78: Netherworld Iron Fragment

Tianbei City, Liu Family

Okay, here is the next chapter:

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Tianbei City, located on the border of the Northern Region of Central State, although not comparable to those true core mega-cities, is still a city of considerable scale. Its towering city walls are built from sturdy green steel, with runes faintly visible on them, emitting impressive energy fluctuations. Inside the city, traffic flows like water, and people are like weaving threads. Powerful individuals are everywhere; Dou Ling are common, Dou Wang walk everywhere, and the occasional Dou Huang Aura doesn't cause much surprise.

The Liu Family is a powerful force in Tianbei City. It is said that there is a Dou Zong Old Ancestor presiding over the Family, controlling nearly 30% of the city's markets and resources.

Under Liu Qing's guidance, Li Ao arrived at the Liu Family mansion, located in the eastern part of the city. The mansion covered a vast area, with pavilions and towers, exuding an extraordinary Aura. Liu Qing seemed to hold a high position in the Family; along the way, the guards and servants he encountered all bowed respectfully.

He settled Li Ao in a quiet, independent courtyard named "Jingxinyuan."

"Brother Li, please recuperate here with peace of mind. I will have the Medicinal Pill you need sent to you. If you need anything, just tell the maid outside." Liu Qing arranged everything, his tone sincere.

"Thank you, Brother Liu, for your help." Li Ao clasped his fists. He remembered this favor. His current condition was extremely poor, and he indeed needed a safe and quiet place to heal.

Liu Qing smiled: "It's a small matter, nothing to mention. Brother Li, please rest first; I'll come to see you later." With that, he left with two elders.

Li Ao closed the door and immediately set up several simple warning Restrictions in the room, then sat cross-legged on the bed. He looked inward, his brows tightly furrowed. His injuries were more stubborn than imagined; the impact of the spatial storm had exacerbated the cracks in his Meridians, and the agitation of the Annihilation Rule became increasingly apparent.

He took out the healing Medicinal Pill sent by Liu Qing, all of which were high-grade Medicinal Pill of fifth and sixth ranks. Their medicinal power was gentle and pure, rare for an ordinary Dou Huang. But for his Black Iron Hegemon Body, which was on the verge of collapse, and his injured Rule Origin, the effect was like a drop in the bucket.

"Ordinary Medicinal Pill can no longer be of much use..." Li Ao understood in his heart. What he needed were rare treasures of heaven and earth that contained immense vitality and could repair Rule injuries, or perhaps... higher-grade Medicinal Pill!

While guiding the medicinal power to slowly nourish his battered Physical Body, he pondered his next steps.

"Pill Tower..." This name once again surfaced in his mind. As the Alchemist Holy Land of the Fighting Qi Continent, there might be hope there to heal him, and even Medusa.

But the Pill Tower was far away in the core region of Central State. In his current state, he couldn't possibly travel long distances. Moreover, obtaining high-grade Medicinal Pill from the Pill Tower would certainly require a huge price.

"I must first recover some strength..." Li Ao's gaze was firm. He decided that after his injuries stabilized, he would seek Opportunity in Tianbei City and its surrounding areas. On the vast land of Central State, Opportunities were countless; perhaps he could find something useful to him.

In the following days, Li Ao stayed indoors, fully dedicated to healing. With the help of a large amount of Medicinal Pill and the Black Iron Hegemon Body's own powerful recovery ability, the injuries in his body were finally barely suppressed and no longer worsened. The broken Meridians were initially reconnected; although still fragile, he could barely circulate Fighting Qi. The dried-up Qi Sea also re-condensed a small cloud of Fighting Qi.

His strength had roughly recovered to the initial Dou Wang Realm. This was insignificant compared to his original Realm, but at least he had some self-preservation ability.

During this period, Liu Qing visited several times, bringing some new Medicinal Pill and chatting with Li Ao. From Liu Qing, Li Ao also gained a preliminary understanding of Tianbei City and its surrounding forces.

Tianbei City is mainly controlled by the three major Families: Liu Family, Cheng Family, and Han Family, who are constantly engaged in overt and covert struggles. Outside the city, there are some fierce mercenary groups and bandit forces, among which the "Blood Wolf Gang" is the most rampant. In the broader Northern Region, there are many Sects and Empires much stronger than Tianbei City.

"Brother Li, your injuries seem to have improved a lot?" On this day, Liu Qing visited and, feeling that Li Ao's Aura was no longer as weak as when he first arrived, couldn't help but be surprised. Such severe injuries, an ordinary Dou Huang would take several months of hard work to recover, yet in just a few days, there was already an improvement?

"Slightly better, thanks to Brother Liu's Medicinal Pill." Li Ao said lightly, not elaborating.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Liu Qing's eyes, but he wisely didn't ask further, changing the subject: "If Brother Li feels bored, why not visit the city's market? Our Tianbei City's 'Qingshi Market' is quite famous on the border of the Northern Region, and occasionally good things from Ancient Ruins or deep mountains and old forests appear there."

Market? Li Ao's heart stirred. What he lacked most now were resources; going to try his luck wouldn't hurt.

"Alright, then let's go take a look."

Accompanied by Liu Qing, Li Ao stepped out of Jingxinyuan for the first time and arrived at the most bustling Qingshi Market in Tianbei City.

The market covered a vast area, with shops lining both sides of the street and countless stalls. Shouts of hawkers and sounds of haggling were endless. Various medicinal materials, demon cores, weapons, and Cultivation Technique scrolls were dazzling, including some high-grade items rarely seen elsewhere. Dou Wang and Dou Huang level powerhouses were common here, and Li Ao even subtly sensed several Dou Zong level Auras flashing by.

