Chapter 00107: Mu Bei Market (For the Alliance Leader, thus the addition)
# Mu Bei Market (For the Alliance Leader, thus the addition)
Chapter 107
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 107: Mu Bei Market (For the Alliance Leader, thus the addition)
At the moment Lan Xiaobu dashed forward, a terrifying force of suction descended upon him, leaving him no chance to resist.
Even when he unleashed the Wind Manipulation Technique to its utmost limit, he flew toward the edge of the Cosmic Wall like a kite with its string cut.
Fortunately, this violent suction did not last long; it disappeared within two breaths.
Lan Xiaobu, due to this strong force combined with his own momentum, was propelled closer to the edge of the Cosmic Wall.
In that instant, his divine sense opened up again, allowing him to see several cracks at the edge of the Cosmic Wall.
The closest crack was barely three zhang away.
It was just wide enough for a person to pass through, but it started to slowly shrink the moment he spotted it.
Lan Xiaobu dared not hesitate any longer, fiercely channeling his true essence, he charged toward the narrowing crack like a cannonball.
Ripping sounds echoed as his clothes tore apart, but luckily his speed kept him from harm.
The moment he passed through the crack, his heart surged with joy; he would no longer be swept away by the depths beneath the Cosmic Wall.
If he were to be drawn in, he feared he would end up as nourishment for the Cosmic Wall.
In the next moment, Lan Xiaobu felt a strong suction pulling him.
He recognized the sensation—he was being teleported.
The last time he experienced this was when he was sent out from Jade Dawn Star.
This time, however, the teleportation felt a bit different.
As his divine sense stretched out, it was instantly swept away and vanished.
A sense of dizziness enveloped him.
Clearly, this was a long-distance teleportation, and he had no idea where he would end up.
With a "thud!", Lan Xiaobu landed on the ground.
Despite having cultivated the Undying Technique to refine his skin, he still felt a jolt of pain.
However, at that moment, Lan Xiaobu paid no attention to his body's condition.
He dropped the ancient path and was instead stunned by the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Wait, it shouldn't be called spiritual energy; it was not particularly rich.
Instead, it was an indescribable essence.
Lan Xiaobu intentionally circulated the Golden Crow Technique and immediately sensed the difference.
Previously, it felt as if he were consuming overcooked meat, lacking any sinew or bone.
Here, however, he could feel the essence of heaven and earth infused with mysterious flavors, akin to meat with sinew.
This was indeed a place truly suitable for cultivation; he was right to come here.
Only at this moment did Lan Xiaobu take stock of his surroundings.
He was in the midst of a wild area, distant forests dotted the horizon, and a large lake lay before him.
A few birds fluttered over the lake, appearing quite leisurely.
Lan Xiaobu forcefully stomped his foot down into the mud, feeling an inexplicable sense of grounding.
He took a deep breath of air; after leaving Earth, most of his time had been spent on the battle shuttle.
Today, he felt solid earth beneath him again.
Only those who had lived long on battle shuttles could truly appreciate how wonderful that felt.
Yet, he was dirty and disheveled, his beard was long, his hair a tangled mess, and his clothes had become ragged rags.
First, Lan Xiaobu washed himself in the lake, then changed into a new set of clothes, tying his hair up simply.
He did not shave his beard, as it made him look slightly more mature.
What kind of world was this? Lan Xiaobu had no knowledge.
Initially, Lan Xiaobu thought, since he passed through the Cosmic Wall of a technological civilization star, he must have arrived in the realm of cultivation.
This meant he was still in the starry skies, needing to use the Blue Asia to find a suitable cultivation planet.
However, it was clear he was not in the starry space but rather on a planet.
Whatever the case, he needed to find a populated area to inquire about directions.
Lan Xiaobu hadn’t walked far when he encountered some travelers, part of a merchant caravan.
The caravan had more than ten people, navigating two large carts.
As Lan Xiaobu pondered how this place seemed even less advanced than Earth, he noticed that the two carts were moving on their own, lacking engines or horses.
Focusing on the carts, Lan Xiaobu quickly understood the reason.
They were powered by spirit stones, etched with an array that ensured they would keep moving as long as they had enough spirit stones to fuel them.
Could one claim that technological civilization was superior to this? Lan Xiaobu felt he could hardly compare.
Seeing the caravan members equipped with their weapons, Lan Xiaobu hesitated but eventually took out the giant axe from his space ring.
The axe, including its handle, was nearly two meters long and, with its sheer size, it was rather unwieldy for Lan Xiaobu, who stood around one meter eighty.
Though it was inconvenient, he strapped the axe to his back, its immense blade protruding awkwardly from his shoulder.
The merchant caravan noticed Lan Xiaobu approaching, and the two carts halted, their members regarding him with a mixture of caution.
Lan Xiaobu wasn’t intimidating; however, the axe strapped to his back seemed somewhat fearsome.
“Greetings, friends! I seek directions to Hu Prefecture,” Lan Xiaobu approached and clasped his fist in a polite greeting.
Hu Prefecture was a city on Earth, and Lan Xiaobu merely made small talk in the common language of Earth.
