Li Mu quickly collected the remaining spiritual materials on the battlefield one by one, especially the eighth-level ethereal world crystal. Although it had been consumed by the large formation, there was still a large amount of ethereal power left inside, and it could still sustain one or two more. Secondary formation consumption.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Li Mu looked around to make sure that nothing was missing. Without stopping, he flew to the Black Mysterious Spirit Turtle and hid it in the Painting World Treasure Mansion between its neck.
Li Mu's figure then disappeared. The Black Mysterious Spirit Turtle paddled its thick limbs and quickly left the sea according to its owner's guidance.
Time flies, two years have passed.
In Zhongzhou Lingyu, on the edge of a slightly desolate giant city, a man wearing an ordinary cloth, his face covered by the shadow of a bamboo hat, slowly arrived. This person was Li Mu.
It has been a hundred years since the passage of the Three Realms was opened. The forces of the Demonic Abyss invaded, and the strong men of the fairy world were also ready to move. Under the double oppression, the once prosperous Wanbao City was now desolate and its glory was no longer.
The traces of mottled work on the city walls are the imprints carved by time and war. Most of the once prosperous shops on both sides of the streets have been closed down. A few are still barely holding on, but they are also sparse and inaccessible.
The original masters of Wanbao City, the human monks, are now like bereaved dogs, living under the shelter of others in this dilapidated giant city. Their eyes have lost the light of the past, replaced by confusion and fear about the future.
On the contrary, the Demon Abyss monks swaggered through the streets with a victor's attitude. Their laughter was somewhat proud and arrogant. This land completely belonged to them.
At the same time, the figures of the fairy clan also appeared from time to time. They either flew past proudly, or walked away in a low-key manner, but no matter what posture they took, they all revealed a kind of detachment and indifference that did not belong to this world. They There seems to be some kind of delicate balance between him and the Demon Abyss monks, who jointly control the fate of this ruined giant city.
With his consciousness, Li Mu felt mixed emotions in his heart when he saw such a scene.
Li Mu sighed softly and stepped heavily into Wanbao City. The purpose of this trip was to purchase high-end spiritual materials needed for the formation, but they never expected that Wanbao City, which was famous for its spiritual materials trade in the past, would actually fall into such decline.
On both sides of the street, most of the shops that were once bustling with people and filled with a dazzling array of spiritual materials were now closed. Occasionally, a few had their doors ajar. The goods inside were sparse and of low quality, making it difficult to meet his needs.
Li Mu walked through the narrow alleys, frowning and thinking to himself: Could it be that in the huge Wanbao City, there is no place where high-level spiritual materials can be traded?
Li Mu hesitated to leave and look for another way, but in the end, he stopped at a tavern with simple decoration and a little liveliness.
The waiter shuttled enthusiastically among the crowd, holding the tray firmly in his hand, with a variety of spirits and snacks placed on it, serving the needs of several tables of guests.
Seeing Li Mu entering the store, the waiter immediately put on a smile and greeted him: "This guest, please come in! Are you a guest or staying at the hotel? Although our place is not as good as before, we still have a complete range of spiritual wine and snacks. Please keep it. You are satisfied.”
Li Mu took off his bamboo hat, revealing a head of black hair and a slightly tired face, and said: "First, let's warm up with a pot of hot wine. Then prepare some side dishes for me."
"Okay, I don't know what you want to eat. Our signature spiritual meal is 'Yunwu Lingji'. It uses hundred-year-old chicken and is fed with the unique spiritual grass of Yunwu Mountain. The meat is fresh and tender and full of spiritual energy. Take a bite and keep your spirit." Glowing; and 'Blue Water Herring', This is a rare spiritual fish caught from the Bishui River outside the city. Its meat is delicate and melts in your mouth. It is rich in water-attribute spiritual energy and is very helpful for practicing water-attribute skills." The waiter in the store was so familiar with it that he was frothing at the mouth when he introduced it. It was obviously very helpful to him. He is extremely proud of his spiritual wine and spiritual food.
Li Mu listened to the waiter's introduction, moved his index finger slightly, nodded slightly and said: "Then first have a pot of your best spiritual wine, and then order these two signature spiritual meals."
"Okay, sir, wait a moment, the wine and food will be here soon!"
The waiter responded and turned around to order the kitchen to prepare. However, he seemed to remember something. He stopped and turned to Li Mu and said, "Oh, by the way, sir, due to the current turbulent situation, all the food and spiritual ingredients are here." It’s not easy. Look, do you need to pay part of the deposit first?”
Hearing this, Li Mu did not show any displeasure. He nodded in understanding, took out ten middle-grade spiritual stones from the storage bag in his arms, handed them to the waiter, and said: "This deposit is enough, you can keep it first."< br>
The waiter took the spirit stone with a smile on his face and thanked him repeatedly: "That's enough, that's enough. Thank you, sir. Please wait a moment. Good wine and good food will be served to you right away."
