Walking down the mountain alone and entering the city, Yan Luo wandered the streets and alleys at her leisure.
In the city, countless cultivators gathered, numbering in the tens of thousands, causing the spiritual energy of Lingyao City to rise to a new level.
Although she knew the probability was low, As she walked, Yan Luo couldn’t help but search with her eyes.
Before long, Yan Luo arrived at Lingyao City’s central plaza.
Here, far more cultivators gathered than elsewhere.
And here, over a hundred stalls were set up.
Street stalls had long become a tradition among cultivators.
In the cultivation world, spirit stones served as currency, but to some cultivators, spirit stones paled in comparison to true heaven-sent treasures.
Those cultivators preferred bartering item for item.
Thus, wherever large numbers of cultivators gathered, there were always stalls where cultivators displayed their wares.
Many cultivators also relished the hope of finding rare bargains at these stalls.
But Yan Luo held little interest in such things.
Bargain hunting?
If she wanted anything, her grandfather could just buy it for her.
Why bother searching for bargains?
Still, since she was idle, she wandered over to the stalls, sweeping her gaze over them at random.
As she walked, Yan Luo suddenly felt a surge of warmth radiate from her chest.
Reaching into her robes, Yan Luo took out a jade pendant.
One of extremely ordinary design, yet once worn by a mighty figure of ancient times.
On its surface lingered traces of that great cultivator’s laws; after careful examination, it even contained a thread of Profound Yang Divine Flame, two full grades higher than the Solar Fire she herself could wield.
During this period, Yan Luo kept the pendant with her at all times, feeling the flame within.
Her cultivation speed had increased by at least thirty percent compared to before.
But why was the jade pendant at this moment starting to emit heat, as if…resonating with something?
Yan Luo narrowed her eyes slightly, clutching the jade pendant tightly, and quickly searched the stalls before her.
Soon, Yan Luo’s gaze fixed on a piece of metal.
A small, pitch-black metal fragment, hardly noticeable at all.
What was that?
It could actually elicit a response from the mighty one’s jade pendant.
Could it be, this metal shard also came from that ancient cultivator?
As the thought crossed her mind, Yan Luo’s eyes brightened.
She bent down and picked up the metal fragment with her fingers.
“How much for this?”
The stall owner glanced at Yan Luo in surprise, his eyes flickering.
He immediately replied, “Miss, you have a keen eye. This shard is something I acquired from an ancient battlefield, used by a mighty figure of old. As for the price, it’s naturally not cheap—ten top-grade spirit stones.”
Ten top-grade spirit stones wasn’t expensive at all.
Thinking this, Yan Luo was about to reach for her spirit stones.
“Hold on, Fellow Daoist Yan, don’t listen to his nonsense. Ancient battlefield, ancient mighty figure—these stall keepers always boast about items they can’t explain.”
Just then, a clear, crisp voice sounded from the side.
Yan Luo looked over in mild surprise, only to see a slender girl of eighteen or nineteen, with long silver hair, blood-red eyes, and pale skin, walking gracefully toward her.
What a beauty.
Yan Luo couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
Such a pity her face bore the signs of a short life.
“And you are?”
Yan Luo asked, brows lightly knit.
“Hey, what do you mean I’m talking nonsense, this is—” The stall keeper, seeing his deal about to slip away, spoke up discontentedly.
Yet Yun Xiu didn’t spare him a glance, and instead bowed to Yan Luo.
“Third direct disciple of the Sect Master of Luoshen Cliff—Yun Xiu.”
Luoshen Cliff…
Yan Luo nodded, and the stall keeper, upon hearing this identity, changed expression instantly and had no more to say.
“You know me?”
Yan Luo asked again.
“Miss Yan of the Yan family, I once glimpsed you from afar at Ziyang Peak, so I recognized you.”
Yun Xiu’s attitude was very respectful, but neither servile nor overbearing.
Yan Luo nodded again, then turned back to the stall keeper.
“You, tried to trick me?”
At this point, the stall keeper nearly burst into tears.
One was a personal disciple of Luoshen Cliff’s Sect Master, the other the young miss of the first of the Four Great Clans, the Yan family.
Did he stumble into a den of prodigies today—how did they all show up here?
“Miss, I—I wouldn’t dare! This really did come from an ancient battlefield!”
“Hmph! Still trying to fool me? Courting death!”
Yan Luo snapped, quite annoyed.
She didn’t care about the ten top-grade spirit stones, but being played with like this was infuriating.
“Fellow Daoist Yan, I’m afraid you’re really blaming him wrongly this time. This item truly is from an ancient battlefield—specifically, from the battlefield in the Tianjue Mountain Range in the Northern Border.”
Just as Yan Luo was about to erupt, a young man’s voice drifted over unhurriedly.
Yun Xiu’s brows knit, her blood-red pupils dilating imperceptibly as she turned toward the source.
Yan Luo, hearing the voice, paused, then looked quickly in that direction.
“Yu Yang!”
Only, when she saw the young man, and the girl clinging to his arm, seemingly acting spoiled, the joy on Yan Luo’s face vanished instantly.
