In the bamboo forest, the Dragon Fish poked its head out, looking around. Its simple mind lacked a true sense of danger, so it quickly resumed swimming playfully among the flowering bamboo. Its pitch-black, glossy scales caught everyone’s attention without a hint of caution.
“A continuous ridge of scales leading up to its head—what a fine specimen! This Dragon Fish must already carry traces of a true dragon’s aura in its essence blood. Fellow Daoist, are you planning to sell it at the Treasure Exchange Banquet?”
Zhao Ziyue strolled over with a smile, carrying a lion cat in his arms. The cat had just yawned and was now squinting lazily, forming a stark contrast to the lively Dragon Fish.
Yu Ci glanced at him without responding, his gaze fixed on the list in his hands. This was the registry of cultivators entering Cliff City, compiled by the Sun Light Sect, and Zhao Ziyue’s name was listed at the very top. The description of him was the most detailed—not just because of the strikingly large cat in his arms, but because he was known to be the strongest among all the newly arrived cultivators.
The intelligence from the Sun Light Sect assessed him as a mid-stage Core Refinement cultivator.
In Cliff City, such cultivation placed him among the strongest known figures, with only Jin Huan able to suppress him openly. As for hidden forces… well, those were best left unspoken.
However, Zhao Ziyue’s most troublesome trait wasn’t just his strength—he hadn’t come alone. He had six companions, making a group of seven. Even if none of the others were also Core Refinement cultivators, the weakest among them was at the mid-stage of Divine Connectivity, having already refined their Yin Spirit. Just this small group alone was formidable enough to act with impunity in Cliff City, and even the Sun Light Sect had to tread carefully around them.
Zhao Ziyue was the leader of this elite group.
Despite receiving no response, Zhao Ziyue’s smile remained unchanged as he continued, “Since Fellow Daoist also intends to sell the Dragon Fish, whether or not it’s at the Treasure Exchange Banquet doesn’t matter. My Brother Sha here is very interested in your Dragon Fish. Why don’t you discuss a price? We are quite wealthy on our side…”
“The Dragon Fish is already accounted for,” Yu Ci interrupted, shaking the registry in his hands. He remained seated and simply added, “The top floor is currently being prepared for the Treasure Exchange Banquet and is not open to outsiders. You two may take your leave.”
The moment these words left his lips, Zhao Ziyue remained composed, but Sha Cong, who had a fiery temper, couldn’t stand the cold reception. His eyes widened as he spat, “We’re trying to be polite, but you just have to be difficult! Do you think you can order us around? Let me tell you—I’m taking that Dragon Fish today, whether you like it or—”
Before the word “not” could leave his mouth, Geng Fu suddenly let out a loud yelp.
At that moment, all eyes turned toward him.
Being stared at by three powerful cultivators, Geng Fu broke out in a cold sweat, his face turning deathly pale. Yet, despite his fear, he showed a surprising amount of courage. With his plump body trembling, he forced himself forward, looking as if he were attending his own funeral, yet he managed to get the words out:
“Immortal Zhao, Immortal Sha, you mustn’t act recklessly! This is Immortal Yu from the Rifting Earth Sect—he is a prominent figure in Cliff City…”
He raised a trembling thumb. His chubby hand was visibly shaking, but his meaning was clear. No one bothered to correct the slight inaccuracy in his words.
The ever-present smile on Zhao Ziyue’s fair face faded slightly, replaced by a look of surprise. “Rifting Earth Sect?”
He exchanged a glance with Sha Cong before quickly regaining his composure and smiling again. “So, you are a distinguished disciple of the Rifting Earth Sect…”
It seemed he was trying to ease the tension, but just then, hurried footsteps echoed up the stairs.
“Uncle Zhao, why have you been up here for so long?”
As soon as this voice sounded, Geng Fu’s expression turned utterly spectacular.
Yu Ci glanced over and, through the dense bamboo screen, saw a young man striding toward them. It was Jin Chuan, Jin Huan’s nephew, who held the position of “coordinator.” He was dressed in fine robes, looking exceedingly refined and handsome, with a bright smile on his face. Somehow, he had ended up associating with Zhao Ziyue’s group.
