At the city gate, Qing Muling looked around with his sword and saw a group of cultivators watching from afar, but they all retreated and dared not provoke him.

The nearby indigenous guards glanced at him and ignored him. As long as there was no fighting in the city, they would not interfere. After all, the city gate was not within the city area.

Qing Muling shouldered his beast skin bag and walked lightly through the city gate. From this moment on, he considered himself temporarily safe.

All indigenous cities and settlements strictly prohibited any conflicts involving foreign cultivators. This was an iron rule that had been in place since ancient times. Anyone who caused trouble would not only attract the attention of the powerful indigenous beings, but also be hated and even expelled by the world, losing the chance to enter the secret realm again.

In ancient times, some monsters from certain sects did not believe in this rule and caused a massacre in the city. They even tried to enslave the indigenous people for their own use. As a result, they were not only severely injured and lost their cultivation, but also affected the disciples of their sect. Their luck plummeted and they encountered continuous misfortunes. It didn’t take long for them to die or be injured due to various accidents.

Since then, no one dared to play with fire in the Misty Illusion Secret Realm. No matter how high their cultivation or seniority was, they had to abide by the rules here and there was no possibility of taking shortcuts.

The size of the city was not large, but there were many indigenous people inside. Coupled with the cultivators who gathered from various places, the popularity here was quite high.

Qing Muling briefly recalled the information related to this city in his memory. This place called “Qingxi City” had relevant records in the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s ancient books. The situation in the surrounding areas and the distribution of certain special resources were mentioned.

The next thing was easy. Qing Muling decided to first deal with the resources at hand and then consider the next plan.

The spacious streets, buildings carved from huge stones, unknown beast statues, and occasionally sturdy beasts pulling carts slowly passing by. Some humanoid creatures were bargaining with vendors on the roadside. Warriors dressed differently from the outside world, bold and cool-dressed girls, and several cute creatures resembling pet cats performing on the street, their melodious voices… Qing Muling felt refreshed by this sight.

Could they be the bloodline of ancient divine beasts or the descendants of some once famous and powerful tribes? The ancient books of the sect had records about this, so Qing Muling was not particularly surprised. It was said that many intelligent races that had long disappeared in the outside world could be found here, so it seemed to be true.

As Qing Muling walked, he suddenly felt the light around him darken. He looked up and saw a huge tree person walking through the middle of the street, causing the nearby creatures to retreat.

The tree person was pitch black, with luxuriant branches and leaves. The tree crown with a diameter of tens of zhang emitted a flowing light and a rich aura. Several fist-sized, amber-colored fruits swayed slightly among the branches and leaves, radiating bright and colorful brilliance.

“Aren’t these the Dragon Pool Heavenly Crimson Fruits? Rare holy medicine that can prolong life for a thousand years?”

Qing Muling’s face slightly changed. This tree person was really bold, daring to flaunt so many precious treasures. If it were in the outside world, it would have been swarmed and dismembered. At the very least, it would have been captured and kept by powerful cultivators.

Unfortunately, most of the resources here could not be taken out, let alone living creatures. That’s why no one had any intention of robbing them. After all, the benefits and risks were too disparate. With the strength of this tree person, there were not many cultivators who dared to snatch things from it.

After turning several corners and walking along a small alley for a while, Qing Muling finally saw a inconspicuous shop. Without hesitation, he walked in with his beast skin bag.

“What do you want?”

Behind the counter, a beautiful and plump young woman stood up and looked at the incoming youth with a deep gaze, slightly wary.

Her appearance seemed no different from that of a normal human, except for the intricate natural patterns on her forehead and around her ears, resembling tattoos.

“An acquaintance.”

Qing Muling said briefly, placing the beast skin bag on the counter. He silently circulated his spiritual power, and a mysterious and divine light rune appeared in the air, flashing and disappearing.

The young woman’s gaze slightly condensed as she carefully examined him. Her tone softened, “So you’re a disciple of the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. It seems that your people have been appearing less and less in recent years. Has something happened to the Dao Lineage outside?”

