Chapter 297: Tiannan

Ling Zhiwang handed He Pingsheng a jade slip.

A jade slip is a token of identity.

"Also!" Ling Zhiwang continued, "though we're neighbors with Nanlong Commandery and not far from Tiannan City, if you rely on sword-flight alone, you won't make it in less than a month!"

"We're running out of time!"

He Pingsheng nodded.

Indeed, time was running short.

Even if you arrived in a month, they'd already departed for Xishu Commandery.

Where would you get any qualification then?

The sooner you arrive, the better.

"Does Hongshi City have any large airships bound for Tiannan City?" He Pingsheng asked Ling Zhiwang.

Ling Zhiwang said, "There are… but if you go, you must be cautious!"

"You'd better disguise yourself!"

"Otherwise, if the Jingxin Elder finds out, it'll be trouble!"

He Pingsheng nodded: "Understood, thank you, fellow cultivator!"

After bidding farewell to Ling Zhiwang and leaving the Hongshi Trading House, He Pingsheng walked straight to the Immortal Airship Square without looking back.

On the way to the Immortal Airship Square, He Pingsheng molded his face as he walked.

By the time he reached the Immortal Airship Square, he had transformed into the appearance of Cheng Daocai.

He had ridden such an immortal airship before—when he traveled from Dingxiang Commandery to Shangdang Commandery for the Divine General Mountain relic.

The speed of these immortal airships was truly unmatched.

Far faster than ordinary sword-flight or magic treasure airships.

The cost to ride such a large airship wasn't expensive.

Just five thousand lower-grade spirit stones.

He Pingsheng boarded the airship smoothly and arrived in Tiannan City in just one day.

After disembarking, He Pingsheng headed straight for the address provided by Ling Zhiwang's friend.

He wasn't unprepared.

But he didn't need to worry too much.

First, this was a city—large-scale fighting was forbidden.

Second, someone who befriended Ling Zhiwang was likely only a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was virtually invincible.

So He Pingsheng wasn't overly concerned.

He rented a carriage near the Immortal Airship Square and spent half an hour before arriving at Ling Zhiwang's friend's residence.

It was a small courtyard.

Very similar to the one he had in Hongshi City.

The spiritual energy within the courtyard was average.

Several first-grade arrays were arranged around the courtyard.

Seeing these arrays, He Pingsheng smiled outright.

Soon, a middle-aged cultivator stepped out of the courtyard and, upon seeing He Pingsheng, looked surprised: "Fellow cultivator!"

"I don't know if you…"

He Pingsheng's spiritual sense swept over the man and found him to be only a Foundation Establishment fourth-layer cultivator; he relaxed immediately and pulled out the jade slip: "Fellow cultivator, I'm a friend of Ling Zhiwang. Look at this jade slip—you'll understand at once!"

"Oh?" The man nodded and took the jade slip to examine it.

His spiritual sense delved inside, and the contents immediately appeared.

"You're Xu Dao You … Hello, hello…"

"Come in!"

"That's right—I'm Ling Zhiwang's closest friend!"

"My name is Qin Zhou!"

"Brother Qin!"

The two exchanged pleasantries and entered Qin Zhou's cultivation hall.

They sat down, host and guest.

"I already know what you seek, Xu Dao You!" Qin Zhou said. "You want to obtain a qualification to enter the Five Dragon Gully relic in Xishu Commandery?"

"May I ask, what is your current cultivation level?"

Qin Zhou studied He Pingsheng.

He couldn't discern He Pingsheng's cultivation level.

He Pingsheng said: "I am Foundation Establishment eleventh layer."

"Oh!" Qin Zhou said. "My apologies… I didn't realize your cultivation was so high?"

"Good—our Tiannan City's rule requires cultivators to be either eleventh or twelfth layer of Foundation Establishment to qualify."

"But you're too late!"

"All the qualifications here have already been distributed!"

"What?" He Pingsheng froze.

But thinking about it, it made sense.

After all, Hongshi City had also mostly distributed theirs.

So it wasn't surprising that Tiannan City's distribution was complete.

"Then…" He Pingsheng said, "can I buy one through an auction or trading house?"

"Unlikely," Qin Zhou shook his head.

But he quickly added: "Fortunately, the qualification tokens here aren't registered to names—they can be traded!"

"If you're willing to offer something valuable, you can probably get one."

Hearing this, He Pingsheng's spirits lifted: "Then… where can I find one?"

Qin Zhou said: "The black market."

"Xu Dao You, don't rush!"

"Tonight, I'll take you to the black market—you'll likely find the token there."

He Pingsheng knew black markets existed, but he'd never visited one.

As the name suggests, black markets existed in dark places.

Prices were naturally exorbitant.

Trading there carried risk—no one guaranteed your safety.

If you showed wealth and drew attention, you'd be in trouble.

But He Pingsheng had no choice.

He nodded: "Very well, thank you, fellow cultivator!"

…

Night fell!

Qin Zhou led He Pingsheng out of the small courtyard toward the black market.

After circling through the city several times, they arrived at a pitch-black ruin.

Behind the ruin stood a dilapidated hall.

Behind the hall was a dark, gaping entrance.

Beside the entrance stood seven or eight burly men guarding it.

He Pingsheng scanned them with his spiritual sense—each was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Lu Ge, here's the token!" Qin Zhou held up a black, unmarked token.

One of the men nodded: "Go in."

Qin Zhou led He Pingsheng swiftly through the entrance.

As they entered, He Pingsheng felt something strange.

It was as if stepping through the entrance brought them into another world.

The scenery unfolded before him.

Dim yellow light fell from nowhere, illuminating a modest space with a single street.

Along the street were a few small shops and hundreds of people coming and going.

"This is the black market!"

Qin Zhou said: "This is a space within a magic treasure—we're inside someone else's magic treasure right now!"

"So brother, unless absolutely necessary, don't fight."

"Understood!" He Pingsheng was startled: They were inside someone else's magic treasure.

But he understood why.

If city guard patrols showed up, they could simply flee with the treasure.

Far better than a fixed location.

"Let's go…" Qin Zhou led He Pingsheng to the door of a small shop.

In the small house sat a cultivator.

A middle-aged man, his face brimming with murderous intent.

He Pingsheng dared not extend his spiritual sense.

"Brother Lou, this is my friend… he wants to buy something at the black market!" Qin Zhou bowed with a smile to the cultivator named Lou Ge.

Lou Ge glanced at Qin Zhou, then at He Pingsheng, and asked, "No problem. What do you want?"