It was an identical spirit crystal cloud altar, and similarly, a Soul Formation cultivator stood guard over the Interprovincial Passage.
As the surrounding light faded, Wen Li, clad in a black cloak, calmly stood up and walked down the white jade steps.
“Go on out. Once your identity is verified again without issue, you will be issued an interprovincial spirit slip. If you wish to return to the Western Province, just bring the spirit slip back here.”
From beneath the white cloak on the cloud altar came a distant, aged voice, the speaker's face concealed from view.
“Thank you, Senior.” Wen Li raised her hands in salute.
She then turned and left the cloud altar hall.
Atop the cloud altar, the figure in the white-and-gold cloak shifted. A pair of aged yet exceptionally clear eyes opened, rippling with emotion for merely a second before closing once more, paying her no further mind.
Useless Five Elements Spiritual Roots. It had been centuries since they had seen such a thing, yet she had managed to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. Her perseverance was truly extraordinary.
What a pity she possessed five spiritual roots.
Wen Li followed the only passage out. This was also an undersea world, its layout identical to the Eight Trigrams Black-and-White City in the Western Province.
Just as she stepped out of the first gate:
“Halt. Identity verification.”
Two Soul Formation cultivators sat cross-legged atop a high tower.
Wen Li obediently relaxed, submitting to the inspection of her cultivation and identity just as she had in the Western Province. The crushing spiritual pressure from the Soul Formation cultivators' divine senses still felt as suffocating as bearing the weight of whole mountain ranges.
Two rings of light fell upon her, thoroughly scanning her entire body.
Soon, the divine senses of the Soul Formation cultivators withdrew completely from her body.
“This is an interprovincial spirit slip. Drip a drop of blood onto it. When returning to the Western Province, bring it directly to the Kunlun Domain to find the Third Elder. He will bring you here.”
Without moving an inch, the white-cloaked Soul Formation cultivator on the left sent a pale green jade slip flying into Wen Li's hand.
Wen Li nodded. “Thank you, Seniors.”
Feng Ling had already briefed her on this matter.
The two Soul Formation cultivators then simultaneously formed hand seals to cast their technique, finally opening the ten checkpoints beneath the Eight Trigrams Black-and-White City.
Wen Li passed through gates pulsing with spiritual energy one after another.
As she stepped through the final gate, her body was suddenly pulled into pitch-black darkness, as if sucked into another space.
Ten seconds later, light returned to Wen Li's vision.
Looking up, she found herself in the center of a colossal array inside a cavern abode. High-grade spirit stones were piled high like mountains, bathing the entire space in an ethereal blue glow, where three white-robed cultivators stood waiting.
Seeing someone arrive, the white-robed cultivator leading them in the center, Xiang Yifei, stepped forward respectfully.
“Might Senior be a guest from the Western Province?”
Whenever someone crossed through the Interprovincial Passage, the receiving side would know—whether it was the undersea Eight Trigrams Black-and-White City or the sect guarding the passage on the surface.
“Mm.” Wen Li wore a black cloak embroidered with gilded peonies, revealing only the chin beneath her golden mask.
Xiang Yifei politely inquired, “Pardon my presumption, but could Junior take a look at your interprovincial spirit slip to verify your identity?”
Security for the passage was strictly managed, so Wen Li did not mind and waved her hand.
Not daring to take it directly with his bare hands, Xiang Yifei merely infused a wisp of spiritual energy into it to inspect the inscription before bowing respectfully. “We respectfully invite Senior into the Kunlun Domain.”
He stepped aside to lead the way, and Wen Li followed.
She observed that this cavern abode was yet another checkpoint. The high-grade spirit stones piled around were meant to power the defensive array; at the slightest irregularity, the grand array would instantly activate to trap and obliterate anyone inside.
“Is this Senior's first visit to the Northern Province? The Kunlun Domain has prepared a map of the Northern Province along with detailed explanations of various factions, as well as an identity transit token. If Senior needs to know anything, Junior will certainly tell everything he knows without holding back.”
Anyone capable of accessing the Interprovincial Passage and teleporting across was either a Soul Formation expert or had a Soul Formation backer. The hosting sect naturally had to treat them with great care and try to win their favor.
