Chapter 4: In This Vast World, You Reign Supreme

Li JianSan replied, “Yes.”
“Master, the first trader is about to enter.”
After a moment, the system’s voice sounded.
Hearing it, Li JianSan asked, somewhat awkwardly, “Ah, so soon? What am I supposed to do?”
The system reminded him, “Master, remember: here, you are paramount. Anyone who comes to this place does so because they need something from you. As for how the transactions are conducted, everything is up to you.”
As the system’s voice faded, a white-haired elder, around sixty or seventy years old, entered the system’s space.
The old man’s body was covered in wounds, his complexion dark, his breath weak—he seemed to be suffering from some deadly poison.
“How did I end up here? What is this place?”
The white-haired elder looked around, his face full of confusion.
His name was Li AnShan, leader of the Azure Dragon Fortress.
Both his strength and his status were first-rate.
Three days prior, he had been poisoned and betrayed by his own subordinates, who then abandoned him in the wilderness.
The wilderness of this world was nothing like the pleasant fields of Earth, where people might picnic or barbecue. Here, it teemed with bloodthirsty beasts and poisonous plants—a peril even for martial artists.
Anyone without substantial power who entered would be courting death.
Poisoned and grievously injured, Li AnShan was left to die, finally collapsing in a patch of grass, his consciousness fading.
At that desperate moment, a golden token appeared before his eyes.
A large, glowing trade symbol flashed across the token’s surface.
That golden token inexplicably stirred a sliver of hope in Li AnShan’s heart.
“I must live. I cannot swallow this hatred!”
Driven by sheer will, Li AnShan mustered all his remaining strength and grasped the golden token.
The moment his fingers closed around it, he was brought here.
“I control this trading space, roaming the mortal realm in search of those fated to meet me. I have witnessed the desires of many. You may call me Master Li.”
“Here, you may trade anything with me, but you must offer something of equal value in exchange.”
Li JianSan steadied himself, adopting the demeanor of a reclusive master, while secretly observing the man’s cultivation.
He was startled—
Damn it,
This man was at least a Profound Connection stage expert, a terrifying presence on par with his own father, perhaps even more formidable.
Li JianSan hadn’t expected the first trader to be such a dominant figure.
“Can you truly trade anything?”
Li AnShan was skeptical, but the miraculous circumstances left him little room to doubt.
More importantly, he had no other choice.
Li JianSan didn’t immediately proceed with the transaction. Instead, he asked, “How did you get those injuries?”
To bring down such a figure, his enemy must be formidable. If he acted recklessly and that enemy found out, trouble would surely follow. Better to clarify things first…
Li AnShan hesitated, then replied, “To my shame, I was betrayed and ambushed.”
A backstabber, then?
Perhaps his enemy wasn’t so extraordinary after all.
Li JianSan relaxed slightly. “Now, tell me—what do you wish to trade for?”
On the brink of death, Li AnShan had no time to deliberate. “I want to survive. If I can have a single day, I can expel the poison from my body. So, I want time!”
Li JianSan frowned. “Time? System, can we trade time with him?”
The system answered, “Yes. Right now, time is all we have to offer.”
“How much time do we have left?” Li JianSan asked.
“Master, that depends on how long you yourself can live.”
Li JianSan felt he’d been tricked. “Wait, are you saying I have to trade my own time?”
“That’s correct, Master,” the system replied.
“The system once contained many treasures, but the previous hosts squandered them all.”
Li JianSan grew frustrated. “So you’re just an empty shell now?”
“You could say that. However, Master, you can fulfill the previous hosts’ unfinished trades.”
“What did they trade for? Am I supposed to clean up their mess?”
“I, Li JianSan, have always despised those who walk away from a mess without a second thought.”
He was exasperated. “I’d sooner throw myself off this place than clean up their debts.”
“Ancestor of Great Yan, rented an immortal artifact for five hundred years; the rent was a high-grade spirit vein.”
“Elder of the Primordial Era, exchanged an ancient secret technique, agreeing to pay ten thousand years of lifespan upon breakthrough.”
“Fairy ZiHan, traded a scroll of Eternal Youth; upon completion, any disciple under her tutelage could become a companion…”
As the system recited these trades, Li JianSan’s breathing grew rapid.
“I, Li JianSan, am always happy to help others. Cleaning up a few debts for them isn’t out of the question.”
“That’s the right attitude, Master,” the system consoled him.
“But there’s no need to worry. As long as you manage well, you’ll surely reach the pinnacle of life.”
Li JianSan finally relaxed. He turned to Li AnShan and asked,
“I can give you the time you need to cure the poison, but what will you offer me in exchange?”
Li AnShan’s eyes narrowed sharply—so it was truly possible to trade time?
He took a deep breath. “As long as you give me time, I will trade anything. The bastard who betrayed me—I must have my revenge!”
“Very well, then trade me ten years of your cultivation.”
Li JianSan spoke directly.
He’d been looked down on by Chu Xi’er for his lack of cultivation, a lesson that had made him understand the powerlessness of weakness in this world.
If he could improve his cultivation without training, why not?
Li AnShan agreed without hesitation. “Agreed.”
As long as he survived to avenge himself, what was ten years of cultivation?
With the price set, Li JianSan waved his hand, and the golden token appeared again before Li AnShan.
Li JianSan explained, “Place your handprint on the token to complete the trade.”
Li AnShan didn’t hesitate—he pressed his hand down.
At once, a ball of light was drawn from Li AnShan’s body and entered the golden token.
That ball of light was nearly ten years of his cultivation.
Then, Li JianSan flicked his finger at Li AnShan’s brow, sending a day of lifespan into his body.
Finally, with a casual wave, he returned Li AnShan to his original place.
“The trade is complete. You have seven days of after-sales service. If you encounter any problems within seven days, you can use the token to find me. I conduct business with integrity.
By the way, I roam the mortal world in many guises, seeking those destined to meet me. I don’t want a third party to know of this. If we meet again, I hope you won’t be too surprised.”
As Li AnShan returned, Li JianSan’s words still echoed in his ears.
The previously poisoned and lifeless Li AnShan now stood up with ease, though his cultivation had diminished to mid-Profound Connection stage.
Even long afterward, Li AnShan remained deeply moved:
“To think it was real, that time itself could be traded, and that mysterious, powerful place truly exists…”
Recalling the enigmatic space, his eyes were filled with awe.
“And that mysterious Master Li—who is he, to wield such powers?”
As he spoke, Li AnShan hurried toward Azure Dragon Fortress…