The sun was rising, and the morning light shone from the junction of the sky and the earth, illuminating the endless yellow sand and dust in the air.
The Moon Shadow Sword Sect's group rested for the night and hadn't stopped since. After rushing for three days and three nights, they could already see Eastern Great Wall's Brilliance City in front of them, at the size of a bean, as well as the towering black-rock city wall stretching to the side of the sky.
Yun Tianchong stood on a towering weathered sandstone. Even though he had reached the late stage of Deification , he was still exhausted at this moment, and could not help but sigh. "Ah-- finally here..."
He took a deep breath and sniffed the sand-laden air in the desert of the Central Region , and then turned to look behind him.
However, when he saw Yun Yiyi and Yun Jiujiu standing side by side behind him, their expressions at that moment seemed to be like two resentful old women. Yun Tianchong's smile immediately turned awkward.
As for Yun Xi, her face was bandaged, so her expression could not be seen. However, Zhang Yihe, who was pushing her wheelchair, was smiling.
Let's just assume she's smiling too.
Yun Tianchong paused, then walked behind them and gently put his hand on Yun Jiujiu's shoulder.
"Yiyi, Jiujiu, Xi... this is your first time here, right? The last time I came here was more than three hundred years ago. It was here that I met Jiujiu's mother. I remember very clearly. The City Lord hosted a banquet for me, and your mother was a dancer invited to perform. I fell in love with her at first sight..."
At that time, due to the beasts' attacks, most parts of the wall were damaged. He and a few cultivators from the Imperial Sect and Bright Star Sect helped the Justice Division defend against the demonic beasts that attacked the Great Wall.
Yun Tianchong recalled the events of three hundred years ago, his face full of emotion...
However, he was the only one who felt emotional.
Yun Yiyi looked up at the tents that spanned nearly twenty miles and the towering sandstone walls of the Brilliance City , sighing. "Father, there are nine hundred and thirty-two of our Foundation Building and Qi Refining stage disciples who have gone missing. If you have time to recall your feelings here, you might as well go into the city quickly and ask the Justice Division to help find the Sword Sect disciples lost in the sand sea..."
"Ah... Yes, you're right."
"Also, Third Sister needs a place to recuperate."
"Uh... hmm."
Yun Tianchong felt embarrassed. He felt that Yun Yiyi was the real Master of the Sword Sect while he was just a servant. He quickly nodded in agreement and raised his hand to the disciples behind him, who were already exhausted and about to lose their balance. He ordered. "Hold on a little longer. We can rest once we enter the city."
"...Yes, sir."
The remaining sixty-odd people weakly cupped their hands in response. Then, they stepped on their flying swords, preparing to continue on their way.
After Yun Tianchong gave instructions, he walked back and asked, "Yiyi, Jiujiu, Xi... How about I take you guys to the city for a walk after I return from the Justice Division ? This Brilliance City is truly unique. Jiujiu, you'll definitely like it..."
Yun Jiujiu turned to glance at him and rolled her eyes without saying anything.
Yun Yiyi sighed again. She thought to herself, if only her father was half as reliable as Ye Anping...
"Whatever..."
She shook her head, ignoring Yun Tianchong, and exchanged a glance with Yun Jiujiu. Then, she lifted Yun Xi's wheelchair on her flying sword before heading toward Brilliance City .
...
Brilliance City , located at the junction of the Central and Eastern Region , was also the largest market within a radius of nearly a thousand miles. After the Demon Clan occupied Heavenly Gate City , most of the cultivators who originally lived there came here to settle down.
Because of this, under the black rocks of the Great Wall, yellow tents were set up everywhere to block the wind and rain, and the market stretched for nearly twenty miles.
A man and three women wearing bamboo hats walked slowly along the busy street.
Ye Anping and his group had only arrived at the Eastern Wall last night. According to his estimation, even if they went all out, they would definitely arrive a few days later than Yun Yiyi and the others.
However, after walking around the streets for nearly an hour, he didn't see even a single disciple of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect.
Thinking of this, Ye Anping began to worry. His original plan was to leave early with the Justice Division and Moon Shadow Sword Sect to avoid the first wave of demonic cultivators' attacks as much as possible.
However, the Moon Shadow Sword Sect had not arrived yet. If he left with the Justice Division first, the city would be empty and the demonic cultivators would occupy it in an instant.
And if Yun Tianchong and the others arrived at that time without knowing that the city had fallen into the hands of the demonic cultivators, it would mean bringing Yun Yiyi and the other two into the city just to meet Seven Ghost Tomb...