Upon meeting Yu Ci’s gaze, Jin Chuan displayed a look of surprise. “Senior Brother Yu? Oh, that’s right, Senior Brother Yu is here today. In that case, allow me to introduce you to a senior.”
He emphasized the last word slightly and then turned to Zhao Ziyue. “Uncle Zhao…”
Zhao Ziyue’s ever-present smile became somewhat subtle. He gently stroked the lion cat in his arms, his gaze flickering between the two young men, just as he was about to speak—
“Meow!” The cat let out a sudden yowl.
Almost at the same time, a thunderous explosion erupted outside the building. The sound of shattering wood and agonized screams mixed with the rushing wind, sending violent gusts sweeping through the room.
Yu Ci, seated at the outermost edge, tilted his head slightly and saw that on the western side of the Heavenly Wings Pavilion, a figure had crashed through a sealed corridor window, tumbling amidst splintered wood and debris. His screams echoed as he plummeted downward. It would take nearly a hundred meters before he hit the ground—if he fell like this, he was doomed!
However, from above, sword Qi slashed through the air with a sharp hiss, like thousands of fine threads—or like a venomous serpent baring its fangs—relentlessly pursuing him.
A gust of wind stirred beside Yu Ci. It was Zhao Ziyue, who had silently vaulted over the railing. A vibrant green glow surged around his body, forming a protective aura as he flew through the air. In an instant, he reached the plummeting man, grabbed him, and flung him back upward with a powerful toss.
At that moment, myriad strands of sword qi descended.
The green, glimmering aura surrounding Zhao Ziyue stirred slightly, and a ray of purple light burst through the air, whirling as it collided with the sword qi and produced a series of tinkling sounds. The man who had been flung away flew straight toward the corridor bridge, only to be caught by Sha Cong, who had just leapt out.
Meanwhile, from the side of the shattered corridor bridge, a grey figure silently pounced. The swirling sword qi in mid-air suddenly surged to a higher level. Zhao Ziyue also noticed the newcomer:
“That fellow Daoist, why are you making things difficult for my brother!’
The newcomer responded with a ‘Pah!’ and said, “Do you need a d*mn reason to beat a man!”
That Zhao Ziyue was quite a character too, laughing heartily, “Fellow Daoist, you truly understand the ways of the bird!”
(G: 鸟 “Niǎo” literally means “bird,” but in modern Ch!nese slang, it can mean “pen!s” or a crude exclamation like “d*mn”. The two lines play on this double meaning: The newcomer’s line “抢女人要鸟的理由” implies with “鸟” as d*mn. Zhao Ziyue’s response, “善解鸟意” puns on “鸟意” sounding like “knowing the bird,” twisting it in a sarcastic way.)
The figures flickered in and out before distancing themselves, perhaps deciding that close-quarters combat would be too troublesome. The sword qi and the purple light clashed again from afar, causing the air to howl and the aftershock of energy to sweep across the ground. Nearly a mile away, the force even made the wooden exterior of Heavenly Wings Pavilion creak as if it might collapse at any moment.
Clearly not expecting this turn of events, Jin Chuan hurried forward and craned his neck to get a look.
Leaning against the railing, Yu Ci observed for a moment before signaling. Nearby, Geng Fu hesitated briefly but eventually lumbered over with his portly frame, his mournful expression and sidelong glances toward the back-turned Jin Chuan causing a bit of a stir.
Just moments earlier, he had managed to slip between Yu Ci and Zhao Ziyue to reveal Yu Ci’s identity and ease the tension—a display of remarkable insight and nerve. Had Jin Chuan not intervened, the matter might have ended on a harmonious note, and Yu Ci would have held him in even higher regard.
The chubby shopkeeper, wiping sweat from his brow, lowered his voice and said, “Immortal Yu, do you have any orders?”
No matter how softly he spoke, his tone couldn’t hide from Jin Chuan standing nearby. This future master of the Sun Light Sect cast a cold glance his way, and Geng Fu’s knees nearly buckled as he almost fell to his knees. Yet Yu Ci only smiled and replied:
“You did very well! Pass on the message: if any treasures are found, we shall meet at the Treasure Exchange Banquet—such is the rule in the city. But if Zhao Ziyue and his group repeat today’s antics, they need not take part in the banquet; they should simply leave the city on their own.”
