As Joe Di walked into Celestial Moon City, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He had journeyed all the way from Xingci Mountain and found that the Taiji Realm was far inferior to the Dao Domain—by more than just a little. Everywhere he went, there were shattered remnants of battle, cracked mountains, and dried-up rivers.
There were many wandering cultivators, but few with truly formidable power.
The only advantage here was that the world's laws still allowed for cultivation. At least, it was far better than when he first arrived at the Four Directions Immortal Continent. That place had already reached its twilight, while this realm was merely broken.
Now that Joe Di had entered Celestial Moon City, he realized that not every part of the Taiji Realm was shattered. At least this divine city was far livelier and more prosperous than most divine cities in the Dao Domain.
Countless cultivators came and went, and Joe Di even saw several Hunyuan Saint Emperors here. What reassured him was that he saw no Dao Integration experts, not even those on the verge of Dao Integration.
According to the information Joe Di had gathered, the master of Moonspire Temple, Ren Jisha, was also the lord of Celestial Moon City. The Moonspire Temple itself was located within the city.
Though Joe Di wished to learn more about Luna Fairchild, those three Dao-nurturing cultivators were unwilling to say anything further. Helpless, Joe Di could only come to Celestial Moon City on his own.
The resting pavilions of Celestial Moon City were divided into three tiers. The first tier had only three establishments. The second tier consisted of the Immortal Rest Pavilions, which were the most common here. The third tier was reserved for low-level wandering cultivators.
Because Celestial Moon City was so lively and prosperous, it frequently hosted auctions and exchange gatherings. There was even a secret realm open to cultivators from across the entire Taiji Realm.
That's why, no matter the time, Celestial Moon City was always bustling, and its resting pavilions were in high demand.
Joe Di wanted to heal his injuries, so naturally he aimed for the top-tier pavilion. Divine crystals were the last thing he lacked.
Unfortunately, the top-tier pavilions had long since run out of rooms. Joe Di wandered around Celestial Moon City for nearly a day without finding a place to stay. In the end, he could only leave his contact information and settle down at Rainbow Teahouse for some tea, waiting for someone to get back to him.
If he still couldn't get a room after waiting a while, he'd have to rely on divine crystals to force the issue. The reason he didn't want to do that was because he wasn't here to show off—his goal was the Solar Heart. As a stranger in this city, throwing divine crystals around wasn't wise, especially since he was seriously wounded.
"May I ask what kind of tea the guest would like?" No sooner had Joe Di sat down than a smiling attendant came over to greet him.
Joe Di understood what the attendant meant. He had already looked over the teahouse's rules: once you sat down, you had to order tea. The quality of the tea you ordered determined how long you could stay. If you only ordered the cheapest tea and tried to linger, you'd be kicked out in no time.
"I'll have a pot of Magnetfield Divine Tea." Joe Di pointed to the most expensive option and tossed a storage pouch to the attendant. A single pot of Magnetfield Divine Tea cost nearly ten thousand high-grade divine crystals.
Hearing Joe Di order a pot of Magnetfield Divine Tea, the attendant instantly brightened. "Very well, please wait a moment, guest. I'll bring your tea right away."
The attendant quickly departed; it seemed that not many people ordered Magnetfield Divine Tea at Rainbow Teahouse.
"If you came here hoping to enjoy Magnetfield Divine Tea, you'll be sorely disappointed." A woman with slightly dark skin and ordinary looks sat down across from Joe Di, unceremoniously. Judging by her cultivation, she was likely in the late Dao-nurturing stage.
Joe Di had read the teahouse's rules: as long as your tea order exceeded eight thousand high-grade divine crystals, you had the right to keep your table to yourself for two hours.
But Joe Di didn't mind at all. Instead, he asked, "Oh? Why is that?"
"Guest, your Magnetfield Divine Tea is here." At that moment, the attendant brought over a teapot and several cups, setting them before Joe Di.
