Chapter 114: Desolate Qin City

The Void Skiff streaked across the firmament like a meteor, vanishing into the mountain ranges in the blink of an eye.

Aboard the skiff, Yi Tian and his companions gazed out at the wild, ancient forests. Occasionally, they spotted gargantuan beasts lurking in the lakes, atop mountain peaks, or perched in giant trees, roaring incessantly at the passing vessel.

As the skiff traversed a series of mountain ranges, a piercing shriek tore through the heavens. A moment later, a ferocious avian, its wings spanning hundreds of feet and its body covered in dark green plumage, dove from the distant sky. It moved with the speed of lightning, hurtling toward the skiff.

The cultivators on board turned pale, ready to flee at a moment’s notice. The aura of the beast was overwhelming—clearly a mid-to-late stage intermediate-level predator. To such a creature, the ten-foot-long Void Skiff was nothing; two strikes from its gold-shattering, stone-splitting talons would suffice to tear it to shreds.

Yi Tian and the rest of the Samsara Team held their breath, their minds taut. An Qing, Tang Luoxiang, and their group were also poised to leap from the skiff, though they knew they stood little chance against such a formidable beast. Lan Chen, the Young Master of Gulan City, was deathly pale; the sheer size and power of the beast left him shaken, and his family guards stood ready to intervene.

"Beast, begone!"

Just as the cultivators were preparing to either counterattack or flee, the skiff’s captain let out a thunderous shout. He struck out with his palm, and his terrifying True Essence instantly coalesced into a massive hand, over a hundred feet wide. It surged toward the beast with irresistible force, causing the surrounding air to ripple violently.

The avian opened its maw and spat out a cyan wind-blade, hundreds of feet long.

Boom!

A world-shaking explosion engulfed the area. The massive avian burst forth from the roiling, violent energy. In an instant, the captain leaped thousands of feet, manifesting a long sword and unleashing a slash that froze the air for ten miles. The captain and the beast locked in a fierce battle. Their clash devastated the nearby mountains, shattering peaks and tearing open deep ravines.

Before long, the captain managed to wound the avian’s left wing, forcing it to flee. As the captain returned to the Void Skiff, the cultivators looked upon him with newfound awe. He was a powerhouse at the peak of the Mortal Realm, having reached the Yuan Core stage. His combat prowess was terrifying, which explained why he served as the guardian for the route from Gulan City to Huangqin City, deep within the Fulong Mountain Range.

Yi Tian could sense the abyss-like aura emanating from the captain—it was unfathomable. Even if Yi Tian were to unleash the full power of his "Sun-Shooting Heavenly Art," he doubted he could pose a genuine threat to him. This was the strength of a Yuan Core expert: their True Essence had formed a core, creating an endless supply of energy that allowed them to move mountains and seas, and to sustain combat for extended periods.

During the remainder of the journey, the Void Skiff encountered two more attacks, both of which the captain repelled or eliminated. Three hours later, the group finally caught sight of an incomparably majestic mountain range that pierced the sky, shrouded in dense white mist—a sign that the ambient Qi was concentrated to an extreme degree. At the peak of this magnificent range sat an ancient, massive city, appearing as though it were carved directly from the mountain itself.

They had arrived at Huangqin City.

The captain dropped the forty-odd passengers at the gates and departed. It was his duty to escort them, but he was only responsible for reaching the city. Those wishing to use the Void Skiff for travel out of the city would have to pay a Yuan Crystal as a fee; otherwise, they were forced to traverse the tens of thousands of miles of dangerous mountains alone or in small groups.

As the group from Gulan City descended outside the city walls, Yi Tian observed other Void Skiffs arriving and departing from all directions. Hundreds, if not thousands, of cultivators were gathered outside the gates. They formed teams, passing through the city gates or taking to the air, vanishing into the vast mountain ranges.

"Let’s go in."

Yi Tian led the Samsara Team toward the gates. An Qing, Tang Luoxiang, the Princess of Zhaixing, and the Young Master of Gulan City, Lan Chen, also entered the city.

The moment Yi Tian stepped into Huangqin City, a wave of dense Qi washed over him. He was astonished; the concentration of Qi here was at least forty to fifty times higher than in the outside world—it was a true paradise for cultivation.

As they explored, Yi Tian noticed the city was incredibly ancient. The buildings were weathered and mottled with time. While broad, grand streets saw various teams moving about, the city felt surprisingly sparse and quiet, given its immense scale. They wandered the streets for a while, but found no inns, restaurants, or manors. The group felt quite lost.

"Brother Yi!"

An Qing approached from behind. Having realized this was their first visit, she explained, "Huangqin City has no inns, restaurants, or even shops. All the buildings here are owned by the city itself. You must go to the main hall and apply for a residence."

"Sister An Qing, let’s hurry," Tang Luoxiang chimed in from the side. "Otherwise, the best buildings will all be taken." She had never looked favorably upon Yi Tian’s group and secretly hoped to see them struggle.

After revealing this information, An Qing departed with her group. Meanwhile, Lan Chen, the Young Master of Gulan City, burned with jealousy; he had never seen An Qing take such initiative with him. Viewing An Qing as his personal property, he began to resent Yi Tian. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he followed after her with his guards.

Yi Tian sensed the malice from Lan Chen but paid it no mind. If the other party chose to provoke him, he would not be one to hold back.

When Yi Tian’s group reached the magnificent palace complex at the center of the city, they found a simple, ancient hall bustling with powerful cultivators. Inside, elderly men sat behind tables, calmly registering newcomers and issuing tokens after providing brief instructions.

Yi Tian’s group approached an unoccupied station. The elder assisting them appeared to be in his seventies, with snow-white hair and a ruddy complexion. His eyes were sharp and full of vitality, showing no signs of approaching old age.

"This is your temporary residence token. It is valid for three months. After three months, you must pay three credits, and one credit will be deducted every month thereafter. If you default, you will be permanently expelled from Huangqin City," the elder stated perfunctorily.

"What are credits?" Yi Tian asked.

The elder glanced up at him, tossed him a small booklet, and replied, "Everything you need to know about earning and spending credits is in there. Next!"

Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and the others soon received their own tokens and booklets.

"Six-five-one," Yi Tian noted, seeing the number on his token, which clearly designated his building. The others received numbers like 6852 and 6853, all located close to one another, which was convenient.

However, when they read the contents of the booklet, their expressions shifted. In Huangqin City, a single Yuan Crystal was only worth one credit. Renting a temporary stall in the marketplace cost at least one credit per day—it was daylight robbery. Furthermore, the top-tier cultivation sites in the city cost ten credits per day.

The booklet also listed ways to earn credits. The most prominent task was guarding the Ancient Crystal Mines: Mortal Realm cultivators at the Yuan Gang stage earned one credit per day, Yuan Fa experts earned three, and Yuan Core experts earned eight. These tasks were long-term and offered unlimited availability.