A journey of fifty li was no longer a long distance for Ye Chen and Wang Tiechui. As the sun began to set, the outline of a town built from rough bluestone blocks appeared at the end of the rolling hills.
The town was small, with low walls, and the faint scent of cooking smoke and distant human voices could be discerned within. The town gate was open, with no soldiers on guard, only two drowsy guards in simple leather armor, holding long spears. A weathered wooden sign was stuck askew by the roadside, with three large, somewhat faded characters painted in red lacquer: Green Stone Town.
Stepping into the town, a smell mixed with smoke, livestock, sweat, and a faint herbal aroma assailed them. The streets were paved with bluestone slabs, not particularly wide, with stone houses and wooden buildings of varying heights on either side, housing all sorts of shops: the blacksmith's shop rang with the sound of hammering, various herbs were hung to dry outside the apothecary's door, the smell of inferior wine wafted from the tavern, and there were even stalls selling furs, mountain goods, coarse cloth, and some miscellaneous items that flickered with a faint spiritual power.
Most of the pedestrians wore coarse linen clothes, their faces etched with the hardships of labor, and were mostly martial artists, hunters, and ordinary townsfolk. Occasionally, one or two figures in silk robes with slightly different auras could be seen, likely stewards of some status or young disciples of minor families. Cultivators were even rarer, and their cultivation mostly hovered around the early Qi Refining stage, similar to Ye Chen.
This was a typical place where mortals and lower-rank cultivators coexisted, situated on the fringes of cultivation civilization.
Ye Chen and Wang Tiechui's arrival did not attract much attention. The two were dressed ordinarily; Ye Chen had changed into the gray Daoist robe from the storage bag of the cultivator who sat in meditation, which, though old, was clean; they were travel-worn and indistinguishable from most travelers passing through. Only Wang Tiechui's unusually burly physique drew some curious or wary glances.
"Let's find a place to stay first and gather some information," Ye Chen said in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the sides of the street.
Finally, they stopped in front of a humble inn called "Welcome Inn." The inn's facade was not large, and inside, seven or eight square tables were sparsely occupied by a few drinking patrons. The innkeeper was a thin old man with a goatee and shrewd eyes, who was busy counting on an abacus.
"Innkeeper, we need a room," Ye Chen stepped forward, deliberately suppressing his spiritual pressure to appear like an ordinary cultivator at the first or second level of Qi Refining.
The old man looked up, his cloudy eyes scanning Ye Chen and Wang Tiechui, lingering for a moment on Wang Tiechui, before putting on a professional smile: "Certainly! Sir, a private room is fifty wen per day, and a common dormitory is ten wen. What do you say?"
"A common dormitory will suffice," Ye Chen took out some loose silver from Zhao Hu's storage bag and placed it on the counter. Spirit stones were precious, and he did not wish to use them lightly.
"Alright! The first room on the left on the second floor!" The old man took the silver, handed over a wooden key, and asked casually, "You two look new here, are you from afar? Are you also here for the Ascension Convention of the Azure Profound Dao Sect?"
Ye Chen's heart stirred, but his expression remained unchanged: "We are passing through this area and have heard of the grand Ascension Convention, and we are indeed looking forward to it. Does the innkeeper know the specifics?"
Seeing that Ye Chen spoke eloquently and was not like an ordinary rough person, the old man became more talkative and lowered his voice: "Heh, this is a major event that happens once in several decades around here! The Azure Profound Dao Sect is one of the three great Immortal Gates of the Eastern Region, opening its doors to recruit disciples and gather talented individuals. Counting the days, there are about two months left until the Ascension Convention begins. As for the location, it's in Flowing Cloud Immortal City, three thousand li from here!"
Flowing Cloud Immortal City! Ascension Convention!
Ye Chen silently noted these two key pieces of information. Three thousand li was an unreachable distance for mortals, but for cultivators, especially those with certain means, two months was more than enough time.
"Thank you for the information, innkeeper," Ye Chen cupped his hands, then asked as if casually, "Are there any places in town that sell maps or information?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The old man pointed towards the end of the street. "There's a Hundred Inquiries Workshop at the east end of town that specializes in selling various books and maps, and also deals in information. The boss, Old Man Sun, is the most well-informed. However..." he paused, giving Ye Chen a meaningful look, "that old man has a peculiar temper, and his goods are expensive. Sir, you..."
"It's fine, thank you for the guidance," Ye Chen thanked him again and led Wang Tiechui upstairs.
The dormitory room was simple, with only a few hard plank beds and a worn wooden table, but it was clean. Ye Chen set up the simplest warning prohibition, a rudimentary technique learned from the jade slip of the cultivator who sat in meditation, then said to Wang Tiechui, "Tiechui, you rest here and don't move around randomly. I'm going to the Hundred Inquiries Workshop."
Wang Tiechui nodded heavily: "I understand, you go ahead."
Ye Chen went downstairs alone and, following the innkeeper's directions, headed east.
