The light inside the Beast Hunting Pavilion was rather dim, and the air was tinged with the smell of blood and the musky stench peculiar to beasts. Hides, claws, and fangs of every description covered the walls, each radiating a varying degree of ferocity, clearly taken from different kinds of exotic beasts.
Behind the counter, a burly, scar-faced middle-aged man was polishing a bone blade. Hearing footsteps, he asked without looking up, "Buying or selling?"
"Both." Xiao Yan walked up to the counter, glancing over the furnishings around him. "I'd like to ask about the Black Wind Abyss, and exchange something for some Origin Qi Pills."
Only then did the scar-faced man look up. His sharp eyes swept over Xiao Yan several times, and when he saw his plain clothes and composed bearing, his gaze flickered. "A map of the Black Wind Abyss costs fifty low-grade Origin Qi Pills. A detailed map of the exotic beasts' distribution costs another hundred. As for an exchange, that depends on what valuables you have."
Xiao Yan took a fist-sized, scarlet scale from his Storage Ring. Flame patterns faintly flowed across its surface. It was a sliver of associated scale armor he had stripped from the Fallen Heart Flame's Heavenly Flame Origin years ago. Though not as overpowering as the Heavenly Flame itself, it still contained pure fire-attribute energy.
"How many Origin Qi Pills can I get for this?"
The scar-faced man's pupils contracted sharply at the sight of the scale. He reached out and took it, but the moment his fingertips touched it, he jerked his hand back, surprise crossing his face. "What powerful fire force! Is this... something associated with a Heavenly Flame?"
In the Great Thousand World, Heavenly Flames were likewise exceedingly rare treasures of heaven and earth, though they went by a slightly different name and were more often called "Origin Fire." The scar-faced man had made a place for himself in the Beast Hunting Pavilion for many years, so his eye for such things was naturally keen. He recognized the scale's extraordinary nature at a glance.
He weighed it carefully for a moment, then said in a low voice, "The fire-attribute energy in this scale armor is exceptionally pure, enough to refine three to five batches of mid-grade Origin Qi Pills. It's worth quite a bit. How about I give you a thousand low-grade Origin Qi Pills and twenty mid-grade ones?"
Origin Qi Pills were divided into three grades: low, mid, and high. One mid-grade Origin Qi Pill was worth fifty low-grade ones, so twenty came to a thousand low-grade pills. The total was two thousand low-grade Origin Qi Pills, a very fair price.
Xiao Yan nodded. "Agreed. Give me a detailed map of the Black Wind Abyss and a map of the exotic beasts' distribution as well."
"Straightforward!" The scar-faced man grinned and immediately took a hide scroll and a small jade bottle from under the counter. "Here are the map and the distribution chart, along with a thousand low-grade and twenty mid-grade Origin Qi Pills. Check them."
Xiao Yan took them and confirmed the count with a brief sweep of his senses. He put everything into his Storage Ring. "Many thanks."
"Don't mention it." The scar-faced man looked at him, then suddenly said, "Are you heading to the Black Wind Abyss too? Things haven't been peaceful there lately."
"Oh?" Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"A few days ago, a squad fled from deep inside the Black Wind Abyss. They said they'd run into a pack of Black Qilin Leopards. Only two of them made it out alive, and both were badly injured." The scar-faced man lowered his voice. "Black Qilin Leopards are pack-dwelling exotic beasts. Adults can reach the Origin King level, and when a whole pack comes out, even an Origin Ancestor expert has to give them a wide berth."
Xiao Yan's heart stirred. An exotic beast at the Origin King level was equivalent to a Dou Zun on the Dou Qi Continent. A pack of Dou Zun-level exotic beasts would indeed be troublesome.
"Also, I hear the spatial rifts in the central region of the Black Wind Abyss have become unusually active lately. Some cultivators were accidentally swept in, and not even their bones were left behind," the scar-faced man added. "The city lord's manor says it's recruiting people for this training expedition to find Spiritual Origin Crystals, but I reckon it mostly wants to find out what's really going on in the Black Wind Abyss."
Xiao Yan silently noted the information. It seemed the Black Wind Abyss was even more dangerous than Qian Tong had said.
