423: Things have changed, but people remain; the past is gone, never to return.

The scene of the transaction between the withered old man and the cold female shopkeeper from the past seemed as if it were only yesterday.

Now, he was already a Prodigy renowned throughout the Eastern Region, yet that woman who had once been intimate with him and helped him through those initial difficult years had quietly departed, leaving behind only these dozens of dao soul grass to prove that their past was not merely a fantasy.

"Things remain, people change; the past cannot be recaptured..."

He whispered softly, his voice dissipating into the clamor of the market, carrying an indescribable sense of melancholy, which then immediately transformed into a clear, serene calm.

All that had passed was merely a prologue. Whether it was benefits or romantic entanglements, in the end, they were all just passersby.

Leaving the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, Yao Delong cast the clamor of the market and that lingering sense of melancholy behind him.

With a slight movement of his body, he transformed into an inconspicuous streak of light, instantly flashing out of the White Cloud Mountain Range and speeding toward the southern horizon.

The Yin Yang Sect was located in the heart of the Ba Xia Dynasty, a distance of more than ten thousand miles from the Great Yan Dynasty.

With his current cultivation of Nascent Soul Great Perfection, if he traveled with all his might, he could arrive in a few days.

But time was precious, and he preferred to utilize a large-scale teleportation array.

With a thought, the ancient, simple sheepskin scroll containing information about the Earth Core Blazing Flame Fire appeared in his hand.

His Divine Thought swept over it, and a line of small characters clearly emerged: Great Yan Dynasty, deep within the Demon Skeleton Mountain Range, Earth Fire Lava Cave.

"Demon Skeleton Mountain Range..."

Yao Delong murmured the name, a trace of solemnity flashing in his eyes. The name alone suggested it was not a benevolent place.

When traveling abroad, one's identity is what one makes of it.

He immediately operated the Thousand Mechanisms Formless Art; his bones emitted faint crackling sounds, and his face rippled and changed like water.

In an instant, that handsome, sharp-featured face vanished, replaced by the face of a youth who appeared slightly effeminate with a hint of arrogance between his brows—it was none other than the appearance of Xiao Chen, who should currently be recuperating within the Moyang Sect after having been heavily injured by him!

At the same time, the originally thick and majestic Yuan power fluctuations within his body, which carried the Aura of the Great Yang, instantly converged and transformed, becoming vibrant and filled with pure wood-attribute spiritual power fluctuations.

At this moment, whether in appearance or Aura, he was identical to Xiao Chen!

Unless a Void Refining Perfection powerhouse deliberately investigated him, it would be extremely difficult to see through his disguise.

"Xiao Chen" curled the corners of his mouth into a playful arc. Traveling with this kid's identity not only avoided some unnecessary trouble but also had a certain mischievous appeal.

His goal was clear: head to the major border city where the Ba Xia Dynasty and the Great Yan Dynasty met and use the cross-Dynasty teleportation array!

Yao Delong transformed into a streak of light, moving at extreme speed. Half a day later, a towering and magnificent giant city appeared on the horizon.

The city walls soared into the clouds, constructed entirely from a type of massive dark cyan rock. The surface was covered in marks from blades and axes, along with mottled dark red stains, silently recounting the vicissitudes and iron-blooded history of this place as a border fortress.

Above the city gate were two powerful, imposing ancient seal characters written with iron-drawn silver hooks—Ba Li!

At the city gate, guards wearing uniform spiritual armor and possessing sharp Auras were strictly inspecting the flow of people entering and exiting.

Yao Delong calmly stepped forward and handed over his Yin Yang Sect identity token.

The three characters "Yin Yang Sect" on the token seemed to carry an invisible pressure. The guard captain merely sensed the authenticity of the token for a moment, then glanced at the pure wood-attribute spiritual power on Yao Delong, and immediately respectfully allowed him to pass, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

Disciples of top-tier Sects held a transcendent status in this border region.

Entering the city, a wave of noise and heat rushed toward him.

The streets were wide, the crowd was like a woven tapestry, and the proportion of Cultivators was far higher than in inland cities.

The air was permeated with a unique atmosphere that was rugged, fierce, and even carried a faint, lingering scent of blood.

Shops stood in great numbers, mostly selling various Yao Beast Materials, Ores, weapons, Medicinal Pills, and some fire-attribute Spiritual Materials unique to the Great Yan Dynasty.