“Daoist Ling Xi, until next time.”
Yun Xiu raised her hand, greeting Ling Xi, who was hanging onto Chen Yu Yang.
“Oh, it’s you!”
Seeing Yun Xiu, Ling Xi was both surprised and delighted, quickly letting go of Chen Yu Yang and walking over.
“You’re here for the Pill Dao Tournament too?”
Yun Xiu’s eyes curved slightly as she smiled.
“I am but a humble alchemist.”
“Oh—what rank are you?”
Ling Xi asked, curiosity bright.
“At most, a half-step fourth rank.”
Yun Xiu replied, though her gaze kept drifting toward Chen Yu Yang.
Chen Yu Yang noticed her attention, but though puzzled by her repeated glances, didn’t give it much thought and stepped up to speak with Yan Luo.
“This stall keeper didn’t deceive you.”
“Oh? How do you know?”
Yan Luo asked curiously.
“Because I also have a shard just like this, from the ancient battlefield in the Tianjue Mountains.”
As Chen Yu Yang spoke, he raised his hand.
A heavy metal shard, of the same material, appeared in his palm.
“Oh—”
Yan Luo suddenly understood, her tone drawing out.
Her gaze toward the stall keeper softened a little.
“But, what’s this thing for, Yu Yang, do you know?”
Chen Yu Yang’s brows twitched slightly.
Why did the young miss of the Yan family call him Yu Yang as if they were close?
Had they met more than a couple times before this?
“This is likely a fragment of some magic artifact. The material is decent, but as a single piece, it holds little value.”
Chen Yu Yang was honest.
Yan Luo nodded, then with some surprise asked, “How do you know so much?”
Chen Yu Yang’s mouth twitched.
“I was curious before and did a bit of research.”
Researched?
Well, sort of.
After all, it was a refining furnace he once used.
Only, in one great battle, he’d used it as a bomb, shattering the fragments everywhere.
He’d salvaged some pieces for their precious material, planning to use them for something else later, but about half the shards had scattered who knew where.
“But I sense my jade pendant resonating with this fragment, as if there’s some connection between them.”
As Yan Luo spoke, she took out the “Mighty One’s Jade Pendant.”
Chen Yu Yang’s brow twitched again.
How familiar this pendant looked—wasn’t this the very one he’d sold at auction?
So the final buyer was this big-spender before him.
Resonance?
Of course there would be—the jade pendant had been refined from that very furnace, how could there not be a response?
But why would this miss share such a thing with him?
Shouldn’t she secretly investigate, in case it was a rare find?
Why speak out, and risk letting him profit from it?
Shaking his head, Chen Yu Yang simply said, “As for the specifics, I don’t know. But it probably has something to do with that ancient mighty cultivator.”
Yan Luo nodded, glanced once more at the stall keeper, And said no more.
She tossed over ten top-grade spirit stones, collecting the fragment.
The stall keeper thanked her profusely, and looked at Chen Yu Yang with gratitude as well.
Chen Yu Yang paid it no mind.
He was only passing by with his junior sister, who had taken a fancy to a decorative pendant and was pestering him to borrow some spirit stones to buy it.
He could see the thing wasn’t worth much, but couldn’t dissuade his junior sister. Just as her persistent wheedling left him helpless, he noticed Yan Luo and the others here, and used the excuse of greeting them to get himself out of the predicament.
With the fragment in hand, Yan Luo’s eyes quickly sought out Chen Yu Yang again, her gaze carrying a hint of eagerness and concern.
“Yu Yang, is anyone from your Hehuan Sect participating in the Pill Dao Tournament?”
“There’s one.”
Chen Yu Yang nodded, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Yan Luo and instead glancing at Ling Xi and Yun Xiu.
Blood-red eyes met black ones once more.
“Only one?”
Yan Luo was surprised.
“My Hehuan Sect doesn’t have many people—having even one able to enter the competition is good enough.”
Chen Yu Yang gave a wry smile, not because he pitied his own sect, but because he wondered why Yan Luo took such interest in this matter.
Moreover, he was obviously keeping his distance, yet she didn’t seem to notice at all.
“Then it’ll be hard to achieve any good result. There are one hundred fifty thousand young alchemists in this first round.”
Yan Luo looked down, full of regret, oblivious to the distance Chen Yu Yang was trying to keep.
If Hehuan Sect’s alchemist was eliminated in the first round, wouldn’t they have to go back soon?
“That many!”
Ling Xi, chatting with Yun Xiu, was startled by the number and quickly turned to ask Chen Yu Yang, “Senior Brother, can you do it?”
Chen Yu Yang shot her a look—what kind of question was that?
“What, you’re the one competing!” Yan Luo exclaimed in surprise.
The next moment, she couldn’t help but regret her earlier words.
She’d just said there were so many participants, that Hehuan Sect wouldn’t likely get a good rank—wasn’t that the same as belittling him?
“You’re an alchemist as well?”
At the side, Yun Xiu’s eyes lit up, sharp interest blazing within them.