The distance between Yellow Leaf City and Sword Heaven City was far too great to fly straight through. No matter how fast the water dragon was, traveling nonstop for several days would consume an enormous amount of energy. After some consideration, Zhang Wen decided to stop at a city along the way and search for one that possessed a long-distance spatial teleportation gate.
Before entering the city, the two of them rested briefly within a quiet mountain valley. Zhang Wen raised his hand as gentle water-attribute energy spread outward. Clear, pure water swirled around their faces, slowly reshaping their features. Their brows, noses, and skin contours subtly shifted. It was not a complete transformation into entirely different people, but enough that even close acquaintances would be unable to recognize them at a glance.
After that, Zhang Wen concealed all traces of his cultivation aura. His Nirvana-level presence was suppressed until only a faint ripple of spiritual energy remained, making him appear like an ordinary cultivator. Ming Yuan did the same.
The reason Zhang Wen did not create a long-distance teleportation formation himself like he had in the Ancient Beast Forest was simple.
He no longer had the strength.
The teleportation that carried him from the Ancient Beast Forest to the southernmost lands had consumed the life force of nineteen Saints, along with his own pseudo-Saint power, as fuel to forcibly activate the formation.
Even though his cultivation had now risen to the Nirvana Realm, his origin power was still insufficient to repeat such a feat at this time.
Not long after, the two arrived at a medium-sized city. Towering gray-black stone walls loomed ahead, covered with dense formation inscriptions. Above the city gate, a glowing pale-blue spatial sigil rotated slowly, clearly marking the presence of a long-distance teleportation array.
When they reached the city gates, they were inspected by the guards, but no issues arose. After entering, the two headed straight for several large trade halls to exchange spirit stones for travel fees.
Zhang Wen did not sell rare treasures directly. Instead, he chose to sell knowledge, with Ming Yuan handling the negotiations.
Ancient Saint-grade pill formulas.Rare formation structures.Principles for stabilizing high-level medicinal concoctions.
All of these were knowledge Zhang Wen had inherited from the Zhang Clan. In the Fatebound World, such information was considered extremely valuable.
Within only a few hours, they had accumulated over ten thousand top-grade spirit stones.
Afterward, they purchased new clothing and made the necessary preparations. Once everything was in order, the two headed toward the city's spatial teleportation plaza.
The area was vast, surrounded by towering stone walls. At its center stood a gigantic circular formation platform. Tens of thousands of intricate runic lines overlapped and intertwined, glowing in alternating colors. Cultivators queued continuously, entering and exiting without pause.
After their identities were verified and the passage fee paid, the light of the spatial gate soon flared brightly. Zhang Wen and Ming Yuan were swallowed by the current of space in an instant. When the twisting pressure of the spatial void vanished, the two of them appeared once more.
Before them was Sword Heaven City.
The moment their feet touched the ground, dense spiritual energy surged toward them. It felt like standing within a sea of mist-like qi that permeated the entire city. With a single breath, they could already feel the spiritual energy within their bodies being subtly refined.
The city stretched beyond the limits of sight. The main roads were paved with silver spirit stone, extending straight toward the city's core. Towering buildings stood in orderly rows, their rooftops shaped like sharp sword tips pointing toward the heavens, reflecting streaks of silvery formation light.
After leaving the teleportation plaza, Sword Heaven City bustled endlessly with people. Thick spiritual energy mixed with voices from every direction. Yet Zhang Wen did not head toward the Maple Leaf Trade Hall immediately.
Instead, he led Ming Yuan into the old northern district, then circled toward the western side of the city, clearly searching for something. The alleys grew narrower with every turn. Buildings aged. Stone walls cracked and weathered.
What Zhang Wen was looking for was an intelligence network that sold information of all kinds.
The Sewer Rat Association.
It was a force with roots in nearly every city of the world. Zhang Wen had come to know them through the Black Crow Secret Unit in the past.
After searching for some time, they finally stopped in front of an old wooden inn. The signboard outside was faded, its characters peeling away. It looked like the sort of place no one would spare a second glance at. Without deliberately searching for it, even passing by ten times might not draw attention.
Zhang Wen studied it briefly before pushing the door open.
