144: Chapter 144 First Exploration of Mud City, The First Signs of Change

[The guards at the gate of Mud City were all dressed in uniform spiritual armor.]

[They all emitted fluctuations of the Qi Refining Late Stage.]

[Their eyes were cold as they scrutinized every Loose Cultivator entering the city, and the halberds in their hands had faint arcs of lightning dancing on them.]

[Inside the city, it was a completely different scene.]

[The wide streets were paved with bluestone, so level that horse carriages could race along them.]

[Shops lined both sides, featuring upturned eaves and bracket sets, with three- to five-story pavilions everywhere.]

[Cultivators occasionally flew through the air on multicolored Magical Artifacts, leaving behind trails of spiritual power.]

[Among the Cultivators walking the streets, the lowest cultivation level seemed to be at the Qi Refining Middle Stage. Foundation Establishment Cultivators were seen everywhere, and occasionally, the aura of one or two Core Formation experts would flash by.]

[Zhang Ruowei followed closely behind Tang Xun, not daring to even breathe loudly, fearing that her Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivation would embarrass this master.]

[Tang Xun, however, was calm.]

[He still wore that unremarkable "Wang Debiao" face, dressed in a green robe and leading two Black-Scaled Horses, looking like a poor Loose Cultivator who had just entered the city to make a living.]

[Zhang Ruowei followed behind him with her head bowed and eyes downcast, looking exactly like a newlywed young bride.]

[Passing Cultivators occasionally cast a glance, but most only took them for small fry who had come to the Central Continent to try their luck, paying them no further attention.]

[Tang Xun was in no hurry to find a place to stay; instead, he casually parked the carriage at a remote alley entrance.]

["Let's go take a look around."]

[He clapped his hands and walked off toward the most crowded market on the main street.]

[Zhang Ruowei hurriedly trotted to keep up.]

[The heat and clamor of the market hit them full in the face.]

["Freshly made Fire Crow Talismans, three for just one Low-Grade Spirit Stone!"]

["Century-old Ironwood Heart, an excellent material for refining dharma swords, goes to the highest bidder!"]

["Look at this Green Peak Sword, sharp enough to cut a hair, with an Armor-Piercing Spiritual Inscription!"]

[The shouts of vendors, the sounds of bargaining, and the hum of clashing Magical Artifacts blended together, making Zhang Ruowei's eardrums buzz.]

[Her eyes were dazzled by it all.]

[On one stall, there were several fist-sized, entirely green fruits emitting an enticing fragrance that she had never seen before.]

[Another stall displayed the pelt of an unknown Yao Beast, with naturally formed runes that gave off faint fluctuations of spiritual power.]

[Any one of these items, if placed in the Northern Region, would be enough to trigger a small-scale struggle.]

[But here, they were just casually laid out on ground stalls.]

[Tang Xun's pace was not fast, but every step was purposeful.]

[His eyes seemed to be browsing casually, but the "Divine Sense Double" trait had already been quietly activated.]

[His massive Divine Sense was compressed into countless fine threads, silently sweeping across every stall and every shop in the vicinity.]

[The quality of Medicinal Pills, the grade of Magical Artifacts, the age of Spiritual Plants, the merits of Cultivation Techniques...]

[A torrent of information flooded into his mind and was quickly categorized.]

[The Central Continent was indeed rich in resources, with abundant Spiritual Qi, and the quality of Heaven And Earth Treasures far surpassed those of the Northern Region.]

[He even saw a small piece of "star iron," which would only be used in refining High Grade Magic Treasures, on an inconspicuous stall; the stall owner was hawking it as ordinary profound iron.]

[Tang Xun showed no reaction, merely making a mental note of that stall.]

[He walked into an Artifact Refining shop called "Divine Weapon Pavilion."]

[The shop was very large and divided into three floors.]

[The first floor held common goods, mostly Low Grade Magical Artifacts.]

[The second floor featured boutique items, all Medium Grade Magical Artifacts, and even a few High Grade Magical Artifacts as shop treasures, protected by Formations.]

