135: The troubles of a violently poor person! Is this what prices are like in Zhongzhou?

The Central Continent, the backbone of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces.

Gu Yang stood on the milky-white beach, feeling the warmth transmitted from the fine sand beneath his feet. If these sands were in the Lower Realm, they could probably be used as auxiliary materials for refining Low Grade Magical Artifacts, but in the Central Continent, this was merely scenery decorating the coast. Because the Spiritual Qi concentration in the Central Continent was over a hundred times that of the outside world, the gravity here had also undergone a qualitative leap. Walking in this place, Gu Yang felt that the earth was unreasonably solid with every step he took.

He looked up at the sky-obscuring 'Five Elements Mansion Gate'. That was the only entrance to the main urban area of the Central Continent. The city walls were built from purple 'Demon Suppressing Rock', towering ten thousand zhang high, and the Formation array inscribed on top shimmered like a galaxy even during the day. Occasionally, huge Spirit Birds pulling flying carriages passed through, and the piercing screeches caused the Void Realm itself to tremble slightly.

"This place, the Spiritual Qi is so dense it makes me want to sneeze." Gu Yang stretched his neck, and the cracking sounds from his bones were rapidly absorbed by the surrounding thick Spiritual Pressure.

His current state was peculiar. His Physical Body, perfected at the Divine Demon Golden Body Second Turn Perfection, was now enveloped by a profound, dark blue Origin after devouring a large amount of water soul origin stones. This state of 'foundation overload' made him feel every inch of his muscle filled with explosive tension, but it also induced an extreme physiological hunger. The heavy Spiritual Pressure of the Central Continent did not suppress him; instead, it acted like a giant millstone, constantly compacting his somewhat superficial vitality.

He needed a higher-grade 'fuel' to achieve a complete qualitative change... "Er Gou, our net worth has increased, we need to keep a low profile."

Gu Yang crouched down, watching Er Gou attempting to catch a five-colored crab on the beach. Er Gou's silver scales flashed on its back; clearly, this fellow had gained quite a bit from the spatial rift as well. Although this creature usually looked foolish, its speed in devouring Ore was not much slower than Gu Yang's.

"Awoo?" Er Gou tilted its head, looking innocently at Gu Yang's rapidly changing face.

Gu Yang stroked his chin, feeling the metallic texture under his fingertips. He circulated the Divine Demon Golden Body, using the muscle control unique to an Extreme Dao Body Cultivator, to forcibly alter the spacing of his bones and the direction of his facial muscles.

In a moment, the imposing Gu Yang, who carried a hint of wickedness, transformed into a rugged, burly man with a simple and honest appearance, even carrying a bit of a 'simpleton' aura. His height of over two meters was not rare in this land where ancient clans abounded, and he even appeared somewhat clumsy due to his overly thick musculature. This 'big simpleton' image was usually ideal for being used as a training dummy by shrewd Spell Cultivators.

"From now on, call me 'Tie Niu' when we are outside." Gu Yang was quite satisfied with his current appearance; this vulgar sense of blending in was his best disguise... Gu Yang strode with heavy steps towards the checkpoint of the Five Elements Mansion Gate.

As he got closer, he realized that the guards at the checkpoint were uniformly monk at the Early Spirit Transformation Stage! They wore white and gold armor, held three-zhang long 'God Slaying Lances' in their hands, and coldly scanned every passerby. Periodically, massive Divine Sense scanning Formation arrays swept over them from above, rendering any concealment technique useless against them.

On one side of the city gate, a giant light screen slowly flickered, displaying the recent wanted list.

Gu Yang glanced sideways and saw his own large portrait at the very top—it was the unrestrained look of him tearing apart the foundation in Sea Dragon City. Even as a projected phantom, it carried an original destructive desire that chilled the bone.

[Wanted Criminal: Name Unknown (Claims to be Tie Niu). Cultivation: Perfection of Soul Transformation or Early Void Refining Body Cultivator. Crimes: Destroying a Holy Land post station, looting water soul origin stones. Reward: One Million High Grade Spirit Stones. Tip-off reward: One Hundred Thousand.]

"Tsk tsk, one million High Grade Spirit Stones." Gu Yang had already crushed the Heavenly Phoenix Sect token he carried and thrown it into the sea.

In the Spirit Realm, one High Grade Spirit Stone equaled one hundred Mid-grade Spirit Crystals, which equaled ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. This one million High Grade Spirit Stones, converted to the most basic Low Grade, amounted to a full ten billion! Even for Holy Lands with ten thousand years of history, this sum of Spirit Stones would cause them significant heartache.

