The abandoned cannon fodder girl's path to immortality

Chapter 276 Raging Wave City

Three days later, the Demon Sea was repaired and set sail again.

The westward sea route remained treacherous, but no further large-scale attacks by sea monsters were encountered along the way.

Most of the monks on board were recuperating and recovering in the quiet rooms, digesting what they had learned from the trip. The deck was much quieter than usual.

At this time, it is the quiet room of the Heavenly Class.

Chen Jinshu was holding the black dragon scale in his palm.

The scales shimmered with a dark blue hue under the dim light.

She gathered a wisp of green wood fire at her fingertips and carefully scorched the edges of the scales.

Where the flames licked, the ice patterns shimmered faintly, but showed no sign of melting.

"Truly extraordinary." Her eyes lit up slightly, and she sighed inwardly.

"This scale is not only indestructible, but also has the ability to transform and harmonize. If it is refined into an inner armor, it will be difficult to damage by ordinary magic weapons, and it can also calm the agitation of spiritual energy, which is of great benefit to cultivation."

Qingheng lay down beside her, poking at the scales with her little hand, her emerald eyes blinking: "Jinshu, these scales are quite remarkable. They'd be perfect for forging armor!"

"Hmm, it contains a trace of the true essence of the Ice Soul, and although the Dragon Whale is dead, this essence has not dissipated."

Chen Jinshu put away the dragon scales and then took out the ice-blue demon core.

As soon as the demon core appeared, the temperature in the quiet room plummeted, and a thin layer of frost condensed on the surface of the desk.

A faint phantom of a dragon whale appeared within the demon core.

The Yinshan Sparrow flew down from her shoulder and circled around the demon core, as if it greatly desired it.

"Qiang Qiang!"

"The power of this pill's Ice Soul is pure. Although it clashes with your attributes, I will refine it slightly to remove the last trace of its lingering influence and help you absorb it."

Chen Jinshu gently stroked the feathers of the Yinshan Sparrow and said in a low voice, "At that time, your bloodline may be able to advance further, and it is possible that you may even awaken a cold attribute divine power."

The titmouse nuzzled her finger affectionately and flapped its wings joyfully.

……

Another half month has passed since the voyage began.

On this day, the Demon Sea was rapidly approaching an island with the outline of a dark mountain range. At the foot of the mountain, a large cluster of buildings could be seen built against the mountainside, with houses standing side by side.

"We've arrived at Raging Waves City!"

Shouts rang out on the deck, and many monks came out of their meditation rooms to lean on the railing and gaze into the distance.

Chen Jinshu also came to the corridor.

"This city is several times larger than any market town on Shattered Star Island."

The city wall at the foot of the mountain is built of huge black rocks, more than ten feet high, and its surface is covered with mottled marks of seawater erosion and reinforcement patterns.

Every hundred paces along the city wall stood a watchtower, its top shimmering with spiritual light, clearly indicating that it was shrouded in an array.

The dock area was bustling with activity, with boats of all sizes coming and going, ranging from simple wooden rafts and skeletal boats to massive steel warships like the Demon Sea.

Laborers carrying goods, monks in colorful robes, and vendors hawking their wares...

"Although this place is located on the edge of the southern border, it is a vital transportation hub between the Sky Sea and the inland areas, and it is indeed prosperous."

Chen Jinshu scanned the city with his divine sense and sensed no less than ten Golden Core auras, and even two or three obscure auras that seemed to be Nascent Souls.

"Fellow Daoist Chen."

Sun Mao's voice came from behind her.

Today he was wearing a brocade blue robe, and his face had a more slick smile. In his hand, he held a communication jade talisman.
"The ship owner has ordered that the Demon Sea must resupply here for three days and sell goods for exchange."

This is a specially made communication jade talisman by the ship owner. If you need assistance in the city, you can use this talisman to find the 'Swallowing Sea Gang' stronghold for help.

Of course, if you have spare time, the sect also offers tasks such as identifying elixirs and processing materials, with generous compensation.

Chen Jinshu accepted the jade talisman.

The talisman is engraved with wave patterns and contains a unique divine imprint, which should be a token of the Devouring Sea Gang.

"Thank you for your help, Manager Sun."

"Don't dare."

Sun Mao cupped his hands in greeting and handed over another jade tablet:
"By the way, there's an auction at the 'Tingbao Pavilion' in the city tonight, where several rare overseas treasures are said to be on display. If you're interested, you might want to take a look. With this jade talisman, you can enter a private room."

