I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

Chapter 334 An Invitation from the Great Jin Royal Family! The Grand Elder of the Royal Family!

Great Jin Kyoto.

This majestic city, standing in the heart of the Great Jin Dynasty and regarded as the orthodox symbol of the human race, is not only the largest city in the mortal sense, but also a subtle political and power center in the cultivation world of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Unlike the mortal kingdoms in Tiannan, where mortals and cultivators are clearly separated and imperial power is meaningless in the face of cultivators, the Ye family of the Great Jin Dynasty is itself a long-standing and profound family of cultivators.

The royal family of the Great Jin Dynasty is permitted, and even encouraged, for its members to cultivate.

Throughout history, there have been many emperors who possessed profound cultivation.

The royal family itself has several Nascent Soul cultivators in charge, and with its legitimate status and immense wealth, it recruits and supports a large number of independent cultivators from all over the world, including some Nascent Soul cultivators.

This gives the Jin Dynasty royal family a considerable influence in the cultivation world.

There is an unwritten rule in the cultivation world of the Great Jin Dynasty: within a radius of a thousand miles of Jinjing, cultivators are strictly prohibited from flying and fighting at will, as a sign of respect for the Great Jin royal family and this city that symbolizes the human race.

Of course, this rule mainly applies to low-level cultivators.

For those Nascent Soul stage veterans, especially those late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, this rule is essentially meaningless.

After all, those responsible for patrolling and maintaining order in Jinjing City were just some Foundation Establishment stage cultivators recruited by the royal family.

Let them stop and reprimand a powerful cultivator in the late Nascent Soul stage?

They wouldn't dare even if they had a hundred lives!

They probably wouldn't even be able to detect the other party's escape light, let alone go forward to capture and question them.

At this moment, Zhou Yuan was suspended high in the sky outside Jinjing City, calmly looking down at this legendary first city of the human race.

As far as the eye can see, there is a huge city covering an extremely vast area.

The city walls are majestic and stretch endlessly.

The city is filled with buildings standing side by side, streets crisscrossing, bustling with traffic and noise.

However, Zhou Yuan did not show much surprise on his face.

He shook his head slightly, thinking to himself, "While this Putin is magnificent, it still pales in comparison to the Heavenly Star City I saw in the Chaotic Star Sea back then. Heavenly Star City occupied an entire island and stretched for thousands of miles; that truly deserved the grandeur of the number one city in the human realm."

His gaze fell upon the distinctive city defense system of Jinjing.

Starting from the outermost low city wall, at intervals, a higher city wall was built inwards, layer upon layer, reportedly as many as six layers.

Each city wall is five or six zhang higher than the previous one, and the innermost main city wall, which guards the imperial city, is even more than forty zhang high!

The fact that such a magnificent project could be built entirely by human strength is truly a miracle.

Zhou Yuan did not abide by the rule of "no flying within a thousand miles". He transformed into a pale golden stream of light, flew over the layers of city walls, and entered the city of Jinjing.

Entering the city, one can better appreciate its prosperity and vastness.

The streets are wide and straight, lined with shops on both sides, and pedestrians are shoulder to shoulder.

The air was filled with a mixture of smells—the aroma of food, the smell of livestock, and the unique scent of mortals.

Zhou Yuan scanned the city with his divine sense and found that the population density was extremely high, but the vast majority of them were ordinary people without any cultivation. The proportion of cultivators was less than one percent, and their cultivation level was not low.

His main purpose for this trip was to attend the "Tianzhen Grand Gathering," which would be held in six months.

Before that, he planned to wander around Jinjing City to familiarize himself with the environment and see if he could find some materials he needed in the large markets.

He landed, concealing the imposing aura of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, retaining only a faint, high-level cultivator's pressure, enough to deter most petty thieves from easily provoking him, yet not drawing too much attention.

He strolled to the south of the city and, based on his divine sense, found a restaurant that was decorated quite luxuriously and exuded the aura of a cultivator.

This restaurant, named "Lan Yue Lou," is five stories high, with carved beams and painted rafters, and is exceptionally grand.

