Guardian Land

Wu Ling had intended to refuse. His token had been stolen, so he needed to find someone else and seize a replacement first.

But his War Staff had been confiscated, and robbing others could easily capsize his boat in a gutter. Most people had already exchanged for weapons. If his luck failed him and he ran into a tough opponent like those three earlier had, he would probably have to bid this world farewell.

Seeing his inner struggle, Yun Mo smiled. "Come on. You're in no position to refuse now. If you perform well, I'll return your lousy stick and token later. Just look at you, fussing over a mere lousy Level Three Token."

Wu Ling's eyes lit up, though that last remark made the corner of his mouth twitch.

After some thought, he followed them and asked curiously, "What level are your tokens now?"

Under normal circumstances, with these two working together in the early stages of the Spirit Road, they could sweep through almost anyone, as long as they did not encounter another pair with a similar lineup.

"Level Two Tokens."

"Huh?"

Wu Ling wondered whether he had misheard. Level Two? Someone with a Level Two Token was calling his Level Three Token lousy?

"Heh, I've given away who knows how many tokens already. If that Level Three Token of yours isn't junk, what is it? Besides, we haven't even bothered going out of our way to look for tokens." Yun Mo gave him a disdainful look and curled his lip.

"Uh... so you've been earning spirit points instead."

Wu Ling scratched his head, understanding dawning on his refined face. He had also considered which path he should take before.

Should he first rob others of their tokens, or seek out natural treasures to improve his strength?

Now it seemed he needed to change his approach. He could seize other people's tokens any time before reaching the Spirit Road End, but opportunities to improve his strength might slip away.

Besides, even a high-level token would only be someone else's prize if he encountered a powerful group like Yun Mo's, who banded together for support. Without the strength to protect it, possessing a precious jade could itself become his crime.

The three walked on without stopping. Along the way, only Yun Mo and Wu Ling kept talking; Wen Qingxuan never joined in.

Noticing this oddity, Wu Ling glanced at Wen Qingxuan, who had been walking ahead the whole time, and quietly asked Yun Mo, "Say, are you really companions? Why does the atmosphere between you feel a little awkward?"

Yun Mo shot him a sidelong glance. He just had to poke at the sore spot.

After a long while, they finally left that area and reached a plain. The Guardian Land lay just ahead.

The Guardian Land covered a vast area, encompassing almost the entire plain.

By the time they arrived, quite a few people were already there. Some were taking advantage of its rules to shelter there and recover from their injuries, while others were bartering.

The injured lay openly here and there, applying medicinal herbs. Others gathered in twos and threes, looking for potential allies.

Once injured, they could easily become targets. Only by finding others in the same situation and banding together could they continue onward.

As for those bartering on the other side, their goods were not particularly valuable at this stage. Most were merely minor healing herbs.

Some did not even qualify as spirit medicine. At best, smearing them on a wound offered a little peace of mind. If Yun Mo displayed his Nine-Leaf Fruits here, those would probably make a great many people green with envy.

Of course, spirit points could also be used in these exchanges, provided the other party accepted the price.

The tokens actually offered many things for exchange, including body tempering cultivation methods, but no medicines for body tempering or healing. As a result, such supplies would remain extremely valuable even later on.

Yun Mo nodded and murmured to himself, "I didn't expect everyone here to be so well behaved. There isn't a single conflict."

There were no actual guardians in the Guardian Land. Everywhere he looked, he saw only participants in the trial.

"That's because the Mirror of Judgment is watching." Wen Qingxuan glanced at him, knowing what was on his mind. "Under normal circumstances, the Mirror of Judgment only watches the Guardian Land. If anyone disregards the rules, it will strike them down on the spot."

"So that's why." Understanding dawned on Yun Mo.

"So, if you eventually want to withdraw from the Spirit Road, you only need to stay in the Guardian Land. Once the Spirit Road ends, you'll naturally be able to leave safely."

"But you'll miss out on the final spiritual energy empowerment, wasting nearly two years for nothing," Wu Ling added. That was the outcome they least wanted.

If that happened, it would mean the others had left them far behind. Catching up afterward would likely be extremely difficult.

The three found a relatively secluded spot and sat down to plan where they would go next.

"Here, your lousy token and lousy stick. Calling them junk really isn't unfair. You don't even have a single spirit point. You're poor beyond belief. What a waste of your decent strength."

Yun Mo took out everything except the contents of his Storage Ring, including some things Wen Qingxuan had given him. Then he tossed the Level Three Token and War Staff to Wu Ling like garbage, leaving him thoroughly dispirited.

