Leaving

Early the next morning, while the sky was still faintly lit, Zhang Tie hurried to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall. He casually slipped two Low-grade Spirit Stones to the disciple on duty, then handed over the token for his original Spirit Stone Mining Area excavation assignment.

Next, Zhang Tie's gaze quickly swept across the task register before he finally selected an outside mission to hunt down a sect traitor.

After registering and taking the mission token, he turned and hurried toward the mountain gate. He did not return to his residence. At this moment, Zhang Tie was extremely nervous.

A Core Formation master was stationed within the sect. Once his murder of Elder Su was exposed, he would undoubtedly be walking into certain death, with no chance of survival. Therefore, the sooner he left, the sooner he would be safe.

Half a month later, a man rode at full speed along a broad official road atop a chestnut-red steed. He wore a green robe, his long hair falling over his shoulders. He had thick brows, large eyes, and a fierce-looking face, with a heavy sword roughly a foot wide and five feet long slung across his back. This man was none other than Zhang Tie, who had left the sect half a month ago.

Because his cultivation required a great quantity of Spirit Stones, Zhang Tie planned to head to Yan Fire Country, the holy land of Immortal Cultivation.

He had learned from miscellaneous records that south of Qin Kingdom lay Southern Liang Country. It had as many as three Immortal Cultivation sects within its borders, one more than Qin Kingdom. Beyond Southern Liang Country, sharing a border with it, was Yan Fire Country.

This was because it possessed an enormous Fire Attribute spirit vein, upon which a super sect—Yan Fire Sect—had been established. Since the cultivation art practiced by Yan Fire Sect, the "Yan Yang Art," was the number one cultivation art in the Immortal Cultivation World, Yan Fire Sect was also known as Yan Yang Sect. He had even heard that Nascent Soul grand cultivators were stationed within the sect.

In Yan Fire Country, Fire Attribute spirit veins were plentiful and divided into three grades: low-grade, medium-grade, and high-grade.

Low-grade spirit veins could extend for at most several dozen miles and could yield only Low-grade Spirit Stones. Medium-grade spirit veins extended for several hundred miles and could yield medium-grade Spirit Stones. As for high-grade spirit veins, they seemed to exist only in the Spirit World. They stretched for thousands or even tens of thousands of miles, producing not only high-grade Spirit Stones but occasionally even supreme-grade Spirit Stones.

The exchange rate between Spirit Stones was based on units of one hundred.

For example, one medium-grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. However, under normal circumstances, few people were willing to make such exchanges, since higher-grade Spirit Stones could be absorbed and refined more quickly and might even save one's life during a battle.

Thus, generally speaking, one medium-grade Spirit Stone required around one hundred and ten Low-grade Spirit Stones to exchange for it. The same principle applied at higher grades. Of course, supreme-grade Spirit Stones were an exception. They were no longer merely Spirit Stones, but were closer to treasures.

Yan Fire Sect of Yan Fire Country had been established atop the only known medium-grade spirit vein. This spirit vein extended for more than six hundred miles, and Yan Fire Sect had continued its legacy upon it for over three thousand years.

According to the records, this sect could absolutely be called the number one sect in the Immortal Cultivation World.

Furthermore, Yan Fire Country was vast, at least several dozen times larger than Qin Kingdom. Low-grade spirit veins were scattered throughout the country, and there were dozens of Immortal Cultivation sects alone that had Core Formation masters in residence. Golden Cores were everywhere, while Foundation Establishment cultivators were worth less than dogs.

Zhang Tie estimated that traveling to Yan Fire Country on foot would take roughly three months. Riding a horse would take at least two years. Therefore, whenever he grew tired from running, he would find a horse; once he had rested enough, he would continue running. This was his compromise.

As Zhang Tie pondered this, a fierce sound of fighting suddenly came from ahead. He approached and sensed carefully, discovering no spiritual energy fluctuations. It seemed to be a conflict between ordinary people.

When Zhang Tie drew closer and looked, he saw an old, battered carriage carrying only a few goods and a mother and son.

A boy of six or seven cowered fearfully in the woman's arms, while a short-haired middle-aged man leaned against the carriage wheel, blood still staining the corner of his mouth.

Opposite them stood two burly men, one bald and the other wearing a black headscarf. Both gripped long sabers. Beside them lay a white-haired old woman dressed in ragged clothes, motionless on the ground.

Seeing Zhang Tie approach on horseback, everyone turned to look. The bald man raised his saber and shouted at Zhang Tie, "I advise you to keep going and mind your own business!"

Zhang Tie was instantly intrigued. He dismounted and strolled forward. "As righteous heroes of the martial world, when we see injustice, we should draw our blades and help. How could that be called meddling?!"

Zhang Tie spoke righteously. As soon as he finished, he suddenly threw a punch at a willow tree beside him that was thick enough to require one person to wrap their arms around it.

With a deafening bang, his fist drove straight into the tree, and even the ground trembled slightly.

The two burly men immediately went pale. The one wearing the headscarf hurried forward and said, "Hero, please don't misunderstand. We are the victims. This morning, my old mother went out and did not return for a long time. My brother and I came out to search for her, only to find that their carriage had struck her and seriously injured her. They wanted to flee, so we stopped them, and that was how the fight began."

"That's not what happened! You're talking nonsense!" the short-haired man leaning against the wheel urgently said. "Hero, we passed through here and saw an old woman lying by the road, crying for help the whole time. I got down to help her up, but the moment I did, these two jumped out!"

"Bullshit!" the bald man said viciously. "You're the one who hit her! If you didn't hit her, why did you help her up? Don't tell me it was out of kindness. With so many people passing through here, where would you find such a good person?"

The short-haired man was left speechless, unable to say a word for a moment.

Zhang Tie asked, "How do you want to settle this?"

The bald man smiled. "Of course, we handle it according to the law. He hit someone, so he has to pay for my mother's treatment. Her injuries are so serious that she definitely won't be able to care for herself in the future. Either he or his wife must stay at our home to take care of my mother."

"Is there another option?" Zhang Tie asked.

"A private settlement works too. A hundred taels of silver will do," the bald man answered.

"Which one do you choose?" Zhang Tie asked the short-haired man.

"Hero, please! Save us! I have elderly parents above me and two children to support below me. Either choice will cost me my life!" the man cried and begged.

"No one forced you to help her up, did they?" Zhang Tie asked.

"No." The man nodded.

"Since you chose to help her yourself, you should accept all the consequences that come with it," Zhang Tie said calmly.

"Enough. Both sides leave their addresses, go back and prepare, then let the authorities decide," Zhang Tie said in an unquestionable tone.

The short-haired man left his address and hurriedly drove away in the carriage. The bald man carried the old woman on his back, and the three of them prepared to return along a small path. At that moment, a fireball flew toward them. Before the three could even scream, they were instantly burned to ashes.

Zhang Tie mounted his horse and continued galloping down the official road.