Chapter 201: Two Things

Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Two Things

"We came here for two things!"

Jiang Xu gazed at the Demon Communication Workshop.

"My current combat strength isn’t enough to guarantee I can take out those three Foundation Establishment Realm Demon Cultivators. After all, I’ve never truly fought a Demon Cultivator before."

"You took out two villains from the Blood Shadow Sect and Black Flame Cave, so your strength is obviously not lacking. But I’m also aware of your current weakness."

"As a Sword Cultivator with Sword Intent, who has also mastered the Thunderbolt Breathing Technique, your explosive power and lethality against Demon Cultivators are second to none."

"However, the Thunderbolt Breathing Technique’s defining feature is its extreme explosive power, which comes at the cost of putting immense strain on your body. It can’t be sustained for long. If you can’t finish your opponent in a short time, you’ll be the one who ends up defeated."

Zong Ziqi nodded.

"That’s right. The current Ten Great Talents of the Righteous Dao and Ten Great Villains of the Demon Dao were ranked based on their battle records, not their cultivation level or actual strength."

"Within the Righteous and Demonic Daos, there are some powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivators with high cultivation who haven’t even made a move yet. That’s because this conflict is bound to be a long and protracted one."

"The war between the Righteous and Demonic Daos has only been going on for three years. Aside from a single battle between dozens of Golden Core Cultivators from both sides when war was first declared, ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators have been sufficient for the fighting in the time since."

"After all, if Foundation Establishment Late Stage or even Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivators join the fray, the next level of escalation would have to be Golden Core Cultivators stepping in."

"But if Golden Core Cultivators really do enter the fight, even Golden Core Zhenren would risk falling. So for now, both sides are trying to control the situation and prevent escalation. But this is an all-out war, and even with both sides holding back, it will inevitably reach that final stage."

"Ahem, I’m getting sidetracked. In short, what I mean is that the currently ranked Ten Great Villains just have a lot of battle accomplishments; their actual cultivation and combat power aren’t necessarily that high."

"For example, Young Master Blood from the Blood Shadow Sect and Young Master Ming from the Black Flame Cave, the ones I killed, were only Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivators. I had to pick the perfect moment and unleash my full power to assassinate them. But if I hadn’t been able to kill them quickly, I very likely would have been killed instead."

Zong Ziqi’s words were more or less what Jiang Xu had been thinking.

"So, you can’t fight a battle of attrition. If those villains were alone, with our current strength, we could probably hunt them down. But if all three are together, I’m afraid we won’t stand a chance."

"They’ve already witnessed our escape techniques and Concealing Ability. They’ve likely spent this past month coming up with countermeasures. If we rigidly stick to our old assumptions, thinking their skills are the same as a month ago, we’ll be in serious danger."

Zong Ziqi was only just realizing this, and his admiration for Jiang Xu’s caution grew.

"I get it now. You said we came to the Demon Communication Workshop for two reasons. It’s to find a way to deal with those three villains, right?"

"Yes, and no."

Jiang Xu corrected him:

"The first reason I came is to find some Spiritual Materials to test an idea I have. The second is to get a new set of gear. It’s time to replace the Magical Artifacts I’m carrying. Plus, my Magic and Cultivation Technique are still from my time in the Qi Cultivation Realm, so they need an upgrade as well."

As they spoke, Jiang Xu and Zong Ziqi got in line to enter the Marketplace.

The line for entering the Marketplace moved quickly.

The guards at the gate barely checked anyone.

In the Demon Communication Workshop, it didn’t matter if you were human or demon, Righteous or Demonic—they didn’t restrict your entry or exit. As long as you paid the Spirit Stones, they let you in.

However, the entrance fee wasn’t cheap—five Spirit Stones per person. Back at the Purple Profound Celestial Marketplace, it was only one. It was truly a Marketplace run by merchants, always demanding more Spirit Stones.

And this was just the fee for entering the Marketplace. There were all sorts of other fees to come.

Because the "Demon Communication Workshop" was the starting point of the "Demon Passage," the entire Marketplace had only one front gate and one back gate, with no separate north, south, east, or west gates.

They charged a fee to enter through the front gate.

When you left through the back gate, they charged another fee.

But by then, it wasn’t just a few Spirit Stones. The transit fee was a full one hundred Spirit Stones per person.

And the fees after that came more and more frequently.

The Youxian Sea. Within the Great Qi Kingdom, this boundless body of water was world-renowned for its vastness and depth. Its sheer scale was enough to inspire awe and a sense of helplessness, and it could only be traversed by ship. This wasn’t just true for Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment Cultivators; even Golden Core Zhenren had to rely on vessels.

But the Youxian Sea was no ordinary sea. It was overrun with ferocious Demon Beasts. Before them, any ordinary vessel was as fragile as paper, liable to be torn to shreds in an instant upon being attacked.

Beyond the rampaging Demon Beasts, the natural environment within the sea was also unpredictable and perilous. While sailing through it, one had to not only deal with the fierce sea creatures but also remain ever vigilant for sudden natural disasters and strange phenomena.

At times, one might encounter frozen seas, where vast sheets of ice lay across the surface like colossal white beasts, radiating a biting chill. A moment of carelessness could get a Dharma Ship frozen solid in the frigid ice, unable to move.

Or one might face massive, bottomless whirlpools, like abysses leading to Hell. Once caught within one, it was nearly impossible to escape the fate of being torn apart.

There were also violent weather events like hurricanes and storm surges. With winds howling and monstrous waves crashing, even Foundation Establishment Cultivators would seem utterly small and fragile. Golden Core Cultivators wouldn’t risk venturing into such conditions lightly either.

Therefore, to safely cross the Youxian Sea, Cultivators had to travel on ships of at least the Tier Three Spiritual Artifact Level. Such vessels not only possessed defenses against Demon Beast attacks but also had extraordinary speed, navigation capabilities, and the ability to handle emergencies.

But the cost to charter such a ship was extremely high, requiring a large amount of Spirit Stones for the passage fee.

Because the Youxian Sea was so immense, even powerful Dharma Ships could not sail directly to the Demon Spirit State in one go.

During this long journey, the crew needed to rest periodically to recover their stamina, as well as replenish various cultivation supplies and materials needed for ship maintenance. If they were unfortunate enough to be attacked by a powerful Demon Beast and the Dharma Ship was damaged, they would also need to spend time and resources on repairs.

Scattered across the Youxian Sea were seven large islands controlled by the Seven Stars Association, each corresponding to one of the seven stars of the Big Dipper: Greed Wolf Island, Jumen Island, Lu Cun Island, Wenqu Island, Lianzhen Island, Wuqu Island, and Po Jun Island.

These islands were not only crucial supply stops for ships crossing the Youxian Sea but also essential waypoints where Cultivators of all kinds could trade, rest, and stay temporarily.

According to a standard route plan, a Dharma Ship would have to dock at these islands at least four times, undergoing multiple periods of rest and resupply, before it could hope to successfully reach the Demon Spirit State.