94: The secrets of the ancient map, first visit to the city.

As the scroll came into hand, a desolate, ancient aura assailed him, as if spanning countless eons.

Shen Yuanmo slowly unrolled the scroll. There were no mountains, rivers, or textual annotations, only five energy light clusters of different colors, slowly circulating.

Gold represented the Metal Element.

Cyan represented the Wood Element.

Blue represented the Water Element.

Red represented the Fire Element.

Yellow represented the Earth Element.

The five energy light clusters were arranged according to a profound pattern, interconnected by countless delicate golden threads, forming a continuously circulating, endlessly regenerating whole.

"This is... a Formation diagram? No, it's more like a distribution map of earth pulse energy."

Shen Yuanmo's brows furrowed tightly. His Insight into Origin talent activated fully, and his Divine Sense transformed into billions of probes, piercing into every detail of the scroll.

A torrent of information instantly surged into his mind.

"So that's it... this is actually a map of an ancient ruin!"

After a long while, Shen Yuanmo slowly opened his eyes, which were filled with uncontainable shock and ecstasy.

This scroll was not a complete map, but merely a fragment.

However, based on the faint information remaining in the scroll and his terrifying deduction ability, he still figured out the Origin of this scroll.

This map pointed to the passing place of a Nascent Soul Cultivator named Five Elements True Lord in ancient times!

That Five Elements True Lord, it was rumored, was a peerless expert in ancient times who was proficient in the Five Elements Dao, possessed monstrous Battle Intent, and was nearly at the Soul Transformation stage.

After his passing, his Immortal Cave triggered changes in the earth veins, forming a natural Five Elements Dead Zone, which was the scene depicted on the scroll.

"Five Elements Dead Zone... Five Elements power... Heaven and Earth Oddity!"

Shen Yuanmo's heart pounded uncontrollably.

To form a Supreme-grade Golden Core, the most crucial thing he lacked was a Heaven and Earth Oddity powerful enough to break through limits.

And this Five Elements True Lord's ruin naturally contained the Origin power of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The possibility of a Five Elements attribute Heaven and Earth Oddity being born there was extremely high!

"It seems this was the old monk's true goal." Shen Yuanmo instantly understood everything.

The rumors of a Nascent Soul Cave Mansion, the token of the Netherworld Path, all were just a front.

From the very beginning, this old monk was after the fragment of the Nascent Soul Cave Mansion map that Shen Yuanmo had spread rumors about to deal with the Wei Family.

He probably thought that the fragment Shen Yuanmo had was from the same ruin as the one in his hand.

As a result, by a strange twist of fate, he lost his life.

"Prodigy Auction... Five Elements Ruin..."

A sharp glint flashed in Shen Yuanmo's eyes.

Going to the Prodigy Auction in Qingzhou Prefecture City was an open strategy, an obvious opportunity.

But this Five Elements Ruin was a hidden line, his true trump card prepared for himself!

"Regardless, I must go to Qingzhou Prefecture City."

Shen Yuanmo quickly finalized his plan.

The Prodigy Auction gathered the most elite young generation of the entire Qingzhou. The treasures there would surely be beyond imagination, and he might even find the Heaven and Earth Oddity he needed.

Even if he didn't, it was essential to witness the true prosperity of Qingzhou and understand the strength of those top Prodigies.

Knowing oneself and one's enemy ensures victory in every battle.

As for the Five Elements Ruin, it could serve as an alternative plan after the auction.

Having made up his mind, Shen Yuanmo no longer lingered.

He sorted all his spoils of war, then set a fire, burning away all traces of battle in the swamp.

After all this, he summoned his black flying boat, which transformed into a streak of light, soaring into the sky and speeding towards Qingzhou Prefecture City.

This time, there were no more annoying flies behind him.

The rest of the journey was peaceful.

Three days later.

As the flying boat passed through a thick layer of clouds, a magnificent, indescribable giant city appeared at the end of Shen Yuanmo's vision.

Qingzhou Prefecture City had arrived.

Even with prior preparation, Shen Yuanmo was deeply shaken when he saw Qingzhou Prefecture City with his own eyes.

