13: Chiba Castle

After dealing with some unnecessary items and tallying the consumed Talismans and Medicinal Pills, Zhou Kaiding finally focused on sensing the injuries within his body.

Previously, to resist Daoist Tianyang's attack, he had pushed his internal magical power to its limit.

Such rampant magical power naturally devastated his Meridians.

Zhou Kaiding gave a bitter smile; in this state, even a Qi Refining Early Stage Cultivator could take his life.

The commotion here was too great to linger, so he had to find another place to heal.

Enduring the stinging pain in his Meridians, Zhou Kaiding slightly activated his magical power and headed in a certain direction.

Several hours later, Zhou Kaiding stopped.

He was already far enough away that he thought it wouldn't attract other people.

He observed the surrounding environment, and seeing no signs of people coming or going, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He found a secluded spot, flipped his hand, and three small gray Formation Flags appeared.

He injected magical power into the Formation Flags and inserted them into three different places, connecting them to form a faint green light that enveloped an area of about ten meters around Zhou Kaiding.

This Minor Three Essences Formation was merely for warding off mosquitoes, wild beasts, and as an alarm; its defensive power was not very strong.

Zhou Kaiding's action was just an extra precaution.

He took out a Medicinal Pill, swallowed it, and sat cross-legged, slowly sensing the pressure it emitted as he repaired his damaged Meridians.

Several days later.

Zhou Kaiding opened his eyes, exhaled a turbid breath, and sensed the Meridians within his body, feeling slightly satisfied.

These few days of recuperation had nearly healed his injured Meridians, and his full body magical power had returned to its peak state, his Aura stable and no longer disheveled.

Zhou Kaiding stood up, casually performed a magical incantation to clean himself, then waved his hand to recall the three Formation Flags into his bag.

He sensed that Mo Xuan was still in a deep sleep within his sleeve, and seeing that he was in good condition, he didn't disturb him.

He took out a map, looked at it, and headed in the direction of Longevity Valley… Two months later.

Gazing at the massive city before him, Zhou Kaiding let out a long sigh of relief; he had finally arrived.

Due to the previous unexpected disaster, Zhou Kaiding had been on edge the entire journey, and at this moment, he finally relaxed.

Fortunately, he hadn't encountered any more troublesome incidents in these two months; only the long journey had left him a bit fatigued.

The great city was named Qianye, solely controlled and managed by Longevity Valley.

It served as Longevity Valley's gateway for external trade, where many transactions of Medicinal Pills and Spirit Medicine took place.

Not far from Qianye City, one could find the Longevity Valley's Sect gate.

As a Sect with a Golden Core True Person overseeing it, people wishing to join Longevity Valley were constantly streaming in every day, which kept the population of Qianye City consistently high.

However, a Sect overseen by a Golden Core True Person was not so easy to enter; without above-average talent, aspiring to become a Disciple of Longevity Valley was merely a pipe dream.

Of course, if one's cultivation was exceptional enough to become a Guest Elder, Longevity Valley would be quite welcoming.

The entire Qianye City was covered by a Tier 2 High Grade Formation.

Even a Foundation Establishment Stage Great Cultivator could not fly in the air here.

When the Great Formation was fully activated, it could even resist a Golden Core True Person for a moment.

Therefore, in Qianye City, even walking on the ground, one might encounter a Foundation Establishment Stage Great Cultivator.

Perhaps a moment of carelessness could plant the seeds of disaster for oneself, leading to one's demise.

Zhou Kaiding had inquired about all this before coming, and he resolved in his heart to act cautiously here and avoid recklessness.

As he walked towards the city gate, the city walls grew taller and grander with every step.

Zhou Kaiding was somewhat puzzled; there were so many people entering the city that even such a massive entrance had a long queue.

However, despite the large number of people queuing, no one dared to complain.

Without a strong background, causing trouble here would only lead to death, and if one had a formidable background, there would be no need to queue here.

Zhou Kaiding found a Middle-aged Cultivator with a kind face and asked, "Fellow Daoist, are there always so many people entering Qianye City every day?"

The Middle-aged Cultivator, hearing this, replied with some surprise, "You must be from far away."

"Fellow Daoist possesses a Wisdom Eye; I am impressed," Zhou Kaiding was slightly startled, saying this verbally, but feeling a bit wary in his heart, wondering where he had revealed a flaw that exposed his background.

"It's not a difficult matter.

Longevity Valley released news a month ago that they would be auctioning a Tier 2 High Grade Lifespan extension Medicinal Pill, the yang polarity rebirth pill, this month."

This news had already spread throughout the nearby region, which was why the Middle-aged Cultivator concluded that Zhou Kaiding was from far away.

"This Medicinal Pill is hailed as High Grade; it can extend the Lifespan of a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator by half a cycle of sixty years.

