Great Qing City

Great Qing City, the imperial capital of the Great Qing Dynasty, lay at the heart of the Great Qing Dynasty and was its central city.

After cultivating and waiting for a month, Lin Chen finally caught sight of this city in the distance, even grander and more magnificent than Lin City.

"This is Great Qing City. Since no one below the Nirvana Realm is permitted to fly above Great Qing City, those who wish to enter may only leave the valley here and walk the remaining distance. You can enter after paying a certain entrance fee."

"Of course, if you do not wish to walk, you need only spend a few Yang Yuan Pills to ride the carriages specially provided by the city's factions outside the valley."

In a flat, small valley, as the Six-winged Green Eagle slowly descended, the Greenwood Sect steward controlling it during this journey gave everyone a few instructions.

Because of Lin Chen's special status and his being the strongest among them, the steward's gaze would often inadvertently turn toward him as he spoke.

"Many thanks to the Greenwood Sect for this journey."

Lin Chen nodded at the speaking steward and softly thanked him. Then he turned around, no longer paying much attention to the others, and hurried eagerly toward the valley exit.

Lin Chen had no intention of taking a carriage. In his view, it was not far anyway, and walking would let him experience the customs and scenery of the Great Qing Dynasty.

"Those not from Great Qing City and below the Form Creation Realm must pay ten Pure Yuan Pills and obtain an Identity Token before entering the city!"

"Those at the peak of the Core Formation Realm or above may pass directly through the inspection light screen on the main road of the city gate to enter!"

"Queue up one by one! No shouting!"

Amid the dense crowd, Lin Chen could hear the stern shouts of several Great Qing City gate guards from far away. He could not help but sigh inwardly at the sight.

No matter where one was, having strength was always a good thing.

The Great Qing Dynasty was merely a middle-level dynasty, yet its people were already treated differently and divided into ranks. One could well imagine what conditions were like in high-level dynasties, super dynasties, and even those super sects.

Following the directions indicated by the guards' gestures, Lin Chen headed straight for the main road at the Great Qing City gate. Origin Energy surged within him, releasing the fluctuations of the Form Creation Realm, and he naturally passed through the thin light screen formed from Origin Energy.

Lin Chen's actions did not cause any stir at the crowded city gate. In Great Qing City, geniuses were the least scarce thing. Lin Chen might have been exceptionally young and possessed rare talent, but he was by no means the only one in Great Qing City.

"Great Qing City is far livelier than Lin City."

The moment he entered the city, Lin Chen felt a bustling atmosphere rush toward him, and he could not help making the comparison in his heart.

"Kid, don't tell me you're planning to go directly and find the person Liu Mu recommended to introduce you to?"

As Lin Chen was briefly lost in thought, Little Marten suddenly transmitted his voice from within the Stone Talisman.

"What? Is there a problem with that?"

Lin Chen was slightly surprised and asked in return.

"There's no problem, but the Great Qing Dynasty is much stronger than the Great Yan Dynasty. Master Diao thinks you should first visit some merchant associations and auction houses. That way, you can gather some information about the person Liu Mu intends to introduce you to, instead of searching around like a headless fly."

"Secondly, while you are at those merchant associations and auction houses, you can also look into whether there is any news of Natal Spirit Talismans and Natal Heaven Talismans."

"Kid, if you can find some special Natal Spirit Talismans or Natal Heaven Talismans to increase the strength of your Spirit Fire and enhance the attributes of your Spiritual Power, your methods in battle will improve considerably."

Little Marten offered Lin Chen his suggestion. His voice was unusually lacking its usual sharpness.

Hearing this, Lin Chen nodded. "You're right... I should visit some of the merchant associations and auction houses in the Great Qing Dynasty."

"I was in too much of a hurry traveling before, so I overlooked this. However, things like Natal Spirit Talismans and Natal Heaven Talismans, while not as rare and extinct as Ancestral Talismans and not carrying such enormous risks of attracting covetous eyes, are still quite difficult to find. Ordinary talisman masters would never hand over the methods for condensing them."

"Though the Great Qing Dynasty is much more prosperous than the Great Yan Dynasty, things as unique as Natal Spirit Talismans and Natal Heaven Talismans will probably not be easy to find here either. Still, it would be good to inquire about them as soon as possible."

In the Great Yan Dynasty, aside from the Ancient Whirl Talisman Seal that he knew would appear four or five years later, Lin Chen had no other leads. Thus, he did not have many choices at present.

Little Marten's reminder had come at just the right time.

After softly sighing, Lin Chen no longer hesitated and followed the main road toward the center of Great Qing City.

Although flying was prohibited within Great Qing City, Lin Chen's full-speed strides, with Origin Energy gathered beneath his feet, were still extremely swift. Before long, he arrived at the central district of Great Qing City.

"South Forest Auction House, Flying Cloud Merchant Association..."

"..."

Lin Chen wandered around the center of Great Qing City for a while, passing one merchant association and auction house after another, before finally coming to a leisurely stop.

"Great Qing Merchant Association..."

"Since it bears the name Great Qing, the Great Qing Imperial Family should stand behind this merchant association. This one, then..."

Lin Chen made his choice in an instant.

Inside the Great Qing Merchant Association, within a private reception room.

After paying five thousand Pure Yuan Pills, Lin Chen finally gained the attention of the Great Qing Merchant Association's internal staff and was received in a private room. Rather than feeling displeased, Lin Chen felt faintly expectant.

The more it was like this, the more it demonstrated the Great Qing Merchant Association's extraordinary nature.

There were many factions within the Great Qing Dynasty. Although there were not many top-tier powers like the Qing Xuan Sect and the Great Qing Imperial Family, there were quite a few factions one rank below them. While these second-rate factions could not compare to the Four Great Clans of the Great Yan Dynasty, the gap was not particularly great.

Whether a merchant association was powerful depended on the faction behind it. The name Great Qing Merchant Association alone inspired a certain degree of trust.

"Is this the little brother who spent a large sum seeking news of Natal Spirit Talismans? Could it be that, besides possessing exceptional talent in Origin Energy cultivation, you also cultivate Spiritual Power and are a talisman master?"

Lin Chen had not waited long in the private room before a gentle voice accompanied the sound of the door opening.

Looking at the middle-aged man before him, with swordlike brows and bright eyes, and sensing the faint Origin Energy fluctuations within him as well as the subtle pressure they exerted upon him, Lin Chen's heart tightened slightly. His bright black eyes flickered.

"Early Creation Realm..."

"Could it be that I took out too many Pure Yuan Pills just now? But five thousand Pure Yuan Pills should not be enough to draw out someone in the Creation Realm..."

Though puzzled inwardly, Lin Chen did not pause in speaking and replied calmly.

"I have dabbled somewhat in Spiritual Power. I suppose I count as a talisman master."

Hearing Lin Chen's answer, the middle-aged man nodded in understanding.

"If you truly cultivate both Origin Energy and Spiritual Power, little brother, and have achieved no small accomplishments in both, then you are a first-rate genius in our Great Qing Dynasty."

"My name is Liu Cheng. We can address one another as peers."