Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

The appearance of Gu Yao and his companions’ flying artifact was quite ordinary, but after they obtained it, Chi Changye had made some modifications to it, mainly to improve its flying speed. The results of the modification were quite impressive. Half a month later, they arrived at Baihe City, a place with a strong commercial atmosphere.

While they were in Hei Feng Town, Liu Qin had mentioned this city. Baihe City was most famous for its scenic beauty. The city got its name because it was surrounded by rivers and lakes. The areas where cultivators resided were like small islands in the middle of lakes. When the sun rose, mist enveloped the lakes, complementing the unusual flowers and trees, as well as the spirit birds flying over the water. It could truly be called a paradise on earth.

Baihe City had another unique feature: it didn’t have high city walls. Therefore, even before reaching the city, one could already see its beautiful scenery. Standing on their flying artifact, the four of them gazed at the ethereal view in the distance, marveling at its beauty. Some of it was created by nature, and some was artificially transformed by the residents, making the scenery even more perfect. This beauty attracted many cultivators to stop and rest here, which in turn led to Baihe City’s booming commercial prosperity.

“I’ve heard that the prosperity of Baihe City has another important reason,” Tian Feirong said, sharing the information she had learned from Liu Qin. “There’s a Nascent Soul cultivator stationed here, so no one dares to disturb the environment or order here. However, this also makes the cost of living here much higher than in other places, and ordinary wandering cultivators can’t afford to stay.”

Tian Feirong remembered the look of regret mixed with longing on Liu Qin’s face when he spoke about it. Liu Qin had once stayed here briefly but had soon left empty-handed, still feeling regretful about it.

The area outside Baihe City was surrounded by a wide river, which served as a silver chain and acted as a kind of wall. All cultivators who came to Baihe City, except for Nascent Soul experts, had to enter through this river.

Knowing the rules, the four of them naturally did not recklessly force their way in. After putting away their flying artifact, they landed on the side of the river surrounding the city. From the shore, they could clearly see dark shadows in the river—these were man-eating fish that had been raised in the river, known for their ferocity.

There were no bridges across the river, but soon, a cultivator arrived, walking atop a large fish with a wide, dark blue-green back. He greeted them with a smile: “Are you four here to enter the city? Please come aboard the batfish’s back. It’s ten spirit stones per person.”

Well, first they had to pay the ferry fee. Tian Feirong took out forty spirit stones and handed them over, then cheerfully hopped onto the fish’s back. The fish was large enough to carry a hundred people. It was the only species of fish, apart from the man-eating fish, that lived at the bottom of the river. Naturally, it was massive in size, but advancing in cultivation was difficult for it. No one knew which senior had introduced this batfish species to the area.

The batfish moved quickly and steadily across the river, without any noticeable jolts. Soon, they reached the opposite shore. The four disembarked and thanked the cultivator.

The shore was part of Baihe City’s outer district, so there were not many pedestrians or cultivators. However, soon, a young boy, appearing to be in his teens, ran over and offered his services: “Is this your first time in Baihe City, seniors? Would you like a guide? I can serve you for a day for only ten spirit stones.”

The boy’s cultivation was only in the late Qi Refining stage, so he wasn’t impressive in this place, but if he was on Tianlin Continent, he would be considered a talented cultivator.

His eyes were round, and he still had some baby fat, making him quite likable. Tian Feirong decided to hire him, handing over ten spirit stones. “Take us to the inner city. This is our first time here, but don’t try to fool us.”

The boy immediately smiled even more charmingly, his attitude polite without being obsequious, showing excellent tact.

With spirit stones to smooth the way, entering the inner city was very easy. The only choice was whether to take the water route or the land route. This time, the four of them chose the land route. When they saw the scenery here, they decided to stay for a while longer. There would be plenty of time later to explore other options.

It had already been over a year since they arrived at Qianhao Continent, and during that time, they had almost never stopped their intense cultivation. They needed to balance work and rest, so they decided to relax here for a while—enjoying the lake, admiring the scenery, and tasting the local delicacies. There was no better way to unwind.

The four of them were all Golden Core cultivators, so entering the inner city was relatively easy. The boy guide was a local resident living in the outer city. The cost of living in the inner city was prohibitively high, but after paying the entrance fee, they could enter the inner city. This fee was paid by Gu Yao and the others since the guide’s ten spirit stones wouldn’t even cover his expenses.

The boy said, “This is the first small island in the inner city’s lake, and it’s relatively large. You seniors can choose to stay at an inn here. There’s also another option, which many cultivators like, and that’s to rent a small island in the lake. The rent is higher, but I believe it will be no problem for you seniors.”

