In a boundless dark space, where Astral Winds and turbulent flows crisscrossed, a massive meteorite, over a thousand zhang in area, floated silently in the void. In the sky before the meteorite, there was a horizontal line formed by a five-colored light wave, like a gash dozens of zhang long torn across the pitch-black canopy, seeming to give this endless dark world an exit.
At the very front of the massive meteorite sat three figures with hair so long it touched the ground. Their clothes were tattered, their faces gray and shriveled. At this moment, the three of them were staring at the line of aurora on the horizon.
"News has come from that side. Two of the three 'Realm-Breaking Pearls' have been found. But due to the long passage of time, the Dust Sealing Art is unbreakable. We still need to find a rare medicinal pill to refine into a medicinal catalyst to have any hope of melting it. This matter will be delayed for some time." A deep, aged voice sounded from among the three.
"Cooperating with them, I cannot trust them. We went through great hardships to get here, but now that we're here, we still can't break through. When on earth will they be able to open this place? Eldest Senior Brother, have you asked?" a weak-sounding voice suddenly asked from another long-haired figure.
After he spoke, there was a moment of silence. A short while later, the aged voice from before spoke, "They can only send simple messages to the Demon Realm. Perhaps the Demon Realm has given us all the information, or perhaps they have kept some secrets. After all, our cooperation is for mutual benefit, just as we are wary of them. But according to the news, it shouldn't exceed four years at most. Before, only one 'Realm-Breaking Pearl' was found. The other was discovered just as it was about to be obtained, but the thief was caught and has since disappeared. The other 'Realm-Breaking Pearl' was only obtained a short while ago. But according to their tests, either the Dust Sealing Art has been in place for too long, or the method of operation was improper, but its power is now insufficient to open the spatial passage here. So it needs to be re-refined. Even so, what could have been accomplished with one 'Realm-Breaking Pearl' might now require two to open a single spatial passage."
"If that's the case, we must demand that they break through the spatial barrier here as soon as possible. We absolutely cannot be made to pass through the Devil's Cliff Crevice again. That place is surely heavily guarded by cultivators, not as secret and reliable as this place," the weak voice said, this time with a tone of grim determination.
"I am, of course, aware of this matter. There's no need for you to say it, Sixth Junior Brother. We have already lost over two hundred disciples to get here," the aged voice said gravely. Then, through the gaps in his disheveled, hanging hair, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at what was behind him. It was a dense mass of seated figures, all emaciated and in tattered clothes. These people just silently watched the three figures in front, but their gazes were mostly fixed on the horizontal line of light in the sky, their black-irised, blood-red pupils glinting with a murderous thirst...
Li Yan stood on the main street, looking around. The place was truly lined with weeping willows, and shops stood in great numbers. Cultivators in various strange outfits walked in groups of two or three, or alone. When they sensed Li Yan looking at them, some would glare back, looking as if they would start a fight at the slightest disagreement. Others would quickly avoid his gaze and walk away. There were even some people dressed in exotic, foreign styles. Among them, some gorgeously beautiful women would even send flirtatious glances his way when they saw him looking over.
Li Yan quickly retracted his gaze. The cultivators here were not like those in the small towns or marketplaces he had seen before. The cultivators here were a motley crew. There were even many Demonic Cultivators swaggering around with horns on their heads or long tails swaying, walking about without a care in the world.
This made Li Yan feel quite curious for a moment, but after just a few glances, he retracted even his Divine Sense. Although the street was mostly filled with Qi Condensation stage cultivators and Level 1 demonic beasts, Level 2 demonic beasts and Foundation Establishment cultivators also made up a small portion. His scanning had already attracted some displeased glares. Occasionally, a powerful aura would pass by—it was actually a Golden Core cultivator. Although they were rare, how could Li Yan dare to sweep his Divine Sense around carelessly?
Li Yan pondered Ouyang Jinfei's earlier words. Half an incense stick's time ago, Li Yan had followed Ouyang Jinfei and his two disciples into a magnificent temple in the city. Ouyang Jinfei, familiar with the route, led him directly to a side hall. There, a Chan Monk sat with his eyes closed in meditation. Seeing the four of them arrive, he nodded with a smile, had them pay the entrance fee in Spirit Stones, briefly explained the city's rules—no fighting, and especially no killing—and then let them pass directly. This was the territory of the Jingtu Sect, and with a Buddha stationed here, no short-sighted cultivator would be idle enough to cause trouble. As for Nascent Soul Old Monsters, they were elusive figures. If one were to suddenly appear, it would likely attract the attention of the Jingtu Sect's great masters. No power would ignore the appearance of a Nascent Soul cultivator within their sphere of influence; that would be extremely dangerous.
After Li Yan and the others entered the city, or rather, the hidden city of cultivators, his vision suddenly opened up. A completely different layout of buildings from what was outside the temple presented itself before his eyes.
Since obtaining the poison pills he needed, Ouyang Jinfei had become even more respectful towards Li Yan. He pointed to the north of the city and said, "There is a separate courtyard over there, which is where the guarding Buddha of this place resides. How about I accompany you there, Fellow Daoist Jianghai?"
Li Yan smiled and shook his head. "This is my first time here. I want to familiarize myself with the environment first, and then I can go over by myself. There's no need to trouble you further, Fellow Daoist Ouyang."
