Chapter 1099: The Ferryman

Time in the Fifth Astral Ring is calculated by the small vortices formed by the flowing red aurora in the sky. When one thousand of these aurora vortices appear, it marks one year in the Fifth Astral Ring. Afterward, all the aurora vortices dissipate, becoming streams of light, and a new year begins.

Currently, the seven hundred fifty-third vortex is forming within the red aurora in the sky.

In mid-air, Xu Qing looked up, gazing at the scene.

This was the thirtieth vortex day he had been traveling at full speed. At his current speed, this amount of time would have been enough to fly from the Human Imperial Capital Region back to Feng Hai County on the Continent of Wanggu. But here, he was still on the southern edge of the Fifth Astral Ring. The land was still a swamp.

The Fifth Astral Ring was truly immense.

“However, I have finally reached my destination.”

Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and looked at the ground. In the distance, beyond the swamp, stood a vast and majestic city. The city was entirely black, resembling a sleeping behemoth under the aurora. It appeared somewhat dim and stretched as far as the eye could see. Its sheer size, as perceived by Xu Qing, was comparable to an entire province.

Yet, in the memory of the Dominator's servant, this city was actually just an ordinary small city in the southern part of the Fifth Astral Ring. There were many such cities in the south, and quite a few even more awe-inspiring. For instance, the ancestral city of the servant's family was much larger than this one. As for other major cities, the Dominator's servant had not seen them due to his status and cultivation level. He had, in fact, spent his entire life in this remote southern region.

Regarding his master's family—the Dominator's family—Xu Qing had gained further understanding through soul-searching and his observations of the outside world during his journey. Although this family controlled a significant area in this southern peripheral region, and their ancestor had reached the level of a Quasi-Immortal Emperor, they were not considered a hegemonic force. There were several similar families in this southern periphery.

“It seems my previous judgment had some discrepancies.” Xu Qing gazed at the city ahead, his mind pondering. Initially, due to his lack of understanding of spirit mines, when he saw that even a guardian was a Dominator, he had assumed that the strongest member of the opponent's family was likely the legendary Immortal Xia. This made him extremely vigilant. However, it was clear that the Immortal Xia level was not a common rank anywhere.

“Still, I must be cautious; the Fifth Astral Ring truly has a multitude of powerful experts.”

Xu Qing took a deep breath, and with a flicker of his body, he shot directly towards the city ahead. With Xu Qing's current cultivation, changing his appearance and aura, concealing his cultivation, transforming into the Dominator's servant, and entering the city with the servant's identity token, the process naturally went smoothly. He encountered no insurmountable obstacles.

Thus, Xu Qing soon appeared inside the enormous city. Looking around, there were countless people, almost all of whom were cultivators, with very few mortals. There were also numerous shops. A constant buzz of activity echoed around him. Even with Xu Qing's experience, seeing so many cultivators after entering the city left him somewhat dazed. He had never witnessed such a scene, not even in the Human Imperial City on the Continent of Wanggu. There were simply too many people.

And a sense of unfamiliarity unconsciously emerged in Xu Qing's heart at that moment. Such is human nature; not only does emptiness create a sense of unfamiliarity, but conversely, countless people with no one familiar also generate a strong feeling of strangeness. However, Xu Qing had traveled to too many places since childhood, so he quickly calmed his thoughts, walked forward, and gradually blended into the crowd.

During this time, he also observed the passersby around him. He looked for differences in his own words, actions, and demeanor compared to theirs, making self-adjustments. Thus, after half a vortex day, it was difficult to discern any difference between Xu Qing and the local cultivators, whether in his accent or his demeanor. Through his understanding of the conversations among the surrounding cultivators, he gained more insights into both the Fifth Astral Ring and this city. Although this information was fragmented, it was at least sufficient for finding the shops he needed.

And now, Xu Qing stood outside a shop. The shop was a three-story pavilion, luxurious and grand in appearance, with a considerable number of cultivators coming and going. Inside, rows of shelves displayed various magic treasures, each sealed and not easily retrievable, but accompanied by jade slips describing their functions. What was sold here were indeed magic treasures.

Walking on the first floor, Xu Qing's gaze fell upon the magic treasures. After gazing for a moment, a sense of emotion arose in his heart. On the Continent of Wanggu, magic treasures were rare, often considered the most precious possessions of a sect, like the Blood-Colored Eye Treasure of the Seven Blood Eyes. It was even rarer for them to circulate outside, and even a fragment of a magic treasure was a valuable item. What circulated most widely were merely magic tools. But here, they were ubiquitous.

“The fragmentation of magic treasures on the Continent of Wanggu primarily came from deities,” Xu Qing recalled Wanggu. “If the Upper Desolate Remnant Face had not appeared back then, even if the Continent of Wanggu today still had a gap compared to here, it wouldn't be this enormous. Furthermore, there is another key reason why Wanggu's development falls short compared to here… That is, beyond the Immortal Xia level, there is no path in Wanggu. But here, it's clear that the Fifth Astral Ring found a path beyond the Immortal Xia level long ago, which led to its current prosperity.”

Xu Qing's gaze swept over, but he didn't linger long. While magic treasures were good, at his current level, he no longer needed them. So, Xu Qing quickly moved towards the second floor. There, he found what he needed: a map of the Fifth Astral Ring.

