Chapter 1071: Qingfeng City
The Wasteland World was endless, and the Hundred Thousand Mountains was merely a small part of it.
Three big countries, Gu, Mang, and Bi, surrounded it. They all spanned thousands of kilometers and were vast.
Gu and Mang were both of the Orthodox Dao, and Immortals had to agree before an emperor could sit there firmly.
Bi, on the other hand, was a land purely run by a demon sect, the Revenant Soul Sect. It knew the principle of not killing the goose that laid the golden eggs, so it did not engage in wanton slaughter. However, its style was still extremely cruel, and many commoners fled.
Dingbing Mountain, Qingfeng City
This mountain straddled the borders of the three countries. Five thousand years ago, an Immortal by the name of ‘Immortal Lingfeng’ built it, attracting a large number of cultivators and forming the ‘Qingfeng Alliance’.
The Orthodox Dao and the Demon Dao gave each other the cold shoulder. After three thousand years, Immortal Lingfeng disappeared, and the Qingfeng Alliance dissolved. Nonetheless, its headquarters in Qingfeng City remained and became a gathering place for itinerant cultivators of the three countries and the buffer zone between the Orthodox Dao and the Demon Dao, having abnormal prosperity.
“Brother Situ, did you see that miserable refugee from Bi?” A fatty in brocade clothes was boasting in front of Fang Yuan. “The taxes in Bi are very heavy, and the commoners can’t endure the hardships and must flee… However, according to a law of Bi, they are automatically degraded to slaves after they flee. The disciples of the Revenant Soul Sect are then free to kill and obtain materials from them. Many of them still try to flee to the Orthodox Dao territories, even with the risk of being captured by the Revenant Soul Sect disciples laying in wait for them!”
“No wonder I saw so many demon sect disciples patrolling the borders!”
Fang Yuan broke into an innocent smile.
This body was his Torch Dragon clone.
After possessing the body, he did not stay in the Hundred Thousand Mountains but crossed the Death Plains and came to the outside world.
After coming out, he naturally did not call himself Fang Yuan but used ‘Illusion Realm’. He had told this chubby guy that his surname was Situ when he met him.
In any case, it was better to conceal his identity even if he was not worried about being attacked.
As for this fat cultivator, he had met him purely by chance. He called himself ‘Jin Buhuan’ and was at the Foundation Establishment stage, and he had come to Qingfeng City for some business.
Fang Yuan was very interested in this first city of the itinerant cultivators of the three countries, so he traveled together with him.
“Sigh… It’s tough to be an itinerant cultivator!” Jin Buhuan said. “The Kun Yun Sect and the Revenant Soul Sect are not only top sects, but they also have the backing of Holy Lands. However, we can only rely on ourselves! It’s not that bad for someone with a family like me, but Brother Situ, you reached the Foundation Establishment stage even though you are alone. Truly admirable!”
“I was lucky!”
Fang Yuan had been using illusions on this fatty over the past few days to affect his mind and managed to obtain quite a lot of information, enabling Fang Yuan to adapt and act like an outside cultivator. However, Fang Yuan rarely spoke since it was easy to make mistakes this way.
“Qingfeng City is where itinerant cultivators like me gather. It might be a little chaotic, but there are all kinds of treasure shops. Pills, elixirs, and magic artifacts are aplenty. It’s definitely a great place!”
Jin Buhuan swelled with pride. “My family has three stores. Brother Situ, you can come and look for me if you have time!”
“Certainly!”
Fang Yuan also felt a small sense of excitement when he saw the blue city walls and the talisman arrays on it.
Being born into the barbarians, even though it was not a completely savage lifestyle, it was not a wonderful experience.
After seeing Qingfeng City, it was akin to someone from a primitive tribe suddenly entering a modern society.
“The entrance fee for Qingfeng City is a low-grade spirit stone. You can’t loiter around at night. Otherwise, you will be dealt with immediately…” Jin Buhuan continued cautioning Fang Yuan about matters needing attention. “You feel like long lost family to me. But I have something to do and must leave…”
“Of course…” Fang Yuan also felt slightly apologetic over obtaining a free laborer for so many days using some illusions and psychological suggestions.
Fang Yuan walked on the streets and took a deep breath as he watched the various cultivators around him.
“There were no Immortals the last time Old Master came to Qingfeng City. It was held together by a group of Nascent Soul itinerant cultivators!” Gold Ingot’s voice came from the white jade ring. “This place gathers a lot of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. The last crucial raw material you need for the Hundred Physical Forging Technique might be here!”
As the largest itinerant cultivator city and the buffer zone between the Orthodox Dao and Demon Dao sects, Qingfeng City was very special and had great benefits.
Due to the chaotic relationships, it became an exceptionally good choice to dispose of stolen goods, and treasures appeared from time to time.
“Don’t worry. This is the prerequisite for the Nine Star Pearl Mystic Technique. I won’t take it lightly,” Fang Yuan assured.
The Nine Star Pearl Mystic Technique was one of the top techniques in the Pantheon Catalog, and it could multiply the strength of the user.