"Thanks." He nodded again, then turned and left the Beast Hunting Pavilion.
Back at the Ying Inn, Xiao Yan spread out the map of the Black Wind Abyss. It was drawn in considerable detail, with several areas rich in Spiritual Origin Crystals marked on it. Areas where exotic beasts were active were also marked in red. Among them, a region labeled "Mist Valley" was the habitat of the Black Qilin Leopards, while the central area where spatial rifts were active was called "Shattered Space Cliff."
"Spiritual Origin Crystals are mainly found around the outskirts of Mist Valley and the edge of Shattered Space Cliff..." Xiao Yan tapped the map with a finger. "Looks like there's no avoiding those Black Qilin Leopards on this expedition."
He felt no fear whatsoever. Instead, he felt a faint sense of anticipation. The more dangerous a place was, the more often opportunities accompanied it. Besides, only by undergoing enough trials could he adapt as quickly as possible to the pace of cultivation in the Great Thousand World.
For the next three days, Xiao Yan did not go out again, instead devoting himself to cultivation in his room. He thoroughly drew out the Dou Qi in his body and actively summoned the surrounding Origin Qi to wash over and assimilate it. The process was painful and slow, as though every inch of his meridians were being reshaped, but the results were also remarkable.
Three days later, when Xiao Yan opened his eyes again, most of the Dou Qi in his body had vanished. In its place was a more condensed, more vast form of energy-Origin Qi. Though its total amount fell short of the Dou Di Power he had possessed at his peak, its purity far surpassed what it had been before. He could clearly feel that his strength had stabilized at the initial Origin King level.
"Origin King..." Xiao Yan clenched his fist, feeling the Origin Qi surging through his body, and a satisfied smile touched his lips. From Dou Di to Origin King, it looked like a fall in realm, but in truth he had broken down and rebuilt himself. His foundation had become more solid, and his future potential was broader.
After packing his belongings, Xiao Yan left the inn and headed for the city lord's manor square.
Several hundred people had already gathered in the square, chatting in groups of twos and threes, their eyes filled with both anticipation and nervousness. Xiao Yan spotted a few familiar faces in the crowd. Qian Tong was among them, talking to several independent cultivators. There was also Li Xuantong, the young man in white, standing at the edge of the raised platform and conversing with several people dressed in the city lord's manor's attire, his expression indifferent.
Xiao Yan had just reached the edge of the square when Qian Tong spotted him and hurried over with a smile. "Young friend Xiao Yan, you came too!"
"Are you planning to go as well, Elder Qian?" Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised. Qian Tong's presence was only at the intermediate Origin Master level; going to the Black Wind Abyss would probably be rather dangerous.
"Hehe, how could I miss out on the excitement?" Qian Tong rubbed his hands together. "I'm old, so I won't go deep. I'll just pick up whatever I can around the outskirts and earn a few Origin Qi Pills to see me through my old age. You, on the other hand, young friend, should be careful. I hear quite a few capable people have come this time."
As he spoke, he gestured toward the crowd with his chin. "See those people in black over there? They're from the Blood Shadow Hall, a bunch of desperadoes who'd do anything for Spiritual Origin Crystals. And that old man in blue robes is a retainer of the Wang Clan. They say he's already an advanced Origin King."
Xiao Yan followed his gaze and saw several black-clad figures with sinister, chilling presences sweeping hostile eyes over their surroundings. The old man in blue robes, meanwhile, had his eyes closed in repose, Origin Qi flickering faintly around him. He was clearly no weakling.
"Thank you for the warning, Elder Qian."
Just then, Li Xuantong stepped forward on the raised platform. His clear voice carried across the square. "Quiet!"
The noisy square fell silent in an instant, and everyone's eyes turned to him.
Li Xuantong swept his gaze over the crowd and said slowly, "This training expedition in the Black Wind Abyss will last half a month. The rules are simple. First, no killing one another; violators will be killed without exception. Second, each person must bring back at least ten Spiritual Origin Crystals, or they will not be eligible for a reward. Third, if you encounter an unavoidable danger, you may crush this token to call for help."
With a wave of his hand, hundreds of tokens engraved with the city lord's manor's seal flew toward the people in the square. Xiao Yan reached out and caught one. It was cold to the touch and made of an unknown material, but he could feel a faint communication fluctuation within it.
