Chapter 721: Secret Journey

The shopkeeper was rather taken aback to hear this, and he replied, "You have a keen eye, esteemed customer. I am indeed from the Dark Mulberry Tribe, but I left a long time ago."

"I see. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Shi Chuankong said with a smile.

"What can I help you with today?" the shopkeeper asked.

Shi Chuankong took a glance at his surroundings, then replied, "We need a map of Asura City. Do you have one?"

The shopkeeper's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and he took a glance outside before replying in a hushed voice, "That's a prohibited item that's not to be sold to or by any outside tribes."

"Who's going to know if none of us say anything? I give you the money, you give me the map, and that'll be that," Shi Chuankong chuckled.

The shopkeeper seemed to be quite hesitant, and he offered no response for a long while. Shi Chuankong made no attempt to rush him, and he began browsing through the wares of the shop in a casual fashion.

Shi Chuankong was more adept when it came to business matters, so Han Li decided to remain silent and uninvolved.

Mo Guang had no interest in the shop's wares, so he stood at the entrance, looking down below.

The shopkeeper was intentionally putting on a hesitant display, but with no one taking the bait, he had no choice but to break the silence himself.

"I have what you're looking for, but I'm sure you're aware of how risky this is for me. Hence, the price is going to be a little steep."

"That's fine, just state your price, shopkeeper," Shi Chuankong replied with a smile.

"I want fifty gray crystals," the shopkeeper said.

Instead of immediately giving a response, Shi Chuankong merely smiled and said, "While it's true that this is quite a high-risk item, but it's also extremely niche, so I'm assuming it's very rare that you get customers looking for it."

"That's true, but like I said, everything that I sell in my shop is open to negotiation," the shopkeeper replied.

"I'll give you ten gray crystals at most," Shi Chuankong said.

"That's too large a discount to ask for. My map is different from all the counterfeits going around. It's a little old, but it's definitely genuine and accurate," the shopkeeper said as his brows furrowed slightly.

"How can you be sure that the map is genuine?" Han Li asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"The access restrictions on the nine areas of Asura City only came into effect around two thousand to three thousand years ago. Prior to that, all areas were accessible with the exception of the Soul Cleansing Area, so the regulations on maps weren't very tight, either.

“The map that I have is one of the few official maps left after the restrictions were implemented, and it can't even be compared with all of the replicas on the black market," the shopkeeper replied.

"What's so special about this Soul Cleansing Area?" Han Li asked.

"It's the area where the Infernal Region's sacred landmark is situated, and it's always been shrouded in mystery. Even the average Infernal being isn't granted access to that area," the shopkeeper replied.

"In that case, I can raise the price to fifteen gray crystals," Shi Chuankong said.

"I won't sell it for any less than forty," the shopkeeper countered.

Shi Chuankong remained unfazed, and after some negotiation, the price was finally decided at twenty-eight gray crystals.

The shopkeeper brought out a black stone plate in a slightly reluctant manner, but Shi Chuankong's hands remained clasped behind his back, displaying no intention to pay.

Right as the shopkeeper was beginning to grow confused, Shi Chuankong turned to Han Li and said, "What are you standing there for? Pay up!"

A wry smile appeared on Han Li's face as he handed over the gray crystals in exchange for the black stone plate.

Mo Guang refined the stone plate, and after verifying that the map inside was genuine, the three of them left the shop.

Upon emerging onto the street outside, Han Li turned to Shi Chuankong and asked, "Why did you barter so much just to save a few dozen gray crystals? It's not like we'll have any use for them after we get back to the Immortal Realm."

"It's not about the gray crystals, Fellow Daoist Li, it's about business," Shi Chuankong replied with a smile.

As soon as his voice trailed off, Mo Guang suddenly said through voice transmission, "According to the map, the location of the Soul Cleansing Area is very special. From here, we need to venture through the Hundred Treasure Area and the Rashom Area before we can get there.

“Both areas are separated by tall walls and restrictions, but the types of restrictions in place aren't specified. On top of that, the Soul Cleansing Area on the map is also completely blank."

"Given how secretive the area is, it seems like that should be where the Baleful Cleansing Pond is. Let's go to the Hundred Treasure Area first," Han Li decided.

Mo Guang nodded in response, then led the way toward the Hundred Treasure Area.

Right at this moment, the sound of a massive gong being struck rang out in the distance, and it was clearly audible across the entire city.

At the same time, four pillars of white light rose up from afar, rising up straight into the heavens.

Each pillar of white light was over a thousand feet thick, and they resembled four enormous pillars that connected heaven and earth.

Everyone on the street immediately stopped what they were doing to turn their attention to the spectacle, and some of the people who were familiar with one another had even gathered together to observe the pillars of white light with excited expressions.

Han Li's trio also stopped in their tracks and turned to the pillars of white light.

After listening to the conversations taking place for a moment, Shi Chuankong concluded, "Looks like the Three Region Conference has begun."