Inside, it was unnaturally quiet. Only two or three old wooden tables stood scattered about, with not a single guest in sight. A faint scent of alcohol lingered in the air. An elderly man leaned against a table, tapping his fingers slowly, his head drooping as if asleep.
Zhang Wen walked up to the counter and spoke calmly.
"Is room 777 available?"
The old man remained still for a moment, as though he had not heard. Then he slowly opened his eyes.
"How many pillows and blankets do you need?"
Zhang Wen lowered his head briefly, counting something in his mind, before answering in an even tone.
"Eight of each."
The old man nodded without asking further questions. His withered hand flicked outward, and a pitch-black wooden key flew straight toward Zhang Wen.
"Take the stairs on the right."
Ming Yuan stood behind him in a daze, yet he followed without saying a word. When the two reached the second floor, the narrow corridor was dimly lit, illuminated only by faint oil lamps. At the very end of the hallway, a dull gray spatial gate was forming out of thin air.
Zhang Wen did not hesitate. He used the black key to open the door and stepped inside at once. Ming Yuan followed closely behind.
The world flipped upside down for a brief instant.
When their vision stabilized, the two found themselves inside a spacious reception hall. The floor was paved with black jade, the walls engraved with softly glowing formations. Luxurious furnishings filled the room, and the faint fragrance of tea drifted through the air, calming the mind without one even realizing it.
Suddenly, a black shadow tore its way out of the void.
A man clad in pitch-black robes knelt on one knee and spoke in a courteous voice.
"Welcome, both of you… to the Sewer Rat Association."
Ming Yuan's eyes widened slightly. He had heard of this organization before. It was one of the top underground intelligence forces in the world. Many knew its name, but very few had ever truly encountered its members.
Zhang Wen sat down without ceremony and asked directly.
"Do you have information about the Maple Leaf Trade Hall in Sword Heaven City?"
The man in black fell silent for a moment before replying.
"You mean… the White Dragon Trade Hall of today?"
Zhang Wen lifted his gaze slightly.
"Was it once the Maple Leaf Trade Hall?"
"Yes," the man answered.
"How much?" Zhang Wen continued without pause. "I want full details on all high-level executives. Who is the current leader, their strength, allied forces, and information on every power governing Sword Heaven City."
The man in black smiled faintly beneath his mask.
"It is not considered a major secret… Five hundred top-grade spirit stones."
Zhang Wen did not bargain. With a flick of his wrist, hundreds of spirit stones glowing with radiant light floated out and arranged themselves neatly in the air. The exchange was completed in an instant.
The man in black began his report in a calm, even tone.
"Sword Heaven City is governed by the City Lord's Estate. The current city lord possesses cultivation at Saint Realm Level 4. Beneath his rule are two major clans, each with Saint-level experts of their own. At present, both clans are secretly planning to overthrow the City Lord's Estate. The situation within the city is extremely unstable, and open conflict could erupt at any time."
"As for the White Dragon Trade Hall… it was formerly known as the Maple Leaf Trade Hall and is located in the southern district of Sword Heaven City."
Ming Yuan's fists clenched unconsciously.
"The former leader and his wife were killed by an elder of the Wang Clan several days ago. After their deaths, the deputy leader of the trade hall, Zhen Yi, along with four senior executives, were forced to temporarily take control. Soon after, they changed the trade hall's name in order to escape pressure from the Wang Clan."
"The current leader, Zhen Yi, has cultivation at Heavenly Cavern Realm Level 1. However, her cultivation is collapsing, as the trade hall was previously attacked by the Cloud Pavilion Trade Hall. The remaining four executives are all at high-stage Nirvana Realm."
The man in black paused briefly before continuing.
"A few days ago, a major clash occurred between the White Dragon Trade Hall and the Cloud Pavilion Trade Hall. The outcome was a complete defeat for White Dragon. Most of their resources were seized."
"The current condition of the White Dragon Trade Hall… is on the verge of bankruptcy. It was only recently established and lacks a powerful background. With no Saint-level expert to support them, they were quickly stripped of goods, employees, and customers by rival trade halls."
"At present, only five people remain in the entire trade hall."
Silence fell over the reception hall.
Every word of information was like a razor-sharp blade carving into Ming Yuan's memories.
Zhang Wen nodded slightly. His expression remained calm, yet deep beneath the surface, turbulent waves of thought were crashing violently against one another.