Chapter 222: Master and Disciple Meet

Although he successfully obtained the feathers of the Sun-Swallowing Bird, the fact that he still had no news of the Mulan Tribe's Great Divine Master of the Zhong surname made Le Shennü feel quite dejected.

Regarding this, Yan Taibai was also helpless and could only offer a few words of gentle comfort before heading toward the Jin Capital of Da Jin with Le Shennü and the Tianlan Saintess Lin Yinping, the two sisters.

After all, the trade fair of the Dajin Cultivation World was about to begin, not to mention that the materials promised to him by the Ye Family all needed to be obtained from the Imperial Ye Family in the Jin Capital.

Even the materials he needed for himself had to be acquired at the trade fair.

Especially since he had an agreement with Xin Ruyin to meet in the Jin Capital.

Most importantly, the Wannian Cold Marrow needed for the Huiyang Water was also in the hands of a Nascent Soul cultivator in the Jin Capital; this item was something he absolutely had to obtain.

This was one of the top ten most important items in the Human World, so for both reason and sentiment, he could not miss it.

As for the Small Extreme Palace on Beiming Island, it could only be shelved for the time being.

Nowadays, it would be no problem for Nangong Wan to persist for a few decades, so there was no need to be overly anxious for the moment.

Just like that, the group of three—Yan Taibai, Le Shennü, and the Tianlan Saintess Lin Yinping—headed toward the Jin Capital of Da Jin.

Along the way, they also inquired about news of the Mulan Tribe's Great Divine Master of the Zhong surname, but they gained nothing and returned in disappointment.

Under these circumstances, even Le Shennü no longer held any hope.

However, the three were quite curious about who could possibly manage to silently kill a Great Cultivator of Nascent Soul Late Stage; even if the Great Divine Master of the Zhong surname was not an exceptionally strong Great Cultivator of Nascent Soul Late Stage, he was not weak either.

He belonged to the middle tier among Great Cultivators of Nascent Soul Late Stage, and to kill him would require at least three or four Great Cultivators of Nascent Soul Late Stage.

Yet, even for any of the Ten Great Sects of the righteous and demonic paths, gathering three or four Great Cultivators of Nascent Soul Late Stage was not an easy task.

Therefore, this was indeed a cold case.

However, it was also possible that the Great Divine Master of the Zhong surname was trapped within the restrictions of some ancient ruin and unable to escape for the time being; this was not impossible.

It was not as if such things had never happened; for a Nascent Soul cultivator, being trapped for eighty or a hundred years was a normal occurrence.

Thus, it did not necessarily mean he had met with an accident and passed away.

At the same time, as they neared the Jin Capital of Da Jin, Yan Taibai rented a carriage that was luxuriously decorated yet elegant; the reason he chose a carriage was mainly because there was an unwritten rule in the Dajin Cultivation World.

Fighting and flying were strictly prohibited within a thousand miles of the Jin Capital to show a modicum of respect from cultivators toward the Da Jin government.

In Da Jin, cultivators and mortals were, to a certain extent, interdependent.

However, this mainly applied to low-level cultivators; there were plenty of Nascent Soul cultivators, or even Golden Core Stage cultivators who relied on their superior escape techniques, who turned a deaf ear to it.

After all, those responsible for patrolling the outskirts of the Jin Capital were mostly rogue cultivators hired by the government, whose cultivation levels were generally not very high; as long as one was not discovered, or did not fly openly at low altitude when entering the capital, it was fine.

Originally, Le Shennü did not intend to comply, but Yan Taibai and the Tianlan Saintess Lin Yinping both agreed; two against one, she could only helplessly agree.

Fortunately, the carriage Yan Taibai rented was spacious and luxurious enough to allow the three of them to rest separately, so she did not say anything more.

The journey went smoothly for the three of them, and they did not encounter any obstacles.

"Eh, she actually came too."

On this day, Yan Taibai, who was sitting cross-legged in the carriage resting, opened his eyes, a look of surprise emerging in his pupils.

And the "she" he spoke of was none other than the female disciple he had taken in, "Cao Meng Rong." She was also the vessel chosen by the Supreme Wood Spirit Infant to reside in.

Now, "Cao Meng Rong," with the help of the "old grandfather" Supreme Wood Spirit Infant who harbored ill intentions, had successfully completed Foundation Establishment and become a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator.

Such a fast cultivation speed, even with the many spirit pills and medicines left behind by Yan Taibai, was not weak at all.

It showed that the Supreme Wood Spirit Infant had truly put in the effort.

Just as Yan Taibai was considering whether to go see this only disciple of his, a streak of green light had already left the carriage; it was none other than Le Shennü.

As a Great Cultivator of Nascent Soul Late Stage, she naturally sensed the aura of "Cao Meng Rong" as well.

At the same time, the voice of Le Shennü rang in Yan Taibai's ears.

