Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 14 Crescent City

As the sky brightens, a new day finally arrives.

Yun Yi looked back, and yesterday's events seemed like a dream. In the distance, there was no nameless town, only endless yellow sand.

Drawing on his past life's experience, he knew he was currently on the northwestern border of the Great Xia Dynasty. It was sparsely populated and desolate, with only border merchants occasionally passing through.

Although it was easy for an untrained person to get into trouble walking alone in such a place, Yun Yi believed that as long as he could gain freedom, no matter how much hardship he endured, it was worth it.

What's more, he is not walking aimlessly now.

About a hundred miles north of the nameless town, there's a place called Crescent City where you can stay. You can spend some money there and follow the merchants to the heart of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Besides this, there is one more important thing. There is an uncultivated paradise near Crescent City. In the past life, this secret place would not be discovered until several years later.

Inside is a treasure left behind by an immortal who died a thousand years ago, which is exactly what Yun Yi needs most at the moment.

He is now twenty-two years old. If he wants to practice cultivation, he cannot proceed step by step like a normal person. Instead, he needs to find a treasure that can cleanse his essence and marrow and change his physique into an innate one.

Otherwise, the long road of cultivation that follows will be infinitely difficult, and you will never be able to break through the Qi Refining Realm.

In their previous life, Yun Yi and Song Xinci were both infected with the Heart Gu, so their cultivation could "influence each other." Of course, in reality, Yun Yi benefited unilaterally, and his cultivation progress was rapid, but this also dragged down Song Xinci.

This time, Yun Yi does not plan to rely on women. He wants to use the experience of living another life to open up a new path of cultivation for himself.

While he was on his way, he sorted out the harvest from the nameless town, including a heart-to-heart Gu still in a bamboo tube, a "Turtle Breath Pill" that could not be detected below the Return to Void Realm, a magical brush that could use the "divine transmission" technique, and a purple gold gourd that had just fallen from the sky and almost killed him.

The purple-gold gourd was a magical weapon. Upon opening the stopper, a cyan sword energy could be seen within. Like a bee trapped within the gourd, it hummed continuously and flew around the interior at such incredible speeds that only a cyan trail could be seen with the naked eye.

Yun Yi immediately guessed that the purple gold gourd was a gift from his father-in-law Song Guanglin sent from thousands of miles away. The Green Lotus Sword Intent inside was extremely powerful. If it was used for a sneak attack, even a cultivator in the Spirit Transformation Realm would probably find it difficult to withstand it.

The only problem is that it would be a waste to use this sword intent for a sneak attack. The correct way to use it is to use it for comprehension.

As for the stingy woman Song Xinci, she didn't give Yun Yi anything, but just silently protected him for a while. But Yun Yi was satisfied with this. It was a pleasant surprise that Song Xinci didn't force him to go to the Demon Sect.

The next thing he had to consider was how to seek the immortal and ask for the way.

The Flying Secret Realm outside Crescent City is the key to changing his fate!
……

Although remote, Crescent City was one of the largest cities on the border of the Great Xia Dynasty. Furthermore, many residents from the Great Yan Dynasty lived here, making it a prime location for trade when the two countries were on good terms.

This city is called Crescent City, and its actual construction is similar, with a crescent shape. It is said that a thousand years ago, this place was hundreds of miles in radius, but after a natural disaster, the city's size was drastically reduced to its current size.

The master of Crescent Moon City's cultivation level remains a mystery, and he usually oversees the city's internal affairs. However, the stationed general, Tie Hong, is a unique figure. With his Return to Void Realm cultivation, three hundred Iron Buddhas, and the support of Crescent Moon City's own protective formation, he can even challenge any opponent in the He Dao Realm.

Yun Yi was not unfamiliar with this place. He had been here once in his previous life, but unfortunately he returned empty-handed and did not gain any opportunity.

He had no cultivation skills, so he was not stopped when entering the city. Crescent City was tolerant towards ordinary people, but was more strict towards cultivators. They needed to register their identity when entering or leaving the city.

Entering from the south gate, one reaches Crescent City's main road, a fairly wide one lined with carts pulled by exotic animals. The architectural style here is quite different from that of the Great Xia Royal City, incorporating elements of exotic customs and influences from the Great Yan era.

Take women's clothing, for example. Daxia is generally more traditional, with slim waists being the absolute no-no. Meanwhile, here, the attire is more daring; Suzaku's outfit would be considered passé here.

In order to facilitate his movements, Yun Yi first found a secular clothing store and changed his scholar's clothes into a black, slightly tight long gown.

