Chapter 911
Chapter 911
The largest intelligence hub in Qinglan City is the "All-Knowing Building," located next to the city's central square. This building has a mysterious background and is said to "know everything." As long as you can afford it, you can buy almost any information you want. Of course, matters involving the core secrets of top-tier forces or ancient top-secret information come at astronomical prices.
Upon arriving at the Wan Shi Lou, Fu Shaoping did not directly inquire about sensitive topics such as "Qi Shu," "Wan Qi Alliance," or "Ancient Contracts." Instead, he first purchased a copy of "The Chronicles of the Central Plains: Southeast Chapter" and a newly released jade slip titled "Detailed Explanation of Qinglan City and Surrounding Forces." These two items cost him one hundred mid-grade spirit stones.
Back in the quiet room of the inn, Fu Shaoping studied it carefully.
The jade slip records that Qinglan City is jointly controlled by three major forces:
The Qinglan Sect is the largest sect in the area, specializing in wood-type and wind-type cultivation techniques. It has a history of over three thousand years and is said to have two Nascent Soul elders in charge. The sect leader is also a Golden Core cultivator at the Great Perfection stage.
The Yunmeng Merchant Alliance controls trade in the Yunmeng Great Swamp and surrounding waters, is extremely wealthy, and has close ties with many large merchant guilds. The alliance is full of experts, and it is said that it has more than one Nascent Soul guest minister.
The Ouyang family is the oldest cultivation family in the area, specializing in weapon crafting and formations. They have many Golden Core cultivators and a profound cultural heritage.
The three major forces appear to be on good terms, working together to maintain order in Qinglan City, but they also secretly compete for interests.
Besides these three local tyrants, Qinglan City also has branches of large cross-regional organizations such as "Tianji Pavilion," "Wanbao Tower," and "Danding Pavilion," with powerful backgrounds that no one dares to provoke.
"Tianji Pavilion..." Fu Shaoping saw the name and remembered the token given to him by Xing Yanzi. He decided not to disturb them for the time being; it was best to keep a low profile since he was new here.
Next, he began to peruse "The Records of the Customs and Products of China" to gain a broader understanding of the landscape of China.
The vast Central Plains are roughly divided into five major domains: the Eastern Hua Domain, the Southern Li Domain, the Western Extreme Domain, the Northern Xuan Domain, and the Central Heaven Domain. Each domain contains dozens or even hundreds of kingdoms of varying sizes and countless sects and families, with intertwined and complex power structures, far more intricate than those in the Northern Territory.
Among them, the Central Heavenly Domain is the most special. It is the core of the Central Plains, with the densest spiritual energy and the most complete rules. It is also the location of the strongest sect in the Central Plains, the "Tianyan Sect," as well as several top-tier families with ancient heritages. It is rumored that there are powerful cultivators who have achieved the Nascent Soul stage in seclusion there.
Qinglan City is located on the southeastern edge of Donghua Domain.
The jade slip also mentioned some famous dangerous places and secret realms in the Central Plains, as well as major events in recent years. Fu Shaoping noticed one piece of information:
"In the 'Heavenly Wind Canyon' of the Eastern Hua Domain, the ancient ruins 'Wind Spirit Palace' emerged three years ago, sparking a struggle among various forces. Ultimately, the ruins were jointly controlled by the 'Heavenly Evolution Sect' and the 'Wind and Thunder Pavilion'. However, it is said that fragments of the 'Ancient Contract Stele' have been leaked from the depths of the ruins, attracting the attention of some cultivators who practice the unorthodox path of contract."
"Ancient Contract Stele..." Fu Shaoping's heart stirred. Could this be related to the ancient Dao of Contracts?
He continued searching and found a few more scattered pieces of information about the "contract":
"Near the 'Fire Cloud Cave' in the Southern Li Domain, there are suspected fluctuations from the ancient 'Fire Element Pact' array, which has attracted many array masters and fire cultivators to study it."