Soon, the Demon Sea slowly sailed into the middle port and, guided by the pilot, steadily docked at its designated berth.

"All passengers, disembark in an orderly manner! Cultivators who need supplies can obtain temporary pass tokens at the 'Maritime Trade Office' at the dock! Private fighting is prohibited within the city; violators will be killed without exception!"

Sun Mao's voice was amplified throughout the entire ship via a loudspeaker array.

Chen Jinshu followed the flow of people down the gangway and soon arrived at the dock.

Qingheng transformed into a jade hairpin and shrank back into her hair bun, while Yinshan Sparrow concealed its aura and hid in her sleeve.

"Jinshu, shall we stroll around the city?" Qingheng asked telepathically, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Hmm, let's first explore this place and see if we can find anything we need."

"...Freshly arrived 'Blackwater Mystic Iron,' tempered three times! The best main material for forging flying swords!"

"Poisonous Dragon Algae Powder, only three cents a bottle! It's great for poisoning and talisman making!"

"Buying demon cores of rank three and above, price negotiable!"

She noticed that this place had a great abundance of monster materials, ores, and marine spiritual items, and the prices were 20-30% lower than in the Eastern Region.

Chen Jinshu scanned the area with his divine sense and found that the cultivators on the dock had varying levels of cultivation. Most of them were in the Qi Refining stage, and there were also quite a few in the Foundation Establishment stage. There were also more than ten Golden Core cultivators. Most of them were keeping their auras hidden and were in a hurry.

Following Sun Mao's instructions, she walked toward the three-story stone building on one side of the dock.

The stone building's gate plaque bears the three large, gilded characters "Maritime Trade Bureau," and four Foundation Establishment stage city guards stand watch at the entrance, exuding a chilling atmosphere.

"To obtain a temporary pass, you need to register your background and cultivation level, pay ten mid-grade spirit stones, and the pass is valid for one month." A city guard with an expressionless face handed over a jade slip.

Chen Jinshu took it, probed it with his divine sense, pondered for a moment, and filled in the information "Chen Jinshu, rogue cultivator, Golden Core Level 3", and then took out ten mid-grade spirit stones.

The city guards checked and found nothing amiss, then handed over a palm-sized black iron plate engraved with wave patterns.

"With this token, you may freely enter and exit the outer city and designated areas. An additional application is required for the inner city. The token is non-transferable and must be returned upon leaving the city."

Chen Jinshu put away the iron plate and turned to blend into the crowd.

She didn't rush to find an inn to stay in, but instead wandered around the pier and several main streets in the surrounding area.

The prosperity of Raging Waves City did indeed exceed expectations, but there were very few medicine shops. Occasionally there would be one or two, and the medicines displayed in the cabinets were mostly basic medicines for healing, poison prevention, and water repellency. They were of ordinary quality, but the prices were 50% higher than in the Eastern Region.

"Just as Sun Mao said, medicinal pills are scarce here."

As he was pondering this, the communication jade talisman given to him by the True Lord of Raging Waves suddenly felt slightly warm.

She took it out, probed it with her divine sense, and heard the calm voice of True Lord Fury Waves:
"Young friend Chen, now that you have arrived in Nutao City, if you have some free time, you are welcome to visit the 'Listening to the Waves Pavilion' in the inner city. I have some information about the Southern Frontier that may be of benefit to you."

Chen Jinshu hesitated for a moment before replying, "Thank you for the invitation, True Lord. I will arrive shortly."

She first found a clean and tidy-looking inn called "Haiyunju", asked for a superior room with a private quiet room, set up a restriction, left the Xingyueqin, Lüqiqin and some important items behind, and only took her usual storage bag with her, along with Yinshan Que and Qingheng.

Qingheng transformed into a jade hairpin and retracted into her hair bun, while Yinshan Sparrow concealed its aura and quietly perched on her shoulder.

Following the directions given by the innkeeper, Chen Jinshu headed towards the inner city.

A higher city wall separated the inner and outer cities, and the city gates were heavily guarded, requiring verification of identity tokens and explanation of the purpose of the visit. Chen Jinshu presented a temporary token from the Maritime Trade Bureau, stating that he was invited by the True Lord of the Raging Waves. After verification by the guards, he was allowed to pass.

The environment inside the city was indeed different from that outside the city.

The streets are wider and cleaner, and the buildings on both sides are significantly more exquisite, mostly deep courtyards with high and wide gates, and pavilions, towers and plants can be vaguely seen inside.