As Zhou Yuan stepped inside, he glanced around and found that a dozen or so cultivators were scattered around the lobby on the first floor of the restaurant. Most of them were at the Foundation Establishment stage, while there were two Core Formation stage cultivators in the corner, drinking and chatting.

Zhou Yuan's gaze fell on one of the female cultivators, who appeared to be around thirty years old, dressed in a pale yellow dress, with a beautiful face and a cultivation level at the early stage of Core Formation. He walked straight over to her.

The female scholar was pouring herself a drink when she suddenly sensed an unfathomable aura approaching. Looking up, she saw a young-looking man in a gray-blue robe, whose aura was as deep and unfathomable as an abyss, standing in front of her table, calmly looking at her.

The female cultivator's heart skipped a beat. She quickly put down her wine cup, stood up, and respectfully bowed to Zhou Yuan: "This junior is Liu Xu. I was unaware of your arrival, senior. I apologize for not welcoming you properly!"

She came from a mid-level sect in the Great Jin Dynasty, which had a Nascent Soul stage cultivator in charge, so she had a broad perspective.

But she could clearly sense that the aura emanating from the young man in front of her was much deeper and more vast than that of the Grand Elder in her sect who was at the early Nascent Soul stage!

This is probably a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, or even a late-Nascent Soul cultivator!

"No need for such formalities."

Zhou Yuan waved his hand and asked in a calm tone, "Are you a local cultivator?"

"Reporting back to you, senior, I am a native of Jinjing City, from the Liu family in the south of the city."

Liu Xu quickly replied, feeling a little uneasy, wondering why this senior had approached her.

"That's good."

Zhou Yuan nodded. "I need to know exactly where the biggest auction in Jinjing will be held six months from now."

Furthermore, do you know the locations of the largest market towns within the capital city of Jinjing?

Upon hearing that she was asking for directions, Liu Xu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

She quickly took out a blank jade slip from her storage bag, pressed it to her forehead, and meticulously imprinted the locations of the "Heavenly Treasures Gathering" from her memory: a separate market town in western Jinjing, completely enclosed by powerful restrictions, as well as the locations of the largest and most well-stocked markets in the south, east, and west of Jinjing.

"Senior, this is the information you requested." Liu Xu respectfully presented the jade slip with both hands.

Zhou Yuan took the jade slip, immersed his divine sense into it, quickly browsed through it, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

The venue for the "Heavenly Treasures Gathering" was indeed a special area called "Juzhenfang" in western Jinjing. It was said that Nascent Soul cultivators were stationed there year-round, and the area was heavily guarded.

The locations of several large markets in the south and east of the city are also clearly marked.

"Not bad." Zhou Yuan praised, then casually took out a bottle of pills suitable for Core Formation stage cultivators to enhance their cultivation from his storage bracelet and tossed it to Liu Xu, "This is a reward for you."

Liu Xu subconsciously took the jade bottle, opened it, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, instantly invigorating her!

This bottle of pills is of extremely high quality and will greatly help her break through to the mid-stage of Core Formation!

Overjoyed, she quickly bowed again to express her gratitude: "Thank you for your kindness, senior!"

Zhou Yuan stopped looking at her, took the jade slip, and turned to leave Lan Yue Tower.

After leaving the restaurant, Zhou Yuan followed the instructions on the jade slip and first arrived at a large market town in the south of the city.

The entrance to this market looks like an ordinary alley, but after passing through a hidden magic array that is barely perceptible to the naked eye and resembles ripples on water, the view suddenly opens up.

Before me was a wide and clean bluestone street, lined with shops on both sides, their colorful signs gleaming.

The people walking on the street were almost all cultivators, ranging from Qi Refining stage to Core Formation stage, and occasionally one or two faint Nascent Soul stage auras could even be sensed.

This is the world that truly belongs to cultivators.

Zhou Yuan stopped in front of a magnificent five-story building called "Wan Yao Ge".

His purpose in coming to the Great Jin Dynasty was not only to collect materials for refining weapons, but also to seize all kinds of rare spiritual herbs.

He needs elixirs for his own cultivation, and the women around him, such as Yuan Yao and Zi Ling, as well as the future development and expansion of the Ascension Sect, all require a massive amount of high-quality elixirs.