“In recent years, a type of ‘Contract Black Iron’ containing faint ‘Golden Iron Contract’ characteristics has been mined in the ‘Golden Iron Contract’ of the Western Region. It is an excellent material for refining contract-type magic artifacts and is very expensive.”
“The ‘City of Inquiry’ in the Central Heavenly Domain holds the ‘Great Assembly of Ten Thousand Laws’ every hundred years, which includes a ‘Contractual Dao Discussion’ forum. It is the highest-level gathering for contractual cultivators in the Central Plains to exchange ideas. The next assembly will be held in twenty-three years.”
The information is complex and requires careful sorting.
Fu Shaoping stayed in Qinglan City for half a month, digesting the intelligence while strolling around the city's shops, stalls, teahouses, and taverns, gleaning useful information from the conversations of others, and secretly observing for any signs of Wanqi Alliance activity.
He cultivated the orthodox path of contracts and possessed fragments of the "Contract Token" and a source core, making him acutely sensitive to the power of evil contracts. However, after half a month, he had not discovered any obvious traces of evil contracts, suggesting that the tentacles of the Myriad Contracts Alliance had not yet penetrated this area, or were hidden very deeply.
“It seems that to find clues about the purification of the ‘Spirit of Contracts,’ the ancient contracts, and the Myriad Contracts Alliance, we can’t limit ourselves to relatively remote areas like Qinglan City. We need to go to more central, ancient, and information-rich places.” Fu Shaoping had made up his mind.
He decided to first go to the vicinity of "Tianfeng Canyon" to see what the so-called fragments of the "Ancient Contract Stele" were, hoping to find something useful. After all, the Wind Spirit Palace had only been discovered three years ago, and the things that had leaked out might not have been fully studied yet, so there were relatively more opportunities.
Before leaving Qinglan City, Fu Shaoping visited the Qinglan branch of "Wanbaolou" to replenish his stock of pills and talismans, which were special products of the Central Plains, and purchased a more detailed map of the Eastern China Domain.
Three days later, Fu Shaoping left Qinglan City and flew towards Tianfeng Canyon in the northwest.
Tianfeng Canyon is located in the central part of Donghua Domain, about 500,000 miles away from Qinglan City. Even at Fu Shaoping's current speed, it would take him more than a month to travel there at full speed.
Along the way, he was cautious, avoiding areas where powerful demonic beasts were clearly lurking or where the space was unstable, and also trying to avoid conflicts with unfamiliar cultivators. The overall strength of cultivators in the Central Divine Continent was higher than that in the Northern Territory. Although Golden Core cultivators were considered experts in their own right, they were by no means rare, so it was always better to keep a low profile.
Twenty days later, Fu Shaoping passed through a cultivator market called "Luoxia Mountain" and decided to rest for a while and inquire about the latest situation in Tianfeng Valley.
The market town of Luoxia Mountain was not large, but it was quite lively due to its location on a major transportation route. Fu Shaoping sat down in the largest teahouse in the market town, "Tingfeng Pavilion," ordered a pot of spiritual tea, and casually listened to the conversations of the cultivators around him.
Soon, he heard discussions about Tianfeng Canyon.
"...The exploration rights of the Wind Spirit Palace are controlled by the Heavenly Evolution Sect and the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, and outsiders cannot enter the core area at all. However, I heard that there are some scattered ruins on the outer perimeter, and occasionally something can be dug up."
"That's right. A while ago, a rogue cultivator was lucky enough to find a bronze piece engraved with strange characters. It seemed to be a fragment of some ancient contract document, and it was bought by an elder of the Thousand Machines Sect for a high price."
"The Thousand Machines Sect? That sect famous for its puppetry and mechanical arts? Are they also interested in these ancient contracts?"
"Who knows? But things have been rather unsettled around Tianfeng Canyon lately. I've heard that several groups have already clashed several times over some unearthed artifacts..."
Fu Shaoping understood. It seemed that the news of the "contract stele fragment" had indeed attracted a lot of attention.
As he was pondering this, a conversation at the next table caught his attention.
