By the afternoon of the following day, Ling Yun and his group finally reached the outer walls of Moon Spirit City.
The city walls stretched endlessly as far as the eye could see, with guard posts stationed every hundred meters. One could hardly imagine the amount of financial and human resources required to build such a structure.
Moreover, the Phoenix Dynasty governed thousands of such cities, each with its own formidable walls.
Moon Spirit City, located in the southernmost region of the Phoenix Dynasty, was somewhat remote but still better off than Cloud Sea City.
Their arrival quickly caught the attention of the city guards, and before long, a female officer on horseback appeared at the scene.
After confirming that they were people who had been abducted by bandits, the soldiers were all astonished. They hadn't expected any of them to survive and return.
"Who is Ling Yun?" the female officer asked loudly. But by that time, both Ling Yun and Bi Gouyu had already disappeared from the crowd.
…
After spending a few spirit stones to enter the city, Ling Yun escorted Bi Gouyu to the Bi family estate.
"Young master has returned! Master!" the guards at the gate exclaimed in excitement upon seeing Bi Gouyu, and immediately went to inform his mother.
Soon, a middle-aged woman in a green dress and a man arrived on the scene.
"Yu'er, you've finally returned!" The man embraced Bi Gouyu, tears streaming down his face.
"Father, Mother, this is the man who saved me, Brother Ling Yun," Bi Gouyu said after exchanging pleasantries, introducing Ling Yun.
"Thank you, young man. I am Bi Yuxi, the head of the Bi family, and this is my wife, Mei Hao," Bi Yuxi said, clasping his hands in gratitude.
Ling Yun, not wanting to cause trouble, was wearing a veil to conceal his identity.
"No need for thanks. Young Master Bi resisted the bandits fiercely, preventing them from succeeding. I simply happened to pass by and lend a hand."
With these words, Ling Yun not only revealed that Bi Gouyu had maintained his purity but also preserved the Bi family's honor.
"Haha, young brother, please come inside!" Bi Yuxi, delighted by Ling Yun's tact, warmly invited him into the living room.
After sitting down, Ling Yun removed his veil and placed it on the table.
Seeing Ling Yun's face, Bi Yuxi was shocked. "This young man is no ordinary person."
Possessing such extraordinary looks and still daring to venture out into the world, it was clear that someone powerful must be protecting him.
"Young Master Ling is truly a sight to behold—looks like an immortal," Bi Yuxi remarked with genuine admiration.
He had seen many things in his years of traveling, but Ling Yun was by far the most beautiful man he had ever encountered.
"You flatter me, Lord Bi," Ling Yun replied humbly.
"This is just a token of my appreciation; I hope you'll accept it," Bi Gouyu said, presenting several storage pouches filled with spirit stones.
"Thank you!" Ling Yun didn't refuse, knowing that the reward was well-deserved.
"I noticed you don't seem to have a weapon yet. Please accept this 'Biwater Glazed Sword' as a gift."
Bi Gouyu handed over a green sword to Ling Yun.
His observation skills came from years of experience in the world, and the gift was a high-grade mystical artifact with a formation engraved on it, worth a fortune.
Ling Yun drew the sword, noting the green sheen of the blade and the intricate runes carved on its surface. It was a middle-grade mystical weapon of immense value.
"Thank you, Lord Bi. Should you ever need my assistance in the future, feel free to ask."
This sword greatly enhanced his combat ability, allowing him to practice the Sun Devouring Sword Technique.
Bi Yuxi had been waiting for those very words. Although the gift seemed extravagant, he knew that such an investment could pay off handsomely in the future.
"No need for formalities," Bi Yuxi said with a smile.
At that moment, Bi Gouyu returned, dressed in new clothes, his appearance vastly improved.
But compared to Ling Yun, he was still far inferior—they weren't even on the same level.
Ling Yun's body stiffened. To be honest, there were few things he feared, but Bi Gouyu was definitely one of them.
