92: Molten Town and Breath of Oblivion
Blazing Fire Town nestled at the foot of a massive dormant volcano. Its walls, crudely constructed from dark red volcanic rock, were weathered and covered in signs of repair.
The protective light barrier above the town appeared thin, yet complex runes faintly circulated within it, emitting a formidable energy fluctuation, clearly designed to counter threats that might emerge from the Void Realm or the depths of the earth.
At the town entrance, Cultivators clad in uniform crimson armor with sharp auras stood guard, screening those entering and exiting.
Most of these guards were at the Early Kaishan Realm to Kāishān Realm Mid-stage, their eyes sharp, carrying an aura of battle-hardened Evil Qi.
Liu Qingtian and Wang Gou suppressed their auras and followed the sparse flow of people toward the entrance.
He noticed that the composition of Cultivators entering and exiting the town was complex. There were native Cultivators from the Flowing Fire Realm with slightly reddish skin and fire-attribute auras, as well as many outsiders like himself, all with varying attire and mixed auras. He could even sense a few faint traces of Demonic Qi or Devilish Qi.
"It seems this 'Recruitment Order' has quite a strong appeal," Liu Qingtian thought to himself.
High risks often come with high rewards; at this critical juncture of the world's survival, the remuneration offered by the Flowing Fire Realm authorities must be extremely enticing.
When it was their turn, the guard asked routinely, "Name? Origin? Purpose for entering the town?"
"Liu Qi, a Loose Cultivator. Hearing that the Flowing Fire Realm is recruiting personnel to resist the beast tide, I came specifically to help," Liu Qingtian said, giving a false name with a calm tone.
He was currently wanted by the Yunlan Sect, so it was not appropriate to use his real name.
"Wang Gou, also a Loose Cultivator, with him. Came to watch the fun... ah no, came to help!" Wang Gou chimed in with a grin.
The guard glanced at them, taking an extra look at Wang Gou, whose aura was completely unfathomable, and handed over two crimson jade tokens:
"This is a temporary identity token. Bind it with a drop of blood. With this token, you can move within the town, accept tasks, and exchange resources. Remember, private fighting is strictly prohibited within the town; violators will be severely punished! Additionally, you must complete at least one Grade B or higher extermination task every month, otherwise the token will be voided and you will be expelled."
Liu Qingtian took the jade token and scanned it with his Divine Sense; it contained simple town rules and task information.
He followed instructions and dripped a drop of fluid onto it; the jade token lit up with a faint glow, establishing a connection with him. Wang Gou did the same.
Upon entering the town, a noisy wave of heat, mixed with the smell of sweat, smoke, medicinal herbs, and a faint, lingering scent of blood, rushed toward them.
The streets were not very spacious, lined on both sides with various shops and temporary stalls selling Medicinal Pills, Talismans, weapons, and various Materials from the Void Realm or local sources.
The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and the conversations of Cultivators were endless.
Liu Qingtian noticed that almost everyone's conversation revolved around "Annihilation Beast," "rifts," and "defense," creating a heavy and tense atmosphere.
"Have you heard? The defensive line at 'Black Flame Canyon' was breached again yesterday, and several Golden Body Realm lords died!"
"Sigh, the Realm wall rifts are becoming more numerous, and those ghastly things are endless. If this continues..."
"What are you afraid of! The City Lord's Mansion has already requested reinforcements from higher-level realms. I heard the 'Tian Shu Guard' will arrive in a few days!"
"Tian Shu Guard? That is an elite force directly under the 'Sky Patrol Alliance'! It seems the higher-ups are really going all out this time!"
Liu Qingtian listened silently, collecting scattered pieces of information.
The situation in the Flowing Fire Realm was indeed not optimistic; even those in the Golden Body Realm risked falling.
He also understood terms like "Sky Patrol Alliance" and "Tian Shu Guard" from Lin Feng's information; they were powerful organizations that maintained order across the Myriad Heavens and Myriad Realms. Their intervention indicated that the situation had already attracted attention from a higher level.
