A month after Li Yan's group of three left Jiaoming Province, as they continued to fly north, the variety of Wind Beasts they encountered grew more and more numerous.
Many were species Li Yan had never even seen in records, and he was unfamiliar with their attack patterns, making them rather troublesome to deal with.
Furthermore, these Wind Beasts often inhabited their own territories in packs, with a single clan typically occupying an area of thirty to fifty thousand li.
Although they were called Wind Beasts, not all types were skilled in speed. Rather, they were born from the "strange winds" generated underground on the Wind God Continent . Some Wind Beasts moved slowly, their bodies covered in a sturdy, rock-like armor; some were extremely swift with Earth Evasion Arts , launching sudden and unpredictable attacks; and others came and went like the wind...
Along the way, they saw many towns destroyed by Wind Beast attacks, and even several cultivator sects that had been devoured until they were almost leveled ground. Only from the remaining stone tablets, remnants of buildings, and the richness of the Spiritual Energy could one tell that a cultivator sect had once stood there.
Ever since leaving Jiaoming Province, Li Yan had been studying the "Golden Pearl Dragon-Subduing Art" from a seated position. More than ninety percent of the attacks were handled by Qian Ji and Zi Kun , or the two demons would simply pilot the "Cloud-Piercing Willow " to fly past quickly.
Over the month, Li Yan's diligent research had indeed brought him a pleasant surprise. Not only had the power of the eighteen Prayer Beads he summoned increased significantly, but when he tried to refine the "Sinking True Dragon" demonic beast tail bone into one of the Prayer Beads, he felt very little resistance. It was just that Li Yan currently lacked a quiet environment to truly refine a magical treasure . Additionally, his research on the "Golden Pearl Dragon-Subduing Art" was still brief and somewhat unpolished, so he could only make a tentative attempt at refinement.
At this moment, Qian Ji and Zi Kun flew over from a distance, each carrying a Third-rank Wind Beast. The beasts were shaped like winnowing baskets, their bodies black, shiny, and plump, like fleas magnified countless times. They had long, slender limbs with sharp, pointed claws and a pair of curved fangs lined with a dense row of serrations.
Perhaps due to their inherent nature, Qian Ji and Zi Kun enjoyed capturing these strange Wind Beasts and disemboweling them for study. But they were also afraid of keeping Li Yan waiting, so they often brought the captured beasts onto the "Cloud-Piercing Willow," studying them as they flew.
It had to be said that all demonic beasts, whether they had taken human form or not, retained a savage nature in their bones. The instincts of the two demons were bloodlust and brutality.
After heavily tossing the plump Wind Beasts into a corner of the "Cloud-Piercing Willow," Zi Kun saw that Li Yan had already put down the Jade Slip and was gazing north. He then asked, "Master, how much farther until we reach the Tianli Clan ?"
"About another eight hundred thousand li!" Li Yan replied with a faint smile.
Over the past month, they had also encountered many cultivators. The cultivators of the Wind God Continent mostly trained by going to different regions to slay different types of Wind Beasts. Firstly, it allowed them to obtain more raw materials and Spirit Stones. Secondly, the unknown dangers often pushed them to the brink of life and death, which better strengthened and tempered them.
Therefore, the cultivators of the Wind God Continent were somewhat similar to the demonic cultivators of the Forsaken Continent , with a preference for slaughter and a fierce disposition.
Even though Li Yan's group of three displayed Golden Core realm cultivation, they had still been attacked four times in the past month. Because those people were out to kill Wind Beasts, and Wind Beasts were mostly social creatures, cultivators also often went out in teams, usually of five or more. In comparison, Li Yan's group of three seemed rather weak.
Killing for treasure was an immutable truth in any cultivation world . The outcome of the four attacks was self-evident. Those people never would have imagined that they would run into a Nascent Soul cultivator, who was usually as elusive as a divine dragon.
"Then we'll be able to see Matriarch Ying soon. Congratulations, Master!!" Qian Ji chimed in with a timely compliment.
Li Yan had not hidden the matter of seeking Gong Chenying on the Wind God Continent from the two demons. Such a thing would be easily guessed by the two demons from Li Yan's and Gong Chenying's attitudes once they met.
The two demons had no objection to Li Yan having a "Matriarch Ying" after already having a "Matriarch Zhao." In the demon race, the more females one possessed, the more it demonstrated the "King's" power. The Snow Mosquito King , for instance, had dallied with countless female Snow Mosquitos, and even had flirtatious dealings with the female cultivators of the Malevolent Spirit Sect .