After making a few inquiries, Yao Delong learned that the cross-Dynasty teleportation array was directly controlled by the City Lord's Mansion and was located in the core area of the inner city.

The City Lord's Mansion occupied a vast area and was heavily guarded.

The person in charge of the teleportation array was a Late Golden Core Stage manager with a goatee and shrewd eyes.

When Yao Delong again displayed the Yin Yang Sect token, the business-like expression on the manager's face immediately changed to a warm smile.

"So it is an Immortal Elder from the Yin Yang Sect! Forgive my disrespect, forgive my disrespect!"

The manager cupped his hands and said, "Is the Immortal Elder intending to head to the Great Yan Dynasty?"

"Indeed." Yao Delong's voice was flat, carrying a hint of the arrogance peculiar to Xiao Chen.

"Easy to arrange, easy to arrange!" The manager quickly explained, "Every time this cross-Dynasty teleportation array is activated, the consumption is immense, so it requires fifteen people to be gathered before it can be opened. Each person is charged fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Currently, eight Fellow Daoists have already registered, and with you, Immortal Elder, we are still short six people. Once the number is complete, the teleportation can be activated immediately."

Yao Delong nodded slightly and casually tossed over a bag filled with fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

The manager took it, his smile broadening, and respectfully handed over a small communication jade talisman: "Immortal Elder, please keep this talisman safe. Once the group is complete, the jade talisman will light up on its own. You can just come with this talisman; there is no need to wait in line again."

"Mn." Yao Delong put away the jade talisman, said no more, and turned to leave the City Lord's Mansion.

He could take the waiting time to rest.

He found a restaurant in the city that looked quite imposing, called the "Drunken Immortal Residence," requested a premium room, and then went down to the main hall, choosing a seat by the window with a wide view.

He ordered a few exquisite spiritual dishes and a pot of the signature "Fire Cloud Burn" spiritual wine, drinking by himself. His gaze seemed to scan the bustling street outside casually, but in reality, his Divine Thought had already quietly spread out, calmly observing the features of this majestic border city and the passing Cultivators.

The spiritual food was delicious, and the Fire Cloud Burn was mellow upon entering the mouth, carrying a unique warm current that dispelled the peculiar, chilling Aura of the border.

The afterglow of the setting sun plated the bluestone-paved streets with a layer of warm gold.

Just at this moment, two figures slowly turned from the street corner and entered Yao Delong's line of sight.

They were a pair of young male and female Cultivators. The man was tall, but at this moment, his steps were unsteady, his face was pale without a trace of blood, and his lips even had an eerie cyan-purple tinge.

His brows were tightly locked, and between his brows was shrouded a layer of thick, impenetrable gray Death Qi. His breathing was short and difficult, and every few steps, he couldn't help but cover his chest with his hand, letting out a burst of suppressed, painful, and violent coughing, his body trembling violently as if he were about to cough out his lungs.

The Aura on his body was extremely chaotic, and his spiritual power fluctuations were weak; he was clearly suffering from internal injuries.

The woman supporting him was petite with delicate features, and at this moment, her face was filled with unhideable anxiety, heartache, and deep exhaustion.

She held the man's arm tightly, almost using her own thin body to support most of his weight, walking cautiously with every step, her eyes filled with worry and pity as she looked at the man.

Her own spiritual power fluctuations also appeared overly exhausted; clearly, in order to take care of the man, she was mentally and physically drained.

The two were dressed plainly, even looking travel-worn, and one could tell at a glance that they were Loose Cultivators or from a small Sect.

They supported each other, moving arduously toward the Drunken Immortal Residence, seemingly wanting to settle down here as well.

"Brother Yan, hold on a little longer, we'll be at the inn soon."

Liu Yan's voice was choked with sobs, trying hard to make her tone sound lighter, "Once we are settled, I will go to the best pharmacy in the city; we will definitely find a way to resolve the stubborn ailment in your body!"

"Cough, cough... cough... it's useless, Yan'er..." Han Yan's voice was hoarse and weak, carrying despair, "That stubborn ailment has been with me since childhood... when it flares up, it is incredibly overbearing... ordinary Medicinal Pills... simply... cough... cannot suppress it... it is I who have dragged you down..."

His eyes were filled with self-blame and pain.