496: The gray tide receded, and Stone Cliff City

When the long night finally reached its end, the seemingly unchanging gray curtain on the horizon began to visibly fade and lighten—

As if an invisible giant hand was slowly wiping away the dust that obscured the sky.

The first to pierce the Chaos were a few sharp golden rays, like the sword of a Heavenly God, splitting the silence.

Immediately after, the grayness receded like a tide, and a clear, distant sky, tinged with a mysterious light purple, gradually revealed its true form!

A colossal, warm, and radiant sun hung prominently in the East!

Sunlight poured down like a flood, dispelling the continuous days of gloom, and dyeing the desolate and barren land with a pale gold.

Those rugged rocks and twisted dead trees, under the light, outlined ancient and robust silhouettes, as if sleeping giant spirits were awakening.

Seven days for one Reincarnation, the “Gray Tide”... finally receded!

"The sun... it's the sun!" A Silver Edict Celestial Envoy's voice was joyful, almost unable to form a complete sentence.

He looked up, the sunlight falling into his eyes, reflecting a moist sheen.

Although as an Immortal, he was accustomed to the changing stars and the rotation of the sun and moon, seeing such “normal” and warm light in this Spirit Realm, where Immortal Qi was forbidden, still stirred his heart.

Wind Jade let out a long breath, and Tian Yidao's tightly clenched saber hilt slightly loosened.

The others successively opened their eyes, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on their bodies, and the tension on their faces finally eased a little.

Xiao Zhuo stood alone on the highest branch, hands behind his back, gazing into the distance.

The golden light cast a radiant glow around him, and his robes fluttered slightly in the breeze.

He looked into the distance, his vision no longer obstructed, with thousands of miles of mountains and rivers in full view—though still desolate, the suffocating sense of deathly silence had been greatly diluted by the sunlight.

Hope, it seemed, was descending with the light.

"The Gray Tide has receded, and the Savage Beasts are dormant," Xiao Zhuo said, a rare hint of clarity in his voice, "Now is the best time to travel."

The group continued their journey, and as Xiao Zhuo had said, under the pervasive sunlight, the dangers of the wilderness were greatly reduced.

Heading North, they hardly saw any Savage Beasts actively attacking.

These fierce creatures, accustomed to the gloom, evidently disliked the light and had retreated to their lairs to rest, with few still active outside.

Everyone's minds settled a little, and they sped up their pace.

Based on the map and directions in their memory, by noon, the outline of a city finally appeared in the distance!

Unlike Heize City, which had been reduced to ruins, this city had towering, intact walls, built from dark green giant rocks, gleaming with a cold, metallic luster under the sun.

The figures of patrolling soldiers could be seen on the walls, and people were entering and exiting the city gates.

What was even more reassuring was that—the sounds of people, chickens, and dogs could be faintly heard from within the city, and wisps of cooking smoke rose into the air.

"This is great! There really are still cities!" Wind Jade couldn't help but exclaim with joy.

The gloom that had enveloped Xiao Zhuo's heart due to the destruction of Heize City finally dissipated for the most part.

He concentrated, observing that while the residents' clothing was still predominantly coarse cloth and hemp, cotton and even a small amount of silk could be seen, and the styles were closer to the outside world, unlike the ancient and primitive Dragon Bone Town.

"Conceal your Qi, change your clothes," Xiao Zhuo ordered, "We're going into the city."

Everyone's thoughts shifted, and their Immortal robes transformed into coarse cotton and hemp clothing that matched the local style.

Xiao Zhuo himself also changed into the appearance of a young man in a long blue cloth robe, with a slightly reserved demeanor.

The six of them, like ordinary travelers, descended from the sky and walked to the city gate.

On the stone plaque, two ancient native characters were carved—"Stone Cliff."

The city guards, clad in leather armor and wielding bronze weapons, scanned the crowd with sharp eyes but did not question Xiao Zhuo and his group much.

The six were prepared and showed no special characteristics; each wore ordinary clothes and had calm expressions, not much different from other townspeople entering the city.

