Immortality Cultivation
Chapter 293: City
Although the silver light shuttle’s radiance was dim and its speed was far from its peak, it was still a peak Rank 3 flying Magical Artifact. When pushed to its full potential, its speed remained far beyond that of an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator riding a sword. Fang Hao steered it, flying eastward over the vast mountains and boundless wilderness.
As he drew closer to populated areas, the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth seemed to become slightly "cleaner," no longer as mixed and chaotic or filled with Evil Qi as it was near the Valley of Buried Soldiers. Occasionally, he could see scattered villages, small towns, or small-scale Cultivator markets below. However, Fang Hao did not stop; his goal was the legendary Tiangong City ahead.
A few days later, the silhouette of a magnificent giant city gradually became clear on the horizon.
Tiangong City was not built on the ground. Instead, it was built against a giant mountain thousands of feet high, which displayed a strange mixed color of metal and rock. Countless layers of platforms, plank roads, and Immortal Caves had been carved into the mountain. Buildings of various styles clung to it like honeycombs or anthills, stacking layer upon layer all the way to the clouds. At the mountain’s peak, several towering palace complexes loomed indistinctly in the sea of clouds, exuding an ancient and majestic aura that was clearly extraordinary.
The entire city was shrouded in a faint, almost invisible light curtain flowing with strange runes. This was a massive and complex city-protecting Great Formation, emitting heart-palpitating energy fluctuations. Countless streaks of light, like shuttling meteors, moved incessantly inside and outside the giant mountain and through the sky; these were Cultivators steering various flying Magical Artifacts. The sounds of voices, beast roars, Magical Artifacts piercing the air, and even the faint clanging of metal and the roar of furnace fires intertwined to form a unique bustle and vitality belonging to a giant city of Cultivators.
"It truly lives up to its reputation as a great city famous for Artifact Refining and the hundred crafts." Fang Hao watched from afar, his heart slightly shaken. The scale and grandeur of Tiangong City seemed not at all inferior to the Heavenly Capital of the Mingling Empire, and in some aspects, it even surpassed it. In particular, the faint special scent lingering in the air—a mix of various metals, spiritual Materials, medicinal fragrances, and flames—as well as the faint fluctuations from the operation of countless Magical Artifacts and Formations, all manifested the prosperity of the hundred crafts here.
He steered the silver light shuttle to land in a designated area dozens of miles away from the city. This was a public parking spot on the outskirts of Tiangong City, specifically for visiting Cultivators to park their flying Magical Artifacts to avoid interfering with the city’s order and the operation of its Formations. The parking spot was quite vast, packed with all kinds of flying Magical Artifacts, ranging from simple flying boats and gourds to luxurious gallery ships and carriages pulled by exotic beasts, showing the large number of traveling Cultivators.
After paying a management fee of ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones (the fee was high, but one must follow local customs), Fang Hao shrunk and put away the silver light shuttle. He followed the flow of people toward the magnificent gates of Tiangong City.
The city gate was over a hundred feet high, cast entirely from a blue-black metal and inscribed with countless complex and profound Formation runes, exuding an ancient and heavy aura. The gate was not closed but completely wide open. However, it was guarded by fierce City Guards dressed in uniform silver armor. Their cultivation was at least at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, and their leader had even reached the Early Golden Core Stage, his sharp gaze scanning the entering and exiting crowds.
Fang Hao restrained his aura, disguising his cultivation at the Early Golden Core Stage. Blending into the crowd, he did not attract much attention. He successfully passed a simple identity check (he casually gave a fake name and claimed to be a Loose Cultivator; in such a large city where countless Cultivators entered and exited daily, they usually didn’t probe deeply as long as one wasn’t a wanted criminal) and stepped into Tiangong City.
Upon entering the city, the atmosphere of bustle and prosperity rushed toward him. Beneath his feet was a wide, smooth street paved with blue-black stone slabs, wide enough for dozens of carriages to drive side-by-side. On both sides of the street were rows upon rows of shops of varying heights and styles. There were ancient medicinal shops and pill pavilions wafting with sandalwood incense, Artifact Refining workshops with blazing fires and constant hammering, general stores filled with various ingenious Magical Artifacts shimmering with spiritual light, and richly decorated merchant houses with beautiful maidservants standing at the doors to solicit business...
In the air, the sounds of hawking, bargaining, the hammering of Artifact Refining, the roar of Alchemy furnace fires, and even the shouts of Cultivators demonstrating newly refined Magical Artifacts on the street mixed together, noisy yet full of vibrant life. The streets were crowded with people jostling shoulder to shoulder. Cultivators with cultivation ranging from Qi Refining to Golden Core could be seen everywhere, and occasionally, one could even feel one or two obscure and powerful auras flash by, suspected to be Nascent Soul Cultivators. Cultivators in various strange clothes and from different races (such as dwarves and half-demons) were also common, showing Tiangong City’s inclusiveness as a major city in the Western Regions.
"It’s certainly a different style from the Mingling Empire." Fang Hao walked through the crowd, calmly observing his surroundings. The Mingling Empire centered on imperial power, with a strict hierarchy and orderly conduct. Here, it seemed more free and open, placing more emphasis on skill and strength. He could feel that the Cultivators here, especially those Alchemists and Artifact Refiners, possessed a natural pride even if their cultivation wasn’t high. They clearly relied on their crafts for a living and held no small status.
