Chapter 1253: A Stranger in a Foreign Land
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xu Qing wasn’t yet very clear about how delicious the ferocious beasts in the Mountains and Seas Region were. However, as he and the captain left and arrived at the free cave abode, Xu Qing could clearly sense the high and mighty status of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race.
During the Grand Hunt, the three holy cities were opened to the public. However, the prices were too high. After all, this place was the core of the entire Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race.
Such prices weren’t something ordinary cultivators could afford.
Hence, the holy city provided a place for the cultivators of the various races who were participating in the hunt to stay and rest.
However, such an area was very particular about the identity of the residents. It was divided into high-grade, medium-grade, and low-grade.
Only the cultivators of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven and a few super high races were qualified to stay in high-grade cave abodes. There, not only was the spiritual energy divided separately, but they were also enhanced by the Divine Mountain, and divided into courtyards.
Whether it be the beautiful environment or the suitability for cultivation, everything was of top quality.
As for medium-grade cave abodes, they were the residences of the affiliated races of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven, and were much simpler.
The low-grade cave abodes were the crudest and were specially opened to participants from the lower races other than the Flame Moon Race.
Even though Xu Qing had placed the Mountains and Rivers Flag on the Divine Mountain and became first, he didn’t have the qualifications to stay in a high-grade or medium-grade cave abode. He could only choose a low-grade cave abode.
In the eyes of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race, those who were inferior to them and didn’t choose to submit were all from the lower races.
Regarding this, even Qiu Quezi was helpless. However, he still wanted to use his quota to help Xu Qing exchange for a high-grade cave abode. Hence, he tried to communicate with the cultivator in charge of the cave abodes.
The strength and weakness of a race was often reflected in individuals, which was quite evident.
Unless one had the personal strength to break through everything, only then could their identity surpass the race.
However, Xu Qing clearly hadn’t achieved it yet.
The cultivator from the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven, who was in charge of arranging the cave abodes, naturally didn’t have a good impression of Xu Qing and the captain.
Regarding Qiu Quezi’s request, he frowned and calmly spoke.
“No way!”
“If you’re willing to stay, then stay. If you’re not, then leave. This is the rule in the entire Holy City.”
As he spoke, the cultivator from the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven threw out a cave abode token. After that, he closed his eyes and ignored Xu Qing and the others.
Qiu Quezi sighed inwardly. He then looked at Xu Qing and spoke in a low voice.
“Fellow Daoist Xu, it’s already late and the holy city will have a curfew after sunset… It’s almost time.”
Xu Qing didn’t care about the grade of residence. However, when he heard the word ’curfew’, his divine sense swept through the outside world. The sun was setting but there was still an endless stream of pedestrians in all directions. It didn’t look like there would be a curfew.
“It’s only a curfew for foreign races.” The captain raised his brows and picked up the cave abode token.
“Since it’s free, we naturally have to use it. It’s a waste to abandon it.”
Xu Qing didn’t say anything. He retracted his divine sense and nodded at Qiu Quezi before leaving with the captain according to the token’s guidance.
Qiu Quezi cupped his fists and bowed. He sighed with emotion.
He had followed Xu Qing all the way and was very clear that the other party’s combat strength was astonishing.
He is just at perfected Spirit Repository, but already possesses the combat strength to fight against fourth stage Nihility… If such a heaven’s chosen was born in the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race, he would definitely be our race’s heaven’s chosen.”
“What a pity, what a pity.”
Qiu Quezi sighed and watched as Xu Qing and the captain disappeared before leaving.
Time slowly passed and the sun completely set. The moment the bright moon rose, Xu Qing and the captain had already found the cave abode they belonged to.
To be precise, it couldn’t be considered a cave abode; it was just a simple residence, both inside and out, very rudimentary, and in a remote location.
However, Xu Qing had never cared much about the place he lived in. No matter how crude this residence was, it was still much better than the place he lived in when he was young.
Hence, Xu Qing calmly sat cross-legged and closed his eyes to meditate.
The captain also had a nonchalant expression. At the side, he held a jade slip and kept transmitting his voice. It was unknown who he was communicating with.
Just like that, a night passed.
The next morning, the captain greeted Xu Qing and winked at him.
“Little Qing, I’ve inquired about it. There’s still a month before the second segment starts. We have plenty of time. You should rest well. I plan to gather some information during this period.”
“Also, I have some personal matters to attend to.”
The captain licked his lips and his eyes were filled with anticipation and excitement. He looked very similar to the people Xu Qing had seen heading to the feather tent at the scavenger campsite when he was young.
“Be careful.”
Xu Qing reminded.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. With the Wordless Stone Scripture around, my aura won’t be sensed.”
The captain habitually patted his chest and rubbed his hands before leaving.
Xu Qing shook his head and continued to meditate with his eyes closed.
Several days passed.
During these few days, Xu Qing didn’t go out and the captain didn’t return either.
Now, after several days of rest, Xu Qing’s mental fatigue from the slaughter had already recovered.
“I should go take a look and see if 1 can buy some information about the Mountains and Seas Region.”
Xu Qing opened his eyes and pondered for a moment before walking out of the house.