Xiao Zhuo quietly cast a spell, taking a few bone coins from passersby to pay the entrance fee, and the group successfully entered Stone Cliff City.

Upon entering the city, a vibrant sense of life immediately enveloped them.

Stone houses and wooden buildings lined the streets, and the various shops sold a wide array of goods, many of which the group had never seen before.

Shouts, haggling, and the playful cries of children filled the air.

Although many of the pedestrians here also bore the marks of hardship, they seemed less oppressed and more full of Life Qi compared to the residents of Dragon Bone Town.

Xiao Zhuo's Divine Thought spread out like mercury, quietly permeating and sensing the entire city.

Just like in Dragon Bone Town, many people possessed Spiritual Root fluctuations within them, and the proportion of those with the power of Spirit Script was higher, their aura stronger.

But unfortunately—there was still no trace of the Time Spirit Root.

"First, find a place to stay and gather information about the current Spirit Kingdom," Xiao Zhuo transmitted to the others, "Try to get a map of the current Spirit Realm."

The group quickly found an inn, and again using their old trick, they borrowed some bone coins from others and rented rooms.

The group then dispersed into the city to gather information.

Xiao Zhuo quietly performed a soul-searching technique on a resident—with the strength of his Divine Sense, probing a Mortal's memory without harming their soul was as easy as flipping a hand.

From this person's memory, they learned that the currency for Mortals in this realm was bone coins issued by the Dynasty, while the currency for Spirit Cultivators was made from polished Savage Beasts' skulls, called "Bone Leaves."

After a Savage Beast died, the bone between its eyebrows would gather its residual spirituality, which could help Spirit Cultivators enhance the power of their Spirit Script.

Bone Leaves were divided into three grades: superior, Intermediate, and inferior, corresponding to low, Intermediate, and Advanced Savage Beasts.

Low-grade were roughly below Nascent Soul, Intermediate were comparable to Nascent Soul to Void Refining, and Advanced were comparable to Soul Transformation to Mahayana.

Above these, there were also legendary Savage Beasts comparable to Immortals, but they were extremely rare.

Furthermore, the Spirit Kingdom had indeed split into the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

The capital of the Northern Spirit Dynasty was Holy Spirit City, while the capital of the Southern Spirit Dynasty was Moon Talisman City, thousands of miles away.

Both Dynasties claimed to be the legitimate one, and ordinary Spirit Kingdom citizens naturally had no way of knowing who was right.

Stone Cliff City was a small city on the outskirts of the Southern Spirit Dynasty, and its strongest individual was a seventh-stage Spirit Cultivator who had activated twenty-seven runes.

There were also three other small cities and one large city in the vicinity, all guarded by powerful Spirit Cultivators.

Additionally, Savage Beasts would organize an attack on the city every year, led by Advanced Savage Beasts.

If they held out, they would gain a large amount of Savage Beast resources.

If they failed, the city would be destroyed and its people killed.

Heize City was annihilated in a beast tide three hundred years ago.

Half an hour later, the six reunited at the inn to exchange information.

They had pretty much figured out the current situation of the Spirit Kingdom and some common knowledge.

"The Spirit Kingdom is divided; we are currently in the Southern Spirit Territory," Xiao Zhuo said, gazing at the map Tian Yidao had purchased, and mused for a moment, "I will lead Tian Yidao and Du Mo to Holy Spirit City in the Northern Spirit Dynasty. Wind Jade, you will take Qiao Kang and Cheng Yuan to stay in the Southern Spirit Territory and continue searching for clues to the Time Spirit Root. Contact me immediately if you find any news."

"Yes, sir!" Everyone responded in unison.

Xiao Zhuo nodded, then solemnly instructed, "Our Immortal Crystals are limited. We can try to Cultivate the Dao of Spirit Cultivators in this realm. All of you have activated at least thirty-six runes, which makes you Spirit Cultivator Geniuses in this realm. Try to use Spirit Cultivator methods as much as possible, conserve Immortal power, and do not use it lightly unless absolutely necessary."

Wind Jade nodded gravely, "Don't worry, sir, we understand. We will do our utmost to find the Time Spirit Root for you!"