An Encounter with a Descender and News of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng (Happy Children's Day to Everyone!)

When Lin Xiao walked out of the basement, he saw that the stronghold had already been swallowed by flames. People inside were still running around setting fires. He raised an eyebrow, but before he could do anything, the arsonists spotted him first.

Li Feng had watched Lin Xiao emerge from the room containing the basement. At first, he thought Lin Xiao was one of the stronghold's fugitives who had been hiding there, but he quickly noticed the air of an expert in every movement he made. There was no way he could be a bandit or a robber. In that case...

He cupped his hands from afar and called out:

"Are you the Great Hero who wiped out Black Cloud Village?"

Lin Xiao did not answer. Instead, he studied them with a strange look and asked in return:

"Are you Descenders?"

Li Feng froze for a moment, then immediately broke into a smile:

"So we're on the same side. Wonderful."

The group relaxed and walked over. Their leader, Li Feng, said:

"I never expected to run into a Descender here. My name is Li Feng, and I come from the Thunder Domain. May I ask where you..."

"Qingze Domain. It's not in the same region as yours."

Lin Xiao had heard of this place. It was a massive floating continent in the Fourth Ring of the Primordial Gate, the closest region to the Primordial Gate outside the New Immortal Realm.

According to the divisions of the New Immortal Realm, the innermost region surrounding the Primordial Gate consisted entirely of fragments of the former Immortal Realm, including fragments of the ancient Heavenly Court. That was the current New Immortal Realm.

Beyond the core region, the First, Second, and Third Rings formed the Inner Circle. The fragments that made up this region were essentially remnants of powerful ancient worlds or fragments of the Immortal Realm whose immortal qi had dissipated. This region was also known as the New Earth Immortal Realm. According to the territorial divisions of the ancient Earth Immortal Realm, its four directions were the East Victory Divine Continent, the Southern Continent of Jambudvipa, the Western Ox Continent, and the Northern Kuru Continent.

The four continents each occupied one direction and stretched across the Three-Ring Immortal Domain.

Beyond the Third Ring, the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Rings, as well as all the outer layers, belonged to the immortal domains. In theory, they were all on the same level, but in reality, the closer they were to the New Immortal Realm, the denser the spiritual qi became. The aristocratic clans and sects living there were naturally more powerful as well.

When he heard that Lin Xiao came from beyond the Seventh Ring, the smile on Li Feng's face gradually faded. He asked:

"Did you kill all the bandits in this stronghold?"

A moment ago, it had been "you, sir," and now it had become "you." How very realistic.

Lin Xiao did not care. They were not traveling the same road anyway. He nodded and said:

"I was traveling abroad and couldn't stand by while these bandits committed such heinous acts, so I casually killed them. Oh, right—"

He pointed to the house he had just emerged from and said:

"There is a basement in there containing all the stronghold's wealth. I have no use for it, so go and collect it."

"Thanks."

Li Feng cupped his hands.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving first. If fate allows, we'll meet again."

Lin Xiao waved his hand and was about to leave, but Li Feng called out to him. He turned around and saw Li Feng hesitate before saying:

"Do you know about the Thirteen Riders of Saibei and King Dushan?"

"The Thirteen Riders of Saibei? King Dushan?"

Lin Xiao nodded.

"I know King Dushan. He's the lord of Dushan Castle, the hegemon of the Northern Martial Arts World. I've never heard of the Thirteen Riders of Saibei. They sound like they come from Saibei. What connection do they have? Or are they Descenders too?"

"Looks like you really don't know."

Li Feng said:

"They aren't Descenders. The Thirteen Riders of Saibei are a band of horse bandits who roam Yanbei. Every one of them is at least a second-rate expert, while those near the top of the ranking are first-rate martial artists. They're extremely formidable. More importantly, they all belong to King Dushan."

