More than ten days passed.
Ning Fa and the others, who had already flown over a million li, suddenly felt a jolt.
Ahead, a majestic, towering black city had appeared.
"We've finally arrived at Aisa City. Fortunately, the journey was smooth and without incident," Xiao Pengyuan said, stroking his beard with a smile.
The others also nodded with smiles.
The journey had been smooth, with no major risks, apart from that one encounter with the Bronze Chariot, which was suspected to be carrying high-level Tianli cultivators.
However, Ning Fa frowned at this moment.
Through his Spiritual Sense, he detected many Tianli cultivators leaving Aisa City, which seemed unusual.
This gave him a bad feeling.
As the group flew closer, the others also noticed something was amiss.
"What's going on? Why are all these Tianli people leaving Aisa City, and why do they all look so dejected?" Bai Yueqiu asked, confused.
The others also looked grim, clearly feeling that something was wrong.
Before long, they landed not far from the south gate of Aisa City.
Ning Fa put away the Rift Savage Bird, and they walked towards the city gate.
They could see quite a few cultivators still leaving the city, all with their heads hanging low.
A Late Core Formation Big Man, clad only in yellow beast hide, his strong chest as hard as wrought iron, was arguing with the city guards.
He cursed loudly, "You were the ones who issued the previous call, saying you'd buy hunted Savage Beasts at a high price. I turned down other matters after hearing about it and traveled thousands of miles to get here. Now you're telling me the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range is completely sealed off, and I'm not even allowed in the outer perimeter? Are you messing with me?"
However, the guard was unyielding and snorted, "This order came directly from the Holy Temple. If you have the guts, go tell a Holy Temple elder."
Upon hearing this, the burly Big Man was silenced. He muttered something under his breath and left the city gate, grumbling.
Ning Fa and the others exchanged glances at this scene, their expressions turning grim.
They finally understood why so many people were leaving Aisa City.
"What's going on? Why is the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range suddenly off-limits? Why didn't our inside contact mention such important news?" Xiao Pengyuan asked via Sound Transmission, his brow furrowed.
Ning Fa's expression was also solemn as he slowly shook his head. "Judging by the situation, the sealing order for the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range likely started very recently. Otherwise, you wouldn't see so many people like us still coming from afar."
Sensing the hundreds of escaping lights heading towards them from all directions, the others agreed with Ning Fa's assessment but felt even more unlucky.
This was truly terrible timing.
Then, the group looked at Ning Fa again. Ning Fa, with an unchanged expression, transmitted, "Regardless, we still need to enter the city and investigate."
As he spoke, he quickened his pace towards the burly Big Man and smiled, "Brother, my name is Li Feng. I also heard that the rewards for hunting Savage Beasts in Aisa City were very high, so I brought a few friends here specifically to hunt Savage Beasts. But now it seems the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range is off-limits. Could you enlighten me on what happened?"
The burly Big Man sized up Ning Fa. Ning Fa appeared ordinary in build and unremarkable in appearance, but his peak Late Core Formation cultivation made the Big Man's heart skip a beat.
He immediately laughed heartily, "So it's Fellow Daoist Li. My name is E Chen, and I've only been in Aisa City for a short while. As for the sudden sealing of the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range, I'm not entirely sure. But I've heard rumors that some spies from Cangyuan attempted to sabotage the barriers in the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range, which is why the Holy Temple issued the full sealing order."
"What? Spies from Cangyuan?" Ning Fa was taken aback by this news.
What was going on? They had only just arrived here. Where would other Cangyuan spies come from? Ning Fa didn't believe Hermit Xuyuan would send anyone else to carry out this mission.
The others nearby who heard this were not only surprised but also looked grim.
"That's just a rumor. In my opinion, it's just the Holy Temple deliberately spreading this to trick us. It's more likely that the Demonized Savage Beasts in the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range are breaking through the seal, and the Holy Temple is saying this to prevent panic," the burly Big Man added, his eyes flashing.
Ning Fa's gaze flickered. Although what the other man said was plausible, he still had a bad feeling.
This was truly an inauspicious start.
Then, the burly Big Man, with a smile, invited, "Fellow Daoist Li, since the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range is inaccessible now, why don't you and your friends come with me to the Swallowing Cloud Mountain Range to hunt Savage Beasts? Although the rewards there are a bit lower than here, they are still quite good. With your group joining us, plus some of my friends, we can even set our sights on Fourth-grade Savage Beasts. After all, many Savage Beasts, while possessing Nascent Soul strength, do not have high intelligence."
Ning Fa slowly shook his head. "Thank you for your kind offer, brother, but besides hunting Savage Beasts, what's more important for us coming to Aisa City is obtaining some Spiritual Grass unique to this mountain range."
"So we're still planning to wait. Maybe this place's seal will be lifted soon."
The burly Big Man showed regret in his eyes but didn't try to persuade them further. "Then I wish all you fellow Daoists good luck. However, in my opinion, this seal won't be easily lifted for at least a few years."
With that, he shot into the sky and quickly disappeared.