The four of them exchanged looks, and indeed, they all seemed interested. The boy looked even happier. If he could take them to rent an island, he would earn a significant commission.

Gu Yao made a decision. “Then take us to see where we can rent the small islands. If we find one we like, we’ll rent it.”

“Alright.”

The young guide led them to the center of the island in the lake. This was a management facility, and the ownership of the island naturally belonged to the City Lord’s Manor, which was run by a Nascent Soul cultivator. There were also private islands owned by other forces or individuals. Unless invited by someone from within, outsiders were not allowed to step onto these private islands.

The boy respectfully asked them to enter first. Upon seeing the four of them and sensing their Golden Core cultivation, the steward’s eyes lit up, and he immediately came forward to greet them. The four of them were surprised when they saw the steward—he, too, was a Golden Core cultivator. This showed just how powerful the City Lord’s Manor was. No wonder the cultivators who came here always behaved according to the rules.

“If you four need anything, feel free to ask,” the steward said enthusiastically. “This place is under the jurisdiction of Baihe City’s City Lord’s Manor. We will do our best to meet the needs of every cultivator who comes to Baihe City.”

“Our guide told us that there are islands available for rent. Could you tell us more about it?” Tian Feirong asked politely.

“Please follow me,” the steward said, his smile widening. Renting an island was a big deal, and he could make a substantial commission if the deal went through. He cast a softer look at the boy guide who had brought them in.

The steward led them into a display hall, where there was a large jade wall. As soon as they entered, the four of them were stunned by the sight, for the jade wall displayed a miniature map of Baihe City. Over two hundred islands of various sizes were marked on it. From this, it was evident just how large Baihe City was. Gu Yao estimated that it was no smaller than a planet in the Starry World.

There was one island that stood out as the largest. The young guide told the four that this was the location of the City Lord’s Manor. The steward smiled and didn’t interrupt the boy. The four saw that the largest island was situated in the center of Baihe City. It looked like three spherical islands had been fused together. The steward continued, explaining that the City Lord had once used his powerful abilities to merge three islands into the central island, which was the busiest part of Baihe City.

The four of them decided that they would definitely visit the central island. As for the other islands, those marked with green lights indicated they were privately owned, while the ones with red lights were available for rent or sale. The steward also mentioned that to get a better view of the islands, they could use their divine sense to peer into the islands and see an aerial view of them.

Only about twenty islands were still available, so it wouldn’t take long to look through them all. The four of them took their time, inspecting each one. Finally, they unanimously chose a smaller island with the best view. The island wasn’t large, but it had a floating waterfall. The waterfall was moved into midair through a formation, cascading down and circulating endlessly. As long as the formation stayed intact, the waterfall would never stop flowing.

Once they had made their decision, Chi Changye took out a storage ring, maintaining a calm demeanor, and said to the steward, “Can we find a private place to discuss this further?”

The steward continued to smile warmly. “Of course. Please, follow me.”

He had seen situations like this many times. Not all cultivators traveling outside carried large amounts of spirit stones with them. Often, when it came time to pay, they would convert other resources they carried into spirit stones. The steward was an expert at appraising these items.

He led them to a nearby room, with the young guide waiting outside. A servant brought in high-quality spirit tea and fruits. The steward mentioned that these were local specialties. Gu Yao took a sip of the spirit tea, and its fragrant taste confirmed that it was indeed excellent.

“How much is the rent for a year?” Chi Changye asked straightforwardly.
The steward smiled and held up one finger. “Ten thousand medium-grade spirit stones for a year. I believe for Master Yao, this price is not high.”
The steward directly revealed their identities, but none of the four showed much surprise. People who were well-informed would naturally know about their situation in Jiangyun City and Hei Feng Town. More importantly, Gu Yao himself was highly valued. He was likely a Level 7 Intermediate Alchemist now, and his success rate and the quality of the pills he produced were outstanding compared to others of the same rank. Once this was known, it was no surprise that many would closely follow him.
Had they just arrived on the Qianhao Continent, this price would have made Tian Feirong and the little fatty spit out their tea in shock. It would have seemed like they were desperate for spirit stones. But even now, their mouths twitched. If it weren’t for following Gu Yao, the two of them wouldn’t be able to enjoy such an island; they’d have to settle for staying at an inn in the outer city or the small island beneath their feet.
However, at the moment, they didn’t have enough spirit stones on hand. The spiritual energy conditions in Hei Feng Town were poor, so most of their medium-grade spirit stones had been used for cultivation, leaving very few remaining.
“Unfortunately, we’re short on spirit stones. Could we pay with pills instead?” Gu Yao said with an apologetic smile.