They were three ordinary-looking cultivators, two men and one woman, all at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. They spoke in extremely low voices and had set up a soundproof barrier; if Fu Shaoping hadn't had a strong spiritual sense and was paying close attention, he would have barely heard them.
"...Is the information reliable? Did that thing really appear near 'Black Wind Cave'?"
“It’s about 80% reliable. The ‘Shadow Rat’ saw it with his own eyes. Although he didn’t see exactly what it was, the special contract fluctuations were unmistakable. It’s very likely one of the ‘ancient contract fragments’ that were rumored to have leaked from the Wind Spirit Palace.” “The ‘Black Wind Cave’ is not a good place to enter. The gales inside are fierce, and the ‘Black Fiend Wind Soul’ is also lurking there. Even a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator would have a hard time getting in.”
"That's why we need to find someone to cooperate with. Even if the three of us find it, we might not be able to take it away. I've heard that 'Ghost Hand' and 'Blood Lady' are also after that thing, and they may have already joined forces."
"Hmph, those two guys are ruthless and can't be trusted. How about... we find a few decent rogue cultivators to temporarily form a team? We can distribute the spoils according to their contributions afterward."
"That's one way. But we need to find someone trustworthy, and their abilities can't be too weak..."
Fu Shaoping's heart skipped a beat. "Ancient contract fragments"? Black Wind Cave? It sounded like a dangerous place on the outskirts of Tianfeng Canyon, where items related to ancient contracts might be found.
He was quite interested in the so-called "ancient contract fragments." This might be an opportunity for him to come into contact with ancient contracts from the Central Plains.
He calmly finished his tea, paid the bill, and left. He then strolled casually through the market, but was actually keeping an eye on the movements of the three cultivators.
Half an hour later, the three cultivators left the teahouse and headed towards a relatively secluded grove of trees outside the market. Fu Shaoping followed at a distance.
In the woods, the three cultivators indeed began to whisper and discuss forming a team. They seemed to have already contacted two other Golden Core cultivators who appeared to be quite powerful, and were arranging a time and place to meet.
When Fu Shaoping and the others finished their discussion and were about to leave, they slowly emerged from their hiding place.
"Fellow Daoists, please wait a moment."
The three immediately became alert, turning to look at Fu Shaoping, their hands already on their magical artifacts. "Who are you? Why are you eavesdropping on our conversation?"
Fu Shaoping smiled slightly, releasing a trace of the aura of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator (not fully revealed): "My name is Lu Ping, a wandering cultivator who has traveled here. I overheard you discussing the 'Black Wind Cave' and the 'Ancient Contract Fragment', and I found it quite interesting. If you are forming a team, would you be willing to join me?"
Sensing the profound aura emanating from Fu Shaoping (who deliberately created the oppressive aura characteristic of late-stage Golden Core cultivators), the three's expressions changed slightly, and they exchanged glances. The square-faced middle-aged cultivator at the head of the group cupped his hands and said, "So it's Fellow Daoist Lu. I am Zhao Kun, and these two are my younger sister Zhao Yue and my friend Sun Li."
He paused, then said, “Fellow Daoist Lu’s cultivation is profound. If you could join us, it would naturally be a great honor for us. However… the Black Wind Cave is indeed dangerous, and the ‘Ancient Contract Fragment’ may attract other powerful enemies. Are you aware of the risks involved, Fellow Daoist Lu? And why are you interested in this item?”
Fu Shaoping said calmly, "You are aware of the risks. As for my interests... I have some knowledge of the ancient contract system, and having heard that a fragment of an ancient contract has appeared, I naturally want to see it. If I gain anything, I am willing to distribute it according to the rules and will never bully the weak."
His tone was calm, but the subtle pressure emanating from him made Zhao Kun and the other two dare not underestimate him. It was already quite rare for a late-stage Golden Core cultivator to be willing to follow the rules.
