Chapter 66: Chapter Sixty-Six: Reason

「No. 」 The assistant shook their head.

Jiang Yu opened it; the pages were intact and had small annotations, "Old book?"

"Hmm, there's an old martial master in the eastern part of the city whose family heirloom; he was severely injured and spent a lot, pawning many things to buy medicinal pills."

"Our shopkeeper is kind-hearted; besides martial arts manuals, he also bought miscellaneous books at a fair price." The assistant found her easy to talk to, would buy whatever he recommended, and was willing to chat more with her.

As for this person, besides requiring the name of each book to be recited, he also made him flip through the book and recite the Thousand Character Primer from start to finish, and gave an especially generous reward.

A piece of wood spirit stone brimming with spiritual energy—his monthly wages were only a few spirit stones.

This assistant was even more enthusiastic: "If you take a liking to it, I'll ask the shopkeeper for a discount so you can take it away cheaply."

"Do you have more books like this?"

"Yes, there are some stacked in the warehouse; I'll ask the shopkeeper and bring you to pick."

"All right." Jiang Yu went into the bookstore's warehouse, staying there for over half an hour, buying over a hundred new and old books, plus a large box of various jade slips from the cultivation world.

This made the assistant very happy; he kept seeing people off to the shop's door.

And Jiang Yu, following the information he had gathered, went to several schools in the eastern mortal district of the city, concealing herself to study writing for several days.

Moreover, as the saying goes, joy shared is joy doubled; Jiang Tu and Ao Ze also had to learn.

And the benefit is that the three of them can now understand the local cultivation jade slips.

Ao Ze exclaimed: "As it turns out, we've been transmitted to the northernmost point of the Eastern Continent, Northern Star."

"Do you know this place?" Jiang Yu and Jiang Tu said in unison.

Ao Ze nodded: "I've seen it in the library of the Dragon Court."

It is a travelogue left by a tenth-rank dragon king from twenty thousand years ago.

"Tenth rank, Spirit Transformation stage—on the Heavenly Origin Continent, Spirit Transformation beings haven't been seen for a long time." Jiang Yu, on the first floor of the sect's library, saw only that there were immortal mountains overseas.

She had asked the teaching uncles, but they all said it was too far away, and looking into it too much would harm one's Dao heart; more detailed records could only be found on the third floor.

"Ao Ze, quickly tell us what you know." Jiang Tu didn't know anything at all.

Just listen to Ao Ze say: "In our realm there are several continents or archipelagos; wherever there are spirit veins, they are occupied and cultivated by humans or the Yao Race."

In ancient times, there were interconnected long-distance teleportation arrays between regions, but after some accident occurred, they all disappeared.

Moreover, the Eastern Continent is separated from us by a mysterious boundless sea; lacking star ships or similar flying spiritual treasures, even Nascent Soul cultivators cannot fly across.

Here is much larger than the Heavenly Origin Continent; many mortal kingdoms pay tribute to sects, while the Dao and Demonic factions each have ten great sects, and there are also several Buddhist schools.

These sects each have at least one or two Spirit Transformation cultivators, and having ten or twenty Nascent Soul cultivators is also sparse but common.

Even second-rate sects have several Nascent Soul cultivators holding down the fort.

In the Yao Race, tenth- and ninth-rank demon kings are also commonplace.

"There used to be teleportation arrays; there must still be remnants left now."

But they're probably hard to find; even if ancient teleportation arrays are discovered, they're often tightly sealed by great sects, making them hard for ordinary cultivators to see. Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu realized the hope of returning had diminished even further.

Jiang Tu pulled out a jade slip and gave it to her: "Among the jade slips we bought at the bookstore, it says that the Misty Cloud Immortal Sect, which once controlled the three kingdoms of Northern Star, Southern Frost, and Western Raven, was destroyed several thousand years ago."

Why not go to its ruins and have a look?

Jiang Yu gave a wry smile: "I also had that plan, but that place has surely been searched countless times."

So I've decided to first enter secluded cultivation for a while, striving to reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible.

Before, she took few medicinal pills; from now on, she should increase dosage and speed—ideally reaching the peak of Qi Refining within a year, and if not, at least attempt to form a foundation.

Jiang Tu asked her: "Shall we go to Panstar City?"

"Well, from there we could take a star ship or an intercity teleportation array to Floating Pagoda City, after all we don't know the background of the Min family, to avoid trouble if we're sought out here."

