The last tremor had subsided only a few minutes ago. Feng Qi was frightened, his heart filled with a mixture of guilt and fear. He knew those people had found the Bai Family's survivors. This immediately made him think of Bai Lanyue.
There was nothing he could do. If he returned, he would only become dead weight. Even the Bai Mansion's strongest defensive force, composed of several Qi Condensation experts, had been utterly helpless. The only reason he was still alive was thanks to Bai Lanyue...
...and that weighed heavily on his conscience. Feng Qi had left without thanking her, and worse, without even saying goodbye.
He clenched his fists tightly. He had considered turning back countless times, but something told him to keep moving forward. And so, he did.
Taking one last look behind him, Feng Qi pondered for a moment before continuing toward his destination. The tremors had stopped, and he had no intention of wasting time. His speed could not compare to someone like Bai Lanyue, but it was fast enough to keep him from becoming bored.
Even at full speed, night eventually caught up with him. The darkness was pitch-black, and the moon was the only visible source of light. Feng Qi was no longer frightened. On the contrary, he felt impatient. His chest burned with an inner fire, and the only reason he did not continue down the road was his mental exhaustion.
By the following day, his route had already been mapped out according to the map Bai Lanyue had given him.
Feng Qi was curious about what might be inside the Storage Rings. Although he had reached the Eighth Layer of Body Refinement, he still had not condensed enough Spiritual Energy to open one. However, before leaving, Bai Lanyue had also given him a small pouch.
The pouch was strange. Its interior was far larger than it should have been.
"The Law of Space?" he wondered.
He was not entirely ignorant. Much of what he knew came from the countless hours he had spent reading in the Bai Library. Feng Qi understood that only after reaching Core Formation could a cultivator comprehend the Principles of Space.
These principles were described as Fragments of the First Law of Space. Thanks to them, Elders who reached that level could create this engineering marvel. Of course, he knew only the theory and had no idea how this power actually worked.
Carelessly rummaging through the pouch, he felt something that seemed to be a box. When he took it out, he realized that the container was made of a material remarkably similar to jade.
"She wouldn't give me something this valuable... would she?" Feng Qi tried to convince himself that what he was seeing could not be real. The Jade Container held several miraculous pills.
Their greenish hue and subtle glow were unmistakable. Feng Qi recognized them immediately.
"Body Tempering Pills! How did she get something like this?!"
There were twelve of them, and these pills were extremely valuable given his current circumstances.
They would help him reach the Tenth Layer.
However, doing so out in the open seemed rather dangerous. It was only after finding a small cave at the foot of a mountain that he felt safe enough to continue cultivating.
Sitting in the lotus position, Feng Qi chewed the pill. A rich, pure energy quickly flooded his body, filling every part of it and bringing about an astonishing transformation. The energy strengthened his meridians and organs, as well as his tendons, muscles, and bones. Even his blood became purer. The pain was excruciating, but he had already expected as much.
It took the time it takes three incense sticks to burn for the transformation to occur, and Feng Qi felt his strength increase abruptly.
"Ninth Layer! I finally did it!" Happy but not yet satisfied, he continued cultivating.
It was common knowledge that Body Tempering Pills were only useful for reaching the Tenth Layer of Body Refinement. Even so, their value was immeasurable.
"Tsk! If you had something this good, why didn't you give it to me sooner, Bai Lanyue? What were you thinking?" It was not as though Feng Qi failed to understand. After all, what difference would it have made against those monsters? Still, a part of him blamed Bai Lanyue.
He sighed. "Forget it. It doesn't matter anymore... I just need to keep going, keep going!" His eyes gleamed with exhilaration.
Feng Qi had already been close to breaking through to the Ninth Layer, so he needed only a single pill to achieve it. However, to reach the Tenth Layer, he used six of the eleven remaining pills.
"I feel incomparably stronger! Incredible, hahaha!" Having finished cultivating, he returned to the road and continued onward.
For eight consecutive days, Feng Qi encountered no trouble. Until...
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"
The sound of hooves and shouting reached his ears, and Feng Qi immediately went on alert. He had not expected anyone to offer him a ride. In fact, something told him to hide, but it was already too late.