The Hundred Inquiries Workshop had an even smaller storefront, almost swallowed by the tall shops on either side. Pushing open the creaking wooden door, the smell of aged paper and ink wafted out. The interior was dimly lit, with rows of bookshelves filled with all sorts of scrolls and books. An old man wearing reading glasses and with messy hair was dozing on a table piled high with books; it was the boss, Old Man Sun.
Ye Chen did not disturb him and browsed the bookshelves at his leisure. There were indeed many maps here, from detailed maps of the area around Green Stone Town for a hundred li, to general maps of the Eastern Region, and even some incomplete ancient maps marked with rumors of dangerous places and secret realms. The prices were indeed not cheap; a slightly detailed map of the Eastern Region cost one low-grade spirit stone.
His gaze finally fell upon a jade slip with a dark color and a special material. The label on the jade slip read: Eastern Domain Gazetteer - Immortal Gate Chapter, Incomplete, priced at three low-grade spirit stones.
Ye Chen's heart stirred. He picked up the jade slip and attempted to inject a trace of spiritual power into it.
Buzz!
A large amount of information flooded into his mind! Although incomplete, it detailed the basic information of the major sects, aristocratic families, markets, and dangerous places in the Eastern Region. The introduction to the Azure Profound Dao Sect was particularly detailed, including its history, the characteristics of its main cultivation methods, rumors about several famous elders, and... the legend of the Ascension Token!
The jade slip mentioned that very few Ascension Tokens of the Azure Profound Dao Sect were in circulation, and each one represented an opportunity to directly enter the Outer Sect, or even be noticed by an Inner Sect Elder! Holders of the token could bypass the first two rounds of tedious assessments and directly participate in the final test!
Ye Chen suppressed the excitement in his heart and put down the jade slip. This jade slip, he had to have it!
At this moment, the dozing Old Man Sun raised his head at some point. His cloudy eyes, peering through his reading glasses, flashed with a sharp glint as he sized up Ye Chen: "Kid, you have good taste. Although this Gazetteer is an incomplete piece, some of the things inside are not common goods. Three low-grade spirit stones, no bargaining."
Ye Chen did not hesitate. He directly took out three spirit stones brimming with spiritual energy from his embrace (actually from the gap in the storage bag of the cultivator who sat in meditation) and placed them on the table: "I'll take it."Old Man Sun's eyes brightened upon seeing the spirit stones. He quickly collected them and chuckled, "Generous! Since you're so straightforward, I'll give you a piece of news. This Green Stone Town hasn't been peaceful lately. Several groups of people with unknown origins have been lurking around here, as if they're looking for something, or... someone. You look new, so be careful."
Ye Chen's heart grew solemn, but his expression remained calm: "Thank you for the reminder, senior."
He put away the jade slip and was about to leave when his gaze inadvertently swept over a dilapidated wooden box in the corner, piled with miscellaneous items. Inside the box, there seemed to be a few inconspicuous, rust-covered mineral fragments. And the Ascension Token in his embrace suddenly emitted a very faint, almost imperceptible warmth!This feeling... it's similar to when I found the Star Stone in the mine tunnel, but countless times weaker!
Ye Chen paused, pointing at the wooden box, and asked casually, "Boss Sun, what are those ore fragments?"
Old Man Sun glanced over and said dismissively, "Oh, those? They're junk that a few clueless guys picked up from the edge of Dragon Fall Ravine a while back. They insisted they were treasures and forced me to buy them. I think they're just waste rocks with some iron impurities, useless. You want them? Ten copper coins and they're all yours."
Ye Chen's thoughts raced. The Ascension Token's reaction wouldn't be wrong. These fragments must be related to the Star Stone. Perhaps their quality is extremely low, but maybe there's another secret.
"Alright, I'll take them." He readily paid the ten copper coins and collected all the ore fragments.
Leaving the Hundred Inquiries Workshop, Ye Chen walked back to the inn, his mind churning. He had obtained the crucial map and intelligence, and confirmed the value of the Ascension Token. However, Old Man Sun's warning and those mysterious ore fragments made him feel that beneath the seemingly calm surface of Green Stone Town, unknown undercurrents were lurking.
He had to improve his strength quickly and find a safe way to Flowing Cloud Immortal City.
Back in his inn room, Wang Tiechui was practicing his Qi and Blood according to the rudimentary methods Ye Chen had taught him. Seeing him return, he immediately stopped.
"Tiechui, we might not be able to stay here long," Ye Chen said gravely. "Get ready, we're leaving Green Stone Town first thing tomorrow morning."
Wang Tiechui nodded unconditionally.
Ye Chen then took out the 《 Eastern Domain Gazetteer 》 Jade Slip, immersed his mind, and began to read it carefully. He needed to learn more about this world, about the Azure Profound Dao Sect, and about the dangers and opportunities that lay ahead.
Night deepened, and the lights of Green Stone Town were scattered. In the inn room, Ye Chen, using the faint moonlight filtering through the window, looked at the seemingly ordinary ore fragments in his palm, then touched the warm Ascension Token in his embrace.
The road ahead was long and fraught with peril, but his Dao Heart was firm.
Tomorrow would be a new journey.