The departure of many villages made Xuanhuang Town noticeably quieter. However, new villages continued to arrive.
Some of these villages were close, others far away, and their arrival times varied. As a result, the market remained lively — not bustling, but certainly far from deserted.
Even the residents of Xuanhuang Town often strolled through the market, curious to see the people from other villages and the rare treasures they brought.
However, most people in the town didn't have Eternal Coins, so they could only look without buying.But no one was dissatisfied. Life in Xuanhuang Town was countless times better than before. Especially during such chaotic times, having a safe town for shelter, with food, clothing, and the opportunity to cultivate, was nothing short of living in a paradise compared to life in the villages.
Moreover, a rumor was spreading: soon, the era of communal meals would end, and the town would enter a privatized system where everyone would be responsible for their own livelihood — just like the old days.At that point, one's quality of life would depend entirely on personal ability. Those with skills could earn Eternal Coins; those without could only afford the most basic meals.
That time would be the true test of individual strength.
It was said that work would be compensated with Eternal Coins, and regulations for salary distribution would be implemented before privatization officially began, ensuring that every citizen would have some initial assets.
Many residents were now vigorously honing their skills or cultivating diligently. Once the communal era ended, even those without craftsmanship could venture into the wilderness to hunt fierce beasts, which were incredibly valuable.
Some citizens were already planning to accumulate merits to exchange in the Sutra Pavilion for basic talismans and cultivation manuals — mastering a technique to not only enhance themselves but also sustain their cultivation needs.
...
Outside Xuanhuang Town, a sedan chair appeared.
A young nobleman in white, his face pale, gazed at the massive town before him, a hint of astonishment flashing across his face.A city this large, built with wood as its framework and earth as its base, reinforced by rooted vines stabilizing the walls — an impregnable fortress.Even blades and spears couldn't damage these walls.This method of combining earth and wood, with earth nurturing the wood and wood reinforcing the earth, made these walls even sturdier than those built with marble.
Xuanhuang Town... truly impressive.
The white-robed young man opened his jade fan and waved it gently, displaying the refined manner of a noble.He turned to the maids behind him and said,"Scatter flowers. We're entering the town."
Swish!
The four maids stood on either side, tossing flower petals from their baskets into the air.Petals fluttered and drifted along the wind, creating a trail of floral rain as they proceeded toward Xuanhuang Town.Instantly, the entire scene became grand and eye-catching.
Of course, when you scatter flowers like this, you're either extremely impressive… or completely ridiculous.
Either way, they certainly attracted attention.
This was evident from the many soldiers on the town walls and the crowd of townsfolk at the gates — everyone stared.
"Who is that? Traveling in a sedan, carried by bearers, followed by maids..."
Just then, a gust of wind blew away the veils covering the maids' faces, revealing their true appearances.
Hiss—!!
Sounds of gasping filled the air. Some people's faces even turned pale.
"The maids he brought… they're... they're absolute beauties!"
"That taste... that level of pickiness... it's beyond what ordinary humans can even comprehend."
"Look at that pale young lord — could it be… is he suffering from kidney deficiency? To have such beauties around and still look so weak… he's like a battle-hardened rooster among men. Truly admirable! A true Kidney-Deficient Young Lord! Hahaha!"
The townsfolk inside and outside Xuanhuang Town started whispering and laughing among themselves.Just seeing the four stunning maids, their admiration for the white-robed young lord reached legendary heights — absolute respect.
The young lord's face twitched slightly as he heard the discussions.
"I'm the Void Young Lord, not the Kidney-Deficient Young Lord! Void! Not kidney-deficient!" He protested loudly, looking somewhat frustrated.
"Sure, sure, definitely Kidney-Deficient," someone laughed from the crowd.
"It's clearly kidney-deficient! Still pretending it's 'void' — shameless!"
One of the maids even muttered under her breath, loud enough for him to hear.