Unfortunately, it had extremely high requirements for the physical quality of the cultivator.
The Hundred Physical Forging Technique was a profound method whereby he could refine his body to the extent of a dao artifact.
He had obtained most of the necessary materials when he stole from that group of Immortals earlier, and he was only lacking one rarer item. Fang Yuan was sure that he would be able to find it in Qingfeng City.
“Speaking of which… those Immortals are really rich. Stealing from one is better than stealing from an entire small sect…” Fang Yuan sighed with some regret.
He had done a quick and dirty job. If he had concentrated his efforts and cleaned out one of them, he might have been able to reach the threshold of a middle-level sect.
“My body is now comparable to a spirit artifact and can withstand activating the fifth star. The last stage of the Hundred Physical Forging Technique will refine my body to be comparable to a dao artifact and allow me to bear up to the seventh star at best?”
He knew that if Immortal Hong Chen had only cultivated the Hundred Physical Forging Technique, it would have been very difficult to complete the Nine Star Pearl Mystic Technique.
“Looks like… searching for a new body refining technique has to be on the agenda!”
There was nothing to say regarding magic artifacts and so on.
What he had harvested was enough for him to use until the Apotheosis realm.
However, after comparing, Fang Yuan still found the Ten Thousand Beast Banner to be better than the dao artifacts that he had stolen.
Therefore, he had used the totems in the insidious beads to improve the Torch Dragon to its limit and the rest on the Ten Thousand Beast Banner. It counted as completely refined now, and the beast souls were endless and inextinguishable. And it vaguely felt like it was about to improve further.
There was nothing simple in the Pantheon Catalog.
The Ten Thousand Beast Banner was only a dao artifact after refinement, but it could continue to grow. It was very possible for it to reach the immortal artifact level!
Of course, Fang Yuan could use his magical power to appear and disappear in front of ordinary Immortals, so magic artifacts, talismans, and the like were all useless to him.
…
“Miscellaneous House?”
He had plenty of experience in such places, and he walked straight to the liveliest place.
This shop had the most cultivators patronizing it, so he went in.
“Greetings. How may I help you?” A shop assistant came over with a smile across his face.
“I need a map. The more detailed, the better, with explanations of the powerful forces in the vicinity and even the world… Other than that, I want some materials…”
“No problem. Please follow me!”
The stop assistant immediately regarded Fang Yuan as someone who had just come out from secluded cultivation and was preparing for travel. His face betrayed no emotion as he brought Fang Yuan to a place full of books.
“Fellow Daoist, you want a map?” The shopkeeper here was at Foundation Establishment. He laughed when he heard Fang Yuan’s request.
“Yes. I want to travel!”
“Truly precise maps are the secrets of every sect. We might be known to take everything, but we can’t violate that agreement. We only have a simple map with the surrounding dozen countries and several routes. It costs three thousand spirit stones. As for an explanation of the forces, well, let’s just take it as a gift from us!”
“Okay!” Fang Yuan nodded and took out thirty high-grade spirit stones.
“High-grade spirit stones?!” The shopkeeper had a face full of delight when he saw them.
The official exchange rate was one hundred low-grade spirit stones to one high-grade spirit stone. However, the value of high-grade spirit stones naturally exceeded the exchange rate because of their rarity. He would be making a small profit.
He did not know that Fang Yuan had no choice.
He obviously had to go for the valuable items when he was stealing from the Immortals. Moreover, these Immortals did not have many low-grade and mid-grade spirit stones. He would not have been interested in them even if they did.
At this moment, he really only had high-grade spirit stones on him.
“I wonder what material you’re looking for? Madam Luo is the person in charge of the heavenly materials and earthly treasures one level above. She is my good friend. Shall I ask her to come directly?” The shopkeeper was in a great mood having done this business.
“I’m missing a thousand-year Dragon Tendon!” Fang Yuan said directly.
The Hundred Physical Forging Technique was an enormous resource consumer, and he needed heavenly materials and earthly treasures at the most critical last stage. Even an Immortal might become bankrupt due to it.
He was lucky to have obtained most of the materials through those Immortals.
At this point, he was only missing the last one.
“Thousand-year Dragon Tendon!?” A lazy voice came from above. Fang Yuan saw a woman in a purple dress walking down the stairs. Her eyes moved fluidly up and down Fang Yuan. “This is absolutely a heavenly treasure!”
“Every treasure has a price!” Fang Yuan said unceremoniously and released a hint of Golden Core aura.
The Golden Core of the cultivators and the Primordial Core of the barbarians were very similar, and with the Clam Dragon’s illusion, he would not run the risk of being exposed.
“Oh. Forgive our imprudence, Senior!” The lady in purple and the shopkeeper were shocked and quickly bowed.
“It’s fine. What about the thousand-year Dragon Tendon?” Fang Yuan asked directly.
To be honest, this was one of the most common items within those he required.
“This…” A trace of hesitation appeared on the face of the lady in purple.