The Sole Proud Alliance held considerable prestige among the independent martial artists — those who belonged to no sect or faction. Many hoped to join the Alliance to gain certain conveniences.
It was precisely for this reason that, while the Alliance boasted an enormous roster of disciples, the number of true experts among them was relatively modest. When compared to other major powers, there was always a faint sense of weakness.
Yun Xuan had grown so solemn the moment she heard Shui Ling was a Disciple of the Water God Temple precisely because of these concerns. She hadn't dared to offend anyone from the Water God Temple lightly.
But now that the Scarlet Blood Orchid had fallen into their hands and the mission could be completed successfully, it no longer mattered whether Shui Ling was truly a Disciple of the Water God Temple or not.
Two days later, the group emerged from the swamp.
One more day passed before a massive city sitting in the midst of the wilderness came into Yang Kai's view. That was Sole Proud City — the headquarters of the Sole Proud Alliance.
Three days of travel had given Yang Kai a genuine taste of the rich spiritual energy of the Tongxuan Continent. Through the conversations of those around him, he had glimpsed the prosperity of this land — things that would have been inconceivable in his original world, and renowned experts whose names were known far and wide.
Yang Kai's horizons had broadened considerably, and with that expansion came a subtle shift in his state of mind.
At the gates of Sole Proud City, several guards in uniform were inspecting the travelers passing through. They watched with vigilant eyes but made no move to block anyone's entry.
Under the lead of the young woman Yun Xuan, the group entered the city without the slightest difficulty.
A wave of noise and bustle washed over them. Martial artists filled the streets in droves, coming and going like an endless river of fish.
Yun Xuan smiled and explained, "Because our Sole Proud Alliance primarily deals in Cultivation materials, our headquarters here is always bustling. Many people like to come here to purchase whatever alchemy or forging ingredients they need. On the continent, aside from the Commerce Alliance's main market, our Sole Proud City sees the highest volume of goods flowing through it. Of course, the Commerce Alliance does business with all three races — heh, that's something we simply can't match."
"Three races?" Yang Kai asked, puzzled.
"That's right. The Commerce Alliance's market is located in the neutral territories. They do business with the Demon Race, the Monster Race, and the humans. Didn't you know?" Yun Xuan's beautiful eyes flickered with a trace of confusion as she looked at Yang Kai.
"I don't get out much, so I'm not very well-informed about affairs in the outside world," Yang Kai answered casually, his composure perfectly maintained.
Yun Xuan simply said "oh" and didn't press further, not wishing to irritate him. Over these three days together, she had observed that Yang Kai was rather taciturn. He showed intense curiosity and interest in things that were commonplace to her and her companions — a clear sign of limited experience. Yet his thoughts ran deep, his mind was far from shallow, and he never asked about things he didn't understand. He simply observed with his own eyes. This left Yun Xuan unable to read him, unsure whether this young man was a freshly minted novice or a seasoned veteran who had weathered countless trials.
In any case, whenever she faced him, she inexplicably felt a certain weight of pressure.
"If it's convenient for the two of you, please come visit our squad's residence. We've purchased a house in the city — the surroundings are quite nice." Yun Xuan extended an invitation.
"Sure." Shui Ling accepted immediately. She was desperate to find a place to clean herself up — days of traveling had left her in a sorry state.
"Ji Hong, take them there," Yun Xuan instructed.
The big-bearded man nodded. "Leave it to me."
"You two go on ahead. We still need to report to the Alliance and hand in our mission. Once that's done, we'll come back."
Yang Kai nodded. He and Shui Ling followed the bearded man toward a direction within the city.
Before long, they arrived at a house. Ji Hong enthusiastically ushered them inside, then called for servants to prepare bathwater and arranged for Yang Kai and Shui Ling to settle in and bathe. His hospitality was effusive.
The house was passable in quality. Despite being situated in the bustling commercial district, a protective barrier shielded it from most of the outside noise.
Yang Kai simply accepted his circumstances as they came. He felt no discomfort whatsoever.
When evening came, a servant arrived to summon them, saying that dinner had been prepared.
Yang Kai stepped outside and was surprised to find that Shui Ling had already restored herself to her usual appearance and was waiting for him.
The two shared a smile and set off together.
At the banquet, every member of Yun Xuan's squad proved exceptionally hospitable, coming forward one after another to offer toasts. Shui Ling politely declined to drink, but Yang Kai accepted everything without hesitation, sampling the wines and delicacies of this foreign land with evident pleasure.
Yun Xuan then placed the previously agreed-upon one hundred and fifty-two crystal stones into Yang Kai's hands, smiling as she said, "Spend them wisely, won't you? Don't go throwing them away on revelry and debauchery. There are far too many temptations in Sole Proud City for a young man like you to resist. Fufu…"
As she spoke, her lovely eyes shimmered — perhaps from the alcohol, perhaps from something else. Her tone had grown considerably bolder, her cheeks flushed a rosy hue, and her sweet fragrance was altogether quite captivating.
The moment Ji Hong and the others saw Yun Xuan in this state, they abandoned Yang Kai without a second thought, harboring designs of their own, and attempted to drink Yun Xuan under the table.
Yun Xuan, for her part, accepted every challenge without flinching, leaving Yang Kai utterly dumbfounded.
The revelry continued well into the night. Yang Kai and Shui Ling departed one after the other. The members of the Sole Proud Alliance stubbornly carried on, but in the end only Ji Hong remained — barely — still clinging to the table. Everyone else had been cleanly and efficiently laid out on the floor by Yun Xuan.
Back in his room, Yang Kai retrieved the crystal stones from the Black Book's space. He focused his senses on them carefully, and his eyes lit up.
He discovered that these crystal stones contained extraordinarily pure and vast quantities of energy — energy that any martial artist could absorb to replenish their True Essence.
Though he had already quietly asked Shui Ling about the secrets of the crystal stones earlier, it wasn't until he held them in his own hands that Yang Kai truly appreciated their preciousness.
If the martial artists of his homeworld had access to something like this, they could rapidly advance their cultivation. Unfortunately, they had no such luxury.