The prosperity of Central State was evident.

Li Ao's Soul Power quietly spread, sweeping over each stall. Most of the items were useless to him, but occasionally, he could find one or two items containing special energy fluctuations. Unfortunately, they were either expensive or unhelpful for his injuries.

Just as he walked past a secluded stall selling various broken metals and strange stones, his footsteps paused slightly. His gaze fell on a piece of metal shard, about the size of a fist, completely black, covered in rust, and utterly unremarkable.

From this shard, he felt an extremely faint, yet subtly resonating with the Annihilation Rule within his body... Qi of deathly stillness?

"Boss, how much for this?" Li Ao squatted down and picked up the black metal shard. It was cold and heavy in his hand.

The stall owner, an old man with a wrinkled Face, lifted his eyelids and said lazily: "One hundred thousand gold coins, or a sixth-grade Medicinal Pill."

The price was not cheap. But Li Ao felt that this item might help him comprehend the Annihilation Rule.

Just as he was about to speak, a slightly arrogant voice suddenly sounded from beside him:

"This piece of 'nether iron' is mine! I'll offer one hundred and fifty thousand gold coins!"

Li Ao frowned, turned his head, and saw a youth dressed in luxurious clothes with an arrogant expression walking over with several guards. It was Mo Ya, the Young Sect Leader of the Black Emperor Sect, whom he had met once at the Space Wormhole Plaza that day!

Mo Ya also saw Li Ao, first stunned, then a venomous yet somewhat wary sneer appeared on his Face: "Hmph! What a narrow road for enemies! I didn't expect you to still be alive after that spatial storm!"

Liu Qing saw the situation, stepped forward, and said in a deep voice: "Mo Ya, Brother Li is a guest of my Liu Family, please give us some Face."

"Liu Family?" Mo Ya sneered, sizing up Liu Qing, "Liu Qing, since when did your Liu Family like to take in such unknown cripples? This kid injured people from my Black Emperor Sect outside the wormhole; that debt hasn't been settled yet! Today, this piece of nether iron is mine for sure! I'd like to see who dares to compete with me!"

Before he finished speaking, an elder behind him, whose Aura had reached the Five-Star Dou Huang Realm, stepped forward, and a powerful pressure directly enveloped Li Ao!

A conflict was about to erupt!

The crowd in the market was immediately drawn in, gathering around, watching the dispute with interest. The Liu Family and the Black Emperor Sect, on this border of the Northern Region, were not easy to provoke.

Liu Qing's Face was somewhat grim. The Black Emperor Sect's power was stronger than the Liu Family's, and he didn't want to confront them directly, but Li Ao was his guest, and he couldn't just stand by.

Li Ao's expression remained calm in the Face of the Dou Huang's pressure. Although his strength had not recovered, his vision and will remained; how could he be intimidated by the pressure of a mere Five-Star Dou Huang?

He weighed the black metal shard in his hand, looked at Mo Ya, and said lightly:

"This thing, I want it."

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable meaning.

Mo Ya's Face darkened: "You're courting death! Take him down!"

The Five-Star Dou Huang elder's eyes flashed with cold light, and his withered palm, carrying a sharp gust of wind, directly grabbed towards Li Ao's shoulder!

Everyone thought that the green-robed youth, whose Aura was only at the initial Dou Wang Realm, would be splattered with blood in the next moment!

However, just as that palm was about to touch Li Ao—

Li Ao moved!

He didn't use Fighting Qi; he just held the black metal shard in his right hand and seemingly casually thrust it forward. The tip of the shard, without deviation, pointed directly at the elder's grasping palm!

The movement seemed slow, yet it struck first!

The elder's Face showed a hint of disdain, and his palm wind grew fiercer, intending to smash both the person and the shard!

But the next moment, his Face changed drastically!

The instant his palm touched the tip of the dark shard, an extremely cold Qi of deathly stillness, as if capable of freezing the Soul and annihilating vitality, suddenly erupted from the shard, madly invading up his arm's Meridians!

"Ah!"

The elder let out a mournful scream, his entire right arm instantly turning black and stiff, as if it had lost all moisture and vitality! He retreated frantically in terror, circulating his Fighting Qi to try and force out the Qi of deathly stillness, but found that the Qi was like a persistent parasite, incredibly stubborn!

The entire place was in an uproar!

Everyone looked in disbelief at the green-robed youth who still stood calmly!

One move? Without even using Fighting Qi? Just by relying on a strange shard, he severely injured a Five-Star Dou Huang?!

How was this possible?!

Mo Ya's arrogant expression instantly froze, turning into shock and fear. He pointed at Li Ao, his voice trembling: "You... who exactly are you?!"

Li Ao ignored him, threw ten thousand gold coins to the stunned stall owner, put away the black metal shard, and said to Liu Qing: "Let's go."

Liu Qing took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his heart, nodded, and left with Li Ao.

Leaving Mo Ya and his group standing there with ashen Faces, surrounded by countless astonished, curious, and awed gazes.

After this incident, the name "Li Ao," accompanied by mystery and power, began to quietly spread in Tianbei City.

Meanwhile, Li Ao stroked the piece of "nether iron" shard in his storage ring, a flicker of thought in his eyes. This thing seemed even more interesting than he had imagined.

Back in Jingxinyuan, Li Ao eagerly took out the nether iron shard and carefully probed it with his Soul Power. He vaguely felt that the Qi of deathly stillness contained within this shard might allow him to gain new insights into the Annihilation Rule... His journey to Central State had begun its magnificent prelude in this small Tianbei City. And in the distance, the Pill Tower, the Hall of Souls, and the sleeping Queen were all awaiting his arrival.