Falling Blossoms Ghost Kingdom1
An isolated island kingdom in the middle of the sea. Because it was abundant in cherry-like beauties and Ghost Martial Cultivators that loved to kill, that is how it received its name. The dynasties of many countries in the past attempted to conquer the this kind of sea country, but the sea area of the Heavenly Moat was a huge protective screen. Every time an entire country invaded, the Falling Blossoms Ghost Kingdom's Yin Yang Masters, Star Cultivators, and Ghost Martial Cultivators all would simultaneously set out on a campaign. There was no alternative to millions of armed forces, however, these were not difficult problems to Star Cultivators. As long as they were careful, they could very easily land on this island nation.
Kagoshima2 was located in one of Falling Blossoms Ghost Kingdom's most peripheral counties. Overlooking the Flaming Yellow Sea, the environment on the island was graceful, with uninterrupted cherry trees. Every third month of spring, when the breeze passed, the cherry blossoms were like an ocean, with the entire Kagoshima decorated in beauty past compare. Such a beautiful place also was the favorite place for many dual cultivation partners. Over time, Kagoshima then became a place with a connection to the Azure Dragon Territory. It also unconsciously established the most bustling island city on the Flaming Yellow Sea. This place was also the Falling Blossoms Ghost Kingdom's largest non-public gathering place for Star Cultivators. Regardless of whether one was a Star Cultivator, Yin Yang Master or Ghost Martial Cultivator, all these figures were seen.
And the place Su Xing came to was precisely this Kagoshima.
Rather than say Antler City3 was Kagoshima's most flourishing city, it would be better to say it was an immense business market square. In this kind of place of the Falling Blossoms Kingdom, the bustle of the night was often even more flourishing than the day.
When Su Xing arrived at Kagoshima Market Square, the sun was already setting in the west, the dark night coming fort. On the market square's main street people flowed restlessly, brightly lit.
Magic Treasures and artifacts, pills and talismans, and magic circles were all concentrated together. Even the brothels of sensual pleasures were everywhere to be seen in this Antler City. Everything had been orderly planned out, which made Su Xing gasp in amazement. This kind of scale was but larger than Bian City by several factors.
From the materials Su Xing knew, the one who ruled the whole Kagoshima Market Square was reportedly the Crystal Dragon King's Palace,4 one of the Azure Dragon Territory's "three palaces"; to think that it was the Crystal Dragon King's Palace, Su Xing actually understood clearly the scale of Kagoshima. What sort of place was the Crystal Dragon King's Palace? As the Azure Dragon Territory's most top-notch treasure sect, their cave dwelling reportedly was established in the deep sea. The Crystal Dragon King's Palace's "Treasure Feast" was but Liangshan's most first-rate banquet. In this gathering, every magic weapon item that would be sold or available for transaction had values that were not below a hundred billion liang of gold. At the Crystal Dragon King's Palace, you practically could buy anything you could think of.
Su Xing, An Suwen and Yan Yizhen walked on the Ore Main Street.5 The things sold here not only divided the districts, even the street names were corresponding characteristics. This Ore Main Street was Antler City's biggest mineral marketplace for minerals.
Antler Market Square's mineral marketplace was very famous. That place distributed every kind of Essence Stone and Minerals. It could be said to be Azure Dragon Territory's largest ore selling grounds. As long as you had enough capital, regardless of whether it was the Earth quintessential Extreme Winding Essence Gold, or the Black Prison Devil Jade under the Nine Hells, or the Arctic Arrival Ore6 in the deep sea, or even the savagely treasured minerals that came from the White Tiger Territory, all could be found!
The market square had a massive crowd. Su Xing indeed opened wide his ken. Cultivators that wore every kind of oddly shaped and made garments were innumerable in succession. Passing through this period of time of tempering, he would not be this easily shocked.
"After the Star Duels began, Kagoshima's market square then turned even more bustling. Even if we encountered a Star General here, it would not be strange. There also are many Star Masters advancing the grade of Star Weapons that would be here. Master, we must be somewhat more careful." This already was not the first time Yan Yizhen was here, and she very easily introduced things.
Su Xing nodded. He already ingested pills to alter his appearance. His clothing also was a prince's florid pattern, which Yan Yizhen's maid uniform matched flawlessly. That silk brocade of An Suwen's also made people think from a look that she was Su Xing's woman.
The three people walked near a booth, and Su Xing brimmed with interest as sized up the assortment of ores that this booth had. Due to Kagoshima itself having a very large forbiddance, each store had the Dragon King's Palace's guarantee, so there was no need to fear being plundered by others.
