Chapter 255: Understanding

Guo Jue praised, "Amitabha, Xun Zongzhen truly lives up to being a sword‑cultivation sect, sparing no assistance to juniors."

The person has left, and the words of thanks Jiang Yu can only keep in her heart, hoping to repay later, "Hmm, we need to enter the island and see whether the cultivation is still at Foundation Establishment or already showing Core Formation."

Moreover, we must change our clothes and wear a conical hat or something.

I have clothes from Dragon Emperor Island, but to avoid any hidden markings, I suggest we switch to mortal attire and buy new ones after entering the city.

Among the cultivators from the three celestial realms, Buddhist disciples are relatively few; being newcomers, blending in as ordinary people will help us understand the locale and integrate.

Guo Jue thought briefly, then nodded in agreement, and flew with her three hundred li away from the island, avoiding any Nascent Soul Divine Sense that might appear there.

He changed attire and reined in his cultivation, "Thirty years have passed; I wonder if the two major camps have reached a conclusion. Hopefully the island isn't riddled with disputes."

"This island remains under the Dragon Emperor Alliance's control, but may the two sides not suddenly engage in a full‑scale war."

Also hoping that the Nine Immortal Alliance cultivators who returned from the Great Luo Heavenly Realm that year have not remembered me." Jiang Yu not only put on the Thousand Illusion Mask, but also removed all head ornaments and tied a simple Daoist bun.

The two used the most ordinary flying swords for transport, drifting for half an hour before approaching the island again, and, keeping as low‑key as possible, they slipped past a layer of cloud‑mist barrier together with a few Foundation Establishment cultivators, landing on the island.

The island's inhabitants are concentrated within a stone city built from massive boulders; a few hundred zhang inland from the coast, towering stone gates rise.

At a glance one can see cultivators queuing to enter, with cultivators stationed on both the city walls and at the gates.

While Jiang Yu queued, she silently observed the intermittently appearing formation patterns on the wall and transmitted a voice to the two Dragon Kings inside the Dragon Pearl, "Do the arrangement of the patterns look familiar?"

"Can't quite make it out at the moment." Jiang Tu was mainly watching people; his Divine Perception can now project directly in and out of the Dragon Pearl.

The Dragon Soul compared for a while, "Turn your head; it looks a lot like the outer wall of the palace you brought in."

Jiang Tu looked at the palace seal that hadn't been broken for thirty years, raised his claw and struck the outer wall with a burst of spiritual energy.

The seal auto‑defended; ethereal light flared on the wall, its thickness truly resembling the intermittently appearing formation patterns on the island's stone wall.

For this, it kept alternating between the city wall and its own palace's outer wall, constantly comparing, "Jiang Yu, could they be of the same lineage?"

If so, the palace seal could be opened, allowing us to repair it into a dwelling.

"What are you thinking? This is someone else's city‑defense array; only high‑rank individuals inside the city hold the control."

"If it's easily learned by anyone, what's the point of defending the city?" The Dragon Soul cast it a sidelong glance.

Jiang Tu, displeased, said, "The formation isn't human‑made; if we find the master who controls it, we can definitely unravel it."

Jiang Yu, when the time comes, find the city's formation master; we'll use spiritual stones to purchase the dispelling method.

"Uh, basically can't buy it." Jiang Yu dared not promise him.

The Dragon Soul smugly glanced at Jiang Tu, who, both embarrassed and annoyed, turned his backside

When Jiang Yu tried to advise her with a sentence or two, she had already reached the city gate, but she had only paid the entry spirit stone and lacked an entry/exit token, so the guards wouldn't let her in.

Jiang Yu tried to offer a word or two, but she had already reached the city entrance; having only handed over the entry spiritual stone without an entry‑exit token, the guard still refused her entry.

She proactively said, "We're newly arrived at Zhuìyuán Island; please issue us a one‑year residence entry‑exit permit."

"At the city gate there are only one‑day entry slips; for long‑term permits you must go into the city to the City Lord's Residence Steward Hall."

