Staring at the roiling black sand before him, Fang Qingyuan stroked Jinbao’s round head. Beneath his cloak, he was lost in thought.
A month ago, following the pull of his Foundation Establishnt Opportunity, Fang Qingyuan had traveled west. He never expected that after much andering, he would end up here in Black Sand City.
It was a strange twist of fate. Fang Qingyuan had only visited the Sea of Death once or twice, yet it was there he faced the greatest crisis of the past twenty years. He had single-handedly killed two Late-stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators. While the process couldn’t be called perilous, it had certainly been thrilling.
’And yet, how did my Foundation Establishnt Opportunity end up in a place like this?’
In this world, a Foundation Establishnt Opportunity didn’t just appear out of thin air. As Fang Qingyuan understood it, it was a transcendent shortcut born from a cultivator’s subconscious, blended with a sliver of cosmic chance. Any cultivator who wished to walk this path had to take so risks.
Cultivators who sought their Foundation Establishnt Opportunity usually did so alone. It wasn’t that they didn’t want outside help, but past examples had shown that the more external forces got involved, the more one would stray from their true goal.
Fang Qingyuan’s Foundation Establishnt Opportunity had led him here, but after he entered Black Sand City, that faint, indistinct pull vanished. It seed he would have to figure it out on his own.
Without the spiritual light to guide him, Fang Qingyuan didn’t grow impatient. Seeing as he wouldn’t be able to leave for a while, he took Jinbao and properly entered Black Sand City.
Black Sand City was as dilapidated as ever. Thanks to the relentless scouring of the black sandstorms, the protective Array surrounding the city had beco sluggish and clogged many years ago. Sothing had gone wrong sowhere, causing a few openings to tear open, allowing sand to pour in and fill nearly half of the city’s buildings.
The sect that managed the city had been in financial straits for years, and the Array’s repairs were long overdue. There were even rumors that the city’s administrators wanted to abandon it and relocate, as their expenses far exceeded their inco.
These rumors didn’t affect Fang Qingyuan’s stay. With Spirit Stones in hand, one could enjoy the finest hospitality anywhere.
Fang Qingyuan found a lodge in the city and took a room. He asked for a superior room, but even though it was called "superior," it was worse than even a low-grade room back in Yuanling Square Marketplace. And for this, it still cost fifty Spirit Stones a month.
Of course, an expense of a few dozen Spirit Stones was nothing to Fang Qingyuan now. Inside his Immortal Mansion, he had a pile of nearly two hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones. If any of the local Golden Core Cultivators knew about it, they probably wouldn’t be able to resist trying to rob him.
After securing his lodging, Fang Qingyuan shut his door and didn’t go out. He and Jinbao remained cooped up in the room, quietly observing the local situation.
Although Fang Qingyuan had been to Black Sand City once or twice before, he had only been an independent rchant passing through. He would just trade his goods and pay no mind to anything else.
’But things are different now. It looks like I’ll have to stay here for a year or so. If things don’t go smoothly, it could even be two or three years.’
She Xuanyan of the She Family had also been out seeking his Foundation Establishnt Opportunity for two years and had yet to return. Back then, it had also taken Jiang Kui a full year to complete her own Foundation Establishnt.
’As long as I can reach Foundation Establishnt, even three to five years would be completely worth it. The only thing that worries is whether sothing might go wrong at Yuanling Mountain without there.’
’But it’s useless to worry about that now. Compared to my own breakthrough, even if sothing did happen to Yuanling Mountain, I’d have to deal with it later. Right now, nothing is more important than achieving Foundation Establishnt.’
Since he had made up his mind to stay here long-term, he definitely needed to understand the local situation. And so, after being cooped up in the lodge for seven or eight days, Fang Qingyuan finally left his room, taking Jinbao with him to gather information.
...
The territory of Black Sand City wasn’t very large. Due to the black sandstorms, the sky above the city was perpetually overcast. Mortals here were pitifully few. Because parts of the Array were damaged, sand would seep through the cracks like black hail, carrying enough force to pierce tal and stone, wiping out the buildings below. Under these conditions, any non-Cultivator caught in it would surely die.
It was the first ti Fang Qingyuan had ever seen a place where the proportion of Cultivators among the pedestrians was higher than that of mortals.
On the streets, everyone was dressed similarly: a long robe and a wide-brimd hat that covered their entire body, not even revealing their eyes. Fang Qingyuan got an outfit for Jinbao as well—when in Ro, after all. Of course, the more practical reason was that Jinbao’s eyes were constantly getting irritated by the sand, and a hat would keep it out of his eyes, nose, and mouth.
With the hat on, Jinbao also began to walk upright. Although it was a bit wobbly and unnatural, no one who saw this figure would ever guess—without sweeping with their Divine Sense—that beneath the hat was a Tai Chi Bear Beast.
Leaving the lodge, Fang Qingyuan walked through several dilapidated streets and arrived at South Street. This was the Independent Practitioner Marketplace, a place where all sorts of shady and respectable characters mingled. Fang Qingyuan had co here looking for a broker.
The best way to learn about a new place was to spend so Spirit Stones and hire soone. A broker’s business was built on reputation. Even though Fang Qingyuan was an outsider, these brokers would never ruin their own na for no good reason. They were worthy of a little trust, and besides, he was only looking for so information.