The others immediately turned their gazes to Ning Fa. Ning Fa said solemnly, "Let's enter the city first and gather some information."
Soon, they arrived at the city gates.
The guard captain, who had a Mid Core Formation cultivation and eyes like a falcon, glanced at Ning Fa and the others, his face showing a hint of surprise.
"I saw you fellow Daoists just spoke with that E Chen. You should know the situation of this city by now. You're still planning to enter?"
"The Hundred Immortal Grass from the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range is very important to us. So, we still plan to try our luck. Do you have any news on when this seal will be lifted?" Ning Fa asked with a smile.
Ning Fa's polite attitude eased the guard captain's expression. He realized, "So you need Thousand Soul Grass. This grass can indeed only be found in the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range.
However, because the depths of the mountain range have long been sealed, this grass has become exceptionally precious. This is especially true now that even the outer perimeter is off-limits.
You can try your luck at some of the major merchant guilds in the city. You might be able to buy some.
As for when this seal will be lifted, I can't say for sure.
Alright, please proceed, fellow Daoists. With your cultivation, there's no need for an entrance fee."
Ning Fa's gaze narrowed slightly. He cupped his hands towards the guard captain and led the way into the city, with the others immediately following.
This was Ning Fa's first time in a city of the Tianli people.
A main road, dozens of feet wide, was lined with various buildings and pavilions. The architectural style was vastly different from Cangyuan.
Unlike the refined and graceful buildings of Cangyuan, these appeared even crude and unconventional, but they also exuded a sense of rugged grandeur.
Moreover, despite the seal order, there were still quite a few cultivators in the city.
After all, this city was the closest to the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range. Previously, many cultivators had entered this mountain range to hunt Savage Beasts. The treasures and Spirit Beast materials they obtained were mostly traded directly in this city.
Therefore, the city's Spiritual Material resources were very abundant, especially many materials that Cangyuan did not have.
Suddenly, Ji Lianxing stopped in her tracks, staring at a shop on the right with a fierce beast's head hanging above its entrance, her face full of pleasant surprise.
"That's Seven Leaf Blood Transformation Grass! And it's just displayed in the first-floor exhibition hall!"
Xiao Pengyuan also looked at something resembling a black branch on a counter in the shop's exhibition hall, his face filled with desire.
Bai Yueqiu was also closely watching another shop nearby, even unconsciously swallowing her saliva.
Only Sang Wen remained calm, seemingly unfazed.
Ning Fa stopped his steps, his eyes filled with thought. Then, he used Sound Transmission, "It seems everyone has items they need. Since that's the case, let's split up.
However, while collecting resources, please also gather intelligence. We'll meet at the inn we just passed tonight."
"Okay, Fellow Daoist Ning, your suggestion suits me perfectly."
Ji Lianxing's eyes lit up, and she then eagerly walked towards that shop.
Xiao Pengyuan cupped his hands and also departed.
"Hehe, then I'm off too. I can smell the aroma of High-grade Spirit Beast Meat. Do you want me to bring some back for you, Ning Daoist? It's very beneficial for us Body Cultivators."
Bai Yueqiu said to Ning Fa with a giggle.
"No need, Bai Daoist. Please do as you please."
Bai Yueqiu pouted and walked away on her own.
Ning Fa then looked at the calm Sang Wen, "Fellow Daoist Sang, how about we..."
Before he could finish speaking, Sang Wen had already walked straight ahead.
"I also have some things I need. I'll take my leave for now."
Ning Fa shook his head and stopped bothering with her, choosing a different direction.
They were all high-level cultivators, so he didn't need to look after them like a nanny.
For Ning Fa, although he was also interested in many materials here, he didn't have much mood to collect them at the moment.
After all, it was still unknown whether they could enter the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range.
In reality, whether he could complete this mission was secondary for Ning Fa.
After all, he was confident that as long as he successfully advanced, his significance to Cangyuan would be no less than breaking through that barrier.
But the problem was that he had to enter the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range to obtain the Thousand Soul Grass.
Thinking of this, a determined look flashed in Ning Fa's eyes. No matter what, he had to obtain this grass.
Moreover, although this grass was precious, perhaps some major merchant guilds in Aisa City would have it in stock.
With this thought, Ning Fa immediately strode towards a nearby magnificent seven-story pavilion.
As night fell, in a private room of the largest inn in Aisa City, Ning Fa and the others gathered again.
Ji Lianxing, Bai Yueqiu, and Xiao Pengyuan all wore smiles that couldn't be concealed, clearly indicating they had gained a lot in the city over the past few days.
Although Ning Fa's expression was normal, there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
He hadn't visited the entire city that day, but the major merchant guilds he had visited had no news of Thousand Soul Grass.
Even though Ning Fa offered exorbitant Spirit Stones and some high-grade Spiritual Materials, the shopkeepers remained unmoved.
They could only express with bitter smiles that Thousand Soul Grass was a high-grade Spiritual Material strictly controlled by the Holy Temple. Once discovered, it must be handed over to the Holy Temple, and the consequences of private possession were very severe.