In ancient times, cultivators acted without restraint.

They slaughtered entire regions of living beings to refine artifacts; they shattered mountains, boiled seas, burned forests, and sank continents; they ignored agreements and broke promises; they killed for treasure, moved by nothing but profit.

All of this was commonplace.

The root cause was simple: as a cultivator's realm advanced and their personal power grew, the constraints upon them diminished.

A Spirit Transformation cultivator who coveted an esoteric treasure that some Foundation Establishment cultivator had stumbled upon could effortlessly eliminate them and claim it. In such a scenario, how many would have chosen to acquire the treasure through trade?

By the same token, when a Foundation Establishment cultivator faced a "trade"...