Dragon Blood Saint Emperor

Black Stone City was very far from Nanyang City. Even with the Xiaoo Yue Celestial Roc covering a thousand meters in the blink of an eye, the journey took about ten days.

Along the way, besides comprehending the World-Destroying Saber Intent, Ye Wushuang also consolidated his Cultivation at the Spiritual Spring Fifth Layer.

The essence of Cultivation is to advance steadily and solidify one’s foundation. Otherwise, a single misstep could cause one’s entire Cultivation to be destroyed.

He had broken through two layers in a row during his Dual Cultivation with Dii Qingxue and hadn’t had time to consolidate yet, so he used this journey to do so.

Over the ten days, Ye Wushuang consolidated his Cultivation and made some progress with his World-Destroying Saber Intent, mainly concerning its second form, Three Realms Slaughter.

He had already comprehended the three slashes—Heaven-Destroying, Earth Slash, and Slaying All Living Beings—and had fused them on the Battle Platform, achieving the ultimate power of Three Realms Slaughter.

The fourth slash he was now comprehending was precisely the fusion of those three.

In fact, the World-Destroying Saber Intent’s description was even more detailed, making certain parts he hadn’t understood much clearer.

Beyond this, he also continuously comprehended and developed other Combat Skills like the Heavenly Concealing Hand and the Heaven-Soaring Sword.

On the evening of the eleventh day, Ye Wushuang finally spotted a city.

Walls stretched out as far as the eye could see, with no end in sight. Even from a distance, it gave off a sense of immense scale that was truly shocking.

"Nanyang City truly lives up to its name as a County City. It’s so vast and magnificent!"

Ye Wushuang marveled. A city of this magnitude was something even Barbarian King City couldn’t compare to!

"Xiaoo Yue, let’s go down."

Ye Wushuang called out to the Xiaoo Yue Celestial Roc.

Instantly, the Xiaoo Yue Celestial Roc descended and transformed into a man clad in silver!

Ye Wushuang and Lan Xinyu also landed. Seeing the long, dragon-like queue of people waiting to enter the city, the three of them went to the back of the line.

"Young Master, there are some powerful bandits in the areas surrounding Nanyang County City. To prevent them from entering and disrupting the lives of the residents, everyone who enters must undergo an inspection."

Lan Xinyu said.

Ye Wushuang nodded. Bandits were nothing unusual.

"HYAH, HYAH!"

Suddenly, dust billowed in the distance as horses neighed. A troop of soldiers on horseback approached, drawing closer.

Red Blood Horses and Cyan Battle Armor!

This troop of soldiers wore cyan Battle Armor, and the steeds beneath them were Red Blood Horses, a breed crossed with Red Flood Dragons. They looked magnificent and imposing!

The crowd voluntarily parted to make way. The troop rode straight into the city, and not even the city guards dared to stop them.

"The Nanyang Guard really is something else. No one blocks them; they just ride straight in."

"They’re the Nanyang Divine Army. Who would dare disrespect them? In Nanyang County, they’re the ones who hold the real power. Who would dare block their path?"

"The Nanyang Guard... If only I could become one of their soldiers!"

"Dude, stop dreaming and let’s get in the city."

"Hmph, just you wait. The Nanyang Guard is recruiting in a few days. I’ll definitely become one of them!"

...

Chatter rose from the crowd, all of it filled with admiration and longing for the Nanyang Guard.

The Nanyang Guard!

Ye Wushuang’s eyes sharpened.

Then, he turned his attention back to the front. Everyone entering the city had to present an Identity Token.

"Young Master, here are the Identity Tokens!"

Just then, Lan Xinyu turned and handed Ye Wushuang a Token.

Ye Wushuang was taken aback. ’When did Lan Xinyu get these?’

"Young Master, your servant has been here a few times before. I prepared a few Identity Tokens in advance of this trip," Lan Xinyu replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Ye Wushuang gave a wry smile to himself. ’It seems having a meticulous woman around isn’t so bad,’ he thought. ’At least she thinks of all the small details in advance, saving a lot of trouble.’

