Chapter 88: The Ancient Map Shop
One month later.
Having concluded his training, Xiao Yuan departed the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Upon returning to Qingshan Town, he headed straight for the Blood Battle Mercenary Group.
When Xiao Yuan suddenly and silently appeared in his room again, Fei Lei blinked in confusion, looking completely bewildered.
He had nearly been scared to death.
"Young Master Xiao, you really are like a dragon—seen only in glimpses!"
Fei Lei sensed the powerful aura coming from Xiao Yuan and chuckled dryly.
He hadn't been able to gauge Xiao Yuan's strength last time and had since suspected that Xiao Yuan might have been bluffing.
But now, it was clear that Xiao Yuan's strength had far surpassed his own.
The news of Jia Nan Academy's admissions had already spread, and with it, the rumor of Xiao Yuan reaching the rank of Dou Practitioner at just sixteen had reached him as well.
Even so, he still found it hard to believe.
It had only been a few months, yet Xiao Yuan's aura already seemed to be that of a Four-Star Dou Practitioner.
One star higher than himself.
At that pace, Xiao Yuan was essentially gaining a star per month.
If that continued, even a conservative estimate suggested he'd reach the Dou King level within five years.
That was terrifying!
Following someone like that promised limitless potential.
The fact that Fei Lei addressed him as "Young Master" rather than "Young Lord" told Xiao Yuan that this man was clever.
"Hehe, here's my token. Take it to Wutan City and discuss the details of the cooperation. My father will meet you in person," Xiao Yuan said, handing Fei Lei a badge engraved with the character "Yuan."
"Understood, Young Master. I'll make some arrangements and head to Wutan City myself."
Fei Lei received the badge with a serious expression.
"Good. I hope the next time I return, Qingshan Town will be fully under my control," Xiao Yuan said with a faint smile.
"Rest assured, Young Master. Leave it to me."
Fei Lei nodded.
"Oh, and here—this is our clan's exclusive healing medicine, made by alchemists. Much better than anything from Myriad Medicine Hall. Use it sparingly."
As he spoke, Xiao Yuan swept his hand across the table, and dozens of jade bottles appeared.
"Coagulation Powder. As long as you're not split in half, it works well on any open wound," he said flatly.
"Amazing! Thank you, Young Master, for the medicine!" Fei Lei's eyes lit up.
"Prepare a fine horned horse for me. I need to make a trip to Blackrock City."
"Right away, Young Master!"
Fei Lei clasped his hands and hurried out.
Blackrock City was a large city in the eastern province of the Jia Ma Empire. It was even more magnificent than Wutan City and ranked among the top in overall strength.
Only cities of this scale were equipped with public flying transportation units. The Magical Beast Mountain Range was far from the eastern border; if Xiao Yuan had to walk, it would take four to five months. His time was too precious to waste on the road.
So, he had to go to Blackrock City to board a flying transport to the imperial border.
Of course, he could use his Purple Cloud Wings to fly directly—but that would attract too much attention, and the speed wouldn't be great, since they were powered by Dou Qi, not a part of his body.
If he got into a fight along the way and lacked Dou Qi because of using the wings, it would be suicide.
Fei Lei did his job well and soon brought the finest horned horse in Qingshan Town.
Xiao Yuan gave a word of praise and immediately rode off toward Blackrock City at full speed.
He traveled through the night, nearly exhausting the horse. By the next afternoon, he could faintly see the city's towering silhouette.
But the saying "the closer the mountain, the harder the ride" proved true—he didn't reach the city wall until sundown.
Up close, the massive city wall was built from neatly arranged black rocks. It was said that the wall had once withstood a combined attack from two Dou Kings without shaking—its defense was formidable.
Upon hearing that a tax was required for the horse, Xiao Yuan simply patted its rear, letting it trot back on its own. Whether it made it or not was up to fate.
The guards at the gate were speechless. Xiao Yuan's looks and clothes didn't suggest he couldn't afford the tax—he just seemed... stingy.
But Xiao Yuan didn't care about their odd looks and walked into the city with a calm expression.
He didn't need the horse anymore—why waste money on something unnecessary?
Though it was late, Xiao Yuan decided to keep moving. He grabbed a random passerby and paid 100 gold coins to ask for directions to the flying transport station in the city center.
After walking through a few unfamiliar streets, Xiao Yuan arrived at the spacious plaza where the flying transport station was located.
Several large flying beasts, called Thick-Winged Birds, rested in the square. These weren't magical beasts but gentle birds that were easily tamed.
Due to their scarcity, only the empire could afford to maintain flying transport teams like this.
Thick-Winged Birds weren't the fastest, but they had great stamina. Once full, they could fly steadily for four to five days.
They also had excellent load-bearing capacity—one adult bird could carry five to six times its own weight for long distances.
The plaza was quieter at night, as fewer people traveled at this hour.
Xiao Yuan, already familiar with the process, went straight to a ticket booth in the southeastern corner.
There were only a few people in line, so his turn came quickly.
"Sir, where are you headed?"
The uniformed woman behind the counter asked with a professional smile, though Xiao Yuan detected a trace of impatience.