“It’s hard to explain.”

Qing Muling smiled helplessly and opened the beast skin bag, taking out several spiritual herbs and placing them on the counter. “Let’s not talk about that. These things are samples. Can you help me estimate their value? I need a Space Bracelet with the largest capacity possible, as well as some decent clothes and armor. Also, I want to exchange for some crystal beads.”

The young woman casually glanced at the spiritual herbs on the counter, but her gaze immediately changed. She picked up a stalk of Crimson Leaf Ink Heart Orchid and examined it closely, then looked at the remaining spiritual herbs one by one, her voice low:

“These herbs… are not easy to find in ordinary places. How did a little guy like you, with ordinary cultivation, manage to get so many good things?”

Qing Muling just smiled and didn’t explain.

These indigenous people had been cultivated and planned by the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace for a long time, and they had finally gained their trust and could seek their help when necessary.

As for the price to be paid, of course, it was not cheap. They would never work for others for free.According to convention, thirty percent of the things Qing Muling brought had to be given to the native woman for free, and the rest could be used as trade goods to obtain what he needed.

But if he directly traded with the shops of the natives in the city, the prices would only be higher. Most of the time, they wouldn’t even give you the opportunity to trade. For example, those scattered cultivators who entered the secret realm for the first time would find it difficult to sell their gains smoothly.

The native population always treated all foreign cultivators with a mentality of both using and guarding against them. If you didn’t have a good relationship with them, many things in the secret realm would be impossible to accomplish.

The woman exhaled and didn’t continue to ask, only saying, “Wait a moment, I have a lot of things and I need time to deal with them.”

“Okay.”

Qing Muling nodded and wasn’t worried that she would cheat him. As long as he satisfied the other party’s appetite, basic trust could still be guaranteed.

Due to certain ancient tribal taboos, these natives who called themselves “Heavenly Humans” were not allowed to collect and hunt most of the spiritual medicines or exotic beasts in this world at will. However, foreign cultivators were not included in this prohibition, which provided the foundation for such transactions.

Qing Muling didn’t understand why these so-called taboos existed, but of course, he didn’t need to understand so much. His cultivation level was still low, so it was better to follow the rules honestly for now. Investigating the root cause was a matter for the future.

The woman called out to the inner room and the sound of light footsteps followed. Then, a beautiful young girl with flowing black hair walked out. Her snow-white beast skin dress outlined her voluptuous curves, and her crescent-shaped eyebrows and eyes exuded a youthful and energetic aura.

When the girl saw Qing Muling’s appearance, her eyes brightened and she stared at him up and down.

The woman coughed and instructed, “I’m going out to do something, you prepare some food for this young man and wait for me to come back.”

“Okay, Auntie.”

The girl cheerfully responded and watched as her mother casually put the beast skin bag into the space bracelet before swaying her waist and walking out the door.

“Hey? What’s your name?”

After looking at the young man for a while, the girl blushed and leaned in to ask softly.

“Qing Muling.”

“Oh, I’m Ling Xi,”

The girl said with a smile, “Are you also from outside? How long do you plan to stay here? There have been a lot of people coming from outside recently, and the city has become livelier than before!”

Qing Muling’s heart stirred slightly and he asked, “What is your life like if no outsiders come in?”

“It’s just the usual! I’ve heard the elders in the city say that sometimes it takes a dozen years, sometimes hundreds of years for the trajectory of your world’s time and space to intersect with ours. That’s when the entrance to the secret realm opens and you can come in. When the intersection period ends and the trajectories of the two worlds diverge, the entrance to the secret realm closes and you must all leave…” Ling Xi explained.

Qing Muling’s expression remained unchanged, but waves of thoughts rose in his heart. Could it be that the Misty Illusion Secret Realm and the Great Void Starry Sky belong to two parallel time and space? Based on his knowledge from his previous life, it seemed that this explanation could work. Of course, things probably weren’t that simple in the eyes of the creatures in this world.