After saying that, the waiter turned around and walked quickly to the kitchen to arrange the spiritual meal.
Li Mu picked up the tea cup on the table and took a sip. His eyes involuntarily fell on the other five tables of diners in the store. The light in the store is slightly dim, but it reflects the faces of the diners just right.
Sitting at a table near the door were four demon cultivators with Nascent Soul cultivation in black robes unique to the Mo Yuan force. Their clothes were embroidered with complex demon patterns and shone with a dark light, making them appear both mysterious and majestic. The leading demon cultivator, with a stern face, raised eyes, and a disdainful smile, was talking loudly about their glorious achievements in the latest battle, and his words were full of contempt and ridicule for the monks in the fairy world. , his fingers tapped on the table from time to time, making a "click" sound, full of evil blood, which made people fearful.
At a table in the corner, several human race god-transformation monks were sitting with low eyebrows. Their clothes were simple and unpretentious, and their faces looked a bit haggard and helpless. The voices among them were very low, and occasionally they looked up at the demon cultivators. A trace of complicated emotions flashed through his eyes, including anger and unwillingness, but more importantly, compromise and helplessness towards reality.
One of the elderly monks, who was sitting alone drinking, had gray hair and an old face. He sighed softly and whispered: "The world has changed. The glory of our human race has now become the dust at the feet of others. Some The monks, in order to survive, even converted to the devil's path and became the lackeys of the devil's forces."
"Old Immortal! What did you say?" The leading god-transforming demon cultivator seemed to hear the elder monk's whisper. He raised his brows and flashed a trace of anger in his eyes.
"Brother Qiu, that old guy is originally from the Wan family in Wanbao City. You don't need to be familiar with him." A demon cultivator next to him quickly dissuaded him.
However, Brother Qiu didn't seem to intend to give up. He stood up, with a cold light flashing in his eyes, and walked towards the older Void Refining monk step by step.
The atmosphere in the store instantly became tense. Other diners cast surprised glances. Some sympathized with the human monk, while others watched indifferently. Most of them were afraid of the power of the demonic cultivator and did not dare to speak easily.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper hurriedly walked out from behind the counter and greeted Brother Qiu with an apologetic smile: "Oh, senior, the shop didn't bother anyone today. You have a lot, so don't talk to us, an old customer." General knowledge.”
The god-transforming demon cultivator stopped, glanced sideways at the shopkeeper, and sneered: "Humph, this old guy has dirty words and insults our Moyuan forces. Do you think we should teach him a lesson?"
When the shopkeeper heard this, he secretly complained in his heart. He knew that this demon cultivator who transformed into gods had climbed into the power of Moyuan and couldn't afford to offend him, but he couldn't just watch the fight start in the shop. "Oh, senior, you don't know something. This old senior once had a lot of glory, but now he is alone and a little confused. Look, how can he be sincere in his nonsense? Otherwise, he would be like this today. I invited you to have some food and drinks as an apology to all of you, what do you think?" the shopkeeper quickly advised.
The god-transforming demon cultivator looked at the old man of Lianxu with a stern look. He was no match for him in a fight. He stopped and said quickly: "Okay, since the shopkeeper is giving you face like this, I will give you face today. However, this old man Guys better pay attention to me in the future, otherwise, hum!”
The shopkeeper nodded quickly and bowed: "Yes, yes, I will teach him a lesson and ensure that this kind of thing will never happen again in the future."
After saying that, the shopkeeper turned to the Void Refining monk and begged in a low voice: "Senior Wan, please calm down your temper! My small shop cannot withstand the torment! My family's livelihood... .”
Hearing this, Wan Renfeng, the old man of Lianxu, had a complicated look in his eyes and sighed helplessly.
"That's all, I was the one who was rude about what happened today." The voice of the old man of Lianxu, Wan Renfeng, was hoarse and low. After speaking, he turned around and wanted to leave the tavern.
Seeing that the storm was about to subside, Li Mu suddenly spoke with a calm and powerful voice, interrupting the steps of Wan Renfeng, the old man of refining the void: "Fellow Taoist Wan, can you stay? If you don't mind, you might as well have a drink with me. How about a cup?”
As soon as these words came out, not only Wan Renfeng, the old man of Lianxu, stopped, but all the diners in the tavern also looked sideways. In such an era where demonic cultivators are rampant and human cultivators have a low status, Li Mu's invitation undoubtedly seemed abrupt and bold.
However, seeing that Li Mu's cultivation aura was also at the initial stage of Void Refining, the other diners were not surprised.
Nowadays, low-level monks specialize in the path of magic, climb up the power of the Demon Abyss, or switch to the fairy world and become affiliated with the fairy clan. Only some monks with deeper cultivation can stick to the bottom line of human monks and do not want to He is collaborating with the Moyuan forces, and he is not willing to succumb to the fairy clan.
