With his heart full of anticipation and hope, Ye Lingyun strode toward Lingfeng City. As he drew closer, the city's magnificent outline gradually unfolded before his eyes. Its tall, thick walls were built from enormous blocks of blue stone. Time had left mottled marks on them, yet had done nothing to diminish their solemn grandeur. Watchtowers rose at regular intervals along the walls, with guards patrolling atop them and keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings. The gateway was broad enough for several carriages to pass through side by side. Two enormous iron gates stood open like the maw of a giant beast, swallowing and disgorging the streams of people passing through.
Ye Lingyun slowly entered Lingfeng City with the bustling crowd. The moment he stepped inside, the lively, prosperous scene before him left him awestruck. The streets were wide and clean, paved with even stone slabs, and shops stood packed in orderly rows on either side. Signs and banners swayed in the breeze, advertising a dazzling array of wares. There were apothecaries selling rare spirit herbs and pills, their interiors steeped in rich medicinal fragrances; through their open doors, he could see counters covered with bottles and jars of every size. There were treasure pavilions selling magical treasures and spiritual artifacts, their interiors shimmering with light as each treasure exuded a mysterious aura that drew passersby to stop and stare. In the weapon shops, furnaces blazed while blacksmiths painstakingly forged keen-edged blades, sending sparks flying amid the crisp ringing of hammers.
Cultivators of every description came and went along the streets. Some wore lavish clothes and carried themselves with imposing dignity, powerful fluctuations of Spiritual Power radiating around them; one glance was enough to tell that they were formidable experts. Others dressed plainly and hurried along, presumably busy seeking resources for their cultivation. As Ye Lingyun strolled down the street, he curiously observed everything around him, inwardly marveling at Lingfeng City's prosperity and diversity.
After walking for a while, Ye Lingyun arrived at an exceptionally lively square. An enormous fountain stood at its center, spraying not ordinary water but spirit liquid that shone with five-colored light. In the air, the liquid transformed into wondrous shapes, sometimes resembling a soaring phoenix, sometimes a surging dragon, drawing gasps of admiration from the surrounding crowd. Stalls of every kind filled the edges of the square, forming a bustling marketplace. Their wares ranged from low-grade spiritual items to rare cultivation manuals, offering everything one could wish for.
Drawn by the bustling market, Ye Lingyun unconsciously slowed his pace and browsed among the stalls. He hoped to find something that would aid his cultivation. At one stall, he noticed some strange stones. The vendor explained that they contained a special kind of Spiritual Power and could offer some assistance in cultivating a Martial Soul. Ye Lingyun picked up a stone and examined it closely. With his keen perception of Spiritual Power, he found that the stones were indeed unusual. Though the power they contained was not strong, it fluctuated at a distinctive frequency. After some bargaining, he bought several stones, intending to study them in greater depth later.
Continuing onward, Ye Lingyun came to a stall selling cultivation manuals. Its vendor was an elderly man with snow-white hair but exceptionally sharp eyes. Various worn books lay on the stall, and Ye Lingyun casually leafed through them, hoping to find a worthwhile technique. Suddenly, a manual titled "Spirit Shadow Evasion Technique" caught his attention. Though its cover was shabby, when he opened it, he discovered that it recorded an exceedingly rare evasion technique. Once cultivated to an advanced level, it could allow its user to vanish without a trace in an instant, making him impossible to pin down. Delight filled Ye Lingyun's heart. This was precisely the skill he needed; in battle, such an evasion technique could give him an enormous advantage.
Ye Lingyun looked at the elderly vendor and asked, "Sir, how much are you asking for this manual?"
The old man sized Ye Lingyun up, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes. "Young man, you certainly have a good eye. Although this Spirit Shadow Evasion Technique is only a yellow tier middle grade manual, it's an evasion technique rarely seen in this world. Naturally, it doesn't come cheap. It will cost at least fifty mid-grade spirit crystals."
Ye Lingyun was startled. Fifty mid-grade spirit crystals was no small sum. Though he had some savings, most were set aside for cultivation resources, and he could not produce so many spirit crystals on the spot.
"Sir, could you lower the price a little? I truly can't afford that many spirit crystals," Ye Lingyun said earnestly.
