Chapter 75

The vast, rugged mountain range resembled an ancient giant beast crouching upon the earth, with rolling seas of forest and demonic energy faintly emerging. Lin Xuan did not fly through the air; instead, he traversed the mountain forest using "Shrinking Ground to an Inch." His figure was like a ghost, landing without a sound, leaving only faint ripples in space behind.

As he traveled, he familiarized himself with the power gained after his breakthrough, especially the application of the Chaos Dao Seed. This Dao Seed was incomparably profound; not only could it autonomously inhale and exhale spiritual energy, but it also allowed him to perceive the flow of surrounding energy with extreme clarity. He could even vaguely "hear" the low, heavy breathing of powerful demonic beasts deep within the mountain range, as well as the faint pulsation of the spiritual veins beneath the ground.

Several days later, the landscape at the edge of the mountain range gradually opened up, and signs of human activity increased. There were mountain paths worn down by footsteps, abandoned traps, and occasionally, simple guard posts. The primal aura in the air remained, but it now carried a bit more of the mundane atmosphere of human life.

In the distance, the silhouette of a massive city appeared at the edge of his vision.

Black Rock City.

Just as its name suggested, the entire city seemed to have been crudely piled together from countless enormous black rocks. The city walls were towering and mottled, covered in various marks from weapon scratches and spell bombardments, exuding a sense of perseverance and savagery forged through the vicissitudes of time. On the walls, runes could be faintly seen flowing, emitting significant defensive spiritual power fluctuations. Several flags embroidered with the Imperial Dynasty's Flame Griffin and the local garrison's wolf head snapped loudly in the dry wind.

The city gate was bustling with a constant stream of traffic and people. Those entering and exiting were of all kinds: small squads of imperial border troops with bright armor and strict discipline; mercenaries and demon hunters reeking of blood and filled with murderous intent; fierce-looking Southern Wilderness barbarian cultivators wearing animal skins and painted faces; mysterious figures shrouded in wide cloaks whose faces could not be seen; and even more numerous merchants and rogue cultivators with low cultivation bases traveling for profit.

It was noisy, chaotic, yet filled with a kind of distorted vitality.

Lin Xuan stopped in a dense forest a few miles outside the city to carefully check his disguise once more. His cultivation base was stabilized at the late Golden Core stage, and his appearance was adjusted to be more ordinary—the kind that would be impossible to find if thrown into a crowd. The green shirt on his body was also changed into the coarse cloth attire common at the border, with the Dust Ring hidden inside his clothes. After confirming everything was correct, he followed the crowd toward the city gate, which looked like the open maw of a giant beast.

The city gate guards were several tough-looking border troop cultivators with cultivation bases around the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, their sharp eyes scanning every person entering the city. Entering the city required a fee of ten low-grade spirit stones, which was not a small amount for low-rank cultivators, but it could not stop the flow of people yearning for opportunity.

Lin Xuan calmly paid the spirit stones. The guard's gaze lingered on him for a moment, sensing the "late Golden Core" spiritual power fluctuation, and without further questioning, waved his hand to let him pass.

Stepping into the city, a wave of noise rushed toward him.

Unlike the orderly prosperity of the imperial capital, the interior of Black Rock City was more like an enlarged version of a marketplace. The streets were wide but uneven, and the buildings on both sides were crowded and cluttered, mostly built with giant rocks and rough wood, with a rugged and practical style. The air was mixed with the smells of sweat, blood, inferior alcohol, roasted meat, herbs, and the musk of livestock, forming a unique and intense border-city atmosphere.

The sounds of hawking, bargaining, scolding, the clashing of wine bowls, and even the occasional sound of weapons clashing intertwined into a chaotic symphony.

Lin Xuan's spiritual sense swept slightly, like a spring breeze brushing over water, leaving no trace. The cultivation bases of the cultivators in the city were indeed uneven; the Foundation Establishment stage was the mainstream, the Golden Core stage was already considered an expert, and he sensed no fewer than ten Soul Formation stage auras, mostly concentrated in the city center area and in the largest shops and inns, their energy hidden and mutually checking each other.

He needed information.

