Chapter 65: Temporary Settlement

Stepping off the spirit vessel, Shen Lian arrived at the gates of Black Whale City.

From the void, a powerful oppressive force descended, causing the spiritual energy circulating within him to stagnate for a moment.

This was the pressure from the city’s third-tier Overturning Sea Giant Whale Formation.

This formation was of the third-tier and high quality; it was said that with a late-stage Golden Core cultivator presiding over it, and assisted by several early-stage Golden Core cultivators, it could withstand a blow from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The Sea Spirit Sect’s ability to maintain control over this treasure trove owed much to the Overturning Sea Giant Whale Formation.

Since he was coming to Black Whale Island, Shen Lian had naturally done his research.

Rumor had it that the city’s great formation was linked to the water veins in the sea, allowing it to operate continuously with minimal consumption of spirit stones.

To breach such a formation, a single method would be useless; it would require the combined efforts of several Golden Core cultivators and a variety of formation-breaking artifacts.

Gazing at the city walls, densely inscribed with gleaming runes, Shen Lian couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

“I’ve come too late.”

Following behind other cultivators, he paid his spirit stones in a side hall outside the city and obtained an identity jade token.

The processing fee was not expensive—ten spirit stones allowed one to stay in the city for a whole year.

Once inside, the pressure intensified slightly; Shen Lian noticed his step grew heavier.

This was the effect of the anti-flight formation—no matter if one was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, flying was impossible.

The city was bustling, so much so that as soon as Shen Lian lifted his eyes, he noticed a Foundation Establishment grandmaster passing by.

The Cloud Summit Sect had set up a disciple examination site here, drawing families large and small from surrounding seas like bees to honey.

These days, Black Whale City was several times livelier than usual.

A main avenue, a hundred feet wide, ran straight into the heart of the city.

Towering buildings lined both sides, magnificent and imposing.

Cultivators crowded the avenue.

Whether fierce-looking or as timid as a startled hare, all behaved with remarkable decorum.

“Too late, I’m too late,” Shen Lian sighed again and again at the city’s prosperity.

He was most fond of orderly places.

“Fellow Daoist, come on in, come!” Near the city gate, a pink building flaunted its charm, its curves rising and falling like mountains.

“Fellow Daoist, our immortal sisters here are the most tender-hearted; not only will they cradle you in their hearts, but also cherish you with lips and sit upon your face,” called out a servant with a tuft of hair at his mouth, bowing as he approached Shen Lian, who was surveying the area near the gate.

“Fellow Daoist...”

Coming to his senses, Shen Lian quickly sidestepped—the city’s warmth was overwhelming.

The servant was unfazed, turning to approach his next target.

Having just arrived in Black Whale City, Shen Lian naturally needed to first understand the situation before making his next move.

Sea Flavor House.

In a corner of the third-floor hall, Shen Lian ordered four simple dishes and a pot of wine.

“It’s a pity I’m not a Five-Spirit-Root cultivator. If I were, I’d try my luck—if not to become a formal disciple, at least I could be a Stone Nurturer in a Nascent Soul sect.”

“Hah! Keep dreaming. You think being a Stone Nurturer is easy? Don’t lose your life over it.”

“Is our current life any better? Working ourselves to death and not even earning a single Foundation Pill. Might as well try our luck at a Nascent Soul sect—maybe we’ll get a Foundation Pill and become a grandmaster. Even being a Stone Nurturer would be worth it.”

Shen Lian’s cup paused at his lips as he listened in.

“Haven’t you heard? In the Southern Heavens cultivation world, Ancestor Ziyang got into a fight, was seriously injured and disappeared, and several of his Stone Nurturers fled with the Five-Colored Stone.”

“That’s old news. I heard Ancestor Ziyang was neither good nor evil, had no integrity, and was besieged by others just for the Five-Colored Stone.”

“Strange, where do you think those Stone Nurturers fled to?”

