Heavenly Sword Saint
The following morning, Jian Chen left the Jian Clan.
His destination was the Treasure Hall.
After opening his ninth meridian, he had already realized that Moonriver City could no longer provide everything he needed.
But before deciding where to go next, he needed information.
The world he lived in now was completely different from the Divine Realm of his previous life.
His cultivation knowledge remained intact, but the geography, forces, resources, and history of this world were unfamiliar.
The Treasure Hall was one of the few places in Moonriver City where he could obtain reliable information.
By the time Jian Chen reached the commercial district, the streets were already crowded.
Merchants shouted over one another.
Cultivators moved between shops.
Several groups were arguing over the prices of medicinal pills and spirit herbs.
The Treasure Hall stood at the center of the district.
Jian Chen entered without drawing attention.
Inside, the hall was even busier.
A merchant was negotiating over a batch of spirit herbs while another customer complained about the quality of a weapon.
Jian Chen ignored the commotion and approached the information counter.
"I need a map."
The attendant looked up.
"What kind?"
"A map of the surrounding regions."
The attendant took out several scrolls.
"These cover Moonriver City and the areas within several hundred kilometers."
Jian Chen examined them.
One map immediately caught his attention.
"How much?"
The attendant named the price.
Jian Chen paid without hesitation.
He also purchased several pieces of information concerning nearby cultivation areas.
After completing the transaction, he moved to a quieter corner and opened the map.
His eyes quickly moved across the markings.
Moonriver City was only a small city within the Azure Dragon Empire.
Several larger cities surrounded it.
One name immediately caught his attention.
Azure Wind City.
It was considerably larger than Moonriver City and served as an important commercial and cultivation center.
Jian Chen memorized its location.
He continued studying the map.
Then he noticed another marked region.
Azure Mist Valley.
His expression changed slightly.
The valley was located several hours from Moonriver City.
According to the information attached to the map, it contained numerous spirit herbs.
Some were ordinary.
Others were extremely valuable.
Jian Chen continued reading.
The outer region could be explored by cultivators below the Ninth Stage, although danger increased rapidly with depth.
Spirit beasts were common.
Certain areas were filled with poisonous plants.
There were also places where spiritual energy behaved strangely enough to interfere with spiritual sense.
Jian Chen's interest increased.
"What is happening in Azure Mist Valley recently?"
The attendant immediately understood the question.
"A number of cultivators have been talking about it."
"What happened?"
"Several spirit herbs that are rarely seen around Moonriver City were discovered there."
"Which herbs?"
The attendant lowered his voice.
"Some Earth-Tier spirit herbs were reportedly found deeper inside."
Jian Chen's eyes flickered.
Earth-Tier spirit herbs.
That was different.
Such resources were difficult to obtain in Moonriver City.
Even if the reports were exaggerated, Azure Mist Valley was worth investigating.
"Are the reports confirmed?"
"Not completely."
The attendant shook his head.
"But several independent cultivators returned with valuable herbs."
That was enough for Jian Chen.
He closed the map.
"Anything else?"
The attendant thought for a moment.
"There are also rumors that someone discovered an unusual spiritual region inside the valley."
"What kind?"
"No one knows."
"Some say the spiritual energy there is unusually dense. Others claim that a rare treasure appeared."
Jian Chen did not immediately believe the rumors.
Rumors became exaggerated quickly.
Still, there was no reason to ignore them completely.
He paid for the additional information and left the counter.
Jian Chen had just walked several steps when a loud voice came from nearby.
"Are you saying the spirit herb is worth only this much?"
A group of young cultivators stood around a merchant.
The merchant looked irritated.
"I already told you. That is the market price."
"Market price?"
The young cultivator snorted.
"You think we don't know what these herbs are worth?"
Jian Chen glanced at them briefly.
They were discussing spirit herbs.
The merchant finally lost patience.
"If you don't want to sell them, then take them somewhere else."
The young cultivators turned and left.
One of them noticed Jian Chen standing nearby.
His expression immediately changed.
"Isn't that Jian Chen?"
The others looked over.
A mocking smile appeared on one youth's face.
"So the Young Patriarch of the Jian Clan has finally learned to leave his courtyard."
Jian Chen recognized him.
He was one of the young cultivators he had encountered before.
Jian Chen had no interest in arguing.
He simply continued walking.
The youth frowned.
"Hey, I'm talking to you."
Jian Chen stopped.
He looked back.
"What?"
The youth's expression stiffened.
For some reason, he suddenly felt uncomfortable under that calm gaze.
But he quickly concealed it.
"Nothing."
Jian Chen turned away.
He had no reason to waste time on people who did not matter.
Outside the Treasure Hall, Jian Chen stood beneath the street's stone archway.
He looked toward the distant mountains.
Azure Mist Valley.
It was close enough to reach without requiring a long journey.
More importantly, it contained resources that could help his cultivation.
His current cultivation had already reached the point where ordinary spirit herbs were becoming less useful.
The ninth meridian had consumed a considerable amount of spiritual energy.
The tenth would require even more.
If he remained in Moonriver City, his progress would eventually slow.
Jian Chen considered his options.
Azure Wind City was larger and undoubtedly contained better resources.
But there was no reason to rush there.
Before entering a larger city, he needed to understand the surrounding region better.
Azure Mist Valley could provide both resources and experience.
It was also unfamiliar territory.
That made it useful.
Jian Chen had spent his previous life in the Divine Realm.
This world was different.
He could not rely blindly on memories that did not belong to this place.
He needed to build his understanding of the new world step by step.
His eyes settled on the distant mountains.
"Azure Mist Valley."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Let's see what you have."
He turned and walked back toward the Jian Clan.
This time, he had a destination.
And before leaving Moonriver City...
He needed to make preparations.