Chapter 302 Arrival in Zhongzhou
The silvery-white halo circulated around, and the space seemed to ripple gently like water waves. A luxurious ship was wrapped in a faint light cover and was flying steadily in it. In this monotonous and mysterious shuttle process, time seemed to lose its concept and become blurred.
On this spaceship, a woman with flaming red hair was operating almost mechanically. From time to time, she raised her hand and swung out a stream of fighting spirit, which was then absorbed by the receiving equipment on the ship. She had repeated this action countless times and seemed to have mastered it to perfection.
The girl looked about sixteen or seventeen years old, and was about the same height as Qinglin. The most striking thing about her were her eyes, one of which was clear blue, and the other was deep red.
These strange eyes are because she was originally a transformed monster, and her body is a two-headed fire snake. In the monster form, she has two heads. Although she did not retain this feature after transforming into a human, this pair of heterochromatic pupils has become her unique symbol.
The two-headed fire snake had long ago become Qinglin's powerful snake pet. Not only was it very intelligent, but after years of careful training, it had grown into a fifth-order peak magical beast, and its strength was a world apart from what it was at the beginning.
Xiao Ling had previously collected several Transformation Pills in the Pill Palace of Gui Ling Zun. Since this guy was quite likable and had made a lot of efforts in obtaining the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire, Xiao Ling was inspired and gave it a Transformation Pill. This allowed this fifth-level monster to transform into a human form in advance.
Receiving such treatment made Qinglin's other snake pets feel envious and jealous of this guy.
On the deck of the spaceship, Zi Yan leaned against the railing, playing with the seven-colored Sky-Swallowing Python in her hand. Her eyes casually swept across the monotonous scene in the space channel, revealing a hint of obvious boredom.
For someone as energetic as Zi Yan, being trapped in such a small space and not being able to move around freely is really a torment.
She retracted her gaze and turned to the Little Medical Fairy who was concentrating on flipping through a book. There was a hint of laziness and impatience in her tone: "Little Medical Fairy, how long have we been flying? Why haven't we reached Zhongzhou yet? I'm almost bored. How long will it take us to reach Zhongzhou?"
"About twenty days have passed, and I haven't paid much attention to the time. But Yao Lao mentioned before that it should be here soon." Hearing Zi Yan's complaint, the Little Medical Fairy closed the book in her hand, turned around and answered easily.
Even someone as calm as Xiao Yixiang couldn't help feeling a little bored facing this monotonous journey.
The novelty that the few people had felt about traveling through the space wormhole has now disappeared.
Qinglin, who was not far away, had just finished feeding a few pet snakes. Hearing the conversation between the two, he smiled at the red-haired woman at the bow and said, "Xiaohuo, we have to speed up. Everyone is getting a little impatient waiting."
Although Qinglin spoke softly, the two-headed fire snake could not help but feel worried. It thought to itself, if I had known earlier, I would not have taken on this tough job just to please my little master. It was really a living hell.
It shook its head helplessly and could only speed up the input of Dou Qi. As the input of Dou Qi increased, the speed of the spaceship also increased a lot.
……
In these monotonous and repetitive days, time seemed to have wings, and two days slipped away quietly.
The sun shone on the deck, and Zi Yan and her two friends lazily leaned against the railing, chatting casually. At this moment, Xiao Huo's voice at the helm floated into everyone's ears with undisguised excitement and a sense of relief.
"Master, ladies, we are about to reach the exit of the space wormhole!" Xiaohuo's voice seemed to inject a dose of vitality into the peaceful scene, instantly lifting people's spirits.
Hearing Xiaohuo's words, Zi Yan, Qing Lin and Xiao Yixian immediately looked up and saw a silver halo looming in the darkness in the distance. That was the exit of the space wormhole.
Before they could get excited about leaving this depressing place, they heard a "click" sound from behind, the sound of the door opening. Then, Xiao Ling appeared at the door.
"Haha, it seems I'm here at the right time." Xiao Ling said with a smile as he walked towards them.
Little Doctor Fairy couldn't help but purse her lips and smiled, teasing: "You, did you calculate the time to come out? You are really bad to the extreme."
Xiao Ling shrugged and responded nonchalantly: "Sometimes, things seem to be arranged, and they always turn out so well..."
"We're here, ready to go out!" With these words, the spacecraft glided silently to the dark entrance of the wormhole.
Xiaohuo carefully reduced the output of his fighting spirit, and the speed of the ship gradually decreased. Finally, it stopped steadily in front of the film-like wormhole exit, only half a meter away from the exit.
After more than 20 days at the helm, Xiaohuo's driving skills have reached perfection. And he himself may not know that from now on, he will become Xiao Ling's exclusive boatman for traveling through the space wormhole.
……
In front of him was a vast plain full of life. In the center of the plain was a square covered with gravel. In the center of the square, many mysterious and complex symbols were drawn on the ground. These symbols emitted a faint silver light, which seemed to imply some kind of spatial power.