Geng Fu was momentarily stunned into silence, and before he could respond, Jin Chuan—who had perked up his ears—shouted, “That’s unacceptable! They’re using treasures to trade, too.”
“Are you sure they’d resort to forced buying and selling?” The single question silenced Jin Chuan, though Geng Fu added quietly, “Immortal Yu, they are outsiders…”
Generally speaking, the term “outsiders” as used by Geng Fu refers to cultivators not affiliated with the forces of Cliff City, but in this context it carries a narrower connotation—namely, individuals originating from outside the control of the Rifting Earth Sect. Such people can travel thousands of miles to get here, and their strength is usually formidable. Moreover, it’s extremely difficult to trace their origins or hold them accountable for any serious repercussions; they simply pack up and leave without a care, making them exceptionally troublesome.
Yu Ci understood his meaning—especially since this group likely hailed from the Northern Wasteland.
Shifting his gaze, he noticed atop the sealed corridor bridge that Sha Cong was producing a bizarre string of objects that looked like head bones the size of fists. Twirling the string as if it were a set of prayer beads and murmuring incantations, he was clearly performing some kind of shamanistic technique to heal his comrades.
Intelligence delivered by the Sun Light Sect deduced that Zhao Ziyue and his party of seven very likely originated from one of the most renowned regions in the cultivation world—beyond the Broken Boundary Mountains, across boundless grasslands, in the Northern Wasteland, a region famed as the most barren in the world.
Legend has it that the area is devoid of resources, with black sand swirling throughout the year to form an all-encompassing “black tide.” Within it, vicious monstrous beasts and demonic fiends roam. In such an environment, even high-level cultivators of the Core Refinement stage or those at Void Stepping who carelessly soar into the sky risk being devoured. Such harsh conditions force the inhabitants underground, and no established sect has taken root there. Yet, it remains a haven for the vast number of lone cultivators—over a million gathering there to form tens of thousands of loosely organized factions.
Of course, with so many factions in disarray, it’s far from a peaceful place. According to what the Rifting Earth Sect has learned, the North Wasteland is the largest breeding ground for parasitic cultivators in the world. Countless self-indulgent degenerates emerge from there, and innumerable similar individuals plunge in, seeking like-minded companions and the life they desire. Their trademark is belligerence and lawlessness, making it especially troublesome if they were to stir up trouble in the city.
Still, Yu Ci had no intention of changing his decision. At that moment, however, another person caught his attention even more.
“Who is that?”
Yu Ci was referring to the one locked in fierce combat with Zhao Ziyue—a man whose cultivation was also at the Core Refinement stage and whose single-minded, intricate sword technique was remarkably refined. In fact, Yu Ci already knew the answer; he just wanted Geng Fu to speak it aloud.
As expected, Geng Fu responded in awe, “It’s Immortal Lu!”
In Cliff City, there was only one Immortal Lu—Lu Mingyue, hailed as the number one lone cultivator in the city. He was probably the closest thing to a parasitic cultivator, indulging in romantic escapades and wild revelry day after day, and even a close friend of Monk Yixin from the Pure Water Altar.
Yu Ci stared at that figure for a long while without a word. Then, unexpectedly, Jin Chuan burst into laughter. “If they keep fighting like this, Heavenly Wings Pavilion will collapse, and there’ll be no need for the Treasure Exchange Banquet eight days from now, right?”
Geng Fu was taken aback for a moment, thinking that Heavenly Wings Pavilion wouldn’t collapse so easily. Yet, being the smooth operator he was, he quickly agreed after observing Jin Chuan’s tone and expression, “Exactly—if they keep at it, who knows what might happen to the tower!”
No sooner had he said that than he regretted it. Sure enough, upon hearing his response, Jin Chuan turned to Yu Ci and respectfully said, “Senior Brother Yu, these two are fighting so fiercely that they might forget to guard the tower. You really ought to think of a solution.”
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