There were few pedestrians, and most of them were at least at the Foundation Establishment stage, with only occasional Golden Core cultivators passing by in their escape light.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the air was also higher than that in the outer city, indicating that a spirit-gathering formation had been set up.

Tingtao Pavilion is located in the southeast corner of the inner city, built by the sea. It is a three-story pavilion with flying eaves, and is made entirely of white coral stone. Bronze wind chimes hang from the eaves. When the sea breeze blows, they tinkle and ring, clear and melodious.

As soon as Chen Jinshu arrived at the door, a servant in green robes came forward and bowed respectfully: "Are you Senior Chen? The True Lord is already waiting for you in the 'Guanhai Pavilion' on the third floor. Please follow me."

The waiter led her up the stairs.

The interior is elegantly furnished, decorated with many rare marine treasures, with pearls as lamps, corals as screens, and shell carvings as paintings, and the air is filled with a faint fragrance of ambergris.

The third-floor Seaview Pavilion is a semi-open private room with one side open, facing the vast sea. A gentle sea breeze blows, causing the gauze curtains to flutter lightly.

The True Lord of Angry Waves was sitting by the window, with a set of purple clay teaware in front of him, and the aroma of tea was wafting through the air.

Seeing Chen Jinshu enter, he raised his hand to indicate, "Sit down."

After bowing, Chen Jinshu sat down opposite him.

"Try this 'Mist Sea Cloud Needle,' a specialty of southern Xinjiang. You can't find it anywhere else." Lord Nutao pushed a cup of tea towards him.

The tea soup is clear and green, and as the steam rises, it transforms into a fantastical scene of swirling clouds and surging waves. Its refreshing fragrance is invigorating and has a subtle calming effect.

Chen Jinshu took a sip of the tea. As it entered his throat, he first felt a slight bitterness, followed by a lingering sweetness. The spiritual energy gently spread, nourishing his meridians.

"Good tea."

Lord Futao smiled slightly: "What do you think of Futao City, young friend?"

"Its prosperity far surpasses that of Shattered Star Island, and it is rich in resources, but elixirs and spiritual herbs are quite scarce," Chen Jinshu said truthfully.

"You can see it clearly."

Lord Futao nodded: "The southern border is hot and humid, rife with poisonous miasma, and the constant fighting consumes elixirs like water."

Due to a shortage of local alchemists and frequent disruptions to imports from abroad caused by treacherous sea routes, the price of elixirs has remained high year after year.

High-quality healing and detoxifying elixirs, in particular, are often priceless and unavailable.

He paused, then looked at Chen Jinshu: "Young friend, your alchemy skills are extraordinary. If you are so inclined, you can stay here for a few days, refine some pills to sell, and you will surely make a considerable profit."

Chen Jinshu's heart stirred, but his face remained calm: "What does the True Lord mean?"

"I have some connections with several large merchants in the city."

If you trust them, you can entrust them to sell your pills. Their commission is fair, and it will save you the trouble of setting up a stall yourself.

The Angry Wave True Lord spoke casually, yet with sincerity:

"Of course, if you wish to handle it yourself, that is also fine. I am merely offering a suggestion."

After a moment's thought, Chen Jinshu cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, True Lord. I do have that intention, but as a newcomer, I need to understand the situation first."

"It should be."

Lord Futao did not press the matter, but instead asked, "I heard that your trip to the Southern Frontier is for the 'Blackwater Marsh'?"

Chen Jinshu's gaze narrowed slightly: "Does the True Lord know?"

“Sun Mao mentioned it.”

The Angry Wave True Monarch said calmly, "The Blackwater Marsh is located in the south of the Southern Frontier. It is filled with poisonous miasma, teeming with demonic snakes, and even more so with ferocious creatures like the 'Blackwater Mystic Serpent.' Even a Golden Core cultivator would face a near-certain death if he ventured there rashly. If you wish to go, young friend, you must make thorough preparations."

He took out a jade slip and pushed it in front of Chen Jinshu.

"This is a simple map I drew when I traveled to southern Xinjiang in my early years, marking several dangerous places and relatively safe routes."

Although many years have passed and the terrain may have changed, the general outline remains the same. It might be helpful to you.

Chen Jinshu took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense. Sure enough, it marked several routes from Raging Waves City to Blackwater Marsh in detail. It contained information on dangerous places, the distribution of monsters, and supply points along the way. There were even several areas marked as potentially containing rare spiritual materials.

This favor is significant.

"This junior thanks the True Lord." She bowed solemnly.