"I'm really worth a lot." Gu Yang sighed inwardly, but his feet didn't stop; he walked directly towards the queuing crowd... "Stop! Where did this Body Cultivator come from?"

A guard blocked Gu Yang with his spear. The cold air emanating from the spear tip caused the surrounding air to frost over, clearly indicating it was a standard-issue top-grade Spiritual Artifact; the extravagance of the Central Continent was evident.

"I'm from the 'Mighty Strength Sect,' coming to the Central Continent to visit relatives." Gu Yang deepened his voice, putting on a simple and honest silly smile, his eyes showing an uncultivated, clear foolishness. He casually took out two Mid-grade Spirit Crystals from his Storage Pouch and secretly slipped them over.

Such a crude bribe should have been beneath the notice of the Central Continent guards. The guard snorted, intending to reprimand this barbarian who didn't know the rules, but when his fingertips touched the two Spirit Stones, his entire body stiffened slightly.

Gu Yang had injected a trace of Extreme Dao Blood Qi into those two Spirit Stones. The guard felt an incredibly pure surge of masculine Blood Qi instantly cleanse his Meridians through his fingertips, and the slight cold poison accumulated from long hours of guarding by the sea was burned away in that instant.

"Mighty Strength Sect? Never heard of it; must be a fringe sect from some remote prefecture." The guard's tone softened slightly, and he even kindly reminded him, "Cause less trouble after entering the city. A powerful figure from the Sea Emperor Palace is currently visiting the city and is in a bad mood. Someone of your build is easily mistaken for a punching bag."

Gu Yang nodded repeatedly, looking adorably simple as he swaggered into the city with Er Gou... As soon as he entered the city, Gu Yang froze in place, his eyelids twitching wildly.

He wasn't shocked by the thousand-zhang high Spirit Jade Pagoda or the Spirit Pools suspended in the air, but rather stunned numb by the price lists hanging in front of rows of shops.

At a roadside bun stall, colorful auspicious Qi steamed out of the steamer baskets. The owner was a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, and the sign read: [Fourth-Tier Heavenly Heart Fruit Filling Buns, Ten Mid-grade Spirit Crystals each.]

At the neighboring wine stall, the aroma of wine was intoxicating, making the spiritual power within one's body throb even from miles away: [Three Thousand Year Fire-Roasted Spring, three hundred Medium Grade Spirit Crystals for one tael.]

Even the 'Body Cleansing Art' Formation by the roadside, which cost fifty Medium Grade Spirit Crystals for one wash to clean off the residual heavy water from the Endless Sea, was exorbitant.

Gu Yang silently flipped through his Storage Pouch. Although he had snatched quite a few things in Sea Dragon City, the vast majority were Origin Stone fragments and unprocessed Sea Soul Stones. The ready-to-use Medium Grade Spirit Crystals amounted to only a few thousand.

"Sister Feng Ni said the Central Continent was a place that eats gold, I thought she was exaggerating, but now it seems my imagination was limited by my poverty," Gu Yang chuckled self-deprecatingly. The wealth he possessed that could buy a city in the Savage Domain or Qingzhou was barely enough for a decent, high-energy, satisfying meal here... "Waiter, bring me the largest bowl of noodles you have that will fill me up!"

Gu Yang walked into a decent-looking restaurant named 'Sinking Sea Fragrance' and casually slapped a Medium Grade Spirit Crystal onto the heavy ebony table. The sense of gravity here was even more pronounced; even every pair of chopsticks seemed forged from heavy ironwood.

"Coming right up! Guest, please wait! One bowl of Spirit Infusing Noodles, that will be eight Medium Grade Spirit Crystals, change is ninety-two Low-Grade Spirit Crystals!" The waiter quickly took the Spirit Crystals, speaking at high speed.

Gu Yang's eye twitched. A bowl of noodles cost eight Medium Grade Spirit Crystals? That converts to eight hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Back in the Lower Realm, that could buy a decent Magic Treasure. Did this bowl of noodles contain dragon liver or phoenix marrow?

Soon, a large sea bowl of noodles emitting rich purple Spiritual Qi was served. Every strand of noodle was crystal clear, and the soup base was simmered from the bones of a fifth-tier deep-sea Yao Beast, its aroma almost becoming tangible.

