"Even at a time like this, he's still seeking talent? Does this mean he can not only come and go freely himself, but even take others with him? If that's true, then the implications are simply unimaginable."
Jin Xiangyu's mind spun rapidly.
She was a shrewd woman. No fool could ever have run the Dragon Gate Inn in the Golden Sand Desert—let alone expanded it into a thriving enterprise. Xuanhuang City was countless miles from here, practically a world away. Under such circumstances, for Yi Tianxing to still be scouting for talent—if it were merely a regular tour without the means to bring people back with him—it would be utterly pointless.
Even if he found promising individuals and built some rapport, it wouldn't matter. They were simply too far apart. Once he left, the chances of meeting again were close to none. It would all be wasted effort.
And based on what she knew of Yi Tianxing, he was not a man to waste his time on futile endeavors. Which led her to the conclusion: Yi Tianxing likely had some means of taking people with him when he left.
If that were true, then his capabilities were practically heaven-defying.
That ability alone—to recruit talent from faraway regions—was something no other force could match. In terms of development and future potential, he was already leaps and bounds ahead.
So long as no major incident occurred, his rise was inevitable.
Her gaze toward Yi Tianxing grew increasingly serious. A man with such abilities—so long as he lived—would surely become a power that shook the Eternal World.
"Of course I have intel. Dragon Gate Inn deals in that kind of business. But whether the intel is 100% accurate, I can't guarantee. Still, I can confirm that such individuals do exist. Whether you can find them or convince them—that's up to you."
After some thought, Jin Xiangyu spoke.
"Naturally," Yi Tianxing nodded.
Even if not entirely reliable, intelligence was especially crucial when operating in an unfamiliar region. At the very least, it gave him some targets to focus on.
His purpose in this journey was to find all kinds of talented individuals—even ordinary human settlers. As long as they were willing to follow him, he was prepared to take them back to Xuanhuang City.
"As for talent," Jin Xiangyu said, "this desert is not lacking. Aside from those who've founded villages or forces of their own, there are still many hidden recluses—people masking their talents, scattered throughout the land. Whether they're truly capable, I can't say. But there are signs. You'll have to judge for yourself."
"Of course. Intelligence is never absolute—it only points to possibilities. That much I understand. All you need to do is provide the leads. Whether I find or convince them is my responsibility," Yi Tianxing replied with a nod.
"Very well. According to my intel, there's an oasis nearby with a town called Yellow Sand Town. The town is home to many freelance cultivators who earn rewards by hunting fierce beasts. Among them is a burly, ferocious-looking man—extremely powerful, said to be born with divine strength and fearsome might. He's known for returning from each hunt with great bounty. He's also said to be very fond of alcohol."
Jin Xiangyu continued:
"Burly and ferocious-looking? Divine strength? How tall is he?" Yi Tianxing asked, eyes lighting up.
"According to the intel, he's over ten feet tall—like a small giant. He's hard to miss, not only because of his size but also because he's bound in iron chains. His weapon is a flying disc. When he fights, that disc is said to be incredibly fierce. In Yellow Sand Town, they call him 'Old Ghost.'"
"Apparently, Old Ghost possesses monstrous strength. The town mayor once tried to recruit him, but the men he sent were beaten within an inch of their lives in just a few moves. After several attempts, even the mayor gave up and pretended not to see him, letting him come and go as he pleased."
"At the time, Old Ghost reportedly said something that might be useful to you."
"What was it?" Yi Tianxing asked curiously.
"'You can't even beat me, and you want to be my master?' That was his line." Jin Xiangyu answered with an odd expression.
"Any others?" Yi Tianxing asked after a moment of contemplation.
"Yes. There's someone else—extremely mysterious. No one knows his real name, only that his surname is Li. After arriving in the desert, he quickly established a terrifying force known as… Heaven's Tribulation."
"It's an assassin organization. Wherever Heaven's Tribulation appears, death follows. They take all kinds of contracts—on beasts, aliens, even humans. So long as you can pay, they'll take the job. Their assassins strike like ghosts, terrifying and unpredictable."
Jin Xiangyu showed a trace of unease at the mention of this group.
Assassins were always feared, especially in chaotic times like these. They hid in the shadows and struck at your most vulnerable moment—cold and merciless, more terrifying than venomous snakes.
And in this age of turmoil, beyond warlords and city builders, others had begun forming factions and organizations of their own. Assassins, thieves, even gangs.
One could say: if towns and villages represented lawful order, these underground groups—lacking the authority of official village tokens—were the criminal underworld, thriving in darkness.
Xuanhuang City, under Yi Tianxing's rule, had grown so secure, so united, that these dark factions never had a chance to take root. It was tightly controlled and gave everyone a chance to grow and cultivate. There was order, opportunity, and the powerful Hunter's Hall. There was no soil for corruption to fester.
But other places weren't so fortunate.
Where power was lacking, darkness bred.
"Heaven's Tribulation... Inescapable once marked, huh? What a domineering assassin group," Yi Tianxing muttered, brows furrowed.
This group's ambition was terrifying. Seeing themselves as literal heavenly tribulation, and their targets as fated to die.
"Do you have any intel on them?" he asked.
"None. They're too elusive. No one knows who they really are or how many members they have. All we know is, after a kill, they leave behind a notification—a Death Notice with their emblem, listing the target's crimes. People say they only kill those who truly deserve it—based not on old sins, but crimes committed after the Eternal World's fusion. Apparently, they have some way of acquiring incredibly accurate intelligence—better than even Dragon Gate Inn's."
Jin Xiangyu shook her head, clearly uneasy.
"So they judge and execute—leaving death notices... Sounds oddly familiar," Yi Tianxing murmured.
It reminded him of an old TV show: a death notice that judged and sentenced its target. Clearly, Heaven's Tribulation didn't just take jobs blindly—there had to be some criteria.
"Are they after fame, or trying to occupy the moral high ground—to gain public support? Are they trying to become 'noble' assassins?" Yi Tianxing muttered with a strange expression.
"Do they have a contact point or any sort of symbol?"
"None. Too secretive. No one knows their base or how to contact them. But people say the victims always match the listed crimes. They must have a unique method of gathering information."
"They're mysterious indeed... Quite interesting. If the opportunity arises, I'd like to meet this Heaven's Tribulation group myself," Yi Tianxing nodded before changing the subject: "Do you have any other leads?"
"Naturally. Here's a dossier. All the intel you want is in there. But intel isn't free, you know—we pay a price to gather it."
Jin Xiangyu placed a scroll on the table and looked at him calmly.
"Alright, how much?" Yi Tianxing chuckled bitterly. "You already took millions of Eternal Coins from me. Now you're penny-pinching over every scrap of intel? Boss lady, you're turning into a stingy iron hen."
"Stingy or not, money matters. Who knows when you'll show up again? And once I run out of Eternal Coins, what then? Gotta squeeze what I can from a rich man like you," Jin Xiangyu said with a teasing laugh.
"Fine…"
Yi Tianxing could only shake his head in helpless resignation.
"This dossier won't cost you too much—just 100,000 Eternal Coins."
"Are you kidding me?!"
Yi Tianxing nearly jumped out of his seat.
A hundred thousand Eternal Coins for a scroll of intel? That was absurd.