Four carriages stopped beside Feng Qi, and the men holding their reins shot him murderous looks. Feng Qi had no intention of causing trouble, so he quickly cupped his hands and bowed slightly to them.
"Gentlemen." A drop of sweat trickled down his face.
These people were most likely important figures in Linhe. Their carriages were anything but ordinary. Even the Feng Clan looked miserable in comparison.
"Young man, what's your name, and where do you come from?" One of the men accompanying the carriage drivers approached him.
"Sir, my name is Zhao Long, and I come from a small village to the west." Feng Qi bowed once more.
"The west, huh? Hmm..." The man then approached the carriage and whispered a few words to his master.
The next moment, the man drew his sword and pointed it at Feng Qi, who was now surrounded by four other men.
"I'm sorry, young man, but we're taking you with us. Seize him!" he shouted.
"What?! B-but what did I do?" Frightened, the young Feng Qi found himself surrounded from every direction. He had no idea what had happened, but he had his suspicions.
Kidnappings were not uncommon. One of the men attacked him from behind before he could react. Feng Qi dropped to his knees, and one of his hands was trapped in a pair of shackles. As the men tried to restrain him, he drew a small dagger and struck the kidnappers at the nape of their necks. Blood sprayed in every direction.
However, he received a heavy blow to the stomach.
"That bastard dared to kill Heishan!"
The men were extremely strong, but Feng Qi managed to evade their attacks and quickly delivered another strike, this time against one man's femur. However, as he attacked, he was struck by another powerful blow, sending him flying through the air.
Feng Qi could feel it. These people were no ordinary opponents. Every attack made his bones tremble.
Two of them had been incapacitated, but now there were even more enemies. That was because many of the men had been hiding nearby, waiting for the right moment to attack.
"Scoundrels!" There was no reason to keep fighting. Feng Qi could not afford to take the risk. Acting quickly, he managed to shake off the villains and escape their pursuit.
"Damn it! Shit!" His body still hurt terribly. Those few blows seemed to have caused internal injuries. The last one in particular made Feng Qi feel as though one of his ribs had broken. A thin trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
The vast forest concealed his presence. Hours later, he was finally licking his wounds.
"Those bastards... who were they?" Discovering their origins was important. Perhaps they were influential figures in the underworld. "I need to be extra careful from now on. Urgh!"
As he sighed, he felt relieved. The miraculous pills in his pouch were truly a blessing. His heart filled with gratitude toward Bai Lanyue.
Nevertheless, one concern continued to nag at him.
"That came out of nowhere... Will things always be like this from now on? Is this the Immortal World?" Gazing at the clouds in the sky, Feng Qi nodded. "Nah, it's because I'm weak. If I were an Immortal like Bai Lanyue, or even that Elder..."
The flame in his chest continued to burn without pause. How could he lose heart in a world like this? He would continue walking this path, regardless of the hardships ahead. His determination remained unwavering.
Some time later, Feng Qi gradually made his way back to the road. This time, he would not make the same mistake again. He understood that the presence of other people posed a serious danger. Thus, he continued toward Linhe City.
After several more days of travel, Feng Qi finally caught sight of Linhe City.
In the distance, an enormous wall appeared on the horizon, stretching as far as his eyes could see. Tall towers rose along the walls, and even from afar, it was clear that Linhe was far more magnificent than Qingyao.
Linhe was the closest city to Qingyao and also one of the largest cities in the region, home to approximately eighteen million people. Unlike Qingyao, where high-level cultivators were relatively rare, Linhe was home to countless sects, clans, and other immortal forces.
As Feng Qi approached, the presence of cultivators became increasingly evident.
Figures crossed the skies in every direction.
Some Elders in the Core Formation Realm flew freely through the heavens without needing any weapons or mounts. Their bodies cut through the sky at tremendous speeds, leaving faint ripples of Spiritual Energy in their wake.
Below them, there were even greater numbers of cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Some stood atop flying swords, soaring through the sky with their robes fluttering in the wind. Others rode Magical Beasts of various shapes and sizes, while some used flying artifacts of unusual appearance.
