Chapter 319: An Miaoyi

Lush trees and unusual rocks lined the shore of a large lake. Melodious strings played, and people constantly passed by, many stopping to linger.

Suddenly, a jade boat streaked across the sky, appearing above the great lake. Clouds and mist swirled around it, and specks of colorful light shimmered, making it appear ethereal and sacred.

Waves of exquisite, lingering music drifted down, captivating all who heard it. It was like celestial music, stirring the soul and enchanting the mind.

People began to murmur that a successor from the Miaoyu Convent had arrived. They believed it must be An Miaoyi, having heard rumors that a female disciple from the Miaoyu Convent was about to emerge, attracting disciples from some Desolate Ancient Families to the Holy City just for her. They wondered if the future mistress of the Miaoyu Convent had indeed arrived, speculating that if so, the disciples of the Holy Lands and Desolate Ancient Families would surely engage in open and secret competition once more.

The jade boat shimmered with multi-colored light. Standing on it was a young woman in a snow-white dress that fluttered gently, exquisitely outlining her perfect figure.

Most people by the lake were cultivators with excellent vision, allowing them to clearly discern the young woman's appearance.

She was like a luminous pearl emitting a radiant glow, ethereal and graceful, incomparably beautiful. With an innate spiritual radiance and jade-like bones, her face was almost flawless, without a single imperfection.

Ye Fan's heart stirred. This young woman named An Miaoyi was indeed exceedingly beautiful, comparable to Yan Ruyu, without a single flaw.

She appeared to be only about ten years old, with a slender, delicate physique, as if meticulously carved from immortal jade. Her demeanor was cold and stunning, her skin as white as snow, seemingly touched by frost.

Someone sighed and shook their head, remarking that this must be An Miaoyi, whose peerless beauty was renowned throughout the Eastern Wasteland, a truly unparalleled lady. They lamented that it was a pity she was born into such a sect, seemingly destined to have her brilliance tarnished.

The Miaoyu Convent indeed had a very poor reputation; otherwise, it wouldn't operate pleasure quarters in the Holy City, as their cultivation methods were related to such activities.

Yet, the peerlessly graceful An Miaoyi showed no trace of commonness or vulgarity. She was radiant and aloof, like a being of ice and jade, appearing ethereal and sacred.

This presented a stark contrast. Many speculated that she was an ultimate enchantress, seemingly formed from the essence of spring water, but in reality possessed skin like ice and bones like jade.

With shimmering lights, An Miaoyi stood alone on the jade boat, her dark hair fluttering and white robes billowing. She seemed untouched by mortal affairs, like a fairy from a lunar palace, even more sacred than the saintesses of other Holy Lands.

Ye Fan's expression remained calm. He didn't entirely believe that the young woman's pure and icy demeanor was entirely natural.

He felt that the Miaoyu Convent, a powerful organization with a poor reputation, was expertly manipulating human psychology by cultivating such a divine maiden or saintess.

This was because their cultivation, ultimately, involved being "jade lotuses falling into dust," meaning they could not remain pure and ethereal throughout their lives; they were destined to engage in pleasure activities.

This strategy simply made her more alluring and captivating, creating an image of a dignified, refined woman who seemed otherworldly, solely to entice people further.

A man nearby, who had previously given Ye Fan some information, asked him why his smile seemed so sinister and what he was plotting.

Ye Fan smiled faintly and replied that it was nothing, just that he found the Miaoyu Convent quite extraordinary, packaging their offerings so beautifully to "fish for immortals" here.

The man asked what he meant.

Ye Fan smiled subtly, explaining that the unattainable was often the most desirable. By creating a fairy of ultimate celestial beauty and then allowing some to have the chance to bring her down to the mortal realm, it would, as the man himself suggested, likely attract disciples from the various Holy Lands and Desolate Ancient Families.

The man refuted him, stating that An Miaoyi was born with accompanying immortal light, possessed natural beauty, and was inherently sacred and ethereal, not merely adorned.

"So, I was mistaken then," Ye Fan said, though he would never truly believe such rumors.

The man who was so protective of An Miaoyi reiterated that although the Miaoyu Convent had a poor reputation, An Miaoyi truly emerged unsullied from the mud.

