shì bù yòng zhè me jǐn zhāng 。 zài xià gǔ bīn liáng ， zhuān mén gàn xiē dǎo mǎi dǎo mài de huó jì 。”
他警惕的扫视了四周，压低声音、点头道：“正是。不知这位道友怎么称呼？又是如何看出来的？”那位小贩将二人带到自身摊位旁，说道：“二位倒是不用这么紧张。在下谷彬良，专门干些倒买倒卖的活计。”
Gu Binliang was a skilled observer and quickly moved on from that topic. He asked: "Are you interested in a True Man Prudence Boat but troubled by your lack of Soul Points?"
“ zhì yú zěn me kàn chū lái de ……” gǔ bīn liáng wēi wēi yī xiào ：“ qiān méi qiān guò shén hún qì ， gěi rén de gǎn jué kě shì wán quán bù yí yàng 。 qià hǎo yòu tīng shuō zuì jìn zhuā le yī pī wàn xiān méng de xiū shì ， zhèng zài jìn xíng 【 guī jiè 】， suǒ yǐ fāng yǒu cǐ cāi cè 。” kàn zhe lǚ fàn yǒu diǎn jǐn zhāng de yàng zi ， gǔ bīn liáng yòu shuō dào ：“ shí jì shàng ， duì yú nǐ men wàn xiān méng xiū shì ， wǒ men wǔ lǎo huì jué dà duō shù chéng yuán ， dōu bìng méi yǒu shén me dí yì 。 bì jìng ， yǐ wǎng yě yǒu bù shǎo xiū shì bèi fú huò ， tōng guò guī jiè ， xǐ xīn gé miàn 、 rèn qīng xiàn shí ， zuì zhōng chéng wéi wǒ men wǔ lǎo huì yī yuán de lì zi 。”
“至于怎么看出来的……”谷彬良微微一笑：“签没签过神魂契，给人的感觉可是完全不一样。恰好又听说最近抓了一批万仙盟的修士，正在进行【归诫】，所以方有此猜测。”看着吕范有点紧张的样子，谷彬良又说道：“实际上，对于你们万仙盟修士，我们五老会绝大多数成员，都并没有什么敌意。毕竟，以往也有不少修士被俘获，通过归诫，洗心革面、认清现实，最终成为我们五老会一员的例子。”
"Yes," Lu Fan nodded.
“ ér zhè xiē rén ， kě bǐ xún cháng chéng yuán hái yào gèng jiā zhōng xīn ne ！” lǚ fàn wén yán ， liǎn sè bù jīn yǒu xiē nán kàn 。
“而这些人，可比寻常成员还要更加忠心呢！”吕范闻言，脸色不禁有些难看。
"It’s no problem. If you don’t have Soul Points, I’m sure you always keep some standard spirit stones with you," Gu Binliang said with a smile.
ér gǔ bīn liáng yě shì chá yán guān sè de hǎo shǒu ， dāng jí lüè guò zhè ge huà tí ， zhuǎn ér wèn dào ：“ dào yǒu kě shì duì 【 pǔ xián zhēn zhōu 】 dòng le xīn ， què yòu kǔ nǎo náng zhōng xiū sè 、 méi yǒu shén hún diǎn ？”
而谷彬良也是察言观色的好手，当即略过这个话题，转而问道：“道友可是对【普贤真舟】动了心，却又苦恼囊中羞涩、没有神魂点？”
"Indeed, I do have some." Lu Fan was pleasantly surprised, though he quickly became puzzled: "Do the Five Elders Association use these standard spirit stones?"
“ dí què rú cǐ 。” lǚ fàn diǎn diǎn tóu 。
“的确如此。”吕范点点头。
"Haha, that’s what you’re saying. Since they are standard spirit stones, they were jointly manufactured by both the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and our Five Elders Association and recognized by both sides. However, most of us ordinary members don’t need them, so converting them into Soul Points is somewhat troublesome, which is why we don’t accept them."
“ zhè què wú fáng 。 shén hún diǎn méi yǒu ， zhì shì líng shí xiǎng bì dào yǒu shēn shàng yīng gāi cháng bèi le yī xiē ba 。” gǔ bīn liáng wēi xiào zhe shuō dào 。
“这却无妨。神魂点没有，制式灵石想必道友身上应该常备了一些吧。”谷彬良微笑着说道。
"But it doesn’t matter to me," Gu Binliang explained. "As a true businessman, I still need a considerable number of standard spirit stones as intermediaries."
“ zhè què shí yǒu yī xiē 。” lǚ fàn yǒu xiē jīng xǐ dào ， bù guò suí jí miàn shàng shǎn guò yī sī yí huò ：“ nǐ men wǔ lǎo huì ， yě yòng zhè zhì shì líng shí ？”
“这确实有一些。”吕范有些惊喜道，不过随即面上闪过一丝疑惑：“你们五老会，也用这制式灵石？”
"True businessmen…" Lu Fan understood the meaning.