Since he was still a novice cultivator and couldn't afford space treasures like the Xumi Ring, he had no choice but to hang the purple gold gourd around his waist. Although wealth should not be revealed, Crescent City was relatively safe, so doing so would actually benefit Yun Yi's next plan.

There are four important things in cultivating immortality: Dharma, wealth, companions and land.

Now he has no "Dharma" and no "land". He has a "lover" in name, but in reality it does not count.

We can only start with "money".

Fortunately, there is also a branch of the "Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce" in Crescent City, so he can sell the things he has on hand in exchange for spirit stones commonly used in the world of cultivation.

Deliberately dressed as a mysterious cultivator, Yun Yi asked for directions several times and soon found the Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce. This chamber of commerce was quite extraordinary, operating not only in the Great Xia Dynasty but also in the Great Yan Dynasty. It was rumored that its owner was a celestial being with great connections.

Because of the Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce's vast scale, buying and selling goods is quite convenient. Sellers simply need to enter the item information and desired selling price at the counter, then entrust the goods to the teller for safekeeping. If someone happens to have a reservation for the same item and the price is right, they can sell it directly.

Purchasing items is even simpler. You only need to use the "Tianyuan Treasure Book" which specializes in selling goods, find what you like, and pay the corresponding spirit stones after deciding to buy it. If it is inconvenient, it can also be delivered to your door.

However, due to the shortage of manpower and delivery animals, this service is currently only carried out among core users.

Yun Yi randomly found a counter with few people, took out the Turtle Breathing Pill and handed it over, without saying a word from beginning to end.

On the other side of the counter was a young woman. She didn't bother to look at the customers, only the merchandise. She picked up the Turtle Breathing Pill, examined it, and scanned it with a mysterious device. She then said, "I have a top-grade Turtle Breathing Pill. Someone's buying it right now. The price is 150 Spirit Stones."

Yun Yi thought about it and felt that the price was fair, so he immediately confirmed the transaction.

The teller handed over a spiritual stone containing spiritual energy worth 150 yuan and asked, "How can I help you?"

"No more, thank you." Yun Yi put away the spirit stones. This was the starting capital for his cultivation in this life.

He actually had a "Divine Messenger Pen" which, according to the Tianyuan Treasure Book, could be sold for over two thousand spirit stones. But Yun Yi wasn't in a hurry to sell it now. He didn't know how the stinky beggar had obtained this treasure. If he attracted the attention of the Fuyao Sect when he sold it, it would be a loss.

With the initial capital, Yun Yi went to the Chamber of Commerce to select a spiritual beast for transportation. Since the secret realm was hidden deep in the desert, the White Sand Camel and the Desert Black Eagle were his first choices. However, due to his lack of cultivation, flying spiritual beasts were not considered safe, so he had no choice but to choose a camel as a second choice.

By the way, Yun Yi had prepared the riding equipment and the spiritual herbs to feed the white sand camel. He now had less than a hundred spirit stones in his hand.

Afterwards, he bought some dry food and water. Since he didn't have the Sumeru Ring, he could only put his luggage on the white sand camel, which made him feel very stressed.

Where had I ever fought such a poor battle in my previous life? After Yun Yi joined the Demon Sect, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. No matter what natural treasures he needed, someone would send them to him. After all, he was Song Xinci's husband.

However, starting from scratch also has its advantages. When he finds a treasure, there is no need to hand it over to the sect.

After completing the preparations, Yun Yi still had fifty spirit stones left and decided to use the money to find another guide and bodyguard.

Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce can provide this service, and those who register for employment are supervised by the Chamber of Commerce. If they commit malicious acts such as betraying their employers, they will be hunted down by the Chamber of Commerce.

The problem is that fifty spirit stones can only hire a cultivator in the early stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm for two hours.

Yun Yi's round trip would take at least seven days. If he couldn't find the entrance to the secret realm, it would probably take even longer. According to the market price, fifty spirit stones were only enough to hire a novice cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm.

He hesitated, thinking that the main danger of the Feitian Secret Realm lay in one's ability to adapt to changing circumstances and maintain a stable mindset. There were no cultivation limits, and the person who had conquered this secret realm in his previous life was named Gong Che, a mere mortal. This was the fundamental reason why Yun Yi dared to venture into the secret realm.

Therefore, the guide's main task is to get himself to the vicinity of the secret realm teleportation array. The only risk is that he may encounter sand bandits on the way, and he may not be able to protect himself in the mere Qi Refining Realm.

(End of this chapter)