If Baiyue Prefecture City was a sturdy fortress, then the Qingzhou Prefecture City before him was a primeval giant beast, prostrate on the earth, exuding endless majesty.

The city walls were a hundred zhang high, built entirely of a dark green giant stone, covered with mottled traces left by time, and countless profound Formation runes.

Under the sunlight, these runes flickered faintly, emitting Spiritual Qi fluctuations that made Shen Yuanmo feel a pang in his heart.

"This city wall itself is a Fourth-Rank Grand Formation!" Shen Yuanmo thought to himself.

The defense of this city wall alone probably couldn't be easily shaken by a Nascent Soul True Lord.

Inside the city, it was an entirely different scene.

Towering, cloud-piercing palaces and jade towers stood in dense rows, reaching into the sky.

In the sky, luxurious beast carriages, exquisite flying boats, or Cultivators riding powerful Yao Beasts occasionally whistled past, forming streaks of light.

On the streets, people came and went in an endless stream.

Unlike Baiyue Prefecture City, almost all those walking on the streets here were Cultivators.

Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators were considered the lowest tier here. Foundation Establishment Cultivators were seen everywhere. Occasionally, one could even feel one or two powerful auras belonging to Golden Core True Persons flash by.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators were seen everywhere. Occasionally, one could even feel one or two powerful auras belonging to Golden Core Immortal Masters flash by.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi in the air was at least ten times that of Linjiang City!

"This is the true Cultivation world." Shen Yuanmo put away his flying boat, landed in front of the city gate, and was filled with emotion.

Linjiang City, Baiyue Prefecture, were nothing but remote backwaters in comparison.

He restrained all his aura, suppressing his cultivation to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, and followed the crowd into the city gate.

After paying an entrance fee of ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, he successfully entered the city.

Upon entering the city, the bustling and noisy atmosphere assailed him even more strongly.

Shen Yuanmo did not wander around; his purpose for this trip was very clear.

He found a Cultivator by the roadside, spent some Spirit Stones, and asked for the location of Heavenly Secret Pavilion in the Prefecture City.

The Heavenly Secret Pavilion in the Prefecture City was even grander than the one in Baiyue Prefecture City.

It was a towering white giant pagoda that pierced the clouds, surrounded by swirling mist and flying cranes, full of mystery and majesty.

Shen Yuanmo took out the letter, or invitation, that Heavenly Secret Pavilion had given him, and smoothly entered the pagoda.

A server dressed in a moon-white Daoist robe, with her face similarly shrouded in mist, appeared before him.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, I have been awaiting your arrival." The server's voice was clear and pleasant, evidently a woman. "The auction will be held in Tianshu Hall on the top floor of this pavilion in three days. This is your credential, please keep it safe."

She handed over a token made of warm jade, engraved with the character "Xuan."

"For these three days, Fellow Daoist can use this token to stay for free in our Heavenly Secret Pavilion's guesthouse. If you have any needs, please feel free to ask." The server's attitude was respectful and polite, completely different from the one in Baiyue Prefecture City.

Clearly, Shen Yuanmo's actions at the Baiyue Prefecture Heavenly Secret Pavilion, as well as his later achievement of slaying Wei Qianshan, had earned him sufficient respect.

"Thank you." Shen Yuanmo took the token and nodded.

Under the server's guidance, he arrived at an independent courtyard on the seventh floor of the pagoda.

The courtyard was not large, but its furnishings were elegant, the Spiritual Qi abundant, and it even had a dedicated quiet room for Cultivation.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, if there's nothing else, I won't disturb your rest." The server bowed and withdrew.

Shen Yuanmo closed the courtyard gate, set up a few simple Restrictions, and finally let out a sigh of relief.

He didn't rush to Cultivate, but walked to the window and pushed it open.

From here, he could overlook most of Qingzhou Prefecture City.

Looking at the crisscrossing streets below, like a chessboard, and the Cultivators coming and going like ants, a sharp glint flashed in Shen Yuanmo's eyes.

"Prodigy Auction... I want to see what kind of Prodigies Qingzhou truly has."