He never thought he had too many elixirs; the more the better, and the more abundant his reserves, the better.

He stepped into the Myriad Medicines Pavilion. The store was very spacious, brightly lit, and filled with the refreshing fragrance of various medicinal herbs.

In the lobby on the first floor, there were a large number of spiritual herbs that were about a hundred years old. They were in good condition, but they were no longer of any interest to someone with Zhou Yuan's cultivation level.

His gaze fell directly on the staircase leading to the upper floors. The shop assistants, being perceptive, sensed the unfathomable aura emanating from Zhou Yuan and, not daring to be negligent, immediately and respectfully led him to the VIP room on the top floor.

The top floor of the Wan Yao Ge (Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion) is decorated in a more elegant style, with softer lighting.

Rows of shelves, carved from century-old warm jade, display sealed jade boxes and bottles.

Zhou Yuan's divine sense swept over it, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

There are over a hundred medicinal herbs on the top floor that are over a thousand years old!

Even more remarkably, three of these plants are as old as three thousand years!

One is the "Blood Jade Ginseng," which is entirely blood-red and shaped like coral; another is the "Purple Orchid," which is shimmering purple and shaped like a lingzhi mushroom; and the third is the "Prisoner Dragon Vine," which emits a faint golden halo and has roots like dragon whiskers.

These three rare herbs, each three thousand years old, contain such pure and powerful medicinal properties that they would tempt any Nascent Soul cultivator!

"Spiritual herbs of this age are probably only seen occasionally at the most prestigious auctions in Tiannan, and they would be snapped up as soon as they appeared. Yet here in Jinjing, they are being sold so openly in a market shop?" Zhou Yuan thought to himself, marveling at how the foundation of the Great Jin Dynasty was indeed far beyond that of Tiannan.

He also noticed that on the top floor of the Myriad Medicines Pavilion, several faint spiritual auras of Nascent Soul stage cultivators were sweeping by, clearly belonging to powerful figures who were overseeing the store or royal retainers patrolling the vicinity.

In Jinjing, very few people dare to openly rob in the market.

It is said that there are probably more than fifty Nascent Soul cultivators permanently stationed in the major sects of both the righteous and demonic paths throughout the entire Jinjing City!

Among them were even many late-stage Grand Cultivators! With such terrifying power gathered here, who would dare to act recklessly?

The shop owner, a Core Formation stage cultivator, noticed Zhou Yuan's gaze lingering on the three three-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs. He quickly stepped forward, beaming, and introduced them, "Senior has excellent eyesight! These three are the prized possessions of my Ten Thousand Herbs Pavilion! Especially this three-thousand-year-old Purple Blood Ginseng, which has miraculous effects on replenishing qi and blood and strengthening the physical body!"

"If you are interested, senior, it can be acquired for just 150,000 spirit stones!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan did not reply immediately. Instead, he pondered for a moment before uttering a sentence that left the shopkeeper speechless: "Wrap up all three three-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, as well as those two-thousand-year-old ones over there."

"Hiss—!" The shop owner gasped, an expression of disbelief on his face! Wrap them all up? That's not just a matter of 150,000 spirit stones per plant!

There are dozens of those two-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, each priced between several thousand and tens of thousands of spirit stones!

Adding it all up, it would probably cost a whopping 500,000 spirit stones! This senior is far too generous!

"Senior—you—you mean, all of them?" The shop owner's voice trembled slightly as he asked again to confirm.

"Yes, all of them."

Zhou Yuan nodded, his tone indifferent, as if he were just buying some ordinary groceries.

His current net worth, a mere 500,000 spirit stones, is indeed nothing to him.

The shop owner, confirming he hadn't misheard, instantly broke into a bright smile and bowed repeatedly, saying, "Yes! Yes! Please wait a moment, senior! I'll pack it up for you myself right away!!"

He personally retrieved the finest cold jade box and warm jade box, carefully categorized and sealed the three three-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs and dozens of two-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, then respectfully placed them into a large storage bag and presented them with both hands.