The old man shook his head. "Young man, that's already my lowest price. If I took this manual to a treasure pavilion, it would sell for even more. If you truly want it, you'll have to think of another way."
Ye Lingyun hesitated. He understood the manual's value, but he simply did not have enough spirit crystals. Just as he was about to give up, he suddenly remembered the precious spiritual items he had brought from the Ye Family. He took a third-rank spirit herb from his Storage Ring and offered it to the old man. "Sir, I don't have enough spirit crystals, but this third-rank spirit herb should be worth at least fifty mid-grade spirit crystals. Would you be willing to trade the manual for it?"
The old man took the herb and examined it carefully, a flash of delighted surprise crossing his eyes. This third-rank spirit herb was called purple heart orchid, an exceedingly rare herb that could not only be used to refine high-grade pills but also aid certain special cultivation methods. The old man secretly rejoiced, though his expression remained unchanged.
"Hmm, this purple heart orchid does have some value. Very well. Since you genuinely seem to like this manual, I'll make the trade," the old man said.
Overjoyed, Ye Lingyun hurriedly handed the purple heart orchid to the old man and accepted the Spirit Shadow Evasion Technique manual. He carefully placed it in his Storage Ring, his heart brimming with anticipation. He knew this manual would be a great help in strengthening himself.
After bidding farewell to the old man, Ye Lingyun continued browsing the marketplace. Suddenly, he heard a commotion up ahead. Driven by curiosity, he followed the sound and found a crowd gathered around a stall, apparently arguing about something. He squeezed through the crowd and saw several strange objects displayed on the stall. The vendor was a young woman, who was anxiously arguing with a man dressed in lavish clothes.
"I happened to find all these objects in an ancient ruin. They're absolutely genuine! Why are you accusing me of selling fakes?" the woman demanded indignantly.
"Hmph. A little girl like you could get these things from an ancient ruin? I think you're nothing but a swindler, trying to use these fakes to cheat cultivators like us out of our spirit crystals," the man said disdainfully.
After hearing the man's words, the surrounding crowd also began accusing the woman. She was so distressed that tears welled in her eyes, yet she did not know how to defend herself.
Ye Lingyun carefully examined the objects on the stall. Drawing on his keen perception and knowledge of spiritual items, he found that although they looked somewhat worn, they did indeed exude an ancient, mysterious aura. They did not seem to be fakes.
"Sir, these objects don't appear to be fake to me. What evidence do you have to declare so certainly that they are?" Ye Lingyun stepped forward and addressed the man.
The man turned and looked Ye Lingyun up and down. Seeing his plain clothes, he said scornfully, "Where did a brat like you crawl out from? Keep your nose out of this. I bet you're in league with this little girl, trying to swindle us out of our spirit crystals together."
Anger rose in Ye Lingyun's heart, and he was about to retort when he suddenly sensed a powerful fluctuation of Spiritual Power coming from the man. He was shocked. He had not expected the man to be so strong-he was at least an expert in the Spirit Sea Realm. With his current strength, Ye Lingyun would have no chance of winning a direct confrontation.
"Sir, I mean no harm. I simply saw how distressed this young lady was and couldn't help speaking a fair word. If these objects truly are fake, I won't take her side. Why not ask a knowledgeable senior to appraise them?" Ye Lingyun said calmly, forcibly suppressing his anger.
Hearing Ye Lingyun's words, the man also began to hesitate. In truth, he could not be certain whether the objects were fake. He had merely seen that the woman was alone and wanted to seize the opportunity to extort her. If they really brought in a knowledgeable senior to examine them and the objects turned out to be genuine, he would have no way to back down without losing face.
"Hmph. At least you know what's good for you. But if the appraisal proves these objects are fake, neither you nor this little girl will get off lightly," the man threatened.
Ye Lingyun nodded, then turned to the woman. "Miss, do you know any knowledgeable seniors?"
The woman gave Ye Lingyun a grateful look. "I've only just arrived in Lingfeng City, so I don't know any seniors. But I've heard there's a Grandmaster here who specializes in appraising spiritual items. His name is Elder Xuan Feng. Perhaps we could ask him to examine them."
At this, an idea stirred in Ye Lingyun's mind. He decided to accompany the woman to seek out Elder Xuan Feng and settle this dispute, while also finding out where these mysterious objects had come from...
Before you continue