Central Plains, Jiaxiang Town.
This region wasn't particularly different from any other place. By Central Plains standards, it was even somewhat barren.
No spiritual veins flowed through the land. Though it still contained more spiritual energy than most other great regions, to a Central Plains cultivator, this place qualified as the middle of nowhere.
Then again, the absence of cultivator conflicts might not be a bad thing.
Jiaxiang Town produced very few cultivators, and life here was relatively peaceful.
It did, however, have its own unique features.
A small stream wound its way past the town, fed by a tributary from a nearby mountain — or perhaps an entirely separate water source — that cascaded gently downward.
Under normal circumstances, such a stream would have been either diverted or rerouted into the nearby river when the town was first built.
But the world was full of places that defied convention.
This stream was one of them, meandering directly through the heart of Jiaxiang Town.
The town's name was partly derived from this very feature — the settlement was flanked by two waterways, much like a narrow alley.
Having water flowing through town did come with inconveniences. On a clear day, simply crossing to the other side of the stream could mean getting your shoes wet.
The most common sight in Jiaxiang Town was probably a few stone slabs laid across the water as makeshift bridges.
The stream wasn't large, but it harbored small fish that darted through its waters. The children of Jiaxiang Town would stand on the stone slabs, reaching down with their sleeves to try and catch them.
Perhaps only the fastest, most responsive fish could survive in these waters.
Even using their sleeves, the children's chances of actually catching anything were vanishingly small.
This stream, which wound through Jiaxiang Town, seemed to hold a special place in the townspeople's hearts.
The locals had even dedicated precious able-bodied labor to patrol and maintain the cleanliness of this single stream.
Jiaxiang Town, inside a well-regarded old wine shop.
"Guest, your wine has arrived."
A waiter carefully cradled a small wine jar in both hands and hurried over to a man whose cold, fierce expression stood in stark contrast to the somewhat ostentatiously luxurious white robes he wore.
His appearance and his clothing each had a style entirely their own.
He set the small jar down on the table with extreme gentleness. He hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage and spoke.
"Sir, you truly know your wine. The cold-bottle wine from Li's Wine Shop here in Jiaxiang Town is absolutely unmatched. A bit on the pricey side, perhaps, but beyond that, there's nothing to fault."
"Li's Wine Shop has been open for over a hundred years — this wine deserves a great deal of the credit."
"The jar certainly looks old enough to be a hundred years."
Li Xingtian glanced at the filthy, chipped wine jar. He reached out and lightly touched its surface — a cold sensation immediately met his fingers.
The waiter laughed awkwardly and, watching Li Xingtian's movements, continued to flatter him.
"You're sharp, sir — spotted the secret of this wine right away. The jar may look beat-up, but it's actually quite precious."
Li Xingtian tossed a silver piece onto the table.
"Go on, get back to work. I'll call you if I need anything."
The waiter snatched the silver off the table with lightning speed, smiled broadly, and hastily withdrew.
Judging by the decrepit state of its architecture alone, Li's Wine Shop did indeed look as though it had been standing for over a century.
A faint smell of rotting wood drifted through the air from time to time.
Li Xingtian didn't care for the scent, so he'd deliberately chosen the seat closest to the window.
From there, he could see the stream flowing past. Looking further upstream, he could also make out its source — a hill that none of the townspeople could name.
It wasn't a particularly large hill, but it was lush with greenery.
Li Xingtian certainly hadn't come here for a vacation. His purpose was singular and straightforward.
As a cultivator, entering a secret realm to undergo tempering, then claiming the rewards of one's hard-earned efforts to raise one's cultivation and fill one's somewhat depleted spatial ring — was there anything more natural than that?
Naturally, Li Xingtian possessed a considerable number of memories from his past life.
But many of those memories weren't of the useful variety — "I dug this place before, it's easy, grab a shovel and I'll break right through."
