Chapter Eleven: Precious Primordial Stones
The Yi Tribe was at least forty li away from Black Dragon City, and their caravan had spent nearly three hours before finally glimpsing the grand city sitting beside the Black Dragon River. The city’s walls soared a hundred zhang high, like a slumbering beast crouched upon the earth, majestic and imposing.
Along the riverbank, countless vessels—some tens, others hundreds of zhang long, able to carry thousands or even tens of thousands of tons—were moored at the riverside. The docks bustled with laborers loading mountains of goods from the warehouses onto the ships or unloading cargo, consumed by their busy tasks.
By the time the Yi Tribe entered Black Dragon City, dusk was approaching. The journey had been safe; as expected, they encountered no bandit attacks and arrived unscathed.
Upon their first sight of the city’s grandeur, the children riding the beast carts could not help but gasp in awe. Once inside, they discovered the true vastness of Black Dragon City. The main street was ten zhang wide, teeming with caravans, warriors, and citizens, yet remarkably free from congestion.
Those in the caravan who had seldom or never entered the city were especially curious, their eyes wandering over the shops, pedestrians, and armed warriors lining the streets, marveling at the city’s prosperity.
Soon, the tribe’s caravan arrived at a guesthouse—the Cloud Dragon Inn. The inn was vast, among the top ten in Black Dragon City, capable of accommodating two thousand guests. Behind the inn sprawled a large courtyard, where the Yi Tribe’s beast carts were parked. The deputy chief left twenty tribal warriors to guard the cargo, and under the stewards’ arrangements, hundreds of people were assigned rooms.
Yi Tian, Yi Feng, Yi Li, and Yi Shan, together with Yi Xiaolong and Yi Xiaoting, shared a room. Their quarters had several beds, ensuring no one needed to sleep on the floor.
Once everyone had washed up, they followed Yi Kai to the dining hall of the Cloud Dragon Inn. By then, most of the tribe’s members had arrived, save for the twenty warriors guarding the goods.
The deputy chief was a burly man with a short beard and eyes sharp as lightning. He swept his gaze over the crowd and spoke in a booming voice: “Black Dragon City is a mixing pot of all kinds, so you are not to leave the Cloud Dragon Inn without permission. If you must go out, you must ask, and be accompanied by tribal warriors.”
“Tomorrow, we will trade with Treasure Exchange Firm. If their prices are unacceptable, you may sell to other firms, but remember—Treasure Exchange Firm has traded with our tribe for decades and is trustworthy. Beware of being cheated if you go elsewhere.”
He went on to explain various precautions, then declared the meal open.
After dinner, Yi Tian and his companions returned to their room. Though the city glowed brightly at night, it was a stage for countless acts of violence and crime. Despite their curiosity and desire to experience the ancient city—over three centuries old—the dangers of night led them to abandon such thoughts.
That night, Yi Tian, Yi Feng, and Yi Shan, without exception, seized every moment to cultivate. Yi Xiaolong and Yi Xiaoting, exhausted from the journey, quickly fell into deep sleep.
The next morning, Yi Tian and his friends were awakened by a clamor. It turned out that Treasure Exchange Firm, their regular trading partner, had sent people to the inn’s courtyard to conduct business with the deputy chief. Many were busy counting goods.
Other teams and wagons also came and went in the back courtyard.
After washing up, Yi Tian and his group brought their own goods—golden python skins, white wolf pelts, and blood deer hides—to trade with Treasure Exchange Firm. The prices offered were twenty-one gold coins for a golden python skin, eighteen for a white wolf pelt, and thirty silver coins for a blood deer hide.
Yi Kai, accompanying them, nodded in approval, signaling that the prices were fair. So, Yi Tian and his companions agreed to the deal.
The manager from Treasure Exchange Firm, smiling broadly, said to them, “How many arrows do you need? Our arrows are affordable and of excellent quality—refined iron arrows are only two silver coins apiece, and armor-piercing arrows fifty silver coins each!”
This time, Treasure Exchange Firm had brought a large supply of arrows—the most critical resource for the Yi Tribe, who bought tens of thousands of refined iron arrows and thousands of armor-piercing arrows each time.
For the tribe, arrow consumption was staggering. Each arrow could be reused at most twice; most broke or splintered after a single use. A large share of the tribe’s resources went into arrow supplies.
Yi Tian and his friends had not yet become tribal warriors and did not receive arrows from the tribe, so they had to purchase their own.
“Five hundred refined iron arrows and twenty armor-piercing arrows will do!” Yi Tian thought for a moment and settled on that number.
Thus, they spent thirty gold coins in one go, leaving less than ten in their pockets. The gold coins they’d earned were swiftly handed over to Treasure Exchange Firm, causing Yi Tian to marvel at their ability to drain his purse.
Yi Feng and the others were pained by the cost—one armor-piercing arrow was fifty silver coins! Still, they would not give up.
Armor-piercing arrows were far tougher and sharper than refined iron arrows. Crafted with beast bone powder fused with other metals, they possessed formidable penetration. The pelts and scale armor of dangerous beasts were so strong that refined iron arrows could not pierce them; only armor-piercing arrows could rend their defenses.
“Come, Uncle Kai will take you out to look around and buy some supplies,” said Yi Kai. After seeking permission from the deputy chief, he led Yi Tian and the others out of the Cloud Dragon Inn.
Along the way, Yi Xiaoting and Yi Xiaolong were beside themselves with excitement, their curiosity piqued and their mouths watering at the sight of snacks on the street. Yi Tian, generous as ever, bought plenty for the pair.
It was then that he realized—two gold coins were a fortune for ordinary folk. A heap of snacks cost only a few copper coins; the purchasing power of two gold coins was considerable.
Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and the others each received two gold coins. Whatever caught their fancy, they bought at once.
Yi Tian spent his remaining one gold and thirty silver coins on various supplies: spices, blue salt, kitchen knives, daggers, and so on, picking up a bit from every vendor, and soon had spent it all.
In exchange, Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and the others each carried a large bundle of goods. Of course, snacks were not forgotten—they bought a big bag, lest their siblings at home protest.
After wandering several streets, Yi Kai grew bored. His eyes brightened, and he said, “Let me take you to Shixuan Street for a real eye-opener!”
“Shixuan Street? What’s that?” Yi Feng’s eyes lit up; after half a day, his excitement had waned.
Yi Kai turned to Yi Tian and the others. “Do you know about elemental stones?”
“No,” replied Yi Shan honestly.
Yi Kai grew animated. “Elemental stones are stones rich in the energy of heaven and earth, mined from elemental veins. They can accelerate a warrior’s absorption of this energy.”
“Really? How much does one cost?” Yi Li asked eagerly.
Yi Feng and Yi Shan shared his excitement. If they could buy an elemental stone, they could quickly break through to the first tier and become tribal warriors. Then, they could reclaim their pride.
Yi Kai was speechless. “You can’t afford them. One lower-grade elemental stone costs five hundred gold coins, and you can’t even find them for sale. Whenever one appears, it’s snapped up immediately.”
“These stones speed up cultivation without the side effects of pills, so they’re highly sought after. All major powers hoard them. Some rare herbs, elixirs, and magical treasures can only be traded for elemental stones—it’s a whole different league from us.”
At once, Yi Feng and the others looked disappointed.
Yi Tian sighed as well. With their current means, even a single elemental stone was beyond their reach.