The square was quiet, but suddenly, a gust of wind blew up without warning, and then a silver halo appeared out of thin air in the center of the square. A ship flashed through the halo, quickly shrinking, and finally four figures jumped out of the halo.
As the four people landed, the silver halo gradually dissipated.
Xiao Ling and his companions stood on this new land, bathing in the long-lost sunshine. Xiao Ling couldn't help squinting his eyes, took a deep breath, and then said softly with a hint of satisfaction and expectation: "Zhongzhou, we are finally here..."
"Finally we're out. I was almost bored in that space wormhole." Zi Yan stretched and complained. Her face was full of impatience. Obviously, the life in the space wormhole for more than half a month was really boring for her.
Xiao Yixiang's eyes wandered among the crowd in the square. She noticed that everyone coming and going was at least a Dou Ling-level warrior, and the guards who were maintaining order on the side had a strength of at least Dou Wang five stars.
"This is Zhongzhou? It seems like there are many experts here." The Little Medical Fairy looked around and commented softly, "Also, the air here seems to be filled with more heaven and earth energy, much richer than that in the northwest continent."
Xiao Ling responded with a smile: "This is not the most prosperous area in Zhongzhou. Once you get there, you will know what it means to have Dou Zongs walking all over the streets and Dou Huangs as numerous as dogs." He continued with a hint of light-hearted humor in his words.
"Zhongzhou is not comparable to the remote areas in the northwest. There are much more opportunities and strong people here, so we have to be careful." While saying this, Xiao Ling also deliberately glanced at Zi Yan. This girl is not someone who can stay content.
But Zi Yan didn't seem to be listening to Xiao Ling at all. She was looking around excitedly, full of curiosity about the new environment.
Seeing this, Xiao Ling shook his head helplessly. Just as he was about to remind him again, Qing Lin had already asked obediently, "Master, how should we go now?"
Qing Lin's question made Xiao Ling stunned for a moment. He had never been to Zhongzhou and really didn't know what to do next.
"We must first find someone who knows how to ask for directions and get a map. Otherwise, we will really get lost in this huge Zhongzhou." Xiao Ling said easily as he strode towards the city gate in front of him.
Seeing that Xiao Ling had already started to move, Xiao Yixiang, Zi Yan and the others quickly followed his pace.
The city gate was bustling with people coming and going, and various vendors and pedestrians were walking around. The guards here were also very strong. Among the several Dou Wang-level guards, there was even a strong man who had reached the Dou Huang level. Their eyes were sharp, patrolling every pedestrian in and out. After Xiao Ling and others paid 100 gold coins each, they successfully entered the city.
Entering the city, they found that the flow of people was even more dense, shops were lined up on both sides of the street, hawking sounds were heard one after another, and the air was filled with the aroma of various foods, making people salivate.
Xiao Ling scanned the bustling crowd, looking for someone who might be able to help. His eyes finally settled on an old man who looked quite experienced and was sitting leisurely behind the stall.
"Old man, can you tell us where we can buy a map?" Xiao Ling walked forward, smiled slightly, and asked politely.
The old man raised his head and looked at Xiao Ling and his group with his deep eyes. Then he smiled kindly and pointed to a road junction not far away. "Go to that road junction over there, then turn left and walk a short distance to get there. There is a map shop over there. You can go there and take a look."
"Thank you, old sir." Xiao Ling said gratefully, leaving a third-grade pill as a thank you gift, and then took Xiao Yixiang, Zi Yan and the others and moved forward in the direction indicated by the old man.
The figures of Xiao Ling and his companions gradually disappeared into the distance, but the old man's gaze still lingered in the direction they left.
His voice was hoarse, and he whispered to himself, as if recalling something, "These young people are not simple. That soul, could it be the stubborn little guy back then? Haha, it seems that Zhongzhou is going to be lively, and I should consider reincarnation."
The old man's figure gradually became blurred in the crowd. He seemed to be completely out of tune with the surrounding noise. He just disappeared without attracting anyone's attention.
Following the old man's instructions, Xiao Ling and his companions crossed the busy street. There were a wide variety of shops and stalls on both sides, and various hawking and bargaining sounds were heard one after another.
Soon, they saw the map shop the old man had mentioned. Hanging at the door was a huge map covered with complicated lines and symbols.
Xiao Ling did not delay any longer and walked briskly into the store with the three girls. There was an old man in the store, with a businessman's shrewd look on his face, and he was obviously a businessman. Xiao Ling took a quick look and found that the old man's strength was about the level of a fighting master, and his cultivation talent could almost be considered negligible.
"Dear guests, are you here to buy maps?" As soon as the old man saw Xiao Ling and the others coming in, he immediately came up to them warmly, with a smile on his face full of anticipation.
"Give me the most complete map of Zhongzhou." Xiao Ling said easily. His eyes slowly moved around the store, carefully looking around, but soon he found that there was nothing new here that he expected, so his eyes returned to the old man, "By the way, tell me where this place is."