From time to time, Feng Qi even sensed the passing of even more powerful auras, although their owners quickly disappeared among the clouds.
Only then did Feng Qi truly understand the difference between Qingyao and Linhe.
In Qingyao, encountering a cultivator at the Qi Condensation Realm was already noteworthy for most ordinary people.
Here, they could be seen everywhere.
Feng Qi walked toward the city's enormous gates, silently observing the endless stream of people entering and leaving.
Linhe was far more prosperous and bustling than Qingyao.
And behind all that prosperity, Feng Qi could clearly sense the presence of much more powerful forces lurking within the city.
He did not know how many immortal sects and clans had established themselves in Linhe, nor how many powerful cultivators might be hidden among its millions of inhabitants.
But one thing was certain.
From that moment onward, he had entered a world completely different from the one he had known in Qingyao.
The streets were always crowded, and all kinds of devices, artifacts, and pills were on sale. It was even possible to buy some exotic beasts for a few Spiritual Stones.
"Spiritual Stones?" Feng Qi asked a local merchant.
"Urgh! Spiritual Stones are the currency of Immortals! If you don't have money, get lost!" the merchant shouted.
"I have some of those things. Where was it again?" Feng Qi plunged his arm into his pouch, searching for something.
This action left the merchant speechless. He knew that Storage Pouches were extremely expensive, something an ordinary citizen could never hope to get their hands on.
"Young Master! I see you possess a Spatial Storage Pouch. I have many precious items and artifacts for sale. Please, take a look! Hehehe."
The reaction struck Feng Qi as strange, and it made him realize just how valuable such a pouch was. Something this precious could attract unwanted attention, so he did his best to keep it hidden.
"I remember seeing something like this before." Feng Qi had never personally seen a Spiritual Stone. It was a currency whose value was incomparably greater than that of gold taels. However, he knew how important it was in the immortal world. "Here!"
The pouch Bai Lanyue had given him contained around sixty Spiritual Stones. A powerful energy emanated from the stones, but their quantity was insufficient for Feng Qi to reach Qi Refinement. After all, these were Low-Grade Spiritual Stones.
"Low-Grade Spiritual Stones are worth a great deal, each one costing around a thousand gold taels. I could use them to break through Body Refinement, but I need a good weapon..." The sword he had used during the confrontation against the Bai Family's pursuers had been broken. His recent encounter with those enemies had only reinforced his sense of caution.
"Young Master, this is the Wandering Cloud Sword. It was forged using Spiritual Iron and is perfect for Body Refinement cultivators! And it costs only ten Spiritual Stones!" the merchant explained.
Feng Qi was not interested in the merchant's extra words, only in obtaining a good weapon. However, it was obvious that the Bai Mansion did not use poor-quality equipment, as the leather garments fastened with straps that he wore were proof of that. Therefore, a sword costing ten Spiritual Stones was unlikely to be worth the price. It was just that he was in no position to be demanding.
He sighed. "All right, I'll take it." Feng Qi did not look happy. His days of poverty still haunted him, even though he was not actually poor.
"Thank you for your patronage, Young Master! Please come again whenever you wish."
For a mortal, that amount was unimaginable. Even an ordinary family would hardly have access to a single Spiritual Stone, let alone ten.
"I'm not necessarily poor. It's just that the Immortal World is extremely expensive!"
The journey continued. Prices were considerably higher than in Qingyao. Many artifacts cost hundreds of Spiritual Stones. There was not much he could do about it.
"Come to think of it, Bai Lanyue was very wealthy. She really gave me all these things... why? I don't believe it was an advance payment. But perhaps this wealth means nothing to her... Bai Lanyue." His saddened expression reflected the pain and regret he felt over his actions.
The day eventually came to an end. It was the following morning, at one of Linhe's most famous inns, that Feng Qi heard something interesting.
The Heavenly Dragon Inn was extremely busy, making it an exceptional place to find opportunities and treasures. There was only one problem...
"Dear heavens... it's far too expensive! Why does a simple cup of tea cost fifty gold taels?! I'll go bankrupt at this rate!" Feng Qi could not contain his astonishment, though the people around him might find it strange.
