"Take this jade pendant. When you reach the capital, you can visit the Underground City. This pendant will help you enter it smoothly. That is where the true powerhouses reside," Ye Qingyi said with a knowing smile. Ye Bufan hesitated for a moment before accepting the jade pendant.
"Thank you, Boss Lady," Ye Bufan said.
"Why are you still calling me Boss Lady? We're family now. Just call me Sister," Ye Qingyi said, gently clasping Ye Bufan's hand and stroking the back of his hand.
Ye Bufan, startled, quickly withdrew his hand, his heart suddenly racing.
The Underground City of the capital, also known as the Ghost Market, was essentially a sanctuary for martial artists. Here, one could find medicinal herbs, elixirs, and other treasures essential for cultivation.
Unlike the Golden Pavilion, which was backed by capital, the Ghost Market was said to be under the patronage of a Martial God. Decades ago, this individual discovered the Underground City and spent years transforming it into a hub for martial artists.
Ye Bufan knew little about the Underground City, but judging by Ye Qingyi's demeanor and the strength of Xun'er by her side, Ye Qingyi might have some connection to it.
After resting briefly at the Green Bamboo Tavern, Ye Bufan rose and headed towards the capital city.
A martial artist at the Green Bamboo Tavern took out his phone and shared Ye Bufan's movements online.
"It's such a shame, I didn't get to see Ye Bufan kill the Four Great Martial Saints," someone lamented online.
"From the descriptions of those Great Martial Venerables, Ye Bufan's cultivation should have advanced further."
"Isn't that obvious? Killing four Martial Saints in such a short time is something only a Great Martial Saint can achieve. Who would dare provoke such a young Great Martial Saint? Once he grows, the entire Blue Star will likely be reshaped."
Watching Ye Bufan's retreating back, Xun'er walked over to Ye Qingyi, puzzled. "Master, why are you so good to this Ye Bufan?"
Ye Qingyi smiled faintly. "It's been a long time since I met someone so interesting. And he's only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment at such a young age. Judging by his aura, he'll reach the late-stage of Foundation Establishment soon."
"Even so, he's just a talented cultivator. There's no need for you to go to such lengths," Xun'er replied.
"No," Ye Qingyi said with a smile. "I sense a familiar scent on him."
Ye Bufan reached the main road, altered his appearance, and hailed a car into the city.
"Young man, are you here to have some fun in the city?" the driver, a friendly middle-aged man, asked. "Since you're in the capital, don't miss out on the famous attractions."
Ye Bufan politely smiled and nodded, all the while inquiring about the situation in the capital.
The capital had eight first-rate families. At the top was the Nangong family, to which Nangong Yi belonged. Ye Bufan had heard of the others, such as the Yuchi family, Qin family, Wu family, Tang family, Zhao family, Jin family, and Zhu family, whom he had encountered at the Marrow Cleansing Pill auction.
After a long chat, Ye Bufan entered the city. Jin Yucheng had already secretly arranged accommodation for him.
As Ye Bufan alighted from the car, he suddenly heard the sound of wind whistling past, followed by a palm striking towards him.
"Boom—"
Ye Bufan dodged to the side and then retaliated with a palm strike, clashing with the incoming one.
The attacker was pushed back several steps by Ye Bufan's palm. Standing his ground, he didn't appear angry but rather delighted, letting out a hearty laugh.
"Ye Bufan! How many things about you do we not know?" The attacker was none other than Nangong Yi, whom Ye Bufan hadn't seen in a long time.
Ye Bufan had detected Nangong Yi's presence as soon as he got out of the car, so he had held back his strength in that palm strike.
"How did you know I was staying here?" Ye Bufan asked Nangong Yi.
"My Nangong family is one of the capital's first-rate families. If I want to investigate who has come to the capital, it's quite easy," Nangong Yi said confidently.
Ye Bufan nodded, realizing that his disguise had been unnecessary.
"From the moment you appeared at the Green Bamboo Tavern, I basically knew your whereabouts. After you left, our Nangong family could estimate how long it would take you to enter the city. By tracking your entry into the city, we could almost pinpoint your taxi. In a short time, we could locate you through the taxi's backend system," Nangong Yi proudly explained.
"Big data?" Ye Bufan asked.
Nangong Yi nodded, acknowledging the significant role of big data in various aspects with the advancement of technology.
"Let's go. Since you're here in the capital, there's no need to hide. Your bounty has been rescinded anyway, so no one will bother you. Moreover, you are my friend, Nangong Yi's friend. If anyone wants to cause trouble for you, they'll have to see if our Nangong family agrees," Nangong Yi said with pride.
"Let's go," Nangong Yi gestured for Ye Bufan to follow.
Ye Bufan smiled helplessly and replied, "Then I'll humbly accept your invitation."
With that, Ye Bufan turned and got into Nangong Yi's car. They sped through the city's roads and finally arrived at the foot of an ancient city wall.
The car stopped here. Ye Bufan looked at Nangong Yi in confusion. Nangong Yi then introduced the place.
"I figured that since you've come to the capital, you wouldn't be interested in the usual food and entertainment. So, if I'm taking you out, it must be somewhere you'd find interesting."
"The Underground City?" Ye Bufan suddenly realized.
"Exactly!" Nangong Yi chuckled. "The entrance to the Underground City is the capital's renowned Dragon-Locking Ancient Well."
Legend has it that an old man named Dao Yan locked a golden dragon in the sea eye of Bei Xin Bridge, building a deep well shaft above the sea eye and attaching a long chain to it. Before that, there was said to be a temple built over the well. Over time, the temple collapsed, but the well remained. It wasn't until the appearance of the Underground City's master, Yu Xing, that things changed. He entered the Dragon-Locking Well alone and was gone for three years. When he emerged, he brought news of the Underground City. Some say Yu Xing obtained the golden dragon's inheritance in the Dragon-Locking Well, while others claim he gained the Martial God's inheritance and became a Martial God. After that, anyone who tried to seize control of the Underground City was easily killed by Yu Xing. From then on, no one dared to provoke Yu Xing. Under Yu Xing's management, the Underground City became inhabited and, after decades of development, became what it is today.
As Nangong Yi spoke, he leaned closer to Ye Bufan's ear and whispered, "Ultimately, many martial artists enter the Underground City for the ancient pagoda within. There, they can not only hone their martial skills but also improve their cultivation. I've been inside; in my consciousness, it took me two days to ascend from the bottom, while only one day passed in the outside world. The higher you go, the more time seems to pass in consciousness. It's layer by layer."
"Oh?" Ye Bufan's interest was piqued. This sounded just like the divine artifact with time laws that Lin Xiaoyao often mentioned. The time flow within such artifacts was several times faster than outside, making cultivation twice as effective.