A faint smile played on Ye Fan's lips as he remarked that the man was already so taken after just seeing her, confirming that the Miaoyu Convent was indeed a master of its craft, enticing not the body, but the heart.

With a flash of light, the five-colored jade boat in the sky vanished into the misty expanse above the depths of the great lake, where magnificent palaces and towers seemed to float amidst swirling clouds, appearing distant and indistinct.

From the misty palace, a clear and elegant voice, like that of a celestial being, drifted down, announcing that An Miaoyi would perform a zither piece under the moonlight that night. However, upon careful reflection, the seemingly noble and graceful tone seemed to penetrate one's very bones, stirring the heart.

The news of An Miaoyi's arrival in the Holy City quickly spread, causing immense excitement and discussion that she would perform a zither piece under the rising crescent moon that night.

There was no doubt that Miaoyu Lake would be teeming with people that night.

Rumors of An Miaoyi's emergence had long circulated; she was considered one of the most beautiful women in the Eastern Wasteland, her fame spread far and wide.

Now, with the "jade lotus" still unsullied, disciples from the Holy Lands and Desolate Ancient Families would surely be drawn to her.

Ye Fan left Miaoyu Lake and continued walking. Even after more than an hour, he had only explored a small corner of the Holy City.

Bypassing a jade-green lake, he entered an ancient alley where the paving stones had been worn smooth by countless years of footsteps.

Having constantly seen grand palaces and sprawling halls, Ye Fan wanted to explore the ancient alleys to see what he might find in these secluded corners. After numerous turns, he emerged from an alley into a lively free market.

Ye Fan was surprised. Although this area consisted of mere street stalls, appearing humble compared to the grand palaces, many valuable items were displayed on the ground: green copper essence, crimson jade marrow, divine blood earth, stellar stones—all sorts of rare materials were readily available.

Many of these were treasures the large black dog desired for engraving Dao patterns, items extremely difficult to find elsewhere. Yet, they could be found even in a remote corner of the Holy City.

This made him realize that the Holy City truly lived up to its reputation as the center of the Northern Reaches, a place where all forces converged.

Given that such items were only displayed on street stalls, and there were likely countless similar hidden spots, there must be innumerable free markets of this kind.

It was reasonable to assume that even more precious items would be found within the magnificent buildings and palaces.

Ye Fan explored for a while, discovering many rare medicinal ingredients: Jade Snake Orchid, Nine-leaf Phoenix Grass, Crimson Moon Fruit, Black Jade Divine Lotus... Their fragrant aromas filled the air, clearly indicating their rarity.

He sighed, thinking that with enough "Source," one could truly buy anything. While Source wasn't omnipotent, one certainly couldn't do anything without it.

Ye Fan walked through half the market and arrived at the stone-selling area. Each stall displayed only a few seemingly ordinary stones, with nothing unusual about them.

However, Ye Fan was inwardly shocked; these stones were far from simple. They bore a faint trace of primordial aura, and when he inquired about their price, he found them absurdly expensive.

An old man squatting on the ground urged Ye Fan to buy a stone, assuring him they were "seed stones" from the ancient primordial mine and occasionally yielded astonishing treasures when cut open.

The free market was bustling with people coming and going, with some occasionally stopping to browse.

Ye Fan looked up and was immediately startled to see a magnificent, suspended heavenly palace floating majestically above the free market.

"What is that place? Is it another pleasure establishment?" Ye Fan wondered. The old man nearby chuckled, "What are you thinking, young man? That's the Treasure Pavilion of the Celestial Demon Palace, one of the Holy City's seven major auction houses. Peerless treasures often fetch astronomical prices there."

"A floating auction house, how extravagant..." Ye Fan was speechless for a moment before finally asking if they had Divine Source. The old man nodded seriously, confirming that they did, and it had indeed been auctioned before.

Ye Fan gasped. He felt he had truly come to the right place by visiting the Holy City.

The old man responded, "What's so surprising? As one of the Holy City's seven major auction houses, the Treasure Pavilion of the Celestial Demon Palace has auctioned everything. Half a year ago, they even displayed an ancient scripture." "What?" Ye Fan was truly astonished, as supreme secret scriptures were exclusive to Holy Lands.

