Chapter 178: The Next Planet
With the monstera leaf serving as his pass, Ye Feng moved unimpeded through the terrifying forest. He flew swiftly forward, unaware of what had just happened there. After nearly half an hour of rapid flight, Ye Feng finally broke free from the forest and landed quietly in a small village near its edge. After inquiring about the location of Bizris City, he flew toward the city he had left just a few days earlier. Bizris City was the largest commercial city on the entire Festus Planet and its financial hub. Over 50% of the planet’s teleportation arrays were located there, and it was also the city Ye Feng and Pei Hong had not left since arriving on the planet. Upon arriving in Bizris City, Ye Feng used a detector to locate Pei Hong. However, Pei Hong now had a different face—likely because someone had already troubled him before. Ye Feng also changed his appearance and strode confidently into the streets of Bizris City, rushing toward the inn where Pei Hong was staying. After entering the inn, Ye Feng headed straight to Pei Hong’s room. When Ye Feng knocked on the door, Pei Hong was startled. He cautiously went to the door and asked in a low voice, “Who is it?” “It’s me!” Ye Feng removed the voice changer from his neck. Pei Hong immediately recognized Ye Feng’s voice. After opening the door, he was slightly surprised to see the unfamiliar face. “Come in and talk,” Ye Feng said. After checking the hallway to ensure no one else was around, he entered Pei Hong’s room. Once inside, Ye Feng took off his mask. “Why do you look so nervous? Did someone trouble you?” “They found out we stayed in the same inn, bought tickets to the auction together, and sat next to each other. They suspected we knew each other. Someone came to ask me questions, but I managed to fool them. Then I changed my face and address.” Pei Hong also removed his mask. “Why did it take you so many days?” After days of worry, Pei Hong finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Ye Feng. “I was injured by that tiger woman. It took me a few days to recover.” Ye Feng omitted the details of meeting Situ Xuan and the others. “She won’t chase after us again, right?” Pei Hong asked, still nervous. He had witnessed Su Rui’s strength among the crowd.
“I won’t be able to anymore. The person who healed me erased that tracking mark on the first day he treated my wounds. That woman must think I’m dead, because under normal circumstances, that mark only disappears after the person it’s on dies.” Ye Feng’s words finally relieved Pei Hong.
Ye Feng paused for a moment before continuing, “To avoid more trouble, we must leave this planet! Now that woman thinks I’m dead, but she’s still investigating her husband’s murder. Although I didn’t leave any clues that could lead to me, I think it’s better to be cautious. Better to be overcautious than underprepared. If she really discovers that I’m the killer, she’ll surely cause us more trouble! After all, she’s a powerful cultivator at the Tribulation stage, and we’re not strong enough to confront her right now.”
“A few days ago, they already started to suspect me. Although I managed to fool them, it was probably just a temporary oversight. If they go back to that inn and can’t find me, they’ll likely try to track down where I am.” Pei Hong agreed, feeling that this planet was no longer safe. “Then where should we go?”
“Let’s go to a third-class planet. We’ve already visited two second-class planets and have been sticking around on planets suitable for beginners in cultivation. Only third-class planets are truly suitable for cultivation, with various sects and many powerful cultivators there.”
“That sounds good! But don’t forget, once we enter the cities on third-class cultivation planets, we have to pay a fee of a lower-grade spirit crystal to the local government as protection money.” Pei Hong reminded him kindly.
“I know this ridiculous rule. Otherwise, I wouldn’t suggest going to a third-class planet; I’d go to a fifth-class one instead.” Ye Feng shrugged helplessly. “On third-class planets, cultivators below the Outward Emergence stage must pay a lower-grade spirit crystal as protection money when entering the city. Most cultivators on these planets are at the Outward Emergence or Divided Mind stage. Those who haven’t reached the Outward Emergence stage are protected here, but the condition for this protection is that each person must pay a lower-grade spirit crystal. In fact, this protection isn’t for personal safety or property, but for life. If someone who paid the fee is killed by others, the local government will investigate and punish the killer. But if they’re just beaten or robbed and survive, no one will intervene.”
“A fifth-class planet… Cultivators below the Tribulation stage must pay one top-grade spirit crystal as protection money… It’s better not to go to such dangerous places right now. If you’re not careful and offend someone, you might not be killed, but you’ll definitely suffer severe torture!” Hearing Ye Feng say this, Pei Hong hurriedly added.
Ye Feng took out a star map, which he had just bought in the Virtual Realm—a map showing the known planets in the Flowing Clouds Star Region. In the Virtual Realm, this map cost only 2.2 rank-2 domain values, but when Ye Feng asked the shifty old man selling maps at the street stall, the man demanded five spirit stones. Ye Feng inwardly cursed the man for charging exorbitant prices before directly purchasing the map from the Virtual Realm.
He pointed to a green planet on the map and said, “This is the Festus Planet where we are now. There are over thirty third-class planets connected to Festus Planet, with eleven connection points in Bizris. In other words, if we leave this city, we can go to eleven different third-class planets.”
“What places are there?” Pei Hong’s gaze was instantly fixed on the map.
“This one is called Ais Planet. The entire planet is covered in ice and snow, and its original inhabitants are mostly water-type cultivators. However, it’s said that every thousand years, a massive blizzard sweeps across the planet, killing nearly 5% of the population each time. The last such blizzard occurred a thousand years ago.” Ye Feng pointed to a white planet on the map and continued, “I originally planned to visit here, but it seems better not to now…”
“This one is called Falcono Planet. There are twenty million active volcanoes on this planet, and human settlements are all formed from volcanic rock. Most of the residents are fire-type cultivators. Here, every year, for a thousand days and nights, an average of twenty thousand volcanoes erupt simultaneously. It sounds quite spectacular…” Ye Feng’s eyes showed longing.
“I wouldn’t go to a place like that… Next!” Pei Hong immediately gave Ye Feng a negative answer.