Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Departure
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Many of the cultivators who came to Mirror Moon Market City were disguised, their faces concealed. Chen Jianghe blended in among them, drawing no attention.
Following the crowd into the market city, he first made his way to the Mirror Moon Treasure Pavilion to sell the spirit talismans he had accumulated over the past two and a half years.
In total, he had one hundred and four Five-Element Escape Talismans. Including the three he had kept from before, he planned to sell them all.
Now that he was in the late stage of Qi Refining, low-grade Water Escape Talismans were of little use to him. Even if he were to keep some as a trump card, he would need to buy high-grade ones.
"One hundred and seven low-grade escape talismans, for a total of two hundred and seventy-three spirit stones. Please take them."
Yun Suxin counted them, placed the talismans in the cabinet, and handed over the spirit stones.
Chen Jianghe didn't take the spirit stones. Instead, he said in a low, raspy voice, "Three high-grade Lightning-Inducing Talismans, two high-grade Protective Talismans, and ten high-grade Five-Element Escape Talismans."
Hearing this, Yun Suxin gave Chen Jianghe a surprised look, but the black cloth under his bamboo hat obscured his features.
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
Yun Suxin turned and retrieved the spirit talismans from a cabinet behind her.
"High-grade Lightning-Inducing Talismans are ten spirit stones each, so that's thirty for three."
"High-grade Protective Talismans are twelve spirit stones each, so that's twenty-four for two."
"High-grade Five-Element Escape Talismans are fifteen spirit stones each, so that's one hundred and fifty for ten."
"The total comes to two hundred and four spirit stones. Here are sixty-nine spirit stones in change. Please come again."
Chen Jianghe took the high-grade spirit talismans, pocketed the sixty-nine spirit stones, and walked away from the talisman counter.
High-grade spirit talismans were very expensive.
He could have saved twenty spirit stones by purchasing them from Talisman Master Chu Lang, but there was no need to create unnecessary complications.
After their last transaction, Talisman Master Chu Lang likely knew his background quite well.
He almost certainly knew his true age.
After leaving the Mirror Moon Treasure Pavilion, he entered the Hundred Treasures Tower and went straight to the spirit pill counter.
"Five Spirit Recovery Pills."
"Six spirit stones per pill. That will be thirty spirit stones. Thank you."
Chen Jianghe paid the thirty spirit stones and received a jade bottle containing five Spirit Recovery Pills, which he placed in his storage pouch.
Spirit Recovery Pills were mid-grade spirit pills used to restore spiritual power.
A single pill could restore seventy percent of a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator's spiritual power in ten breaths, or forty percent for a late-stage cultivator.
He scanned the spirit stones inside his storage pouch with his divine sense.
Eighty-six spirit stones left.
He then went to the talisman counter in the Hundred Treasures Tower and purchased another three high-grade Protective Talismans and two high-grade Frost Talismans.
This cost him another fifty-six spirit stones.
He was left with thirty spirit stones.
"Thirty spirit stones should be enough as starting capital for my next destination."
Chen Jianghe walked out of the Hundred Treasures Tower.
Initially, he had considered buying a high-grade flying sword. That way, he could defend himself if he encountered danger.
But after some thought, he reconsidered.
A high-grade flying sword could fend off enemies, but what if his opponent had one too?
You might be fast on your sword, but if they have a high-grade one as well, what then?
You wouldn't even be able to escape.
As for buying a set of high-grade artifacts, he had the idea, but not enough spirit stones.
A high-grade flying sword plus a high-grade defensive artifact would cost five hundred spirit stones.
Besides, Chen Jianghe had Xiao Hei as his shield, so he didn't really need a high-grade defensive artifact.
Therefore, buying a high-grade flying sword wasn't as cost-effective as buying spirit talismans.
A high-grade offensive spirit talisman contained a magical attack comparable to a strike from a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator.
Three high-grade Lightning-Inducing Talismans were equivalent to three attacks from a great cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining.
While the high-grade Frost Talismans weren't as powerful offensively, they could significantly slow down an enemy, buying him time to escape.
A high-grade Protective Talisman contained a protective aura equivalent to that of a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, capable of blocking one attack from a great cultivator of the same level who didn't possess a high-grade flying sword.
