326: Chapter 326 Listening to the Wind in the Tavern, Lingxu Wasteland? What a joke!

Chiyan City.

Su Changge stood before the city gates and looked up.

This city was on a completely different level compared to those so-called "great cities" in the Lingxu Wasteland.

The city walls were built from a dark red fire-rock, standing a hundred zhang tall, densely engraved with Formation patterns, with a defensive dharma tower every few zhang.

The flow of people at the city gate was like a woven tapestry, with Cultivators of various cultivation Realms coming and going in an endless stream.

The Golden Core Stage was the bottom tier here.

Cultivators of the Nascent Soul Stage were like the Qi Refining Stage Disciples of the Lingxu Wasteland, seen everywhere.

Su Changge even saw several Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators picking out spiritual materials at roadside stalls like ordinary people.

[Good heavens.]

[The Grand Elder of the Lingxu Wasteland would probably only be fit to be a city gate guard here.]

[Is this the Chixiao Dao Domain? The first-tier metropolis of the cultivation world?]

His Face remained calm, but his mind was racing with calculations.

The more prosperous a place, the more experts there were, and the greater the risk of things going sideways.

In the Lingxu Wasteland, he could act recklessly because the strongest there were only at the Mahayana Stage, whom he could bluff with a single special effect.

But the Chixiao Dao Domain?

Xiao Huang, the Hall Master of the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall, was at the Peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage!

If he ran into an old monster at the True Immortal level, he didn't know if Myriad Laws Immunity (Pseudo) could hold up.

[Low profile, I must keep a low profile.]

[Figure out the situation first.]

Su Changge and Zhao Tian walked into Chiyan City one after the other.

Although Zhao Tian's cultivation wasn't low, he wasn't particularly outstanding in a place like the Chixiao Dao Domain. Wearing ordinary grey Daoist robes and deliberately suppressing his Aura, he looked like a mere attendant.

After walking through several busy streets, Zhao Tian led Su Changge into a relatively secluded alley and arrived before a tavern named "Blazing Flame Tower."

"Dao Master, this is where I have been gathering information these past few days. All sorts of people congregate here, and news travels fast," Zhao Tian said in a low voice.

Su Changge nodded and stepped inside.

The tavern wasn't large, but the decor was quite sophisticated.

Fire Spirit Stones were embedded in the walls, emitting a warm red light, and the air was filled with the unique mellow fragrance of spiritual wine.

Su Changge chose a seat in a corner and sat down, while Zhao Tian stood behind him naturally.

An attentive waiter ran over to greet them. Su Changge casually ordered a pot of spiritual tea and then closed his eyes.

He appeared to be resting, but in reality, he had pricked up his ears.

The Cultivators at the neighboring tables were talking loudly, and the center of their conversation was only one thing—the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.

"Have you heard? The scale of this Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly is extremely high. It's said that even the top powers from the Red Earth Wasteland and the Blazing Sun Heavenly Continent will send representatives!"

"That's only natural! Who would dare not give Face to the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall?"

"It's not just about Face. I heard from my Junior Martial Uncle that at this Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, Xiao Huang, the Hall Master of the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall, is going to announce a shocking event!"

"What shocking event?"

The speaker lowered his voice. "It seems to be related to Divine Flame Mountain. I don't know the specifics, but it's said that all the top powers received word in advance, which is why they've all rushed here."

Su Changge's eyelids twitched slightly.

[Divine Flame Mountain? Just like what was said on my stone slab, there really is a problem with that place.]

[What shocking event is Xiao Huang going to announce? It couldn't be that something went wrong with the Seal, right?]

He continued listening.

The topic of several young Cultivators at another table wasn't quite as "serious."

"Hahaha, have you heard? For this Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, even a place like the Lingxu Wasteland received an invitation!"

"Lingxu Wasteland? What kind of backwater is that?"

"The most remote part of the Qingming Domain. It's said the Spiritual Qi is so thin that it's hard to even break through to the Golden Core. The strongest Cultivator there is supposedly only at the Soul Transformation Stage?"

"Soul Transformation Stage? Hahahaha, then what are they coming to the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly for? To serve tea and water?"

"You're wrong to say that. A self-proclaimed 'Dao Master' emerged from that place, saying something about resetting the stars and awing the universe. It sounds quite intimidating."

As soon as these words were spoken, a burst of raucous laughter erupted in the tavern.

"The Dao Master of the Lingxu Wasteland? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"In a wretched place like the Lingxu Wasteland, they should be thanking their lucky stars if they can produce a Nascent Soul Stage, and yet they have a Dao Master?"

"Probably some rogue Loose Cultivator putting on an act to trick those country bumpkins who haven't seen the world. Coming to our Chixiao Dao Domain, he'll likely show his true colors!"

Su Changge's mouth twitched.

[Country bumpkin? You're talking about your Dao Master right here!]

[Fine, laugh all you want now. When the time comes, the slap to your Faces will be all the louder.]

Although he was complaining in his heart, his facial expression remained unmoving.

The man in white sitting in the corner held his teacup with an indifferent expression, as if the noisy discussions in the tavern had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Standing behind Su Changge, Zhao Tian's Face turned a terrifying shade of ashen as he heard those mocking words.

His fists were tightly clenched, his knuckles turning white.

These fools!

How dare they insult the Dao Master like this!

If the Dao Master weren't here, he would have loved to slap those arrogant Cultivators into meat paste!

Just as Zhao Tian was about to lose his cool and speak out, a hand suddenly rested on his shoulder.

