Dashing Student
Chapter 1417: First Encounter in Fengdu
The sudden appearance of the person surprised both Chen Nan and the Divine Calculator, since neither of them had noticed this person approaching.
"They must have lived at the bottom of the Heavenly Cutting Abyss for so long that their aura has already merged with the Yin energy here, making them unnoticeable,"
Chen Nan speculated in his heart, quietly releasing his Divine Sense. Sure enough, he found that his Divine Sense could not detect the presence of any living person in the city; only thick Yin energy was perceptible.
The man before them had a pale face and a thin frame, dressed in plain hemp clothes, with eyes lacking any luster. He looked almost like a dead person, yet he seemed very pleased to encounter outsiders.
However, his smile made both Chen Nan and the Divine Calculator feel somewhat strange.
"Who exactly are you? How do you live here?"
The Divine Calculator stepped forward, staring at the man and asking.
The man tilted his head slightly, somewhat puzzled: "We... have always lived here."
The Divine Calculator wanted to ask more, but was stopped by Chen Nan, who whispered, "A frog in a well believes its knowledge is the extent of the world; questioning them won’t yield answers."
"That’s true." The Divine Calculator nodded, then asked, "You said we are outsiders, have there been others before us?"
"Yes, just a few months ago, some oddly shaped people came here; they were outsiders too."
"Oddly shaped? It’s that Demon Clan!"
Chen Nan and the Divine Calculator exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.
"Where are they now?" Chen Nan hurriedly asked.
Previously, he felt that when Luan Kong sealed the Demon Clan under the Heavenly Cutting Abyss, it might not be as he had stated—to let the Demon Clan survive and also to put the Human Clan cultivators at ease.
Moreover, with the Divine Calculator’s insight that the skies above the Heavenly Cutting Abyss could not be traversed, it seemed they might only find a way to the Inner Sea from beneath the Heavenly Cutting Abyss, forming a theory in his heart.
That is to say, Luan Kong sealed the Demon Clan under the Heavenly Cutting Abyss so they could reach the Inner Sea!
If so, their goal was likely the same as that of the Demon Clan, who arrived months earlier, possibly discovering something already.
Thus, finding the Demon Clan might reveal the way to the Inner Sea.
After sharing this theory with the Divine Calculator, he became quite excited, asking the man eagerly.
The man shook his head and sighed, "I don’t know; they were very aggressive. We were glad they left, so why would we ask where they were going?"
As they spoke, they entered Fengdu City; the streets seemed bustling with people, yet Chen Nan and the Divine Calculator felt no traces of life’s essence.
The pedestrians were similar to the man beside them—thin, pale, with eyes devoid of shine.
They have lived among Yin energy without losing their sanity, which is already a miracle.
It is known that those who can live in extremely Yin lands usually become monsters—corrupted by Yin energy, as were the resentful souls Chen Nan had previously slain.
"Spirit Fruit, fresh Spirit Fruit!"
"Hot soup, fresh from the pot!"
The cries of vendors on either side caught Chen Nan’s curiosity. Approaching them, he found that Spirit Fruit resembled apples, but their color was light purple and not very appetizing.
The hot soup’s ingredients were unknown, yet it appeared very rich, carrying a unique fragrance.
"Is this your food?" The Divine Calculator curiously asked.
The man nodded repeatedly, "Yes, let me treat you to some."
The currency he used was a special stone, similar to Spirit Stones; however, Spirit Stones are pure condensations of nature’s spiritual energy, while the stones they held were condensations of Yin energy.
Chen Nan curiously took two pieces to hold and felt the stone’s Yin energy penetrate his body, bringing a concentrated chill, as if it aimed to freeze his Divine Soul.
He guessed that in the darkness of the Heavenly Cutting Abyss, that piercing cold was emitted by such Yin Qi Crystals. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
The man purchased two Spirit Fruits and two bowls of hot soup, inviting Chen Nan and the Divine Calculator to taste them. The two were skeptical but decided to give it a try.
The Spirit Fruit had little flavor, tasting like wax, and the hot soup was similar. Though seemingly steaming, after drinking, it did not warm them but rather chilled them.
Clearly, the food here was unsuitable for those outside the Heavenly Cutting Abyss.
After tasting the Spirit Fruit and hot soup, the man led them around Fengdu City, introducing the architecture. The structures felt similar to those outside but appeared shrouded in Yin energy.
Upon reaching a certain place, they found many buildings had collapsed as if having gone through a battle; many people were busy cleaning the ruins, preparing to rebuild.
"What happened here?" Chen Nan asked curiously.
The man sighed deeply: "It was those Demons you mentioned. They were aggressive and bullied us when in bad moods, and they destroyed these buildings. Luckily, they left long ago."
"Hmph, a savage bunch of beasts indeed!" The Divine Calculator looked at the figures struggling in the rubble, feeling a sense of compassion.
"Let me help you!"
He stepped forward energetically, being a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator; clearing a section of ruins was no problem. He threw aside heavy stones and piled up scattered debris.
Chen Nan felt a strange sensation, as though something was wrong everywhere here but couldn’t pinpoint it, so proceeded to assist.
With the two of them, the rubble was soon cleared, and grateful looks filled the eyes of those around them.
Even a group of children ran out, jumping around them as if they had seen Immortals.
In their eyes, lifting heavy stones easily, using mana to move stone chunks, and summoning the wind with a wave—all seemed actions befitting an Immortal.
An elderly woman carried two bowls of hot soup over, chuckling: "Thank you for your hard work, have some hot soup."
Though the hot soup had little taste, Chen Nan and the Divine Calculator couldn’t bear to reject the old lady’s kindness, taking the soup in one gulp.
"You are good people, those unruly ones said our hot soup tasted bad, yet it’s the best food we have." The old woman grasped their hands, her eyes moist.
The Divine Calculator laughed coldly: "They are just a bunch of ignorant and shameless folks, don’t mind them!"
Due to the spontaneous kindness of Chen Nan and the Divine Calculator, they were warmly welcomed by Fengdu City’s residents, who brought out their cherished food and wine in hospitable celebration.
The children gathered around Chen Nan, asking him to tell stories of the outside world.
"Outside, is there really a sun and moon? We’ve never seen the sun, growing up here,"