"Let's go!"
Li Yan tapped the "Cloud-Piercing Willow" with his foot, and it shot towards the horizon.
Ever since leaving Mingjiao Province, they had traveled day and night, resting only by sitting cross-legged on the "Cloud-Piercing Willow," with no intention of stopping.
Half a day later, the seated Li Yan suddenly stood up and murmured, "There's a sizable market nearby. Let's go take a look!"
They had encountered many sects on their journey, and of course, some markets as well. It was just that the scale of those markets wasn't very large. A single sweep of Li Yan's powerful Divine Sense was enough to lose interest. The people who appeared in those markets were all low-level Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators. One could guess the grade of the items for sale without even thinking.
Of course, the possibility of finding a hidden gem couldn't be ruled out, but Li Yan had no such interest.
Ever since learning the reason for Gong Chenying's early return and witnessing the rampage of these Wind Beasts, Li Yan had come to realize just how rampant the demonic beasts of the Wind God Continent were. They would attack towns in hordes, and even harass sects with large numbers of cultivators, which showed their audacity.
But at this moment, the market that appeared in Li Yan's Divine Sense was quite vast, spanning about thirty li, with the auras of Golden Core cultivators crisscrossing within. Li Yan could even faintly sense the presence of even more powerful auras. However, due to the market's protective grand formation, Li Yan had no intention of forcefully probing with his Divine Sense.
After a moment of thought, he decided to enter the market for a look. The probable presence of Nascent Soul cultivators was enough to show that this market was extraordinary.
There was an even more important reason: Li Yan wanted to see if there was a Teleportation Formation in the market heading towards the Tianli Clan's territory. If there was, they could find Gong Chenying much faster. Logically, a large market like this had a certain chance of having a long-distance Teleportation Formation.
Hearing they were going to enter a market, the two demons became excited. They had long since grown weary of the monotonous, continuous flight. The chance to stroll through a market was something they eagerly welcomed.
When they were still a li away from the market, Li Yan's group of three descended from the sky. In front of them stood a decorated archway with the words "Three Willows Market" inscribed on it.
In front of this archway stood three large willow trees, their branches lush and verdant. The long willow branches hung down like a green rain. A gentle breeze rustled them, creating a refreshing sight.
A long line had already formed outside the archway. The cultivators at the front were being inspected by the market guards standing before the archway before being let through one by one.
Li Yan, of course, had no intention of breaking others' rules, so the three of them stood at the back of the line. After about half an incense stick's worth of time, they finally reached the front.
The market guards were four Foundation Establishment cultivators. Seeing Li Yan's group of three approach together, they knew they were a party. A sweep of their Divine Sense immediately changed their attitude to one of respect. A shrewd-looking man among them spoke.
"Seniors, is this your first time at the 'Three Willows Market'? If you are unclear about the rules here, this junior will need to explain them."
This guard didn't ask about their origins. In truth, unless one could produce a definitive token of identity, asking about origins was mostly useless, so it was better not to ask. Clearly, the "Three Willows Market" understood this well and simply stated their own set of rules.
"This is our first time here!" Qian Ji immediately replied.
"Oh! Seniors, entry into the market costs five low-grade Spirit Stones per person!" the guard said without any nonsense, directly stating their "rule."
"Five low-grade Spirit Stones? Are you joking with me, or are you trying to bully newcomers!" A cold look appeared on Qian Ji's handsome face upon hearing this.
Fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones was nothing to them, of course. But of the markets they had visited before, seventy to eighty percent didn't charge a fee at all. Even the occasional one that did only charged one or two low-grade Spirit Stones.
Just think, if some low-level cultivators wanted to enter the market, whether to buy or sell, they would first have to hand over five Spirit Stones. This might be a low-level cultivator's entire fortune. To a low-level cultivator, this was akin to murder.
Therefore, Qian Ji thought the guards were trying to extort them because they were well-dressed.
"Seniors, please calm your anger. This rule applies to all fellow Daoists who come here. If you don't believe me, you are welcome to make inquiries first and then come back. It won't be too late. If this junior is lying, you can also find the proprietors here. How would this junior dare to speak nonsense?"
The guard didn't get angry at his words. This rule hadn't just annoyed these three. Many first-time cultivators either left in a huff or had the same questions.
