I, the transmigrated villain, please wait, gentle master.

Chapter 190 Observing from the Sidelines and Discussing Cause and Effect (9)

After leaving the Nether Pool, Li Tingyun headed west and wandered to White Tiger City, where he immediately felt the clear sky and refreshing breeze.

Looking up, the sky stretches for thousands of miles, with swallows and swans flying back to their nests in flocks, their flight as powerful as a locust swarm passing by. Turning around, the streets and alleys are bustling with wild beasts like jackals, tigers, and leopards, just like the bustling marketplace of the mortal world.

Lin Qiutan's territory is never short of birds and beasts.

The city and its surroundings are teeming with demons. Not to mention the common species, rare species such as phoenixes and qilins also frequently appear.

The demons possessed considerable magical power, and transforming into human form was a basic skill for them. However, entering the city was like returning home, and who would bother to "dress up" at home? Naturally, they all unleashed their true nature and revealed their true forms!

Walking down the street, all I could hear were animal sounds: birdsong, warbling, lion roars, and tiger howls—it was quite a lively scene.

A pig's head set up a signboard along the street to open a restaurant. A fancy rat led his whole family to support the business. A short-tailed rabbit wove a small straw hat and put it on the trunk of an elephant that looked like a small hill. A water buffalo and a fat tiger stood head to head and shoulder to shoulder in the street, ready to fight.

Just by glancing around, you can find all twelve zodiac animals within your field of vision.

Besides birds and beasts, White Tiger City has another unique feature:

rich.

Don't be fooled by the chaotic scene of these "beasts"; the city dwellers enjoy immense wealth and luxury. Their roads are paved with gold bricks, their walls are painted with pearls, their windows are covered with glazed tiles, their steps are made of white jade, and even the riverbanks are inlaid with dark green jadeite.

Not to mention the trees were covered with red ropes with gold ingots tied to the ends, and the wells were filled with copper coins and gold coins, almost to the point of being a plague.

Once you arrive here, you'll realize that "the city is covered in golden armor" is not just an empty metaphor.

As you walk down the street, you might get hit on the head by a money bag falling from the sky.

Don't pick it up.

In White Tiger City, finding money is considered the ultimate disgrace.

If two people are arguing, throwing a handful of melon seeds in each other's face is more effective than cursing their ancestors for eighteen generations.

Li Tingyun used the "Star-Picking Step" to traverse the city and leave all the noise and bustle behind. Due to his extremely fast speed, he did not stir up even a wisp of wind. Even when he was sneaking around in the bustling city where demons were vying for attention, no one noticed him.

In the blink of an eye, he reached the last alleyway. Suddenly, a red-maned steed galloped out of the alley. Li Tingyun dodged to the side, turned his feet, and spun around. The fierce wind made his robes flutter. The horse galloped past him like a shooting star.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Looking back, I caught a glimpse of a monkey riding on the horse, the reins swung wildly, making it bounce around. I couldn't help but laugh, thinking: We're all animals, so why can a monkey ride a horse?! In the blink of an eye, I was back on my feet and had vanished in a flash.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, nestled amidst verdant mountains, sat a Taoist temple. Li Tingyun strode forward, kicked open the tightly closed temple door, and stepped into the hall filled with gold and jade. The first thing he saw was the statue of the White Emperor enshrined high above.

Looking further down, in front of the statue lies a listless, half-dead white tiger, looking even more dejected than a sick cat.

It's hard to believe that this is the so-called "evil god of the year," the White Tiger of the West, one of the four celestial spirits, and the guardian deity in charge of killing and warfare.

Li Tingyun chuckled with his hands behind his back, "This truly is 'the White Tiger Subduing the View'."

The Four Symbols City each boasts a famous landmark building: the Xuanwu Lingtai, the Zhuque Shenmiao, the Qinglong Yougong, and the Baihu Fuguan. These temples, terraces, and palaces each have their own unique characteristics.

The word "伏" in "白虎伏观" is particularly clever; their city lord was indeed lying prone and unable to move, unable to even crawl up.

"Palace Master." Lin Qiu sighed and rolled over, falling off the altar and back into human form. He landed on the ground with a thud, but managed to get up with difficulty. His silver-white front was stained with blood, which had soaked into a large area.

He took one step, coughed twice, spat three times, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and swallowed the rest of the blood.

"...I have failed to greet you properly."

With a wave of his hand, Li Tingyun threw out a wisp of demonic energy from his sleeve, which landed on the ground and took on a human form.

Isn't that the woman who claimed to be "sick" before?

"Did you find her from the mortal realm?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll leave it to you to handle."

"killed?"

"Healed, released."

Lin Qiu sighed and looked up, wondering if he had misheard, but then he heard Li Tingyun say four words: "Mortals are useless."

"Your subordinate... understands. These misfits are not worthy of your attention, Lord. I will inform the other three. Please rest assured, Lord."

Lin Qiu sighed slightly, "Such a trivial matter could have been handled with a telepathic message. Why would the Palace Master have to come all this way in person?"

"Passing by."

Li Tingyun was already heading to Fengdu, so he naturally headed west.