"Anyone who doesn't process it within twelve hours will be identified by the formation and expelled outside." The guard was easy to talk to and immediately produced a slip.

This single two‑inch yellow talisman slip costs ten low‑grade spiritual stones, a rather pricey batch.

Fortunately Jiang Yu and Guo Jue had enough spiritual stones, and they entered the city quickly.

On the spacious main street, cultivators streamed endlessly, shops and taverns were everywhere, and enthusiastic hawkers' cries echoed from shop doorways.

Guo Jue looked around and truly saw no Buddhist practitioners, "Aside from slight clothing differences, this place is just like the cities we've toured."

"The highest cultivation here is the Refining Qi stage." Jiang Yu gazed at the tallest building in the distance, presumed to be the City Lord's Residence, and suggested securing the entry permit first.

With spiritual stones, everything is easy; they found the Steward Hall and soon had the credential processed, and by adding more spiritual stones they could even purchase the latest Dragon Emperor Archipelago Map.

Jiang Yu was, of course, willing to add spiritual stones; having a map makes travel convenient, though unfortunately there's no internal city layout map.

Finally, under the Steward's strong recommendation, she rented a small courtyard built on a spiritual vein.

One can only say the spiritual stones were in place; even a carriage dedicated to delivering them to their residence was provided, and meals could be delivered three times a day—truly attentive service.

However, Jiang Yu wasn't that flamboyant; after receiving the key she immediately took her leave, following the key's guidance to a secluded small courtyard.

She opened the door and set a formation; after swiftly dispatching through the rooms, Xiao She Bi Luo immediately shouted, "Jiang Yu, quickly release Jiang Tu from the spirit beast bag; the water spirit energy here is abundant and most beneficial to his cultivation."

Jiang Tu, of course, was unwilling to face Xiao She, "Swear you won't take my essence blood again, or I'd rather sleep inside the spirit beast bag."

If Bi Luo refuses, he'd have to fight it himself; to avoid souring relations, it's better not to fight when first arriving in a strange place.

"I won't take it, I won't take it, I swear. It was all just playing with you, you really don't know how to tease." Bi Luo had previously absorbed Jiang Tu's essence blood for cultivation; not to say it had no effect, it also made him suffer excruciating pain.

If I just threaten it verbally to scare it, how can I justify the three days of my own skin‑splitting, flesh‑rending pain?

Jiang Yu let Jiang Tu out to guard the house, "You all play, I'll go stroll the streets and bring back some local delicacies for everyone."

Guo Jue, what do you want? I'll get it for you separately.

She has always known that Guo Jue is a vegetarian.

Xiao She Bi Luo smiled brightly, "Why go alone? We'll all go together."

"You're not suited to come out; it's said there is more than one Nascent Soul cultivator on the island." Guojue worried that the little snake drinking alcohol would reveal its aura, and they didn't want to attract certain people's attention.

"You're not suited to go out; it's said the island has more than one Nascent Soul cultivator." Guo Jue worried that Xiao She's drinking would reveal his aura; they didn't want to attract certain people's attention.

Xiao She's eyes rolled, "Then Jiang Tu must stay with me."

"Hah, a petty mind measures a gentleman's belly; I was already planning to stay behind."

After leaving, Jiang Tu could not possibly appear; who knows if a great demon resides on the island.

Jiang Yu patted Jiang Tu and gave a thumbs‑up, "Guo Jue, please look after them a bit."

"There's no need for formalities between us." Guo Jue stayed behind precisely to let the two little demon kings get out and move around; being locked in a spirit beast bag does them no good.

Meals are secondary; Jiang Yu's primary goal is to walk every street, learn the city's layout, then purchase local elixirs, talismans, clothing, and customs books from the shops.

But the city is vast; she didn't even finish half the afternoon wandering, yet she became familiar with the local cuisine, and for each dish different from Tianyuan, she packed several portions.

When night began to fall, before Jiang Yu returned with many items, she deliberately lingered at the city gate for a while.

【60】 She wanted to see if any Tianyuan cultivators had also come to this city.

【61】 At the same time, the third batch of Tianyuan cultivators activated the teleport.