Qian Ji looked the guard up and down. Seeing his frank expression and the impatient looks of the people behind them—who only refrained from urging them on because of their high cultivation—he glanced at Li Yan before taking out fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones and handing them over.
"I hope it is as you say. But for such a high entrance fee, is there a reason? Do rare treasures often appear here, or is the ground here made of gold!"
Qian Ji was still somewhat dissatisfied. Although he was asking, his final words were sarcastic.
After accepting the Spirit Stones, the guard's smile grew wider. He said with an apologetic smile, "Senior, you jest. All items sold here are by mutual consent of both parties. Whether they are rare treasures is for the guests to judge for themselves. It is just that the 'Three Willows Market' is the largest market within a radius of several million li. In other markets, one might be subject to surprise attacks from Wind Beasts, but there is no need to worry about that here. This is because there are two Nascent Soul cultivators guarding this place every day. That is why the market has grown larger and larger, and more and more things are traded here. You can learn about this matter by simply entering and asking at any shop. Seniors, please!"
The guard spoke quickly and then stepped aside, urging Li Yan's group of three to enter.
From beginning to end, Li Yan had remained calm. Only now did he say, "Let's go!"
Li Yan had already reverted to his original appearance, his cultivation suppressed to the Initial-stage Golden Core , appearing even lower than the two demons. But from the attitude Qian Ji and Zi Kun showed, it looked to others like a master with two powerful servants.
The moment the three of them entered the archway, they felt as if they had passed through a transparent membrane. The sounds of various vendors hawking their wares rushed towards them. At the same time, they felt a red light from above the archway sweep over their bodies.
They already knew there should be a restriction here, so anyone entering the archway would have to be scanned by it. But when the red light swept over them, the three of them didn't feel anything unusual.
"This is a scan targeting the Divine Soul , probably to determine if those entering are transformed Wind Beasts!" Li Yan's voice echoed in the minds of the two demons. At the same time, he glanced at the two demons beside him and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
'I wonder what method the restriction here uses. Qian Ji and Zi Kun are also demonic beasts, yet they passed through without any hindrance. Could it be that Wind Beasts have some strange characteristic?'
After entering the market, the three of them split up. Everyone had different preferences, so it was better to act on their own. The three of them had Voice Transmission Talismans marked with their insignia, so they could contact each other at any time to leave. Li Yan had given each of them a storage ring with a large capacity.
Those two storage magical treasures belonged to Qi Jinghong and Shi Pozhu . They contained a large number of mid and low-grade Spirit Stones. For the two demons, using these Spirit Stones for transactions was the most convenient and appropriate.
As for First Sir's storage ring with its even larger space, after discussing with Zhao Min , Zhao Min felt that Gong Chenying needed it more, as her own situation was currently somewhat stable. Especially that large-capacity Spirit-Storing Pouch , which could save more lives on the battlefield, was most suitable. So, First Sir's storage ring and the other Spirit-Storing Pouch gifted by Meng Zhiyuan would be given to Gong Chenying .
Moreover, after the battle with Shi Pozhu in the chaotic flow space , Li Yan had successively killed several more Nascent Soul cultivators and obtained many more treasures and storage rings.
After separating from the two demons, Li Yan began to look around the market. The first thing he did was to inquire whether there was a Teleportation Formation here. But after asking several shops in a row, he was somewhat disappointed.
Although there were a few Teleportation Formations for rent in the market, they either went in the completely wrong direction or were for short-distance teleportation, which was of no use to Li Yan.
Disappointed, Li Yan was also helpless. But since he was here, he had to take a look around. The materials and medicinal pills sold here were quite different from those on the Desolate Moon Continent , which piqued Li Yan's interest. But he didn't immediately make any purchases. Instead, after going in and out of seven or eight shops, he began to successively buy three map Jade Slips and fourteen Jade Slips introducing the Wind God Continent . This was Li Yan's habit.
As Li Yan walked out of another shop, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked up. A young monk in gray robes was walking towards him.
Although the street was bustling with people, the man's gaze was fixed on him. It was clear he was heading straight for him.
Li Yan's brow furrowed. He was certain he didn't know the other person. The monk's cultivation was also at the Initial-stage Golden Core , the same as the cultivation he was displaying.
Thus, Li Yan simply stood where he was, quietly watching the young monk approach.
In just a dozen breaths, the gray-robed monk had walked up to Li Yan. The street was crowded with people coming and going, and not many paid attention to the two of them.
"Amitabha. Might this senior's surname be Li?"
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