Central Plains, Great Yan Dynasty. Golden Spider Valley was one of the foremost markets in the Great Yan Dynasty. Ideally located, it saw countless merchants and travelers passing through.
In a secluded little courtyard roofed with blue tiles, a middle-aged man in a golden Daoist robe was speaking with a handsome, elegant Black-robed Youth.
The middle-aged man was tall, fair-faced, and clean-shaven, with an utterly harmless appearance.
The middle-aged man was Zheng Tianbao, the Golden Gourd Immortal, a disciple-grandson of Shangguan Wei, Sect Master of the Nine Serenities Sect. He was at the Core Formation Eighth Layer.
The Black-robed Youth was Li Shi, the Hundred Illusions True Person, also at the Core Formation Eighth Layer.
They had taken part in the attack on Azure Lotus Estate years ago. After the deed was done, wary of the Seven Great Immortal Sects of the Eastern Wasteland, they had been ordered to come to the Central Plains Cultivation World, conceal their identities, and gather intelligence for the Nine Serenities Sect.
They had remained in the Central Plains Cultivation World for over two centuries. The Central Plains Cultivation World valued ritual and propriety; cultivators could not casually attack mortals, and killing for treasure was expressly forbidden. The Nine Serenities Sect had three branches in the Central Plains Cultivation World, each guarded by two Nascent Soul Cultivators, with one branch located in the Great Yan Dynasty.
"Senior Brother Li, have you heard? The higher-ups won't allow us to return to the Northern Frontier Cultivation World. We can't go to the South Sea, we can't go to the Eastern Wasteland, and we can't return to the Northern Frontier either. Are we supposed to stay in the Central Plains Cultivation World for the rest of our lives?"
Zheng Tianbao complained unhappily. He had been born into an