336: Chapter 336 City-State Rules

"And there are specific details to it,"

The shop owner lowered his voice once more.

"During a duel, one cannot harm the innocent in the city, nor damage the city's Foundation. If anyone dares to violate these rules, they will be collectively crusaded against by all factions.

When the Red-Winged Thunder Peng King said he would send his subordinates, he had this very scheme in mind.

Under his command, there are surely many Golden Core Stage Yao Beasts. If a duel truly occurs, Luohan City must send Golden Core Cultivators to meet the challenge. If they win, all is well; but if they lose, Luohan City will truly fall under the jurisdiction of the Hundred Demon Valley."

Ye Jing nodded, calculating in his mind.

These rules seemed to restrain those at the Nascent Soul stage, yet they also gave Golden Core Cultivators a chance to distinguish themselves. However, for Luohan City, this was undoubtedly a crisis.

The Yao Beasts under the Red-Winged Thunder Peng King must all be formidable. The Golden Core Cultivators of Luohan City might not necessarily be able to withstand them.

"Besides that, there is another rule related to the Tier 3 spiritual items you are looking for, guest."

The shop owner seemed to remember something and added.

"Whether it is a city of the Human Race or the Yao Race, one is not permitted to hunt high-level Yao Beasts or snatch high-level spiritual items within the city at will.

Especially for Tier 3 and above, if you take action in the city, even low-level Cultivators will be apprehended by the city guards and handed over to the corresponding faction for disposal.

This is also why those shop owners didn't dare mention Tier 3 spiritual items earlier. It wasn't just fear of being overheard by Yao Beasts who had sneaked in, but even more so the fear of violating this rule and inviting trouble."

Ye Jing's heart sank.

He had originally intended to search for Tier 3 spiritual items in Luohan City, but according to these rules, one could not simply search for or trade Tier 3 spiritual items in the city. Even if he found one, he wouldn't dare take action to acquire it easily.

"Then if one wants to find Tier 3 spiritual items, where should they go?"

Ye Jing asked, his tone carrying a hint of urgency.

The shop owner sighed: "One can only go to the dangerous lands outside the city, such as the Monster Beast Mountains or ancient Secret Realms. Those places are not bound by city rules; as long as you have the strength to obtain a spiritual item, it is yours.

But those places are fraught with peril, especially the Monster Beast Mountains near the Hundred Demon Valley. They are crawling with high-level Yao Beasts. Even a Golden Core Cultivator wouldn't dare travel alone lightly, let alone a guest like you who is only at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage."

Ye Jing listened, then countered with a question: "So, does the owner know any news regarding Tier 3 spiritual items?"

Hearing this, an indescribable smile surfaced on the shop owner's face. He rubbed his hands together and said, "There is news, but how much is the guest willing to pay?"

I have to add more money...

The corner of Ye Jing's mouth twitched slightly. He had long expected that this owner wouldn't loosen his tongue easily, but Ye Jing wasn't going to hand over the money so readily either.

He said in a flat tone, "The owner might as well speak plainly. How many Spirit Stones do you want? If the news is true, your benefits will naturally not be lacking.

But if you dare to deceive me, you should know that for an outsider Cultivator, city rules are hard to follow, and I am no soft persimmon to be toyed with."

The shop owner's eyes flickered. He glanced at the Cultivators outside the door who were still lingering in fear, and leaned in closer.

"The guest is straightforward! To be honest, this news is no small matter..."

"Cut the nonsense!" Ye Jing didn't feel like playing Tai Chi with this shop owner.

The shop owner smiled sheepishly: "This news costs one thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Pay up, and I'll tell you!"

Seeing this, Ye Jing directly tossed the Storage Pouch containing the Spirit Stones to the shop owner.

The shop owner did a quick count. Seeing the amount was correct, he hurriedly piled on a fawning smile.

"Guest, a thousand miles west of Luohan City, there is an abandoned Extreme Yin Cave. It is said that a second-order Two-headed Nether Snake is hidden there. It is nurturing a ghost nether pearl within its body, seeking to Breakthrough to the third tier. Therefore, that ghost nether pearl is a genuine Tier 3 spiritual item."

"Two-headed Nether Snake?" Ye Jing's heart stirred. This Two-headed Nether Snake was actually only a Second-Order Demonic Beast; he could just manage to take it on.

