Chapter 00389: The Hunt for Yan Chengjian
# The Hunt for Yan Chengjian
Chapter 389
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 389: The Hunt for Yan Chengjian
Jinyun Immortal City, the largest city in the Qingfang Immortal Domain, was also the location of the Qingfang Immortal Court, the only immortal court in the domain.
As the opening of the Primordial Chaos Secret Realm on Void Island drew closer, the Qingfang Immortal Domain, being the closest to Void Island, saw a surge in activity.
Jinyun Immortal City was now packed to the brim, with everyone preparing for the secret realm that would open in ten years.
The best place to wait was naturally Void Island, but that place was a battlefield where bloodshed was a daily occurrence.
Staying there peacefully was simply unrealistic.
Moreover, the registration point for entering the Primordial Chaos Secret Realm on Void Island was also in Jinyun Immortal City.
Even if one had a spot on Void Island, they still had to register in Jinyun Immortal City first.
At this moment, a man dressed in simple hemp clothes arrived at the entrance of Jinyun Immortal City.
The immortal court guards stationed at the entrance stopped him.
"First-time visitors to Jinyun Immortal City must register for an identity jade token. The cost is one thousand high-grade immortal crystals. Please also provide your name and the immortal domain you come from."
The man in hemp clothes clearly knew the procedure.
He took out a storage bag and handed it over.
"Here are one thousand high-grade immortal crystals. My name is Yan Chengjian, and I come from the Weixing Immortal Domain."
"Yan Chengjian?" The guard registering his information paused for a moment but quickly regained his composure.
He swiftly processed the identity jade token and handed it to the man.
"Fellow Daoist, this is your identity jade token. It is valid for ten years. If you lose it, you will need to reapply."
The man in hemp clothes took the token, thanked the guard, and entered Jinyun Immortal City.
Once the man was out of earshot, the guard who had registered him whispered to his companion, "Isn't Yan Chengjian the person the Jiting Chamber of Commerce asked us to keep an eye on?"
The other guard chuckled.
"That's right. He looks somewhat similar to the portrait. Looks like we're in for a small windfall. I'll follow him and see which inn he checks into. Then I'll report it to the Jiting Chamber of Commerce immediately."
The first guard nodded.
"You go ahead and keep an eye on him. I'll hold the fort here."
...
The man in hemp clothes was unaware that he was being followed.
Despite the bustling streets of Jinyun Immortal City, he didn't linger.
Instead, he walked straight to an inn called "Jinyi Gui Immortal Rest Pavilion."
He glanced at the sign, then entered without hesitation.
"Apologies, Fellow Daoist, but our inn is fully booked. Please try another establishment," the innkeeper said as soon as the man entered.
He didn't even wait for the man to ask.
Recently, almost everyone who entered the inn was looking for a place to stay, and the inn simply didn't have enough rooms to accommodate everyone.
The man in hemp clothes didn't say a word.
Instead, he tossed a storage ring to the innkeeper.
"Find me a room for ten years. Whatever's left is yours."
"Fellow Daoist, our inn really is..."
The innkeeper's words trailed off as he stared at the contents of the ring.
The immortal crystals inside were more than enough to cover ten years of lodging, even with the current inflated prices.
"If you can do it, arrange it. If not, I'll go elsewhere," the man said calmly.
"Of course, of course! I'll arrange it right away," the innkeeper said, quickly sending out a few messages.
Soon, he returned with a smile.
"A fellow Daoist just vacated a room. Let me take you there."
The man had just settled into the Jinyi Gui Immortal Rest Pavilion when the guard who had been following him sent a message.
He then stood inconspicuously nearby, keeping an eye on the inn's entrance.
...
The headquarters of the Jiting Chamber of Commerce wasn't in the Qingfang Immortal Domain, but since the discovery of the Primordial Chaos Secret Realm, Jinyun Immortal City had become their largest gathering place.
It could almost be considered their second headquarters.
The chamber had concentrated its strongest forces here in preparation for the secret realm's opening in ten years.
The Qingting Commerce Building was the largest establishment of the Jiting Chamber of Commerce in Jinyun Immortal City and served as their base of operations in the Qingfang Immortal Domain.
At this moment, in the top-floor meeting hall of the Qingting Commerce Building, dozens of high-ranking members of the Jiting Chamber of Commerce were urgently discussing the issue of their positions on Void Island.
The Jiting Chamber of Commerce had secured not one, but four positions on Void Island.
Because of this, they had attracted the attention of many immortal domains.
Every time a conflict arose, they were the first to be targeted.
"President Hong, I believe we must give up some of our positions on Void Island. The competition for these spots is too fierce. Because of our four positions, we've already lost one Immortal Emperor and several Immortal Venerables. Remember, there are still ten years until Void Island opens. If this continues, our losses will be catastrophic," said an Immortal Emperor at the mid-stage.
He had been in the Qingfang Immortal Domain for nearly twenty years and knew firsthand how brutal the competition for Void Island's territory could be.
The Jiting Chamber of Commerce had weathered many storms and fought countless battles for territory, but this was different.