Su Xing first of all wanted to go find Daybreak Frost and Snow Essence. A few ordinary shops and booths could not possibly sell this kind of precious thing. Ever since the Star Duels began, the raw materials for Star Weapon grade advancement developed according to the situation and were even more rare. Soon, Su Xing spotted a "North Kingdom Cold Wind"7 shop.
North Kingdom was the Azure Dragon Territory's northernmost country. Situated upon a tundra, it was covered in ice and snow year round. He did not expect to be able to see a shop that came from the North Kingdom, so Su Xing curiously walked inside.
When he went in, Su Xing he could not help but feel a bone-chilling ice cold. Drawing in a mouthful of cold air, he saw that the ores inside the store was astonishingly many, with every kind of fantastic oddity of a stone were all there. Originally, Su Xing believed that it was pretty good to have more than ten pieces of Arctic-type ores, but this place surprisingly had a vast stretch, with some even being never-before-seen. Due to these stones, crystals and jades coming from a deep cold, they made the room enveloped in an extremely chill. If one's Star Energy was slightly weaker, then they would be somewhat cold.
To the extent that there were not many cultivators inside the store.
The shop assistants were several pleasant women, their clothing actually thin, completely contrary to the chilliness in the room. Spotting Su Xing, they smiled and welcomed him. Galaxy Stage Cultivators always were masters that had capital.
Spotting some "Ice Kite Arctic Stone"8 from the North Kingdom's most extreme locations, Su Xing's eyes let off light. This kind of stone was a considerable rarity.
Forging it into weapons would make cold and ice permeate everywhere. Reportedly, it could shapeshift into an Ancient Spirit Bird, Ice Kite. If it was used to forge the cold "Ice Kite Bullets," it would be the perfect material. It was a pity that it was too expensive, at a hundred million liang of gold apiece. This was robbery.
"Young Lord, there must be something you like?" A blue clothed pretty woman smiled and asked.
"I'll take a look first." Su Xing did not make a clear-cut reply. Although he had plundered many chests and obtained ample capital, Heaven knew how expensive Daybreak Frost and Snow Essence was.
"Very well."
Searching for a while, inside the store were many arctic-type ores, with even several pieces of Arctic Cloud Ice Souls, but as it happened, he could not find Daybreak Frost and Ice Essence. Su Xing was somewhat disappointed, but he did not hope to buy some the moment he arrived.
"It seems what I want isn't here." Su Xing shook his head.
"This Young Lord, could it be that you want to buy those Supreme Grade ordes?" The woman asked: "We are but Kagoshima Market Square's largest store that sells Arctic-type ores. If it could not be found here, perhaps you would have much difficulty finding it."
"Then do you know what other places here specialize in Arctic-type jades and ores?" Su Xing asked.
The woman was stunned by Su Xing's question, not expecting there would be people that would ask her like this.
Su Xing gave her a gold ingot: "Since this is the biggest store, don't tell me that it still fears others fighting for customers."
"Young Lord sure knows how to speak." The woman rejected the gold: "Your Servant does not want gold, but there is no harm in telling Young Lord, either. At Earthly Treasure Street,9 there are several stores that sell Arctic Stone, however, normal people are but unable to purchase them." The woman's eyeballs looked around her own store, and Su Xing then knew what she wanted to do.
"If I truly can purchase it, what harm is there in helping a beautiful woman do a bit of business. I want this piece of Ice Kite Arctic Stone." Su Xing chuckled: "However, I do not have a hundred million liang of gold. How about I use five pieces of Cloud Patterned Dipper Silver?"
"Young Lord really does take unfair advantage. Five pieces of Cloud Patterned Dipper Silver is no more than fifty million liang. But the discrepancy is off by a lot." The woman covered her mouth.
Su Xing indeed took that piece of Ice Kite Arctic Stone to his liking, adding several kinds of Essence Ore after some thought.
"Big Brother, did you choose a good item?" An Suwen moved over inquisitively when she saw Su Xing bargain for prices with the woman.
"This Ice Kite Arctic Stone I feel is not bad." Su Xing looked at that stone and shook his head: "But the value is a hundred million."
"Young Lord, how could you say this? For this Ice Kite Arctic Stone, a hundred million is indeed the lowest." The woman still smiled.
