Chapter 156: Nishang

"Level-3 divine-gifted weapon, Qingshuang Sword Array, needs to be replaced."

"At the very least, it must be upgraded to a Level-4 divine-gifted weapon."

"The Yongquan acupoint requires a Level-4 talent orb."

Jiang Jian frowned slightly.

Level-4 divine-gifted weapons could still be purchased with Alliance credits.

Saving fifty million Alliance credits would allow one to acquire a decent Level-4 divine-gifted weapon.

But Level-4 talent orbs were not something money could buy.

"Perhaps, after arriving at Chang'an Prefecture."

"This shortage of resources might be alleviated."

Jiang Jian settled his mind and ceased further speculation.

Invisible spiritual energy churned around him as he continued refining his cultivation.

He knew clearly that everything he had encountered so far was confined within the Linjiang Prefecture network.

Whether technological equipment, divine-gifted weapons, or talent orbs.

All of these were strictly limited within Linjiang Prefecture's borders.

Linjiang Prefecture did not sell Level-4 spiritual items.

But Chang'an Prefecture might.

After all.

If Classmate Nie Zheng's data was genuine.

Then Chang'an Prefecture must be extraordinarily prosperous!

The surface center of Chang'an's Nine Layers was bustling and noisy.

Its cultivation scenery had reached its peak of splendor!

A single Chang'an Prefecture occupied nearly half of Earth's surface!

The other sixty-nine prefectures, compared to Chang'an, were no more than villages or hamlets!

His scattered thoughts gradually faded.

Jiang Jian's aura grew increasingly solid.

As time passed.

Ji Xue could no longer sit still and began wandering restlessly.

Even Zhou Princess Qingyue paused her cultivation and occasionally walked along the Star Ring light band.

"It's that thing again!"

Suddenly, Ji Xue shuddered, its pupils contracting sharply!

Not far ahead, a bone-spiked creature descended.

The bone-spiked creature's face was grotesque; it glanced left and right, then fixed its gaze on Ji Xue.

In an instant, it moved, claws slashing through blood-red light, leaving afterimages as it lunged forward!

Facing mortal danger, the gray fox's tail whipped rapidly, spiritual energy surging to form a transparent energy shield before it!

CRACK!

The shield, thin as paper, shattered under the bone-spiked creature's single claw.

Just as the creature's claw was about to tear through the gray fox's skull—

A strange shriek echoed from nearby!

A terrifying ghostly face appeared, opened its mouth, and swallowed the bone-spiked creature whole!

Amid swirling black mist, the ghostly face twisted and spat out a pile of pale white bones.

The next second.

The vicious ghostly face coalesced into a human form, transforming into a beautiful maiden in palace robes.

She wore a white jade crown with dangling pearls, gently brushed her silk robe, and floated down gracefully from over ten meters above.

"These things don't seem to be native to Earth."

The maiden's expression turned slightly cold as she swept her gauze sleeve.

Instantly.

The pile of white bones turned to dust and vanished within the Star Ring light band.

Ji Xue stood frozen, still trembling with shock.

Several seconds later, it regained its composure, looked at the palace-robed maiden, and spoke with complex emotion: "Thank you."

Zhou Princess Qingyue reached out and rubbed its head.

Ji Xue stepped back half a pace, its gaze growing even stranger.

After hesitating, it finally asked: "I'm truly confused."

The palace-robed maiden asked: "Confused about what?"

Ji Xue whispered: "Your personality is too strange—sometimes kind, sometimes cruel."

The ghost chuckled and said: "Do you know what a ghost is?"

Ji Xue replied: "A gathering of resentment."

"Then that's it."

The ghost said, "Though I possess human memories,"

"my fundamental thought patterns are not human."

"Originally, I was nothing but pure resentment."

"By chance, I absorbed yin energy and gained sentience."

"Only then did I recover my memories."

"How could you expect a mass of resentment to have a stable personality?"

"Fortunately, I've reached the Yongquan stage of cultivation, allowing me to fake human behavior—this is already quite good."

"Unless—"

Here, Zhou Princess Qingyue fell silent.

Ji Xue wagged its tail anxiously: "Unless what?"

Zhou Princess Qingyue sneered: "Unless one day I catch a glimpse of the Spirit Platform and truly shatter my constraints, transcending the very essence of life."

Ji Xue stared blankly: "Glimpse the Spirit Platform?!"

Zhou Princess Qingyue gave a derisive laugh and said nothing more.

The next moment, she brushed her robe and turned, the silk swirling as she rose into the air.

Mid-air, her form twisted into a grotesque ghostly face, continuing to clear the Star Ring debris.

Spirit Platform Realm.

One's life tier undergoes an unimaginable leap.

Beasts can shed their fur and take human form.

Ghosts can disperse resentment and gain physical bodies.

Humans can glimpse their soul and behold the Spirit Platform.

Spirits can awaken their bloodline and elevate their essence.

