This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

As dusk approached, Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian finally arrived outside Jiaolong City.

In cities controlled by a sect, flying directly into the city was a very reckless act, so the two of them descended slowly, planning to enter through the city gate in a proper manner.

Lu Qingshan stored his Peach Wood Sword into his Storage Ring, and Zang Xiaojian also put away the Sword Artifact she was temporarily using.

A Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact Sword Artifact.

For a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator, having a Life-bound Sword of Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact quality as a starting point was already considered a stroke of incredible luck.

Yet, for Zang Xiaojian, such a Spiritual Artifact was merely a temporary substitute.

The origins of Zang Xiaojian were evident.

Upon entering the city, Lu Qingshan once again felt the greed and tyranny of the Sea God Sect.

Because at the city gates, there were actually City Guards affiliated with the Sea God Sect, collecting a hefty entrance fee from people entering the city.

This was unthinkable in the cities under the jurisdiction of Great Xia.

Yet, even with such an oppressive policy, as the only city on Jiaolong Island, it was still bustling with people, and the shops along the roads on both sides were lined up, no less prosperous than the prefecture cities of Great Xia.

This was a monopoly.

...

After entering the city, Zang Xiaojian's big eyes were rolling around, scanning the environment inside the city while she asked, "Where shall we go next?"

"How about we go to eat first? We've been on the road for so long, aren't you all hungry?!" The Rat King was the first to stand up and propose, while showing off with a shake of his head, "As the saying goes, the most basic desires are food and sex... "

Zang Xiaojian couldn't help but smile, her eyes filled with amusement, and she gave the Rat King a thumbs up, "That was quite a scholarly quote!"

Praised by Zang Xiaojian, the Rat King became even more complacent, the red mane on his head nearly standing on end.

"Let's attend to important matters first, see if we can find any traces of that underground force." Lu Qingshan, however, chose to ignore the Rat King's words.

...

This was a square located at the most central and bustling area of Jiaolong City.

"Isn't this a bit too showy?" As soon as they arrived, the Rat King couldn't help but exclaim.

Because at the center of the square stood a colossal iron Jiaolong statue, a hundred zhang tall, cast from molten iron, its entire body a deep black, shimmering with a dark light.

The Jiaolong statue had sharp claws that exuded a faint coldness, two very short horns were cast above its head, and its eyes featured prominently fierce bulges.

This was the Jiaolong Demon King who ruled over the Poseidon Archipelago, known as the 'Sea God'.

Lu Qingshan looked up and gazed for a long time at this ferocious iron Jiaolong statue.

"This is where the sacrifice ceremony will be held. Sea God Sect cultivators will offer young children before the Jiaolong statue to show their respect to the Sea God," Zang Xiaojian said.

"Lu Qingshan, weren't you looking for that underground force? What are we doing here?" asked the Rat King, puzzled.

"Getting a feel for the place," Lu Qingshan replied.

"Testing the waters?" King Xi Rat became even more puzzled.

Lu Qingshan withdrew his gaze that had been fixating on the Jiaolong statue and looked around before explaining, "If you have an enemy, you would always be paying attention and bearing them in mind."

"It's a subconscious human behavior that won't change no matter what."

King Xi Rat's mind was filled with confusion; its small brain couldn't comprehend the meaning of Lu Qingshan's words.

"So if there really is an underground force wanting to overturn the Sea God Sect, then they would definitely come to secretly watch the ceremony on the day of the ritual that has stirred up public resentment—even if they don't plan to make a move then," Zang Xiaojian instantly grasped the implications of Lu Qingshan's words.

"Yes, and if it were just an individual, they might be able to suppress the urge to attend in person, but if it's a large organization with many members, it would be impossible to keep everyone away from the scene of the ceremony," Lu Qingshan nodded and added.

After carefully observing the surrounding buildings, Lu Qingshan finally fixed his gaze on a four-story restaurant at a diagonal angle and said to King Xi Rat, "Aren't you hungry? Let's go eat!"

King Xi Rat was stunned, not quite able to keep up with the rapid pace of Lu Qingshan's thoughts, but upon hearing that they were going to eat, it abandoned all else.

...

In a private room on the fourth floor of the restaurant, the table was in disarray with dishes and cups.

However, this time Zang Xiaojian wasn't carefree like King Xi Rat. Instead, he looked out the window and said softly, "Although the location of this restaurant is out of the way, the view from the rooftop here gives one a clear view of the entire square. But because it is tucked in a corner, it isn't conspicuous."

—For the underground forces' cultivators, this place is undoubtedly one of the best spots to observe the ritual on the day of the ceremony.

King Xi Rat looked up at the two, feeling that their conversation had some deeper meaning, but it couldn't understand and, shaking its little head, went back to focusing on its food.

Zang Xiaojian showed a contemplative expression, "Moreover, even if they are not here at the time but instead mingling in the crowd watching the ritual on the square, this vantage point is still the most convenient place for observation."

Working with someone smart certainly saves a lot of worries. Lu Qingshan glanced at Zang Xiaojian with approval and nodded, "Indeed."

Lu Qingshan called over the waiter and handed over a hefty amount of silver pieces, making an advance reservation for a table on the fourth floor for the day of the ritual.

...

In the following three days, Lu Qingshan and Zang Xiaojian roamed around the city, blending in at various restaurants, picking up a multitude of information and interesting anecdotes.

For example, the most talented family head of the Mo Family from Dragon Spring—known for their genius once every millennium—had inexplicably developed a drinking addiction a hundred years ago and couldn't be happy without alcohol.

There were also rumors about the Jiaolong Clan, claiming their king, after lying dormant for a thousand years, was nearing the transformation of its fifth claw.

The Jiaolong Clan's name for themselves was just a boast; without five claws, they weren't considered dragons.

With four claws they were Jiao, and only upon the transformation of the fifth claw would they truly be termed Jiaolong.

The demon clan naturally had extremely long lifespans, and once the Jiaolong Demon King successfully grew its fifth claw, its lifespan would extend even further, leaving the people of the Poseidon Archipelago with truly endless days of hardship.

Then there was the volcanic crater that even cultivators could not withstand, named the Spiritual Abyss by the islanders, located fifty li north of Jiaolong City.

When it erupted and the sky was filled with mist, a spectacular rainbow could be seen from within Jiaolong City itself, truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

But the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it tends to be—the air above the Spiritual Abyss is a no-fly zone for birds; getting close to the airspace above the abyss would subject one to the enormous suction force emanating from the Spiritual Abyss.

And in thousands of years, no one who has fallen into the Spiritual Abyss was known to have escaped from it unscathed.

With these rumors, true or false, Lu Qingshan finally acquired a systematic understanding of the situation on this island.