His gaze swept over the shops and stalls lining the street, finally landing on a three-story stone building. The sign was a wooden plaque with a corner chopped off by a blade, inscribed with three sloppy, large characters: "Hundred Know Tower."

The interior of the building was bustling with noise, even more so than on the street. Cultivators were in groups of three or five, loudly discussing various things they had seen or heard. Lin Xuan found an empty table in a corner and sat down, ordering a pot of the local specialty "Fierce Wind Burn" and a few plates of braised beast meat. He appeared to be drinking alone, but in reality, he was listening to everything, his spiritual sense like a net, capturing all useful information.

Initially, what he heard were mostly trivial matters from the border and rumors from the Southern Wilderness.

"... Have you heard? That Green-Scaled Python in Poison Dragon Pool that was about to transform into a flood dragon was slaughtered a few days ago by the 'Blood Wolf Mercenary Group' in alliance with several Soul Formation rogue cultivators! The demon core alone sold for a sky-high price!"

"The people from the Southern Wilderness 'Black Witch Sect' have been active frequently lately, seemingly looking for something. Many new faces have come to the city, everyone be careful."

"Damn it, the Fierce Wind in the 'Mad Wind Canyon' to the west has erupted early again, and a whole batch of my goods was lost in there!"

Lin Xuan listened patiently, remaining calm. It wasn't until half an hour later that the conversation of several mercenaries who had just returned from hunting in the Southern Wilderness caught his attention.

A man with a scar on his face gulped down a mouthful of wine and lowered his voice to his companions: "Brothers, over in the imperial capital... something big is about to happen!"

"Something big? Is the old Emperor going to choose a concubine?" his companion joked.

"Bullshit! It's much more serious than that!" The scarred man's expression turned grave. "I have a distant cousin who works in the Demon Suppression Division. He secretly sent a message a few days ago saying that the imperial capital is now full of undercurrents, and all the major clans and sects are on edge, apparently because of... that 'Tianyuan Mystical Realm' that opened a while ago!"

"Tianyuan Mystical Realm? Isn't that a place only the top geniuses of the Imperial Dynasty can enter? What does that have to do with us poor wretches?"

"It has a lot to do with it!" The scarred man's voice dropped even lower. "I heard that inside the Mystical Realm... something incredible got out! It's said to be a demon lord sealed since the ancient era, with a Spirit Transformation stage cultivation base! It went on a killing spree inside, and even Ye Chen of the Ye family and the Third Imperial Prince almost fell inside!"

"A Spirit Transformation demon lord?!" The people at the same table changed color, their drunkenness half-sobered. "Is that true? Where is that demon lord now? Did it get out?"

"I heard that at the last moment, it was blocked by a mysterious expert, and combined with the Mystical Realm itself exerting its power, the demon lord was forced back, but it didn't die, and no one knows where it's hiding. Now, in the imperial capital, all forces are frantically searching for the traces of that demon lord, and they are also looking for that mysterious expert who blocked the demon lord!"

"A mysterious expert? Who is it? So fierce? Can they trade blows with a Spirit Transformation demon lord?"

"Only know the codename is 'Jin Shisan'! No one knows his true identity or origin; it's like he appeared out of thin air! Now, the price for information about his identity and whereabouts on the black market is higher than a Fifth Rank demon core! I heard that some big shots in the imperial capital are very interested in him and want to recruit him. But there are also some forces that seem not very friendly to him..."

"Jin Shisan..." the few muttered to themselves, their eyes revealing awe and curiosity.

Lin Xuan listened silently, his heart calm. The situation was about as he expected. "Jin Shisan" had already become famous, becoming a symbol that stirred up the wind and clouds. While this layer of halo brought attention, it also indeed formed a kind of protection, making many forces hesitant to act.

However, just as he was preparing to pay the bill and leave to see other parts of the city, the conversation of several cultivators at the next table, who were dressed in uniform dark gray attire, had cold auras, and had an inconspicuous twisted skull mark embroidered on their cuffs, pierced into his ears like ice needles, their voices extremely low.