“ hē hē ， dào yǒu zhè huà shuō de 。 jì rán shì zhì shì líng shí ， zì rán shì wàn xiān méng hé wǔ lǎo huì lián hé zhì zào 、 shòu dào shuāng fāng tǒng yī rèn kě de 。 bù guò wǒ men wǔ lǎo huì yì bān xiū shì yòng bù shàng ， jiāng qí duì huàn wèi shén hún diǎn ， yě yǒu diǎn má fán 。 suǒ yǐ tā men bù shōu 。”
“呵呵，道友这话说的。既然是制式灵石，自然是万仙盟和五老会联合制造、受到双方统一认可的。不过我们五老会一般修士用不上，将其兑换为神魂点，也有点麻烦。所以他们不收。”
"Then may I ask you for one True Man Prudence Boat?" Gu Binliang waved his hand, and dozens of miniature flying boats appeared before him.
“ dàn duì wǒ lái shuō ， què wú suǒ wèi 。 zuò wéi zhēn zhèng de shēng yì rén ， hái shì xū yào xiāng dāng shù liàng de zhì shì líng shí lái zuò zhōng zhuǎn de 。” gǔ bīn liáng jiě shì dào 。
“但对我来说，却无所谓。作为真正的生意人，还是需要相当数量的制式灵石来做中转的。”谷彬良解释道。
He enthusiastically explained their differences. After not much time, they completed their transaction happily.
“ zhēn zhèng de shēng yì rén ……” lǚ fàn shùn jiān dǒng le duì fāng de yì si ，
“真正的生意人……”吕范瞬间懂了对方的意思，
Just as Lu Fan was about to leave, Gu Binliang called him back: "Do you have any idle items? Traveling in the Five Elders Association’s territory without Soul Points is very inconvenient. I can exchange them with you for Soul Points." He then took out a figure that couldn’t be clearly seen.
“ nà láo fán dào yǒu ná yī sōu 【 pǔ xián zhēn zhōu 】 gěi wǒ 。” gǔ bīn liáng dà shǒu yī huī ， shù shí sōu wēi suō fēi zhōu dùn shí chū xiàn zài lǚ fàn miàn qián 。
“那劳烦道友拿一艘【普贤真舟】给我。”谷彬良大手一挥，数十艘微缩飞舟顿时出现在吕范面前。
"This is the Worldly Supreme Figure, which can store Soul Points. Even non-Five Elders Association members can use it to trade with other cultivators," Lu Fan was intrigued by this.
tā hái rè qíng de wèi lǚ fàn jiǎng jiě qǐ qí zhōng de qū bié qǐ lái 。 méi yòng duō jiǔ ， shuāng fāng yú kuài de wán chéng le jiāo yì 。
他还热情的为吕范讲解起其中的区别起来。没用多久，双方愉快的完成了交易。
He began searching through his storage ring. Gu Binliang accepted anything he offered, buying whatever Lu Fan was willing to sell.
lǚ fàn zhèng yù lí kāi ， gǔ bīn liáng què bǎ tā hǎn zhù ：“ dào yǒu shēn shàng ， kě yǒu xián zhì de wù jiàn ？ zài wǔ lǎo huì de lǐng dì xíng zǒu ， méi yǒu shén hún diǎn ， kě shì shí fēn bù fāng biàn de 。 wǒ kě yǐ yòng shén hún diǎn ， gēn dào yǒu jìn xíng jiāo huàn 。” shuō zhe ， tā qǔ chū yī méi kàn bù qīng mú yàng de rén xíng diāo xiàng 。
吕范正欲离开，谷彬良却把他喊住：“道友身上，可有闲置的物件？在五老会的领地行走，没有神魂点，可是十分不方便的。我可以用神魂点，跟道友进行交换。”说着，他取出一枚看不清模样的人形雕像。
When the number of Soul Points stored in the Worldly Supreme Figure reached fifty thousand, Lu Fan finally found nothing more that he could part with.
“ cǐ nǎi 【 xiǎn shì tiān zūn xiàng 】， kě yǐ yòng lái cún chǔ shén hún diǎn 。 nǎ pà bú shì wǔ lǎo huì de chéng yuán ， yě kě yǐ shǐ yòng tā hé qí tā xiū shì jìn xíng jiāo yì 。” lǚ fàn wén yán ， bù jīn yì dòng 。
“此乃【显世天尊像】，可以用来存储神魂点。哪怕不是五老会的成员，也可以使用它和其他修士进行交易。”吕范闻言，不禁意动。
"Should you have any future needs, feel free to come back and find me," Gu Binliang said smiling as he handed over a communication spirit token.
In ancient times, cultivators acted without any taboos. They would slaughter and devour living beings to refine magical artifacts; they would destroy mountains, boil seas, burn forests, sink lands; disregard agreements, go back on their word; kill people for profit, act solely in pursuit of gain… all these were the norm.
The reason was that as cultivators' cultivation realms improved and their strength grew, the constraints placed upon them diminished.
A Transcendence Realm cultivator could easily slay a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who had stumbled upon an extraordinary treasure. With minimal effort, they could take it for themselves.
How many would choose to obtain such treasures through "trade"? Similarly, when faced with a proposal from a much stronger Transcendence Realm cultivator, how likely was a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator to disagree? If the other party broke their word and reneged on the deal, what could he do?
