Yuan Ming left the Xu residence, found another inn in the city to stay, and secretly released his soul crow to spy on the activities within the Xu household.
His uncle and the others, being mortals, didn't know much about the Shengye Sect. His cousin, Xu Tian, as a disciple of the sect, could guide him back when he returned, which would be helpful.
However, it seemed that his actions at the abdication ceremony had spread throughout the Shengye Sect. Joining with his real identity would attract too much attention.
In that case, it might be better to join the Shengye Sect as an ordinary disciple to avoid trouble.
Upon further thought, if he joined the Shengye Sect, his identity would eventually be exposed, potentially bringing disaster to the sect.
Yuan Ming made up his mind to secretly follow Xu Tian and Luo Xing'er when they returned to the sect, find the location of the Shengye Sect's gates, and avoid entanglements with others in the meantime. He would decide what to do after locating the sect.
***
Three days later, Xu Tian bid farewell to his parents, took Luo Xing'er, and left Leizhou City on a flying leaf boat.
Yuan Ming, watching through his soul crow, immediately released his jade shuttle and followed from a distance.
The two headed north and soon entered a vast swamp.
The sky over Leizhou was often overcast, and the swamp was shrouded in poisonous miasma year-round, with visibility so poor one couldn't see their own hand. Poisonous insects and fierce beasts lurked, making it a place mortals dared not approach carelessly, for fear of losing their lives.
However, Xu Tian and Luo Xing'er seemed to have taken something out before entering the swamp, activating a faint light mist around them that not only kept the miasma at bay but also made the poisonous creatures steer clear.
Yuan Ming had a miasma-avoiding pearl from his exploration of Snake King Valley, and with his Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, he wasn't afraid of the insects and beasts. Yet, before entering the swamp, he stopped to release Hua Zhi from his spirit beast bag.
"Master, where is this place? The mist here smells so sweet and fragrant!" As soon as Hua Zhi landed, it took a deep breath, swallowing the nearby miasma and even appearing intoxicated.
"Hua Zhi, stay underground and move forward with me," Yuan Ming instructed.
Hua Zhi nodded happily and burrowed into the swamp.
Yuan Ming then continued forward. Fortunately, the soul crow he had released earlier was not affected by the miasma and kept following Xu Tian, ensuring he didn't lose track of them.
An hour later, a fine drizzle began to fall from the sky, and Yuan Ming followed Xu Tian out of the swamp and into a mountain range.
Not far away, a huge gate hidden among lush greenery appeared faintly through the drizzle. Xu Tian stopped in front of the gate but didn't enter; instead, they spoke briefly and then flew northwest on their magical artifact. Yuan Ming, curious, left a soul crow to watch the Shengye Sect's gate and continued to follow.
***
After about half an hour, Yuan Ming saw a giant protective shield appear amidst the mountains under the gloomy sky.
Beneath the rain curtain, a blue shield enveloped the city Yuan Ming saw.
The fine raindrops fell, hitting the shield and dissolving instantly, leaving no trace.
Under the shield, hundreds of streets and alleys crisscrossed, with countless houses and pavilions standing tall. Atop each dwelling, four white pearls were placed at the corners of the roofs, their light interweaving and illuminating the entire city.
At the center of the city, a small lake spanning dozens of acres rippled gently, with a white jade-paved square in the middle connected to the main roads by four jade stone arch bridges.
On the square, a thirty meters-tall pavilion rose, its body pale white and its tiles a brilliant blue, as clear and translucent as crystal.
At each edge of the shield, there was a giant city gate, slightly shorter than the crystal pavilion but much taller than the houses in the city. Atop each gate was a stone statue of a divine beast, exquisitely carved, with even the scales and feathers appearing lifelike.
Xu Tian and Luo Xing'er hadn't approached the shield when they voluntarily descended from their flying boat and walked toward one of the city gates.
Yuan Ming also landed his jade shuttle in a valley far away, watched the two enter the city, and then slowly made his way toward it.
Hanging above the city gate was a plaque with three characters: "Xiaohu City."
After paying a spirit stone as a toll, Yuan Ming was about to pass through the gate when he noticed some cultivators entering without paying. Curious, he inquired and learned that cultivators who owned houses in the city didn't have to pay the toll, a detail Yuan Ming noted.
Inside the city, the view was even more immersive than from afar.
The fine rain was blocked by the shield, leaving the city dry and comfortable. The wide streets bustled with people, many of whom possessed cultivation.
