143: Chapter 143 Entering the Takishiro Immortal Pavilion

"Boom~" The Colorless Profound Light shattered in response.

The Black Ape's figure rushed out from the Colorless Profound Light, his Demon Power surging, no longer in the appearance of that black-faced man from just a moment ago.

His figure swelled to three zhang in height, covered in pitch-black fur, with knotted muscles and bulging veins, his pair of blood-red eyes filled with killing intent.

Ape true form.

The Black Ape stood in mid-air, Wu Li having long since vanished.

"Damn it!!!"

Over here.

Wu Li's figure sped rapidly through the night sky, the night wind whistling past his ears as the silhouette of Long City gradually appeared in his field of vision.

The city walls were brightly lit, with patrols of Cultivators in twos and threes, their Spiritual Senses sweeping across the surroundings.

Wu Li folded his wings, descended from mid-air, and landed in a withered forest outside the city.

He took a deep breath, his Demon Power circulating slowly within him, and his figure began to change.

The Technique of Refining Form activated, his bones creaked and popped, his stature grew a few inches, his face began to twist, and his features rearranged, transforming from the monstrous appearance of a crow into an ordinary face of the Human Race.

The black totem tattoos on his skin faded beneath the surface, and the wings on his back folded, pressing tightly against his back, concealed by his Dharma robe.

The Colorless Profound Light silently enveloped his entire body, completely masking the remaining fluctuations of his Demon Power.

At this moment, Wu Li looked just like an ordinary Cultivator of the Human Race—ordinary face, ordinary attire, even his aura was ordinary, with nothing remarkable about him.

As long as he did not actively release his Demon Power, no one would discover that he was a demon.

"Hmm, that's about right."

Wu Li walked out of the withered forest and headed toward Long City along the official road.

The guards at the city gate glanced at him lazily, not even bothering to open their mouths to interrogate him.

The streets of Long City were still the same—green bricks and gray tiles, wine flags fluttering, people coming and going, bustling with activity.

Wu Li lowered the brim of his hat, blended into the crowd, and followed the route in his memory, walking toward the direction of the Immortal Market.

He had only one goal: the Immortal Market, the place where Su Wanyue hid the blood crystal.

Wu Li's pace was fast; passing through street after street and crossing stone bridge after stone bridge, the silhouette of the Immortal Market gradually appeared in his field of vision.

Lofty walls, vermilion gates, and a pitch-black plaque hanging above the lintel, inscribed with the four large characters: "Longcheng Immortal Market".

Four Cultivators stood at the entrance, dressed in uniform white Dharma robes with blue patterns, long swords hanging at their waists, their gazes as sharp as hawks.

Their cultivation levels were not high—two at the Peak of the Qi Refinement Stage, one at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, and one at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.

A translucent light curtain shrouded the entrance, sealing the gate tightly.

The Restriction was still there, exactly the same as when he last came.

But this time, it was different for Wu Li.

Wu Li stood before the gate of the Immortal Market, not rushing to enter. He lowered his head slightly, the brim of his hat obscuring half his face, and the Blood Pupil on his forehead opened silently.

A scarlet light flashed by; when the Blood Pupil was activated, Wu Li could clearly see every rune inside the Restriction.

The operation of the Restriction was laid bare under the Blood Pupil.

Eight spiritual power nodes were buried under the stone pillars on both sides of the gate and beneath the floor tiles, with spiritual power flowing along fixed trajectories, forming an airtight net.

The strength of the Restriction was approximately Medium Grade Tier 2, capable of blocking Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but for a Tier 3 Great Demon, it was as good as nonexistent.

After confirming this, Wu Li felt reassured. He retracted the Blood Pupil and lifted his foot to walk toward the light curtain.

With one step, the light curtain swept over him, lighting up with a faint fluorescent glow before immediately dimming.

There was no alarm, no abnormality.

