271: Map in hand

Gu Changan casually rummaged through but didn't find anything useful.

He then untied the other party's Storage Pouch and dumped its contents all over the ground.

There were about 200,000-plus Spirit Stones, better than nothing!

The rest were just miscellaneous items, Magical Artifacts, and the like.

Gu Changan didn't care for them at all, but there was one thing wrapped in animal skin that looked like a map.

With a beckoning gesture, he spread it out on the nearby bamboo table.

The entire topography of the Loose Cultivator Alliance came into view.

Gu Changan gave it a quick scan; the map didn't have detailed annotations.

But it had some place names. Judging by the cardinal directions, the one closest to him was probably Spirit Medicine Valley.

Further up were Spirit Beast Manor, Poison Dragon Valley, and at the very top, Ice Fortress.

Then, to the right, roughly near the plains of the previous Mortal Kingdom, and further in was the Blood Saber Sect.

And then further up from there was the Buddhist-Daoist Monastery, the very one that possessed the main ingredient for the nascent soul forming pill.

The easternmost region was Iron Bone Ridge, and above Iron Bone Ridge was Starfall Valley.

This single map introduced eight place names, and of course, there was also the central Cold Moon City.

After committing all these place names to memory, Gu Changan casually put away the map.

Naturally, the first stop would be the nearest Spirit Medicine Valley.

I wonder how easy it will be to get the main ingredient for the nascent soul forming pill from Spirit Medicine Valley.

Gu Changan controlled the top-grade flying boat and, in two days, spotted a massive valley.

Various structures were situated around the valley.

Of course, the most distinctive was the blue-brick, red-tiled building in the center. Judging by its scale, it likely belonged to the upper echelons of Spirit Medicine Valley.

As for the structures on the valley slopes, most were wooden huts.

These huts were also built rather haphazardly, some directly on trees.

Some were built right against the mountainside.

Gu Changan's Golden Core Stage Divine Sense scanned the entrance to Spirit Medicine Valley.

There was a winding mountain path here, which, surprisingly, merged into that Mortal Plain at its end.

He observed the layout of Spirit Medicine Valley more carefully.

A stream meandered down the very center, converging into a small pond at the valley's heart.

There was some flowing water below the pond that merged into a small creek outside the valley.

Some lotuses of different varieties were planted in the pond, seemingly different types of Spirit Medicine.

Around the stream, some buildings had a particularly elegant style.

As for the very top of the valley, near the mountain peak, there was also a small cluster of buildings.

This area was covered by some snow, but observation through Treasure Qi revealed that Spirit Medicine was actually planted within the snow.

Then, following the mountainsides on both sides, he found that all the places where the wooden huts were located were planted with various kinds of Spirit Medicine.

Patches of purple, yellow, and red stretched out one after another.

Gu Changan thought to himself, truly worthy of the name Spirit Medicine Valley.

He put away the flying boat and landed on the ground. A special floral fragrance wafted towards him.

For a moment, he couldn't tell if it was the scent of flowers or of medicine!

At the entrance to Spirit Medicine Valley, there was a huge wooden plaque.

Right side: Gather the essence of heaven and earth to refine miraculous Immortal Pills.

Left side: Assemble ancient and modern excellent prescriptions to save all living beings.

Gu Changan took a deep breath. What a profound Legacy of Spirit Medicine Valley.

After leisurely entering the valley, the cultivation atmosphere here was absolutely different from that in the city.

With children playing everywhere, Gu Changan's mood also became much more relaxed.

He casually found a place that looked like a restaurant for dining.

As for why it looked like a restaurant?

It was simply because this building had only one story and was completely overgrown with shrubs.

Near the window, the entire wall was covered with small pink flowers.

Gu Changan walked inside the restaurant. The space wasn't large.

Over a dozen tables were arranged in an orderly manner, but there was only a main hall, no private rooms.

After Gu Changan sat down by the edge, a Qi Refining Stage Waiter came forward to take his order.

"What are your specialties here?"

"As long as they're not too expensive, serve me some!"

Hearing this, the Waiter's eyes lit up with joy. He glanced at Gu Changan's attire; he didn't look like a Cultivator who couldn't afford Spirit Stones.

He turned and went to the kitchen to prepare.

Not long after, the table was filled.

"Try these, they're all our shop's specialties, and this pot of Hundred Flowers Brew!"

Gu Changan wasn't in a hurry to pick up his chopsticks. He sniffed each dish with his nose.

"Not bad! Let me ask you something."

He casually handed him 10 Spirit Stones, poured a cup of Hundred Flowers Brew, and took a small sip.

"I'm new here. Tell me what I should be mindful of in these parts?"

"Don't let me accidentally offend any taboos!"

The Waiter happily clutched the 10 Spirit Stones. This was truly a big customer!

"Senior, what would you like to know?"

"As long as this humble one knows, I'll hold nothing back and tell you everything!"

Gu Changan nodded, picked up something that looked like a mushroom, and put it in his mouth.

A fresh, savory flavor instantly filled his senses.

"Not bad! Tell me about the major powers then!"

"What are these powers skilled in?"

"Which Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators do they have?"

The Waiter was startled inwardly. Asking about Nascent Soul Stage Old Ancestors? Could it be that the Senior before him was a Golden Core Stage Cultivator?

He needed to be careful not to upset the Senior!

"Then let me tell you, Senior!"

"Senior must have just arrived in the Northern Loose Cultivator Alliance and might not be very familiar with our Northern Loose Cultivator Alliance."

"Although we are the Northern Loose Cultivator Alliance, we still have some established powers."

"These powers, although they can't reach the level of the Treasure Pavilion or Tianji Pavilion,"

"do have Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators within them!"

Gu Changan became interested. He picked up something that looked like an insect, tossed it into his mouth—crunchy.

"Oh? So, the Northern Alliance is strong, then?"

The Waiter nodded seriously, as if these powers were his own.

"Let's first talk about the powers that have these Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators!"

"There are roughly seven major powers that rank highly."

"Our Spirit Medicine Valley is in the southwest of the 100,000 Great Mountains. Naturally, we excel in Spirit Medicine cultivation and pill refining."

"Our Old Ancestor, Daoist Master Qingmu, is a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator."

"Further northwest is Spirit Beast Manor. The people of Spirit Beast Manor are skilled in beast taming and breeding various Spirit Beasts."

"After all, they also rely on their local resources, just like us."

"Spirit Beast Manor's Old Ancestor is Elder Hundred Beasts. It's said he possesses many Spirit Beasts, but exactly how many, no one knows!"

"Further northwest is Poison Dragon Valley. It's home to various poisonous insects, toxic plants, and venomous Spirit Beasts."

"Legend has it that a Poisonous Dragon once attained nirvana here in the past."

"So, 'when a whale falls, all things flourish,' giving rise to the present Poison Dragon Valley."

"The Cultivators of Poison Dragon Valley are all skilled in controlling poisonous insects, cultivating poisonous techniques, and growing toxic plants."

"They also refine various detoxification pills, concoct all sorts of poisons, and so on!~"

"Their Old Ancestor, Poison Dragon Venerable, is listed among the Old Ancestors one must not offend."

"No one wants to be fatally poisoned before even meeting the person!"

Gu Changan picked up a chicken leg again and started tearing into it.

The Waiter swallowed his saliva and continued, "Then, the northernmost is Ice Fortress."

"It's considered a top-tier power within our Northern Loose Cultivator Alliance."