Su Changge didn't look back; he simply pressed down on his shoulder lightly. The force was slight, yet it made Zhao Tian calm down instantly.

"Just listen."

Su Changge said only those two words.

Zhao Tian's body jolted, and he immediately lowered his head. "This Disciple has lost his composure."

[I can't let Zhao Tian get worked up. If a fight breaks out and some random Tribulation Transcendence Stage expert pops up, the two of us together won't even be enough for a single slap from them.]

Su Changge continued listening.

"By the way, do you have any news about the Four Directions Dragon Court?"

A burly man with a scar lowered his voice and looked around. After confirming there were no "people who shouldn't be listening," he continued.

"The Four Great Dragon Marquises of the Four Directions Dragon Court have all been deployed this time!"

Four Directions Dragon Court!

Su Changge tilted his ear slightly.

Zhao Tian had mentioned this power in his previous reports—one of the most overbearing forces on the Blazing Dragon War Continent, composed of four dragon-kin Cultivators possessing ancient Dragon Clan Bloodlines, each of whom was a Tribulation Transcendence Stage powerhouse.

Bone-Eroding Dragon Venerable Xuan Jia, Burning Flame Dragon Emperor Chi Jin, Nether Prison Dragon Lord Mo Yuan, and Earth-Splitting Dragon Marquis Tu Beng.

"The Four Great Dragon Marquises have all been deployed? Don't they usually act as kings in their own territories? Why are they suddenly interested in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly?"

"Who knows? But I've heard they've always been at odds with the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall. Going to the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly this time probably isn't to discuss the Dao, but to stir up trouble."

"Shh! Do you want to die? How dare you say such things?"

The group immediately stopped that topic and began chatting about other things.

Su Changge picked up his teacup and took a light sip.

The tea entered his throat, scalding hot.

Even the tea in this place carried a fiery temper.

[Four Directions Dragon Court, four Tribulation Transcendence Stage dragon-kin...]

[Dammit, I almost kicked the bucket dealing with a single little finger of a Heavenly Demon in the Lingxu Wasteland, and here four Tribulation Transcendence Stage big shots pop up at once, and they're all descendants of the Dragon Clan.]

[Add to that the Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall and who knows how many other top powers...]

[This Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly is simply a fight between gods. For me, a Qi Refining First Layer, to sneak in, what's the difference between a mouse wandering into a cat's nest?]

Su Changge put down the teacup calmly and gave Zhao Tian a look.

Zhao Tian understood and leaned down to report in a low voice by his ear.

"Dao Master, I have already scouted the basic situation of Chiyan City over the past few days. This city is governed by the Chiyan City Lord's Mansion. The City Lord is named Yan Wuji, with a cultivation at the Peak of the Soul Transformation Stage. He is considered a local hegemon in this area. But in the core regions of the Blazing Dragon War Continent, he doesn't even have the qualifications to be ranked."

"The Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly is set for a jiazi later, which is about fifty days from now. From Chiyan City to Divine Flame Mountain, it's about a ten-day journey."

"Furthermore, I have also found out one more thing—"

Zhao Tian's voice dropped even lower.

"The Four Directions Dragon Court has been aggressively rounding up Cultivators on the Blazing Dragon War Continent recently, suspected to be assembling some kind of 'Soul Dragon Puppet' legion. Many Disciples of small sects along the way have gone missing, and it's suspected to be related to the Nether Prison Dragon Lord Mo Yuan."

Su Changge frowned slightly.

Soul Dragon Puppet?

The records on the stone slab surfaced in his mind—when the Seal of the nine extremes demon suppression pillarss weakens, the Aura of the Heavenly Demon will seep out, affecting the surrounding living beings.

Could the abnormal actions of the Four Directions Dragon Court be related to the Heavenly Demon's left arm beneath Divine Flame Mountain?

[Hard to say, the water here is too deep. As a Qi Refining First Layer, I really can't grasp it.]

[But one thing is certain—the situation is more complex and dangerous than I imagined.]

Just as he was thinking, the tavern door was suddenly pushed open with great force.

A wave of noise flooded in from outside.

"Make way! Everyone make way!"

Su Changge looked up to see a group of Cultivators dressed in crimson-gold dragon-patterned armor charging into the tavern aggressively.

The leader was a young man who looked no more than in his early twenties, but his cultivation was already at the Nascent Soul Mid-Stage.

There was a pale gold scale on the young man's forehead, and his pupils were slightly reddish, exuding the arrogance unique to the Dragon Clan Bloodline.

"People from the Dragon Court!" The Faces of all the Cultivators in the tavern changed, and they all stood up to make way.

Su Changge noticed that behind the group of dragon-armored Cultivators, several ragged young Cultivators were being escorted. Each had their spiritual power suppressed, their eyes full of fear.

The young man sat down in the center of the tavern with a swagger, crossing his legs and scanning the room.

When his gaze swept over Su Changge, it paused for a brief moment.

Immediately, a contemptuous curve formed at the corners of the young man's mouth.

He looked away.

Just a Mortal, not worth a second look.

"Shopkeeper! Bring me the best wine in this dump!"

"And!" The young man jerked his chin toward the captive Cultivators. "Make some room for my 'goods.' Don't damage them; they're all high-quality—"

Before he could finish, his gaze suddenly fell upon a Storage Pouch hanging at Zhao Tian's waist.

To be precise, it was on the half-exposed piece of a High-Grade Spirit Stone in the Storage Pouch.

The young man's eyes lit up instantly.