"Brother Yan, I will go see Martial Niece Meng Rong first."

"Martial Niece Meng Rong"—this form of address sounded quite intimate. Yan Taibai smiled slightly and said nothing more, letting her go.

"Is Brother Yan not going to see Martial Niece Meng Rong?"

Suddenly, the voice of the Tianlan Saintess Lin Yinping followed.

Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw that the Tianlan Saintess Lin Yinping had already entered the room where he was driving the carriage.

"That is unnecessary; when we arrive in the Jin Capital, there will naturally be a time to meet."

Yan Taibai chuckled and said, unconcerned.

This was the truth, because Cao Meng Rong was also heading to the Jin Capital.

Nine times out of ten, she also wanted to purchase items she needed at the trade fair.

It could be for herself, or it could be for the Supreme Wood Spirit Infant; both were possible.

So as long as Le Shennü was there, meeting in the Jin Capital would be very easy; there was absolutely nothing to worry about...

The Jin Capital, this number one city of the Dajin Cultivation World, although boasted about by many mortals and low-level cultivators as being majestic and spectacular, as if it were peerless in the world, was just so-so in the eyes of Yan Taibai.

As for the Tianlan Saintess Lin Yinping, this was not her first time coming to the Jin Capital, so naturally, she was not very surprised. Just like that, after the two got off the carriage, they walked side by side into the Jin Capital with the flow of people.

However, after entering, Yan Taibai discovered that the Jin Capital did have some noteworthy aspects.

The first was that there were seven layers of city walls in total, with a wall every mile, and each one was more than six zhang higher than the last; especially the final wall, which was a full forty-plus zhang high. If one relied solely on mortal strength, it was indeed a significant miracle.

The second was that the entire Jin Capital was divided into thirteen districts, and the Imperial City alone was dozens of miles wide.

Not to mention the other districts.

However, compared to Heavenly Star City, the streets and houses of the Jin Capital were as dense as cow hair.

Before long, Yan Taibai and the Tianlan Saintess met with Le Shennü and Cao Meng Rong in a teahouse in the second district.

"Disciple Cao Meng Rong pays respects to Master."

Upon seeing Yan Taibai, Cao Meng Rong stood up, smoothed her clothes, and bowed respectfully.

"Very well, there is no need for such formalities between master and disciple. You have already completed Foundation Establishment in a mere few years; not bad, this cultivation speed is already extremely fast."

Yan Taibai smiled slightly and praised her without reservation.

"It is all thanks to the spirit pills and medicines bestowed by Master; otherwise, with my Spirit Root aptitude, I fear it would have been difficult to successfully complete Foundation Establishment in my entire life."

Hearing this, Cao Meng Rong said with an increasingly grateful expression.

"Hehe! This also has to do with your own diligent cultivation; medicinal pills are merely an aid."

Yan Taibai chuckled and said, not minding it much.

"It is fate that we master and disciple have met here in the Jin Capital. If there is anything you do not understand regarding cultivation, this master will do his best to answer them one by one."

"Many thanks, Master. Uncle-Master Le has already answered all the doubts in this disciple's heart along the way." Hearing Yan Taibai's words, Cao Meng Rong shook her head slightly and replied.

"Since that is the case, then this master will not say anything more. Inside here are several bottles of medicinal pills that help cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage improve their cultivation and refine their True Essence Magic Power; I give them to you."

"And this jade pendant. If you encounter any trouble in the Jin Capital that you cannot resolve, feel free to inform this master through this jade pendant, and this master will arrive at the first moment."

Yan Taibai took several bottles of medicinal pills and a specially crafted Dharma Treasure jade pendant from his Storage Bag and handed them to Cao Meng Rong.

"Is Master leaving now?"

Seeing this, the look of joy on Cao Meng Rong's face dimmed significantly, and she hurriedly asked.

"Indeed, this master still has matters that need to be handled, so I will not keep you company here any longer."

Yan Taibai nodded.

Then he placed the Jade Bottle and the jade pendant on the table.

"Then take care, Master."

Seeing this, Cao Meng Rong could only bow and say respectfully once more.

"Mm! You take care as well."

After saying this, Yan Taibai turned and left, with no intention of staying any longer.

However, Le Shennü and the Tianlan Saintess Lin Yinping remained behind according to Yan Taibai's voice transmission.

After leaving the teahouse, Yan Taibai stopped a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator to inquire about the details of the trade fair, and only then did he set off for the place where the trade fair was being held: Jinxi Market.

However, this Jinxi Market is now covered by array Restrictions all year round; even if ordinary Mortals know that there are immortals here, they cannot discover it, let alone enter it, but for Yan Taibai, there was no problem at all.

He entered it with ease and arrived on a street.

As soon as he entered the street, what met his eyes were fully several hundred cultivators going in and out of shops on both sides, appearing quite lively.