But what was despairing was this:

The Spirit Platform Realm was utterly unreachable.

So distant that merely thinking of it induced suffocation.

"She doesn't seem all that terrible."

Ji Xue sat where it was, looked up at the ghostly face above the dump, its thoughts churning.

"Perhaps this cruel personality isn't truly her nature."

"Looking at her appearance, she's so beautiful."

"In life, she must have been gentle."

The gray fox sighed and stopped thinking further.

It swept its tail, gathered ten meal boxes, and began eating.

"The food here isn't bad."

Ji Xue ate happily, forgetting all its earlier delicate thoughts.

At the edge of the dump.

Jiang Jian opened his eyes, his gaze thoughtful.

He had noticed sharply.

Lately, the Star Ring debris falling had been extremely scarce.

Far fewer than when he last came!

So few, in fact, that it had become abnormal!

The last time he came to the Star Ring Realm,

he had trained at this same dump.

Debris had fallen almost every few minutes!

But now—

Star ring debris fell only sporadically, every few hours.

"What's going on?"

Jiang Jian tilted his head upward, gazing beyond the star ring's luminous band.

There, the void of space lay dead and dark.

Below the Divine Palace Realm, anyone who stepped out would die.

Star ring debris differed from planetary lifeforms.

Their bodies had been shaped by prolonged solar irradiation.

Only then could they survive briefly in space after leaving asteroids.

"Could this be related to the Moon Realm?"

At this thought, Jiang Jian recalled what Director Xu had said.

In recent times,

the Moon Realm had not been peaceful.

Director Xu had also said one other thing.

During this special period,

every Surge Spring cultivator on Earth was important.

"What period is this 'special period' referring to?"

Jiang Jian lowered his gaze, a hunch forming in his mind.

"The Planetary Accord is meaningless."

"Could the Earth-Moon Four Realms be on the brink of upheaval?"

Thinking of this,

his mood grew heavier.

"Regardless,"

"my own cultivation is the foundation."

Jiang Jian quelled his turbulent thoughts, closed his eyes, and resumed refining his spiritual essence.

The Earth's star ring offered immense aid to cultivation.

His originally unstable Surge Spring spiritual essence

had, through Jiang Jian's relentless day-and-night practice,

gradually settled and solidified.

Though its total quantity had greatly diminished,

the foundation of his Surge Spring cultivation had become far more solid.

Cultivation knows no days or months.

Fifty-six days passed swiftly.

Aside from occasional sips of water and simple meals,

Jiang Jian spent every moment in rigorous cultivation!

His refinement of Surge Spring spiritual essence was meticulous.

He trained day and night, without sleep or rest.

His dedication bordered on madness!

Watching this, Zhou Princess Qingyue's perception of Jiang Jian changed drastically.

This was the first time she had ever seen Jiang Jian cultivate.

She clearly sensed the terrifying conviction, the extreme, almost inhuman self-control.

This feeling made her unconsciously fall silent.

Instead, she remained mute, quietly clearing the surrounding star ring debris.

Because

the white-robed boy's cultivation, not far away,

in Zhou Princess Qingyue's eyes, had become almost an art.

This terrifying conviction subtly infected her.

It steadied her inner turmoil considerably.

She was no longer constantly plagued by resentment as before.

Occasional falling star ring debris sought to shatter this conviction.

In response, Zhou Princess Qingyue's gaze turned icy, her strikes ruthless—she devoured countless extraterrestrial lifeforms.

"Your cultivation time is about to end!"

"Please proceed immediately to the cultivation corridor and take the space elevator out of the Star Ring Zone!"

The identity device beeped again.

This time,

Jiang Jian had no further cultivation opportunities.

"Let's go."

He halted his cultivation, swept his golden-white robe sleeve lightly, and retracted the Hanging Mountain Seal.

Ji Xue trotted forward, tail swaying: "Alright."

In midair, black mist swirled.

The ghostly face shrank.

It took human form and descended.

Jiang Jian turned his head slightly, glancing at Zhou Princess Qingyue; his expression softened slightly.

This softening was not for any other reason.

But because, during cultivation, the constant notifications of rising honor points had sounded.

Zhou Princess Qingyue, without sleep or rest, had cleared vast amounts of star ring debris!

As his bonded pet,

she had amassed nearly ten thousand honor points for Jiang Jian!

"Jiang Jian,"

the ghost extended her palm. "I don't know how to use these—here, take them all."

Between her slender, pale fingers lay over twenty brilliant crystal stones.

Spirit Cores could only be produced by Surge Spring-level star ring debris.

Their value was extremely high!

Seeing this,

Jiang Jian's gaze paused.

He looked at the ghost, his expression warmer now, offering a polite smile: "You've worked hard."

As he spoke, his snow-white robe sleeve swept lightly.

The twenty-plus Spirit Cores vanished instantly, all absorbed into his possession.

Zhou Princess Qingyue gave him a strange look. "You're fast."