The Void Young Lord could only look up at the sky in speechless agony, silently lamenting,"What is wrong with this world? I'm truly void inside, not kidney-deficient! Must I tattoo 'Void' on my face to make them believe me?"
"No one understands my loneliness..."
The sedan entered Xuanhuang Town.
Looking at the bustling crowd, the Void Young Lord's eyes widened in shock."What's going on with this town? Every single person has cultivation!Each one is at least at the first level of the Divine Sea Realm! Did I walk into an immortal sect's sacred mountain?"
He was thoroughly stunned.This scene was far beyond his expectations.How could a human town have such an incredible population of cultivators?Ordinary folk were supposed to be weak and mundane.Who had the audacity to allow even commoners to cultivate?
"Fascinating. Truly fascinating. Looks like I came to the right place after all."
The Void Young Lord said thoughtfully, his eyes full of curiosity.
BOOM!!
Just as the Void Young Lord was about to stroll around town, a sudden, deafening explosion shook the entire area.
It was dry thunder — a lightning strike on a clear day — exploding over the valley with the force of millions of tons of TNT.
The loud boom echoed throughout the valley.
Immediately after, the ground trembled violently.
If the buildings in Xuanhuang Town weren't so sturdily built, they would've crumbled on the spot.
The entire town was thrown into a state of alarm.
Townsfolk stared toward the sky and ground in terror.
"What's going on? Dry thunder in broad daylight? And the ground is shaking? If I weren't a cultivator now, I wouldn't even be able to stay standing!"
"Could it be that a terrifying beast is approaching Xuanhuang Town? Only giant beasts could cause such tremors!"
Dong! Dong! Dong!
As the townspeople speculated, the town's alarm bell rang out.Soldiers quickly assembled, forming units and rushing onto the walls.Their eyes were firm and murderous, their movements swift and without hesitation.
Inside a courtyard.
Yi Tianxing and Cai Yan came out together, having felt the sudden change in the heavens and earth.
"This doesn't feel like a good omen..." Cai Yan said softly, her face full of worry.
"Don't worry. We'll face whatever comes. No matter the difficulty, there's always a solution."Yi Tianxing pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her soft waist.He raised his head to look at the sky, his tone calm and unshaken — a powerful presence that quickly soothed Cai Yan's fears.
She leaned against his shoulder, gazing upward.
Soon, the tremors subsided, as if only aftershocks remained.
"The vibration came from deep inside the valley. Something must have happened there."
Yi Tianxing frowned slightly.The valley was no ordinary place — it hid a location of immense treasure.
He absolutely did not want any incident to occur at such a crucial place.
After the thunder and the earthshaking tremor...
A white divine light suddenly shot into the sky from deep within the valley, radiating divine brilliance.
Even from thousands of miles away, it was visible.
Within the white light, countless celestial maidens seemed to dance in the sky; flowers rained down; the void resonated with sacred horns; immortal energy floated everywhere — as though heaven and earth were celebrating.
One could see countless farmers, officials, and countless others — the very image of the mundane mortal world.
Even chickens, dogs, and livestock basked in the immortal light, instantly ascending into immortality.Entire courtyards floated up into the sky in surreal, miraculous scenes of ascension.
"The Ascension Phenomenon! That place — it's the area where the phoenix once descended!"Yi Tianxing's pupils contracted sharply, his voice heavy.
That was indeed the place where the phoenix had descended!
Now, such a phenomenon appearing there meant only one thing —the treasure buried underground might be maturing and about to emerge.
But with such a shocking vision appearing, it would be impossible to hide.
Without doubt, every strong expert within thousands of miles had already noticed it.
"The phoenix's descent into the valley was seen by many back then," Cai Yan said softly, frowning slightly."Now, with such an Ascension Phenomenon, everyone will surely connect it to the phoenix treasure."
There was no avoiding it.
The phoenix's descent was an event of great importance.Now, with the incredible phenomenon happening again, it would naturally draw everyone's attention to the hidden treasure.