93: Chapter 93: Arriving at Jinsha Village to Investigate News, Hearing of Ancient Earth Tremors and the Spirit Vein's Heart

Jinsha Market, situated on an oasis at the edge of the "Boundless Sand Sea".

This place suffers from year-round sandstorms and sparse Spiritual Qi; it was never a benevolent land.

However, because it is located at the buffer zone where the "Dragonfall Abyss", "Myriad Demon Forest", and "Liuyun City" intersect, and lacks direct governance by any large Sect, over time, it has become a gathering place for all kinds of Loose Cultivators, fugitives, exploration teams, intelligence peddlers, and even those in unsavory trades.

The buildings within the market are mostly built of earth and stone, with a rough style. The streets are narrow and chaotic, and the air is filled with a strange mixture of dust, sweat, low-quality Spirit Wine, and blood.

There are no rules here; strength is respected. Fights, looting, and assassinations happen every day, yet a fragile balance is strangely maintained amidst the chaos.

When Ye Qing arrived at Jinsha Market, it was already dusk.

The sandstorms covering the sky dyed the setting sun a dim yellow, adding a sense of desolation and danger to this chaotic market.

He had long since changed his disguise, transforming into an old lone traveler with a weathered face and an aura of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. Wearing inconspicuous grey-brown hemp clothes and a bamboo hat to shield himself from the sand, he blended into the sparse stream of people entering the market, passing through the symbolic "market gate"—which didn't even have a door—in a low-profile manner.

The inside of the market was busier than he had imagined.

Along both sides of the street, one could see Cultivators setting up stalls everywhere, selling all sorts of items, their authenticity hard to distinguish. From the earthen houses on both sides, noisy arguments, hawking, and even sounds of fighting could be heard. The fluctuations of spiritual power in the air were chaotic; clearly, the rule against fighting was merely for show.

Ye Qing did not look sideways. Following his memory and Divine Sense perception, he arrived in front of a three-story earthen building that appeared relatively "decent" in the center of the market.

Hanging in front of the building was a wooden plaque eroded by sand, inscribed with the three characters "Wind Information Tower".

This building is the largest place for intelligence trading and temporary hiring in Jinsha Market. It seems to have the backing of some medium-sized chamber of commerce, so it follows the rules relatively well and has the most up-to-date information.

Ye Qing stepped into the building.

The first floor was a noisy hall where many Cultivators were drinking, talking, or gathering in front of several task boards to check them. The air was filled with the smell of low-quality Spirit Wine and sweat.

He went directly to the second floor.

The second floor consisted of private rooms, which required separate payment, but it was much quieter and had simple sound-insulation Restrictions.

He requested the smallest private room, paid the Spirit Stone, and ordered a pot of the most common "Heart-Clearing Tea".

Soon, a middle-aged manager wearing a grey short jacket, with shrewd eyes and a cultivation level at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, knocked on the door and entered.

"This Fellow Daoist, are you here to inquire about news, or to post a task?" The manager smiled professionally, his gaze sweeping quickly over Ye Qing.

"Inquire about news." Ye Qing changed his voice, rasping, "About a 'Spiritual Vein'."

A flash of light appeared in the manager's eyes, but his smile remained unchanged: "Is this Fellow Daoist asking about a large Spiritual Vein that already has an owner, or... news of an ownerless or newly discovered Spiritual Vein?"

"Both are fine. Preferably medium or large, ownerless, or... with weak defensive forces and signs of appearing soon." Ye Qing said slowly, while placing a small bag of Mid-Grade Spirit Stone on the table.

The manager weighed the Spirit Stone bag, and his smile became warmer: "Fellow Daoist is straightforward. Medium and large ownerless Spiritual Veins are rare commodities nowadays; most are occupied by major Sects and Families, or hidden in dangerous, forbidden lands. As for the recent ones... there are indeed a few pieces of news, though their authenticity is hard to judge, and the prices vary."

"Let's hear them."

"The first one is from the 'Thunder Swamp' in the east. A month ago, a team of Cultivators went deep into the swamp and discovered the ruins of an ancient Cultivator Immortal Cave. Inside, there were remnants of a small Spirit Gathering array, suspected to have a micro-Spiritual Vein remaining. However, that place is the territory of the third-rank Yao Beast 'Thunder-Patterned Poison Flood Dragon', which is quite dangerous. The price for this news is five hundred Spirit Stone."

