Myriad Phenomena · Sinful Deeds Ranking, Red Dragon Mountain Range
Inside Heavenly Treasure Mountain, in an elegant restaurant.
Ji An sat at a large table by the window, with a dazzling array of spiritual fruits and vegetables, a large plate of meat cooked with spiritual energy, and a jar of fine spiritual wine labeled "Hundred-Grass Brew" that exuded a mellow aroma in front of him.
Although this meal wasn't the most exquisite delicacies from Heavenly Treasure Mountain, it was still quite valuable, costing Ji An a full pound of Essence Liquid.
Ten Essence Liquid equal one jin.
It should be noted that an ordinary Earth Rank magic weapon usually contains only a dozen or so kilograms of Essence Liquid.
Of course, this is just the most common type among Earth Rank magic treasures.
If one wants to buy a more powerful magic weapon, such as an Earth Rank magic weapon, the required Essence Liquid will increase exponentially. A fine high-grade Earth Rank magic weapon often costs between eighty and one hundred and twenty catties of Essence Liquid, or even more.
Inside the private room, Ji An leaned against the window in a relaxed posture, putting a purple, grape-like spiritual fruit into his mouth.
The plate of meat in front of him, made from the ribs of a demonic beast, was tempting in color and emitted a mouthwatering aroma. The vital energy contained within it was something that no living being Houtian could enjoy.
That jar of "Hundred-Grass Brew" had an amber-colored liquid, a mellow and lingering taste, and its gentle medicinal power permeated the body and limbs, even though it was only a very minor benefit to the Godfiend Body Refinement.
As Ji An leisurely enjoyed his meal, he flipped through a thick booklet he had just casually bought from a roadside shop.
On the dark blue cover, several bold, powerful characters exude a chilling aura - "Myriad Phenomena: The List of Sins".
This book is widely circulated in Anchan Commandery. It is a record of cultivators at the Myriad Wanxiang Adept Realm who have committed heinous crimes within the territory of Anchan Commandery and are wanted and have bounties offered by the Great Xia Dynasty.
Behind every name lies a bloody past.
For Ji An, who aspired to join the Yinglong Guard, this booklet was a potential "list of treasures."
The booklet is not strictly ordered by strength, but rather by a combination of the depth of sin, the degree of cruelty, the size of the bounty, and the degree of harm caused.
Ji An turned the pages one by one, his gaze sweeping over the names and their crimes: "Blood Butcher" Li Kun, a Qi Refining cultivator at the Myriad Phenomena Perfection his Qi Refining, slaughtered over 100,000 mortals and low-level cultivators in Qingfeng City, and practiced evil arts.
"Poison Lady" Liu Sanniang, at the Myriad Phenomena Perfection, is skilled in poisons and gu, and once poisoned and killed an entire small family, and abducted male cultivators as cultivation vessels.
"Ghost Shadow Sword" Mo Qi, at the Myriad Phenomena Perfection, has plundered countless merchant caravans. His whereabouts are elusive. Killing him will earn you 1,000 jin of Essence Liquid at the Myriad Links Trading Company.
"The 'Earth-Splitting Demon' Bear Pi, at the late stage of the Godfiend Body Refining Myriad Phenomena, enjoys devouring cultivators and destroys mountains and strongholds."
As he read the names and the bloody cases, Ji An's eyes gradually turned cold.
These people are all a cancer in Anjun, their hands stained with the blood of innocent people.
Their heads are a real "hard currency" within the Yinglong Guard system; if you accumulate enough, you can exchange them for almost anything within the Yinglong Guard.
Of course, that's after joining. Before joining, killing these people, except for those with bounties, like Ghost Shadow Sword "Mo Qi," didn't involve any bounties.
Therefore, the main purpose of this list of sins is to remind people that if they encounter these people, it is best to leave if they are not confident in their ability to handle the situation.
He flipped to a relatively late position on the list, and Zi Guang suddenly paused.
On the last page, a familiar name was clearly written, "Crimson Flame Old Demon," an early-stage cultivator of the Myriad Phenomena, also practicing Godfiend Body Refinement, and at the Violet Palace Complete. He wields the magic weapon Crimson Flame Sky-Burning Banner. He is known for his violent and greedy nature, habitually ambushing and killing lone cultivators with his accomplice, Daoist Yunsong. He once fought a fierce battle outside Blackwind Gorge against Myriad Phenomena mid-stage Myriad Manifestations realm True Person, "Iron Mountain Adept True Person," and remained undefeated, earning him a notorious reputation. He has committed dozens of crimes, victimizing nearly a thousand cultivators and plundering countless riches. His sins are grave; those who kill him can claim one hundred jin of Essence Liquid from Iron Mountain Adept upon presenting proof.
"Heh, so you're one of those people on the list. No wonder you act so recklessly." Ji An's lips curled into a cold sneer.