"You are Welcome."

Lord Futao waved his hand: "You have rendered meritorious service in the Demon Sea, this is only right and proper."

The two chatted for a while longer, finished a pot of tea, and then Chen Jinshu got up to take his leave.

After leaving Tingtao Pavilion, she did not return directly to the inn, but instead went to several reputable large merchants in the inner city to inquire about the purchase price and market demand for elixirs.

Having made up his mind, Chen Jinshu returned to the inn and secluded himself to begin refining pills.

With ample spiritual herbs at her disposal and the Xuanpin Treasure Furnace boasting a high success rate in alchemy, she managed to refine three batches of Grade 3 Healing and Rejuvenating Pills, two batches of Grade 3 Clearing Miasma and Dispelling Poison Pills, five batches of Grade 2 Strengthening and Nourishing Pills, and several Grade 1 and 2 commonly used pills in just two days.

The success rate of pill formation is over 80%, and the quality is mostly top-grade, with a few even being of the highest grade.

Then she went into a large building materials shop called "Baizhen Pavilion".

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and an early-stage Golden Core cultivation level. Seeing Chen Jinshu's composed aura, he hurriedly greeted him with a smile:
"What does this fellow Daoist need? Our shop has just received a new batch of 'Sinking Silver Sand.' Adding a small amount when refining weapons can increase their toughness..."

Chen Jinshu shook his head and asked directly, "Shopkeeper, do you buy pills here?"

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up: "I'll take them! Of course! What kind of pills do you have, fellow Daoist? What are their qualities?"

She took out three jade bottles and poured out one pill from each, placing it in her palm.

One pill, as green as jade and with a clear, refreshing medicinal fragrance, is the second-grade upper-level "Returning Green Pill," a holy medicine for healing injuries; another, as red as fire and with hidden thunder patterns, is the second-grade top-level "Red Yang Breaking Evil Pill," specifically designed to counteract yin evil and miasma; and the last one, milky white and warm, with flowing halos, is the second-grade middle-level "Jade Marrow Nourishing Yuan Pill," for strengthening the body and cultivating vitality.

The shopkeeper picked up the "Rejuvenating Elixir" and sniffed it carefully. He then scraped off a small amount of powder with his fingernail and tasted it. His face instantly lit up with excitement.
"Excellent pill! The medicinal properties are pure, and the heat is just right! Could this be a pill refined by an alchemist from the Eastern Region?"

"A chance find," Chen Jinshu said calmly. "Name your price, shopkeeper."

The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with eagerness.

"This 'Green Elixir' is extremely rare on the market. Our shop is willing to offer 800 mid-grade spirit stones for one!"
The 'Crimson Sun Demon-Slaying Pill' is highly sought after for its ability to counteract the poisonous miasma of the Southern Frontier, costing 1,200 mid-grade spirit stones!
"Jade Marrow Nourishing Essence Pill, 700 mid-grade spirit stones! Fellow Daoist, however many you have, this shop will take them all!"

Chen Jinshu was slightly surprised.

The price was nearly double that of the Eastern Region, and the shopkeeper's eagerness clearly indicated that pills were indeed a form of hard currency here.

After a moment's thought, she took out ten more bottles of pills, three pills in each bottle, all of the same quality: "This price will do."

The shopkeeper was overjoyed and quickly counted the spirit stones, then presented a VIP jade plaque engraved with the words "Hundred Treasures":

"If you ever need any pills in the future, please feel free to come to my shop! The prices are absolutely fair!"

Chen Jinshu accepted the spirit stones and jade token, then turned and left.

The shopkeeper held the pills as if they were priceless treasures, murmuring to himself:
"An alchemist from the Eastern Region... Could he have come with the Demon Sea ship? I must inform my master immediately..."

In half a day, Chen Jinshu visited three or four more shops and sold dozens of second-grade pills at similar prices, increasing his spirit stones by tens of thousands.

She did not reveal any higher-grade pills to avoid attracting attention.

During this time, she also purchased some seeds of spiritual plants unique to southern Xinjiang, several pieces of yin-attribute ore of good quality, and a detailed "Records of Southern Xinjiang".

According to the records, the Blackwater Marsh is located deep in the southwest of the southern border, shrouded in poisonous miasma all year round, and is home to many swamp monsters, so few cultivators venture deep into it.

"We need to find out a more specific route." She pondered, her gaze unconsciously falling on the Tingbao Pavilion, the highest point in the city.

"There seems to be an auction tonight! I'll have to go check it out!"