Shortly after entering South Street, Fang Qingyuan’s eyes landed on a young girl with a kind-looking face. The girl had just been talking to a cultivator, but a mont later, she sat down dejectedly on a step, looking disheartened. The deal must have fallen through.
Compared to the sly old-tirs full of tricks, Fang Qingyuan much preferred soone who was just starting out—still green and pure. Dealing with them would be less of a hassle. Her professional skills might be lacking, but his requirents weren’t high.
So, Fang Qingyuan gave Jinbao a hand signal, and the man and beast swayed over to the young girl.
Seeing Fang Qingyuan approach, the young girl quickly stood up from the steps and smiled at him.
"Are you a Broker?"
Fang Qingyuan looked at the young girl before him, a hint of doubt in his voice. ’No wonder the deal fell through. She looks so young.’
"I am indeed a Broker. My na is Wu Mi. You can ask anything, Sir. I grew up in this city, so I know a little about everything here. My rates are low, and if you’re not satisfied, you don’t have to pay any Spirit Stones at all."
Wu Mi had a classic baby face and fair skin. A long braid tied behind her back made her look a bit more capable. As she spoke to Fang Qingyuan, her face was full of earnest eagerness. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, and though she was a Qi Cultivation Cultivator, her cultivation was only at the Third-Layer Qi Cultivation.
Perhaps because she had just failed to close a deal, Wu Mi was particularly attentive to Fang Qingyuan. In her desperation to be hired, she had even offered a "no satisfaction, no fee" guarantee.
"Alright then, you’re hired. Get your things. This isn’t the place to talk."
After saying this, Fang Qingyuan turned and led Jinbao away from the street. Wu Mi watched his back, her expression shifting from joy to worry. She bit her lip for a few monts before finally following him.
Fang Qingyuan observed this with his Divine Sense and felt a bit more at ease about the girl. He had been worried that Wu Mi might be a sly old fox pretending to be a rookie to trick him. Such situations were rare, but not unheard of.
After all, in the Cultivation Realm, anything strange and bizarre could happen.
Fang Qingyuan led her off South Street but didn’t take Wu Mi back to his lodge, lest he scare the poor girl away. Instead, he found a teahouse by the roadside, requested a private room, and then gestured for Wu Mi, who was waiting at the door, to co in.
Seeing that they were just talking business in a teahouse, Wu Mi visibly sighed in relief. She followed Fang Qingyuan obediently. When the Spirit Tea was served, she stared at it, a little shocked.
’I’ve really run into a wealthy client this ti. He even ordered the best Cyan Cloud Spirit Hero just for a casual chat. This single cup of tea probably costs more than my entire commission.’
But after taking a sip of the shop’s best Cyan Cloud Spirit Hero, Fang Qingyuan’s brow furrowed slightly. He took only one more sip before putting the cup down, not touching it again.
’It’s easy to go from frugal to lavish, but so hard to go back. After getting used to Profound Tier Middle Grade Mingxin Qingling Tea, this Yellow Tier Top Grade Cyan Cloud Spirit Hero just didn’t suit his palate.’
"I’m new here, and I’d like to ask about the situation in Black Sand City. Miss Wu, could you tell who’s in charge, and which powers one can’t afford to offend?"
Fang Qingyuan’s voice was clear and his tone was polite. His questions were standard fare; any cultivator looking to settle in Black Sand City would need to know this information.
Wu Mi was clearly no stranger to these questions. She quickly put down her cup and said to Fang Qingyuan with a serious expression:
"No single power is completely in charge of Black Sand City. Even the original masters of this place, the Wind Breath Sect, moved most of their mbers and disciples to a Land Realm thousands of miles away because the environnt here is too harsh. They only left behind a Late-stage Foundation Establishnt Cultivator to serve as the nominal City Lord, manage the city, and collect the Stamp Duty.
"Besides the Wind Breath Sect, there are two other factions vying for future control of the city. One is the Talisman Divination Alliance, which occupies the southern part of the city. Their leader is Chu River, a Late-stage Foundation Establishnt Cultivator who is said to be ’a master of both talismans and divination, with no skill in which he is not an expert.’
"The other faction is Da Zui Hall, which is entrenched in the northern city. It’s a branch of another major power. Although they are weaker than the Talisman Divination Alliance, the Alliance doesn’t dare to press them too hard. The two factions have coexisted in Black Sand City for many years, each maintaining a tacit understanding."
After hearing all this, Fang Qingyuan lightly tapped his fingers on the table and sank into thought. ’It’s strange that in a city as large as Black Sand City, there isn’t a single Golden Core Cultivator.’
’Then again, considering even the Wind Breath Sect, which possessed Golden Core-level combat power, couldn’t stand it and moved away, it’s natural that other Golden Core Cultivators wouldn’t be interested in this place either.’
’That just leaves two Foundation Establishnt factions to fight over the scraps. But in a way, this is a good thing for . Without any Golden Core Cultivators, no matter how chaotic the situation gets, it can’t spiral too far out of control.’
’But where exactly is my Foundation Establishnt Opportunity supposed to manifest?’
Thinking of this, Fang Qingyuan looked at Wu Mi, who was sipping her Spirit Tea with relish, her eyes narrowed in bliss, and asked:
"In that case, do you know where the Black Market is held here?"
"Ah..."
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