Hearing this, Lin Qiu also thought of the territory, and the thought of the territory reminded him of…

"Does the Palace Master intend to try the 'Creation Cauldron of Heaven and Earth' again?"

"I blew up all those alchemy furnaces you built."

"..."

Lin Qiu sighed and assured him, "I will go and find more Crimson Gold Iron to forge the alchemy furnace as soon as possible. I will do so within three days and will not cut corners. This situation will never happen again."

White Tiger City belongs to the metal element, and Lin Qiutan is also a rare person with a metal spiritual root, possessing exceptional talent in weapon crafting and alchemy.

As the most skilled alchemist in the Four Symbols City, he naturally took on the important tasks of building alchemy furnaces, selecting medicinal materials, and formulating elixir prescriptions.

Four Symbols City doesn't tolerate idlers. Even if he coughs up his lungs and vomits every last drop of blood, as long as he's not dead, he still has to do what he's supposed to do. Rest? Impossible. Reduce his workload? Reduce my ass!

Forging a pill furnace takes at least three months; if you only have three days, you'll have to risk your life to do it!

Fortunately, although he was in poor health, he was resilient.

Can't die.

Clasping hands and bowing:

"It would be my honor to dedicate myself to the cause until my dying breath."

"No need, there's no need to build the alchemy furnace for now. We've signed a life-and-death contract, so it's not too late for you to die when I want you to."

Lin Qiu sighed and looked up; Li Tingyun was already gone.

But he kept the snow lotus seeds he had plucked from the Netherworld Pool.

He had other business to attend to, and he came and went like the wind.

A full day for the Master of Taiji Hall: He cultivates in the morning, cultivates in the afternoon, reviews accounts at night, and thinks of someone late at night. As for alchemy, he usually has to choose an auspicious day, and it is necessary to select a lucky day, and even burn incense, bathe, and pray.

He planned to go to the underworld this time to reseal the Qiankun Creation Cauldron, so he naturally chose an auspicious day, even specifying a particular hour, so as not to delay at all.

He used to not believe in these things, but after failing many times, he started to believe in everything. If worshipping gods really worked, he would worship them and kowtow as many times as he wanted!

The Qiankun Creation Cauldron is a treasure left by Nuwa to the earth. There is no need to worry about it exploding. However, opening the cauldron once will consume a huge amount of cultivation. Moreover, the Qiankun Cauldron can only be unsealed by chaotic primordial energy. No matter how much spiritual energy of heaven and earth is poured in, it will not work. Ordinary demonic energy is even more useless.

Li Tingyun continued westward. After leaving White Tiger City, he began to draw a teleportation array—he couldn't fly on a sword, disliked riding the wind, and was too lazy to use earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of teleportation technique), so drawing an array was the best option.

Little did he know that normal people wouldn't make that choice; his considerations were completely the opposite of others.

First, drawing arrays is the biggest waste of magic power; second, earth escape is the biggest waste of energy; third, riding the wind and mist... in fact, many people can't do it. This skill is too difficult to learn. Without support or borrowing strength, it is many times more difficult than flying on a sword.

Finally, flying on a sword is always the most convenient, easiest, and most classic way for cultivators to travel!

Teleportation arrays are difficult to draw; even a single wrong stroke could lead to failure. Failure is still a good outcome, but if you manage to succeed by accident and end up being teleported to some deadly place, that would truly be a death sentence.

Therefore, teleportation arrays are commonly used for transferring resources. Losing the items is not a big deal, but losing yourself is a disaster.

In addition, traveling between the realms of Yin and Yang requires drawing a teleportation array, unless it is the Ghost Festival when the gates of hell are wide open.

Few people spend their days drawing arrays and traveling all over the country.

Li Tingyun is an extreme exception; he draws the formations very quickly, completing them in one go, never worrying about making mistakes. This is because...

So what if I'm wrong?!

Is there any place in this world that he cannot go?

No, haha.

As he finished the last stroke, a strange voice suddenly rang in his ears—

"Head east."

Li Tingyun's gaze darkened slightly. He neither looked back nor searched around, making any naive and useless moves.

There was no one around, and no one could possibly cause trouble under his nose. The voice came from a very distant place, across the ends of the earth, traveling thousands of miles, and its spiritual power directly entered his consciousness.

Li Tingyun rubbed his fingers together, seemingly unmoved, but actually waiting. After a moment, he heard the voice say again:

"Come to the East China Sea."

Okay, let's go then.

Li Tingyun turned his horse around and headed east to the sea; even if it was a trap, he was determined to go!

He wanted to see who dared to set up a "trap" for him, not afraid that before the banquet even started, he would first cause a bloodbath at the Mandarin Duck Tower to warm up the atmosphere!

The East China Sea? What's in the East China Sea?

There is Penglai on the sea, and Guixu at the bottom of the sea.

There is also a large sect on the near-shore coast.

The teleportation array's light dimmed, and in an instant, Li Tingyun appeared on the beach. Looking at the clusters of buildings constructed along the coast facing the sea, Li Tingyun knew:

We've arrived at the Yantian Sect.

Similarly, as one of the top ten immortal sects, the Yantian Sect holds a pivotal position in the cultivation world.

