In Tianlan City

"When will we get there?" Zi Yan played with three medicinal pills, boredly watching the scenery shift beneath the Flood Armor Vulture.

Xiao Yan, who had been cultivating with his eyes closed, pressed a hand on Zi Yan's head and said, "You've asked thirteen times already. Sit down and cultivate. We'll be there soon."

Zi Yan pursed her lips and turned her head aside. Unlike Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er, she simply could not endure the dullness of cultivation.

But she did not have to wait long. A colossal city at the end of the great road gradually appeared in her sight. The grayish-white city walls stretched endlessly into the distance, carrying an icy air. Sunlight poured down upon them, making the gray walls gleam faintly like mirrors. Anyone knowledgeable would recognize that the walls were covered in a layer of rare white rock. City walls built from this material could reflect certain attacks, making it an excellent choice for fortifications. Yet the material was quite scarce, and for this city to cover an entire wall with it showed an astonishingly deep foundation. Not only Xiao Yan, but even Xiao Xun'er beside him was slightly startled.

Xiao Yan, who had been sitting cross-legged, stood and stretched lazily. Smiling, he said, "We've finally reached Tianlan City, the largest city in the entire Northwest Region of the Douqi Continent."

The closer they came to Tianlan City, the more people they saw. At the city gates, queues stretched out like long dragons. Over the past two or three days, they had rarely seen other people or beasts flying through the skies, but now the air outside Tianlan City was densely packed with flying magical beasts.

Xiao Yan estimated that the number of people outside the city alone had already exceeded one hundred thousand. The city beyond, whose edges could not even be seen, likely contained an astronomical population. Where there were many people, there would naturally be more friction and conflict.

Xiao Yan handed a black cloak and veil to Xiao Xun'er. Necessary precautions were essential. If a beauty of Xiao Xun'er's caliber appeared in a place like this, the three of them would be exhausted just dealing with trouble.

Xiao Yan pulled the excited Zi Yan, who was looking around everywhere, to his side. "Once we're inside, listen to my orders. Don't cause trouble, or I'll deduct all your pills."

The moment Zi Yan heard that, her face filled with impatience, but she still nodded to show that she understood.

With a sweep of his gaze, Xiao Yan saw that although there were many people outside the city, Tianlan City had opened four entry passages.

The ordinary people's passage, the Dou Zhe and Dou Shi passage, the Da Dou Shi and Dou Ling passage, and the Dou Wang-and-above passage.

The ordinary people's passage stretched beyond sight, while the number of people decreased with each of the other three passages. The Dou Wang passage did not even require queuing.

The three of them headed directly toward the Dou Wang passage. Beside it stood a middle-aged man in yellow, who studied them with considerable interest. There were many Dou Wang experts, but very few were both so young and unfamiliar.

"May I ask how the three of you are addressed?" the middle-aged man in yellow asked politely.

"Yan Xiao. I'm a wandering cultivator, here to take a look around Tianlan City."

"You three have come at the right time. The Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly will begin in three months, and these three months are Tianlan City's liveliest period. Here are your identity jade tokens. You may stay at the Tianlan Inn in the city free of charge."

Xiao Yan accepted the jade tokens. The patterns on them were ancient and imposing, carrying a peculiar aura. They would likely be quite difficult to forge.

Xiao Yan nodded. "Thank you. May I ask where the largest medicinal herb shop in the city is located?"

"To the east of the city. The most prominent one is the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion—you'll spot it at a glance."

Xiao Yan cupped his hands. "Many thanks."

"This medicine shop really dares to name itself that. Ten Thousand Medicines," Yao Lao teased.

Xiao Yan smiled as well, but a quarter of an hour later, when he saw the seven-story behemoth before him, he felt like a country bumpkin entering the city.

Seeing Xiao Yan's astonishment, Xiao Xun'er could not help letting out a soft laugh. Zi Yan, meanwhile, took a deep sniff of the medicinal fragrance. To her, this place was no different from heaven—if only she could snatch up and eat the herbs as she pleased.

