Yu led several Frost Snow Tribe barbarian warriors toward a tall building. Yang Kai stood in the midst of Frost Snow City, mulling things over for a moment. Rather than rushing to find accommodation as Yu had instructed, he instead began to wander through the bustling city, strolling and taking in the sights as he went.
The reason he had agreed to come to Frost Snow City was simple — he wanted to acquire Inner Cores for Cultivation as quickly as possible.
Right now, though, he possessed nothing of value. Apart from seven Bone-Eroding Wolf Inner Cores, all he had was a single pouch of wolf blood. But both of these were things he needed, so Yang Kai could only first get a sense of the market here before making his plans.
He was confident that with his abilities, even starting from the very bottom, he would quickly leverage his advantages and create a snowball effect.
As he walked and looked around, Yang Kai stood out as quite an oddity among the barbarian-dominated city. His figure appeared far too frail, lacking any trace of the barbarians' aesthetic.
Wherever he went, he drew gazes of surprise and contempt from the barbarians.
Yang Kai had long grown accustomed to this. It seemed that every barbarian who laid eyes on him for the first time regarded him with the same look.
Frost Snow City was truly prosperous — rivaling even the great cities of later ages. Among the haphazard sprawl of buildings, countless stalls and wares filled the streets. Shamans from different tribes gathered here, and Yang Kai, a mere low-rank shaman apprentice, was completely insignificant by comparison.
Drawing on the knowledge the village chief had taught him before his departure, Yang Kai identified the origins and backgrounds of those shamans one by one.
From every corner of the land, all converging in one place — such a grand gathering was a rare sight indeed.
This was a spectacle that only the winter season could produce within Frost Snow City.
During winter, the other tribes' cities simply could not match Frost Snow City's unique advantages. The Evergreen Divine Tree stood guard here, ensuring that even in the harshest cold of winter, the city remained as warm and verdant as spring. The other tribes' cities enjoyed no such fortune, which naturally drew large numbers of shamans here to gather and exchange.
Once winter ended, most of these far-traveled shamans would return to their own tribes and cities.
So every winter, Frost Snow City became the most flourishing city of all.
Yang Kai lingered at stall after stall, inspecting the goods on display, haggling with the vendors.
To his surprise, he had assumed that in this ancient era, trade would be conducted through simple barter. But after looking around, he discovered he was dead wrong.
Frost Snow City actually had its own currency — something that resembled a green leaf, known as a "Green Coin."
The village chief had never mentioned Green Coins to Yang Kai, so he deduced that this must be a specialty of Frost Snow City.
Green Coins served no purpose for Cultivation. Legend had it that they were fallen leaves from the Evergreen Divine Tree — leaves that neither decayed nor deteriorated. They could only be used as a medium of exchange, and only within Frost Snow City.
But that was more than enough. Having a standardized medium of exchange greatly facilitated the circulation of goods.
Frost Snow City's markets operated around the clock. Yang Kai spent three full days browsing without rest, and by the end, a vague plan had taken shape in his mind.
Three days later, he finally strolled over to the base of the Evergreen Divine Tree, produced the water pouch Yu had given him, and poured out the wolf blood, watering it into the roots of the tree.
The crimson blood touched the ground and was absorbed almost instantly, not a single drop remaining. The very next moment, a beam of green light shot down from the canopy and struck Yang Kai square in the body.
At the same time, an inexplicable pulling force drew upon Yang Kai, as though an invisible hand were lifting him up, guiding him gently upward.
After ascending several dozen zhang, the lifting force stabilized. Before Yang Kai stood a tree hollow of modest size — clean and comfortable.
This would be his home for the next thirty days.
Outsiders seeking accommodation in Frost Snow City had two options. The first was to stay in establishments like inns, which required Green Coins. The second was to do as Yang Kai had done — pour demon beast blood onto the roots of the Evergreen Divine Tree, and the tree would select a hollow for the waterer to reside in.
There were countless such hollows dotting the towering Evergreen Divine Tree, each one a natural dwelling. Protected by the Evergreen Divine Tree, no matter what one did inside, no outsider could disturb them.
The hollow was not large, barely enough to accommodate three people, but for Yang Kai it was perfectly sufficient.
The interior was exceedingly comfortable. Yang Kai sat cross-legged, simultaneously Cultivating and refining the plan in his mind.
The next day, he emerged from the tree hollow, descended gently to the ground under the Evergreen Divine Tree's guidance, and headed straight in a specific direction.
Before long, Yang Kai arrived at a shop that specialized in purchasing Inner Cores and handed over all seven of his Inner Cores for sale.
Moments later, he walked out carrying a pouch full of Green Coins, turned, and disappeared into the crowd.