During these few days, flags appeared on the Divine Mountain many times but no one could surpass Xu Qing’s height. The repeated display of the Divine Mountain flags also made the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven cultivators feel increasingly uncomfortable.
The feeling of seeing the Mountains and Rivers flag high and mighty when they lifted their heads caused them to feel disgust toward Xu Qing.
This disgust was clearly emitted by the passersby as Xu Qing’s figure appeared in the city.
Xu Qing didn’t mind.
He ignored the discussions mixed with malice.
The first segment had already ended. Without any benefits, Xu Qing felt that it was meaningless to make a move. Moreover… there was too much disgust permeating the air. Even if he started killing, he wouldn’t be able to kill them all.
On the way, several challengers appeared, but none of them, Xu Qing felt, were worth his effort.
“Human Xu Qing!”
As he walked forward, a jade slip whizzed out from the crowd and floated in front of Xu Qing.
Following the jade slip was a young man from one of the affiliated races of the Flame Moon, staring coldly at Xu Qing.
“Do you dare to leave the Holy City and fight to the death with me?!”
Xu Qing swept his gaze over and looked at the youth. After that, he ignored him and continued forward.
The other party also was worthless.
It was clear that the young man wasn’t really looking to challenge Xu Qing; he was just seizing the opportunity. So, as Xu Qing walked away, he chuckled a few times, taking advantage to gain some reputation.
Similar challenges appeared one after another as Xu Qing moved forward.
Xu Qing felt a little annoyed, especially when he saw some shops in the holy city divided into different grades, with some even outright refusing service to him upon seeing him.
That expression of disgust, malice, and provocation caused Xu Qing’s gaze to turn cold.
He knew that as long as he took out the clay fox’s token, everything would be easily resolved. He could enter any store and buy whatever he wanted.
However, he looked up at the Divine Mountain. In the end, he didn’t take out the clay fox’s token. Instead, he transmitted his voice to Qiu Quezi.
After that, he turned and returned to his residence.
After resting for a while in his residence, Qiu Quezi brought all the information he could gather about the Mountains and Seas Region and handed it to Xu Qing.
After not seeing him for a few days, Qiu Quezi’s expression looked a little complicated. After he delivered the information, he bowed and left.
Xu Qing took a look. With his experience, if he were to put himself in Qiu Quezi’s shoes, he could understand the source of the other party’s complexity.
As a member of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race, he had followed two humans who were disliked by his race. Presumably, he had to endure many mocking words in the past few days.
Xu Qing remained silent and recalled the scenes after he arrived in the holy city. A sense of resentment rose within him. After a long while, he picked up the jade slip brought by Qiu Quezi and carefully examined the information about the second segment of the hunt.
The second segment would be held in the Mountains and Seas Region.
This region was quite unique; inside, there were no cultivator groups, but instead an uncountable number of mutated beasts, some solitary and others in groups, ultimately forming a land of beasts.
Over the countless years, regardless of whether it was the beasts in this regions or the beasts the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race had obtained from outside, under the accumulation and reproduction, there were too many inexplicable mutations and the emergence of various bizarre creatures, as well as fierce beasts not found in the outside world.
For example, the ghost carriage Xu Qing and the captain had seen was one of them.
As for the earliest history of the Mountains and Seas Region, the jade slip sent by Qiu Quezi didn’t elaborate. It only had a short sentence about it.
It was related to the ancient legend of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven.
What it was specifically, it didn’t mention.
Regarding this, Xu Qing wasn’t too curious. What he focused on was the famous ferocious beasts recorded in the jade slip and their territories.
After a careful inspection, Xu Qing finally looked at the ferocious beast ranked first.
Its name was Nine Li!
This beast’s status in the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race was very special.
This was because in the history of the Flame Moon Race, there had only been one time when Jiuli was subdued.
That was the first patriarch of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven Race back then.
He was also the one who led the rise of this race and unified the Great Magistrates.
His mount was Jiuli.
After that, no one succeeded in conquering it.
It was also because of this that Jiuli held an extremely high position in the hearts of the Flame Moon Mystic Heaven cultivators.
In fact, Flame Moon even said that if someone subdued Jiuli, then all the members of the Flame Moon Race would have to salute and bow to them.
There were also many rumors about the Jiuli, but there were very few specific descriptions. Moreover, there was no mention of whether it existed alone or in a group.
In addition, the jade slip also mentioned that although the experts of the older generation in the Flame Moon Race should have the ability to subdue Jiuli, the gods of the Flame Moon had made strict rules about the Mountains and Seas Region.
That place was usually not open and it was strictly forbidden to enter.
Only during the Grand Hunt would the gods open it. It was also at this time that the participants could obtain mutated beasts inside as mounts.
This restriction caused the Jiuli to not appear again for countless years.
As for the place where the Jiuli was located, it was called the Jiuli Forbidden. The jade slip clearly pointed out that that place was extremely dangerous. Anyone who entered would definitely die.
“Jiuli?”
Xu Qing fell silent. He didn’t know if he was thinking too much but after reading these introductions about Jiuli, he had a faint feeling that there seemed to be contradictions in a lot of information.
“Is there something hidden…”
Xu Qing fell into deep thought.
“What kind of a ferocious beast is the Jiuli?”
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