At this point, Ouyang Jinfei no longer had any doubts. He also laughed heartily, "You are right, Fellow Daoist Jianghai. This is no ordinary gathering place for cultivators, but an important city of the Jingtu Sect. Both the marketplace and the auction house are quite impressive and usually do not disappoint visiting cultivators. You might even find some rare items. As for the Buddha's courtyard, it's very easy to recognize. Just walk straight north, and you'll see an independent, magnificent courtyard. It's very conspicuous."
Li Yan nodded with a smile upon hearing this and said no more, cupping his hands towards Ouyang Jinfei.
Seeing this, how could Ouyang Jinfei not understand? He also cupped his hands. "I heard earlier that Fellow Daoist Jianghai will be coming here often in the future to trade with the Jingtu Sect. In that case, I hope you can leave some more pills for me next time. The price will naturally be good. You just need to leave a message at the 'Wind and Rain Pavilion,' Fellow Daoist. The owner of that shop is a good friend of mine and will notify me at the first opportunity. Well, in that case, I won't disturb you any longer. I have some matters to attend to here, so I'll take my leave." After speaking, Ouyang Jinfei led his two disciples forward. But after just two steps, he paused and turned back again.
Li Yan looked at Ouyang Jinfei turning back, feeling a little displeased. He had already sold him the pills. If the other party still insisted on accompanying him, then he would have to let him know his strength. But his face remained impassive as he watched Ouyang Jinfei walk the few steps back to him.
"Oh, I heard earlier that you are going to the marketplace, Fellow Daoist. You probably have some things to buy. If it's ordinary refining materials, they can be easily found. But if they are rarer raw materials, this marketplace is quite large, and you will have to search through it all, which will inevitably take some effort. I've heard that the auction house here will have an auction in the next two days, and some of the items to be auctioned are said to be quite extraordinary. They are all top-quality raw materials for refining pills and artifacts. If you are interested, Fellow Daoist Jianghai, you might want to go and have a look. It's just that the price will certainly be much higher than in the marketplace, but the quality is absolutely guaranteed, backed by the auction house. The auction house pays a handsome amount of Spirit Stones to the Jingtu Sect every year, and since it opened, there has never been an inferior or fake item. In the marketplace, however, you can only rely on your own judgment and luck. If you buy the wrong thing and can't catch the other party on the spot, you can only consider yourself unlucky." Ouyang Jinfei pondered for a moment before saying this to Li Yan.
This stirred something in Li Yan's heart. The marketplaces he had come across on his journey had not been very large, and although he had been to auction houses, he had never found anything suitable for himself. The Yuguan City before him was several times larger than any town he had seen before, which gave him hope. Ouyang Jinfei had come back specifically to tell him this, which showed his intention to build a connection.
"Oh, then do you know what items are being auctioned this time, Fellow Daoist Ouyang?" The smile on Li Yan's face grew wider.
"I actually came here this time for the auction as well. It's just... it's mostly just to pick up some scraps. With my sect's strength, I can only look at the really good things. But even just seeing them is beneficial for cultivators like us. And maybe some of the more obscure materials are not needed by anyone, so I might get lucky. It's just that there are many people who think like me, hehe..." A trace of helplessness appeared on Ouyang Jinfei's face. The items at auction often had a price but no market. Small sects like his were just looking for an opportunity. But this time, he had even less confidence. Buying the pills from Li Yan earlier had cost him a full nine thousand Spirit Stones, which pained him to no end. But things like pills, apart from low-level ones, were always astonishingly expensive, let alone two poison pills. If he didn't want them, he believed someone would fight to buy them at a higher price.
The 'Refined Iron Pill' Li Yan had taken out could kill a cultivator with just a scrape of dust from the pill. This pill was not a single-use item and was extremely rare. It was just that for Li Yan, this pill was not as quick as his readily available fragmented poison, so he had unscrupulously sold it for more than double the price.
After spending nine thousand Spirit Stones, this elder of Thousand Peaks Mountain had spent twenty percent of his savings. He had accumulated these Spirit Stones over several decades. A third-rate sect could only earn between several tens of thousands to a hundred thousand Spirit Stones a year, and he still had to consume them for his daily cultivation. These Spirit Stones were all saved up bit by bit. Now, he had even less confidence in the auction. However, he believed that when he returned, he could make it all back by just selling one of the pills to the sect. The poison pills of the Huchen family were good things that the sect couldn't get no matter how they tried.
As Ouyang Jinfei thought this, he continued to speak, "I heard there is a pair of eyes from a Level 2 Golden Flood Dragon Python. It should be an early-stage Level 2 material, right? Or what rank it is, I don't know. There is also a set of water-attribute Magical Treasure, the 'Water Continuous Pearl Sword.' I heard the refinement of this treasure has reached the mid-stage of elementary grade, so it will definitely be highly sought after. As for the others, my information is not as extensive. It seems there are also some materials for artifact and pill refining, something like 'Crystal Bone Water,' 'Moon-Gazing Rhino Tooth,' and the like. It's just that I don't know the ranks of these materials. The auction house is straight ahead from here. Do you see that shop with the large flag? From there, turn right and go forward for about two li, then ask around, and you can easily find it. But the auction seems to start the day after tomorrow. In these two days, after you finish your business, Fellow Daoist Jianghai, you can take a stroll in the marketplace here first."
As Li Yan listened to Ouyang Jinfei's words, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, but his face remained unchanged, just smiling and nodding.