He took Wang Gou and headed straight for the most conspicuous building in the center of the town—a magnificent hall constructed of obsidian, with a plaque hanging at the entrance that read "Merit Hall."
This was the core location for the authorities to issue tasks, settle merit points, and exchange rewards.
The interior of the hall was vast and bustling with noise.
In front was a massive light wall, displaying scrolling task information, ranging from the lowest "Ding" grade (patrol, reconnaissance) to the highest "Jia" grade (exterminating large beast nests, repairing core Realm wall rifts), with everything in between.
The rewards for the tasks also varied from Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills to Cultivation Techniques and Magic Treasures, which were quite generous.
Many Cultivators gathered in front of the light wall, carefully selecting tasks suitable for themselves.
Liu Qingtian's gaze swept over the light wall, and he quickly locked onto a task:
【Grade Bing Task: Exterminate the newly appeared "Bone-Eroding Insect Swarm" three hundred miles northwest of Blazing Fire Mountain. This swarm has a scale of about a thousand, with individual strength equivalent to the Early Kaishan Realm. They are adept at burrowing and spitting corrosive acid, and are suspected to have mutated due to the influence of the breath of annihilation. Task Requirements: Eliminate the swarm and bring back the insect queen's core. Rewards: 300 Merit Points, 100 High-Grade Spirit Stones, or equivalent Materials.】
This was a task suitable for a team at the Middle Stage Kaishan Realm or higher; the difficulty was moderate, which was just right for getting familiar with the combat style of Annihilation Beasts.
Just as he was about to accept it, a commotion broke out in the hall, and the crowd automatically parted to create a path.
A young man wearing a magnificent robe with flame emblems and an arrogant expression walked in with large strides, surrounded by a group of guards.
This young man's cultivation was only at the Middle Stage Kaishan Realm, but he had a grand air, and among his guards was an old man at the Initial Stage Golden Body Realm.
"It's the Young City Lord Yan Hao!"
"Why is he here?"
The crowd whispered, many showing expressions of awe or obsequiousness.
Yan Hao's gaze swept across the hall and finally landed on... Wang Gou, who was beside Liu Qingtian? No, his gaze seemed to pass over Wang Gou and land directly on Liu Qingtian, his brows slightly furrowed, carrying a hint of scrutiny and... an imperceptible disgust?
"You!" Yan Hao pointed at Liu Qingtian, his tone arrogant, "New here? Why do you have such an unpleasant aura of deathly stillness? Could it be that you are a spy mixed in from the Nihility Cult?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Merit Hall fell silent, and everyone's eyes focused on Liu Qingtian, filled with suspicion and vigilance.
The Nihility Cult—they were like rats crossing the street, despised by everyone!
Liu Qingtian's tree soul turned cold. He cultivated the Great Dao of Life, Death, Wither and Flourish, so it was perfectly normal for him to have an aura of deathly stillness. However, for this Young City Lord to brand him with such a heavy accusation the moment he arrived, it was clearly malicious.
Was it because of his identity as part of the Yao Race? Or was he simply arrogant and disdainful?
Wang Gou blinked from the side, seemingly finding it interesting, with absolutely no intention of helping to resolve the situation.
Liu Qingtian's expression remained unchanged. Meeting Yan Hao's gaze, he spoke calmly: "Young City Lord, why would you say that? My Cultivation Technique is simply unique. If I were truly from the Nihility Cult, would I dare come to this Merit Hall and walk into a trap?"
Yan Hao snorted coldly: "Silver-tongued! Whether you are a spy or not, we will know after an inspection! Men, take him down!"
The two guards at the Late-stage Kai Shan Realm behind him immediately stepped forward, ready to act.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense.
A cold glint flashed in Liu Qingtian's eyes, and he secretly circulated his Demonic Power.
He did not want to cause trouble, but he was absolutely not afraid of it.
If the other party really wanted to make unreasonable trouble, he would not mind letting this Blazing Fire Town witness what the "Wither and Flourish Poison Dao" was all about.