Ye Anping thought about the worst possibility and looked worried. On the other hand, Feng Yu Die and Xue Tianqiao, who were following him, were quite happy, as if they had come out for an autumn outing.
"Sister Pei, I smell that the roasted chicken is especially fragrant. Shall we go and have one?"
"No."
"Sister Xiao, are you going?"
"If Anping goes, I'll go..."
Hearing their voices, Ye Anping glanced at the small teahouse that Feng Yu Die pointed at and then looked back at his sister and Xiao Yunluo. After the long journey, both of them showed a trace of fatigue on their faces.
Therefore, he hid the worry on his face and said, "Sister, Yunluo, you two can sit down and eat something with Sister Feng. Brilliance City 's cuisine is quite unique and tastes different from the Western Region . It's a rare opportunity to come here, so you should try it."
Hearing that there was something to eat, Xue Tianqiao, who had been hiding in Ye Anping's collar, also poked her head out.
"Brother Ye, Sister Fox also wants to eat roasted chicken~"
"Fine." Ye Anping nodded. He grabbed her by the back of her neck, tied a demon-binding rope around her neck, and handed one end of the rope to Pei Lianxue. "Sister, watch out... this fox can slip away in the blink of an eye."
Pei Lianxue took the rope and held Xue Tianqiao in her arms. She looked down at it and thought about how this little fox had been lying inside her brother's collar and on his chest for more than ten days. She had a strange feeling...
But she didn't say anything and just asked, "What about you, brother?"
"I'll go ask around about the Moon Shadow Sword Sect."
"Well... be careful."
After seeing Pei Lianxue and the others enter the small teahouse, Ye Anping pulled his bamboo hat and walked along the yellow sand road of the marketplace, browsing the stalls on both sides as he searched for a drugstore called the " Quicksand Store ".
After walking for a while, Ye Anping finally found the plaque of " Quicksand Store " among the hundreds of shops on both sides of the market.
It was a five-story building, and as soon as he arrived at the door, he could smell the scent of medicine coming from inside. The owner was a famous doctor in the Central Region .
In the game, this was also a resurrection point, so Ye Anping was quite familiar with the boss's face.
He looked around at the door for a while and saw that the white-bearded old man behind the counter was similar to the old doctor in his memory. Only then did he step through the door with confidence.
The white-bearded old man behind the counter was dispensing medicine when he heard that a customer had arrived. He looked up, and when Ye Anping took off his bamboo hat, his eyebrows raised slightly. He stroked his beard and wondered, "Wow... I haven't seen a cultivator from the Western Region in a long time... Do you want medicine or a diagnosis, young master?"
"I'm here to get information."
Ye Anping took out a small bag of spirit stones from his storage bag and placed it on the counter. Then, he leaned over, asking directly, "I want to inquire about the Moon Shadow Sword Sect. I heard they came to the Eastern Great Wall. They should have arrived long ago. How come there is no yellow-robed cultivator in the city?"
"Hmm..." The white-bearded old man picked up the spirit stones bag and weighed it before nodding. "Since the Moon Shadow Sword Sect passed the Sword Gate Pass in the Southern Region , there has been no news about them."
"Ah, so..."
Ye Anping was slightly disappointed. If there was no news from Sword Sect even in the black market, it seemed that he had to use his backup plan now.
After greeting the white-bearded old man, he was ready to leave and go back to find the girls.
However, as soon as he turned around, the old man asked, "Sir, wait a minute."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Looking at your handsome face, I think you must have many wives and concubines. How about I prescribe a medicine for you to replenish your body? Sex is very tiring. If you need it, I have a very good item. Although it is a little expensive, it is definitely worth the money. It can be used to soak in wine or concoct medicine. It is a top-grade treasure."
"..."
Listening to the sales pitch, Ye Anping instantly knew what this "top-grade treasure" was.
"If you are talking about the Deification stage cultivator's second-golden pill, then I will decline. The Jade Sand Pavilion in Jade Pass has already recommended it."
"Oh... I see." The white-bearded old man looked embarrassed. "Alas, this second-golden pill has been waiting to be sold for several years now... sorry for rambling earlier."
Ye Anping waved his hand and turned to leave.
However, just as he turned around and took a step toward the door, a man with a sword and wearing the golden uniform of the Sword Sect stepped through the door.
Seeing the two plum blossom stems on the man's brow, Ye Anping was stunned.
Yun Tianchong walked into the clinic and saw a handsome young man staring at him. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Oh? Little cultivator friend, why are you staring at me like this? Is there something on my face?"
"..."
Ye Anping was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Senior."
