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Translator: Tamon
Argent Apex, located just north of Divine Province’s center area, was named after a famous mountain. Argent Mountain was the first mountain in the Kunlung Mountain Range, yet it was not connected to it. Looking from a distance, it was like a lone and lofty spire in the middle of the plains. Argent Mountain’s south side had a gentler slope, making it easier for the Immortal Alliance to settle there than on its steep north side.
It was once a forbidden zone of the greatest ancient cultivation group, Sacred Soul Coven. The first official cultivator, Mystical Star Temple’s Copernic got pushed back with the help of this range by the Sacred Soul Coven. Later on, the first Unfettered, Evolutionary Divine Lord Darwin, fought alone against seven, defeating the Sacred Soul Coven’s Great Ascension cultivators, saving Copernic from the encirclement, and making a name for himself throughout the modern cultivation world. Eminent figures like Transcendent Newton, Unified Arts Maxwell, and many others gathered here with the modern sects to fight the final battle against the ancient cultivators.
When Daoist Proscribe conspired with the Demonic Emperor and split from the Elusive Palace, causing a great calamity to fall upon the cultivation world, the Heavenly Sword Palace was established, here. With the might of the Heavenly Sword, they restored order amid the chaos. To avoid further turmoil, the five leading sects united to form the Immortal Alliance, placing its headquarters here.
The location was near the northern wasteland, though not as fertile as the southeast of Divine Province, where Wang Qi was born. The birth of the Immortal Alliance saw many Landscape Metropolis cultivators draw water from the south and Drifting Cloud Sect cultivators adjust the weather in the surrounding area, making it quite nice. Thousands of years later, common folk, drawn in by the fertile lands, settled and establishing what was today called Argent Apex.
Argent Apex was split into inner and outer cities. The people lived in the outer city, filled with wealthy merchants drawn to its proximity to an immortal stronghold. The inner city belonged to cultivators, having strict control over any mortal visitors. Flying was restricted here for the average cultivator, so Yan Heyi’s flying ship circled above Argent Apex for a while before descending towards an entrance to the inner city.
“Tch, sure is huge.” Wang Qi sighed at the outer city. Based on his knowledge of history, the production of Nine Provinces Continent’s society should be around the level of the Song Dynasty. It was inconceivable for a city of this size, like the ones on modern day Earth, to be established.
Xiang Qi smirked, “If this gets you frightened, you’ll have a heart attack when you see the inner city.”
Wang Qi’s gaze turned in the distance. It was obvious Argent Apex’s inner city was built on the mountain, but for some reason, a constant mist was wrapped around the peak.
Xiang Qi explained, “Drifting Cloud Sect’s Mountain Cloud Array is on the level of the five best sects’ arrays. What’s more, the spiritual energy upkeep is minor among arrays. The various areas of the Immortal Alliance use this array as their basic defense. In case of a Great Ascension attack, we can use stronger arrays.”
The flying boat shook under their feet, touching ground. Xiang Qi took Wang Qi off the boat. There was no wall separating the city areas, with the Mountain Cloud Array acting as delimiter. In some places where the mist stopped, there were openings allowing cultivators to enter while it blocked mortals. Wang Qi noticed he was walking on a bluestone pavement, in a place similar to a square. At the center of this square was a mist belt that enjoyed constant traffic. There were also many mortals walking about , perhaps coming here to seek their fortune.
Yan Heyi made a couple signs, and the spirit boat shook as it shrank, turning into a light and entering her sleeve, “Go in. And Wang Qi, use your spiritual power. With an early Qi Refiner’s limited strength, it’s easy for the array to block you.”
Yan Heyi entered the inner city with Xiang Qi and Wang Qi behind her.
Passing the mist, Wang Qi let it slip, “Holy shit…”
Winding corridors with high-raised eaves were common in this world, but meandering hallways extending in midair and classical eaves on hundred story buildings?
The streets were packed with cultivators, with a wide array of shops in all colors on the sides. For a moment, Wang Qi thought he was back on Earth seeing such a developed metropolis, only the unique style of Divine Province to remind him where he was.
Zhen Chanzi sighed, “The modern customs are quite different from the ones in my days.”
Wang Qi said, “Old man, how was in your day?”
Zhen Chanzi had a self-deprecating smile, “He-he, there were places where cultivators gathered to trade, but never managed by anyone, with the gathering determined at random. It’s not even as well-run as common markets of mortals.”
Yan Heyi was leading the two towards Argent Mountain, to the Immortal Alliance center. Overhearing their talk, she paused, “Wang Qi, you can look around by yourself if you’re curious. You don’t need to come to settle this matter.”
Wang Qi felt like he was given free rein, a shame it came from such a harsh expression. He gave her a brief goodbye and then was off to explore, only for the Xiang Qi to grab him, “You have no sense of responsibility, do you, running around aimlessly? How am I supposed to find you later?” She took out a small bell and a black square token from her storage bag, “Here, keep this bell, it is a locator magic item. I’ll lend you my spirit pool. Now don’t go crazy and buy everything, or you’ll be sorry.”
“Spirit pool?” Wang Qi inspected the magic item, finding it similar to a power bank. “How do I use it?”
Xiang Qi facepalmed while Yan Heyi walked away. The girl gave a quick explanation, “When you buy something, the seller will take out something similar. You just touch your spirit pool with his. You don’t know how to control the output… never mind, just don’t forget the receipt. No one’s stupid enough to engage in fraud in the Immortal Alliance center.”
Xiang Qi rushed to catch Yan Heyi.
Wang Qi stood there baffled. “Old man, do you know what this thing does?”
Zhen Chanzi’s Great Ascension spiritual sense covered the spirit pool for a while, “I can’t see clearly through the seals, but it should be holding spiritual energy.”
“Spiritual energy?”
Zhen Chanzi explained, “I told you, the items immortal cultivators use are too precious to be weighed in gold or silver. We used to have spirit stones as currency. Nowadays, it seems, they use spiritual energy outright.”
Wang Qi frowned, “How is its worth calculated?”
“The spiritual energy inside the magic item is beyond peculiar. It’s not mixed at all but divided into minute partitions. Spiritual energy’s flow is also sealed within.”
[Discontinuous motion?]
Wang Qi was stumped. These days he confirmed that Elusive Palace’s arts were related to quantum mechanics. This meant that discontinuous motion existed. Time was formed of countless Planck time units, with the release of energy occurring discontinuously based on Planck constant. Note that the universal constants of this world might differ from Earth.
[The spirit pool seems to point out that spiritual energy can be discontinuous.]
Wang Qi shook his head, knowing this was not the time for research, “Do you know how to use it?”
Zhen Chanzi said annoyed, “Look around. Since it’s used in trading, then it must be common.”
Wang Qi took a look around and many people around stalls held out their spirit pool having chosen their item. It touched the seller’s and the transaction was over in seconds.
[It feels like a POS.]
Zhen Chanzi asked, “Go over and look. You’re broke right now and don’t even have a cultivator’s essentials.”
Wang Qi shook his head, “It’s someone’s money.”
Zhen Chanzi said, “That someone is a Foundation Establishment cultivator of a major sect. Any of those sword discs had to be worth more than ten Qi Refining cultivators’ wealth.”
“Unless we’re close enough to share money, better avoid doing this.” Wang Qi replied with finality, “What’s important now are those papers.”
Zhen Chanzi said, “You have an idea?”
Wang Qi sneered, “How am I to inspect it without brush and paper? I’ll find some first then look them over elsewhere.”
