The Tongtian Kun, despite being a variant of the Roc Kun and lacking its combat prowess, still possessed incredible speed. White Burning Immortal City, located 300,000 li from Hundred Herbs Garden, was reached in a mere five days.
Excluding the time spent on stops, it truly covered 100,000 li per day, and this was merely the Tongtian Kun’s normal flying speed. This made Chen Jiuge, who was already envious, even more so. He resolved then and there: before Divinity Transformation—no, before Returning to Void—he absolutely had to contract a Kun. It was practically a life-saving artifact for travel and everyday life.
"At last, we’re here," Lin Jiu exclaimed, gazing at the majestic White Burning Immortal City before them.
Those five days cooped up in the cabin had been incredibly dull, aside from occasionally sneaking into Junior Brother Chen’s room to pilfer some wine. Now, however, things were looking up. Once the Spiritual Medicine was delivered to the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, their task would be complete. Plus, he could relax in White Burning Immortal City for a few days. HEHEHE.
Chen Jiuge looked curiously at Lin Jiu, who had suddenly let out a rather unsettling laugh, a completely bewildered expression on Chen Jiuge’s face. What’s gotten into Elder Brother Lin?
White Burning Immortal City was situated atop a towering green mountain that pierced the clouds, wreathed in mist and shaded by lush trees. The city’s streets crisscrossed, flanked by well-spaced buildings meticulously crafted from luminous, translucent jade that sparkled brilliantly. Golden pebbles paved the streets, gleaming with an exceptional radiance under the light.
The city was primarily inhabited by Cultivators, though many partially transformed Spiritual Beasts could also be seen wandering the streets.
Exotic flowers and rare herbs grew ubiquitously, their rich fragrances imbuing the entire city with an air of mystery.
At the heart of White Burning Immortal City stood a magnificent palace—the ancestral home of the Bai Family, the city’s lords.
The layout of White Burning Immortal City seems much grander than Hundred Herbs Garden, Chen Jiuge mused.
"Junior Brother, let’s first deliver the items for our task at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, and then we can explore properly. The Bai Zhuo Immortal Wine here is top-notch, and the Bai Family’s unique White Jade Dragon Fish is an exquisite delicacy," Lin Jiu added cheerfully.
"Alright, Elder Brother Lin," Chen Jiuge readily agreed.
Although White Burning Immortal City was not directly affiliated with the Myriad Beasts Sect, the Bai Family was a subordinate power. Their clan even boasted a Heavenly Immortal ancestor, making them the undisputed hegemon of this region.
The Hundred Herbs Pavilion, being one of the core enterprises of Hundred Herbs Peak, was naturally situated in the prime district of White Burning Immortal City—the central area, home to the City Lord Mansion.
Compared to the ordinary shops on the periphery, those in the city center were larger and more lavishly decorated. Even the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, usually known for its simplicity, was extravagantly decorated here.
A signboard crafted from 10,000-year-old Zen wood bore the three large characters: "Hundred Herbs Pavilion." Where stone lion statues might typically guard an entrance, two Sixth Rank Pixiu now squatted. Although these particular Pixiu possessed mixed Bloodlines, purebred Pixiu were, after all, Divine Beasts!
"WHOA! Steward Zhang finally renovated the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, eh? I’ve been saying it needed an upgrade for ages! This look truly captures the spirit of our Myriad Beasts Sect. That bare-bones appearance before made people think our Myriad Beasts Sect was poorer than some minor sects!" Lin Jiu exclaimed, surprised by the sight of the two Pixiu, which were idly scratching themselves, looking utterly bored.
The three of them headed straight for the Hundred Herbs Pavilion. The two Pixiu merely shot them a sidelong glance before dismissing them.
"Old Zhang! Old Zhang! Customers are here!" Lin Jiu bellowed from inside the shop.
The Female Cultivator who was about to step forward and greet them hesitated, a look of embarrassment flickering across her face as she seemed unsure what to say. Seeing this, Chen Jiuge addressed her, "We are Inner Sect Disciples from the Myriad Beasts Sect, here to complete a task. Could you please inform your Pavilion Master?"
"Who are you hollering for, Lin Jiu, you little rascal? What wind blew you in today?" The voice arrived before its owner.