"Set out!"
At Li Xuantong's command, hundreds of participants surged out of Northern Region City like a tide, flying toward the Black Wind Abyss.
Xiao Yan traveled with Qian Tong. Neither flew particularly fast, and they fell into the middle-to-rear section of the group.
"Young friend, your Origin Qi fluctuations..." Sensing the Origin Qi inside Xiao Yan, Qian Tong looked surprised. "In just three days, you've already condensed Origin Qi and reached the Origin King realm?"
He had originally thought Xiao Yan was a peak Origin Master at most. He had not expected him to have hidden his strength so deeply.
Xiao Yan smiled but offered no explanation.
After flying for about two hours, the world ahead gradually grew dim. An oppressive feeling hung in the air, and the distant mountains had taken on an eerie gray-black color. This was the territory of the Black Wind Abyss.
"The outskirts of the Black Wind Abyss are just ahead. Everyone, be careful!" Li Xuantong's voice came from the front of the group.
The participants descended one after another, landing on the ground and beginning to advance cautiously.
As soon as Xiao Yan entered the Black Wind Abyss, a cold, sinister wind struck his face, carrying a faint smell of blood. Most of the trees around him were withered and blackened, and enormous claw marks covered the ground. Exotic beasts clearly frequented the area.
"Let's part ways around here." Qian Tong stopped and turned to Xiao Yan. "I'll try my luck to the east. Take care of yourself, young friend."
"You too, Elder Qian." Xiao Yan nodded, and the two parted.
After separating from Qian Tong, Xiao Yan followed the map toward the outskirts of Mist Valley. He did not move quickly, remaining alert at all times while his soul force scanned the surroundings like an invisible radar.
It was a habit he had developed over many years. In the dangerous places of the Dou Qi Continent, his keen senses had saved him from deadly danger countless times.
After walking for about an hour, he came upon a sparse stone forest, where a faint light flickered among the rocks.
"Hmm?" Xiao Yan's gaze shifted, and he quickened his pace.
Scattered among the gaps in the stone forest were several fist-sized, translucent crystals radiating dense Origin Qi. They were Spiritual Origin Crystals.
"Looks like my luck is good." Xiao Yan was delighted and was just about to step forward to collect them when his gaze suddenly sharpened.
On the ground beside the Spiritual Origin Crystals, he saw several mutilated corpses covered in claw marks. Their blood had already turned black; they had clearly been dead for some time.
"Black Qilin Leopard claw marks." Xiao Yan crouched down and examined the marks carefully. "Judging by the traces, at least three Black Qilin Leopards passed through here."
He did not rush forward. Instead, he used his soul force to investigate carefully, and only after confirming that no exotic beasts were lurking nearby did he quickly step forward and collect the Spiritual Origin Crystals one by one.
The Spiritual Origin Crystals varied in size, and there were more than twenty in all, far exceeding the number required by the city lord's manor.
"Looks like there was a fight here not long ago." Xiao Yan frowned slightly as he looked at the corpses. "I wonder which faction they belonged to."
Just as he was about to leave, the faint sound of footsteps came from behind the stone forest.
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened. He immediately slipped behind a boulder and concealed his presence.
Three black-clad men emerged from behind the stone forest. They were members of the Blood Shadow Hall, whom Qian Tong had mentioned. Their leader was a one-eyed man with a vicious scar across his face, and his presence had reached the initial Origin King level. The other two were peak Origin Masters.
"Boss, there are Spiritual Origin Crystals here!" one of the black-clad men shouted in delight, pointing at the crystalline gleam left on the ground.
The one-eyed man walked over, glanced at the corpses, then at the scattered fragments of Spiritual Origin Crystal. Greed flashed in his eye. "Looks like someone got here first, but it seems the Black Qilin Leopards dealt with them. Search the bodies and see if there's anything good!"
The two black-clad men immediately stepped forward and roughly searched the corpses, stripping them of their Storage Rings, weapons, and everything else.
"Boss, there are only some low-grade Origin Qi Pills and a few lousy rocks," one of them said dejectedly.