“Items like maps vary greatly in value; the more detailed they are, the more expensive the price,” a maid on the second floor, noticing Xu Qing stopping by a jade slip containing a map of the Fifth Astral Ring, quickly walked over and spoke with a smile. “Esteemed Senior, the map before you is very detailed for the southern region, but I must remind you that the maps we sell are copied versions and come with a restriction, prohibiting further duplication.”

Hearing this, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze from the jade slip before him and spoke indifferently. “Just the southern region isn't enough.”

As soon as he spoke, the woman's eyes immediately lit up, and her smile became sweeter. “We also have higher-level maps. Our Immortal Treasure Hall has countless branches throughout the Fifth Astral Ring, so our range of maps is naturally comprehensive. May I ask what level of map Senior requires?”

Xu Qing thought for a moment, then looked at the maid beside him and slowly spoke. “One that covers the entire Fifth Astral Ring, including all factions, and prodigies. The more comprehensive, the better.”

Upon hearing this, the woman narrowed her eyes, carefully scrutinizing Xu Qing. She secretly thought that this person was very likely preparing to participate in the Immortal Capital Hunt; only such individuals would purchase this type of map. This was because they would face not just opponents from their local area, but from the entire Fifth Astral Ring. Every such person was a killer. Thinking of this, the woman's attitude became more respectful.

“Our Immortal Treasure Hall possesses such maps, but the price must be settled in Immortal Jade, and the quantity…”

With a wave of Xu Qing's hand, a small mountain of Immortal Jade instantly appeared before him, then vanished again. He calmly gazed at the maid.

The maid immediately spoke. “Senior, please proceed to the third floor.”

Xu Qing nodded and walked towards the third floor. On the third floor, there were even fewer cultivators, and they were all in individual partitioned rooms, offering privacy. After following the woman into a private room, she bowed and left. It wasn't long before she returned, carrying a tray. On it rested a white jade slip.

Xu Qing raised his hand and grabbed; the jade slip instantly flew to him. Once it landed in his hand, he swept his divine sense over it. Immediately, a vast map emerged in his mind. This map included the four major regions—east, west, south, and north—along with symbols for various family and sect forces, and even some local customs and traditions. Furthermore, it provided introductions to prodigies from all sides. It was extremely detailed.

However, many crucial pieces of information were blurred. Evidently, a restriction was in place, requiring purchase to view clearly. Satisfied, Xu Qing withdrew his divine sense and, without wasting time, traded a vast amount of Immortal Jade for the right to copy it. Then, amidst the woman's respectful farewell, he left the pavilion, merged into the crowd, and disappeared.

Within the crowd, Xu Qing changed his appearance several times and altered his aura repeatedly until he was certain that this purchase would not cause him any subsequent trouble. He then transformed into an ordinary cultivator, proceeding forward while perceiving the map's information.

“At the very center of the Immortal Capital, it is sacred and impenetrable. Around it, to the southeast, northwest, lie four major regions. These so-called four major regions can actually be seen as four great star territories. Each of them is also divided into east, west, south, and north, but because the overall context is the Fifth Astral Ring, people primarily refer to them by the Astral Ring's divisions. Each of these four great star territories contains numerous sects and families… Among them, the most orthodox forces are the Great Immortal Mountain in the Southern Star Territory, the Sword Immortal Gate in the Northern Star Territory, the Astral Ring Tower in the Eastern Star Territory, and the Dao Immortal Sect in the Western Immortal Territory. The reason these four forces are considered orthodox is that each is overseen by a Lower Immortal ancestor who holds the responsibility of patrolling the Immortal Capital's sky. Throughout the entire Fifth Astral Ring, outside the Immortal Capital, there are a total of sixteen openly known Lower Immortals tasked with patrolling the sky! Aside from those four, the other twelve transform into stars, traverse within the aurora, and guard various regions.”

Xu Qing absorbed the map information in his mind, finally forming a broad understanding of the Fifth Astral Ring. At the same time, he gained a precise awareness of his own location.

“My current location is on the edge of the Southern Star Territory of the Fifth Astral Ring, extremely close to the Western Star Territory, almost bordering it, with only a River of Divine Blood separating them… According to the description, there is a legend about this river, that it was seemingly formed from the blood of a deity. It is fraught with danger and strangeness; one cannot cross it unless possessing the cultivation of a Great Emperor. Thus, this River of Divine Blood became an impassable chasm between the Western and Southern regions. Ordinary cultivators wishing to travel between the two regions can only do so by boat… And on this river, there is a special profession called Ferrymen… only Ferrymen can safely transport people across this River of Divine Blood. Each Ferryman originates from the Immortal Capital. They seem to be criminals, punished by the Immortal Capital to serve as Ferrymen here. Crossing the river requires a fee, and this fee is not spirit stones or immortal jade; it is life. For the first crossing, the fee is six days of the traveler's life, as the crossing itself also takes six days. As for the second crossing, the fee skyrockets, requiring sixty years of one's life. There is no third time. Because the third time costs an entire lifetime.”

Reading this, waves stirred in Xu Qing's heart.