"That's good. Now that most of Asura City's attention is focused on the conference, we'll be able to depart without being detected," Han Li said.

With that, the three of them quickly set off again.

......

The four pillars of white light were situated around a giant plaza in the Fallen Lake Area, one that was close to a hundred kilometers in size.

The plaza was paved with white bricks crafted from an unknown material, and they were giving off wisps of white mist, causing the entire plaza to be enshrouded in a white cloud. This mist was rather interesting in that it didn't rise up any further beyond around a foot in height, making it resemble a flat sea of clouds.

At this moment, there were countless people standing outside the plaza, most of which were residents of Asura City, including both Infernal Servants and the entourages of all of the tribes that had come to attend the conference.

There were close to a thousand guards clad in suits of gray armor standing around the plaza, keeping the crowd at bay.

On each corner of the plaza was a stone pillar, and they were the sources of the pillars of white light, which were becoming brighter and brighter.

Countless white runes were surging out of the surfaces of the pillars of white light in a frenzy, releasing an incredibly tremendous aura.

Bursts of thunderous rumbling were ringing out incessantly high up in the sky, while the baleful qi was churning violently, forming bursts of swirling gray light in the sky.

All of a sudden, a resounding boom rang out as a white stone platform abruptly appeared in the sky, then slowly descended onto the ground.

The stone platform was several thousand feet tall, and it cast a shadow that encompassed all of the bystanders down below.

On top of the platform was an open area, upon which was placed an enormous circular white table.

It was unclear what material this table was crafted from, and it was very antiquated in appearance. Despite the apparent lack of restrictions on its surface, it still gave off a sense of prestige and gravitas.

There were over a hundred chairs placed around the table, and it appeared that was where the conference was going to be taking place.

All of the bystanders immediately erupted into conversation upon seeing this.

They had heard that the regional monarch was going to be holding the conference here, but they didn't think it would be on such an open platform for everyone to see.

Right at this moment, a streak of black light descended out of the sky before landing on the platform to reveal a tall and imposing man clad in a suit of azure armor.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

His features were quite handsome, but also extremely cold, and in particular, his gray eyes were completely devoid of emotion.

He was none other than Yin Chengquan, and even though his aura was completely restrained, the surrounding space was warping slightly around him, as if heaven and earth were bending to his will.

In this instant, he was the center of the world.

All of the bystanders present were struck by a sense of awe and veneration that arose from the bottom of their hearts, and all of the residents of Asura City fell to their knees as they chanted in a collective voice, "We pay our respects to our esteemed regional monarch!"

All of the outsiders present also paid their respects.

"Welcome to the Three Region Conference. I'm sure all of you are already aware of the objective for this conference. In order to ensure a fair, just, and open process, the conference will be held here for everyone to see, so all of you can bear witness to his momentous occasion," Yin Chengquan declared, and even though his voice wasn't very loud, it was clearly audible to everyone, as if he were speaking directly next to them.

Right at this moment, three black-robed figures emerged on the elevated platform amid a flash of black light.

They were led by a middle-aged man with a square face and bushy eyebrows, and his skin was as black as the bottom of a well-used saucepan.

"Your willingness to display such an important conference for all to see is very admirable, Regional Monarch Yin."

The middle-aged man wasn't giving off any aura, but he was somehow in perfect harmony with heaven and earth, and it seemed that he could stand toe to toe against Yin Chengquan.

The other two black-robed figures consisted of an extremely imposing young man who almost resembled a bipedal bear, while the other was a hunch-backed elderly man leaning on a wooden cane, looking as if even a stiff breeze would be sufficient to blow him over.

Both of them also had pitch-black skin.

"Those are the envoys of the Black Rope Region! The rumors are true, their skin really is completely black due to the climate in the Black Rope Region!"

"That man is the Deputy Regional Monarch of the Black Rope Region, Xiao Buye, Dao Ancestor Xiao!"

"The other two seem to be the Bright King Holy Envoy and the Heavenly Baleful Holy Envoy of the Black Rope Region's Thirteen Holy Envoys, both of whom are Great Encompassment cultivators!"

The spectators were abuzz with excited chatter.

A slightly stiff smile appeared on Yin Chengquan's cold face as he replied, "You're far too kind, Deputy Regional Monarch Xiao. Everyone has shown sufficient trust in me to set my Asura City as the conference venue, so I naturally have to live up to that trust."

Right at this moment, three more figures appeared on the elevated platform.

"I hope you won't forget what you said just now, Regional Monarch Yin."

The one who had spoken was a white-haired young man who was extremely handsome, but there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes, as if he had become completely jaded with the world after enduring countless heartbreaks.

As for the two people standing behind him, one was a middle-aged man with an extremely imposing physique. He was clad in a suit of black armor, and he was standing like an immovable iron pagoda.

The second person was an extremely beautiful woman in a white dress, and if Han Li were present, he would be stunned to discover that it was none other than Wyrm 3.