Tianbei City's walls stood several times higher than those of Northern Region City. Built entirely from a kind of stone with a pale golden sheen, they were densely engraved with Origin Qi runes and gave off a majestic, imposing presence. They were clearly carefully crafted fortifications.
A stream of people flowed through the city gates, making them livelier than those of Northern Region City. The cultivators coming and going also generally possessed stronger presences. Origin King experts were not uncommon, and Origin Emperors could even be spotted on occasion, leaving Xiao Yan secretly astonished. This was the foundation befitting the heart of the Northern Region.
Xiao Yan and Li Xuantong entered the city with the crowd. As soon as they passed through the gates, a richer, purer wave of Origin Qi washed over them. The buildings lining the streets were grander and more refined, shops stood row upon row, and the cries of vendors and sounds of conversation filled the air without pause. The city brimmed with life and vitality.
"Tianbei City is divided into four districts: east, west, south, and north. The eastern district houses the city lord's residence and the bases of the major top-tier factions. The western district is the commercial district, the southern district is a marketplace where cultivators gather, and the northern district is where some lower-level cultivators and ordinary people live." Li Xuantong explained as they walked, "I'll take you to register at the city lord's residence first, then find you somewhere to stay."
Xiao Yan nodded in agreement and followed Li Xuantong toward the eastern district.
Security was noticeably tighter in the eastern district, and the streets were wider and cleaner. From time to time, experts in splendid robes passed by, their presences steady and their expressions arrogant.
The city lord's residence stood at the center of the eastern district. It was a vast complex of palaces, magnificent and imposing. Two lifelike stone lions stood at the entrance, emitting faint fluctuations of Origin Qi. They were clearly two Origin Qi spirit treasures.
The two presented their identity tokens and entered the city lord's residence without trouble.
Li Xuantong led Xiao Yan straight to a building called the Council Hall, where a fierce argument was underway.
"...The remnants of the Blood Shadow Cult have resurfaced. We absolutely cannot take this lightly! In my view, we should mobilize our people at once and thoroughly search Tianbei City and the surrounding areas. We must pull them out by the roots!" a booming voice declared.
"Elder Wang, you are mistaken," another, softer voice countered. "The Blood Shadow Cult has long been a pack of homeless curs, nothing more than a few jumping clowns. Why make such a great show of force? It might cause panic in the city and affect Tianbei City's stability."
"Hmph, could it be that Elder Zhang is afraid? Back then, the Blood Shadow Cult brought disaster to the region. How many of our fellow cultivators died horribly at their hands? Now their dead ashes have kindled anew. If we don't stop them in time, they'll surely become a great calamity in the future!"
"You!"
Li Xuantong frowned and pushed the door open. "Elders, honored elders, there's no need to argue."
More than ten elderly and middle-aged men and women in robes of various colors sat in the Council Hall. They were clearly all senior figures of the city lord's residence. At the sound of Li Xuantong's voice, they stopped arguing and turned toward the door.
At their head sat a dignified old man in purple robes. He was none other than Zhou Xiaotian, the city lord of Tianbei City and an Initial Origin Ancestor expert.
"Xuantong, you're back." Zhou Xiaotian looked at Li Xuantong, then his gaze fell on Xiao Yan behind him. A flicker of curiosity crossed his eyes. "And who is this?"
"City Lord, Elders, this is Xiao Yan, a friend who has just ascended from the lower realm. His strength is extraordinary. In the Mist Forest, he helped me slay a Peak Origin King remnant of the Blood Shadow Cult," Li Xuantong said in introduction.
Everyone's gaze instantly gathered on Xiao Yan. Some were appraising, some curious, and some held a trace of disdain. In the eyes of those who had ascended from the lower realm, producing even one Origin King was no easy feat; naturally, such a person could hardly impress these senior figures of Tianbei City.
Xiao Yan remained composed and met their gazes openly, without the slightest stir at their disdain.
"Oh? You slew a Peak Origin King of the Blood Shadow Cult?" A trace of surprise flashed in Zhou Xiaotian's eyes. "Xuantong, tell us in detail what happened in the Mist Forest."
Li Xuantong nodded and recounted how they had encountered a Blood Shadow Cult remnant in the Mist Forest, fought a fierce battle with him, and finally killed him. He left out the details of Xiao Yan being transported and meeting A Man, emphasizing only the help Xiao Yan had given in the battle.