After viewing the "List of Sins," Ji An had gained a general understanding of the strength of sinners in the Myriad Phenomena Realm.
Among the sinners on this list, there are fewer than twenty sinners with the Myriad Phenomena Perfection. However, this is understandable, since any cultivator who advances one level further will reach the Primordial Spirit Daoist level, and they will be prominent figures in the entire Anchan Commandery.
However, the number of combatants in the later stages of the Myriad Phenomena Realm increases dramatically. In fact, if one does not possess the combat power of the mid-stage of the Myriad Phenomena, even a sinner in the early stage of the Myriad Phenomena would not have the chance to be listed.
In this book, the only threats to Ji An are a few individuals, but that's all they are.
"It seems that to accumulate wealth quickly, I still need to find those big fish in the top 300, or even the top 100." Ji An put down his book and picked up a piece of crystal-clear fish meat that radiated a chilling aura—this was the main ingredient of another signature dish of the restaurant, "Snow Soul Cold Fish Soup," which was said to have the power to clear the mind and improve eyesight. "However, although these guys pose no threat to me, they do have some trump cards. I can't rush things; I need to figure out their situation first and improve my strength."
Just as he was savoring the deliciousness of the cold fish soup and planning his future actions, he suddenly felt a faint, strange sensation.
Since practicing the "Thunder God Eye" technique, Ji An has become extremely sensitive to being spied on or being watched by others.
This gaze was one of scrutiny and malice, like a thorn in one's back, fleeting and piercing.
Ji An continued eating calmly without pausing his movements.
"Oh? We already have guests? It seems Heavenly Treasure Mountain is indeed a place with deep waters." Ji An raced, but his face remained calm. "That Venerable Profound Fire is indeed problematic—"
As mentioned earlier, "Thunder God Eye" has the ability to see gods, ghosts, and the netherworld. Moreover, after Ji An cultivated it, he found that he could sense other people's attitudes towards him, or rather, their malice, with exceptional clarity.
Ji An leisurely finished enjoying the spiritual food, drank the jar of Hundred-Grass Brew, and felt the warm medicinal power slowly spreading through his body.
He put down his wine glass, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Late stage of the Myriad Phenomena Realm - Venerable Profound Fire, you think highly of me." Ji An sneered inwardly.
Although that glimpse was fleeting, under the "Thunder God Eye," its source and realm had already been locked onto—the aura's realm had clearly reached the late stage of the Myriad Phenomena realm.
"It seems these hundreds of kilograms of Essence Liquid are indeed tempting." Ji An stood up, casually tossed the Essence Liquid aside to pay the bill, and walked out of the restaurant with an air of nonchalance.
It should be understood that a normal early-stage Myriad Phenomena cultivator's entire fortune is only about 100 jin of Essence Liquid, which is already above average.
After leaving Heavenly Treasure Mountain, he wandered around the western part of the city for a while, but that aura always lingered with him.
"Good patience, but unfortunately—they chose the wrong prey." Ji An thought to himself, then turned and headed towards the Anchan City without further delay.
Soon, he left Anchan City and arrived at a place several dozen miles away.
Ji An had a sudden thought.
Wow!
A streak of silver-gray Flowing Light flew out from his palm and instantly transformed into a small boat.
He stepped into the boat. The protective shield of the boat closed silently.
"Let's go to the Red Dragon Mountain Range!"
Standing in the boat, Ji An sensed the people following him from behind, but he didn't say anything Void-Escaping Boat normally.
"Look at your life, isn't it?" Ji An thought to himself.
As soon as he discovered him, Ji An had already considered two options. If he hadn't been able to see through the man's cultivation level at that time, he would have left Ancheng, directly integrated the "Heaven and Earth" Grand Dao into the Void-Escaping Boat, and left.
If you can see through it, fly at normal speed. If that person catches up, then it's just bad luck; they're facing a calamity. If they don't catch up, they might live a few more years.
Soon--
"We've arrived at the Red Dragon Mountain Range. Looks like you're quite lucky." Ji An looked ahead.
Looking into the distance, Ji An could see a continuous, undulating mountain range shaped like a dragon even through the clouds. The entire mountain range was covered in a fiery red color, making it look like a fiery red divine dragon from afar!
Its aura was also exceptionally terrifying; at least in Ji An's experience, it was only below the level of God King when he received the inheritance of "Thunder God Eye".
Of course, this aura was not even one ten-thousandth of the aura of God King.
"As expected of the Yinglong Guard." Ji An sighed inwardly.
Two powerful forces stand side by side in Anchan Commandery: one is Northmont Clan of Marquis of Anch’an, and the other is the Anchan branch of the Yinglong Guard.
But this is just one of the thousands of branches of the Yinglong Guard, yet its strength is already comparable to that of Marquis of Anch’an of the Northmont Clan; there are as many such Yinglong branches as there are vassal states in the Great Xia Dynasty.