How precious it is!"

"Why do Cultivators cultivate diligently every day? Is it not for eternal life and longevity?

This precious Medicinal Pill, capable of extending Lifespan by half a cycle, naturally attracts many old Seniors."

This information was not a secret, so the Middle-aged Cultivator was happy to share it with Zhou Kaiding.

He then added:

"However, this precious Medicinal Pill is only for contention among Foundation Establishment Stage Great Cultivators; it has little to do with us."

"Most Qi Refinement Stage Fellow Daoists are here for the several foundation establishment pills that Longevity Valley is also auctioning."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kaiding's heart surged, and he almost failed to conceal the change in his expression.

No matter how precious the Lifespan-extending precious Medicinal Pill was, it had no relation to Zhou Kaiding, as he still had decades before his Lifespan limit.

But the foundation establishment pill was different; every Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator probably desired this item the most.

If there was a chance to obtain one, what did it matter to sacrifice all his possessions?

Zhou Kaiding was stunned for a moment, then came back to his senses and thanked the Middle-aged Cultivator: "Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for clarifying."

"No problem," the Middle-aged Cultivator waved his hand casually, indicating it was a small matter.

Zhou Kaiding had obtained the information he wanted and no longer bothered the Middle-aged Cultivator, silently queuing.

However, the changes in his inner emotions were unknown to outsiders.

After a long while, Zhou Kaiding exhaled, trying to expel the desire from his heart.

Firstly, he wasn't sure if he could even bid for it, and even if he did, he probably wouldn't be able to take the foundation establishment pill back alive.

Forget it, this time he would just consider it an eye-opener, Zhou Kaiding tried hard to convince himself.

Finally, Zhou Kaiding paid two Spirit Stones, received a jade token, and entered the city.

Compared to outside the city, the city was another world altogether.

Cultivators had stalls set up on both sides of the road, selling goods, making Zhou Kaiding almost think he had arrived in a black market.

The items in the city were dazzling, a feast for the eyes, with towering buildings and pavilions, resplendent in gold.

The fragrance of Medicinal Pills, the glow of treasures, the might of Talismans, all continuously assailed his senses, drawing him in unknowingly.

If he wasn't careful, his bag of Spirit Stones would likely be almost empty.

Zhou Kaiding didn't dare to look too much, quickly glancing around to memorize the layout and routes of the surrounding environment.

This was a habit Zhou Kaiding had developed; upon arriving at an unfamiliar place, he would always familiarize himself with the surroundings first, ensuring a retreat route, just in case.

After a long while, Zhou Kaiding finally got a rough understanding of Qianye City.

Qianye City was arranged in a fan shape around the giant auction house in the center, with different types of goods traded in various, relatively concentrated areas.

The items Zhou Kaiding needed to deal with, besides the Star Origin Fruit, included the Magical Artifact Yanluo Miasma and the Cultivation Technique Peach Blossom Bewitching Heart Art obtained from Liu Ruomei, as well as some miscellaneous items, making the types relatively mixed.

After finding places to sell these mixed items one by one, Zhou Kaiding then came to the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, which had several storefronts in the city.

This was where Longevity Valley conducted its external Spirit Medicine transactions; one could buy or sell, and the variety of Spirit Medicine was relatively rich.

Zhou Kaiding considered for a long time before choosing this place.

Firstly, although the prices at the Spirit Medicine Pavilion might be slightly lower, it was a major power, so its reputation would be guaranteed.

Secondly, the star origin fruit tree matured once a year, and Zhou Kaiding needed to choose a relatively stable sales channel.

As Zhou Kaiding stepped inside, a young maid greeted him and asked, "Senior, what do you need?"

"I want to sell some Star Origin Fruit," Zhou Kaiding replied indifferently.

"Senior, please follow me," she said, then led the way to the second floor.

This Spirit Medicine Pavilion had several floors; the first floor had a large quantity of medicinal ingredients displayed in cabinets for people to choose from.

Presumably, the second floor was where the Spirit Medicine Pavilion acquired Spirit Medicine.

Zhou Kaiding thought, his steps unceasing, as he followed the maid to a small room on the second floor.

The room was not large, and an old man sat within it, his cultivation merely at the Qi Refining Early Stage, yet the maid's attitude was very respectful.

"This is our pavilion's appraiser, Elder Li.

Senior, you may take out the items you wish to sell for Elder Li to inspect."

Zhou Kaiding heard this and was not surprised; it was to be expected.

So, with a flip of his hand, he took out a jade box, unsealed it, and gently placed it before the old man.

When the two entered, Elder Li had only glanced up once and then paid no further attention.

He merely nodded slightly in response to Zhou Kaiding's greeting.

Zhou Kaiding was not annoyed, his attitude remaining neither humble nor arrogant.