Chapter 65

However, the current goal is still to find the location of the spiritual ground.

Yan Buji stood on a high point and looked around.

This underground area is indeed a palace complex; besides the place I came from, there are several palaces of considerable size.

But these places have nothing special; rather, it is the nearby area where many glowing mushrooms, fungal carpets, and other shade-loving plants grow that has caught Yan Buji's attention.

Yan Buji made up his mind and went over to observe.

This place is deep in the garden beside the palace, and it is the only spot in the entire underground with a faint glow.

Here there are not only mushrooms, but also some black grasses and white flowers that Yan Buji does not recognize; it is hard to imagine flora growing in a place without sunlight.

The surrounding gardens are all fake; only this place looks full of life, so it must be the spiritual ground Chen Li mentioned, right?

Yan Buji also does not know much about it, so he can only sit down, slowly cast away distracting thoughts, and quietly enter meditation.

Releasing his mind, Yan Buji carefully observed his surroundings.

Just like that.

Seven days passed like that.

Only after Yan Buji's dry rations and water were exhausted did he stand up with a dark face.

"What spiritual ground? Where does any heaven-and-earth spiritual energy come from?!"

"I must have looked in the wrong place!"

Yan Buji took a deep breath, unwilling to admit that he might lack cultivation talent, so he could only leave the underground palace by the way he came and then make further plans.

When Yan Buji broke through to the surface, he furrowed his brow and lifted his head.

The sunlight was blinding; being underground for so long was truly oppressive, but suddenly smelling fresh air made one feel refreshed and delighted.

"It seems my cultivation talent may not be as high as my martial talent; in that case, I will first inquire about news of the Blood Essence Skill and the Guān Tiān Dēng Mó Zhuàng, in order to investigate the whereabouts of the third internal art."

Yan Buji knows he must not rush, for rushing easily leads to trouble.

The Guān Tiān Dēng Mó Zhuàng was obtained from the Chi Ren Fo; likely one must go to the Xun Dao region to inquire of those Buddhist forces, but with his internal skill, going there would probably get him recognized on the spot by those bald donkeys.

However, the one who knows the Blood Flow Sect best in the Kun Dao region is the court; does Yan Buji really dare to sneak into the court to gather information?

That would be no different from seeking death.

"In that case, I can only go to the former stronghold of the Blood Flow Sect to see if I can find any clues, preferably locating remnants of the Blood Flow Sect."

Yan Buji, after all, obtained the complete Blood Essence Skill from a remnant of the Blood Flow Sect; that person's identity is unlikely to be simple. Even without credentials, Yan Buji's extremely pure Blood Essence Skill, even if not learned from the Blood Flow Sect, makes no difference.

Anyway, both are wanted by the court; what's the harm in colluding with heretical paths?

The so-called righteousness and wickedness mean nothing to Yan Buji.

He only knows that, to embark on the path of cultivation, he has prepared for many years; although he made a few small mistakes along the way, he also successfully reclaimed his own things.

To join the sect of Beichen Wanqing, he still needs to become a true cultivator to be sufficiently safe.

Therefore, whether sensing spiritual energy or seeking the third internal art to complete his ancient martial cultivator's path, both are relatively crucial.

Only after achieving these can he meet with Chen Li to consider whether he can obtain something good from the Lingyu of the Hundred Herbs Gate.

"I recall that place is perhaps... near Li Huo City, right?"

Yan Buji thought, went down the mountain, acquired a horse and some money, and headed toward Li Huo City.

Li Huo City lies at the border between the Kun Dao dynasty and the Kan Dao region; the Kan Dao region neighbors the Kun Dao region. The entire Nan Ting Mountain Region belongs to eight Dao regions, among which the ones that have relatively close contact with Kun Dao are the Xun Dao and Kan Dao three regions.

The Nan Ting Mountain Region appears roughly like a bagua diagram, but in fact the central position has always been shrouded in mountains and clouds, so no one can see clearly what that mountain range looks like.

That is the Wan Dao Mountain Range, famed as 'not even a feather can pass, no one can enter'!

This mountain range seems circular; in the secular world, no one has ever known what lies inside the Wan Dao Mountain Range, only that any mortal who enters ends up dead.

Yan Buji speculates that the Wan Dao Mountain Range is likely the largest gathering place of cultivators in the entire Nan Ting Mountain Region.

As for the sects established in the eight Dao regions, they may not be the notable cultivation forces of the Nan Ting Mountain Region.

Or perhaps they are merely subordinate forces?

Yan Buji nodded, having arrived near Li Huo City, he dismounted, cleaned up his traces, changed into new clothes, altered his appearance, and entered Li Huo City.

Just arrived, Yan Buji, unfamiliar with the place, found an inn to stay, rested for a night, then set out to wander the city.

Li Huo City is not as prosperous as the capital Huang Du, yet the flow of merchant caravals is indeed great; many merchants haggle here, and there are also small vendors from the Kan Dao region hawking their local specialties along the streets.

"Sir, what would you like?"

Yan Buji stopped at a small stall, looked at the specialty goods, and asked, "Do you have clam juice here?"

"Clam juice? Oh, sir, have you been to Kan Dao? This stuff isn't cheap."

"I lack no money."

"Hehe, at a glance you're surely a big spender. How about one tael of gold for one tael of clam juice, and we'll consider ourselves friends." The vendor smiled, his eyes showing sincerity.

Yan Buji nodded: "Adding your travel and transport costs, the clam juice being a bit pricey is no problem; mainly..."

"Take a look, is my clam juice's flavor proper?"

Saying that, the vendor clearly understood Yan Buji's meaning, took out a bottle and handed it over.

Yan Buji gave it a slight sniff, and a terrible stench wafted out, like various dead and diseased fish dumped into a saltwater pool, left to bake for dozens of days, emitting a foul, fishy odor!

Such a thing is actually a required ingredient for a top-tier delicacy; can you believe it?

Yan Buji chuckled, nodded, and tossed a piece of gold: "Here you go."

"Thank you for your patronage! Sir, take your leave!"

Having received the clam juice, Yan Buji gave a slight smile and turned to leave.

Although clam juice is ostensibly a seasoning, Yan Buji uses it for a different purpose.

The marvelous use of this was actually discovered by Zhou Hua that old lecher; I don't know how he thought to use such an extremely foul-smelling substance to concoct a perfume that lets one let down their guard.

Although such perfume may be useless to cultivators, taking some appropriate precautions is Yan Buji's instinct.

After circling the drugstores on the street and nearly gathering all the materials, Yan Buji went outside the city to begin preparing the perfume.

Within fifteen minutes of this perfume being successfully formulated, it emits an extremely strong fragrance—so strong it can make people dizzy and vomit.

But after fifteen minutes, the fragrance instantly turns odorless; at that point, spraying the prepared perfume on oneself will not provoke others' dislike—on the contrary, it will make people feel that the person is very reassuring.

As for whether that's true, Yan Buji needs to give it a try.

However, judging from the battle with the Kūn Gate Master, at least the strange prescriptions recorded by Zhou Hua are indeed quite potent.