Shane Rivers chuckled, "Rumor has it that cultivators living by Lake Defiance almost always end up with their Dao Foundation shattered, especially when guarding the Wormhole Gate. They lose all control over themselves. And also..."
Shane Rivers pointed to the sky. "There are people up there who don't allow anyone to live by Lake Defiance. It's just an open secret, not an official rule. For more details, you can buy some introductory jade slips at the Wormhole Trading Post."
Seeing Shane Rivers about to leave, Joe Di hurriedly stopped him and asked again, "Just one last question, Captain Shane—how long do we have to guard the Wormhole Gate before we can leave?"
"As long as you complete one year and your contribution points rank in the top ten, you can leave." Shane Rivers finished speaking, then gave Joe Di and Zane Wu a meaningful glance before turning to leave.
Joe Di and Zane Wu fell silent. With ten to twenty thousand cultivators living in these four districts and only ten allowed to leave each year, how long would they have to wait before their turn came?
......
"You should stabilize your cultivation. I'll go buy a few jade slips." As soon as Shane Rivers left, Joe Di immediately prepared to purchase some jade slips. He could tell that after leaving the Ascension Pool, Zane Wu had gained many insights, but hadn't fully stabilized his foundation.
"There's no rush to cultivate. I'll go with you; I need to buy some jade slips too," Zane Wu replied without hesitation.
"Let's go together then." Joe Di had already scanned the area with his divine sense. Among all the cultivators in this Wormhole Trading Post, he hadn't seen anyone who had truly surpassed the Immortal Emperor level and stepped into a new realm.
Since there were no true powerhouses who had crossed into a new realm, he felt no fear.
This residential area is called the Wormhole Trading Post because it's divided into four districts by the Cross Avenue. Each cultivator's sanctuary is haphazardly arranged, and anyone who thinks they have something to sell can simply hang a shop sign outside their own sanctuary.
Joe Di and Zane Wu found a relatively large shop in the North Market District. Before they could even step inside, a mocking voice called out, "You two are bold, aren't you? Freshly ascended ants, daring to deceive me, Evan Wang, claiming you're here to investigate for the higher-ups. You've got guts."
A tall, thin young man blocked Joe Di and Zane Wu's way, his tone laced with sarcasm and his expression openly hostile.
Joe Di replied coolly, "You've got guts too, blocking my way. If you want to fight, then do it. If not, get lost."
Not only Evan Wang, but even Zane Wu was puzzled by Joe Di's attitude. After all, they were just newcomers here.
The reason Joe Di dared to speak this way was because he wasn't afraid of Evan Wang. Not just in terms of strength, but even by the local rules, he had nothing to fear.
First of all, he was certain Evan Wang wouldn't dare report him, or even had nowhere to report. Otherwise, Evan Wang would have secretly gone to his residence to threaten him.
Secondly, he knew fighting was not allowed here. If it were, someone as arrogant as Evan Wang wouldn't waste time talking—he would've attacked already.
Besides, even if he tried to act humble in front of Evan Wang, he'd still be targeted. Since the outcome would be the same, why bother playing the weakling? He didn't know how long he'd have to stay here, so to avoid constant trouble, he needed to show strength that others wouldn't dare challenge.
Evan Wang stuck his neck out, so Joe Di decided to make an example of him.
"Fine. You've got guts." Just as Joe Di expected, once Evan Wang realized he couldn't threaten Joe Di, he simply spat out those words and left without hesitation.
Watching Evan Wang leave, Joe Di turned to Zane Wu with a smile. "See? These guys are all bark and no bite. Once their threats don't work, they slink away with their tails between their legs."
Joe Di's words weren't gentle. Evan Wang, who hadn't gone far, nearly spat blood when he heard them. Even though he knew Joe Di was as good as dead, he could barely resist turning back to kill him.
The onlookers could only shake their heads in silence. They were convinced that Joe Di and Zane Wu wouldn't last long here. It was rare to see newcomers as brazen as Joe Di.
"What can I get for you two?" The shopkeeper, his face marked by several scars, greeted Joe Di and Zane Wu with a broad smile as they entered.
The shopkeeper had clearly witnessed Joe Di confronting Evan Wang at the entrance. Regardless of whether Joe Di was reckless, anyone who dared speak to the notorious Evan Wang of the Wayseekers Hall like that was no ordinary cultivator.
"We've just ascended and would like some introductions to the Wormhole Gate and the Dao Domain. Also, since we've just arrived, we don't have any Dao Domain cultivation techniques, so we'd like to buy some..." Joe Di said with a friendly smile.
He didn't actually need the techniques, but he figured Zane Wu might. Even if Zane Wu didn't need them, he still had to ask. If a newcomer to the Dao Domain didn't want cultivation techniques, that would raise suspicions.
The scar-faced shopkeeper gave a wry smile. "Dao Domain techniques? It's not just you—even I want them. But you won't find any at the Wormhole Trading Post, and even if you did, ordinary immortal crystals wouldn't be enough. You'd need Dao Crystals at the very least."
"Dao Crystals?" Joe Di had heard of Dao Veins before, but Zane Wu was surprised by the mention of Dao Crystals and blurted out his question.
"That's right, Dao Crystals—they're unique to the Dao Domain. We do have a few here, but they're rare and mostly brought in by senior cultivators. Of course, if you're just buying information, top-grade immortal crystals will suffice. I have the best jade slips on the Wormhole Gate, as well as some introductory jade slips on the Dao Domain. Each costs one thousand top-grade immortal crystals." The shopkeeper pulled out a stack of jade slips, sounding very sincere.
Joe Di took out two thousand top-grade immortal crystals. "I'll buy one jade slip on the Wormhole Gate and one introduction to the Dao Domain."
"Absolutely!" The shopkeeper, a cultivator at the peak of Immortal Emperor, treated Joe Di and Zane Wu like honored guests for their business.
Seeing Joe Di purchase two jade slips, Zane Wu also bought two for himself.
"I recommend you buy some antidote pills for the Wormhole Gate. If you're going to guard the gate, it's hard to endure without them." Noticing their willingness to spend, the shopkeeper quickly recommended more items.
"I'm not planning to buy any. If you want some, go ahead," Joe Di said to Zane Wu.
Joe Di cultivated the cosmic law of the Dao, making him immune to most poisons—just another type of law to him. Besides, if he ever needed antidote pills, who could match him, the Supreme Elixir Emperor?
Zane Wu hesitated for a moment before asking, "May I ask how much the antidote pills cost?"
"Ten thousand top-grade immortal crystals each. Rest assured, my prices are never higher than others—at most, they're about the same." The shopkeeper looked at Zane Wu expectantly, worried he might complain about the price.
Zane Wu nodded, tossed over a storage pouch. "I'll buy twenty. Here's two hundred thousand top-grade immortal crystals."
For Zane Wu, ten thousand top-grade immortal crystals for an antidote pill was a bargain. In the Immortal Realm, pills at that price wouldn't even attract the attention of an Immortal Emperor.
"Excellent, excellent..." The shopkeeper was so excited that he repeated himself, handing over two jade bottles to Zane Wu. He only had twenty-three antidote pills in stock, and just sold twenty in one go—a huge business for him.
"Be careful of the Wayseekers Hall. They can't make a move in the Wormhole Trading Post, but when you're guarding the Wormhole Gate, they might try something." Perhaps because he had just made a big sale, the shopkeeper quietly sent a message to Joe Di and Zane Wu as they left.
(The cough continues, and I don't know when it will end. I'll do my best to update; as much as I can, that's what you'll get. Good night, friends!)