[As for the third floor, it was blocked by a Restriction, clearly a place for hosting distinguished guests.]

[Tang Xun's gaze lingered for a moment on a crimson longsword, which was a Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact.]

[The Artifact Refining standards of the Central Continent truly lived up to their reputation.]

[Zhang Ruowei's gaze, however, was drawn to a pale green soft armor hanging in the corner.]

[It was a female-style defensive Magical Artifact, top-tier Low Grade, beautifully designed with a perfectly cinched waistline, possessing both protective capabilities and aesthetic appeal.]

[The longing in her eyes was almost overflowing.]

[Running trade in the Northern Region, what she lacked most was a decent protective Magical Artifact.]

[Tang Xun noticed her gaze but said nothing, turning to walk out of the Divine Weapon Pavilion.]

[The light in Zhang Ruowei's eyes dimmed, and she silently followed him.]

[She felt a bit disappointed but quickly adjusted; she was currently just a Maidservant, with no right to ask her master to buy things.]

[After crossing several streets and alleys, Tang Xun stopped before a shop with a plaque reading "Thousand Ears Workshop."]

[The storefront was small and looked somewhat mysterious; people entering and leaving all covered their faces with hoods or masks.]

["Inside."]

[Tang Xun took the lead and walked inside.]

[The shop was dimly lit, with only a white-haired old man sitting behind the counter dozing off.]

["Buying information?"]

[The old man didn't even lift his eyelids.]

["I want all noteworthy faction movements and strange occurrences in the Central Continent within the past month."]

[Tang Xun's voice was very calm.]

[The old man held up three fingers.]

["Three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones."]

[Zhang Ruowei's heart skipped a beat as she listened from behind; this price was enough to buy a small courtyard in Sang City.]

[Tang Xun didn't even blink, casually tossing out a Storage Pouch.]

[The old man swept it with his Divine Sense, his lazy expression tightening slightly as he pulled a dusty Jade Slip from under the counter.]

["Here it is, honest prices for all."]

[Tang Xun took the Jade Slip and turned to leave without another word.]

[By the time they left the Thousand Ears Workshop, the sky was already turning dark.]

[Tang Xun took Zhang Ruowei and found an inn that looked reasonably clean.]

[He asked for a superior room.]

[In the room, Tang Xun tossed the Jade Slip to Zhang Ruowei.]

["Read it and memorize it."]

[Immediately after, he tossed another small Storage Pouch to her.]

["This is for you."]

[After giving these two instructions, he sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.]

[Holding the Jade Slip worth three hundred Spirit Stones, Zhang Ruowei's heart was filled with mixed emotions.]

[She extended her Divine Sense into it.]

[A massive amount of information instantly flooded her mind.]

[The eight major Sects of Qing Province, the thirty-six great families, and the power divisions of various markets were intricate and complex, making her head spin.]

[At the end of the Jade Slip, some recent rumors were recorded.]

[One of them caught her attention.]

["It is rumored that outside Sang City in the Northern Region, a mysterious Sword Cultivator appeared and slew the Rank 3 Peak Yao King, the Red Flame Golden Ni Beast, with a single sword strike. The sword light pierced the sky, and it is suspected that a Nascent Soul powerhouse was passing through..."]

[Zhang Ruowei's heart suddenly constricted.]

[She subconsciously looked up at the man sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed on the bed.]

[He still had that ordinary appearance of "Wang Debiao," his breathing steady as if he had merged with the surrounding world.]

[But at this moment, in Zhang Ruowei's eyes, his figure became incomparably tall.]

[So, that world-shaking sword strike had already reached the Central Continent.]

[And the perpetrator who caused all this was sitting right in front of her, acting as if nothing had happened.]

[She took a deep breath, calming her churning thoughts, and looked at the Storage Pouch.]

[The moment her Divine Sense entered it, Zhang Ruowei froze.]

[The pale green soft armor she had fallen in love with at first sight in the Divine Weapon Pavilion was now lying quietly inside.]