The one-eyed man snorted. "Useless! Come on, let's look farther ahead. I hear there are high-grade Spiritual Origin Crystals deep in Mist Valley. We might even run into a fat sheep."
Just as they were about to leave, the one-eyed man's gaze swept over the boulder where Xiao Yan was hiding, and his eye sharpened. "Who's there? Come out!"
Xiao Yan knew he had been discovered and no longer hid. He stepped out from behind the boulder and looked at them calmly.
"You?" Surprise flashed in the one-eyed man's eye when he saw Xiao Yan, and he promptly recognized him. "You're the brat who taught Zhao Hu a lesson at the city gate?"
He had his own sources of information in Northern Region City and had naturally heard about Xiao Yan, though he had not expected to meet him here.
"Brat, if you know what's good for you, hand over the Spiritual Origin Crystals you just got and kowtow three times. I might spare your life," one of the black-clad lackeys said arrogantly.
Xiao Yan could not be bothered to waste words on them. "Get lost," he said flatly.
"Heh, this brat's got some nerve!" The one-eyed man smiled, but his smile was full of killing intent. "Looks like that lesson at the city gate didn't teach you that a hard mouth alone won't keep you alive in the Black Wind Abyss! Since you won't drink the toast, you'll have to drink the forfeit. Don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Before his words had even faded, the one-eyed man flung out a hand. "Take him! Dead or alive!"
The two black-clad lackeys charged with vicious grins, each wielding a short saber flashing with Origin Qi. Their blades cut fiercely through the air, aimed straight at Xiao Yan's vital points.
Xiao Yan's gaze turned cold. Instead of retreating, he advanced, the Origin Qi in his body circulating in an instant. He did not use a Heavenly Flame; there was no need against trash like this.
His figure blurred as he evaded both attacks like a ghost. At the same time, he brought his fingers together like a sword, sending two condensed gusts of Origin Qi from his fingertips through the air. They struck the two men squarely in the chest.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
Two muffled impacts rang out. The two black-clad lackeys screamed and flew backward like kites with their strings cut, crashing heavily into the stone forest. Blood poured from their mouths; they were clearly no longer able to fight.
It all happened in the space of a lightning flash, too fast even for the one-eyed man to react.
"What?" The one-eyed man's expression changed drastically. He had not expected his two peak Origin Master subordinates to be unable to withstand even one move from their opponent.
"You... you hid your strength?" The one-eyed man stared fixedly at Xiao Yan, his eye filled with disbelief. "Who exactly are you?"
Xiao Yan walked toward him step by step, slowly releasing his Origin Qi fluctuations. Though the presence of an initial Origin King was not among the strongest, it carried the sharp edge of someone long accustomed to killing, making the one-eyed man's heart tremble involuntarily.
"I said, get lost." Xiao Yan's voice remained flat, but it carried an irresistible pressure.
Cold sweat beaded on the one-eyed man's forehead. He knew he was no match for the young man before him. As long as the green hills remained, there would be no fear of running out of firewood; fighting to the death in the Black Wind Abyss was not worth the cost.
"Fine! You've got guts, brat!" The one-eyed man gritted his teeth and left him with a threat. "I'll remember this! Let's go!"
He glanced at his two subordinates on the ground, a ruthless look flashing in his eye. Without bothering to help them, he turned and fled deeper into Mist Valley.
Xiao Yan did not pursue him. His target was Spiritual Origin Crystals, and there was no need to waste time on someone like that.
He walked over to the two injured black-clad lackeys. They trembled with fear and hurriedly begged for mercy. "Spare us, big brother! Spare us! We had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai..."
Xiao Yan ignored their pleas and looked at the Storage Rings at their waists. With a flick of his fingers, both rings flew into his hand. A quick inspection revealed nothing valuable inside except some low-grade Origin Qi Pills and a few pieces of ordinary ore.
"Get lost, and don't let me see you again," Xiao Yan said flatly, putting away the Storage Rings.
The two men ran off scrambling and crawling, as though granted a full pardon.
Xiao Yan glanced in the direction the one-eyed man had fled, his gaze sharpening slightly. The people of the Blood Shadow Hall would seek revenge for the slightest grievance and probably would not let this go. He would need to be more careful for the rest of the journey.
He did not linger, continuing