The next moment, Bi Gouyu clung to Ling Yun's arm, nearly hanging off of him.
"Brother Ling, come with me, I'll show you your room!" Bi Gouyu said excitedly, pulling him toward the door.
Without making a scene, Ling Yun gently pushed Bi Gouyu's hands away. "Lord Bi, I will take my leave to rest for now."
"Very well, Young Master Ling, rest well," Bi Yuxi nodded and then sternly said, "Yu'er, come here."
Reluctantly, Bi Gouyu let go of Ling Yun.
Relieved, Ling Yun quickly excused himself and followed a servant to his assigned room.
…
Night soon fell, and Ling Yun sat on his bed, going over his spoils.
He had collected over 50,000 spirit stones, several bottles of healing pills, two bottles of Spiritual Foundation Pills, and some miscellaneous items.
The Spiritual Foundation Pills were used to enhance one's cultivation and were only effective for Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, each person could only take three in their lifetime, as more pills would have no additional effect.
He also had two manuals: Blood Refining Technique and Glazed Golden Bell Shield.
Curiously, the Blood Refining Technique manual didn't seem original, as if it had been specifically copied.
The Blood Refining Technique allowed one to draw power from their own or others' blood, temporarily increasing their attack and defense severalfold. It could also condense Yin Blood Spikes, which bypassed physical defenses and killed silently.
The cultivation requirement? The blood of 1,000 virgin boys and girls.
As for the Glazed Golden Bell Shield, it greatly enhanced one's defense, making them impervious to water, fire, and other negative effects.
Its cultivation materials included Starflower, Glazed Fruit, and the core of a Mink Beast.
The Blood Refining Technique, being cruel and immoral, was immediately discarded. But the Glazed Golden Bell Shield seemed worthwhile to cultivate.
Ling Yun decided to visit the market tomorrow to see if he could gather the necessary materials for the shield.
At that moment, a blood-red token from Lin Ruoxi's storage pouch caught his attention.
The token was a dark, dull red, with the character "Blood" engraved on it. Holding it gave off a bone-chilling coldness.
"Nine Dragons Flame Art!"
He tried burning the token with his flame technique, but it showed no signs of melting.
'It seems that Black Wind Stronghold isn't as simple as it appears,' Ling Yun thought, before storing the token in his system space.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the mission. Rewards: 5,000 system coins, Soul Devourer Art—high grade Earth level technique, Earth Flame Explosion—mid-grade Earth level technique, Blood Absorption Art—high-grade Earth level technique, and 10 Supreme Spiritual Foundation Pills."
The Soul Devourer Art allowed one to form a spiritual realm within their body and absorb souls to enhance spiritual power.
Earth Flame Explosion summoned explosive pillars of fire from beneath the earth to strike enemies.
The Blood Absorption Art absorbed the essence of living beings to enhance one's strength—the stronger the lifeform, the greater the boost.
All system rewards were of the highest quality.
Each of the three techniques was at least mid-grade, and the system's rewards didn't require cultivation—they could be immediately mastered.
This saved Ling Yun a considerable amount of time.
"System, open my personal panel."
Host: Ling Yun
Realm: Second level of Foundation Establishment
Techniques: Eternal Sun Divine Art
Physique: Eternal Sun Divine Physique
System Coins: 7,000
Martial Arts: Nine Dragons Flame Art, Sun Devouring Sword Technique, Soul Devourer Art…
Inventory: Venomous Needle, Blood Burst Pill x1, Rejuvenation Pill x1…
Ling Yun took out one of the Supreme Spiritual Foundation Pills, noting its smooth texture and crystalline shine.
With a pop, he tossed it into his mouth. "Apple flavor," he mused.
…
The next morning, Ling Yun opened his eyes. He had reached the fourth level of Foundation Establishment!
One Supreme Spiritual Foundation Pill had allowed him to break through two levels overnight.
Ling Yun now felt that, with his current strength, he could easily obliterate Lin Ruoxi in an instant.
What a difference a day makes.