“So, do you know the origin of this world?”

“I’m not very clear, but the elders say that we are the remnants of the Heavenly Human Clan. This world used to be a part of the Heavenly Realm, but for some reason, it separated later.”

Ling Xi tilted her head and stuck out her tongue somewhat embarrassedly. “Ah, Auntie told me to bring you some food, I almost forgot. Wait a moment.”

Saying that, she turned around and rushed into the inner room like the wind.

After a moment, Ling Xi returned, holding a plate of bright red fruits in her hand and placing it on the table in front of Qing Muling. Then, she took a clay jar and poured a cup of water for him.

“Try it, these fruits are very rare, and they are one of the few spiritual medicine resources that our clan can pick and enjoy at will,” she explained.

Qing Muling picked up one of the fruits and looked at it. It had a pleasant fragrance, and there was a faint halo flowing beneath the skin, indicating that it was not an ordinary item. He took a bite, and the crystal-clear flesh contained abundant spiritual energy. It melted in his mouth, and his pores emitted a cool breeze, bringing indescribable comfort.

As for whether it was poisonous or not, Qing Muling never worried. Perhaps there was no poison in this world that the Harmony Spirit Seed couldn’t resolve. He had secretly conducted similar experiments before, and even the poison that could deal with Feather Transformation Immortal Realm experts had no effect on it since the emergence of the Blue Lotus phantom.

“How is it? Does it taste good?”

Ling Xi asked with a smile, her bright eyes and fluttering eyelashes shining. Her fair skin had a delicate glow, and the patterns on her forehead had a unique charm.

Qing Muling nodded, “It’s indeed delicious. Um… Miss Ling Xi, can I ask you some questions?”

Ling Xi blushed again when she heard this, and her bright eyes stared at him. Her attitude was somewhat conflicted, “Auntie said that we can’t get too close to you foreign cultivators, so besides ordinary business dealings, we can’t reveal anything to you.”

This young man in front of her was indeed too good-looking. Ling Xi had never seen such an outstanding man from her childhood to now, whether it was the young talents in her clan or the foreign cultivators. None of them could compare to him.

But the clan rules were strict. Even if she had some feelings for Qing Muling, she couldn’t do anything about it. Once she crossed the line, she and her family would probably face severe punishment.”Alright, I won’t put you in a difficult position.”

Qing Muling sighed. Trust between people couldn’t be established in a day or two, let alone between two different races.

Lingxu felt a bit embarrassed. She thought for a moment, then went back into the room. After a short while, she came out with a small, exquisite bone talisman and handed it to Qing Muling, saying:

“This is a treasure that the Grand Shaman of our tribe gave me. If you encounter danger in the wilderness that you can’t handle, you can activate it to instantly return to the city. I don’t really have a use for it, so I might as well give it to you.”

Qing Muling initially wanted to decline, but after a moment’s thought, he accepted it: “Thank you, Sister Lingxu. If there’s anything you need help with, don’t hesitate to ask. As long as I can do it, I won’t shirk.”

Lingxu chuckled: “Your current cultivation level is even higher than mine, what could you possibly help me with? At least wait until you’ve overcome your inner demons in the future!”

Qing Muling looked at her in surprise: “I know that your tribe’s method of cultivating power is different from ours, but… I really can’t tell how strong you are now. Could you give me a hint?”

Lingxu nodded, pointed at him from a distance with her slender hand, and softly chanted a strange incantation.

In the flickering light and shadow, Qing Muling’s body stiffened. To his horror, he found that his lower body had completely turned to stone, and he didn’t even understand how she had done it.

The phantom of the Blue Lotus in his sea of consciousness began to glow slightly, and a mysterious power was about to surge out, but Qing Muling forcefully stopped it. He didn’t want to reveal his trump card, as this wasn’t a life-or-death battle.

“Surprised, aren’t you?”

Seeing the surprised expression on the handsome young man’s face, Lingxu smiled smugly and waved her hand to remove his petrification.