"The second one is from the 'Ancient Battlefield Ruins' in the north. Half a month ago, there was an earth movement that cracked open a fissure, leaking pure Ghost Qi and Yin-attribute Spiritual Qi, suspected to be connected to a 'Yin Spiritual Vein' or 'Earth Evil Spiritual Vein'. However, that place is rampant with Evil Qi and ghosts, and it is close to the territory of the 'Netherworld Sect', so the waters are deep. The price for this news is eight hundred Spirit Stone."

"The third one..." The manager lowered his voice, "...is from the outskirts of the 'Dragonfall Abyss' in the west, near the 'White Bone Wasteland'. Three days ago, an exploration team that retreated from the depths of the 'Dragonfall Abyss' spread word that they sensed an extremely faint but large-scale Earth and Yin dual-attribute Spiritual Vein fluctuation deep underground in the 'White Bone Wasteland', which seemed to be sealed by some kind of ancient Restriction. However, that place is an area of activity for the 'Bone Demon Sect' and the Yao Race, which is extremely dangerous. The source of the news is vague, and the price is one thousand two hundred Spirit Stone."

Ye Qing listened quietly, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously.

The first micro-Spiritual Vein has little value and high risk.

The second Yin Spiritual Vein does not match his attributes and involves a Sect, which is troublesome.

The third one... outskirts of Dragonfall Abyss, White Bone Wasteland, Earth and Yin dual-attribute, large scale, sealed by ancient Restriction...

This description made his heart stir slightly.

Earth-attribute nourishes the land, and the Yin-attribute... perhaps it can supplement the "Netherworld" or "Nirvana" side of his cave. Large scale means abundant energy. Being sealed by an ancient Restriction means it hasn't been discovered or occupied, but it also means breaking the Restriction is difficult, and it might attract the attention of the "Bone Demon Sect" and the Yao Race.

Risk and opportunity coexist.

"Regarding the third piece of news, is there any more detailed content? For example, specific location, characteristics of the Restriction, and the activity of surrounding forces?" Ye Qing asked.

The manager shook his head: "The news is vague to begin with. It is said that the exploration team only sensed it by chance and did not investigate deeply before they were forced to retreat in a panic due to attacks by powerful ghosts and the Yao Race. No one knows the specific location, let alone the characteristics of the Restriction. As for the surroundings... the White Bone Wasteland is a chaotic area where no one cares, the 'Bone Demon Sect' has some strongholds there, infiltration teams of the Yao Race appear from time to time, and there are countless Loose Cultivators and bandits."

Ye Qing pondered for a moment and asked again: "Are there any recent news about special Origin items such as 'Star-type Spiritual Veins', 'Heart of the Earth Vein', or 'Source of the Water Eye'?"

The manager smiled bitterly: "What you are looking for, Fellow Daoist, are all rare treasures that can only be met by chance. If there were any, it would have caused a sensation long ago. There is no such definitive news recently. However, there is a rumor that in the core area of the 'Dragonfall Abyss', there is suspected to be a 'Star Spiritual Vein' related to the ruins of the ancient teleportation array, but that is a place where several major forces compete, and ordinary Cultivators cannot touch it."

Star Spiritual Vein... as expected, it's in the core of Dragonfall Abyss. No need to think about it for now.

Ye Qing did not ask any more questions, paid the Spirit Stone for the third piece of news, and gave the manager some extra tips.

"Thank you. If there is any news about similar Spiritual Veins or high-quality spiritual items, please pay attention. I am temporarily staying at the 'Old Hunchback' inn in the west of the market." He left an anonymous communication talisman and got up to leave.

Leaving the Wind Information Tower, Ye Qing did not go to the inn immediately.

Instead, he wandered around the market seemingly at random, but his Divine Sense was like spilled mercury, capturing the fragmented discussions in the streets and alleys.

"Have you heard? That group of 'Black Skulls' robbed a caravan from Liuyun City yesterday, made a fortune, and are now recruiting people everywhere!"