Five was a bit low, but it was all he could afford with the spirit stones he had.
Five-Element Escape Talismans were essential for any cultivator traveling outside. Even if his spiritual power was depleted, he could still use them to flee.
For example, a high-grade Water Escape Talisman could transport him ten miles in fifty breaths—an absolutely wonderful item.
If he had enough spirit stones, he would have bought twenty or thirty of them just in case.
Using them all at once could take him two or three hundred miles away in an instant; even a Foundation Establishment Ancestor would probably have trouble catching up.
Arriving at the port, he glanced in the direction of the Yun Clan estate on the East Island, paused for a moment, and then flew away on a stream of Qi.
They would meet again in a few years; there was no need to be sentimental now.
Flying over the lake, he passed the channel in front of Area Six of Zone A. Seeing the familiar fishing boat, he didn't stop, flying straight past it.
These days, few cultivators flew over Mirror Moon Lake using just their Qi.
After all, with the new passenger ferry routes being so affordable, there was no need to waste spiritual power on flight.
However, Chen Jianghe needed to stop at Area 512 on the outskirts, so he couldn't take the large passenger ship.
There were, however, quite a few cultivators flying on swords.
Of course, some still flew using their Qi, likely the kind of bottom-tier cultivators who couldn't afford a flying sword and pinched every penny.
He was probably being mistaken for one of them right now.
When he reached Area 512, he could see a junior Fishery Farmer feeding the fish. It was a boy of fifteen or sixteen, just like he had been when he first came to the Yun Clan.
He looked around, and when the opportunity arose, he dove into the lake. He slipped through the aquatic grass wall from the sandy lakebed and entered the bottom of Area 512.
Then, he released Xiao Hei.
"Time is short, so be quick. If we're discovered, you'll be made into soup."
Chen Jianghe warned.
Xiao Hei sniffed for his father's scent and quickly swam off in one direction.
Chen Jianghe didn't follow, giving Xiao Hei some space.
In less than twenty breaths, he saw Xiao Hei swimming back rapidly.
That was fast.
Chen Jianghe returned Xiao Hei to the spirit beast space, then slipped back into the channel, surfaced, and, seizing the right moment, soared into the air.
He then flew toward Port Number One.
Two years ago, he had already planned his first destination: Qinghe Market City.
It wasn't that he intended to settle down in Qinghe Market City permanently, but it was the largest cultivation market city within a three-thousand-mile radius.
It had been established for over five hundred years and had flying ships that traveled to all the major market cities in the Tiannan region.
He planned to check out the situation in Qinghe Market City first. If it was suitable, he would settle there.
If not, he could use the flying ships from Qinghe Market City to travel elsewhere.
This was a relatively safer approach.
The reason he was heading to Port Number One now was that there was no flying ship route established between Mirror Moon Market City and Qinghe Market City yet.
He had heard from Yu Daniu that there was a dispute over the profit-sharing for the flying ship routes, which was why Mirror Moon Market City had no flying ship connections to other market cities.
The Yun Clan already had two Foundation Establishment cultivators and a second-tier spirit beast, making them a top-tier Foundation Establishment immortal clan in the eastern region.
However, the major market cities treated the Yun Clan's Mirror Moon Market City like Qiyun Market City, demanding seventy percent of the profits from the flying ship routes.
Furthermore, the Yun Clan was expected to provide the flying ships.
Naturally, the Yun Clan refused.
Port Number One had large ships bound for Qinghe Market City, and a local broker's guild specialized in this business.
They could arrange for group travel to Qinghe Market City, as almost no cultivator was willing to make the journey alone.
Even late-stage Qi Refining cultivators usually chose to travel in groups.
Mirror Moon Lake was two thousand miles from Qinghe Market City, and the route was infested with bandit cultivators, including some powerful ones at the late stage of Qi Refining.
Therefore, cultivators generally avoided traveling by sword, as the waterway was much safer.
He arrived at Port Number One.
It had changed drastically from how he remembered it.
Thanks to the prosperity of Mirror Moon Market City, this port, as the other end of the passenger ferry route, had transformed into a small cultivation town.
Of course, mortals still lived there, but the number of cultivators now surpassed them, and the street vendor stalls had become more organized.