Su Xing was unconcerned. His tool refinement was somewhat standard, so naturally his insight was sharp, "Because that Arctic Stone of yours was put outside for too long, its Arctic Qi has wear and tear, far from being able to compare to those that only just came out. Using it for refinement is a great loss of value. This hundred million still cannot be compared to lacking a few stones."
"We ourselves prepared every sort of method to guarantee the purity of the Ice Kite Arctic Stone's Arctic Qi. How could the thing that Young Lord said happen." The woman shook her head.
"I am a tool refinement master, how could it be that I am fooling you." Su Xing twitched his mouth.
"Tool refinement master?"
His counterpart was somewhat surprised, however, she immediately clearly understood. A tool refinement master visiting Kagoshima Market Square was not some novel affair, but judging from Su Xing's age, this took refinement master would not have any standard.
"You don't believe me? I'll point it out for you to see. If you cannot accept it wholeheartedly, I will dismount at once. I won't speak nonsense, but if your eyes are dull…" Su Xing stopped when he said this.
"Then use the five pieces of Cloud Patterned Dipper Silver that Young Lord spoke of for exchange." This concerned their reputation, so the woman naturally was not ready to shrink back.
Clasping the Ice Kite Arctic Stone in his hand, he only felt Cold Qi down to his bones.
"Young Lord, what have prepared for Your Servant to see?" The woman smiled. At this time, there already were several cultivators that had surrounded them out of curiosity. They also could not discern what was different about this piece of Ice Kite Arctic Stone.
"Do you see how the impurity here is somewhat different?" Su Xing pointed at a corner. Everyone looked, and indeed, the color was dull. If a hand was used to feel it, it seemed that no Arctic Qi could be felt. The Ice Kite Arctic Stone's greatest characteristic was ice, but that place was like water. Clearly, this was an inferior product.
Everyone was in an uproar.
The woman opened her mouth in disbelief, "How could this be? We definitely already inspected it." She looked at Su Xing in infinite bewilderment.
Su Xing smiled and said: "You won't doubt that I am playing tricks? To turn a piece of first-rate Arctic Stone into this, do you feel that I can manage it this instant?"
The woman warmed her expression. This had to be so. A Galaxy Early Stage Cultivator was far from being able alter to the Extreme Arctic Ice Kite Arctic Stone. This could not be accomplished without a special ability and extremely powerful control over Star Energy. Could it be she really made a mistake? The woman's heart had some regrets.
But in front of everyone's faces, she could not smash the store's reputation.
"Your Servant's name is Diao Yu,10 so take this as making Young Lord's acquaintance. May I venture to ask Young Lord's name?" Diao Yu smiled sweetly.
"Call me Su Xing." Su Xing said.
"Fellow Su Xing truly has good eyesight. In the future, you certainly have great prospects. As for this Ice Kite Arctic Stone, Your Servant presents this to Young Lord as the Extreme Ice Holy Palace's11 gift of friendship."
"Extreme Ice Holy Palace? A present to me?" Su Xing was astonished.
"When Young Lord someday achieves meteoric success and becomes a tool refinement scholar, the Extreme Ice Holy Palace certainly will look up to Young Lord." Diao Yu spoke bluntly.
Seeing her eyes flicker, Su Xing immediately understood. She already could tell that he actually used a trick on the Ice Kite Arctic Stone.
"So you do know? Why?" Su Xing asked in rumination.
"What Young Lord used just now definitely was the Heavenly Water Heart Flame. This is the tool refinement Heart Flame of Scholar Ju Yueke's sole school. To be able to make friends with a tool refinement scholar's disciple certainly has always been a little girl's as well as the Holy Palace's cherished dream." Diao Yu executed Sound Transmission.
This frankness of hers actually made the Su Xing who pulled a few tricks just now feel somewhat sorry, for he felt this woman was really cute. Since she put it this way, to do something like hurt a "beauty's heart," Su Xing had no need to go do this.
Author’s Note:
Three chapters still, pleading for a vote for the last few days as support!!
- The context provided here clarifies that it is Falling Blossoms, not Falling Cherry Ghost Kingdom. Think "sakura." ↩
- 鹿兒島 ↩
- 鹿角城, which has made me debate on whether the author intended for this to be Kagoshima or, say, Deerchild Island ↩
- 水晶龍宮 ↩
- 礦石大街 ↩
- 至寒礦石 ↩
- 北國寒風 ↩
- 冰鳶寒石, “kite” as in the bird. ↩
- 地寶街 ↩
- 刁玉 ↩
- 極冰聖宮 ↩