The competition for Void Island wasn't like other battles.
Even if you secured a position today, it didn't mean it was yours tomorrow.
The fights were brutal, with no regard for life or reason.
The name of the Jiting Chamber of Commerce meant nothing on Void Island.
This was understandable.
The positions on Void Island were directly related to entering the Primordial Chaos Secret Realm, which in turn determined whether an immortal domain could survive the impending calamity.
If they didn't fight now, when would they? After their immortal domain was destroyed?
President Hong, whose full name was Hong Qianyun, was of average build and at the peak of the Immortal Emperor realm.
He was the vice president of the Jiting Chamber of Commerce and currently in charge of their operations in the Qingfang Immortal Domain and the Primordial Chaos Secret Realm.
Hong Qianyun frowned, deep in thought.
He knew the elder was right.
No matter how strong the Jiting Chamber of Commerce was, they couldn't withstand the combined forces of over a hundred immortal domains.
"What does everyone else think?" Hong Qianyun asked, glancing at the other elders.
At that moment, one of the elders suddenly stood up, his killing intent palpable.
"Elder Qiyuan, what's the matter?" Hong Qianyun asked calmly.
He knew something important must have happened for the elder to react this way.
"President, Yan Chengjian, the man who stole treasures from our Jiting Chamber of Commerce in the Moxuan Immortal Domain, has appeared. He's currently staying at the Jinyi Gui Immortal Rest Pavilion. He just registered for an identity jade token at the city gate and paid several times the normal price to stay at the inn," Elder Qiyuan said, his words dripping with hatred.
The Immortal Emperor in charge of the Moxuan Immortal Domain was his uncle, and because of the theft, his uncle had been demoted and placed under house arrest.
His family's status and income had also taken a hit.
If it weren't for their influence within the chamber, his uncle might have been executed.
Hong Qianyun immediately said, "The meeting is adjourned. Let's go to the Jinyi Gui Immortal Rest Pavilion and bring Yan Chengjian back."
"But Yan Chengjian is no ordinary man. I heard he's a demi-god," another elder said.
"We have one demi-god here, two Immortal Emperors at the peak, three at the late stage, and eight at the mid and early stages. I don't believe we can't capture one Yan Chengjian. However, we must inform the city lord of Jinyun Immortal City. After all, this isn't our territory," said an elder sitting next to Hong Qianyun.
Hong Qianyun waved his hand.
"The Jiting Chamber of Commerce has one unconditional opportunity to act in Jinyun Immortal City. This is a privilege granted to us by the Qingfang Immortal Domain, so we can directly capture Yan Chengjian. I've already sent a message to the city lord, asking for his assistance. If Yan Chengjian tries to escape, the city's defensive formation will be activated. Let's move quickly."
"President, I'm puzzled. Yan Chengjian stole so much from us in the Moxuan Immortal Domain. Why would he dare to come here under his real name? Does he not know the strength of our chamber here?" another elder asked.
Hong Qianyun pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"I think he's just confident in his own strength. To be honest, if he hadn't stolen five—no, six—of our chamber's most precious treasures, we wouldn't want to confront a demi-god either."
...
At the Jinyi Gui Immortal Rest Pavilion, Yan Chengjian looked grimly at the dozen or so Immortal Emperors surrounding him.
He had no idea why the Jiting Chamber of Commerce wanted to capture him.
"Yan Chengjian, return what you stole from the Jiting Chamber of Commerce, and we can discuss everything else," Hong Qianyun said, staring at Yan Chengjian.
He was somewhat puzzled.
Was this man really a demi-god? He looked more like an Immortal King.
"Gentlemen, I think you have the wrong person," Yan Chengjian said.
As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of spatial fluctuations surrounded him.
"He's trying to escape!" Elder Qiyuan shouted, but before he could finish, Yan Chengjian vanished without a trace.
"Impressive," Hong Qianyun said, his face dark.
He had no idea how Yan Chengjian had managed to escape.
A dozen Immortal Emperors, the city's defensive formation activated, and yet they hadn't even exchanged a single blow before their target disappeared.
Millions of miles away from Jinyun Immortal City, a pale-faced Yan Chengjian wiped his face, transforming into a young man who looked nothing like his original appearance.
His face was still pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
He took out a few pills and swallowed them, then muttered bitterly, "Jiting Chamber of Commerce, you've cost me a divine talisman. One day, I, Qiao Aomu, will pay you a visit."
This "Yan Chengjian" was actually Qiao Aomu, who had left the Five Realms Immortal World.
He had disguised himself as Yan Chengjian because he had fought the real Yan Chengjian when he stole the Soul Refining Cauldron and knew some of his techniques.
Moreover, Yan Chengjian was from the Five Realms Immortal World, a place unfamiliar to other immortal domains.
Disguising himself as Yan Chengjian had seemed foolproof.
Little did he know that Yan Chengjian was an enemy of the Jiting Chamber of Commerce.
If he had known, he would never have taken on Yan Chengjian's identity.
(End of Chapter)