He was in no hurry to go to those large merchant houses or auctions to inquire about news of the nascent soul pill formula. Such a precious item was not something a newly arrived Loose Cultivator with "average" cultivation (his Early Golden Core Stage disguise) could easily access. Inquiring rashly would instead easily attract unnecessary attention and trouble.
The immediate priority was to find a place to stay, familiarize himself with the environment, and then slowly scout for information while simultaneously gathering some of the Materials needed to repair the golden puppet and the silver light shuttle.
He walked along the main street for a while before turning into a relatively quiet alley. This area mostly contained inns, restaurants, and temporary Immortal Caves specifically for rent to Cultivators. Fang Hao chose an inn that looked clean and tidy; though its storefront wasn’t large, the auras of the Cultivators entering and exiting weren’t weak.
The innkeeper was a middle-aged Cultivator at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. Seeing that Fang Hao was a Golden Core Cultivator (disguised), his attitude was quite polite. Fang Hao requested a premium room equipped with simple defenses and a Spirit Gathering Formation. He prepaid ten days’ worth of room fees and then asked the innkeeper about the basic situation of Tiangong City—for instance, which places were distribution centers for trading Artifact Refining and Alchemy Materials, which merchant houses had good reputations, and if there were any rules or powers in the city to be mindful of.
Seeing that Fang Hao was a new face but possessed a steady aura and didn’t look like someone to be trifled with, the innkeeper was happy to build a good rapport and shared everything he knew.
As it turned out, the most famous trading venue in Tiangong City was not a single merchant house but a massive area located in the middle of the giant mountain called the "Hundred Crafts Workshop." It was divided into countless blocks and small squares where Cultivators from all over the Western Regions and even other regions gathered to set up stalls and shops. They traded various raw Materials, finished Magical Artifacts, Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Formation Plates, and so on. It was a paradise for treasure hunters, but it was also a mixed bag where truth and falsehood were hard to distinguish, relying entirely on one’s discernment.
The largest merchant houses in the city were the "Tiangong Pavilion," "Ten Thousand Treasures Tower," "Pill Cauldron Pavilion," and "Curiosity Hall." Among them, the "Tiangong Pavilion" was said to have close ties with the upper-level powers of Tiangong City, possessing the deepest background, the most complete stock, and the best reputation, though its prices were also the highest. The "Ten Thousand Treasures Tower" had branches throughout the Western Regions and also had a good reputation, frequently holding auctions of various scales. The "Pill Cauldron Pavilion" focused on the business of Medicinal Pills and Spiritual Plants. "Curiosity Hall," as its name suggested, specialized in buying and selling various strange and difficult-to-identify items; it was said that one could occasionally find a great bargain there.
Regarding the powers within the city, besides the official side (the City Lord’s Mansion and the City Guards stationed by the Great Yan Empire), the strongest was the "Tiangong Alliance," famous for its hundred crafts like Artifact Refining, Formations, and Puppets. There was also the "Hundred Crafts Association," which was entrenched in the Hundred Crafts Workshop area and composed of numerous small and medium-sized powers. These two major powers, one overt and one covert, jointly influenced the operation of Tiangong City. Additionally, there were countless families, chambers of commerce, and mercenary groups of various sizes, creating a complex web of relationships.
"If Senior wishes to buy or sell precious items, going to those large merchant houses is safer. If you wish to find specific Materials or try your luck, the Hundred Crafts Workshop is not to be missed. However, you must be extra careful there to avoid being cheated," the innkeeper finally reminded him.
The room was not large, but it was quite elegantly furnished. The defensive Restriction and Spirit Gathering Formation were also decent, enough for him to stay temporarily.
Closing the door and setting up several of his own Restrictions, Fang Hao sat cross-legged on the prayer mat in the center of the room. He did not immediately begin to Cultivate. Instead, he organized the information he had obtained from the innkeeper while thinking about his next plan.
"The nascent soul pill formula is too precious; inquiring directly carries too much risk. Perhaps I can start with some of the rarer Materials needed to repair the golden puppet and the silver light shuttle and make indirect inquiries. If I can get in touch with some high-level Artifact Refiners or Alchemists, I might have a chance..."
"The immediate priority is to first collect the Materials to repair the golden puppet and the silver light shuttle. In particular, the several special metals and space-attribute Materials needed for the golden puppet’s core driving Formation are quite rare. I can use this opportunity to test the waters of Tiangong City."
Having made up his mind, Fang Hao decided that tomorrow he would first visit the Hundred Crafts Workshop and several large merchant houses.
He closed his eyes and began to circulate the Chaos Derivation Art, nourishing his spiritual power and repairing the last bit of hidden damage to his Physical Body. At the same time, he sank a thread of his mind into his Dantian, carefully sensing and familiarizing himself with the various mysteries of the newly born Earthly Fiend Golden Flame.
Could Tiangong City, this famous great city of the Western Regions, become the key place for him to Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage or even further? Fang Hao’s heart was full of anticipation.