He could only bear it silently, even feeling grateful that they didn't take his life. When both parties were in an unequal position, the fairness of the trade became questionable.
However, with the existence of various contracts in today's Five Elders Association and throughout the Xuanhuang Realm, this situation had been completely transformed.
These contracts—such as the Soul Pact signed by cultivators selling themselves, the Merchant Contract Li Fan once used multiple times, and special golden contracts for trading mystical techniques—all these omnipresent mysterious forces could truly constrain cultivators. Even a Great Daoist cultivator couldn't defy the power of a contract once it was signed; they had to abide by its terms.
With the establishment of order driven by contracts, if the Heaven Xuan Mirror and Derivation Jade were the foundation of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, then contracts were the lifeline of the Five Elders Association.
Returning to the Soul Points. The essence of a Soul Point was a special form of energy hidden deep within one's soul through the power of a contract.
Apart from being used for daily transactions, it had another unique purpose: consuming Soul Points could activate the Immortal Sect Armory.
There, various mystical techniques, ancient texts, and treasures originating from the vast ancient sects were available for exchange.
More importantly, the Immortal Sect Armory contained the true illusions of many ancient sects.
Creating these real illusions was a power similar to that of the Fallen Heaven Realm. Here, cultivators could explore the ruins of numerous extinct ancient sects.
Within these sects, there were images of ancient cultivators, most of whom lacked their own consciousness and existed merely as empty shells.
But in combat, their actions carried almost the same power as real beings. Five Elders Association cultivators could repeatedly challenge these ancient souls to improve their combat skills.
Moreover, any injuries sustained within the Immortal Sect Armory did not affect one's physical body but only caused minor damage to the soul.
Even more miraculous was that such soul injuries could be healed by consuming Soul Points. In theory, if a person had enough Soul Points, even someone who had just started cultivation could become extremely powerful through repeated battles.
With the Soul Pacts as constraints, the Five Elders Association did not need todeliberately suppress the combat power of ordinary cultivators like the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Of course, all this came at a price. Cultivators needed to earn it themselves. At the border of Wuzheng State, by the White Mist Barrier, Lu Fan was looking at various True Man Prudence Boats and felt quite tempted.
Unfortunately, as he wasn't a member of the Five Elders Association, he had no Soul Points and could only watch enviously.
At this moment, a vendor approached: "These two friends should be from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance who haven't yet joined our Five Elders Association, right?" Lu Fan's expression changed slightly as he cautiously scanned his surroundings before lowering his voice and nodding. "That’s correct. May I ask your name? How did you notice this?"
The vendor led them to a stall and said: "You don’t need to be so tense. My name is Gu Binliang, and I deal in buying and selling."
"Regarding how I noticed… " Gu Binliang smiled. "Whether or not someone has signed a Soul Pact makes a difference. I heard recently that some Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators were undergoing the Purification Ritual, so this is just a guess based on that." Seeing Lu Fan's nervousness, he added: "Actually, most members of our Five Elders Association don’t harbor any hostility towards your Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. After all, many cultivators have been captured and undergone the Purification Ritual to reform themselves and become loyal members."
"Those people are even more loyal than ordinary members!" Hearing this, Lu Fan's expression turned somewhat awkward.
Gu Binliang was a skilled observer and quickly moved on from that topic. He asked: "Are you interested in a True Man Prudence Boat but troubled by your lack of Soul Points?"
"Yes," Lu Fan nodded.
"It’s no problem. If you don’t have Soul Points, I’m sure you always keep some standard spirit stones with you," Gu Binliang said with a smile.
"Indeed, I do have some." Lu Fan was pleasantly surprised, though he quickly became puzzled: "Do the Five Elders Association use these standard spirit stones?"
"Haha, that’s what you’re saying. Since they are standard spirit stones, they were jointly manufactured by both the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and our Five Elders Association and recognized by both sides. However, most of us ordinary members don’t need them, so converting them into Soul Points is somewhat troublesome, which is why we don’t accept them."
"But it doesn’t matter to me," Gu Binliang explained. "As a true businessman, I still need a considerable number of standard spirit stones as intermediaries."
"True businessmen…" Lu Fan understood the meaning.
"Then may I ask you for one True Man Prudence Boat?" Gu Binliang waved his hand, and dozens of miniature flying boats appeared before him.
He enthusiastically explained their differences. After not much time, they completed their transaction happily.
Just as Lu Fan was about to leave, Gu Binliang called him back: "Do you have any idle items? Traveling in the Five Elders Association’s territory without Soul Points is very inconvenient. I can exchange them with you for Soul Points." He then took out a figure that couldn’t be clearly seen.
"This is the Worldly Supreme Figure, which can store Soul Points. Even non-Five Elders Association members can use it to trade with other cultivators," Lu Fan was intrigued by this.
He began searching through his storage ring. Gu Binliang accepted anything he offered, buying whatever Lu Fan was willing to sell.
When the number of Soul Points stored in the Worldly Supreme Figure reached fifty thousand, Lu Fan finally found nothing more that he could part with.
"Should you have any future needs, feel free to come back and find me," Gu Binliang said smiling as he handed over a communication spirit token.