He flew more than 7,000 miles according to his map and finally arrived at a city built atop a mountain.
"So, this is Cang City?"
Elian's gaze shifted slightly as he descended on his sword outside the city.
Cang City was one of the closest cities to Blackhawk Ridge. It was built around a third-rank spiritual vein and had once been the domain of a Purple Mansion demon beast. Three thousand years ago, the Azuregreen Sword Sect seized the area and established the city.
The city primarily served as a haven for rogue cultivators in the Azuregreen Mountains and was one of the few markets for cultivators within the range.
Upon entering the city, Elian noticed the presence of five or six thousand cultivators, most of whom were Qi Refinement stage rogue cultivators, along with tens of thousands of mortal servants.
In Chu Kingdom, a third-rank spiritual vein in a decent location could support a population of millions of mortals, yet this city only had tens of thousands. This starkly illustrated the harsh environment of the Azuregreen Mountains.
"Senior, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time in the Azuregreen Mountains?"
As Elian stepped into the spiritual vein's range, a voice called out.
Turning to look, he saw a middle-aged man with a friendly smile.
"Junior has lived in Cang City for decades and is very well-informed. Whatever information you need, I can provide."
"Oh? Speak," Elian said, tossing him a spirit stone.
The man caught the spirit stone, his face lighting up with joy as he polished it.
For a rogue cultivator without a backing, cultivation was exceedingly difficult. A Qi Refinement stage cultivator like him might only earn three to five spirit stones a year.
Usually, they dealt in smaller fragments of spirit stones, and most of their earnings went toward city fees. Being expelled from the city would leave them vulnerable to external dangers and cut off from the vital spiritual energy needed for cultivation.
Such disparities made Elian reflect on the privileges of family-backed cultivators. The annual spiritual energy resources allocated to a Chen family cultivator were worth more than the cost of renting a cultivation cave.
Returning to the matter at hand, the man eagerly led Elian forward, speaking animatedly.
"Senior, are you here for the Ancient Cultivator's Cave Mansion?"
"Ancient Cultivator's Cave Mansion?" Elian frowned slightly, maintaining his composure.
"Tell me more."
As the man explained, Elian gradually understood the recent developments in the Azuregreen Mountains.
Apparently, rumors had surfaced a few years ago about an Ancient Cave Mansion belonging to a rogue Purple Mansion cultivator reemerging. This cultivator, Mo The Wanderer, was said to have been an exceptional figure from a thousand years ago, inheriting advanced alchemy and formation techniques early in his life.
With these skills, Mo The Wanderer reached the ninth level of the Purple Mansion stage, becoming a renowned figure in the Azuregreen Mountains. The rumor of his Cave Mansion's reappearance had stirred up the entire mountain range, prompting cultivators to search for it.
"A late-stage Purple Mansion cultivator's Cave Mansion, with advanced alchemy and formation inheritance."
Elian's interest was piqued, but after a moment of contemplation, he suppressed his thoughts. Such a valuable inheritance would undoubtedly attract Purple Mansion cultivators, making it a perilous endeavor.
For now, his priority was acquiring the Water Element Crystal, refining his natal artifact, and breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage.
After inquiring further about recent happenings in the Azuregreen Mountains and ensuring there were no other significant events, Elian dismissed the guide and rented a cave to recover his spiritual energy.
Three days later, after recuperating in Cang City, Elian flew into Blackhawk Ridge.
Perhaps the commotion caused by cultivators searching for the Ancient Cave Mansion had distracted the demon clans, as he encountered no pursuit from Purple Mansion demon beasts. Most Foundation Establishment-level demon beasts lacked the ability to fly, allowing him to travel relatively unimpeded.
Cautiously flying at low altitudes, Elian avoided areas with third-rank spiritual veins. After traveling more than 300,000 miles, he successfully exited Blackhawk Ridge.
It took him an additional two months to cross the Azuregreen Mountains entirely and reach the borders of Yan Kingdom.
When he finally arrived in Yan Kingdom, Elian took a deep breath, realizing he had flown nearly two million miles in total.
His first destination in Yan Kingdom was Yan Mountain Market, built on a third-rank high-grade spiritual vein. The market served as Yan Kingdom's primary line of defense against the Azuregreen Mountains' demon beasts, comparable to Jiaoyang Mountain in Chu Kingdom.
However, unlike Chu Kingdom, which bordered the vast Swamp, the Azuregreen Mountains had fewer Golden Core demon kings, making Yan Mountain Market far less pressured than Jiaoyang Mountain or Tianxu Mountain.
Upon entering the market, Elian wasted no time, heading straight to Lingxi Pavilion, the largest store in the area.
Lingxi Pavilion was a business owned by the Deng family, a Golden Core clan in Yan Kingdom. The Deng family was the strongest Golden Core clan in the region, boasting three Golden Core cultivators, with their patriarch in the late Golden Core stage.
"I wonder if Lingxi Pavilion has a Water Element Crystal for sale?" Elian thought as he entered the pavilion.
The shopkeeper, a late-Foundation Establishment cultivator, immediately greeted him warmly upon noticing Elian's cultivation.
"You seem unfamiliar, Daoist. Are you from the Azuregreen Mountains?"
"Sharp eyes," Elian replied calmly.
"I'm here to purchase a Water Element Crystal."
Hearing this, the shopkeeper frowned slightly, stroking his beard.
"A Water Element Crystal, eh? Judging by your cultivation and the effort it must've taken to cross millions of miles, you must need it urgently. Unfortunately, our pavilion currently doesn't have any in stock."
Elian's expression shifted slightly as he cupped his hands.
"Then please, could you tell me where I might find one?"
The shopkeeper poured him a cup of tea and explained, "While Yan Kingdom has an abundance of water and wood veins, Water Element Crystals are still exceedingly rare.
They're usually only available at auctions or barter gatherings. Every ten years, Thousand Star Island hosts a Foundation Establishment-level barter event. If you truly wish to obtain one, you'll need to go there."
…
Leaving Lingxi Pavilion, Elian frowned as he pulled out a map of Yan Kingdom.
Unlike Chu Kingdom, Yan Kingdom was a true water-wood nation. Spanning a million miles, only about 40% of its territory was land. The rest was dominated by the vast Yan Lake, dotted with thousands of islands of varying sizes.
Some of these islands stretched as far as 100,000 miles, capable of supporting Golden Core clans, while others were only a dozen miles across, often inhabited by Qi Refinement cultivators.
The vast network of water veins and fertile islands created unique conditions, nurturing expansive forests unseen elsewhere in the Six Nations.
This abundance of water and wood resources made Yan Kingdom a frequent destination for Chu Kingdom cultivators seeking treasures like the Water Element Crystal. Years ago, when Wei Xuyuan failed to find a Wood Element Crystal in Chu Kingdom, he successfully purchased one in Yan Kingdom, proving such treasures were far easier to obtain here.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D