But he continued to press, "Since there is a Tier 3 spiritual item, why has no one gone to take it? There must be other dangers within that Extreme Yin Cave, right?"

The smile on the shop owner's face faded slightly. He lowered his voice, almost pressing against Ye Jing's ear as he spoke: "The guest is indeed a discerning person. That Extreme Yin Cave is not so easy to enter."

"Setting aside that the Two-headed Nether Snake itself is a Third-Order Yao Beast with strength comparable to a human Golden Core, its entire body is filled with a venomous, sinister evil that rots anything it touches. Ordinary Golden Core Cultivators would keep their distance.

Even more deadly is that the Extreme Yin Cave is filled year-round with Soul-Eroding Yin Winds, which specifically harm a Cultivator's Divine Soul. Even if your cultivation is solid, staying inside for long will lead to a dazed Divine Soul and sluggish spiritual power."

He paused, then added another sentence: "Moreover, a few days ago, I heard from passing Loose Cultivators that there seem to be Yao Beasts from the Hundred Demon Valley wandering near the Extreme Yin Cave, as if they are keeping an eye on something.

In my view, they are most likely after that ghost nether pearl as well."

He looked up at the shop owner, his tone calm and rippleless: "The specific location of the Extreme Yin Cave, the route to get there, and the habits of that Two-headed Nether Snake—are you clear on all of them?"

Seeing that he wasn't scared off but instead asked for more details, the shop owner was secretly shocked that this Late Foundation Establishment Cultivator was so bold, yet he didn't dare be vague.

"I am certainly clear on the location, and I can draw the route for you. However, as for the details of that Nether Snake, that is all I know.

It stays in during the day and comes out at night. It usually spends most of its time coiled deep at the bottom of the cave to Cultivate, and rarely shows its face normally."

Ye Jing pondered for a moment, then took out another bag of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and tossed it over: "Draw the route."

The shop owner's eyes lit up. He quickly caught the Spirit Stones, nimbly took out a piece of beast skin, and began sketching on it with a brush, advising as he drew.

"Guest, I've said my piece. That place really isn't somewhere a Foundation Establishment can barge into. If you truly want to go, you must be extremely careful. Don't throw your life away for a single spiritual item."

Ye Jing scanned the route on the beast skin. After confirming it was correct, he put it into his Storage Pouch and stood up: "Thanks for the warning."

With those words, he didn't linger any longer, turning and walking out of the shop.

The sunlight outside was piercing. Cultivators on the street were still buzzing with discussion, and the pressure from the Red-Winged Thunder Peng King seemed to still hang over their heads.

Ye Jing blended into the crowd, his expression normal, but his mind was already made up. Currently, the fire-attribute Yao Beasts like Xiao Chi within the Immortal Willow had not yet reached the late second-order stage. Additionally, with Gui Yun and Xianglan in seclusion, they couldn't refine the Red-Winged Thunder Peng.

Therefore, if he wanted to obtain a Third-Order Yao Beast in a short time, he could only go to that Extreme Yin Cave to try his luck.

The Two-headed Nether Snake, with its unknown attributes, was a mutated Yao Beast just like Hei Feng. Thus, the spiritual item it nurtured was also suitable for Hei Feng.

The Extreme Yin Cave was a thousand miles away. With his pace, he could arrive in a single day.

The Soul-Eroding Yin Wind damaged the Divine Soul, but his Physical Body was powerful, and his Divine Soul was not weak either; he might be able to endure it.

The Two-headed Nether Snake was venomous and fierce, but he had the Thunderbolt Flame Art. Fire overcomes yin and evil, providing the perfect counter.

The only trouble would likely be those Yao Beasts from the Hundred Demon Valley, so this battle must be decided quickly!

"I must be fast."

Ye Jing whispered to himself, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

Once out of the city gates, he no longer hid his movement techniques. Spiritual power surged from beneath his feet as his figure transformed into a streak of green light, racing straight toward the west.

The clamor of Luohan City was gradually left behind. The surrounding trees grew denser, and the Spiritual Qi gradually became mixed with a hint of wild, ferocious aura.

In just half a day, more than half of the thousand-mile journey was completed.