Chapter 165 - 161: Outskirts of the Secret Realm
Returning to the stone house in the Talisman Hall, Li Yuan closed the door.
He took the Jade Elephant Skill manual from his storage bag and placed it on the table.
The cowhide cover was slightly curled at the edges, and its pages were yellowed. It had clearly been sitting at the stall for quite some time.
Li Yuan placed his hand on the cover.
The panel popped up.
[Equippable Item Detected: Jade Elephant Skill (Complete)]
[Equip Trait Preview: Jade Elephant’s Burden (Gray)]
[Effect: Increases body’s load-bearing limit by 30%.]
[Permanence Condition Preview: Physical body strength comparable to a Tier One Middle Grade Demon Beast.]
A gray trait, with a simple and direct effect.
He estimated that the permanence condition had already been met.
With his Body Tempering from Evil Qi, the protection of the Iron Membrane and Scale Armor, and his enhanced organs—plus his cultivation of the Iron Wall Body Refining Skill and the long-term transformation of his muscles and bones from eating Demon Beast Flesh—Li Yuan’s current physical strength far exceeded that of a Tier One Middle Grade Demon Beast.
Li Yuan equipped it, and the panel immediately displayed the next message.
[Permanence Condition for Jade Elephant’s Burden (Gray) has been met.]
[Make permanent?]
Yes.
[Permanence successful.]
[Jade Elephant’s Burden (Gray) has become a permanent trait.]
[Item consumed.]
The change wasn’t as immediately impactful as the Body Refining-type traits.
It was more like a restriction inside his body had been quietly loosened, simultaneously expanding the load-bearing capacity of his bones, muscles, and meridians.
But because there was no load pushing him to his limit at the moment, he couldn’t feel a concrete difference.
Only when he fully unleashed his Spiritual Power, circulated his Qi Blood at full capacity, or withstood multiple impacts at once would this thirty percent increase in capacity truly manifest.
Li Yuan cleaned off the table and left the stone house.
He made a trip to the general store in the market district.
He had bought the recipe for the Qi Replenishing Pill in the Yunyang market district before, and he had long since memorized the list of ingredients.
Cyan Spirit Grass, astragalus root, White Atractylodes Slices, poria powder, plus an Initiator Potion. They were all basic Tier One Low Grade Spirit Grasses that could be bought anywhere in the market district.
Gathering all the ingredients cost him less than ten Spirit Stones.
Li Yuan put the ingredients into his storage bag and returned to the Talisman Hall.
Just as he reached the entrance of the Talisman Hall’s courtyard, someone came out of the manager’s room and they met face-to-face.
"Li Yuan, I was just looking for you."
The manager stood at the door, holding a document.
"Come in."
Li Yuan followed him into the room.
The manager placed the document on the table and pushed it over.
"A new assignment. You and Old Sun are to go to a shop on the outskirts of the Spirit Ruins Secret Realm."
Li Yuan glanced at the manager.
’Spirit Ruins Secret Realm. The Nascent Soul ruin two hundred li north of the Yunyang market district.’
"The outskirts of the Secret Realm?"
"That’s right." The manager sat down in his chair, folding his hands on the desk.
"There’s a settlement outside the entrance to the Secret Realm. Loose Cultivators restock there before entering and trade there after they come out. It’s not large, more like a small market."
He paused for a moment.
"The Primordial Yang Sect controls that area. Fighting is forbidden within a thirty-li radius of the outskirts, just like the rules in the Yunyang market district. The Primordial Yang Sect specifically designated this area to prevent people from ambushing others outside the entrance. If Loose Cultivators were getting killed and robbed the moment they left the Secret Realm, who would dare to go in anymore? And if no one goes to the Secret Realm, how would the Primordial Yang Sect collect its entrance fees?"
Li Yuan nodded.
The manager continued.
"They’re short on supplies over there." The manager pushed the document over again.
"Loose Cultivators entering the Secret Realm die every day, and most of those who make it out alive are injured. Fireball Talismans, Vajra Talismans, Rejuvenation Talismans, Blood Replenishing Talismans—they sell out as soon as a new batch arrives. Pills are in even higher demand; Qi Replenishing Pills and Replenishing Essence Pills are often out of stock."
He paused again.
"Previously, all the Talismans were transported from the market district. The journey takes more than a day, and there’s a chance of encountering Demon Beasts along the way, so the cost is too high. Once you’re there, you’ll make them on-site to sell."
"You’ll be in charge of making Talismans, and Old Sun will handle Alchemy. There’s also a shop manager stationed there."
The manager’s tone was flat, as if he were assigning a routine task.
"One more thing."
The manager lowered his voice.