A tall, lanky man stepped forward, his expression one of confusion as he looked at Lan Xiaobu. “What do you mean, esteemed guest?”
The man didn’t understand his words, but Lan Xiaobu understood the lanky man’s reply.
Due to rapid development in technological civilization, their languages had been unified.
Even though different star systems and planets had slight variations, they were largely similar.
Lan Xiaobu recalled knowledge of over a hundred languages, yet the man's words were familiar, straightforward universal language.
This highlighted something important: this place had a history of connection with technological stars. “Oh, I seem to have lost my way. I’d like to go buy something, but…” Lan Xiaobu thought that in a cultivation area, cities would also be called cities, right?
Lan Xiaobu adjusted his pronunciation, and the lanky man immediately understood, hastily inquiring, “My friend wishes to go to Mu Bei Market, correct?”
Lan Xiaobu responded affirmatively, “Yes, to Mu Bei Market.”
The lanky man waved his hand, “Our caravan is headed to Mu Bei Market as well. Why not travel with us? We should reach it in no more than half a day.”
“Then thank you very much.” Lan Xiaobu hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
The other members of the caravan, perceiving that although Lan Xiaobu's weapon looked a bit fierce, his demeanor was extremely polite and courteous, relaxed their vigilance.
Through conversation, Lan Xiaobu learned that the lanky man was called Liu Min, a steward for the Qianxian Caravan.
The caravan typically shipped goods to Mu Bei Market five to six times a year, dealing primarily in low-grade elixirs, talismans, and some magical artifacts.
They transported elixirs and talismans from larger cultivation cities to Mu Bei Market, then brought back a considerable amount of low-grade spirit herbs and materials for crafting talismans and tools.
“Brother Liu, is it safe to transport so many elixirs and talismans?” Lan Xiaobu’s divine sense had swept over the carts, and there were indeed many elixirs, talismans, and magical artifacts inside.
Liu Min laughed heartily, “Brother Lan, these elixirs aren’t worth much; they rely on quantity rather than quality. No one around here would dare to attack us for them. Furthermore, we do have a powerful alchemist protecting us.”
An alchemist was a powerful being?
Lan Xiaobu mused, could it be that he also qualified as a powerful individual? He was now in the Condensing Dan stage, a level above the alchemist stage.
It seemed Mu Bei Market must be very remote, making an alchemist considered strong.
“I’ve heard there are space treasures. If you had even one, wouldn’t it make things much easier?” Lan Xiaobu casually asked.
To his surprise, his offhand comment made Liu Min’s expression grow wary, while those nearby also displayed a bit more caution toward Lan Xiaobu.
Lan Xiaobu immediately understood he should not have asked that question.
Liu Min forced a laugh, “Don’t say we can’t afford storage treasures; even if we could, we wouldn’t dare use them.”
Lan Xiaobu quickly realized that while low-grade elixirs and talismans were of little interest, having a space treasure would be a different matter altogether; someone might very well come to rob them for it.
“Now I see.” Lan Xiaobu decided not to press further.
They were, after all, unfamiliar with one another, and it was better not to speak too much.
His divine sense noticed that Liu Min had another bag in his pocket.
Although he couldn’t penetrate it with his divine sense, he could sense the restrictive enchantment—it must be a space treasure.
Everyone fell silent.
As they neared the marketplace, Liu Min noticeably relaxed, feeling he had been overly tense.
He actively engaged in conversation with Lan Xiaobu, “Brother Lan, your axe appears to be a fine treasure. If possible, I advise you to…”
Liu Min didn’t finish his sentence, confident that Lan Xiaobu understood his meaning.
Lan Xiaobu couldn’t conceal his axe; according to Liu Min's suggestion, it seemed best for him to refrain from entering Mu Bei Market with it.
“Can one easily rob things in Mu Bei Market?” Lan Xiaobu asked, puzzled.
Liu Min shook his head, “Of course not, but when you first enter Mu Bei Market, you may need to present a token. If someone covets your axe, you’ll have to give it away."
Seemingly worried Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t believe him, Liu Min added, “There is a Golden Dan expert in Mu Bei Market, and he has strong ties with the market manager. It is said that the market manager himself is also a Condensing Dan expert.”
“Who is the market manager?” Lan Xiaobu inquired again.
However, this time, no one answered him.
Suddenly, two knights surged toward them from a distance, and even from the sound of their hooves, it was clear their horses were impressive.
Liu Min had already gone to greet them, speaking with deference, “Liu Min of the Qianxian Caravan pays respects to the two leaders. Thank you for escorting our supplies.”
Lan Xiaobu looked on, bewildered, as he could clearly see Mu Bei Market just under a thousand meters away.
The gigantic gate was already marked clearly with the words “Mu Bei Market.” That short distance seemed trivial; he could walk there with his eyes closed.
Why did they still need an escort?
It felt akin to someone returning home from a business trip, having traveled over a thousand miles only to find a car waiting at their community entrance.
The person would express gratitude, “Thank you for driving me home.”
The two knights didn’t dismount but nodded arrogantly.
One of them spoke, “Protecting all market merchants is the duty of our Mu Bei Alliance.”
(End of Chapter)