13: Chapter 13 First Steps into Blackrock, Initial Exploration of the Marketplace

Early morning three days later, outside the east gate of Sunset Town, a lean small team was ready to set off.

Lin Yue wore a set of cyan tight-fitting clothes, with a newly forged Low Grade Magical Artifact, the "Cyan Peak Sword," hanging at his waist.

It was cast exactly from the refined iron materials seized from the Zhang and Li Families.

Behind him followed Lin Hu and four core members of the Guard Team, all of whom had cultivation at the Late Stage Qi Refining.

Everyone was equipped with Magical Artifacts and sufficient Medicinal Pills; their breathing was steady, and their eyes were alert.

“Clan Chief, I've entrusted the town's affairs to Uncle Zhong and Third Brother. Please rest assured.”

Lin Hu checked the saddlebags; besides a change of clothes, they mostly contained high-quality Spiritual Plants produced from the plane—

These were the “stepping stones” Lin Yue prepared to exchange for resources in Black Stone City.

Lin Cang stood inside the gate, looking at the departing group with a few words of advice in his eyes:

“Black Stone City is not like Sunset Town; it's a mix of good and evil with many strong individuals.

Be patient in all things. If you encounter unsolvable trouble, remember to protect yourselves. Our Lin family can afford a temporary loss.”

“Grand Elder, rest assured, I know what I'm doing.”

Lin Yue cupped his hands in farewell and mounted his horse. “Let's go.”

Six fast horses galloped eastward through the morning dew.

Behind them, the Lin family flag fluttered in the rising sun, now the sole symbol of the Dominator in all of Sunset Town.

From Sunset Town to Black Stone City, one had to cross the “Black Wind Forest,” which spanned over a hundred miles.

It was said that Yao Beasts haunted the forest, so ordinary merchant caravans had to travel in groups.

But for Lin Yue's group, this bit of risk was not worth mentioning—

Lin Yue was already at the Early Stage Foundation Establishment, his strength far exceeding those of the same stage. Lin Hu and the others were also battle-hardened experts. Along the way, they only encountered a few Low Grade Yao Beasts, which Lin Hu dispatched with a single sword strike each, before they could even see Lin Yue's face.

At dusk, a towering dark shadow finally appeared on the horizon.

As the distance closed, the outline of a massive city became increasingly clear:

The city walls, over ten zhang high, were built of black stone and covered with defensive runes, glinting with a cold, hard luster in the setting sun;

Above the city gate, three vigorous characters, “Black Stone City,” were carved on a plaque, exuding a heavy sense of age.

“That is Black Stone City?”

One guard couldn't help but exclaim in wonder. The earthen walls of Sunset Town were like children's toys compared to this real city.

Long queues had already formed at the city gate: merchant caravans, Cultivators traveling for examinations, and many refugees in rags.

The guards were all at the Late Stage Qi Refining, with sabers at their waists. They scanned every person entering the city with sharp eyes, collecting an entry fee of one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per person.

Lin Yue and his group dismounted and queued up, handing six Low-Grade Spirit Stones to the guard.

The guard took the Spirit Stones and glanced over Lin Yue's group. Seeing that although they were dressed simply—

—their auras were steady and the Magical Artifacts at their waists shimmered with faint spiritual light, he didn't dare be negligent and waved them through.

The moment they stepped through the city gate, a wave of Spiritual Qi, far denser than in Sunset Town, hit them, mixed with various scents—

The fragrance of spices, the bitterness of Medicinal Pills, the metallic scent of Ores, and... a faint smell of blood.

The wide streets were paved with bluestone slabs, lined with shops. Shouts and bargaining rose and fell, ten times more boisterous than Sunset Town's busiest moments.

“Let's find an inn to stay in first,”

Lin Yue said in a low voice.

He noticed that among the Cultivators passing by on the street, there was no lack of those at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and some even had auras far exceeding his own, clearly experts at the middle or Late Stages of Foundation Establishment.

Lin Hu had already made inquiries and led the group through two streets to an inn called “Yingke Tower.”

The inn was three stories high, with two large red lanterns hanging at the entrance, looking quite grand.

“Honored guests, please come in!”

The waiter greeted them warmly. Seeing the Magical Artifacts at the waists of Lin Yue and his group, his eyes brightened even more.

“Are you here for a meal or to stay? The shop has superior rooms, very quiet.”

“Six superior rooms for five days.”

Lin Yue took out twelve Low-Grade Spirit Stones and placed them on the counter. “And prepare some food and wine to be sent to the rooms.”

The shopkeeper was a shrewd middle-aged man. Seeing Lin Yue's generosity, he personally led them to the third floor:

“You guests look unfamiliar; you must be from out of town, right?

Our Black Stone City hasn't been very peaceful lately. Someone was killed on the west side of the city the day before yesterday. It's best if you don't go to secluded places at night.”

“Oh? What happened?”

Lin Yue asked calmly.

“What else could it be? Fighting over territory,”

the shopkeeper lowered his voice. “The ‘Iron Fist Gang’ and the ‘Green Robe Hall’ in the city have been fighting fiercely lately. I heard they've already lost several good hands.”

Lin Yue nodded and didn't ask further.

After putting down the bags and washing up briefly, he let Lin Hu and the others rest in their rooms while he took a small bag of Spiritual Plants and went downstairs alone.