"Here's your Golden Chrysanthemum Tea. Would you like anything else, sir?"
"I'd like some information. Do you happen to know if any Immortal Sects are accepting disciples?" Feng Qi asked.
"Ah, sir... well, that'll cost you a little extra." The young woman serving the customers demanded a generous payment.
Feng Qi understood that nothing in this city came for free.
"I'm not going to get used to this anytime soon," he thought.
In the end, he received no useful information, and Feng Qi threw three gold taels down the drain.
"If they have something, you pay. If they don't, you pay anyway... I'll leave this city as soon as possible!" He sighed.
While he mourned his loss, a man slowly approached him. Feng Qi noticed his presence and remained on guard.
The man appeared to be a little over thirty years old. He had a broad, friendly face, slightly chubby cheeks, and an easy smile that made him seem far more approachable than most cultivators Feng Qi had encountered so far. He was also somewhat overweight, particularly around the waist, although this did not make him look clumsy. He simply looked like someone who had spent more time at banquet tables than training hard.
He wore a long robe of good quality, made from soft, well-maintained fabric. His clothes were elegant but understated, without excessively flashy embroidery, extravagant jewelry, or symbols that would immediately reveal his origins. A simple dark leather belt secured the robe around his waist, while a small jade pendant hung from his neck. At first glance, he looked like nothing more than a merchant from a relatively prosperous family.
"Junior Brother, I see you're alone. I couldn't help coming over. After all, you never know what a man on his own might get up to," the man said with an amused smile.
With a relatively serious expression, Feng Qi looked at the man standing before him.
If someone examined his aura carefully, however, they would realize that he had already embarked on the path to Immortality. He was only at the Second Layer of Body Refinement, a fairly common level among cultivators. His strength was hardly worth mentioning in the presence of true experts, and he himself seemed perfectly aware of that.
"Hello," the young Feng replied curtly.
Even so, there was something peculiar about this man.
He lacked the arrogance typical of the upper class, showing that he did not care about such things. He spoke naturally, laughed easily, and treated people without distinguishing between those of humble origins and members of powerful families. Although he was the son of a commercial company's manager, whose business was seeking to expand its influence into the Shenyang Empire, he did not seem to carry the weight of that position on his shoulders.
"Oh, don't be like that! Come on! Cheer up. Let your problems work themselves out naturally. Enjoy today so you won't regret it tomorrow!" the man exclaimed.
"Problems don't solve themselves," Feng Qi replied.
"If it's something you can solve, then it's not a problem. The real problems are the ones that are impossible to solve. But, honestly? If you become a God, who will be able to say you still have problems to deal with?"
"I don't understand where you're going with this. Besides, I believe even Gods have problems to solve." Feng Qi turned his attention back to the delicious, outrageously expensive tea.
"What I'm trying to say is... don't be so pessimistic. People are so desperate that they fail to realize life is nothing more than a brief breath. There's no point in being unhappy and impatient over material things. May I sit down?"
"Be my guest... Mr. Philosopher."
Both of them laughed at that moment.
"To be honest, when you've struggled for a while and things finally start going your way, you begin to appreciate the journey and realize how boring it can be to possess everything. Whether rich or poor, everyone is dissatisfied. The question is... are the Gods satisfied?" the man asked.
...
Feng Qi understood what the man meant. If even the Gods were dissatisfied, how could ordinary people in this world ever hope to live satisfied lives?
"The eternal pursuit of knowledge and ascension..." the man continued. "Perhaps even the Gods look at all this and ask themselves, 'How can I improve?' I think that makes sense, considering that even the Great Immortals of the North are not satisfied despite possessing such immense power."
Many of the Northern Immortals were regarded as mythical, legendary figures. Some were even worshiped as Gods.
"The pursuit of Eternity and Immutable Existence... isn't that what it means to walk the Immortal Path?" Feng Qi asked.
The man looked at him with a surprised expression and said, "Indeed. While ordinary people pursue material wealth, cultivators who temper their bodies and refine their qi seek to build a Spiritual Body. Meanwhile, those who dwell in the Spiritual World seek the truth of the world..."
