"Flame Mountain Forbidden Land?" Li Ji'an slowed his pace.
Chen Zhao'hu grinned. "Oh, I forgot. You people probably call it something else. Here in the Cultivation World of the Heavenly Azure Domain, there are three Abandoned Lands in all. The first is the Flame Mountain Forbidden Land in the east. According to the records, a region spanning five thousand li in every direction is sealed off by towering mountains of flame. The blazing fires scorch the sky and boil the seas. They say a Golden Core powerhouse once made a careless mistake and was burned to ashes, body and soul destroyed. There isn't a trace of spiritual energy inside."
"Really? There are two more places like that?" Li Ji'an nodded and asked casually.
"The other is the Sandstorm Death Zone to the southwest. It's even more hopeless for anyone trapped inside. The yellow sands stretch for thirty thousand li, and sandstorms that can tear apart Gods and Devils rage through the place. As far as I know, no one has ever come out."
"The last is the Bewildering Forest Death Zone to the northwest. Strange trees stand everywhere, and mist blankets the forest. It's believed that even a True Lord's Primordial Spirit could fall into an illusion and be turned into nourishment by the strange trees."
Li Ji'an furrowed his brow. "If they're such deadly places... how could anyone get out?"
"Haha! The Great Dao has fifty paths, Heaven's workings use forty-nine, and one slips away. All things have a sliver of hope, and the same goes for these three death zones. How do you think you crossed the Flame Mountain, which could burn a Golden Core True Person to nothing? That's what I mean by having deep good fortune. You're people blessed with tremendous fortune!" Chen Zhao'hu looked at Li Ji'an expectantly again.
"Brother, can you stop believing in all that nonsense? What deep good fortune? I say they just got lucky. Don't you occasionally step in dog shit yourself? We spotted the Purple Gold Sable first, so by rights we should get half. But you just go and give it away, and he doesn't even appreciate it..." Chen Zhao'hu's younger brother was deeply unhappy with his way of thinking.
Li Ji'an pondered for a moment.
He didn't quite believe Chen Zhao'hu's talk of good fortune.
The Guiding Immortal Masters traveling to the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty managed to make the journey safely every ten years. Could that really be explained by good fortune?
They must have discovered some pattern or a weak point in the sandstorms by chance.
After a moment's silence, Li Ji'an bid them farewell and led the five of them cautiously around the group.
"Brother Li, that man's vital energy was so strong. He must cultivate a method for tempering his body with vital energy, too, right?" Zhao Shuyao asked, her face full of confusion, once they could no longer see the others.
"That's right. In terms of martial cultivation, he's stronger than me," Li Ji'an said with a nod.
"If people in this world also cultivate their bodies with vital energy, then... why did that beastly household travel thousands of li to come and fetch us?" Zhao Shuyao voiced the question on her mind.
Li Ji'an fell silent for a moment. "Maybe they're taking advantage of how little we know."
Zhao Shuyao's question suddenly put Li Ji'an more at ease.
The other side had gone out of their way instead of taking Blood Slaves here... which meant that such behavior would bring consequences in this place, and those consequences were worse than traveling thousands of li to the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty—even risking the sandstorms along the way.
He judged that this Cultivation World probably wasn't too chaotic. There must be some kind of rules keeping things in good order.
"Brother Li, should we go to that settlement?"
"We should!"
Li Ji'an had two reasons for his decision. First, Chen Zhao'hu's group was about as strong as he was, yet he'd said they were well-known in the settlement. That gave Li Ji'an some idea of the settlement's overall strength.
Second, it was his judgment that this place had rules.
That evening, the five of them reached the outskirts of a human settlement twenty li to the north.
Taking cover beneath the night sky, Li Ji'an stood on a small hill and watched the settlement.
"This is a settlement?"
"I doubt even the imperial capital is this big."
"Look, someone's carrying a wild boar in there."
They'd imagined the human settlement Chen Zhao'hu had mentioned would be no more than a few tents and thatched huts—at most, the size of a mountain village.
But when they saw the area in the distance, larger even than the imperial capital of the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty, even Li Ji'an was astonished.
The buildings were in good condition, too. Most were sturdy, level earthen houses, and quite a few were made of stone. It was an impressive sight.
What surprised them most was that so many of the houses looked as if they'd been made from the same mold.
As night deepened, people streamed back in one after another. Some carried their prey, others medicinal herbs or grain...
With nowhere to hide, the five were spotted by two people returning from behind them. When the pair came upon them concealed behind a mound of earth, they jumped in fright.
After observing the settlement all night, the five saw people coming and going about their livelihoods the following day. Then they entered.
"Well now, young man, you've had some luck! A first-tier Purple Gold Sable... Wait, a Six-Whiskered Purple Gold Sable! At least a mid-grade bloodline. What a pity—it'd fetch at least ten spirit stones at the Immortal Market if it were alive."
The settlement had no protective walls or guards. Li Ji'an and the others walked right in, and no one paid them much mind. A few people merely commented on the Purple Gold Sable slung over their shoulders.
"The Yan Family of Spirit Pearl Mountain is recruiting Land Reclamation Warriors to join the clan's main force in the Desolate Ridge Wasteland. The area is vast, and manpower is scarce, so no one will be used as cannon fodder. Those who succeed in reclaiming the land may join the Yan Family and receive access to the clan's cultivation grounds and techniques, with a daily stipend of twenty taels of spirit sand... Applicants must be strong and fit; body cultivators preferred. Mid-stage first-tier body cultivators may negotiate in person..."
"The Wu Family of Clear Water River is seeking a live-in son-in-law. Applicants must have spiritual energy affinity in at least one of the five elements, with a spiritual resonance of at least five wisps, and be under fifty. Those who have already entered Qi Refining may be as old as eighty. Candidates in the early stage of Qi Refining or above who meet the other requirements may discuss the matter in person. If you bear an heir with a mid-grade Spiritual Root..."
"The United Market is recruiting young immortals year-round, with no limit on numbers. Applicants must have at least a mid-grade Spiritual Root and be no older than eighteen. Orphans preferred."
"The Spirit Pill Pavilion, operated by the Azure Cloud Sect within the market, is opening its ninth round of recruitment for test subjects. Applicants must be mortals who haven't entered Qi Refining. Places are limited and will go to the first to arrive. No late applicants. Please seize this heaven-sent opportunity..."
After half an hour along the main road, an enormous square came into view.
The square was packed with people, and the din of voices filled the air.
On a raised platform in the center, people shouted out various recruitment notices.
"..." Li Ji'an felt his scalp go numb.
This was completely different from the novels he'd read.
He'd been surprised from the moment he first saw the mortal settlement last night. Today, after entering and looking around, he'd seen mortals without vital energy or any trace of magical power living at ease. And now...
Suddenly, he understood!
Those identical houses, those abundant harvests, those carefree mortals...
In a world where people cultivated immortality and Immortal Methods wielded all kinds of wondrous powers, how could things possibly be the same as in an ancient feudal dynasty?
To build a house, all you had to do was ask an immortal master to cast an Earth Element Spell. It would take a little magical power, and they could even practice their spell.
Cultivators who could grow spiritual plants with ease—wasn't growing ordinary crops to feed mortals as simple as lifting a hand?
With a spell like the Spirit Rain Technique, droughts and water shortages surely wouldn't be a problem.
And the vast number of mortals could provide value to cultivators, too.
Value exchanged, mortals and immortals living together... wonderful!
I'm so happy to see readers who've been commenting and voting since the beginning and are still following the story now. It means more to me than any stats or rankings. Knowing that you've embraced the world I've immersed myself in makes it all worthwhile.
Before you continue