"... Elder You Liang's decree orders us to strictly monitor all gathering points for cultivators on the western border, especially places like Black Rock City where dragons and snakes are mixed. Focus on any suspicious new faces that have appeared recently with cultivation bases above the Soul Formation stage." The middle-aged cultivator with a withered face who was leading them said in a low, hoarse voice.

"Is it to find that 'Jin Shisan'?" another asked.

"That is one reason. The Elder deduced that the Demon Lord... cough, that demon lord, after breaking the seal, has not recovered its power and is very likely hiding in the chaotic border area, or using this to sneak into the Southern Wilderness. Finding Jin Shisan might allow us to follow the vine to find the Demon Lord's whereabouts."

"Hmph! If it weren't for that Jin Shisan repeatedly ruining our Sheng Sect's major plans, the Demon Lord would have already... If that wretch falls into my hands, I will definitely make him wish he were dead!"

"Watch your tongue! This place is not the Mystical Realm; the Imperial Dynasty has many eyes and ears. We must be extremely cautious in our actions, prioritizing the search for information, and must not cause extra trouble!"

Youming Sect!

A cold glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes, then returned to stillness. As he expected, the Youming Sect had not given up, and their actions were swift, having already extended their tentacles to this remote border city. It seemed they had an extraordinary obsession with that Ruins Abyss demonic awareness.

He was perfectly disguised now; as long as he didn't expose himself, these few Golden Core stage Youming Sect hidden stakes were not enough to see through his roots.

Just as he put down a few spirit stones and was about to stand up and leave this place of trouble, a significant commotion suddenly came from the entrance of the tavern, accompanied by an arrogant and domineering voice.

"Move aside, move aside! Everyone get the hell out of the way for this Young Master! Are you blind?"

A young young master dressed in luxurious brocade robes, with an arrogant expression and puffy eye bags, swaggered in, surrounded by a group of fierce guards. This young master's cultivation base was only at the peak of Foundation Establishment, his aura floating, clearly piled up with elixirs. But behind him, a middle-aged man with his arms crossed, eyes as sharp as an eagle's, and an aura as steady as a mountain, had a spiritual power fluctuation that had actually reached the early Soul Formation stage!

As soon as this group arrived, the originally noisy tavern suddenly became much quieter, and many diners showed expressions of fear, lowering their heads or turning sideways to avoid eye contact.

The shopkeeper's face turned pale, and he hurriedly trotted out from behind the counter, a flattering smile on his face: "Oh! What wind blew you here, Young Master Zhao Kun! Please, please, there are private seats upstairs!"

The young master called Zhao Kun glanced at the noisy hall with disdain and snorted through his nose: "Private seats? This Young Master wants to drink in this hall today to experience the 'hardships of the common people'! Hurry up, bring the best wine and food to this Young Master!"

His gaze swept across the room with a condescending scrutiny, finally landing on Lin Xuan, who was sitting alone in a corner, his temperament somewhat out of place in this noisy environment. Especially when he saw the pot of the most ordinary "Fierce Wind Burn" and a few plates of cheap braised meat on Lin Xuan's table, the corner of his mouth curled into an undisguised sneer.

In his view, a "poor" Golden Core rogue cultivator who could only afford these things actually dared to occupy a table alone; it was simply an eyesore.

Zhao Kun took his guards and walked straight to Lin Xuan's table, pointing his chin at Lin Xuan, his tone full of command and disdain:

"Hey! You, get the hell out of here! This seat, this Young Master has taken a liking to it!"

The guards behind him immediately spread out, vaguely sealing off all possible escape routes for Lin Xuan. The early Soul Formation middle-aged man had eyes like lightning, coldly locking onto Lin Xuan, a powerful spiritual pressure spreading out vaguely, carrying a naked warning.

The entire tavern became instantly silent, with all eyes focused here, some gloating, some sympathetic, and some indifferent.

Lin Xuan slowly put down the wine cup in his hand, looked up, and calmly looked at the arrogant Zhao Clan young master in front of him, his eyes as deep as an ancient well.

"Are you talking to me?"

His voice was not loud, but it was like a stream of cold spring water flowing over a noisy volcano, carrying a strange penetrating power, making Zhao Kun's heart tighten for no reason.