Lin Xiao listened very seriously as Li Feng explained:

"Some time ago, the Goryeo Kingdom sent tribute to the Great Kang court. When it neared Shanhaiguan Pass, the Thirteen Riders of Saibei ambushed and seized it. All thirty carts of wealth were taken. Most importantly, that tribute included a Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng."

"Hmm!"

Lin Xiao, who had not cared before, immediately became interested and asked:

"Is the information reliable?"

"Absolutely. It was tribute from the Goryeo Kingdom. There can't be any mistake."

"How long ago did this happen?"

"Half a month ago."

Li Feng said:

"By now, the matter has caused an uproar throughout the Northern Martial Arts World. Who knows how many martial arts experts want to take a share of the spoils? Even if they can't get the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, the other tribute items are all treasures. Steal just one, and you'd be rich."

"I see!"

Lin Xiao stroked his chin and asked:

"Do you know where they are now?"

"They're still in Saibei. The moment the tribute was seized, the General of Shanhaiguan Pass found out and sent a large army to hunt them down. They're still outside the pass and haven't entered."

"Right, the Thirteen Riders of Saibei belong to King Dushan. After hearing about this, King Dushan will probably send experts to meet them. Whether it's the Twin Dragon Envoys, the Four Symbols Dharma Kings, or the Twelve Dushan Emissaries, all of them are supreme first-rate martial artists. If they join forces, it will be difficult to seize anything from them."

Lin Xiao nodded, clasped his fists, and said:

"Thank you for telling me. I'll set out now. Farewell for now. Until we meet again!"

"Until we meet again!"

With that, he turned and left.

After Li Feng and the others watched him go, one of his subordinates asked:

"Boss, why did you tell him this news? He's just a bumpkin from the Seventh Ring. Do we really need to curry favor with him?"

Li Feng smiled.

"Although he comes from the Seventh Ring, his cultivation in this world is higher than ours. Besides, this news isn't exactly a secret. Before long, everyone will know about it. It costs us nothing to earn his goodwill now. Perhaps we'll be able to use it someday."

"Boss, you're brilliant!"

Li Feng laughed heartily and waved his hand.

"Come on, let's go see the treasury. We might be walking away with a windfall this time."

After leaving Black Cloud Village, Lin Xiao determined his direction and immediately headed north over the mountains. His exquisite Lightness Skill carried him from treetop to treetop without ever touching the ground. Before long, the burning Black Cloud Village behind him had shrunk to nothing more than a tiny point of light.

Lin Xiao had no interest in the wealth of Black Cloud Village, nor did he care about the tribute. The only thing he wanted was that Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. That was the real treasure.

Ginseng was already tremendously nourishing. It transformed once every hundred years, and a Hundred-Year Old Ginseng was already remarkable. After a thousand years, it underwent a complete qualitative change. This was a treasure even in mid-level or high-level worlds. Even in a high-level immortal-xianxia world like Shushan, a Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was precious enough to refine high-grade Spirit Pills.

If refining a Hundred-Year Old Ginseng yielded ten Potential Points, then refining the medicinal power of a Thousand-Year Ginseng would yield far more than a hundred Potential Points. Several hundred, or perhaps even more, was entirely possible.

That was precisely why he was interested. Otherwise, a mere hundred Potential Points would never have been enough to make him travel all the way beyond the pass.

He was not worried that the Thousand-Year Ginseng would be eaten ahead of time. The thing was monstrously nourishing, with medicinal properties countless times stronger than those of a Hundred-Year Ginseng. Lin Xiao dared to chew and refine a Hundred-Year Old Ginseng directly, but he did not possess the ability to do the same with a Thousand-Year Ginseng. He would have to prepare some gentle medicines to neutralize it. Moreover, he could only eat a single rootlet or a small section at a time. Any more, and his body would be unable to withstand the terrifying medicinal effects and would explode.

The Thirteen Riders of Saibei had remained under pursuit by the imperial army ever since they seized the tribute. They had no time to process it slowly. Besides, King Dushan wanted this treasure too, so they might not even dare to eat it.