Gu Yang picked up his chopsticks and quickly slurped it all down in three moves.

[Absorbed trace Spiritual Qi Essence, converted energy points: 5.]

"Pah!" Gu Yang nearly flipped the table on the spot.

Eight Medium Grade Spirit Crystals for only 5 points? This was outright robbery! The Divine Demon Golden Body inside him was like a bottomless black hole; this bowl of noodles didn't even generate a feeling of fullness before being instantly vaporized by the Five Elements Furnace in his stomach.

"Indeed, an honest person cannot survive here." Gu Yang stared at the Disciples from various Sects dressed in fine robes, casually ordering dishes worth tens of thousands of Spirit Crystals, his gaze gradually turning malicious, as if looking at a pile of walking Spirit Crystal mines... "Did you hear? Tomorrow, there's a private 'Fragment Gathering' at the Black Market north of the city. Rumor has it someone dredged up something incredible from the 'Undercurrent Burial Pit'."

"Shh! That's something even the Ten Thousand Realms Merchant Alliance is watching. Legend says it's the 'Life Fragment' of an ancient Body Cultivator mighty figure who surpassed the Nine Revolutions Realm, containing the imprint of Extreme Dao Will."

The Cultivators at the next table lowered their voices, occasionally fiddling with some fragments exuding an ancient aura. These words were indistinct to ordinary people, but under Gu Yang's abnormal hearing, it was no different from being shouted right next to his ear.

"Extreme Dao Will?" The previously listless feeling in Gu Yang's stomach suddenly spasmed violently.

It was the instinctual response of the Divine Demon Golden Body sensing energy from its own kind. A hunger originating from the depths of his bone marrow instantly swept through his entire body.

He looked at Er Gou, who happened to raise his head at that moment, a half Spirit Stone pouch he had picked up somewhere dangling from his mouth, his eyes filled with the exact same greed.

"Er Gou, the spare change we have won't last more than a few days." Gu Yang patted the myriad poison star shattering hammer on his back; its heavy weight restored some of his confidence.

"Since these people from the Holy Lands call me a 'Bandit,' if I don't do what a bandit should do, wouldn't I be unworthy of my one million High Grade Spirit Crystal bounty? After all, I can't just be wanted for nothing."

...Just as Gu Yang was planning to 'inspect' the Black Market that evening, the main door of the restaurant was violently kicked open.

"Get out! Get out! The Heavenly Void Saint is arriving, irrelevant people step aside!"

A group of Disciples wearing purple robes with cloud patterns filed in, all of whom had cultivation at the Nascent Soul Perfection stage. Their demeanor was extremely arrogant; waving their Magical Artifacts, they began driving away the Loose Cultivators dining in the hall without explanation, even overturning unfinished dishes onto the floor.

A gloomy-looking youth with a purple lightning bolt mark between his brows slowly took a seat, surrounded by attendants. He was riding a snow-white 'Wind-Chasing Leopard' that exuded the might of the Late-stage Spirit Transformation Realm.

The leopard seemed to have caught its master's arrogance; upon entering, it let out a deafening roar and smashed the stone table next to Gu Yang with one paw, directly baring its white fangs at the big simpleton, Gu Yang.

"Hey, you, that big simpleton!"

A Disciple of the Heavenly Void Holy Land pointed at Gu Yang's nose with extreme disdain, "Didn't you see our Saint has arrived? Take your ugly, bald-haired dog and kneel by the door to make room for the Saint's Spirit Beast! It's the fortune of three lifetimes for you if our Saint's mount deigns to rest near your table!"

Gu Yang slowly put down his chopsticks, his movements sluggish, as if genuinely terrified.

He glanced at the Wind-Chasing Leopard drooling at him, then at the insufferably arrogant Holy Land Disciple. There was none of the anger expected from an ordinary Loose Cultivator in his eyes; instead, there was a deep joy, like that of someone selecting the freshest cut of beef at a market.

"Sister Feng Ni said the Central Continent has the most abundant resources; even the beasts by the roadside eat better than me."

Gu Yang slowly stood up, his previously hunched back straightening completely at this moment. His two-meter-plus height seemed to increase further under the gravity field. His face, sculpted by micro-muscle control, now displayed an extremely 'simple and honest' yet cruel smile.

"Brother, I won't kneel. My father said one must keep their knees stiff when traveling. I just want to ask, has your Heavenly Void Holy Land... given out salaries today? My hands are really short of spare change lately... and, I'm short of a good meal."