Chapter 384: Imperial Capital Shengjing

Nascent Souls are as numerous as dogs, Golden Cores litter the ground.

Standing on the main street of Shengjing Immortal City, watching the cultivators coming and going, each exuding a powerful aura, Zhang Xingyu finally understood what a holy cultivation site and a Xuantiandalu Immortal Capital were.

Fortunately, he had already been shocked once before entering the city yesterday, so this time he didn't display the naive country‑bumpkin demeanor of a rural farmer's first city visit.

Perhaps amazed by the splendor of Shengjing Immortal City, even Harry, who had always floated before Zhang Xingyu as a long‑legged lady‑chaser, turned into a Liu Laomu just entering the Grand View Garden.

As for Bai Yujing, who was tugging at Harry's hem, she looked more like a three‑year‑old curious baby, her big watery eyes constantly scanning around.

They poked here, looked there; the front‑gate main street, four to five li long, forced them to walk for an entire day.

They bought not a single magical instrument or treasure, but filled the four big bags with all kinds of rouge, cosmetics, pastries and snacks.

All the way, Zhang Xingyu kept sighing.

In the capital, everything is pricey. The four bags of cosmetics and snacks he carried cost him a full ten thousand spirit stones.

Ten thousand spirit stones—that could sustain a mundane family outside the city for several generations. But here it only covers one night at a three‑star Immortal Forest Hotel. As for a five‑star, forget it; this amount can't even tip the doorman at the entrance.

At dusk, after Zhang Xingyu's repeated urging, the three finally arrived at the Wanxian Hall, the capital office of the Wanfa Immortal Sect in Shengjing Immortal City.

Wanxian Hall spans about a hundred mu, its interior arranged with artificial hills, groves, lakes, pavilions, and towers.

Wanfa Immortal Sect, truly one of Xuantiandalu's top ten cultivation sects, proves its wealth just by the sight of Wanxian Hall.

One should know that in this land‑scarce Shengjing Immortal City, property averages one hundred thousand spirit stones per square meter. Owning a standalone villa marks a rich person; a small siheyuan marks a super‑rich. Owning a place as vast as Wanxian Hall cannot be merely wealthy—it also requires power. Clearly, Wanfa Immortal Sect is not only rich but also a major force.

At the entrance of Wanxian Hall, under the wary gaze of a guard disciple, Zhang Xingyu produced the sect jade badge that signified his identity.

There was no choice; the sect disciples and leading elders attending this Xuantiandalu Heavenly Champion Grand Assembly had already arrived early.

He alone was delayed for quite some time at Pearl Lake's bottom, so he had to go to Shengjing Immortal City alone to meet them.

Thinking of the hundreds of thousands of teleportation fees, Zhang Xingyu's heart ached terribly.

He's a pauper now—utterly penniless and burdened with massive debt.

The only consolation is that the Black‑Hearted Demon has finally been utterly eradicated, so he no longer bears the duty of "saving world peace and protecting all living beings."

After the Black‑Hearted Demon's destruction, Bai Yujing reappeared by his side. Because she had been possessed by the demon, her spirit was severely damaged, leaving her intellect at the level of a seven‑ or eight‑year‑old child.

As for her identity, Zhang Xingyu pieced it together from her shattered memory fragments. She is Bai Yujing, daughter of Bai Shuanglong, head of the Li River Sword Sect. Bai Shuanglong's true name is Gu Changfeng, secretly a demon‑clan Dark Son leader hidden in the southern Zhanzhou. Bai Yujing grew up motherless; her beloved senior brother Yun Feiyang fell for another, and after that heartbreak she was abandoned by her own father, who used her as a vessel for the Black‑Hearted Demon King. Her tragic tale would move listeners to tears and could be made into a Xuantiandalu version of the world classic "Les Misérables."

Outside Wanxian Hall, a guard disciple carefully verified Zhang Xingyu's identity. After confirming it, he personally escorted the three of them to a loft.