He dared say that all the people in this Guardian Land combined probably did not possess even five Level Three Tokens. Only Yun Mo would consider one junk.

But after looking at what Yun Mo had taken out, he truly felt that his own possessions were nothing but junk.

Before him lay four golden Spirit Fruits, their flowing luster lending them a wondrous air. There was also a Level Two Token, several Level One Tokens that had yet to be merged, and a map.

At the sight of the map, Wu Ling frowned, then his pupils contracted. "That looks like a map of the Spirit Road! How did you get it? And these fruits-what kind of Spirit Fruits are they?"

Yun Mo glanced at him, imitating Wen Qingxuan's gaze that looked down on everything. "Isn't this map available through the token? Why haven't you even exchanged for one? These are Nine-Leaf Fruits. Don't tell me you don't know what they do."

Wu Ling's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Doesn't that map cost a thousand spirit points? Where did you get so many? And these Nine-Leaf Fruits... well, could I trade you for one? No, two."

Facing Yun Mo and Wen Qingxuan now, Wu Ling showed none of the imposing presence he would later display at the Academy Tournament. He looked like a mere lackey, his refined face full of ingratiating smiles.

"Spirit points? Just kill a few level five spirit beasts. Five hundred points each-it wouldn't even take a day. As for the Spirit Fruits, what are you offering in exchange? And you want two?"

"Level five spirit beasts? Your luck is that good? You actually managed to run into level five spirit beasts? Uh, well-

"...haven't we formed an alliance? Shouldn't I get a few benefits? If anyone comes looking for trouble later, I'll absolutely be the first to charge in!" Wu Ling laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hands together.

"Who formed an alliance with you?" Yun Mo practically spat in his face. A mere hired fighter wanted to be an ally? After a moment's thought, he continued, "Go spread the word that we have a map, and tell them it marks the locations of some natural treasures. Then I'll give you a fruit."

"The locations of natural treasures?"

Yun Mo handed him the map and let him study it himself.

A short while later, Wu Ling let out a long breath, looking incredulous. "This map really is strange. No wonder it costs so many spirit points. Good thing you exchanged for it first. We can trade this information advantage for plenty of things."

"Just spread the word that the location of a body tempering natural treasure costs two hundred spirit points," Yun Mo told him. This was the decision he and Wen Qingxuan had reached earlier.

They would offer the location of a relatively ordinary natural treasure in exchange for some decent resources, while getting these people to fight among themselves. Meanwhile, their own group would follow other routes to find better spirit medicines. That way, they could avoid some annoying flies while gathering the tokens together.

Once those people fought and a few winners emerged, they could collect the spirit medicines, then turn back and seize the tokens. That was how the winner took all.

"All right. Information on a body tempering natural treasure is worth that price. But could you give me two fruits afterward? My younger sister entered the Spirit Road too. I need to think of her."

With a little thought, Wu Ling understood what Yun Mo and Wen Qingxuan were planning. But as he reached the end of his words, he felt a headache coming on.

His younger sister was rather willful, and that temperament could easily get her into trouble. Though she was also very strong, this Spirit Road trial seemed different from previous ones.

After all, even he had suffered some injuries in the constant killing and fighting lately. Now he had encountered Yun Mo and Wen Qingxuan, both of whom could defeat him decisively. He could not help worrying even more.

He hoped she would discover the marks he had left earlier, and preferably find her way to this Guardian Land too.

"Your younger sister?" Yun Mo blinked. He knew about Wu Ling's younger sister.

Wen Qingxuan, who had remained silent until now, also turned to scrutinize Wu Ling.

"Yes, her name is Wu Yingying. You haven't run into her before, have you?" Wu Ling felt uneasy. If they had encountered his sister, she would probably have suffered badly.

"No, we haven't. Fine, two fruits it is. Take your Level Three Token with you. That'll make you more convincing. Remember to exaggerate the effects of this natural treasure as much as possible. That'll work better." Yun Mo shook his head, then continued, "Of course, if anyone has information on the whereabouts of Nocturnal Bees, they can trade that for information from the map too."

Wu Ling glanced at Yun Mo, nodded, then turned and left with his War Staff.

"You didn't seem to want spirit points at first, did you?" Wen Qingxuan asked thoughtfully.

"Mm. At first, I wanted to trade for valuable information. But seeing how impoverished these people are, I doubt anything they know will be much use." Yun Mo narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

This information gap relied on the advantage he held while others still lacked maps. Once they had maps too, the information in his hands would be useless. He might as well take this opportunity to earn more spirit points and exchange for more useful things.

Yun Mo looked at the Black Robe she was wearing. It still seemed somewhat ill suited to her.