What was once a single market street had now expanded to four or five streets, and even the market fair had grown considerably.
It had evolved into an entire street lined with shops selling all kinds of cultivation resources.
Everything looked much more official.
The only thing that hadn't changed was the presence of cultivator scoundrels like Wang Kui, who still roamed around, borrowing spirit sand from junior Fishery Farmers they knew.
He went to the market and found the local broker's guild.
"When does the large ship to Qinghe Market City depart?" Chen Jianghe asked, his voice hoarse and tinged with menace.
The lazy mortal broker before him shuddered and immediately straightened up, respectfully saying, "Esteemed Immortal, are you heading to Qinghe Market City?"
"We'll have to wait another three to five days. Our ship needs a certain number of passengers before we can set off."
"As you know, there are many bandit cultivators along the way. It's not safe if we don't have enough people."
The young broker explained with a deferential smile.
Three to five days?
That was acceptable.
Chen Jianghe nodded.
"Alright, let me register you. May I ask the Esteemed Immortal's cultivation level?" the young broker asked cautiously.
Chen Jianghe's expression darkened, and a wave of pressure enveloped the young broker, instantly causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
Asking about a person's cultivation level was a major taboo in the cultivation world.
"Esteemed Immortal, please calm down! It's a rule for boarding the large ship. Besides, the ticket price is based on cultivation level."
"After all, high-level passengers serve as a deterrent to the bandit cultivators along the route."
The young broker hurriedly explained.
Hearing this, Chen Jianghe withdrew his pressure.
It made sense. If all the passengers were late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, no bandit cultivator along the route would dare to make a move.
But if they were all early-stage Qi Refining cultivators, how would that be any different from a boat full of pigs for slaughter?
So, in a way, this large ship to Qinghe Market City was leveraging the power of late-stage cultivators for its voyage.
Considering this, the local broker's guild must have someone from the Yun Clan backing it. Otherwise, how could such a profitable business be allowed to fall into the hands of outsiders?
"Late-stage Qi Refining."
Chen Jianghe stated in his raspy voice.
"Well, um... May I ask if the Esteemed Immortal is at the seventh, eighth, or ninth level of Qi Refining?"
"It's not that I'm being nosy, but the price is different for each realm within the late stage."
"If you are a great cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining, we will even give you fifty spirit stones and ask you to provide a show of force if we encounter bandit cultivators."
Chen Jianghe was taken aback. He hadn't expected such a system.
"Seventh level of Qi Refining."
"For the trip to Qinghe Market City, early-stage Qi Refining Immortals need to pay eight spirit stones, and mid-stage Immortals need to pay five. Since you are at the seventh level, you only need to pay one spirit stone."
"What about the eighth level?"
"That's also one spirit stone."
Huh!
So only great cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining could earn spirit stones.
But it was true; a great cultivator at the ninth level was indeed intimidating enough to deter those bandit cultivators.
Moreover, the circumstances of ninth-level cultivators were complex. If they were under sixty, they would be accumulating resources for Foundation Establishment.
And most who reached the ninth level before sixty were disciples of clans, possessing high-grade artifacts, perhaps even high-grade defensive ones.
If they were over sixty, with no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment, they would choose to buy high-grade artifacts to bolster their combat strength.
Thus, regardless of their situation, a great cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining posed a significant threat to bandit cultivators.
"You should have just asked if I was a great cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining from the start. Hmph!"
Chen Jianghe took out a spirit stone and tossed it to the broker.
"Yes, yes, you're right."
The young broker said with an obsequious smile. Although he was under orders to inquire about the exact cultivation realm of passengers, he was just a mortal underling who didn't earn much silver in a year. How could he dare to argue with a cultivator?
"Please proceed to the Welcome Inn and stay for a few days. Someone will notify you when the ship is ready to depart."
With a flick of his sleeve, Chen Jianghe left the broker's guild office.
He didn't wander around the market but went straight to the Welcome Inn and checked in. For the next few days, he remained in his room, not venturing out.
He still had more than half a jar of Fasting Pills, so he didn't have to worry about food.
On the sixth day, someone from the broker's guild came to inform him that he could board the ship to Qinghe Market City.