"Humph, those murderers will kick an iron plate sooner or later. I heard that a deacon of the inner Sect of the 'Bone Demon Sect' arrived at the market a few days ago, seemingly looking for someone, with a very ugly expression."

"Looking for someone? I think it's a vendetta! People die in this ghost place every day. By the way, have you heard about the strange phenomenon in the 'White Bone Wasteland' a few nights ago? A Fellow Daoist said he saw black light shooting into the sky from the depths of the wasteland, with faint sounds of dragon roars and ghost wails, which lasted for half the night before dissipating. It was very eerie!"

"Strange phenomenon in the White Bone Wasteland? Could it be that the legendary sealed ancient battlefield is about to appear? Or is there some incredible treasure appearing in the world?"

"Who knows? That place is evil, less hanging around there if you're fine. Didn't a team not believe in evil yesterday and insisted on going in to explore for treasure? As a result, seven went in, and only one half-mad one escaped, muttering 'The Earth Dragon turns over, ten thousand ghosts wail and howl'..."

The Earth Dragon turns over, ten thousand ghosts wail and howl?

Ye Qing's footsteps paused imperceptibly.

This description seems to vaguely match the news he just bought about the possibility of an Earth and Yin dual-attribute Spiritual Vein being sealed underground in the White Bone Wasteland.

Did the earth movement (Earth Dragon turning over) cause the Seal to loosen, causing the Spiritual Vein's aura to leak and trigger the Yin Qi (ten thousand ghosts wailing and howling)?

"It seems the news is not groundless. The White Bone Wasteland may really have a sealed Spiritual Vein, and it has shown traces recently for some reason."

He pondered in his heart, his feet did not stop, and he soon arrived at the dilapidated inn named "Old Hunchback" in the west of the market.

The inn was equally simple, but it had the advantage of being in a remote location with few guests.

He asked for a guest room in the corner and set up a simple early-warning Restriction.

He sat cross-legged and sorted out his thoughts.

"The clue about the Spiritual Vein in the White Bone Wasteland is the clearest and seems the 'freshest' at the moment. Earth and Yin dual-attribute, large scale, just right to supplement the deficiencies of the cave. Although it is sealed by an ancient Restriction, since there are strange phenomena, it shows that the Seal may already have flaws. The risk lies in the 'Bone Demon Sect', the Yao Race, and the sinister environment of the wasteland itself."

"I need to go and investigate first to confirm the truth of the news and evaluate the risks and the difficulty of breaking the Restriction. If it cannot be done, I will look elsewhere."

"It just so happens that I can take this opportunity to see if I can make contact with people from the 'Bone Demon Sect' or the Yao Race. Perhaps I can get more intelligence about the core of the Dragonfall Abyss and the ruins of the ancient teleportation array from them. Especially the Yao Race; there is quite a bit of 'contact point' information in that Young Lord's Jade Slip..."

A deep light flashed in his eyes.

Steady development does not mean avoiding everything blindly. Sometimes, actively approaching the edge of the storm can allow one to see the situation more clearly, or even... snatch chestnuts from the fire.

"Rest for one night, set off tomorrow, and go to the outskirts of the White Bone Wasteland to investigate."

He took a Medicinal Pill, closed his eyes to regulate his breath, and at the same time separated a wisp of his consciousness to sink into the cave to check the status of Xing Hao.

The little guy was chasing scattered starlight next to the star core, growing very fast. Its aura was close to the peak of the second rank, and its intelligence was obviously higher. Seeing Ye Qing's consciousness descend, it affectionately leaned over and let out a "woo-woo" whine.

"Grow well, maybe you can help in the future." Ye Qing comforted with his consciousness and fed another wisp of star essence.

Exiting the cave, the night was deep.

Outside Jinsha Market, the sandstorm howled like a tragic song that never stopped.

Inside the market, sporadic lights flickered, mixed with faint screams and wild laughter, chaotic and real.

Ye Qing sat quietly in the darkness, his heart like an ancient well, without waves.

In his body, the eight-thousand-foot cave had stars shifting and turning, Earth Qi rising, Xing Hao playing, and the feedback of the Power of the Primordial World was vast and pure, continuously consolidating his Golden Core Perfection cultivation and silently accumulating every bit of strength for the future condensation of the Nascent Soul.