He knew that those invited by Heavenly Secret Pavilion were by no means ordinary.

Each represented a top-tier force, true favored children of heaven.

Compared to them, his own Foundation, as a Prodigy from a Ninth-Rank Family, was still too shallow.

"However, that's what makes it interesting." A hint of Battle Intent curled Shen Yuanmo's lips.

He never feared challenges.

The stronger the opponent, the higher his fighting spirit!

For the next three days, Shen Yuanmo did not go out, staying in the courtyard to meditate and adjust his state to its peak.

Occasionally, he could feel several powerful Divine Senses sweeping past from outside the pagoda, not lacking the aura of Golden Core Immortal Masters.

He knew that these were likely other invited Prodigies, or their Dao Protectors.

Finally, on the morning of the third day.

"Dong—"

A long, resonant bell chime came from the top of the pagoda, echoing throughout the entire Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

The auction was about to begin.

Shen Yuanmo opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them.

He straightened his robes, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked towards Tianshu Hall at the top of the pagoda.

Tianshu Hall was located on the ninth and highest floor of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion pagoda.

When Shen Yuanmo walked in, he found that many people had already arrived.

The great hall was extremely spacious, with a vast starry sky map on the dome, countless stars slowly rotating, exuding a profound Dao rhyme.

Inside the hall, there were no tables or chairs, only individual meditation mats made of millennium cold jade.

At this moment, twenty to thirty people were already seated on the meditation mats.

Without exception, all these people were very young, appearing to be only in their twenties or thirties.

But the auras they exuded were each more powerful than the last.

The weakest were also at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

Among them, there were even three or four people whose auras were perfectly refined and flawless, clearly at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivation level!

Moreover, Shen Yuanmo could feel that these people were completely different from the Cultivators he had encountered before.

Their magical power was purer.

Their aura was more condensed.

Their eyes were filled with confidence and arrogance.

These were the most elite Prodigies of Qingzhou!

Shen Yuanmo's arrival also attracted the attention of many people in the hall.

They merely glanced at Shen Yuanmo, and a hint of imperceptible disdain and contempt flashed in their eyes.

In their view, although Shen Yuanmo's aura was also at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, his Foundation seemed somewhat unstable, and he was dressed plainly, without any accessories to display his status.

Evidently, he did not come from a top-tier noble family.

They had no interest in even looking twice at such a "country bumpkin" who had somehow gotten lucky and obtained an invitation.

Shen Yuanmo paid no mind to this.

He found a corner at the back, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.

Just then, a somewhat harsh voice sounded not far from him.

"Oh, isn't this Brother Wang? You're here too?"

Shen Yuanmo opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice.

He saw a young man dressed in a fiery red robe, with a handsome face but a hint of wickedness in his eyes, speaking with a forced smile to another man dressed in a blue brocade robe with a feminine demeanor.

"Li Yan, if you can come, why can't I, Wang Lin?" The man named Wang Lin snorted coldly, his tone unfriendly.

"Haha, you're right." Li Yan laughed loudly, his gaze sweeping around the hall, finally landing on Shen Yuanmo in the corner.

A playful glint flashed in his eyes as he winked at Wang Lin.

"Brother Wang, look at that guy over there, dressed like a country bumpkin. Who knows which remote corner he crawled out of, to actually sneak into this Tianshu Hall."

His voice wasn't loud, but he didn't deliberately lower it, making it audible to most people in the hall.

For a moment, everyone's gaze, subtle or not, fell upon Shen Yuanmo, filled with amusement and a desire to watch the show.

Wang Lin also followed his gaze, his eyes similarly showing contempt.

"Li Yan, why bother with him? He's just an ant who somehow managed to sneak into the Heavenly Dragon Feast, is he worth your breath?"

"Hehe, Brother Wang, you're mistaken." Li Yan shook his head, smiling even more playfully. "I'm just curious, when did the threshold of this Heavenly Secret Pavilion become so low? To let in such riff-raff, aren't they afraid of lowering the standing of us true Prodigies?"

As he spoke, he actually stood up and swaggered towards Shen Yuanmo.