Understandable. Who enjoys working late at night?
"Eastern border of the empire—the city closest to the Tagore Desert."
He glanced at the woman, who had decent looks, and replied flatly.
She pursed her lips and muttered softly before pulling out a ticket made from special magical beast hide.
Xiao Yuan instinctively reached for his gold coins, but remembered he had given most of them to Xiao Yixian. Shaking his head, he pulled out a purple-gold card from his storage ring and handed it over.
The luxurious card immediately caught the woman's eye.
Her hand froze mid-motion. Under Xiao Yuan's slightly furrowed gaze, she quickly retracted the ticket and put on a sweet smile.
"Sir, you're a VIP of the Mittel family, correct?"
"Oh? What's the matter?"
Xiao Yuan raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in her demeanor.
"Oh, nothing at all! Our flying transport service recently signed a deal with the Mittel family. According to the agreement, you can enjoy our services free of charge. Please follow me—we've prepared a special mount for VIPs like you."
Seeing that Xiao Yuan might be unhappy, she quickly shook her head and smiled respectfully.
Xiao Yuan was momentarily surprised, then smiled.
This was probably Ya Fei's doing—like a first-class cabin service.
Along the way, the uniformed woman swayed her hips and slender waist provocatively as she walked ahead. Her outfit clung tightly to her curves. Though she wasn't a stunning beauty, her uniform and figure could definitely turn heads.
Xiao Yuan didn't even bother to look.
Just another cheap flirt.
To look would be disrespectful to Xiao Yu, Ya Fei, Xiao Yixian, and Yun Yun.
After a short hallway, a massive flying beast appeared before him. It was about the same size as the Thick-Winged Birds but looked more aggressive.
Judging by its aura, it was a First-Rank flying magical beast—wind-type, based on the energy flowing around it. These were known for their speed.
A special wooden cabin was securely built on the beast's back. The wood was lightweight and sturdy, though rare.
Inside were several small rooms. Some were already occupied, but Xiao Yuan didn't mind. If anything went wrong, he could always use his Purple Cloud Wings to escape.
At worst, he'd fall—but not to his death.
"Sir, this is the flying beast heading to Mocity, the easternmost border city of the Jia Ma Empire, closest to the Tagore Desert," the uniformed woman said respectfully.
"I see."
Xiao Yuan nodded slightly and gently tapped the ground with his toe. His body floated up like a feather, landing gracefully on the bird's back. Ignoring the woman's wistful gaze, he entered an empty room.
As a VIP, he knew they'd offer "personal service" too, but he also knew that if Ya Fei was behind this, she'd soon hear he had arrived in Blackrock City.
He didn't want any image-damaging rumors.
Besides, though he appreciated beauty, he wasn't some lust-driven fool. His rule was: don't fall easily, but once you do—go all in.
...
Moments later, Xiao Yuan felt the massive beast's wings begin to flap, wind-element energy swirling beneath it as it rose into the sky.
With a sharp cry, the beast soared eastward under the beast tamer's guidance.
Sitting by the cabin's window, Xiao Yuan watched the drifting clouds below and couldn't help feeling sentimental.
In his past life, he'd never flown in an airplane. Now, he was experiencing it in a different way.
Just as he was about to start cultivating, he suddenly heard panting and moaning from the room next door.
"Seriously? Gotta remind them to improve the soundproofing."
Shaking his head, he tried to focus again—but the sounds abruptly stopped.
"Huh? Already done? That fast?"
He chuckled wryly and stopped paying attention, entering his cultivation state.
The journey would take about three days—he couldn't waste it.
Three days flew by.
At dawn, Xiao Yuan finally arrived in Mocity and let out a breath of relief.
Every night for the past three days, the room next door had erupted in brief but intense "battles."
They didn't last long…
But they were frequent—seven times a night! It was like they didn't care about their kidneys.
Xiao Yuan had nothing to say. He couldn't just barge in and ruin their fun. Scare them and cause permanent damage? That'd be trouble.
Fortunately, his Mystic Ice Art was excellent for maintaining mental focus, so he wasn't affected much.
Anyone else would've gone mad with all that noise.
Under the respectful gaze of the attendants, Xiao Yuan exited the flying transport station.
Due to its proximity to the Tagore Desert, the climate was dry and hot. Even in the early morning, it was sweltering.
The rising sun baked the ground, sending up waves of heat that distorted the air itself.
But for Xiao Yuan, this was a cultivation paradise.
The air was saturated—almost 80%—with earth and fire-element energy.
Perfect, since his next step toward becoming a Grand Dou Practitioner involved strengthening the Earth Qi Palace of the spleen.
As for why he came here? Simple: to find an angel investor.
He skillfully grabbed a random passerby, released a bit of Dou Practitioner aura, and quickly learned the location of the best map shop in Mocity.
After a leisurely walk, the shop named "Ancient Maps" came into view.
Xiao Yuan smiled slightly and stepped inside.
The interior wasn't spacious. Two moonlight stones lit the shop well. There weren't many customers, giving it a quiet atmosphere.
He scanned the store until his gaze settled on an elderly man behind the counter, focused intently on crafting a map.
(END CHAPTER)
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