"Senior Brother Zhang, this Guanyun Pavilion is a bit remote, but it boasts beautiful scenery and great quiet. The hall's steward, Wang Zhishi, had instructed that once you arrive, you and your maid should rest here," the guard said.

Zhang Xingyu nodded, then asked, "When does the Heavenly Champion Grand Assembly begin? Where are the other junior brothers and sisters?"

"Senior Brother Zhang, no need to rush; the Heavenly Champion Grand Assembly is still half a month away. These days, the early‑arriving senior brothers and sisters have gone sightseeing. Senior Brother Zhang, would you like to go out for a stroll in the next few days? If so, I have a jade tablet here that details the city's scenic spots and shopping venues," the guard replied.

Zhang Xingyu nodded, reached out and took the jade tablet from the guard disciple.

Seeing Zhang Xingyu satisfied, the guard disciple smiled broadly, took his leave, and departed.

A night passed without a word.

The next morning, at the first hint of dawn, Harry and Bai Yujing dragged him out of his nest.

"Get up, get up. Today we're going to the city's most famous Prince Street. I heard it's packed with countless shops selling rouge, cosmetics, and trendy clothing. Today, we'll shop till we're done," Harry, with dark circles under his eyes, called out.

"Yes, yes, yes, besides clothes we'll also buy loads of delicious food," Bai Yujing added from beside. Today Bai Yujing also had a pair of panda eyes.

Zhang Xingyu looked at the two of them: "What's up with you two?"

"We spent last night researching shopping routes, got so excited we didn't sleep at all. Come on, get up and get ready. Once we're made up, we'll head out," Harry said, shaking Zhang Xingyu's arm.

"Women! I'm done with you," Zhang Xingyu shook his head.

Half an hour later.

"I'm ready. Let's set off now," he said.

"Wait a moment. We'll be ready soon," he replied.

One hour later.

"Are you ready? If we don't leave now we'll hit traffic," he urged.

"Wait a bit longer. We'll be ready in a little while," he said.

One and a half hours later, Zhang Xingyu, bored out of his mind, leaned back in his chair and drifted into a dream.

Two hours later, while discussing the Dao with Zhou Gong, a lion's roar suddenly rang in his ears.

"Zhang Xingyu, stop sleeping. We're departing!"

Shengjing Immortal City is truly vast, and Prince Street is indeed bustling.

Zhang Xingyu looked at his purse with a pang of sorrow, then glumly glanced at the mountain of bags in his hands.

It seemed that in a few days he'd be back to his pitiful, destitute days.

Leaving Prince Street, they squeezed into a very lively alley.

At the alley's entrance hung an antique‑styled plaque bearing six large golden characters.

"Bayi Alley Food Street."

Below those six characters, a slightly smaller line of annotation appeared.

Bayi Alley Food Street, founded in the year 11,500 of the Xianyuan Era, is one of Xuantiandalu's renowned intangible cultural heritages.

People came and went in the alley, and the sides of the road were lined with all kinds of snack stalls.

The moment Bai Yujing entered the alley, she felt like a fish in water, a dragon returning to the sea. This is a foodie's paradise, and also Bai Yujing's heaven, for she is an unabashed gourmand.

A skewer in her left hand, candied hawthorn on a stick in her right, and a roasted chicken wing in her mouth.

Bai Yujing blinked at Zhang Xingyu, who was paying, signaling him to grab a candied hawthorn for her.

Zhang Xingyu was speechless. After a moment, he asked, "Are these things tasty?"

Bai Yujing nodded, then shook her head. When Zhang Xingyu took the candied hawthorn from her hand, she removed the roasted chicken wing from her mouth and said, "It's tasty, but not as good as your grilled fish."

My grilled fish? Could she have recovered her memory?

Just as Zhang Xingyu was about to ask Bai Yujing, a crowd's gasp suddenly echoed in his ears.

Quick, look, quick, the great formation opened, the Ethereal Immortal Palace was revealed.