However, Yuan Ming noticed that the pedestrians' attire subtly revealed two distinct styles.
One style favored long robes and skirts, predominantly red, with jade ornaments often hanging from their necks and waists, their clothes flowing like flames.
The other style consisted of brocade clothes and trousers, with a mix of red and blue, and fewer accessories but often carrying swords or blades.
As Yuan Ming observed the passersby, his expression shifted, and he turned to look to his side.
"Fellow Daoist seems new to Xiaohu City. Our meeting must be fated," said a man in a crimson robe with a hooked nose, stopping and smiling at Yuan Ming.
The man's cultivation was not high, only at the fourth level of Qi refining, but Yuan Ming had used a technique to conceal his cultivation to the late stages of Qi refining, so the other did not detect his true level.
"You look quite spirited, surely you come from Zhao Country? Do you need a guide?" the hooked-nose man offered familiarly.
Yuan Ming looked at him, reminded of Gu Yue he had met in Black Rock City, but shook his head: "Thank you, but I don't need a guide."
"How about a map of Xiaohu City? It's not expensive, just one spirit stone," the man persisted, flipping his hand to reveal a jade slip.
"One spirit stone? That's pricey," Yuan Ming exclaimed.
"Fellow Daoist, this is a fair price. Do you know how many shops there are in Xiaohu City? Which ones are traps, which offer good value, which are run by major sects, and which are established by loose alliances? This map has it all, and for just one spirit stone, it can save you a lot of detours. Time is spirit stones," the man said, shaking the jade slip. Yuan Ming found his argument reasonable and decided not to haggle, buying the map with a spirit stone.
Upon examining the jade slip, he saw that Xiaohu City was the largest cultivator market in Leizhou, frequented by cultivators from Great Jin and neighboring Zhao Country. The map clearly marked the locations of all the shops in the market and included helpful reviews.
Satisfied, Yuan Ming pocketed the jade slip and quickly found a shop called "Bai Shu Ge" according to the map.
***
This shop specialized in selling books. Upon entering, Yuan Ming saw seven or eight tall wooden bookshelves neatly arranged, filled with various books, each enveloped in a pale blue light.
A dedicated counter was placed next to these bookshelves, containing wooden boxes of the same design, which held some damaged books or jade slips, some with only a single page.
A clerk in a long robe greeted Yuan Ming as he entered. "Are you here to buy or sell techniques?"
"Do you sell spell books here?" Yuan Ming inquired.
"Our store has a wide variety of secret spell books. What specific type do you need? If you're looking for something basic, I recommend this one. It contains many common spells. They're simple, but there are many of them, and they cover a wide range," the clerk suggested, taking a thicker book from the shelf.
"I'll take that one. Also, what's being sold in this counter?" Yuan Ming nodded and pointed to the counter with the wooden boxes.
"These are unnamed secret books we've collected, mostly incomplete, with some in scripts not commonly used in the Central Plains. They're cheap, and if you're interested, you can buy a few to study. However, once you leave the store, we're not responsible for any mistakes during cultivation," the clerk explained.
Yuan Ming shook his head and only took the spell book. Since it contained basic spells, it cost him less than thirty spirit stones. The clerk took the spirit stones and used a jade Ruyi to tap the book, shattering the pale blue light that enveloped it, turning it into a dim talisman that fell to the ground.
"This is a special sealing talisman from our store, which can only be opened with a specific magical instrument. Otherwise, it will burn everything inside to ashes," the clerk explained with a smile, seeing Yuan Ming's curiosity.
Just then, another man in brocade clothes with a sword at his waist and a beard entered, and another clerk immediately greeted him.
Both the bearded man and the clerk spoke in a tone different from what Yuan Ming was used to hearing.
"I see many people in the market dressed like them. Where are they from?" Yuan Ming gestured towards the bearded man and asked the clerk.
"Oh, they are from Zhao Country. Our Leizhou is on the border of Great Jin and adjacent to Zhao Country. Xiaohu City is located at the junction of Great Jin and Zhao Country, so many cultivators from Zhao Country frequent here," the clerk explained. Yuan Ming nodded in understanding, thanked the clerk, and left the shop.
Having acquired the spell book, he then turned his attention to elixirs.
His cultivation currently required a significant amount of elixir support, and stumbling upon such a sizable market, he naturally wanted to take a good look around.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan