Mortal: Starting by joining the Falling Cloud Sect

Following Elder Li, Zhou Qing and the others passed through the city gate, which was more than ten feet high, and entered Tiantian City.

Because Zhou Qing and the other thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators were all dressed in the robes of the Luoyun Sect, which contrasted sharply with the solemn and imposing environment of the stone city, it attracted the attention of many passing cultivators.

The city is mostly paved with bluestone streets, and the houses are mostly built with stone blocks, sitting in rows on both sides of the streets.

As soon as Zhou Qing entered the city, he saw many cultivators gathered around a huge notice posted on a bulletin board, discussing it animatedly.

Zhou Qing did not leave the line without permission; relying solely on his exceptional spiritual sense, he clearly understood the contents of the notice.

Notice: [The fertile land of Tiannan is a place where cultivators from all directions can settle down and make a living; the Muran mages, with their wolfish ambitions, have been eyeing our territory, and their desire to invade and annex it has never died.]

Currently, the two armies are locked in a stalemate on the front lines, and the flames of war have temporarily subsided. However, those treacherous and cunning bandits often disguise themselves and sneak into the heart of our Nine Kingdoms Alliance to gather intelligence, seize opportunities to cause trouble, and disrupt the peace of the region.

This decree is hereby issued to all cultivators within the realm: all those who are determined to eliminate traitors, defend their land, and protect their homes may bravely capture and kill the Mulan bandits.

If you kill a Mulan scout or spy, you will be rewarded with 500 spirit stones.

If you capture one of Mulan's scouts, spies, or sentries alive, you will be rewarded with one thousand spirit stones and a top-tier magic weapon!

May all cultivators of Tiannan unite as one to protect the land and rivers of Tiannan!

"It seems that although the war on the front lines has stopped, the hidden dangers have not diminished at all. We need to be more careful in our actions in the future." Zhou Qing's lips tightened slightly, and his gaze gradually became sharp and cautious.

Then, Zhou Qing and the others followed Elder Li through several streets and arrived in front of a magnificent and imposing group of giant stone palaces.

This is the headquarters of the Nine Nations Alliance.

On either side of the main gate of the headquarters, there stood two guards in iron armor, both of whom were at the Foundation Establishment stage.

When one of the guards saw Elder Li leading Zhou Qing and the others over, he quickly stepped forward, smiled, and bowed.

"Greetings, Senior Luo Yun Sect. May I ask if you are here on behalf of the Heavenly Dao Alliance to support the Nine Kingdoms Alliance?"

"Exactly!" Elder Li replied.

"Seniors and fellow cultivators have come from afar and must be tired. Please follow me to the VIP building to rest. Several reinforcements have not yet arrived, so we will have to wait a few more days. You may take advantage of these few days to tour Tiancheng and experience the customs and culture of my Yu Kingdom."

As he spoke, the guard led the group from the Falling Cloud Sect to a cluster of pavilions, then handed them over to a middle-aged Foundation Establishment stage manager from the Nine Kingdoms Alliance before leaving.

The middle-aged manager, who was in the Foundation Establishment stage, spoke a few words with Elder Li, asking them what their requirements were for their accommodations. After receiving their answers, he led them to a simple and elegant pavilion.

"Seniors of the Luoyun Sect can freely enter and exit the headquarters with their access tokens. Fellow Daoists, if you wish to enter or exit the headquarters, you will need this temporary token." After saying this, the middle-aged manager lightly patted the storage bag at his waist, and thirty tokens immediately scattered, shooting towards Zhou Qing and the others.

"This token is only valid for seven days. Fellow Daoists, please keep it safe. If it is lost, please report it immediately. Otherwise, there will be severe punishment. Please remember this."

Zhou Qing reached out and took the token. He looked at it. The front of the token was engraved with the words "Luoyun Sect" and the back was engraved with the words "Nine Kingdoms Alliance".

After Zhou Qing and the others accepted the tokens, the middle-aged manager introduced them to several prescribed routes for entering and exiting. This was, after all, an important area of ​​the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, and Zhou Qing and his group were not allowed to trespass at will.

After giving all the instructions, the middle-aged manager took his leave.

The group entered the attic.

