Chapter 113: The Universal Exchange Market

After some time exploring, Qing Xi had roughly mapped out the situation in Thunder Dragon Valley.

The valley, spanning about ten kilometers in diameter, centered around the lake near the main peak, where the spiritual energy was most concentrated. All the Earth-rank demonic beasts were either in the water or along the shores. The further one moved from the lake, the thinner the spiritual energy became, and the rarer the treasures. Conversely, the demonic beasts inhabiting those outskirts were of lower grades, consisting entirely of Profound-rank and Mortal-rank creatures.

For Qing Xi, as long as he did not encounter an Earth-rank beast or a peak Profound-rank creature with lethal toxins, he was effectively untouchable. Through persistent "effort," the spiritual herbs and ores piled up in his system space like a small mountain. Even the Sect Master, Qiu Mingzi, would be left speechless—and perhaps even ashamed—at the sight of such a hoard.

"They say wealth is found in danger. Indeed, Thunder Dragon Valley is a marvelous place; if the opportunity arises, I must come again!"

Qing Xi sprinted across the land, his legs moving so fast they left afterimages. Not far behind him, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Profound-rank demonic beasts were in hot pursuit. They wore expressions of pure fury, their heavy footsteps shaking the earth and churning up great clouds of dust.

"My thanks to you, my demonic friends, for these generous gifts! I shall return another time!"

Qing Xi waved back at them, a beaming smile on his face. He leapt into the air, using a spatial interference zone as a springboard to clear the mountain peaks, and successfully slipped out of the valley's territory.

"Roar!"

Within the valley, the collective roars of countless Profound-rank beasts merged into a deafening chorus. Even the Earth-rank beasts beneath the lake were stirred, their heads breaking the surface of the water. They used their keen senses to scan the surroundings, but finding no trace of an intruder, they sank back into the depths, filled with lingering suspicion.

Outside the Thunder Dragon Valley, Qing Xi greeted the rising sun. He withdrew his consciousness from the system space, his face glowing with a brilliant smile as he strode forward with an air of unbothered confidence.

"I have finally become the kind of person I used to despise... ah, what a helpless state of affairs!"

He shook his head and took out a spiritual fruit, taking a bite. The immense medicinal power dissolved within his body; thanks to the system, none of the energy dissipated, allowing for complete absorption without a shred of waste. Before long, he had gained fifty years of cultivation, moving another step closer to the Great Perfection of the Xiantian Realm.

Although he had arrived in the Central Region by sheer accident, he had heard that the extraterrestrial demons invading this territory were far more numerous. He felt no regret, only deep anticipation.

Soon after, Qing Xi arrived at a bustling city named "Gusha." With a population exceeding half a million, the city was teeming with Xiantian-level experts, some even in the late stages of the realm. In the Eastern Region, this would have ranked among the top ten great cities. Yet, after making some inquiries, Qing Xi learned that Gusha City barely cracked the top hundred in the Central Region. Furthermore, the city sat atop three micro-ley lines, the resulting abundance of spiritual energy fostering three major clans, each boasting a top-tier expert at the Great Perfection of the Xiantian Realm.

"As expected of the most powerful Central Region in the Yunchuan Prefecture; even a random city has a Great Perfection expert guarding it," Qing Xi remarked, marveling at the prosperity of the region. Even in the uninhabited areas outside the city, the concentration of spiritual energy exceeded the average level of the Eastern Region.

What puzzled Qing Xi, however, was that although the city had been attacked by extraterrestrial demons a few days prior, the invaders had withdrawn shortly after, for reasons unknown. He found this deeply confusing. Lei Xiaoga had warned that this invasion was fierce and perilous, yet now it felt like much thunder but little rain.

After some thought, he headed to the "Wantong Pavilion" in the city. It was the most prestigious chain of merchant guilds in the Central Region; as long as one had the coin, one could purchase not only information but even Earth-rank materials.

After paying a small price, Qing Xi obtained the information he sought. The demons had withdrawn because they had been summoned by the Demon King. All the extraterrestrial demons that had descended upon the Central Region had now retreated to the "Glazed Mountain Range," one of the ten forbidden zones (ruins). Because the Demon King’s strength was formidable—to the point that even the sect masters of the three two-star factions lacked the confidence to defeat him—a temporary standoff had formed between humanity and the demons. The crises in the major cities of the Central Region had been averted, and life had returned to normal, though merchant guilds remained cautious, fearing interception by the demonic army.

Upon paying a further fee, Qing Xi learned that the demons in the Eastern Region had also gathered together, but their designated leader had inexplicably vanished. Even Wantong Pavilion could not determine the cause. Consequently, the demons in the East were divided, with several deputy leaders feuding and fighting, scattered like loose sand. In contrast, the demons that had descended upon the Western, Southern, and Northern Regions were each led by a Golden Core-stage demonic commander, occupying one forbidden zone each and echoing the forces in the Central Region's Glazed Mountain Range.

Qing Xi had not expected the extraterrestrial demons to form a force capable of challenging the entire Yunchuan Prefecture in just a few days. At the same time, he wondered: why did the Prefect, Lei Xiaoga, not intervene personally? According to the information from Wantong Pavilion, the leaders of the three two-star factions were all at the First Turn of the Heaven-Mystic Realm. The Heaven-Mystic Realm had nine turns, and only after breaking through the ninth could one reach the Half-Step God-Communication Realm, like Prefect Lei Xiaoga. While the Demon King was stronger than the three sect masters, rumors suggested he was only at the Third Turn of the Heaven-Mystic Realm. Logically, with Lei Xiaoga's strength, he should have been able to crush the invaders.

Why, then, did he not act? Did he perhaps deem the demons too weak to be worth his effort? Qing Xi could not fathom the thinking of such titans. He only knew that the demons were all clustered together, making them difficult to pick off. The opportunity to earn vast amounts of Five-Element Origin, Qi and Blood power, and Spatial Marks had vanished.

"Forget it, go with the flow. But since I am in the Central Region, I cannot return empty-handed." Qing Xi began to plan his next steps. Before leaving the Wantong Pavilion branch, he sold many items, including the contents of the storage bracelets he had looted from Ji Mingshan and Bai Ruyu.

"Distinguished guest, here are your three hundred low-grade spirit stones. Please, keep them safe." The attendant at Wantong Pavilion smiled as she handed over a jade box filled with crystals.

The spirit stones were the universal currency of the cultivation world, possessed by any practitioner of standing. Each low-grade spirit stone contained one hundred strands of spiritual energy. As for medium-grade spirit stones, each contained ten thousand strands—a hundred times that of the low-grade. A single medium-grade stone could replenish the internal energy of five early-stage Xiantian practitioners. However, medium-grade stones were only produced by medium-grade ley lines or higher. In the Yunchuan Prefecture, usually only the Sect Master-level powerhouses kept them, and even then, they were loath to spend them. In the Eastern Region, where the conditions were poor, spirit stones were so rare they were seldom used as currency.

Qing Xi put the stones away, then, to the astonishment of everyone in the Wantong Pavilion, bought out their entire stock of low-grade and medium-grade storage bracelets before finally departing, feeling thoroughly satisfied.