"The leader of the bandits who raided the herb garden, the one at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, has never been caught. There’s been recent news that he’s headed in the direction of the Spirit Ruins Secret Realm."
He looked at Li Yuan.
"Keep an eye out once you get there. You don’t need to do anything. Just remember any suspicious individuals you see. Uncle Qu will handle it."
Li Yuan picked up the document and read it through. The mission details, schedule, and shop location were all clearly written.
"When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning. Uncle Qu just came back from there a few days ago, and he has to make another trip tomorrow, so he’ll take you with him."
Li Yuan put the document away and left the manager’s room.
Back in his stone house, he sorted his talisman-crafting and alchemy materials, then packed everything he needed to take with him into his storage bag.
The next day, as dawn broke, Li Yuan arrived at the entrance to the Talisman Hall.
Old Sun was already there. Beside him stood Uncle Qu, looking as stern as ever, a worn-out, iron-sheathed longsword tucked at his waist.
The three of them exchanged few words and set off directly.
They headed north from the Talisman Hall, first returning to the vicinity of the Yunyang market district before turning onto a mountain path to the north.
The mountain path wasn’t difficult to travel, but the farther north they went, the thinner the Spiritual Qi became. The vegetation on either side gradually changed from mixed forests to shrubs and scree slopes. Occasionally, they saw scattered Cultivators coming from the opposite direction, mostly Loose Cultivators returning from the Secret Realm, their faces weary and their bodies bearing injuries of varying degrees.
They walked for the better part of a day.
At dusk, the terrain ahead suddenly opened up.
A gentle slope stretched out between two low mountains, dotted with several dozen wooden sheds and stone houses. There were no walls, no city gates, only two stone pillars carved with characters standing at the entrance. They read, "Spirit Ruins Outskirts. Brawling Forbidden," and were signed with the seal of the Primordial Yang Sect.
Beyond the stone pillars was a well-trodden dirt path lined with a dozen or so stalls. They primarily sold consumables: Talismans, pills, dry rations, simple Magical Artifacts, bandages, and ointments. The variety was limited, but every item had buyers.
Farther in was the residential area. A few rows of stone houses and wooden sheds were scattered across the slope. Some had cloth banners hanging at their entrances with signs like "Buying Spirit Grass" or "Selling Demon Beast Materials on Consignment."
It wasn’t crowded, but it wasn’t empty either. At a glance, about a hundred Cultivators were active in the area, with Cultivation levels ranging from early-stage to Late-stage Qi Refining.
Uncle Qu stopped at the entrance.
"The shop is in the third row to the east. It has the Wang family’s sign hanging out front. You two go get settled first. I have some business to attend to."
Then, Uncle Qu pulled several folded pieces of paper from his robes and handed them to Li Yuan and Old Sun.
"These are portraits of the bandit leader."
Li Yuan took them and unfolded one. It wasn’t just one sheet, but five. Each depicted a different face—some old, some young, some fat, some thin.
"The man knows disguise. He has used at least these few faces."
Uncle Qu’s tone was flat.
"Keep an eye out while you’re working at the shop. If you see anyone who matches, just remember them. Don’t alert the target."
Li Yuan folded the papers and put them in his storage bag.
Uncle Qu said no more and turned to walk toward the western side of the slope.
Li Yuan and Old Sun followed the dirt path to the east.
As they reached the second row of stone houses, two Loose Cultivators were squatting by a rock on the side of the road, talking.
"...Spirit Essence Fruit, have you heard?"
A short, stout Loose Cultivator lowered his voice and gestured to his companion.
"Not inside the Secret Realm, but outside. In the mountain range to the north. Someone said they detected the aura of a Spirit Essence Fruit in a valley there."
His companion scoffed.
"Spirit Essence Fruit? That stuff is a main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill. If it really existed, people from the major Sects would have taken it long ago. How could it be our turn?"
"That’s not necessarily true," the short, stout Loose Cultivator said, waving his hand.
"That mountain range is full of Demon Beasts, including several Tier Two ones. Most people don’t dare to venture too deep. Besides, no one knows exactly where a Spirit Essence Fruit might grow, and the people from the major Sects can’t possibly search every inch of the mountains. What if some lucky Loose Cultivator really stumbles upon it?"
The companion didn’t argue further, but the disbelief on his face was obvious.
The two Loose Cultivators’ voices faded into the distance.
Li Yuan walked past them without breaking his stride.
’Spirit Essence Fruit. In the mountains outside the Secret Realm.’
’The manager said the bandit leader might be looking for the Spirit Essence Fruit. And now the Loose Cultivators here are spreading rumors about it too.’