Or, "I dug this place before, it wasn't easy, but I've got loads of experience. Just bring an extra shovel and I'll crack it open for you."
In reality, what Li Xingtian remembered most was — "How the hell did these people find a secret realm in this godforsaken place?"
Pure dog luck!
Damn it, why couldn't that dog luck be mine?
He'd rush over at full speed, operating under the philosophy that even if he couldn't get the meat, licking the broth would be acceptable.
But after spending two or three days on the road and scraping the ground three feet deep to ensure he left nothing behind, he'd arrive only to find that everything inside had been cleared out.
Even the security measures had been dismantled and hauled away.
The entire secret realm had been reduced to a tourist attraction for mortals.
So every time he tracked down a secret realm from memory, much of the groundwork had to be done from scratch.
And while researching, he had to keep noise to a minimum. Otherwise, treasures that should have been his would end up being split with someone else.
If he could handle it alone, he'd handle it alone.
After all, bringing in help meant sharing the spoils. Li Xingtian's generosity toward outsiders had its limits — he'd feel the sting more often than not.
Li Xingtian gazed at the hill, contemplating the secret realm hidden within.
He'd been scouting around this nameless hill for several days now. He'd already located the entrance and done some preliminary exploration inside.
The overwhelming impression this secret realm gave him was — troublesome!
It was at least a Mahayana-level secret realm. For a Nascent Soul cultivator like Li Xingtian, that meant a genuine level of risk.
Though it pained him greatly to admit it.
This time, he'd probably need to find some teammates — and reliable ones at that.
Lin Luoyu would have been a decent choice, except this junior sister of his didn't seem particularly fond of the whole secret realm exploration routine. She was somewhat resistant to the idea.
Li Xingtian's second instinct was to seek out cultivators from the Tianyan Sect or Xuanqing Heavenly Sect to lend a hand.
After all, he carried tokens from both sects, and they were major powers. They wouldn't make much fuss even if he gave them a slightly smaller share.
But on further reflection, he felt it would reflect poorly on his master's reputation.
Li Xingtian did not want to hear people say things like — "Have you heard of Chu Xingchen? His disciple is shameless, so his master must be shameless too."
Moreover, using the tokens might send word back to his master, causing him unnecessary worry.
The tokens were meant to be used when circumstances demanded it. But if the situation wasn't urgent, there was no harm in holding off.
After careful deliberation, Li Xingtian decided to find some capable people to give it a try first.
If even a team couldn't crack it open, he'd call in the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect and have them tear this wretched secret realm to the ground!
Li Xingtian lightly tapped the wine jar, noting that even after several moments, it hadn't warmed in the slightest.
There was a cultivator's technique at work inside... though it wasn't anything particularly sophisticated.
"Bring another cold-bottle wine."
"Right away, guest."
A warm, slightly eager female voice called out from outside the shop before its owner appeared — a woman wearing a dense veil-hat, her figure graceful and alluring.
Her garments were extraordinarily luxurious and seemed to occasionally shimmer with spiritual light.
Without a doubt, she was a cultivator.
Li Xingtian's brow furrowed. He turned his gaze toward the source of that all-too-familiar voice, a surge of disgust rising within him.
He studied her silhouette — it seemed familiar.
An enemy? Or someone else?
But the veil-hat blocked his spiritual sense, preventing him from getting a clear look.
The woman stepped into the main hall and her gaze quickly locked onto Li Xingtian. She glanced at the unopened jar of cold-bottle wine on the table and walked toward him.
She approached the table.
The woman's voice was warm and pleasant.
"You're the cultivator who entered the secret realm on that hill, aren't you? Your cultivation doesn't seem low — you just look a bit fierce, that's all."
Li Xingtian stared at the veil that blocked spiritual probing, using his eyes alone to make out the faint outline of the woman's features.
Listening to that warm yet familiar voice, even the conversational approach was nearly identical.
Heh...
He never expected to run into her here.
That damned... demoness!
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