Once the attendant left, the woman gave a sly smile and said, "Magnetfield Divine Tea, as the name suggests, is made from tea leaves grown in the Magnetfield Range. But what you're drinking here is just the leftover scraps from the mountain's edge. If you want the real Magnetfield Divine Tea, you have to go to the Magnetfield Inn. Only there will you find the genuine leaves from Magnetfield Range."
Joe Di poured himself a cup of tea, then poured one for the woman as well. "Let me treat you to a cup. As for the Magnetfield Inn's tea, I'll try it another day. Since I'm here today, I might as well taste the knockoff version first."
The real reason Joe Di came here wasn't for the Magnetfield Divine Tea, but because there was a seat available. Besides, he'd just come from the edge of the Magnetfield Range and happened to order the most expensive tea.
Magnetfield Divine Tea was the priciest here, but ten thousand high-grade divine crystals was nothing to Joe Di.
"You're treating me to tea? And this Magnetfield Divine Tea?" The woman looked at Joe Di in surprise. If she were beautiful, maybe it would make sense, but she was just plain and ordinary. Precisely because of that, she couldn't understand why Joe Di would offer tea to a stranger like her.
"That's right. Besides, this isn't even the real Magnetfield Divine Tea." Joe Di smiled slightly.
"Thank you." The woman quickly grabbed the cup and downed the tea in one gulp.
She promptly closed her eyes, savoring the moment before opening them again and saying, "Good tea."
Joe Di was speechless; just moments ago, she'd called this tea trash, not real Magnetfield Divine Tea, yet now she was enjoying it so much.
Seeing Joe Di's expression, the woman wasn't embarrassed. She just smiled and said, "I said it wasn't real Magnetfield Divine Tea because, well, it isn't. But even this edge-grown tea is something I can't afford. Since it's my first time tasting it, I'm really enjoying it. Thank you, friend—not only for letting me share your table, but also for treating me to tea."
(Irrelevant system message skipped.)
Joe Di didn't mock the woman before him. If he hadn't, by chance, obtained the Ninth Prime Law, he wouldn't just be unable to afford tea—he'd be far worse off than her. He might have already become nothing but dust.
He raised his cup and drank the Magnetfield Divine Tea in one go.
In that instant, Joe Di sensed a profound aura, even faint traces of flowing laws. As he circulated his own rules, he realized the Magnetfield Divine Tea could condense divine essence. Not only that, it also gave him a faint impression of power-related divine abilities.
But for him, the effects were far too weak.
Joe Di shook his head, wondering what the real Magnetfield Divine Tea would be like.
"So? Even the most ordinary Magnetfield Divine Tea isn't bad, right?" The woman asked as she saw Joe Di set down his cup.
Joe Di smiled and pushed the Magnetfield Divine Tea toward the woman. "I'm not much of a fan of this tea. You can have the rest."
"Ah..." The woman quickly brightened. "Thank you, friend!"
She accepted the Magnetfield Divine Tea, poured herself another cup, and once again closed her eyes to savor it before drinking.
Joe Di was puzzled. The Taiji Realm might look broken, but for someone in the late Dao-nurturing stage, surely a pot of Magnetfield Divine Tea costing ten thousand high-grade divine crystals shouldn't be out of reach?
After finishing the entire pot of Magnetfield Divine Tea, the woman finally opened her eyes in satisfaction and sighed, "It's good to be rich."
After saying that, she finally looked a little embarrassed. "Friend, I'm waiting for someone here and didn't have anywhere to sit, so I borrowed your seat for a bit."
Joe Di waved his hand indifferently. "Actually, I was hoping to ask you a few questions."
The woman quickly replied, "My name is Sherry Xuan. I'm waiting for someone here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I may not know everything, but when it comes to Celestial Moon City, I know pretty much all there is to know."
Joe Di was delighted and immediately asked, "I've just arrived from out of town. Is it true that the most beautiful fairy in Celestial Moon City is Luna Fairchild?"