"Precious treasure sword almost comparable to a Spirit Artifact for only 5 Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"
"Decade old Spirit Rejuvenating Grass, 1 Low-Grade Spirit Stones for a batch! Buy 10 batches for only 8 Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"
"Rocks excavated from the small Spirit Stone Mine at the foot of the mountain, good chance of finding a Spirit Stone inside! A rock for only 10 taels of silver!"
Countless voices came from both sides of the carved path to the city, many precious materials on display.
Since Spirit Stones were still extremely valuable resources for those below the Meridian Connecting Realm, the Red Dragon City didn't run entirely on Spirit Stones. Silver could still be used as a form as currency, specially among Body Forging Realm and Meridian Connecting Realm cultivators.
Lin Xuanhao felt a sense of nostalgia from the scene before his eyes as he wandered his gaze around, waiting for Yuan Zhenji.
After some time, Yuan Zhenji finally came up to him, and after knowing that Lin Xuanhao wanted to rent a courtyard for a few days, he quickly took him to a few landlords he knew around the outskirts of the city.
Along the way, Yuan Zhenji explained the structure of the Red Dragon City and other important things. The inner area of the city was where bases of factions like the Azure River Alliance were located and Qi Refining Realm cultivators resided there as well.
The city lord's mansion was at the absolute core of the Red Dragon City, as he wasn't just any Loose Cultivator but a Qi Refining Realm expert and also a member of the Immortal Sect on the same level as an Outer Sect Elder or an Inner Sect Disciple.
He had been the city lord for over the past 30 years, and there were rumors that he was waiting for a chance to enter the Inner Sect formally as a disciple, leaving the position of city lord behind.
The inner structure of the Immortal Sect was also extremely complex, and Yuan Zhenji only knew about the Outer Sect, having little knowledge of the Inner Sect.
It was said that one needed to be of at least the Meridian Connecting Realm to directly become a Outer Disciple, while there would be some sort of a trial every year where those at the Ninth Stage of Body Forging Realm would participate, and the winners would get admitted to the Outer Sect, being given enough resources to push them to the Meridian Connecting Realm.
There was a reason why in the near million population of the Red Dragon City, almost 90% of the people were below the Meridian Connecting Realm, while those who were indeed qualified to join the Immortal Sect as Outer Disciples were reluctant to leave the secular world behind.
Though those who were reluctant were only a small minority, as the vast majority of Meridian Connecting Realm cultivators were just staying in the Red Dragon City temporarily, as quite a lot of them had already become Outer Disciples but were waiting for the Immortal Sect to make arrangements for them.
This was the scene in the Red Dragon City all year round. Meridian Connecting Realm cultivators came here from the outside world to stay for a few days before entering the Outer Sect.
This was why Yuan Zhenji didn't question as to why Lin Xuanhao only wanted to rent a courtyard for a few days. He had guessed that the senior before him had already gotten admitted to the Outer Sect.
Soon, both of them arrived at a courtyard, in front of which stood an old man seeming to be in his fifties, sweeping the floor.
Lin Xuanhao instantly saw through this old man's cultivation, which was at the Ninth Stage of Body Forging Realm as well.
He had yet to encounter anyone under 30 years of age who was at the Meridian Connecting Realm till now despite having already encountered dozens of Meridian Connecting Realm cultivators from the moment he entered the city.
Yuan Zhenji himself was around 35 years old, yet he still could be considered somewhat talented, having reached the peak of Body Forging Realm before 40.
The standards for Immortal Cultivation have indeed dwindled quite a bit, but it's still within a bearable range.
Lin Xuanhao thought silently.
He still believed that there were definitely those who achieved the Meridian Connecting Realm before the age of 30 or even before 20 in the Inner Sect of the Immortal Sect.
If not, then there were definitely countless more sects where there were such geniuses!
Back in his era, one could only be considered a genius if they attained the Meridian Connecting Realm before 18 and Qi Refining Realm before 30.
Of course, there were also those who broke the norm and became cultivators of the Foundation Building Realm and above just at the age of 20 and so on. Lin Xuanhao knew quite a few such geniuses in his mortal years.
That era was far gone now, and those people had long since perished to the relentless wave of time.
Brushing off his reminiscent thoughts, Lin Xuanhao focused on the situation at hand.
"Old Su, this here is senior Lin, he's in the Meridian Connecting Realm and needs a temporary abode to stay in the Red Dragon City for the next few days. I wonder if you can arrange his accommodation?"
Yuan Zhenji spoke up, cupping his fists at the old man surnames Su.
"Hm? A Meridian Connecting Realm senior? Please wait for a moment."
Old Su replied as he quickly put aside the broom in his hand and went inside the courtyard, coming out after a few moments with an ink and a piece of paper.
"What kind of abode does senior require here? A courtyard, mansion, a single room, or a cave abode?"
He asked, turning his gaze to Lin Xuanhao, amazed by his striking appearance but not daring to comment on it.
Lin Xuanhao was slightly stunned.
This fellow has access to all those abodes? He must be quite a rich landlord.
Not taking it much to heart, he answered, "A cave abode will suffice. I'll only be staying for about a week or so, after all."
Hearing his words, Old Su scribbled on the paper in his hand and asked him a few more questions, including if he wanted the cave abode to be in the city or outside the city, if it should have great Spirit Qi or not etcetera.
Lin Xuanhao obviously chose the best environment, which was right at the entrance path of the city, so that he could easily collect information and recover his cultivation quietly.
They came at the cave abode which Lin Xuanhao had selected, just besides the entrance of the city.
"Hm, for this cave abode, senior will have to pay either 800 taels of silver a month or 4 Low-Grade Spirit Stones a month. It is one of the best abodes I own, so you can contact me directly if you face any troubles. Since senior is only planning to stay for around a week, then you can just pay 200 taels of silver or a Low-Grade Spirit Stone."
Old Su finally said after a while.
Lin Xuanhao just smiled before saying, "No problem."
He then threw out a Spirit Stone from his robe, which quickly landed in Old Su's hand.
"I wish you a good stay, senior."
Old Su replied hurriedly as he cupped his fists before he turned to leave.
"Then, I'll take my leave as well, senior. Please let me know if you want to know anything or walk around the marketplace."
Yuan Zhenji also cupped his fists as he said this, bidding farewell to Lin Xuanhao for now.
Lin Xuanhao just nodded slightly at both of them as he turned around to see the cave abode which he had selected.
There weren't any magnificent decorations around it, just a stone door which would automatically open with a light touch. This mechanic was in almost every cave abode inside the city.
As Lin Xuanhao entered the cave abode, a glow appeared right above its stone door, indicating that it had been occupied by someone now.
The interior of the cave abode was nothing too extraordinary, with a few paintings of great Immortals here and there, a cultivation mat, a stone bed, a table and two chairs along with a bookshelf embedded onto the right wall.
Lin Xuanhao felt as if he had really returned to the days when he first entered the world of Immortal Cultivation and got his very own cave abode from his sect.
He sat down on the cultivation mat in a meditative stance and began to integrate the Dao Fragment again.
He wanted to breakthrough to the Third Stage of Meridian Connecting Realm by nightfall.
...
Meanwhile, in the inner area of the Red Dragon City, a great mansion stood tall, around 6 stories in height.
In the main hall of the great mansion, an old man looking to be in his seventies sat cross-legged on a high platform, his eyes closed.
Looking closely, the old man wasn't sitting on the ground, but actually floating over it slightly!