Chapter 60: Tianzun’s underwear?
After painting her grand promises, Cao Dajia’s tone shifted, her voice turning stern with an undeniable pressure, making even her giant turtle seem to shrink:
“Listen up! We’re not charging straight into the Nether Ancient Realm—we’re heading to the temporary gathering point outside it! Once there, keep your mouths shut and your tails tucked! Eight words: watch your words, don’t stir trouble!”
“Got it? A true man knows when to bend. At the gathering point, if you take a few insults or get your face stepped on, swallow it! Bottle up that anger! When you’re a big shot later, those fools will crawl to you, begging for forgiveness!”
Her gaze cut through the crowd like a blade, emphasizing, “I’m warning you now! You’re temporarily under me, but that place is a den of dragons and tigers. Some figures… heh, even I, Cao Dajia, steer clear of them, let alone cover for you!”
“If you mess with the wrong people, don’t expect me to bail you out! You’re on your own! Burn my words into your brains!”
Her mix of temptation and threats quieted the crowd, the atmosphere growing heavy.
The twenty-plus members, all decently cultivated, moved swiftly. Soon, a sizable “gathering point” came into view.
Whoa! This wasn’t some makeshift camp—it was a small city.
A ten-meter-high gray-white wall rose imposingly, a weathered wooden sign hanging above with three bold, desolate characters: Nether Ancient Town.
What caught the eye were the figures patrolling below—clad in gleaming golden armor, like moving iron towers, their sharp gazes scrutinizing every entrant at the gate and walls.
“A small town… with this much security?” Xie Qiyang muttered to herself. This was overkill.
As they neared the wall, her keen eyes spotted glowing text near the base:
Crafted by the Honored Casting Heaven Pavilion.
Maker: Wang Lu
“Casting Heaven Pavilion?” Memories from Jiang Ningshuang surfaced. Once a legendary sect, it gathered the world’s top architects, crafting grand wonders, blessed lands, and elite treasures, its name resounding far and wide.
But it had declined, taking on “quick-build cities” they once scoffed at just to make ends meet.
In their catalog, this was likely a “portable shelter/trick device”—palm-sized when stored, expanding into a city with a toss. Perfect for disaster protection, ambushes, or temporary safehouses. A must-have for travel or shady dealings.
Only wealthy commercial factions could afford it; for rogue cultivators, it was useless.
Cao Dajia’s booming voice snapped Xie Qiyang out of her thoughts: “Alright, we’re here! Disperse and move freely!”
She pulled out a handful of white jade pendants, distributing them. “Take these! If it flashes, get your butts back here to regroup! Got it?”
As a pendant reached Xie Qiyang, she moved to grab it—
Whoosh!
A hand shot out, snatching it.
Li Tianxing flashed Cao Dajia a “simple, honest” grin, his voice deliberately naive: “Heh, Miss Cao, sorry! My wife’s… shy, timid, and bad with strangers. I’ll hold onto her pendant so she doesn’t lose it!”
Cao Dajia’s bell-sized eyes flicked between Li Tianxing’s “honest” face and the “delicate” Xie Qiyang, snorting a puff of white air. She grunted ambiguously, letting it slide.
With a pat on her turtle, it carried her slowly through the town’s towering gate.
Once Cao Dajia’s hulking figure vanished into the gate, Xie Qiyang tugged Li Tianxing’s sleeve, whispering, “Hey, why’d you grab my pendant? Something wrong with it?”
Li Tianxing casually took her hand, leading her into town, his voice transmission buzzing in her mind: “Big problems! This pendant relays everything we say to Cao Dajia. Fart here, and she’d hear it loud and clear.”
“But,” he smugly waved the pendant, “in my hands, it’s just a trinket. Come on, let’s find a place to settle and scout for some ‘scraps’ to pick up.”
They stepped into Nether Ancient Town. Crossing the gate, the scene transformed.
The somber wall outside blocked all sound, but inside was a cacophony of gongs, drums, and a sea of people!
The narrow streets were packed, voices loud enough to lift roofs. Stalls and shops lined both sides, the aroma of food mixing with odd scents assaulting their noses.
Vendors hawked dishes made from supposedly exotic beasts, real or fake.
The loudest were the stall owners, their boasts earth-shattering:
“Step right up! Exclusive Nether Ancient Realm map! Hand-drawn, honest as day! One wrong mark, and my whole family explodes into the heavens!”
A goateed old man thumped his chest, spit flying.
The next stall was wilder—a shifty-eyed man held up a flimsy, ambiguously colored fabric, shouting hoarsely:
“Don’t miss out! Nether Ancient Heavenly Venerate’s authentic undergarment! Genuine, infused with supreme charm. Wear it, feel the Venerate’s aura, and break your bottlenecks! One-of-a-kind, first come, first served!”
The “Venerate’s undergarment” drew a massive crowd, layers deep, buzzing like a disturbed beehive.