The four Cultivators at the entrance didn't even lift their eyelids, remaining there lazily as their Spiritual Senses swept over him and then retracted.

An ordinary Loose Cultivator at the Qi Refinement Stage was not worth a second glance from them.

Wu Li walked into the Immortal Market. The streets were wide, with shops lining both sides, and the Spiritual Qi was so rich that it made one's breathing feel a bit smoother.

Cultivators came and went. Since it was his first time here, Wu Li was not in a hurry. He walked at a steady pace, his gaze sweeping over the shops on both sides as he searched for the place Su Wanyue had mentioned.

However, the interior of this Immortal Market was truly not small.

Wu Li still dared not use his Spiritual Sense to scout over a large area, so for a moment, he found it somewhat difficult to search.

"Whew..."

Wu Li walked through the Immortal Market for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, his gaze constantly sweeping over the shops on either side. It was late, and although the Immortal Market was brightly lit, the flow of people on the streets had thinned out significantly.

He thought for a moment and decided to find a place to stay first and make some inquiries.

"Let's go with this one."

There were quite a few inns in the Immortal Market. The large ones were several stories high, with carved beams and painted pillars, large red lanterns hanging at the entrance to welcome Cultivators of all kinds; the small ones were hidden deep in alleys, with narrow facades and even crooked signs.

Wu Li did not go to those large inns; there were too many eyes and ears, making it easy to be exposed.

He chose a small inn hidden in a narrow alley in the northeast corner of the Immortal Market. The door panels were mottled, and the writing on the plaque was already blurred, with only the four characters "Yuelai Inn" vaguely discernible.

Wu Li pushed the door open and walked in. Behind the counter sat an old man with graying hair, at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, squinting his eyes while holding a yellowed account book and fiddling with an abacus.

Seeing Wu Li enter, the old man lifted his eyelids and sized him up, his voice raspy and flat: "Staying the night?"

Wu Li nodded, saw the price list, and then took five Low-Grade Spirit Stones from his bosom and placed them on the counter.

"Second floor, the innermost room."

Wu Li nodded, then took out two more Spirit Stones, "Bring me some wine and food as well."

"Alright."

The old man collected the Spirit Stones, took a copper key from the drawer, and tossed it to Wu Li.

Wu Li caught the key, said nothing more, turned, and headed upstairs.

The stairs creaked, the wooden boards somewhat rotten, sinking slightly under his feet.

The second-floor corridor was dim, with only an oil lamp at the end; the flickering lamplight cast shadows on the walls that grew and shrank.

Wu Li walked to the innermost room, opened the door, and went inside.

The room was small, about a zhang square, containing a wooden bed, a table, and a chair; the bedding on the bed was reasonably clean.

"What a dump."

Wu Li closed the door, walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked toward the direction of the Immortal Market.

In the night, the streets of the Immortal Market were brightly lit, and the faint sound of string and bamboo instruments drifted from afar—it was those large inns entertaining guests.

Wu Li withdrew his gaze, closed the window, and sat cross-legged on the bed.

Soon.

There was a knock at the door, neither too light nor too heavy, carrying a hint of eagerness.

"Tap tap tap~"

"Guest, your food has arrived."

Wu Li opened his eyes, stood up, and opened the door.

Standing outside the door was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a gray cloth short jacket with a white towel draped over his shoulder, holding a wooden tray with a few dishes, a bowl of rice, and a pot of wine.

His cultivation was not high, only at the third level of Qi Refining. His face was full of smiles as he nodded and bowed while walking in, placing the tray on the table and chattering away as he set out the dishes.

"Guest, these are our inn's signature dishes: three meat dishes and one vegetable dish. Braised Spirit Pork, Steamed Spirit Fish, Stir-fried Spirit Lamb, and the vegetable dish is Spirit Mushrooms stir-fried with green bamboo shoots. The rice is Spirit Rice; every grain is crystal clear, soft and glutinous in texture, and full of Spiritual Qi."