Zhou Yuan took the storage bag, scanned it with his divine sense to confirm it was correct, and then casually took out another storage bag that he had prepared beforehand and tossed it to the shopkeeper: "There are five thousand mid-grade spirit stones in here. Please count them."

The shop owner took the heavy storage bag and scanned it with his divine sense. Inside, neatly stacked, were five thousand mid-grade spirit stones, not one more and not one less!

Converted to low-grade spirit stones, that's exactly 500,000! His last trace of doubt vanished, and his face beamed like a blooming chrysanthemum: "Enough! Enough! Thank you for your patronage, Senior! Take care, Senior!"

Zhou Yuan put the storage bag containing the spiritual herbs into his pocket, then turned and left the Myriad Medicines Pavilion without lingering.

However, the moment he stepped out of the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion, his keen senses detected that at least four or five gazes, some open and some hidden, were fixed on him.

Several cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, dressed plainly and appearing to be ordinary passersby, were quietly following him at a short distance behind.

"Heh, so you've been targeted?"

Zhou Yuan sneered inwardly, but didn't care.

He could easily shake off a few Foundation Establishment stage spies if he wanted to.

He just couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

He continued his leisurely stroll through the southern market town, entering several more shops selling crafting materials and talismans.

One hour later.

North of Jinjing, the imperial city area.

The Ye family, the royal family of the Great Jin Dynasty, occupied the best area in the north of the capital city of Jin.

The imperial city covered an area of ​​dozens of miles, with towering palace walls, and palaces and pavilions standing side by side, exuding an imposing and solemn atmosphere.

Although the royal family also practiced immortality, they still retained the regulations of mortal imperial power, with guards patrolling and strict security.

At this moment, deep within the imperial city, in a side hall that was not particularly conspicuous but was exceptionally heavily guarded.

The hall was brightly lit and furnished in a simple yet elegant style. In the main seat sat a man dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe, who looked to be about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old. He had a refined appearance, held an ancient book in his hand, and exuded a gentle and cultured air.

He looked like a well-read scholar, but if you sensed him carefully, you would find that his aura was as deep as the sea, and he was actually a cultivator at the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm!

He is none other than Ye Tianshi, the current Grand Elder of the Ye family of the Great Jin Dynasty, and also the strongest and most powerful figure in the Ye family.

Below him stood two core members of the Ye family, dressed in brocade robes and possessing auras at the late Core Formation stage; they were clearly in charge of intelligence or external affairs.

Just then, a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation, dressed in black and exuding a sharp aura, strode into the hall and respectfully reported, "Reporting to the Grand Elder! According to a scout from the South City Market, an hour ago, Zhou Yuan, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who has recently gained fame in the Southern Frontier and is rumored to be from overseas, appeared in the South City Market!"

"And he spent 500,000 spirit stones at the Myriad Medicines Pavilion to buy a large number of rare spiritual herbs! Now, he is still strolling around the market."

"Oh? Zhou Yuan, a wandering cultivator from overseas?"

Ye Tianshi put down the ancient book in his hand, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair.

"This person has caused quite a stir in the Southern Frontier recently. First, he forced his way into the Mingjian Sect, subdued them with his swordsmanship, and obtained the Iron Horn Rhinoceros Spirit Horn in exchange; then, using some unknown method, he quietly infiltrated the core area of ​​Yueyang Palace, and finally managed to escape unscathed, making a deal with Granny Sun of Yueyang Palace—and now he has come to my Jinjing."

A meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "A late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who doesn't belong to either the righteous or the demonic factions, whose strength is unfathomable and whose wealth is substantial—interesting."

"If we could make friends with them, it could be a great help to the Ye family."

He looked at the guards below and instructed, "Pass on my orders to closely monitor Zhou Yuan's movements, but under no circumstances should you disturb or offend him. Also, send someone to prepare a generous gift; I may personally pay a visit to this overseas wandering cultivator once I receive your notification."

"Yes, Elder!"

The guard accepted the order and respectfully withdrew.

Ye Tianshi picked up the ancient book again, but his gaze was fixed on the south of the city as he muttered to himself.

"Zhou Yuan—this person's strength is probably above the four great rogue cultivators of the Great Jin Dynasty—"