Xiang Yifei led Wen Li down a long corridor. When the mountain gate finally swung open, the open sky came into view—a magnificent plateau beneath lingering white clouds and an azure expanse.
Accepting the storage bag he handed over, Wen Li asked, “Who is the current Saint Patriarch of the Kunlun Domain?”
The Kunlun Domain of the Northern Province was somewhat unique; rather than operating as a sect, it was governed by clan lineage. The supreme authority was not a sect master, but bore the title of Saint Patriarch, followed by the Saint Son.
Xiang Yifei paused. Wasn't this person teleporting to the Northern Province from the Western Province for the first time? How did she know about the Kunlun Domain's Saint Patriarch? Still, for someone capable of traveling here, knowing this was hardly surprising.
“Replying to Senior, it is Saint Patriarch Xiang Dingzhi.”
Upon hearing the name, Wen Li drew a blank.
It was probably one of Xiang Chongming's distant great-great-grandsons by now.
The two boarded a flying boat and entered the territory of the Kunlun Domain.
Looking down from high above, the Kunlun Domain was a plateau of snowcapped mountains. Yet unlike the Far Cold Lands of the Western Province where snow blanketed everything year-round, here only the mountain peaks were covered in snow. The surrounding highlands were freezing but snowless, dotted with alpine vegetation.
Further down the slopes, lush greenery even flourished, resembling a transition through the four seasons.
“Does Senior have a place to stay? If Senior does not mind, the Kunlun Domain would be pleased to arrange a cavern dwelling for you.”
Wen Li waved her hand. “No need. I am used to roaming free.”
“Understood.” Hearing this, Xiang Yifei pressed no further.
The flying boat touched down before the gates of the Kunlun Domain's city.
“Farewell, Senior.” Xiang Yifei bowed with hands raised.
Wen Li gave a slight nod, disembarking the flying boat without a word. Rather than entering the city, she turned and flew away on her sword.
Seeing this, Xiang Yifei returned to the Kunlun Domain to deliver his report.
“System, lead the way.”
Wen Li had no desire to waste time.
[Five hundred thousand li to the southeast, the Zhengyong Kingdom, a Third-Grade Cultivation Kingdom, the Wangyue Sect.]
...
After bouncing between teleportation arrays and flying on her sword for half a day, the Zhengyong Kingdom was situated at the southernmost border of the Northern Province's three Fourth-Grade Cultivation Kingdoms.
“Yue City.”
The black-cloaked figure landed on the ground. Glancing at the massive characters carved onto the city gate, Wen Li stepped inside.
Strolling along the streets, after entering the city, only two words filled Wen Li's eyes:
“Filthy rich!”
The ordinary commoners along the streets were all clad in supple silks instead of coarse linen, and even the vegetable vendors sported brocade robes, thick-soled shoes, and bright, energetic expressions. As for the passing cultivators, each held at least a mid-grade magical artifact in hand, and when paying for goods, they casually tossed out mid-grade spirit stones without sparing so much as a glance for low-grade ones.
If only a handful of people were like this, it could be chalked up to sharp business acumen. But if the entire city—commoners and cultivators alike—was this prosperous, then the true power lay with the grand sect ruling over this territory.
[See, Host, didn't I tell you? This third villain is a second-generation rich kid. Wait, taking a closer look, he's probably from old money stretching back generations! His wealth is comparable to an entire Fourth-Grade Cultivation Kingdom at least. Sure, he hasn't blackened yet and is a bit of a naive sweetheart, but he's loaded!]
The System, seemingly seeing that Wen Li's money-grubbing streak was rearing its head, smugly kicked back its feet.
“Who's calling this disciple naive? That's amazing! He doesn't need to blacken at all—he just needs to spend money on me.” Wen Li shook her head to clear her mind. Suppressing the urge to let her itchy fingers wander, she sprinted forward into the city with all her might.
She couldn't wait to lay eyes on her moneybag—er, her new disciple.
[Wait, hold on, Host! The navigation shows your third disciple is rapidly moving southeast. In other words... he's leaving the city.]
“Leaving the city?!”
Running at full tilt, Wen Li slammed on the brakes.
“Turn around!”
For the sake of money, she was far more patient than usual today. Turning right around, she rushed out of the city, promptly summoned Hold On, and shot off into the distance.
...
Rate on N.U.