"In that case, the Blood Shadow Cult really is making moves in the Mist Forest." Zhou Xiaotian frowned deeply. "It seems Elder Wang has a point. We must take this seriously."
The owner of the booming voice, a red-faced old man in armor-Elder Wang-immediately said, "A wise decision, City Lord! In my view, we should order Tianbei City sealed off at once and closely investigate everyone suspicious. At the same time, we should send more people to search the Mist Forest and find traces of the other remnants!"
"No!" The owner of the softer voice, a lean elder in green robes, immediately objected. "Tianbei City is the hub of the Northern Region. Sealing it off would cause enormous upheaval and incalculable losses. In my opinion, we can investigate in secret. There's no need to beat the drums and wave the banners."
The two began arguing again, and the other elders also voiced their opinions. The Council Hall grew noisy once more.
Zhou Xiaotian rubbed the space between his brows and looked at Li Xuantong. "Xuantong, what do you think?"
Li Xuantong pondered for a moment before speaking. "The Blood Shadow Cult remnants are cunning and deceitful. A secret investigation alone may be difficult to make effective, but sealing off the city outright would indeed be inappropriate. In my view, we can strengthen the city's defenses and strictly question those entering and leaving. At the same time, we can send elite squads to secretly scout the Mist Forest and the areas around Tianbei City. As soon as they find any trace, they can report it immediately, and we can decide what to do then."
The proposal was a relative compromise. It showed that they were taking the matter seriously while avoiding too much upheaval, and most of those present approved.
Zhou Xiaotian nodded. "Good. We'll do as Xuantong says. Xuantong, I'll put you in charge of this matter."
"Yes, City Lord." Li Xuantong cupped his fists in acknowledgment.
Zhou Xiaotian turned to Xiao Yan and said mildly, "Xiao Yan, was it? Thank you for helping Xuantong slay that remnant of the evil cult. The city lord's residence won't treat you unfairly. You've just arrived in Tianbei City, so if you need anything, you can tell Xuantong."
"Thank you, City Lord." Xiao Yan cupped his fists, his tone neither servile nor arrogant.
Zhou Xiaotian was quite satisfied with his manner. He nodded and dismissed everyone to attend to their respective tasks.
After leaving the Council Hall, Li Xuantong smiled at Xiao Yan. "Brother Xiao, the city lord does value talented people. You conducted yourself well just now."
Xiao Yan smiled and paid it no mind.
"I'll take you to stay at the Welcoming Guests Pavilion first. It's one of the best inns in Tianbei City, with pleasant surroundings and plenty of news passing through," Li Xuantong said.
The Welcoming Guests Pavilion stood in the heart of the western district. It was a nine-story tower with a simple, elegant architectural style. Carriages and horses crowded its entrance, and business was clearly excellent.
Li Xuantong was obviously a regular. As soon as the shopkeeper saw him, he hurried over to greet him warmly. "Commander Li, please come in! As usual, we've kept Heaven Room Number One for you."
"Mm. Get another Heaven Room for this friend of mine," Li Xuantong said.
"Right away!" The shopkeeper hurriedly instructed an attendant to make preparations.
The two followed the attendant to the ninth floor. The rooms were spacious, bright, and luxuriously furnished, with a view of Tianbei City's bustling streets outside the windows. The Origin Gathering Arrays in the rooms were also of a very high grade, and the concentration of Origin Qi was several times higher than at the Ying Inn in Northern Region City.
"Brother Xiao, rest here for now. I'll go arrange the scouting mission and come back to see you later," Li Xuantong said.
"Please, go ahead, Brother Li," Xiao Yan replied with a nod.
After Li Xuantong left, Xiao Yan closed the door and first circulated his Origin Qi to consolidate his cultivation. Then he took out the small box of Emerald Heart Bamboo hearts A Man had given him. When he opened it, he found three bamboo hearts inside, emerald green all over and giving off a delicate fragrance. Their Origin Qi was gentle and pure.
"They're good things indeed." Xiao Yan smiled faintly and put the bamboo hearts away. They might really prove useful at a critical moment.
Next, he took out the black jade fragment. It still looked as plain and ancient as ever, with no unusual movement. Xiao Yan tried pouring Origin Qi into it, but the fragment swallowed it like a stone sinking into the sea, without any response. It might as well have been an ordinary piece of black stone.