This is the most terrifying aspect—and this is merely one force under the command of the Great Xia Emperor.
With Ji An, Void-Escaping Boat, heading straight for the Red Dragon Mountain Range.
The Red Dragon Mountain Range is shaped like a reclining dragon, and the dragon's head is the Guest-Welcoming Peak.
The Void-Escaping Boat landed steadily on a flat area of Guest-Welcoming Peak. As soon as it landed, two Violet Palace Cultivators clad in fiery red armor strode over from a distance, their faces cold and stern as they demanded, "What brings you to our Red Dragon Mountain Range?"
Sensing the other party's overbearing attitude, Ji An knew this was their territory and didn't say much, only calmly replying, "I'm here to join the Yinglong Guard."
"Oh?" Two cultivators in fiery red armor glanced at him, one of them coldly ordering, "Follow me."
The group walked along the mountain path as if on flat ground. On Guest-Welcoming Peak, they could often see Violet Palace Cultivators patrolling in the same fiery red armor.
"Listen," the cultivator leading the way said coldly as they walked, "There are countless people who want to join my Yinglong Guard, but before you officially join, you are not yet Yinglong Guard and must abide by the rules."
Ji An listened calmly, already understanding the intricacies of the situation and prepared for what was to come.
"Remember these three ironclad rules: First, outside of the Yinglong Guard, private fights and killings are strictly prohibited within the Red Dragon Mountain Range; violators will be executed on the spot! Second, throughout the entire Red Dragon Mountain Range, you may only move within the Guest-Welcoming Peak; trespassing elsewhere will result in death! Third, the array restrictions on Guest-Welcoming Peak must not be tampered with; those who destroy the restrictions will also be killed!"
After saying that, he didn't turn around and walked straight ahead.
Ji An followed closely behind and soon arrived at the back of Guest-Welcoming Peak, where he saw wooden houses and stone houses scattered among the mountains.
"Those houses are occupied by prospective trainees of the Yinglong Guard; they were all left behind by predecessors. Find an empty house to stay in temporarily," the fiery-red armored cultivator pointed into the distance. "Once everyone has gathered, we'll set off for the Prison Mountain Great Marsh."
After saying this, he turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the mountain path.
These Violet Palace Cultivators, clad in fiery red armor, were all reserve members of the Yinglong Guard Inner Guard.
The official entry requirement for the Yinglong Guard is to possess late-stage Myriad Phenomena combat power.
The reserve force is like a talent reserve camp for major sects to recruit geniuses. Yinglong Guard also absorbs and carefully cultivates prodigies. Once you join the reserve force, you can come into contact with various cultivation methods and supernatural secret techniques. If Yinglong Guard is regarded as a sect, its power can be called the crown of the Great Xia Dynasty.
The threshold for reserve service is extremely high; it is difficult for anyone without exceptional talent to enter.
However, those who cultivate the "Crimsonbright Nine Heavens Diagram" can be directly selected. Once a cultivator of this technique reaches the Violet Palace level and learns a divine ability, their combat power can rival that of a Myriad Wanxiang Adept. At that time, they will have the opportunity to challenge for the official position of Yinglong Guard. However, whether they can be selected in the end still depends on their strength. Such an opportunity is extremely slim.
Ji An continued walking forward, lost in thought.
Those stone and wooden houses were very simple, generally with a small courtyard and living quarters, and most of them were already inhabited by cultivators.
"Looks like I'm in luck; the trial will be starting soon." Ji An found a wooden hut to stay in. "This will do. It looks like it'll be ready in a few days."
Ji An chose a secluded wooden cabin to settle down.
Although the wooden hut was simple, he didn't care. He sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate the "Crimsonbright Nine Heavens Diagram".
About half an hour after he settled down.
A familiar aura appeared; it was the person who had been tracking them since Anchan City.
Sensing the familiar presence, Ji An coldly, "I thought he was lucky, but it turns out he's also a short-lived ghost."
A figure shrouded in a gray cloak followed the Violet Palace Cultivator in fiery red armor to Guest-Welcoming Peak.
He concealed his aura, revealing only the aura of the early stage of the Myriad Phenomena. This level of cultivation was inconspicuous among cultivators.
He arrived here, led by an arrogant reserve army cultivator clad in fiery red armor.
His gaze locked precisely on the secluded wooden hut where Ji An was.
"Finally—found it." Jinchenzi sneered inwardly, a surge of suppressed anger and killing intent almost bursting from his chest.
He had followed them all the way from Anchan City to here, intending to make his move outside the city.
But to his surprise, the flying boat that the kid was piloting was incredibly fast, and he couldn't catch up with it at all, which made him extremely annoyed.
If it weren't for his profound cultivation and experienced tracking skills, he probably would have let this fat sheep escape.
Moreover, because of that flying boat magic weapon, he now absolutely cannot let this "family" escape.