“They say they headed south. Ancestor Ziyang may have fled wounded and far away, but he still has Golden Core disciples who’ll surely hunt the Stone Nurturers down.”

“I think you’re all drunk—joking about Nascent Soul ancestors? You’re courting death.”

“Have you not heard stories of Ancestor Ziyang? He’s the sort who kills, drinks his victims’ blood dry, and refines their bones to dust.”

...

So-called Stone Nurturers were cultivators who nurtured the Five-Colored Stone.

The Five-Colored Stone excavated from the Palace of the Five Elements could only be used after being imbued with the spiritual power of a cultivator possessing all five spiritual roots.

When recruiting disciples, the Cloud Summit Sect also sought out Five-Spirit-Root cultivators among the itinerant practitioners.

The conditions were more relaxed—even a low-grade Five-Spirit-Root, if passing certain tests, could be accepted.

These individuals were not admitted as formal disciples, but were instead called Stone Nurturers.

To attract itinerants, the sect would periodically offer a Foundation Pill for Stone Nurturers to compete for.

Normally, the odds of a low-grade Five-Spirit-Root achieving Foundation Establishment were slim; coupled with the damage to their dantian during the nurturing of the Five-Colored Stone, the chances were even slimmer.

Other sects might not know, but in all the years at Cloud Summit Sect, no Stone Nurturer had ever succeeded in Foundation Establishment.

By contrast, some itinerant cultivators and demonic patriarchs were far more ruthless and efficient.

The righteous sects were unwilling to use even mid-grade Five-Spirit-Roots.

But our demonic patriarchs would dare.

A high-grade Five-Spirit-Root, if discovered, would be used as well—driven like a beast of burden if needed.

Shen Lian tucked in his neck, realizing he had to be extremely cautious in the future lest he be caught by some demon and forced to swallow a few stones into his dantian.

Caution was essential, but he couldn’t be so timid as to do nothing at all.

In this era, the depletion of spiritual energy was disadvantageous to cultivators of any spiritual root.

For the sects and patriarchs, the Five-Colored Stone was but a part of their cultivation journey.

Yet, a single casual command from a Nascent Soul patriarch, once it reached the ears of the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators below, felt like a mountain pressing down.

Times were hard indeed.

In the days that followed, Shen Lian did nothing but eat and drink in various taverns around the city, listening in on the conversations of other cultivators.

His investigations yielded considerable results.

The greatest discovery was that the city’s entertainment industry was exceedingly lively.

At present, the hottest topic in the city was the Cloud Summit Sect’s disciple recruitment. The influx of cultivators for the examination had driven up lodging prices throughout the city.

Within Black Whale City, the main thoroughfares formed a giant cross. Along the main streets, the shops were all run by families, sects, and merchant associations with influence.

The western and northern sections were residential districts, filled with high-class caves and estates.

The southern and eastern sections were a mix of markets and living quarters. Behind each storefront along the streets was a courtyard, attracting many cultivators to live and practice there.

Shen Lian, having neither the money nor the audacity to compete with great families on the main avenues, set his sights on the southern part of the city.

Besides the two main thoroughfares, the city was crisscrossed with countless alleys and side streets.

There were shops selling pills, talismans, rice, magic robes, magical tools, sundries, coffins, water...

These shops could be rented directly from the Sea Spirit Sect’s General Affairs Hall, or one could take over a stall from a departing fellow cultivator and make it official at the hall.

Shen Lian didn’t rush to the General Affairs Hall. He circled the southern city twice, selecting a street with decent foot traffic and a vacant shop.

This would be his place of livelihood, where he would lay down roots until reaching Foundation Establishment.

“Hongfu Street.”

Standing at the street’s entrance, reading the sign, Shen Lian nodded.

Great Fortune Street—this was an auspicious place.

With such a name, safety was assured.

The Sea Spirit Sect’s centuries-old reputation would surely honor its ancestors.