Across the sea from Penglai Island, the Yantian Sect was probably the first to learn of the massacre that had befallen Penglai.

When the people from Xuanwu City arrived at the East Sea that day, they naturally passed by the gate of the Yantian Sect. Seeing that the Yantian Sect had its gates tightly closed and its barrier strengthened, they realized that the sect only intended to guard against "the city gate catching fire and the fish in the moat suffering the consequences," and had no intention of "helping those in need." So they left it alone.

Li Tingyun arrived shortly after and naturally passed by this place. He didn't intend to interfere, but simply destroyed the barrier of the Yantian Sect.

It's funny to scare people.

Although the location of Yantian Sect is not comparable to Penglai Immortal Mountain, it is still quite good. There must be experts in the sect who are well-versed in feng shui. In this place where the sea breeze blows day and night, they have found such a feng shui treasure land that can gather wind and water. Their sharp eyes and exquisite site selection cannot be said to have been done without a lot of thought.

Although the sect's name sounds rather arrogant.

Yantian means to deduce the celestial numbers.

But they lived up to their reputation, being renowned for their "divination and fortune-telling" methods and gaining fame for their "insight into destiny."

Each of the major cultivation sects has its own strengths: Dao Xuan Sect is dominated by sword cultivators, Yun Lan Sect by medical cultivators, and Yan Tian Sect is entirely composed of diviners.

For those who cultivate the Dao, the allure of deducing the destiny of heaven is no less than that of swords and talismans. The Yantian Sect has numerous disciples and a continuous lineage of masters. Its unique Daoist philosophy has always been highly regarded. Furthermore, due to its innate advantage in peering into the secrets of heaven, it is known as the "think tank" of the cultivation world.

Similar to the Yunlan Sect, the Yantian Sect excels in literature but is weak in martial arts. The overall strength of the sect is slightly inferior, but they occasionally issue some "prophecies" or point out some "omens" to the world, such as "no great power will ascend within a thousand years", "a great calamity of heaven and earth is coming", "a savior will be born in the world", etc., which often stir up public opinion and cause people's hearts to be unsettled.

Some people firmly believe it, while others do not. After all, the workings of fate are unpredictable, and no one can truly see through the secrets of heaven.

In addition, the Yantian Sect also likes to create some "ranking lists", such as the Divine Weapon Ranking, the Divine Artifact Ranking, and the Realm Ranking. These are all normal. There are also abnormal ones such as the Peach Blossom Ranking, the Appearance Ranking, and the Couple Ranking... Anyway, it's all a mess, and everything can be ranked in order.

They published all sorts of prophecies, lists, and rumors in the "Beijing Gazette" to show everyone that the cultivation world was just like the mortal world, with immortal sects exchanging official gazettes and news, all collectively referred to as the "Beijing Gazette."

The "京" in "京" naturally refers to the "京" in "白玉京".

The Beijing Gazette issued by the Yantian Sect is the most popular. Its layout is carefully designed, and the content is changed every day. It contains the latest news and trends in the cultivation world. It is also sold regularly and in limited quantities. Fellow cultivators flock to it. Once it is published, countless people copy it by hand and spread it by word of mouth, sparing no effort.

Over time, in order to distinguish it from the newspapers published by other sects, the Yantian Sect called its own "New Beijing News".

They have a huge number of loyal viewers, so even if they make exceptions, people just accept it.

He said it was new, and the news published in the "Beijing News" was indeed quite "fresh." They even dared to write about which immortal master was having an affair or which sect leader was having an extramarital affair. It was unique and unconventional.

The Yantian Sect makes money by selling newspapers, while the Yunlan Sect makes money by selling medicine.

Despite their weak fighting strength, the sect leaders are very quick-witted and good at business, making them incredibly wealthy, even comparable to a country.

In comparison, the Dao Xuan Sect seemed rather headstrong.

As the most powerful force, they often have other sects borrowing their manpower to eliminate demons, subdue monsters, and maintain order. However, they don't even know to collect protection fees and are just helping others for free!

It was only natural that he became the poorest of the ten great immortal sects.

Stupid.

Li Tingyun was worried for them!

Oh, by the way, the Yantian Sect also has a library, which is named "Zhenhai Wenyuan" because it is built by the sea. It is comparable to the "Tianyi Zunjing" pavilion of the Daoxuan Sect. Cultivators often put the two together and will mention the other when talking about one.

The Tianyi Zunjing Pavilion excels in its vast collection of books, while the Zhenhai Wenyuanlou Pavilion prioritizes quality and specialization, housing works on theories such as Yin-Yang, Bagua, and fortune-telling.

Li Tingyun had known about the Yantian Sect since he was very young.

The first sect he recognized was Dao Xuan Sect, and the second was Yan Tian Sect.

The unfortunate blind man he met when he was a child often mentioned this sect to him. Although he didn't say it outright, he could guess that the blind man was most likely a disciple of the Yantian Sect, or was deeply influenced by its metaphysical ideas. In any case, there must be a connection between the two.

The strange voice did not provide any further guidance to Li Tingyun on where to go next.

He might as well do something "meaningful" first.

Come here.

Can't we go in and sit down for a bit?