CHAPTER 437: CHAPTER 307: YAN CITY NO.9

According to Jin Wu Old Monster, there exists a Yan Hall on the border between Beiqing and Xixia, ranking ninth among the eighteen Yan Halls, referred to as Yan City No.9.

Before Jin Wu Wanderer was killed by Ye Lingyue, Jin Wu Old Monster had been staying in Yan City No.9 all along.

As for what happened afterward with Ye Lingyue and eventually his submission, that’s a story for another time.

Jin Wu Old Monster, moving sneakily in the dead of night, was itching to visit Yan City to see if he could use the Reincarnation Elixir granted by Ye Lingyue earlier to exchange for more Reincarnation Elixirs, or to learn some useful skills for Martial Artists.

Because the entrance to Yan City, just as its name implies, is very hidden, and ordinary people cannot find it without someone familiar to introduce them.

"You’re saying that in Yan City No.9, one can exchange a little for a lot? Any kind of Elixir?" Ye Lingyue’s eyes lit up with interest.

It’s like having a pillow handy when one wants to sleep.

Right now, she was vexed by the shortage of Candle Dragon Elixirs, but hearing about the existence of Yan City No.9, she became intrigued.

Without the presence of Hong Mingyue and Luo Song, those two who had been sticking to her like gum, she could use the nighttime to make thorough preparations.

"Basic Elixir Pills are available there, even Reincarnation Elixirs. There is a designated Exchange Centre in Yan City. The Elixir Pills obtained from the three major areas of Yan City No.9 can be exchanged there." It had been quite a while since Jin Wu Old Monster visited Yan City No.9, and he was eager to return.

"Then I will join you to Yan City No.9 to broaden my horizons," said Ye Lingyue and went back to her room. When she came out, she was dressed as the elegant young man, Hong Thirteen.

"It’s fine to bring you to Yan City No.9. But Sir, once you enter Yan City, you must be careful. Even someone with my cultivation level is just a nobody there. Some say that the reason they are called the Eighteen Yan Cities is that their creator, the Ghost Emperor, aimed to model them after the eighteen hells. Although one can gain countless benefits within each Yan City, the killings that occur there every day outnumber those in any other place on the mainland. It’s truly a survival of the fittest kind of hell there. Fortunately, in Yan City, one can only take action openly in the three public areas. Elsewhere, dueling is prohibited, otherwise, the Yan Yi Envoys of Yan City will execute the offenders," Jin Wu Old Monster said as he led Ye Lingyue to a Pastoral Village.

However, the protective function of the Yan Yi Envoys only applies within Yan City; once outside, matters of life and death are of no concern to them.

This means that the more one gains in Yan City, the greater the danger upon leaving.

Ye Lingyue listened but didn’t take it too seriously.

She still had Invisibility Elixirs on her, so if she really couldn’t avoid trouble, she could turn invisible and escape.

The horizon was dotted with countless stars, and the entire plain was terrifyingly silent.

A dense Hei Wu loomed in the distance like a huge beast eying the Xixia Plain.

Jin Wu Old Monster wandered on the plain, and after more than an hour, a solitary tent appeared in front of them.

The tent, shaped like a Mongolian Tent, had no lights around it, with only two pale blue flames, floating like ghost fires, within.

The tent, painted with a vivid red "九" (nine), was Yan City No.9. Ye Lingyue had expected to see a grand city, but this tent, at best, could only accommodate a few dozen people and didn’t look nearly as mysterious as Jin Wu Old Monster had described.

"Sir, a fee of one hundred taels of Gold is required each time you enter Yan City No.9," Jin Wu Old Monster said, painfully taking out a silver note.

Just to enter, you have to pay - such is the tyranny of Yan City.

And the most pitfall is that no food or water is provided in Yan City, and no one is allowed to bring any in, unless you’re willing to eat human flesh. Otherwise, even the toughest men have to venture out to find food within three days.

As such, just through these entrance and exchange fees, the income of Yan City No.9 reaches an astonishing amount every year.

Ye Lingyue was puzzled as she took out a silver note, following Boss Jin Wu to lift the tent flap.

But the moment they lifted the flap, a bustling street appeared in front of them.

A kilometer-long street wide enough to accommodate ten carriages side by side unfolded before their eyes.

The street was bustling, and on both sides were various simply repaired temporary shops. Even in the darkness of night, Yan City No.9 was still brightly lit.

Numerous dots of ghost fire floated in the air.

To Ye Lingyue, the whole Yan City No.9 felt like any other bustling city.

Sky Bright Crystal, a bold thought entered Ye Lingyue’s mind.

This Yan City No.9, which looked like nothing more than a tent from the outside, must have consumed a vast amount of Sky Bright Crystals to achieve such scale.

And this wasn’t the only one; there were seventeen other Yan Cities in various locations across the mainland.

Ye Lingyue suddenly felt a sourness in her stomach and discovered that Wu Zhong, that guy, was truly the wealthiest man in the world.

Such a person, who used to compete with her for this and that, was too petty!

As Ye Lingyue was thinking, a shadow suddenly flashed in front of her. She was about to strike with her Star Saliva, but luckily Boss Jin Wu held her back.

"Envoy, this is a new friend I’ve brought, and this is our city entrance fee." Boss Jin Wu smiled brilliantly as he handed over their silver notes.

It was the Yan Yi Envoys of Yan City that stopped Boss Jin Wu and Ye Lingyue.

Ye Lingyue noticed that these Yan Yi Envoys really dressed like Soul Hooking Envoys, wearing terrifying masks with long red tongues, clad in black or white clothes, just like the underworld’s Black and White Impermanence.

What was even more startling was that they didn’t touch the ground; their bodies floated mid-air.

Flying suspended in the air signified that any Yan Yi Envoy was a master of the Reincarnation Realm, and even a master around the Reincarnation Second Realm.

The strength of this Underworld Yama Palace was indeed terrifying. Even ordinary envoys were masters of the Reincarnation Realm; to what extent, then, was the power of Ghost Emperor Wu Zhong?

Ye Lingyue thought of her position in the Qing Province Elixir Ranking and couldn’t help frowning.

After paying the city entrance fee, Ye Lingyue followed Boss Jin Wu down the long street.

The long street had four branches, leading to the Basic-level Public Area, Intermediate Public Zone, Advanced Public Area, and Exchange Centre.

At a glance, the volume of Martial Artists and Alchemists was so large that Ye Lingyue almost thought that the number of Martial Artists and Alchemists in a single Yan City No.9 was even greater than those in Xia Capital combined.

"This is your first visit, my Lord, so take a look around tonight. In Yan City No.9, the three main public areas start with the Basic-level, also known as the Newbie Zone, for Elixir Realm Martial Artists (Alchemists below Third Rank) and below. The Intermediate Public Zone is for Elixir Realm Martial Artists (Martial Artists below Sixth Rank) to compete, while the Advanced Public Area is where Reincarnation Realm Martial Artists (Alchemists above Seventh Rank) have their matches." Boss Jin Wu introduced in great detail, even specially taking Ye Lingyue to see the Exchange Centre.