This pavilion is quite large, with three floors and numerous rooms to choose from. Zhou Qing and other Foundation Establishment disciples live on the first and second floors, while Elder Li lives on the third floor.

Zhou Qing chose a room on the first floor and went inside.

The room was simply furnished, but it had everything you needed, which showed that the Nine Kingdoms Alliance didn't want others to say they were neglecting their guests.

Sitting cross-legged on the wooden bed, Zhou Qing thought he would rest for the night and then go out to explore Tiancheng City the next day.

On the spirit boat, he remained tense, not daring to relax even for a moment. Even while cultivating, he was always aware of everything around him.

"I still don't have enough strength, and I'm always living in fear when I'm out here!" Zhou Qing said with a wry smile.

The next day, after declining invitations from several fellow disciples, Zhou Qing left the headquarters of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance alone.

The markets in Tiantian City are very large, many times larger than those in Yunmeng Mountain, with pavilions and shops scattered throughout.

Zhou Qing walked along a street in the western part of Tiancheng, constantly looking at the shops on both sides, and sometimes even going in to ask a few questions.

Soon, Zhou Qing entered a large shop that specialized in selling spirit ore.

Spirit ores have many uses. Not to mention spirit stones containing pure spiritual energy, most spirit ores can be used as materials for forging magical artifacts. Spirit sand can be used to draw talismans. Some special spirit ores can be used as the foundation of large formations and are welcomed by major sects and factions.

The Kingdom of Yu is adjacent to the Mulan Grassland and is rich in various spiritual minerals. The abundance of spiritual mineral resources is among the best in the entire southern region.

Thanks to its advantageous location, this spirit mine shop offers an astonishing variety of goods.

Whether it's common spirit ores like iron mother, black iron, or cloud essence stone, or higher-level iron ores like gold essence and red copper essence that can be used to forge high-level magic weapons, or even iron essence that can enhance the power of magic treasures and magic weapons, it's all available here.

It should be noted that Li Huayuan, a Core Formation cultivator from Huangfeng Valley, spent over ten years refining just one piece.

The value of iron concentrate is self-evident.

With the intention of broadening his horizons, Zhou Qing browsed through the various spirit ore samples displayed on the shop counter, when he was suddenly drawn to the conversation next to him.

He turned his head and saw three young cultivators dressed in yellow robes standing outside another counter. They were two women and one man, all of whom were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Sister Qiaoqian, all three of us have been conscripted into the garrison team this time, and we won't be able to cultivate freely for quite some time," said the youngest female cultivator among them.

"There's nothing we can do about it. In order to successfully join the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, we in Huangfeng Valley had to accept many of their conditions, one of which was that the Nine Kingdoms Alliance could summon our Foundation Establishment cultivators to guard the fortress at any time. Fortunately, you and Song Meng are in Huanglong Mountain this time, and I'm in Tiantai Valley, so neither of us are on the front lines." Another female cultivator offered a few words of comfort, but the worry in her eyes showed that she wasn't in a good mood either.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing was greatly surprised. Perhaps it was fate that led him to encounter Chen Qiaoqian, Song Meng, and Zhong Weiniang from Huangfeng Valley.

"Don't worry, Wei Niang, I'll be here for you," Song Meng reassured her.

"Ah, I miss the days when we were still in Yue Kingdom. How carefree those days were. In just a few decades, everything has changed! The demonic path invaded, Senior Brother Liu and Senior Brother Wu lost their lives to the Black Fiend Sect, and when we fled Yue Kingdom, Xiao Ba disappeared without a trace. Now even Master is gone..." Zhong Weiniang couldn't continue, her eyes filled with deep sadness.

Chen Qiaoqian said, "In chaotic times, everyone is not in control of their own destiny. After Uncle Li's accident, Aunt Hongfu has been trying to take you two in, but you always hesitate. Since you have no master, the steward of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance responsible for recruitment naturally has no scruples and will recruit you from time to time. If this continues, how will you continue your cultivation?"

Zhong Weiniang understood Chen Qiaoqian's good intentions and shook her head: "Master is gone, but Master's wife is still here. Now that we're all gone, Master's wife will be all alone!"