Then, he quickened his pace toward the entrance. Although seeing Yun Tianchong meant that Yun Yiyi and the others had arrived, Yun Tianchong did not know him.
However, Yun Tianchong looked at him closely, then frowned slightly and stopped in his tracks.
"Little cultivator friend, wait."
"..."
Ye Anping stopped with his back facing him and rolled his eyes. Then, he turned around helplessly and cupped his hands. "What is it that you want to say, Senior?"
"A golden core to a dual spiritual roots cultivator... Hmm--"
Yun Tianchong seemed to be in disbelief. He repeatedly scanned Ye Anping with his spiritual sense, causing his head to buzz. Even Xiao Tian, who was sleeping in his head, slipped out and cursed with a resentful face. "Who is it? Why do you keep scanning my Anping with your spiritual sense..."
When she saw Yun Tianchong's blond hair, Xiao Tian was stunned. She turned and looked at Ye Anping. "Anping, could this person be..."
"..."
Isn't it obvious, why are you still asking ... A little tired, Ye Anping signaled her to go back with his eyes, then replied, "Senior, are you Master Yun of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect by any chance?"
"Yes, it's me."
Yun Tianchong raised an eyebrow and walked over, gently patting his shoulder. "Young cultivator friend, you are very promising at this young age. You could even form a golden core with your dual spiritual roots. I've lived for more than a thousand years, and that's the first time I've met someone like you... Who did you learn from?"
Ye Anping reckoned that Yun Tianchong, seeing that he had formed the Heavenly Dao Golden Core with his dual spiritual roots, probably wanted to form a good relationship with him or take him as a registered disciple or something...
In fact, this was quite common. Most cultivators with outstanding talent would have more or less several masters, one whose personal disciple they were, and several honorific masters.
However, in a sense, he should be considered Yun Tianchong's junior brother.
But Ye Anping felt that it was not good to tell the truth, especially since a black market boss was now present. If his identity as Immortal Yun Jian's disciple were to spread, he would be in trouble.
Therefore, he pondered for a moment before replying, "I am a disciple of the Black Star Sect."
" Black Star Sect, no wonder... you're Elder Qin's disciple? I have met your master several times." Yun Tianchong smiled and nodded. Then, he said, "It's fate that we met when we're away from our homes. Do you want to have a cup of tea with me later?"
Ye Anping had originally wanted to look for Yun Yiyi first, but since Yun Tianchong had invited him, that worked too.
Anyway, he would be taken to Yun Yiyi when the time came...
"I'll be glad to."
"Then, wait for me, we'll go after I buy the medicine."
Yun Tianchong smiled happily. He then turned to look at the white-bearded old man in front of the counter, whose forehead was oozing cold sweat. "Old sir, help me get a few of your best healing pills. My daughter was buried in the ground by a level-nine demonic beast, and more than half of her bones were broken. I didn't bring any good medicine for healing bones when I left. You can name the price..."
"...Wait a moment."
The old man wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and ran to the small room in the back without saying anything. He came out with three boxes embroidered with golden dragon patterns in his hands.
"My Lord, this is the Jade Dragon Pill. It was taken from the secret vault under the Heavenly Gate City Palace by several gold diggers a few years ago. They said that as long as one still had breath, he could be saved."
"Ooh... Nangong Cheng's stuff... What's the price?"
"Five hundred thousand... how about it?"
"Deal."
Yun Tianchong turned around and looked at Ye Anping. He seemed to be afraid that Ye Anping would become impatient, so he casually threw a large bag of spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them over. He put the Jade Dragon Pill back into his storage bag and prepared to leave.
"Little fellow cultivator, sorry for keeping you waiting. Let's go."
Ye Anping looked speechlessly at this upstart-type business, but he didn't say anything. He nodded and spread his hands.
"Senior, please..."
Yun Tianchong nodded, thinking that he was quite polite, and walked out of the room. However, just like before, the white-bearded old man took a deep breath and plucked up the courage to say. "Supreme Immortal Yun, wait, I heard that you..."
Hearing this sentence, Ye Anping knew what he was trying to sell. He immediately turned his head in disbelief and glared at him. He asked with his eyes, You really dare??
When the old man saw Ye Anping's look, he came back to his senses and shut his mouth.
"Huh?" Yun Tianchong turned around. "Sir, do you have anything else to say?"
"Ah... no... Supreme Immortal Yun, take care."
"Hehe, you're too polite, sir."
Yun Tianchong cupped his hands and bowed. Smiling, he gave Ye Anping a glance and led him out of the pill shop. Under the gaze of the passers-by on both sides, they headed toward a restaurant about a mile away.