Pan Shi City occupied an incredibly vast area, its city walls towering and magnificent, stretching endlessly like a giant dragon coiled upon the earth.
Around the city walls, faint, glowing runes shimmered.
These were formation lines, the core components of the grand protective array.
Because of this city-protecting grand formation, anyone wishing to enter the city had to pass through the single main gate.
Lin Zhishou controlled the Flying Boat to descend slowly.
Their arrival naturally drew the attention of the pedestrians below.
“Look, that’s a legendary Flying Boat!”
“Such treasures are rare indeed. Which Longevity Family is that?”
“Look at the emblem on their chests. It must be the Maple Leaf Lin Family.”
“As expected of a Longevity Family, so imposing. If only I could join them.”
“Wasn’t the Lin Family recruiting people a while ago?”
…
Amidst the chatter of the crowd, Lin Zhishou steered the Flying Boat to a halt before the gate.
The guard cultivators on duty, recognizing the crest of the Lin Family, quickly stepped forward to greet them.
Before long, a cultivator guided the three of them into Pan Shi City.
Though situated in a remote region, Pan Shi City was exceptionally bustling.
The crisscrossing streets were packed with a dense flow of people.
Following the guide, they soon arrived in front of a grand tavern.
The building rose ten stories high, featuring carved beams, painted rafters, and a majestic presence. Carriages and pedestrians swarmed outside its doors like a tide.
A large plaque hung above the main entrance, inscribed with two bold characters: “Tianxia.”
The Tianxia Tavern was the most famous chain establishment in the Huoyun Kingdom, spanning every major city and widely considered the finest tavern in the realm.
Guests attending the Alchemy Gathering were traditionally accommodated here, a matter of unspoken agreement among the major families.
As they stepped inside, a rich aroma assailed their nostrils. The sight of countless spiritual delicacies made the eyes of Lin Zhishou and his companions gleam.
Since enjoying a single meal of spiritual food on their first day of travel, they had spent the rest of the journey relying entirely on Fasting Pills, and their palates had long since grown dull.
After securing their room tokens, they quickly headed to the fifth floor, took an empty table, and ordered a lavish spread of spiritual food.
A mocking voice suddenly sounded nearby.
A middle-aged man dressed in opulent, extravagant robes strolled over, followed by several youthful cultivators.
Zhou Luo’s gaze fell upon their chests, where a blue sky emblem was prominently displayed.
It was the mark of the Qingtian Lu Family.
He had not expected to run into the Lin Family’s bitter rivals so soon.
Zhou Luo felt a flicker of tension, his mind instantly leaping to the Spirit Burst Pill stored in his pouch. If a fight broke out, he would have to use it to protect himself.
Fortunately, the newcomers were not there to trade blows.
They took the table directly opposite the trio, their faces filled with mocking sneers.
“Lu Chen, if you keep your mouth shut, no one will mistake you for a mute,” Lin Zhishou retorted coldly.
The verbal sparring between the two great families quickly drew the attention of the other cultivators on the fifth floor, though none dared to intervene.
“Master Lin, no need to be so hostile. I merely did not expect an elder like you to still have the stamina to attend the Alchemy Gathering,” Lu Chen said with a faint, patronizing smile.
“Thanks to your concern, living another few centuries won’t be an issue for me,” Lin Zhishou replied icily.
“You must take good care of your health, Master Lin. If you were to pass away unexpectedly, the Lin Family would be left without a single decent alchemist,” Lu Chen said, his eyes narrowing with a half-smile.
“Are you threatening me?” Lin Zhishou’s brow furrowed.
Lu Chen’s expression darkened slightly. “Our Lu Family, on the other hand, has plenty of promising juniors. We have all the time in the world.”
His sharp gaze swept over Zhou Luo and Lin Nian, and he sneered, “Is this the best the younger generation of your Lin Family can offer? Just these two?”
“The affairs of the Lin Family are none of your concern.”
Just as Lin Zhishou finished speaking, their spiritual food was served, and he ignored the man entirely.
Lu Chen stared at them with a sullen, unblinking glare.
After finishing their meal, Lin Zhishou led the two juniors to their quarters on the tenth floor.
Each suite was isolated by a small defensive formation, completely blocking any external spiritual sense.
Zhou Luo arrived at his room, holding his token. When he saw the sensor-like device on the wooden door, he was instantly reminded of the hotels from his past life. The source of this chapter is novelping dot com.
He pressed the token against it.
With a flash of light, the door swung open to reveal a clean, tidy room.
Stepping inside, Zhou Luo immediately felt a rich concentration of Spiritual Qi. The isolating formations here evidently doubled as miniature gathering arrays, drawing in the natural spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Cultivating here would be far more efficient than doing so outside.
Shortly after they settled in, Lin Zhishou called both Zhou Luo and Lin Nian to his chamber.
With thirteen days remaining before the Alchemy Gathering, he strictly forbade them from leaving the tavern, ordering them to focus entirely on their cultivation.
Both agreed and bowed.
After giving a few more instructions, Lin Zhishou dismissed them.
Back in his room, Zhou Luo muttered to himself, “Not allowed to go out? How am I supposed to sell my pills then?”
That afternoon, he changed into a set of ordinary clothes prepared by Lin Zi’er and slipped out of the room unnoticed.
He descended from the tenth floor without drawing any attention.
Leaving the Tianxia Tavern, Zhou Luo navigated through the bustling, carriage-filled streets, heading toward a large market he had noticed on their way in.
After a long walk, he finally reached the open-air market.
It was a chaotic, lively place filled with vendors shouting and hawking their wares. It felt barely any different from a mundane, mortal marketplace.
As soon as Zhou Luo stepped inside, a vendor blocked his path, eagerly promoting some items.
He cast a casual glance, declined politely, and continued on.
After spending a full hour exploring, Zhou Luo finally grasped the local prices. He confirmed that the first-grade High Grade pills he had refined were valuable but not so rare as to cause an immediate sensation.
With a clear understanding of the market, he turned his attention to the larger, established shops.
He had twenty first-grade High Grade pills to sell, and disposing of them all in one place would inevitably attract unwanted attention, perhaps even putting his life in danger once he left.
To minimize the risk, he decided to split the batch among different shops that were unfamiliar with one another, or better yet, rivals.
During his walk, he had discreetly gathered information about the relationships between the local merchants, and he now had a few targets in mind.
However, he could not make the moves just yet.
His current appearance had already been seen by too many people while he was browsing. If he walked straight into a shop to sell high-grade pills now, it would be too easy to trace.
He needed a different disguise.
Before long, Zhou Luo slipped into a quiet alley, donned a heavy black robe that completely concealed his figure, and stepped back into the market.