After discussing it telepathically with Zhao Yue and Sun Li for a moment, Zhao Kun finally nodded and said, "Alright! Fellow Daoist Lu is straightforward and honest, we trust you. We will meet at 'Soul-Severing Cliff' thirty miles north of Luoxia Mountain three days from now at Chenshi (7-9 AM) and head to Black Wind Cave together. There are also two other fellow Daoists who will be introduced to Fellow Daoist Lu at that time."
"It's a deal." Fu Shaoping cupped his hands in greeting.
The two sides exchanged communication talismans and then went their separate ways.
Fu Shaoping returned to the inn in the market town, pondering the situation. These three, Zhao Kun and his companions, didn't seem like wicked people, but one should always be wary. The trip to Black Wind Cave was both an opportunity and a potential trap. He needed to be fully prepared.
He took out a map and located the "Black Wind Cave". This cave is located deep in a valley on the outskirts of Tianfeng Canyon, where strong winds howl all year round. It is named after the black, malevolent winds that occasionally spew out from the cave. The terrain inside the cave is complex and the environment is harsh, making it a truly dangerous place.
"Ancient contract fragments... I hope this trip will not be in vain." Fu Shaoping closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, waiting for the three-day deadline.
The first adventure in the Central Plains is about to begin.
Three days later, at the Cliff of Broken Souls.
When Fu Shaoping arrived, Zhao Kun and two others were already waiting there, along with two other people.
A man dressed in a gray robe, with an ordinary face but eyes as sharp as an eagle, large knuckles on his hands with a metallic sheen, exuded an aura of mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. He was nicknamed "Ghost Hands" and, according to Zhao Kun, was skilled in claw techniques and tracking.
The other was a bewitching woman dressed in red, with spring-like eyes and snow-white skin. A scarlet whip was wrapped around her waist. She was also at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm and was known as "Blood Lady". It was said that she was ruthless and especially skilled in poison and charm.
When the two men saw Fu Shaoping, a hint of scrutiny and apprehension flashed in their eyes. Even in the Central Plains, a rogue cultivator at the late Golden Core stage was not a rare sight.
"This is Fellow Daoist Lu Ping. He is highly skilled and has extensive knowledge of ancient contracts. He is a powerful ally in our operation," Zhao Kun introduced.
Ghost Hand and Blood Maiden nodded slightly as a greeting, their attitude neither warm nor cold.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s set off.” Ghost Hand’s voice was hoarse. “Black Wind Cave is still a thousand miles away from here. On the way, we will have to pass through ‘Miasma Ridge’, where demonic birds often appear. We need to be careful.”
The group of six each rode their own escape lights and flew towards the Black Wind Cave.
As its name suggests, Miasma Ridge is perpetually shrouded in a grayish-green miasma, and its fierce winds can dissipate any protective aura. The six had to lower their altitude and fly close to the ridge, which significantly reduced their speed.
As expected, they encountered several waves of demonic birds along the way, mostly Foundation Establishment stage "Iron Feather Eagles" and "Corruption Vultures," with an occasional Golden Core stage "Wind Fiend Vulture Kings." However, the six of them were quite strong, and with their combined strength, they managed to repel or kill them without serious harm.
Fu Shaoping noticed that Ghost Hand and Blood Maiden were indeed ruthless, especially Blood Maiden's whip techniques and poison skills, which were bizarre and cunning, contrasting sharply with her alluring appearance. Zhao Kun and the other two cooperated seamlessly, their offense and defense well-balanced, clearly indicating that they had been working together for many years.
Half a day later, the group arrived at the valley where Black Wind Cave was located.
The valley entrance is narrow, flanked by towering black rock walls. A fierce wind howls within, whipping up clouds of sand and gravel with a sound like the wailing of ghosts and wolves. The air is thick with the pungent smell of sulfur and a faint fishy odor.
"The Black Wind Cave is deep in the valley, its entrance blocked by fierce winds. It requires a specific magical artifact or incantation to temporarily break through before entry." Zhao Kun took out a cyan wind-elemental talisman. "This is our 'Wind-Stabilizing Talisman,' which can temporarily stabilize the fierce winds at the cave entrance for ten breaths. We need to enter completely within ten breaths." (End of Chapter)