Moreover, Floating Pagoda City is close to the ruins of the Misty Cloud Immortal Sect; if we have time we can go take a look, just in case there are any clues. In any case, now that Jiang Yu has mastered the language, writing, and map of the Eastern Continent, she is no longer afraid to interact with people.

But in the Eastern Continent where Nascent Soul cultivators walk everywhere and Golden Core cultivators are as common as dogs, her cultivation level is simply too low.

Moreover, she is a person of action; having inquired here about the rules of Panstar City, she said she would depart the next day, riding on her banana fan.

Along the way she saw some mortal towns, and also spotted one or two groups of cultivators flying back and forth on their swords, as if patrolling the various towns.

Jiang Tu couldn't understand: "The cultivators of Panstar City, so responsible?"

Or perhaps it's because the Myriad Immortal Sect, to which it now belongs, is making some big move.

"Cultivators aren't that idle; there must be some other reason."

Half possibility is that it's the once-every-few-years disciple recruitment season. Jiang Yu wondered whether the other half might be related to the agarwood fruit.

With patrols around, her journey was completely safe; occasionally brushing past a few ill-intentioned cultivators, she simply pretended not to have seen them.

When the golden sun set westward, Jiang Yu finally flew to the foot of Panstar City.

All she saw ahead was a towering blue-stone city, clearly inscribed with defensive formations, with cultivators guarding the walls above and below.

Even at dusk, various beast-drawn carriages still passed through the wide city gate; compared to the Heavenly Origin Continent where cultivators mostly entered on foot, here the use of beast-drawn transport for entry and exit is more common.

Moreover, every person entering the city must present a travel token; those without one can spend a few spirit stones to buy a temporary token valid for three days.

The city's restrictions are also prominently posted on the walls: no flying, no unauthorized use of divine sense to spy on others, and no fighting in the streets.

Jiang Yu bought a three-day travel token and soon entered the city, where the flow of people facing her was as thick as cattle hair.

Just near the city gate, one could see that every shop in a row had customers.

Many eight- or nine-year-old junior cultivators, from the city gate, greeted guests and led them to different shops.

Jiang Yu declined the enthusiastic guidance of a Qi Refining third-layer cultivator crowding ahead, quickened her pace to blend into the crowd, and rubbed her waist pouch, asking, "Jiang Tu, did the person who kept staring at me just now follow?"

Among those junior cultivators, she noticed one who, after seeing her face clearly, showed surprise and delight.

It was obvious this person knew her; Jiang Yu's first suspicion was that it was someone arranged by Min Wu.

Their persistent pursuit of her indicates that their family's Qi Refining cultivators are untalented; it seems the Min family is not a major clan either.

He didn't chase her, but switched to wearing a pink-green outfit and a Qi Refining first-layer cultivator followed. Jiang Tu, when she couldn't conveniently use divine sense to scan, controlled the Dragon Stele to observe within a hundred meters around.

Jiang Yu suddenly turned into a sparsely populated alley ahead, and the green-clothed junior cultivator behind her hurriedly followed.

But the latter was clearly clever; upon entering the alley and not seeing Jiang Yu, she instantly turned around and withdrew.

Unfortunately, Jiang Yu, who had unveiled the Invisibility Talisman, stood squarely in her path, and with her index and middle fingers pinched a medium-grade Gather Qi Pill, saying, "Tell me who you are, and it's yours."

In the eyes of the green-clad little cultivator, surprise, excitement, and hesitation flashed in succession; "Junior, I don't understand what you mean, Senior."

"I've heard that the Ten Thousand Immortal Sect is about to start recruiting disciples; in previous years, they mostly took those at the second and third layers of refinement."

"And you, do you plan to spend your whole life as a hyacinth at the city gate?" Jiang Yu walked along the road by the door-side shop, overhearing some gossip; sure enough, the immortal sect was recruiting disciples.

The green-clad little cultivator bit her lip, "Senior, I can only tell you I'm from West City B."

"The Min Clan?"

"There is a Golden Core Patriarch in the Ten Thousand Immortal Sect."

"I see." Jiang Yu flicked the pill at her with a whoosh, her body swaying, and she darted away from her side.

The little cultivator, envious, clenched the pill, planning to eat it as soon as she got home.

And Jiang Yu had already run out from the other end of the alley.