Jiang Jian said nothing further, turned on his heel, and walked toward Taiping Prefecture Base.

Seeing this,

Zhou Princess Qingyue kept her hand extended, standing frozen in place for a moment.

Ji Xue twitched his lips, shot her a look, swished his tail, and followed after.

The formation barrier opened.

Taiping Prefecture Base remained eerily quiet.

Jiang Jian climbed the stone steps; the sense of unease within him grew stronger.

"The cleaning teams have become much fewer."

"Fang Jiao and Li Li Pingyuan aren't here either."

He lifted his gaze toward the distant star ring band, toward other corridor zones.

The tourist crowds boarding the space elevators remained as numerous as ever.

Thoughts churned within him.

Jiang Jian suppressed them, returned to the space elevator at the cultivation corridor.

Although the guide personnel beside the elevator had changed,

Jiang Jian's identity was already well known within Taiping Prefecture Base.

The guide moved efficiently, opening the elevator cabin door without delay.

After multiple identity verifications,

the space elevator glowed faintly, its glass door sliding open.

"One month remains until departure to Chang'an Prefecture."

Jiang Jian stepped inside, his mind already made up.

He currently had no way to obtain a Level 4 Talent Orb.

His existing funds, after liquidation and organization,

Buying a Level 4 Divine Gift weapon is barely sufficient.

Chang'an Fu occupies a small fraction of Earth.

The Ninefold Realm is vast and boundless.

Jiang Jian knows nothing about what will be done with the external Level 5 talent.

Classmate Nie Zheng's data mentioned it slightly.

She told Jiang Jian to raise his strength as much as possible here.

After all, all Level 5 talents across Earth's seventy Fu must go to Chang'an Fu.

Worse still, prodigies from Chang'an Fu's Ninefold Realm stand ahead of them!

If you cannot gain resource favor from the start,

your cultivation will only grow harder later!

Chang'an Fu thrives because,

after the initial Earth Star Ring shattered,

a massive fragment was luckily not seized.

Instead, it fell and took root here.

The Ninefold Realm was also built upon this star ring fragment.

Back then, the Earth Star Ring was dozens of times stronger than today's!

Even now, only fragments and ruins remain,

yet the vast spiritual source within is far denser than today's star ring band.

Born in such a place,

the beings of Chang'an Fu possess extremely high cultivation talent!

Classmate Nie Zheng's emphasis on Jiang Jian raising his strength was far from baseless.

"The space elevator is about to activate."

"Destination: Taiping Fu."

"Landing point: Bottom of the Tower of Heaven."

"Countdown: 10 seconds."

A prompt voice came.

With a clicking sound, the glass door sealed shut.

The countdown ended; the elevator plummeted rapidly!

This time, the elevator was much quieter.

No one spoke.

Until the glass dome left space and entered the atmosphere.

Ji Xue looked at Jiang Jian and asked, "Where are we going?"

Jiang Jian gazed down at Earth and said, "To the Taiping Fu market."

In his hand, he still held an extremely valuable market entry ticket gifted by Liu Liu Tiezhu.

Taiping Fu Underground Market.

Alliance coins are not hard currency there.

Barter is most common.

Jiang Jian, besides preparing ordinary resources to exchange for Alliance coins,

also has many unused rare resources.

These items serve no purpose for his own cultivation.

Hearing this, Ji Xue asked softly, "Can I come?"

Jiang Jian, expressionless, said quietly, "The Taiping Fu Underground Market doesn't recognize identity devices—only entry tickets."

Ji Xue wagged her tail, slightly disappointed.

Jiang Jian opened his identity device and inventoried his rare resources.

This trip to the market allows him to sell them all for useful items.

The space elevator plummeted rapidly and soon reached the bottom of the Tower of Heaven.

"Destination arrived."

"Doors opening soon."

A prompt sounded.

The glass elevator opened.

Jiang Jian, holding Hanguang, stepped out of the elevator.

After two months of spiritual nourishment, the cracks on the wooden sword had multiplied.

A chilling, bone-piercing aura of sharpness spread from within.

A few minutes later,

the Cross-Border Flyer ascended and left the docking yard.

It flew toward the market address left by Liu Liu Tiezhu.

"Is this the Taiping Fu market?"

Half an hour later, Ji Xue stared at the star map monitor, stunned: "It's so shabby?"

The Cross-Border Flyer hovered in the sky.

Below, a massive canyon split the earth.

At the canyon's end stood a dam.

Torrents of water roared and thundered, their sound carrying far.

Even though the Cross-Border Flyer hovered hundreds of meters above,

through the star map monitor, the water's roar was faintly audible.

Beside the dam sat a shipping container.

The container was small, about the size of an ordinary house.

On its top, a sign was carelessly painted: "Taiping Fu Market."

The hatch opened; fierce wind surged in.

"Wait here for me."

Jiang Jian's expression was calm; his sleeves fluttered as he stepped out.

His form twisted and dissolved into black light.

(End of Chapter)