"It wasn't complete," the old man clarified. "It was reportedly just a fragmented scroll, only pertaining to a single secret realm."

Even so, Ye Fan was deeply surprised. The Holy City was indeed extraordinary, auctioning even divine objects like Divine Source and ancient scriptures.

The old man chuckled, saying, "This must be your first time in the Holy City, young man. By the way, just a few days ago, the Treasure Pavilion of the Celestial Demon Palace even auctioned Dragon-patterned Black Gold."

"No way, they auction even things like that?" Ye Fan's heart pounded. "That's a sacred item exclusive to Great Emperors, rarely seen in a thousand generations!" He knew that the Saint Soldier of Yaoguang was forged from Dragon-patterned Black Gold.

"It was just a tiny piece, about the size of a fingernail," the old man explained. "Too little. Even if an ancient Great Emperor were reborn and wanted to forge an Extreme Dao weapon, it wouldn't be enough."

Feeling slightly relieved, Ye Fan nodded. He thought of his own fist-sized piece of Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold, which would certainly be enough to forge a Vajra Ring.

Perhaps, if absolutely necessary, he could auction it for Divine Source.

However, Ye Fan resolved never to auction it off unless he was truly at his wits' end. Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold was incredibly rare, found only once in a thousand generations, and he intended to keep it to forge his own Saint Soldier.

Finally, he left the free market.

The Holy City was incredibly luxurious and had everything imaginable. Besides places that inspired ambition, like the Demon King Pavilion and the Sacred Lord's Palace, there were also stone-gambling houses, pleasure districts, and taverns. It was a city that could both invigorate and lead to the wasting of time and indulgence.

After exploring for most of the day, Ye Fan had still only covered a small area, less than a corner of the Holy City. The city was truly enormous, reportedly spanning nearly a hundred li from one end to the other.

Ye Fan decided he needed to find Li Heishui and ask him to introduce him to the city. He felt his current understanding was too superficial and that he needed an acquaintance as a guide.

Before coming, Tu Fei had already told him how to find Li Heishui.

Before sunset, Ye Fan arrived at an ancient alley and entered a small Source Stone Pavilion, where he finally found Li Heishui.

Li Heishui had a dark complexion and a powerful build, appearing to be in his early twenties. He was the grandson of Li Heng, the Eighth Great Bandit.

Before Ye Fan's arrival, Tu Fei had warned him that Li Heishui was resourceful and cunning, living up to his name ("Black Water"), being quite scheming.

Tu Fei, known as "Big Mouth Tu," often joked that he only talked, but Li Heishui not only talked but also acted on his words.

After reading Tu Fei's letter, Li Heishui slapped his chest and told Ye Fan that he was a celebrity now, known by everyone in the Northern Reaches, and he was right to come find him in the Holy City. He added that he would first take Ye Fan to relax.

Ye Fan smiled, saying that since Li Heishui was the host, he would follow his lead.

Li Heishui, with his thick brows, large eyes, and dark complexion, looked very simple and honest, but one should never be fooled by his appearance. He informed Ye Fan that the Holy City had ten pleasure establishments, with Miaoyu Convent, Water Moon Pavilion, and Guanghan Palace being the top three choices, and he could decide.

Ye Fan was momentarily stunned, then laughed wryly. He suggested they just find a casual place for a few drinks, explaining that he primarily wanted to learn about the Holy City and asked Li Heishui to give him a good introduction.

Li Heishui waved his hand dismissively and declared with an air of dominance that tonight they would only discuss pleasure, and other matters could wait until tomorrow. He insisted that now that Ye Fan had arrived, he had to be properly entertained.

The Holy City at night was resplendent. Starry radiance cascaded down like thin smoke, settling within the city, while moonlight flowed like rippling water.

Li Heishui explained that the Holy City could automatically absorb and expel the stellar energy from the heavens.

"This city is truly extraordinary," Ye Fan could only exclaim.

Li Heishui chuckled mischievously, proposing they go to Miaoyu Lake that night. He remarked that An Miaoyi's emergence, with the Eastern Wasteland's most beautiful woman arriving in the Holy City, was certainly a major event for the younger generation. He predicted that disciples from the Holy Lands and Desolate Ancient Families would definitely attend, ensuring a very lively evening.