Chapter 708: Spirit Manifestation Realm martial artists everywhere!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Like the beautiful middle-aged woman on the giant purple bird, the golden flying boat did not stay for long. In the blink of an eye, it vanished from Li Yun’s sight.
Afterward, one expert after another streaked across the sky.
Spirit Manifestation Realm experts, who were rarely seen in the Azure Void Region, were actually everywhere here. In just a few short hours, Li Yun and the others saw at least a dozen of them.
Among these dozen or so Spirit Manifestation Realm experts, there was even a black-robed elder whose aura was more terrifying than the golden-robed middle-aged man’s. His cultivation was at least at the 6th level of Spirit Manifestation Realm or above.
Finally, after several hours, a city appeared before Li Yun and the other three.
This city was larger than any city Li Yun had ever seen before. Even the Forgotten Ancient City was only one-fifth of its size.
The city’s perimeter was densely covered with various powerful restrictions. Without a doubt, the combined force of those restrictions could easily kill even an ordinary Spirit Manifestation Realm expert.
The guards stationed at the city gates were all cultivators above the 7th level of Heavenly Core Realm. Their guard captain had even reached the 9th level of Heavenly Core Realm.
"Hiss!"
Zhu Heng and the other two once again drew in sharp breaths, unable to suppress the bitter smiles on their faces.
Although they had already seen many Spirit Manifestation Realm experts and had some mental preparation for the strength of this place, seeing even the gatekeepers surpass them was still a severe blow.
In the Azure Void Region, they were top-tier geniuses.
But here, they were merely ordinary cultivators.
"Halt, outsiders."
Seeing Li Yun and his three companions, one of the guards suddenly took a forceful step forward and shouted sternly, "To enter Boundless Martial City, each of you must pay an entry fee of one hundred top-grade spirit stones."
"One hundred top-grade spirit stones?"
The price shocked Li Yun and his group.
Although one hundred top-grade spirit stones was not much to them, this was only the entry fee. To demand such a high price just to enter a city was truly surprising.
"You fellows are cultivators from another domain, are you not?"
The guard seemed to notice their astonishment and lazily added, "Do not think this entry fee is expensive. In reality, our Boundless Martial City is only a small town. If you want to enter one of the large cities, the entry fee alone would be at least one Source Stone."
"That expensive?"
The guard’s words shocked Li Yun and the others once again.
An entry fee of one Source Stone was simply unimaginable.
What was even more shocking was that this magnificent and imposing city was considered only a remote small town. It was hard to imagine what the large cities mentioned by the guard would look like.
Although inwardly shocked, Li Yun and his companions obediently paid one hundred top-grade spirit stones each and entered Boundless Martial City.
On the broad streets, tall buildings stood in great numbers.
Cultivators came and went without pause. From time to time, they could see cultivators dressed in all sorts of strange attire. Many even brought different kinds of bizarre and exotic demon beasts with them.
This was Boundless Martial City.
Apart from prohibiting fighting, there were almost no other restrictions here. It could be called a paradise for cultivators.
As they walked, almost everyone on the road was a Heavenly Core Realm expert. There were also many Spirit Manifestation Realm experts. Nearly one out of every hundred cultivators had reached the Spirit Manifestation Realm.
"The disparity is truly immense."
Zhu Heng said with a bitter smile, "So it turns out the sect master was right. Our Eastern Martial Domain is truly far behind these powerful domain realms in the Central Continent."
"The most urgent matter is still to figure out exactly where we are."
Li Yun shook his head.
Although the cultivators here were generally stronger and the cultivation resources were clearly superior to those in the Azure Void Region, there was no need for them to belittle themselves too much.
"If we are talking about gathering information, the best place is a restaurant."
Yan Shuo said, "Perfect timing. We have been traveling for so long, so everyone must be a little tired. Let us find a restaurant, have a proper meal, and relax a little."
"Alright."
Li Yun and the other two nodded.
Although experts at their level no longer needed food and drink as much as ordinary people, they had not completely transcended such needs.
Moreover, many times, when cultivators ate, it was not simply to fill their stomachs. More often, it was for enjoyment.
A short while later, the four entered a restaurant several hundred meters tall.
They found a seat and sat down in the first-floor hall.
This restaurant was resplendent and bustling with business. The servers moving back and forth were all young and pretty girls.
What was even more remarkable was that these girls were not weak. They all had cultivation at the peak of Earthly Core Realm.
"Young Masters, what would you like to order?"
A waitress approached Li Yun’s table.
She had clearly received good training. She wore a warm and pleasant smile on her face, making it difficult for anyone to dislike her.
She took out four sapphire-blue stones and handed them to Li Yun and the others with both hands. Then she said, "This Sound-Image Stone records all the dishes in our restaurant. You simply need to focus your consciousness into it to see them."
"Oh?"
Zhu Heng curiously took the stone.
As soon as he focused his consciousness into it, he casually read out, "Dragon and Phoenix Present Auspiciousness, fifty Source Stones..."
His voice suddenly stopped.
Then, he drew in a sharp breath, and his eyes widened in shock. His face was full of disbelief as he said, "Am I seeing this right? A single dish actually costs fifty Source Stones?"
"Young Master, there is no need to be surprised."
The waitress smiled and said, "This Dragon and Phoenix Present Auspiciousness is our signature dish. The ingredients are genuine dragon meat and phoenix meat. Additionally, it is personally stewed by a master chef who has reached the 7th level of Spirit Manifestation Realm. Fifty Source Stones is actually not expensive at all for this dish."
"Damn."
Zhu Heng was stunned for a long while before finally uttering a single word.
This was simply insane.
Whether the ingredients were truly dragon meat and phoenix meat was one thing, but a 7th level Spirit Manifestation Realm expert was actually working as a chef.
It was as if a high-ranking official who was a pillar of the state had suddenly abandoned his prestigious position to become a beggar. It was truly unbelievable.
"I think we should skip the signature dishes and just order some ordinary ones."
By now, Li Yun had also probed the sapphire-blue stone with his consciousness.
After only a glance at the prices of those signature dishes, he directly shook his head.
The price of Dragon and Phoenix Present Auspiciousness was not even the highest among these signature dishes. Out of a total of nine signature dishes, the average price reached fifty Source Stones. The most expensive one required a full one hundred Source Stones.
Fortunately, the ordinary dishes were not this outrageous, but their prices were certainly not cheap either. On average, they cost several thousand top-grade spirit stones. After ordering a few dishes, the four of them directly spent five Source Stones.
"This is definitely the most expensive meal I have ever eaten in my life."
Yan Shuo smiled bitterly.
By now, he regretted suggesting that they come to a restaurant. Because of his suggestion, they had wasted more than one extra Source Stone.
However, very soon, after the dishes were served, Yan Shuo no longer felt regret.
Each dish was crystal clear, with excellent color, aroma, and flavor. Just looking at them made one’s mouth water and appetite stir.
When they took their first bites, Li Yun and the others simultaneously showed expressions of astonishment.
These dishes melted in the mouth.
Moreover, they did not merely provide delicious enjoyment. They actually contained pure essence qi.
After only a few bites, the group could feel a noticeable increase in the true essence within their bodies. Although the increase was not large, it was still an improvement.
"Now I understand."
Zhu Heng sighed. "No wonder the cultivators here are so strong. If one ate things like this every day, it would be strange not to become powerful."