"Very profound. By the way, my name is Feng Qi."
"Oh!" The man slapped his forehead. "Forgive my lack of courtesy. I'm Xu Yuanfu, and I manage part of the Xu Trading Company, one of the most famous in Linhe. If you've bought Spiritual Beasts, artifacts, or weapons on Commercial Street, there's roughly a seventy percent chance they came from us." Xu Yuanfu suddenly seemed proud. "Oh! And this high-quality tea, with its impeccable flavor, was supplied by us as well. Hehehe."
"Seventy percent?... Doesn't that mean the Xu Trading Company is the largest in the entire city?"
"Well, yes. Yes, we are." Strangely, the man now seemed embarrassed. Feng Qi could not understand him.
"Well, then? What does such an important man want with me?" The atmosphere of the conversation suddenly grew tense.
"If I told you I saw you sitting alone and felt sorry for you, would you believe me?"
"What a stupid reason. Spit it out already!"
"I'm telling the truth. You see, I used to be lonely in my Clan, too. It wasn't anything too serious, of course. I have a family, and I love them. It's just that... I don't know how to explain it. I like people like you. I felt I needed to form a bond of friendship with you," the man explained.
Feng Qi, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat curious. "Are you gay? Let me make this clear right away: I'm not into that kind of thing."
"What do you mean, gay?! You're the gay one for thinking of that first! I'm saying I thought you seemed decent enough to be my friend, that's all. What's the problem? Besides, you should be more respectful toward gay people. They might find that offensive."
"You're not helping your case..."
"Wait! I mean, that's disrespectful, you know? Do you happen to have any prejudice against them?"
"Did you come here just for this?" Feng Qi's expression grew increasingly troubled as he slowly moved away from Xu Yuanfu.
"Man, I'm not gay! I'm only into women, got it? Ah, you know what? This has gotten weird as hell. Forget it."
And so, laughter echoed throughout the hall. Many people turned their attention toward the two of them, looking curious.
"I'm sorry, I really couldn't hold it in! Hahahaha!" Feng Qi continued laughing.
"Go ahead, laugh all you want..."
"Yeah... I feel like I needed a friend after all. It's a pleasure to meet you, Xu Yuanfu!" With a genuine smile, Feng Qi extended his hand to properly greet him.
"Hmph! You seemed like a decent guy five minutes ago." Despite his embarrassment, Xu Yuanfu extended his hand as well, wearing a broad smile.
A wealthy and famous Young Master, he did not act like one. In fact, his greatest quality was precisely his simplicity.
He was an ordinary man in the vast world of cultivators. He enjoyed good food, appreciated a glass of wine, and never turned down a pleasant conversation. He knew his strength was limited and did not pretend otherwise. Rather than seeking trouble, he preferred making friends and building relationships that might prove useful in the future.
It was this unpretentious personality that made Feng Qi lower his guard around him.
Despite his slightly chubby appearance and laid-back manner, the man had a good head for business and knew the trade routes, cities, and forces that wielded influence throughout the region. As the son of a manager at an important trading company, he had heard countless pieces of information that ordinary travelers would never have access to.
That night in Linhe, he would share some of that information with Feng Qi.
Much of it would change Feng Qi's course, especially one particular piece of information.
"Is that true?" he asked.
"Yes. However, don't even think about going there. That place will become a minefield in five months. All the major forces in Linhe will be focusing their attention on it... this is an extremely rare opportunity in our region."
Feng Qi stared into space, deep in thought. He had already read about the Secret Realm. Only powerful beings at the Nascent Soul Realm were capable of opening a New World. It was said that the world inside a Secret Realm was incredibly vast, perhaps even larger than the continent itself.
The quantity of resources and treasures was incalculable. But there was something else...
"Rich in Spiritual Energy, you say?" That was all Feng Qi needed to break through Body Refinement and finally refine his qi.
The Spiritual Stones he possessed were insufficient, and he would also need to reserve some of them for his expenses.
If he could reach Qi Refinement, he would no longer need to eat like mortals. His sustenance would come entirely from Spiritual Energy.