Suddenly hearing the invitation from other monks, Wan Renfeng couldn't help but feel a little curious. He turned to look at Li Mu and saw that the young Void Refining monk had a calm face and firm eyes. He exuded an extraordinary temperament and had no sense of vicissitudes. , unlike their unique auras tortured by difficulties.
Please...you...Collect_6Ⅰ9ⅠBookⅠ(Six\\\Nine\\\Book\\\!)
Wan Renfeng felt the indifference emanating from Li Mu and could catch something unusual in the other person's aura, and couldn't help but nod secretly in his heart.
"Thank you for the invitation. This fellow Taoist is so elegant. Wan is more respectful than to obey!" Wan Renfeng responded with a smile, walked straight to Li Mu and sat down opposite him.
Li Mu smiled and nodded, signaling the waiter to add another pair of bowls and chopsticks.
The two sat across from each other, raised their glasses, exchanged pleasantries, and told each other about their origins. It seemed like at this moment, the disturbances and fights in the outside world were isolated, and only the two of them were left in this small tavern. , enjoying the rare tranquility and peace.
After three rounds of wine and five tastes of food, the conversation between the two gradually deepened.
Li Mu also learned from the other party about Wan Renfeng's situation and some changes in Wanbao City.
Wan Renfeng sighed softly, with a trace of helplessness and sadness in his eyes, and said: "Friend Daoist Li, you may not know that Wanbao City was once one of the most prosperous cities in the Zhongzhou Spiritual Realm, where human monks traded spiritual materials and exchanged information. However, since the passage of the Three Realms opened, the forces of the Demonic Abyss invaded, and powerful men from the fairy world came one after another, this city gradually lost its former glory."
Wan Renfeng paused and continued to pass on Li Muchao: "The Demon Abyss monks are domineering and rampant, the fairy clan is superior, and the human monks are caught between the two, making survival increasingly difficult. In order to protect themselves, many monks have to change to the demonic path. Or become attached to the fairy clan and become their vassals. Monks like us who are unwilling to surrender can only survive in this dilapidated city.”
When Li Mu heard this, he frowned slightly and asked, "Fellow Taoist Wan, are there no human monks who have stood up to resist?"
Wan Renfeng gave a bitter smile and sent a message to Li Mu: "Resist? Easier said than done! The Demon Abyss monks have several extremely powerful demon gods, and the immortal emperors of the fairy clan are even more unfathomable. However, our human race has no extremely powerful monks. Only by relying on fairies As for the Human Immortal Sect in the world, how can these casual cultivators compete with them? What's more, the human cultivators are not monolithic. Many people have already lost their fighting spirit and are willing to become vassals of the Demon Abyss or the Immortal Spirit."
< br>
Li Mu was silent for a moment, with a hint of enlightenment flashing in his eyes, and then he went straight to the topic and asked: "Fellow Taoist Wan, I came to Wanbao City this time to purchase some high-level spiritual materials, but now it seems that here, It is no longer the Wanbao City it used to be. Is there any other way for Wan Daoyou to obtain high-level spiritual materials?”
Hearing this, a trace of hesitation flashed in Wan Renfeng's eyes, and then he said: "Friend Daoist Li, to be honest, most of the high-level spiritual materials in Wanbao City are controlled by the Demon Abyss monks and the fairy clan, and it is difficult for ordinary monks to obtain them. Don’t talk about trading it. However, I do know that there is a black market open in this city, and you may be able to find the high-level spiritual materials you need.”
A hint of joy flashed in Li Mu's eyes, and he quickly sent a message and asked: "Oh? I wonder where the black market that fellow Taoist Wan mentioned is? Can you recommend it to me?"
Wan Renfeng looked around for a while, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, he said: "Friend Daoist Li, this black market is located underground in Wanbao City. The entrance is extremely hidden and only a few people know about it. However, entering the black market requires special tokens. Otherwise there is no way to enter.”
Li Mu nodded and said: "Fellow Taoist Wan, I wonder how to obtain this token?"
Wan Renfeng conveyed: "Tokens are usually issued by the managers of the black market, and only monks approved by them can obtain them. However, I have some friendship with the managers of the black market, and I may be able to introduce you to them."
Li Mu happily conveyed the message: "Then thank you so much, fellow Taoist Wan. I wonder when will fellow Taoist Wan be able to recommend you to me?"
Wan Renfeng smiled slightly and said: "Young Daoist Li, don't worry. The black market usually opens at midnight. I will take you to see the manager of the black market later."
Li Mu nodded and said: "Okay, then I'll trouble fellow Taoist Wan."
The two continued drinking and talking, and time passed quietly. As the night got darker, the guests in the tavern gradually dispersed, leaving only Li Mu and Wan Renfeng.
Wan Renfeng stood up, looked at Li Mu and greeted: "Fellow Daoist Li, it's almost time, let's go."
Li Mu nodded, then stood up and followed Wan Renfeng out of the tavern. (End of chapter)