Chapter 587: Zhong Tian City

Yan Buji ultimately chose to go to Zhong Tian Zhi Yu.

Zhong Tian Zhi Yu lies to the south of the Dongxing Sea Region; if one wishes to travel there from the Five Regions, one must pass through the Turbulent Sea and cross the boundary wall to reach it.

However, having the Heavenly Spirit Realm makes things much more convenient.

"Passengers heading to Zhong Tian Zhi Yu, please note: Zhong Tian City has arrived."

Yan Buji stepped out of the inter-realm vessel and remarked, "I don't know who invented this inter-realm vessel, but it can actually move people from both the Heavenly Spirit Realm and the Five Regions' locations together."

Yan Buji thought for a moment; due to the Heavenly Spirit Realm's special nature, only those who have eaten the Heavenly Spirit Fruit and taken special pills can come here, and once the medicine's effect wears off, they return to their original place.

However, the cultivators of the Nine Heavens Five Regions Merchant Guild invented the inter-realm vessel, seemingly directly transferring the spatial coordinates of those from the Heavenly Spirit Realm. To Yan Buji, this is undoubtedly the work of a top-tier artifact refiner and a Grand Master of the Space Dao!

Yet Yan Buji would not be foolish enough to directly ask who invented the inter-realm vessel, after all, as a mere martial cultivator, what qualification does he have to inquire about such matters?

Zhong Tian City is quite similar to Dongxing City, with all kinds of people coming and going.

"How come there are monsterfolk here?" Yan Buji's expression changed.

Seeing several monsterfolk men and women swaggering down the street, while the surrounding cultivators acted as if they hadn't noticed, Yan Buji looked over in disbelief.

"Hey, do you have any objections to us monsterfolk?"

"Yeah, what have we monsterfolk done to you?"

"Don't compare us to the mixed-blood mongrels of the other four regions; we are pure-blooded monsterfolk!"

The nearby monsterfolk, seeing Yan Buji's expression, immediately walked over and surrounded him.

Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Yan Buji chuckled and said, "I'm just a first-time visitor to Zhong Tian City, inexperienced; please forgive me."

"Tsk, turns out he's just a country bumpkin."

"Let's go, there's no point arguing with a country bumpkin."

Seeing Yan Buji's attitude change dramatically, the surrounding monsterfolk men and women muttered that it was boring and promptly left.

Yan Buji frowned, entered a shop, and inquired, "Fellow Daoist, excuse me; I'm a first-time visitor to Zhong Tian City and still don't know the situation here."

"No problem, no problem." The Golden Core shopkeeper chuckled, "Zhong Tian Zhi Yu differs from other great regions; humans and monsterfolk live mixed together, so fellow Daoist, it's no wonder you're puzzled after seeing so many monsterfolk."

"Is that so? Zhong Tian Zhi Yu is famed as a holy land for humanity; how could it be like this?" Yan Buji exclaimed in surprise.

Zhong Tian Zhi Yu isn't necessarily stronger than other great regions, but the issue is that several known sage dao grounds lie within Zhong Tian Zhi Yu; thus, aspiring cultivators who have achieved some level of cultivation basically come here to make their way, producing many heroes and champions, which also earned Zhong Tian Zhi Yu the reputation of a holy land for humanity.

"Relations between humans and monsterfolk aren't as tense as before; fellow Daoist, you may have come from another great region and had conflicts with monsterfolk, but here I advise you: with reason, you can travel anywhere under heaven; without reason, don't force things."

Yan Buji nodded, clasped his hands, and said, "Thank you, shopkeeper; how much for these pills?"

"Sincere discount: three thousand low-grade spiritual stones."

Yan Buji's face twitched, but he still pulled out the money and bought them.

Immediately, Yan Buji asked again, "Recently, are there any major powers in Zhong Tian Zhi Yu recruiting disciples?"

"Major powers? What kind of major power are you looking for, fellow Daoist? The sage dao grounds generally do not actively open their mountain gates to recruit disciples; besides that, there are thirty forces at the Great Vehicle Stage within the sects, twenty at the Unity Dao Stage, and the rest are too many to count."

"That many?" Yan Buji froze for a moment.

"After all, the number of cultivators who have come to Zhong Tian Zhi Yu over the years is no less than a million; there are always a few who can make a name and establish sects, so it's not really that many."

"If that's the case, people seek higher ground; among the Great Vehicle Stage powers, are there any recruiting disciples?"

"There are a few; fellow Daoist, please wait a moment."

Saying this, the shopkeeper boss bent down and took out a jade slip from under the counter: "This is the information on powers currently recruiting disciples. Although what you said makes sense, fellow Daoist, I advise you not to be overly ambitious; competition inside these great sects is fierce. While we cultivators may be notable figures in our own regions, within those great sects we are a dime a dozen."

Yan Buji nodded; he naturally understood these principles.

But having come all this way, if one doesn't join a major power and strive for resources, what's the point of coming here?

Isn't it just because those major powers have abundant resources and connections; joining them gives you a foothold to operate your own power and obtain cultivation resources?

Thinking this, Yan Buji picked up the jade slip, swept his divine sense over it, and began to examine it.

The shopkeeper saw that Yan Buji didn't look like a vulgar person and said, "Fellow Daoist, don't think I'm lying; although my sect only has a few Unity Dao Stage elders presiding, it still has some reputation in Zhong Tian Zhi Yu, can operate freely in Zhong Tian City, and is not bad. Moreover, establishing a sect in Zhong Tian Zhi Yu is never simple; one also needs approval from fellow cultivators, so one cannot engage in forcible seizure, or else everyone will gang up to suppress you."

Yan Buji nodded: "That is indeed very good."

Yan Buji could roughly understand the situation in Zhong Tian Zhi Yu; it means there are too many people in Zhong Tian Zhi Yu, and if everyone wants to establish a sect, how would resources be allocated?

Wouldn't one then have to resort to scheming and plunder?

Wouldn't that just cause chaos?

Therefore, on the surface there should be transcendent powers like the sage dao grounds suppressing those with ill intentions, and all sects jointly established some unwritten rules.

For example, if you used scheming to kill a sect's sect master and take his place, but if the matter were exposed and became known, no one would recognize your status and position; this would instead give other sects an excuse to annex you.

Thus, after all the twists and turns, the key still lies in the two words "benefit."

However, alongside that, there are also the two words "reason."

Benefit and reason do not conflict; if you can justify yourself and everyone accepts your identity, who cares what methods you use?

If forcible seizure is not allowed, Yan Buji feels his means are restricted; however, this trip to Zhong Tian Zhi Yu is not about grabbing a quick profit and leaving, so such petty theft is best avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Therefore, the starting point must be chosen carefully; joining a good sect, even if starting from the bottom, Yan Buji has confidence in managing his own power well.

Zhong Tian Zhi Yu lacks no talent; the alchemy and artifact forging techniques I know might not attract much attention, so.....

"One must first make a name for oneself."

Yan Buji thought it over and began to inquire about the conditions of various places in Zhong Tian Zhi Yu.

Soon, Yan Buji heard a piece of news that made people happy.

"The Medicine King's Legacy has been opened; this time it has attracted many young people to participate, as the Medicine King's Legacy restricts entry to cultivators at the Spirit Transformation Stage and above, so it is now quite lively."

Yan Buji pinched his chin, nodded, and said, "Thank you, shopkeeper."

"You're welcome."