Thanks to the Tokens Lan Xinyu provided, the three of them only had to complete a simple registration before entering Nanyang City with ease.

Otherwise, they probably would have been stuck outside the city walls for the day.

As soon as the trio entered the city, a bustling, prosperous scene unfolded before their eyes.

While admiring the lively sights, the three of them arrived at an inn called the Drunken Guest Tower.

"Let’s stay here for now."

Ye Wushuang gave it a glance and led the other two inside.

"Welcome! This way, please, esteemed guests!" An attendant came forward and asked enthusiastically, "Will you three be dining, or lodging?"

"Lodging," Ye Wushuang said.

Hearing this, the attendant quickly said, "Sir, the Drunken Guest Tower has four grades of rooms: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Heaven-grade is the most expensive at one hundred Spirit Stones a day. Earth-grade is fifty, Profound-grade is thirty, and Yellow-grade is the cheapest, at only ten Spirit Stones. Which would you like to choose?"

’One hundred Spirit Stones!’

Ye Wushuang’s eyes narrowed. He was surprised. ’So Spirit Stones are this popular out here!’

The attendant caught Ye Wushuang’s expression and, assuming he thought it was too expensive, quickly said, "Sir, if you find that too costly, you can also choose a Yellow-grade room. The environment is just a little bit poorer."

"Just a country bumpkin. Of course he can only afford a dump like the Yellow-grade rooms!"

A middle-aged man in lavish clothes, with a large potbelly, strode forward with a look of utter disdain.

"Young lady, there’s no future with this country bumpkin. Come with me, and I’ll keep you."

Staring at Lan Xinyu, the middle-aged man’s eyes went wide as he bluntly offered to "keep" her.

Lan Xinyu was instantly furious, her anger palpable.

"As long as you’re with me, you can stay in a high-class, Heaven-grade room for as long as you want. I have plenty of Spirit Stones!"

The middle-aged man ignored her, instead lifting a bag of Spirit Stones and shaking it at Lan Xinyu with a lewd grin. "However..."

CRACK!

Before he could finish, Ye Wushuang backhanded him across the face, sending the middle-aged man sailing through the air like a pig.

His mouth was full of shattered teeth, and half his face was nearly caved in from the blow!

"You country bumpkin! You dare hit me!" The pot-bellied man staggered to his feet, dazed and confused, and prepared to charge.

Ye Wushuang paid him no mind, instead taking out a Top-Grade Spirit Stone and handing it to the attendant. "We’ll be staying for a year."

"A Top-Grade Spirit Stone!"

The crowd gasped as they stared at the Spirit Stone Ye Wushuang had produced, as if they had just witnessed something incredibly rare.

Even the middle-aged man froze, his eyes stiffening.

The attendant was also stunned and only snapped out of it after a long moment. A look of pure shock erupted on his face, as if he’d never seen a Top-Grade Spirit Stone in his entire life.

"Sir! This single Top-Grade Spirit Stone is more than enough to cover a year’s stay."

The attendant was incredibly excited, holding it as if it were a precious treasure.

A Top-Grade Spirit Stone was a rare sight indeed.

According to the standard exchange rate for Spirit Stones, one Top-Grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for one hundred thousand regular ones.

However, because Top-Grade Spirit Stones were so precious, their actual value exceeded one hundred thousand. It was more than enough for three people to stay for a year, with plenty to spare.

"Throw him out. The rest is your tip."

Ye Wushuang said coolly, then started walking up the stairs.

"Someone, get this man out of here!" The attendant immediately turned and shouted, then followed after Ye Wushuang, cradling the Top-Grade Spirit Stone.

’Someone who possesses a Top-Grade Spirit Stone is no ordinary person!’

Seeing this, the middle-aged man’s advance came to an abrupt halt.

’Country bumpkin?’

Gazing at the three departing figures, the middle-aged man felt his other cheek burn with shame.

He had worked hard to earn a fortune in Spirit Stones, becoming a wealthy merchant. He thought he could live a carefree life, that he could be superior to others.

But this person had casually produced a single Spirit Stone worth more than everything he owned. Who was the real country bumpkin?