"Just where did it come from...?" Xiao Yan murmured to himself. Unable to guess the secret of the jade fragment, he could only put it away for the time being.
After resting for a while, Xiao Yan decided to go out for a walk, get familiar with Tianbei City, and ask around for news.
The Welcoming Guests Pavilion was in the western district, surrounded by all kinds of shops and markets, making the area extremely lively. Xiao Yan strolled down the street, looking at the dazzling array of goods on both sides: various Origin Qi ores and heavenly materials and earthly treasures, as well as all sorts of Origin Qi weapons and cultivation manuals. There were even some strange exotic beast eggs and slaves.
He paid particular attention to the pill shops and markets and found that Tianbei City's alchemists were generally quite skilled. Middle-grade Origin Qi Pills could be found everywhere, and high-grade Origin Qi Pills also appeared from time to time. There were even some special pills he had never seen before.
Xiao Yan stopped in front of a pill shop called the Ten Thousand Pills Pavilion. The shop was enormous and lavishly decorated. A sign at the entrance read, "Specially invited sixth-grade alchemist in residence," drawing quite a few people to stop and look.
"A sixth-grade alchemist?" Xiao Yan's interest stirred. On the Dou Qi Continent, a sixth-grade alchemist was already a regional powerhouse. He had not expected to encounter one in Tianbei City.
He entered the shop and found that its selection of pills was indeed exceptionally rich. From low-level Spirit Concentrating Pills and Strength Gathering Pills to mid- and high-level Barrier Breaking Pills and Origin King Pills, it had everything, and the quality was good as well.
Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the shelves and finally stopped on a pill emitting a faint golden light. The label beside it read, "High-grade Golden Origin Pill, price: five thousand middle-grade Origin Qi Pills."
The Golden Origin Pill could aid Origin King experts in cultivation. Its quality had already reached the peak of the high grade, and refining it was quite difficult.
Just then, a slightly arrogant voice sounded. "Friend, you have a good eye. This Golden Origin Pill is one of the treasures of our Ten Thousand Pills Pavilion, personally refined by Master Liu."
Xiao Yan turned to see a young man in brocade standing behind him, the hint of a superior smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He was Zhao Yu, the young master of the Ten Thousand Pills Pavilion.
Xiao Yan said mildly, "It is quite good, but the Pill Patterns are a little disorderly, and their cohesion is slightly lacking. It can't be considered a true peak-quality work."
The smile froze on Zhao Yu's face, and displeasure flashed in his eyes. "What do you mean by that, friend? This is a high-grade Golden Origin Pill refined by Master Liu. There are no more than three people in all of Tianbei City who can reach this standard!"
In his eyes, Xiao Yan was ordinarily dressed and, at most, a rogue cultivator who had never seen the world. Yet he dared point fingers at Master Liu's pill. He simply did not know how high the heavens were or how deep the earth ran.
"I'm stating a fact," Xiao Yan said calmly. "If a little more effort had been put into purifying the medicinal ingredients, and Origin Qi had been used to guide the flow of the Pill Patterns during pill formation, its quality could have been improved by at least ten percent."
He was speaking of the finer points of alchemy. They sounded simple, but went straight to the heart of the matter.
Zhao Yu was stunned. Although he was not an alchemist, he had grown up immersed in the craft and knew a little about it. Xiao Yan's words were simple, but he had a vague sense that they made some sense.
Just then, a gaunt-faced old man in gray robes came out of the inner hall. He was none other than Master Liu, the sixth-grade alchemist. He had heard Xiao Yan's words, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes as he looked at him. "Young friend, have you studied alchemy as well?"
Xiao Yan cupped his fists. "I know a little."
"Oh?" Master Liu's interest was piqued. "Young friend, you just said the quality of my Golden Origin Pill could be improved by ten percent. Could you explain in detail?"
Seeing this, Zhao Yu no longer dared to interrupt. He merely watched Xiao Yan with some nervousness, afraid he might say something to displease Master Liu.
Xiao Yan did not decline. He explained his earlier thoughts in detail, from the methods of purifying medicinal ingredients to the techniques for controlling Origin Qi and the secrets of forming Pill Patterns. His explanation was clear and orderly, his insights original. He even pointed out several possible oversights Master Liu might have made during the refining process.