Following the shopkeeper's directions, the largest market in Black Stone City was on “Jubao Street” in the city center.

Just as he stepped into the street entrance, Lin Yue was shocked by the scene before him—

Stalls lined both sides of the street, filled with various spiritual materials, Ores, Magical Artifacts, and Jade Slips. Some Cultivators even set up Formations on the roadside, shouting “Test your Spiritual Roots” or “Predict your future.”

He walked slowly, scanning the stalls and silently noting the market prices.

The price of Spiritual Plants here was thirty percent higher than in Sunset Town, but the quality was generally inferior to those produced by the plane;

The price of spirit iron ore was stable, but it was mostly common iron. Something like the companion spirit iron ore from the plane was nowhere to be seen on the stalls.

“Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment.”

An aged voice sounded from the side.

Lin Yue turned his head and saw a white-haired, white-bearded old man sitting behind a stall with a few unremarkable Ores in front of him.

The old man looked up at him, a sharp light flashing in his eyes: “Fellow Daoist carries a pure aura of Spiritual Plants. Could it be that you're here to sell spiritual materials?”

Lin Yue's heart stirred slightly.

This old man's aura was restrained and he looked ordinary, yet he could detect the Spiritual Plant aura on him; he was clearly not simple.

He took out a stalk of qi condensing grass from his robe—it was the kind produced from the mid-grade spiritual fields, with gold-edged leaves and Spiritual Qi so dense it almost overflowed.

“Old gentleman, take a look. How much is this Spiritual Plant worth?”

The old man took the Spiritual Plant, his fingertips lightly brushing the leaves. His originally cloudy eyes suddenly snapped open:

“Good plant! The Spiritual Qi is pure and the medicinal properties are full; it's actually a nearly ‘Medium Grade’ qi condensing grass!”

He paused and looked at Lin Yue. “If you intend to sell it, I am willing to offer two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones per stalk.”

The owners of several surrounding stalls heard the commotion and looked over curiously. When they saw that stalk of qi condensing grass, looks of surprise appeared on their faces.

Lin Yue understood.

In Sunset Town, selling this kind of Spiritual Plant for a hundred stones would already be a sky-high price. He didn't expect it to double in Black Stone City.

He said calmly, “I have fifty stalks here. Can you take them all, old gentleman?”

The old man gasped and quickly said, “Fellow Daoist, follow me to the inner hall to talk!”

Following the old man into a small room behind the stall, the furnishings were simple, but there was a Formation to isolate auras.

After closing the door, the old man said solemnly, “My surname is Liu, and I am the manager of the ‘Hundred Herbs Hall’ on this Jubao Street.

For these fifty stalks of Spiritual Plants, I am willing to pay one hundred and ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones for all of them. What do you think?”

One Mid-Grade Spirit Stone exchanged for a hundred Low Grade ones, so one hundred and ten stones meant eleven thousand Low Grade ones, which was a thousand more than the two hundred per stalk price.

Lin Yue knew this was the other party's sincere gesture of goodwill.

“Agreed.”

Lin Yue nodded and took out fifty stalks of qi condensing grass from his Storage Pouch—

These were specifically selected from the plane's spiritual fields, with uniform quality, enough to make any medicinal material merchant's heart race.

After Shopkeeper Liu carefully counted them, he took out a jade box with one hundred and ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones neatly arranged inside and handed it over:

“If you have more Spiritual Plants of this quality, feel free to come to me. I guarantee the price will be fair.”

Lin Yue took the jade box; it felt heavy in his hand.

This trip, just the Spiritual Plants alone had brought in a harvest far exceeding expectations.

He nodded and said, “If there is an opportunity in the future, I will certainly come to trouble you again.”

When he walked out of the Hundred Herbs Hall, the sky had turned completely dark. The lights of Jubao Street, however, became even more brilliant.

Various strange spiritual lights emanated from the shops and stalls, reflecting on the faces of the passing Cultivators—

—forming a picture of prosperity completely different from Sunset Town.

Lin Yue was in no hurry to return to the inn; instead, he continued walking along the street.

He knew that the waters of Black Stone City were much deeper than they appeared on the surface, and the high-grade Spiritual Plant seeds and

Cultivation Techniques he needed were likely hidden in even deeper places.

A burst of hurried footsteps came from ahead, accompanied by shouting and cursing.

Lin Yue stepped aside to make way, only to see several men dressed in black chasing and beating a young boy. The boy was clutching a cloth bundle tightly in his arms, stumbling as he fled, looking like he was about to be caught.

“People from the Iron Fist Gang?”

People around whispered, but no one dared to step forward.

Lin Yue's gaze fell on the cloth bundle in the youth's arms, where a faint but pure fluctuation of Spiritual Qi was vaguely visible.

His eyebrows twitched slightly; he didn't move, just watched quietly.

In this Black Stone City, sympathy was the cheapest thing.

He came here for the future of the Lin family, not to meddle in other people's business.

But the next moment, when the youth tripped and the cloth bundle fell to the ground, revealing half a piece of shimmering Ore inside, Lin Yue's eyes narrowed slightly.

The Spiritual Qi fluctuation of that Ore was actually somewhat similar to the “companion spirit crystals” occasionally associated with the plane's Ore veins.