"Old Zhang, it’s been decades! You have to treat me to a night out at the Flower Fairy Building tonight," Lin Jiu said jovially to the middle-aged, scholarly-looking man who rounded the corner.
"Elder Brother Lin, let’s complete the task first," Zhen Yan interjected seriously, producing a Storage Ring and presenting it to Pavilion Master Zhang.
Pavilion Master Zhang, who had the demeanor of a Confucian scholar, accepted the Storage Ring. After a quick scan with his Divine Sense, he nodded in satisfaction. "It’s always you young ladies who are the sensible ones."
"And this is?" Pavilion Master Zhang inquired, his gaze shifting to Chen Jiuge.
"Chen Jiuge, a new Disciple of our Hundred Herbs Peak. What do you say? Shouldn’t we give him a proper welcome feast?" Lin Jiu chimed in, winking.
"You little scamp! Alright, Flower Fairy Building it is tonight. You three go get some rest first," Pavilion Master Zhang agreed generously, chuckling despite his mock scolding.
The Hundred Herbs Pavilion was enormous. It likely had a Space Array set up inside, making the interior far more expansive than it appeared from the outside.
The three of them casually selected rooms on the top floor. After briefly tidying his room, Chen Jiuge decided to go out for a stroll. Just as he stepped out his door, Lin Jiu caught up to him.
"Elder Brother Lin, what is it?" Chen Jiuge asked, looking at Lin Jiu, who was right behind him.
"Junior Brother, I bet you want to explore the city. Shall we go together?" Lin Jiu invited.
Chen Jiuge readily accepted Elder Brother Lin’s invitation. It was always better to have a familiar guide than to wander around aimlessly by himself.
On the bustling street, Lin Jiu took a sip of wine from his flask and said, "Junior Brother Chen, you’re also walking the path of a Beast Master, aren’t you?"
"Yes, Elder Brother Lin." Although Chen Jiuge didn’t fully grasp the implication of Elder Brother Lin’s words, he answered honestly.
"Junior Brother, there’s a place in White Burning Immortal City that I guarantee you’ll find interesting," Lin Jiu said, deliberately pausing for effect.
"What place?" This Elder Brother Lin is like a child, Chen Jiuge thought with mild exasperation. Always leaving things half-said, waiting for you to press him before he continues.
"The Bai Family’s ancestor was once the Great Elder of our Myriad Beasts Sect’s Flying Fish Peak. When he grew old, he chose to leave the sect and establish his own family. His most powerful Lifebound Spirit Beast was the Void Flying Fish."
"Over tens of thousands of years here in White Burning Immortal City, the Bai Family has bred countless varieties of flying fish. They even established a shop specializing in them, called the Myriad Fish Cage," Lin Jiu explained, pointing towards one of the tallest buildings in the distance.
Lin Jiu’s words piqued Chen Jiuge’s interest. The advancement and Bloodline evolution of Spiritual Beasts always trended towards greater power. Fish, as a species, weren’t inherently among the strongest, so most of them, when they evolved, tended to develop towards Dragon Species.
"Elder Brother Lin, your junior brother is indeed very interested!" Chen Jiuge said with a spark of excitement.
"HEHEHE, I’m not done yet! The Myriad Fish Cage is a bit unique. All their fish are bred using Secret Techniques. Therefore, the Bloodline rank of each fish egg is unknown until it hatches."
"That’s why the Myriad Fish Cage evolved from simply selling Spiritual Fish to its current main business: fish gambling!" Lin Jiu explained, his voice brimming with excitement.
"ERM..." Observing his highly enthused Elder Brother Lin, Chen Jiuge’s initial interest in the Myriad Fish Cage suddenly waned.
Fish gambling? What in the world is that? he wondered. In my past life, I only ever heard of gambling on jade stones or pearls. Is the Cultivation World this progressive now? They’re even gambling on fish?
Still, this might be a way to make some money, Chen Jiuge mused. The only issue is that my Golden Finger seems to require direct contact with a Spiritual Beast to reveal its Bloodline strength and type. I wonder if it would work on unhatched fish eggs?
While Lin Jiu chattered on about various individuals who had supposedly struck it rich overnight by purchasing a Top Grade flying fish, Chen Jiuge offered a few noncommittal responses. Before long, they arrived at the Myriad Fish Cage.