The more Master Liu listened, the more astonished he became. In the end, he even stood up in excitement, nodding repeatedly. "Wonderful! Truly wonderful! Young friend, your insight is like a divine elixir poured over my head! I've studied the Golden Origin Pill for many years and always felt something was missing. Your guidance has finally opened my eyes!"
The look he gave Xiao Yan was now full of respect and admiration, without the slightest trace of disdain.
Zhao Yu was even more dumbstruck. He had never seen Master Liu hold anyone in such high regard, especially someone so young.
"You're so young, yet your attainments in the art of alchemy are already so profound. That is truly rare!" Master Liu praised. "I am Liu Zhong. May I ask your esteemed name, young friend?"
"Xiao Yan."
"Young friend Xiao, would you be willing to exchange pointers with me on alchemy?" Master Liu asked eagerly. "I would be happy to give you Origin Qi Pills!"
Xiao Yan had been wanting to learn about the standard of alchemy in the Great Thousand World, so he nodded. "I would be glad to."
Just as the two were preparing to enter the inner hall for their exchange, an arrogant voice came from the entrance. "Old Liu, I hear you got your hands on an earth core fire lotus. Hand it over, or don't blame this young master for tearing down your Ten Thousand Pills Pavilion!"
Everyone looked toward the voice and saw a group of young men in black crowding around a brocade-clad youth with an arrogant expression as they entered. The youth at their head was about eighteen or nineteen, with a presence at the Intermediate Origin King level and a brazen look in his eyes. He was Li Minghao, the third young master of the Li Clan, one of Tianbei City's three great clans.
Master Liu's face darkened. "Li Minghao, don't go too far! I obtained this earth core fire lotus only with great difficulty. How could I give it to you?"
Earth core fire lotus was one of the main ingredients for refining a high-grade Golden Origin Pill and was extremely precious. Master Liu had intended to use it to attempt a breakthrough to sixth-grade alchemist, so naturally he could not hand it over.
"Too far?" Li Minghao sneered. "In Tianbei City, there's nothing this young master wants that he can't get! If you know what's good for you, hand it over now. Otherwise, not only will the Ten Thousand Pills Pavilion be lost, but your old bones will be smashed apart too!"
The young men in black behind him also bared vicious expressions, and Origin Qi fluctuations spread from them. They were clearly looking for a fight.
Seeing this, the customers in the shop backed away in fright, not daring to get involved in the Li Clan's affairs.
Zhao Yu's face went pale, but he still mustered his courage and said, "Li Minghao, this is the Ten Thousand Pills Pavilion. How dare you run wild here?"
"It's just a lousy shop. If this young master wants to tear it down, he will!" Li Minghao paid him no heed at all. His gaze fell on Master Liu. "I'll ask you one last time. Are you handing it over or not?"
Master Liu trembled all over with anger, but he was helpless. The Li Clan wielded enormous power in Tianbei City, and he simply could not afford to offend them.
Just then, a calm voice sounded. "What kind of skill does it take to bully an old man?"
Everyone looked toward the voice. The speaker was Xiao Yan.
Li Minghao froze for a moment, then looked Xiao Yan up and down. A trace of contempt flashed in his eyes. "Where did this wild brat come from? You dare meddle in this young master's business? I think you're tired of living!"
Xiao Yan said mildly, "The earth core fire lotus belongs to Master Liu. What gives you the right to seize it by force?"
"What gives me the right? The fact that I'm from the Li Clan!" Li Minghao said arrogantly. "Brat, I advise you to get lost now, or this young master will deal with you too!"
Xiao Yan shook his head, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes. "It seems you won't know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth runs until someone teaches you a lesson."
"Teach me a lesson?" Li Minghao acted as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world. "Get him! Break this brat's legs and throw him out! He doesn't know whether to live or die!"
Several young men in black immediately charged at Xiao Yan with vicious grins. They were all at Peak Origin Master. In Li Minghao's view, they were more than enough to deal with an outsider whose background they did not know.
The next moment, however, they paid the price for underestimating their opponent.
Xiao Yan did not even use his Heavenly Flames. He merely waved a hand casually, sending several condensed streams of Origin Qi tearing through the air to strike the black-clad young men squarely in the knees.
"Crack! Crack!"
Several crisp cracks rang out, accompanied by piercing screams. The young men in black dropped to their knees at once, then rolled about on the ground in agony, unable to get up again.
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