Chapter 33: Return to Heaven's Fortune City

On the seventh day of the Azure Underworld Secret Realm, the setting sun stained the horizon the color of blood.

Lin Chuan carefully tucked the ninth Bodhi seed into his Blood Spirit Ring, his fingertips trembling slightly with excitement. This seed was a size larger than any he had previously obtained, with faint golden veins circulating on its surface; its value was at least double the others.

"Young Master, it is time to go," the voice of Elder Zi resonated in his mind. "If we delay any longer, we might miss the teleportation array."

Lin Chuan nodded and turned to Zhang Lin and the others. "Our harvest has far exceeded expectations. We should pull out."

Wang Tiezhu looked back at the distant valley with lingering attachment. "Can't we search a little longer? Maybe there is still..."

"Tiezhu!" Li Yun interrupted him. "Don't forget that what we have on us is enough to bring about a fatal disaster."

Zhang Lin patted Wang Tiezhu on the shoulder. "Listen to Brother Lin."

The purple mist rose once more, enveloping the four of them as they flew toward the entrance of the secret realm. This time, even the timid Wang Tiezhu had grown accustomed to high-altitude flight, daring enough to poke his head out and look down.

After flying for about half an hour, Elder Zi suddenly slowed down. "The Greenwood Forest lies ahead. I cannot continue any closer."

Lin Chuan understood. "The Dao Court’s detection array?"

"Precisely," Elder Zi replied, his tone laced with clear annoyance. "While with my means, I might not necessarily be discovered, but..."

"But there is no need to take the risk," Lin Chuan finished for him. "Enter the Blood Spirit Ring."

The purple mist fluctuated violently. "Young Master, actually, I could..."

"Get in." Lin Chuan’s voice was beyond reproach as he gently stroked the Blood Spirit Ring on his right index finger.

A barely audible sigh came from within the purple mist. It quickly contracted, eventually coalescing into a purple bead the size of a dragon’s eye, hovering before Lin Chuan.

"Your father is also inside..." Elder Zi’s voice emerged from the bead, sounding somewhat reluctant.

The corners of Lin Chuan’s mouth turned up. "Don't worry, my father has been very quiet lately."

The purple bead muttered a few more words before finally turning into a stream of light and diving into the Blood Spirit Ring. A flash of purple light flickered across the surface of the ring before returning to normal.

"Senior Elder Zi..." Zhang Lin started, then stopped himself.

Lin Chuan waved his hand. "Some taboos are better discussed once we are out." He looked around. "Let’s go; we still have a way to travel."

The four quickened their pace, heading deeper into the Greenwood Forest. As they drew closer to the teleportation array, they encountered more and more teams of cultivators. Most were in a hurry, some still bearing wounds, while a few teams wore expressions of joy, clearly having reaped a rich harvest.

"It seems quite a few people survived," Li Yun whispered.

Lin Chuan’s gaze swept over several teams with significant casualties. "Not necessarily," he said softly.

***

Half an hour later, the four finally arrived at the open space housing the teleportation array. A translucent light curtain shrouded an area of a hundred yards, and inside, over a hundred teams had already gathered, the air filled with incessant noise.

"Team of the Heavenly Sword Sect, are you all present?" A booming voice echoed from the center of the light curtain.

"All present!" someone immediately responded loudly.

"Team of the Azure Mist Sect?"

"Missing... missing two..." The reply was noticeably lacking in confidence.

As the four passed through the light curtain, they immediately felt a strange power sweep over their bodies. The Blood Spirit Ring grew slightly warm, but it quickly returned to normal.

"The Dao Court’s detection array is truly well-deserved of its reputation." Lin Chuan felt a secret chill, grateful that he had made Elder Zi hide in advance.

In the center of the clearing, three cultivators in white robes hovered in mid-air, their chests embroidered with the golden "Dao" emblem. Every time they called out a team’s name, a beam of spiritual light would sweep over the corresponding area to confirm the number of members and their cultivation levels.

"Look over there," Zhang Lin whispered, pointing to the left.

An eight-person team was particularly striking; they were all dressed in identical silver combat gear, with matching jade plaques hanging at their waists. The three leaders radiated thick auras, clearly peak half-step Earth Martial Realm experts.

"Those are people from the Silver Moon Manor," Li Yun whispered. "I heard their master is a Heaven Martial Realm powerhouse, ranking in the top hundred among the powers in Heaven’s Fortune City."

At this moment, the Silver Moon Manor team was surrounded by the envious gazes of many surrounding cultivators. The leading man wore a smug expression, loudly discussing their harvest.

"...It’s nothing much, only three hundred thousand spirit stones." He waved his hand with feigned modesty. "It was mostly good luck; we found the cave dwelling of an ancient cultivator."

Gasps of amazement erupted from those nearby. Three hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones were an astronomical figure for ordinary rogue cultivators.

Wang Tiezhu couldn't help but lean into Lin Chuan’s ear. "Brother Lin, our pocket change is more than that..."

Lin Chuan glared at him, and Wang Tiezhu immediately shrank his neck, not daring to say another word.

"How was your harvest?" A thin, tall man from nearby suddenly leaned over to ask.

Lin Chuan kept his expression neutral. "Not bad, we picked up some spiritual herbs."

"Oh?" The man’s eyes flickered. "You all look to be in good spirits; I’m sure the harvest wasn't small. We are from the Black Water Alliance. If you have any materials you don't need, we can purchase them at a high price."

Zhang Lin replied politely, "If we have any needs, we will definitely prioritize your alliance."

The thin man probed a few more times, but seeing the four were tight-lipped, he had to leave in a huff.

"Black Water Alliance..." Li Yun frowned. "They don't have a good reputation; they specialize in swindling rogue cultivators."

Lin Chuan nodded slightly. "Stay alert after we leave; don't let yourselves be targeted."

Just then, the Dao Court cultivator in mid-air called their names: "Rogue cultivator team from Heaven’s Fortune City: Lin Chuan, Zhang Lin, Li Yun, Wang Tiezhu?"

"All present!" Lin Chuan responded loudly.

A beam of spiritual light swept over the four of them, and the Dao Court cultivator nodded slightly. "Prepare for teleportation."

The four walked toward the central teleportation array, hearing many whispers along the way.

"Just a few more rogue cultivators who happened to survive..."

"Look at that dull look, what kind of harvest could they possibly have..."

"Probably just picked up some scraps..."

Lin Chuan turned a deaf ear to it, smiling inwardly. If these people knew what was inside their storage bags, their eyes would likely pop out of their sockets.

The teleportation array consisted of seven white jade pillars engraved with complex runes. As the Dao Court cultivator recited incantations and formed hand seals, the runes lit up one by one, eventually forming a dazzling ring of light.

"Stand in the center and do not resist," the Dao Court cultivator instructed.

The four did as they were told. Lin Chuan took one last look at the sky of the Azure Underworld Secret Realm, feeling a touch of reluctance—the harvest of these seven days was more than what he had earned in ten years of working on Earth.

A brilliant light flashed, and the world spun.

When his vision cleared again, the familiar noise and the scent of human life rushed toward them. Heaven’s Fortune City—they were back.

The teleportation plaza was bustling with voices, and many teams that had emerged earlier were reuniting with their waiting companions. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, the long-lost atmosphere of the marketplace making him feel as if he had returned from another lifetime.

"Let’s head to the Heaven’s Fortune Pavilion first to sell off some of our materials."