And what was eye-catching was that both sides of the market were almost entirely tall buildings of two or three stories, as if each one had abundant financial resources and were all significant trading firms.

Yan Taibai had encountered many of them on the road and had even conducted trades with them, so he could be considered familiar with them.

But Yan Taibai was searching for the Tianji Pavilion according to his memory, because there were materials he needed inside the Tianji Pavilion, so he naturally could not miss it.

If he were to miss it just like that, he did not know when he would be able to find it again, and if he remembered correctly, this was also a significant opportunity, so he naturally could not miss it.

After inquiring slightly, Yan Taibai learned the specific location of the Tianji Pavilion from a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator.

Not long after, having found it, he strode into the Tianji Pavilion.

The first floor of this Tianji Pavilion was not small, being thirty or forty zhang in length and width, with five or six bright-eyed and well-favored Qi Refining Stage attendants pointing at and introducing some items on the surrounding shelves to several guests in the shop.

And Yan Taibai did not conceal his aura; no sooner had he entered than a middle-aged man in white robes who was in charge straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Senior. It is truly this pavilion's honor that Senior could come to our Tianji Pavilion. The first floor naturally will not have the items Senior desires; how about Senior follows this junior to the third floor to discuss in detail?"

"Very well, lead the way!" Seeing this, Yan Taibai nodded slightly.

A moment later, Yan Taibai arrived at the third floor of the Tianji Pavilion with the middle-aged man.

Compared to the first floor of the Tianji Pavilion, this third floor was not only more elegant and exquisite, but there were also two young and beautiful female cultivators who, upon seeing the middle-aged man bring a guest in, immediately brewed a pot of fine tea and brought it up.

At this time, the middle-aged man in white robes smiled and said.

"Senior, please first taste the Mist Rain Spirit Tea that this pavilion spent a great sum to acquire; it has a unique flavor."

"No rush, let us first look at the several materials I need. These materials are all rare items in the world, and whether your Tianji Pavilion has them is not certain. Therefore, I will not taste this tea for now."

Yan Taibai shook his head and immediately took out a green Jade Slip and handed it over.

"

"Very well, then this junior will take a look first!"

Hearing that they were all rare items in the world, the middle-aged man in white robes' expression changed slightly, but he still managed a forced smile, took the Jade Slip, and let his divine sense enter it to examine it.

Not long after, upon finishing his examination, the middle-aged man in white robes' expression became quite ugly, but it only lasted for a moment before he recovered as before and smiled.

"Senior is quite right; the materials inside are indeed all rare items in the world. If it were elsewhere, Senior might truly not be able to find them. However, this pavilion does indeed have one piece of Thunder Spirit Crystal."

His tone was tinged with a hint of pride.

And when Yan Taibai heard that there was still a "Thunder Spirit Crystal," he knew he had not come to the wrong place or arrived too late.

"Good, then bring it here!"

A hint of a smile appeared on Yan Taibai's face.

"Senior, please forgive me. This piece of Thunder Spirit Crystal was also only recently received by this pavilion. As for its origin, it does not belong to this pavilion, but was deposited here by another Nascent Soul Stage senior who is on good terms with this pavilion, prepared to be used to exchange for other things. If it cannot be exchanged, it is prepared to be auctioned at the auction in a few days."

The middle-aged man in white robes explained.

"Oh! Then I wonder what that fellow Daoist wants? I consider myself to have some assets."

Hearing this, Yan Taibai was not surprised and asked directly.

"The item that senior desires, although not as rare in the world as the materials Senior needs, is also a hard-to-find item. Senior, please look."

The middle-aged man in white robes took out a Jade Slip that had been prepared long ago and handed it to Yan Taibai.

Yan Taibai took the Jade Slip, examined it, and after a moment of silence, said.

"It really is a coincidence; I happen to have several of the materials that fellow Daoist needs, but I need to see the Thunder Spirit Crystal first."

"No problem, this is naturally no problem, Senior please wait a moment."

Upon hearing Yan Taibai's words, the middle-aged man in white robes was full of surprise and hurriedly agreed.

"Please wait a moment, Senior, I will send a message out now. Senior Fu will be here in a moment."

Subsequently, the middle-aged man in white robes stood up, bowed, and walked out of the third-floor hall.

Seeing this, Yan Taibai then picked up the Spirit Tea before him and took a light sip; it was mellow, fragrant, and sweet—truly extraordinary.

He had long anticipated all of this, so he was not surprised; he only hoped to seize the time to obtain the materials he needed.

After the trade fair, it would be time to head to the Imperial Ye Family of Da Jin to complete the transaction with them.

Once the transaction with the Ye Family was completed, he would basically have gathered all the necessary materials.

At that time, he would reunite with Xin Ruyin and be able to set about refining the Nascent Soul Late Stage Puppet and the Sanyan Fan.

As for the matter of Kunwu Mountain, it would depend on the speed of the Imperial Ye Family.

(End of this chapter)