The first thing Xiao Yan and the other two felt after entering was this: there were so many people.

The Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion was divided into a pill section and a herb section. The pill section was packed shoulder to shoulder at the moment, while the herb section, though somewhat less crowded, was still exceedingly lively.

A beautiful female attendant in palace attire came forward and said gently, "What do the three of you require?"

Xiao Yan lightly tapped his Storage Ring, and a jade box appeared in his hand. The instant he opened it, a rich, fresh fragrance rushed forth.

"I have some medicinal herbs to sell, and naturally, I'd also like to purchase some things."

The moment the attendant saw what was inside the jade box, she unconsciously straightened up. "Wind Bell Sunflower? Please follow me to the third floor. High-grade herbs are traded on the third floor."

Xiao Yan raised his brows. The Wind Bell Sunflower was no ordinary herb. He and Zi Yan had gathered it while scavenging through the mountains, and it could even serve as a main ingredient for several fifth-tier medicinal pills. The fact that this attendant recognized it at once showed that the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion had put considerable effort into training its staff.

As expected of the largest city in the Northwest Region of the continent, Xiao Yan sighed inwardly.

The number of people noticeably decreased upon reaching the second floor. By the third floor, every detail of the decor revealed the owner's exceptional taste. The elegant surroundings easily calmed one's mind, while the perfectly balanced fragrance of pills and herbs gave the entire place an added charm. Naturally, there were also the fewest people here. In the vast area, there were only forty or fifty people.

After asking the three of them to sit for a while, the attendant returned with a middle-aged man in white. The moment he saw Xiao Yan, the man cupped his hands and said, "I am Tang Qi, a steward of the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion. How should I address the three of you? Do you have high-grade herbs to sell?"

Xiao Yan nodded. "I am Yan Xiao." Then he lightly tapped his Storage Ring, and more than ten jade boxes appeared. They contained medicinal herbs that he and Zi Yan had gathered and that were unsuitable for long-term storage in the Storage Ring.

Tang Qi carefully opened the jade boxes one after another. "Green Vein Grass, Fire Spring Ganoderma, Thunder Marrow Bamboo..." With every box he opened, his tone grew more solemn. After examining them all, he respectfully bowed. "Mr. Yan Xiao, none of these are ordinary items. Appraising them will take some time. Please wait a moment."

"No problem. The herbs I need are listed on this sheet." Xiao Yan handed a list to Tang Qi.

Tang Qi hurriedly accepted it. He had already decided to serve this wealthy customer well. As long as the heavenly treasures Xiao Yan had just produced were sold, his income for the month would increase by at least thirty percent.

But as he continued reading, Tang Qi's brows drew tighter with every item. After finishing, he gave a bitter smile. "Mr. Yan Xiao, the herbs you seek are truly too precious. Of the more than ten listed later, our pavilion has only seven in stock."

Xiao Yan nodded at that. Everything he was searching for was needed to refine a body for Yao Lao. Being able to obtain seven auxiliary herbs here was already more than satisfying.

"As for the first three, the Blood Essence Demon Fruit and Ten Thousand Year Green Spirit Vine are indeed extremely hard to find. However, our pavilion does have one portion of Snow Bone Ginseng."

Joy flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. "Steward Tang, this Snow Bone Ginseng is of immense importance to me. Price is not an issue."

Tang Qi smiled bitterly. "Mr. Yan Xiao, what unfortunate timing. Although our pavilion has it, the Pavilion Master has already decided to use the Snow Bone Ginseng as the prize for the 'Medicine Ranking Nomination.' It is currently no longer for sale."

"Medicine Ranking Nomination?"

"It is a competition designed by the Pavilion Master. Any alchemist who comes to the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion may participate. They need only refine a medicinal pill, and the one who takes first place in the end will receive the Snow Bone Ginseng as a reward."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled faintly. "Since it's a prize, then I'll compete for first place."