"Haha, little brother, you've come to the right place." The old man took out a beautifully decorated map scroll from behind the counter with a sly smile and handed it to Xiao Ling. "This is the treasure of our store, the essence of the Zhongzhou map. With my exclusive information, it's worth a total of 100,000 gold coins. It's definitely worth it."
"One hundred thousand gold coins..." Hearing this price, Xiao Ling couldn't help but roll his eyes, thinking that this old guy was asking for too much, but for him, this amount of gold coins was really nothing. He didn't say anything more and paid the full amount of gold coins.
The little medical fairy took the map and examined it with great interest, with curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
The old man took the gold coins, and his smile became even brighter, like a blooming chrysanthemum. He continued, "It seems that this is your first time in Zhongzhou. If you want to find someone to get information, you have come to the right person. I am..."
Don't beat around the bush, just tell us the point." Zi Yan's voice came from the side, interrupting the old man, with a hint of playful impatience in her voice.
"I understand, I understand. You newcomers may not know this city, but it's called Xingyao City. It's located in the northern region of Zhongzhou. It's one of the important cities in Zhongzhou leading to other regions. There are more than a dozen space wormholes connecting our Xingyao City. Going south from Xingyao City is the most prosperous place in the entire continent, Zhongyu!"
"Xingyao Sect is the only powerful sect in Xingyao City, and controls the key space wormholes in the city. Although there are no Dou Zun masters in the sect, they have several Dou Zong masters, and their strength should not be underestimated. With their control over the space wormhole, they charge high tolls on the one hand, and on the other hand, they are responsible for maintaining the stability of the wormhole and the safety of the city."
The leader of Xingyao Sect is a seven-star Dou Zong, who is powerful and has great leadership skills. Under his leadership, Xingyao Sect's position in Xingyao City is becoming increasingly stable. There are also several Dou Zong elders in the sect, who are responsible for different matters, such as guarding the wormhole, managing the order in the city, and training young disciples..."
As soon as the old man opened his mouth, it was like he had opened a box of chatterboxes, and he talked nonstop. Obviously, telling these newly arrived travelers from Zhongzhou about the local customs and practices was a rare enjoyment for him. For him, who had a mediocre talent for cultivation, this kind of communication was undoubtedly a great pleasure in his life.
Xiao Ling and Xiao Yixian did not interrupt the old man's passionate narration, and listened to him patiently for about ten minutes. The old man was so devoted to his talk that he was even a little excited, and he was a little out of breath at the end.
Finally, the old man finished his long speech. With a hint of humor and a self-satisfied smile, he winked at Xiao Ling and the others and said, "Well, I did a good job, didn't I?"
"Haha, thank you for your advice, we won't bother you anymore." Xiao Ling said goodbye to the old man with a smile, thinking that the old man was quite interesting. Then, he left the store with the three girls.
Next, they found the most luxurious hotel in Xingyao City and booked a comfortable private room. They ordered several local specialties and began to enjoy this delicious dinner to relax from the fatigue and boredom of the previous journey.
During the meal, Xiao Ling also took the map from the Little Medical Fairy. He scanned the map but did not find the name of the Poison Mist Valley. Even the Falling God Gorge was not recorded there.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Ling couldn't help but frowned and muttered to himself, "It seems that this Poison Mist Valley is not an easy place to find. It should be known by some people of status."
However, Tianbei City, where Han Yue's family lived, was recorded there, and it was not very far away. It only required two space wormholes and a short flight to get there.
Thinking of that graceful figure, Xiao Ling couldn't help but reveal a nostalgic look in his eyes. It was time to go and see her.
At this time, Zi Yan had just swallowed a mouthful of processed monster meat, and asked Xiao Ling in a somewhat unclear tone: "Xiao Ling, what are our plans next? Are we going directly to Yao Lao's Xingyun Pavilion?"
Xiao Ling smiled and replied, "Actually, there's no need to rush. I know a place that is a good opportunity for Xiao Yixian. If we can get the things there, not only will Xiao Yixian's strength be further improved, but we can also find the last key material to solve the evil poison body."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes turned to Xiao Ling, especially the Little Medical Fairy, whose eyes were sparkling with curiosity and anticipation.
At this moment, Yao Chen and Tianhuo Zunzun, who were sipping tea at the next table, also cast curious glances.
Yao Chen smiled and joked, "What good opportunity have you got, kid?"
Xiao Ling smiled lightly, took out a roll of animal skin map from his ring, and waved his hand, and the map flew lightly to Yao Chen. Yao Chen took it and examined it carefully.
"I accidentally found this map when I was searching for treasures in the Black Horn Region." Xiao Ling explained, "It records the location of the Netherworld Poison Fire in detail. I'm an alchemist, so it's not appropriate for me to absorb this strange fire, but it's perfect for Xian'er's poisonous body."
He paused and continued, "And according to the records on the map, there is a seventh-level Netherworld Poison Dragon Scorpion living in the location of the Netherworld Poison Fire. This magical beast is a superior race to the Sky Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast. Using its magic core to help Little Medical Immortal condense the poison pill will definitely have a better effect."
(End of this chapter)