Han Li, hearing Mu Xue's words, didn't say much but directly led her toward the archway.

A long queue had already formed at this city gate, which was designated for outside cultivators to enter. Several black-robed cultivators guarded the gate, collecting entrance fees from each person entering the city.

Although these people looked exactly like cultivators, they were not human. Instead, they resembled the Dao soldiers of earth immortals.

Several rows of large characters were engraved on the side of the city gate, listing the entrance fees required for cultivators of different cultivation levels. However, it only went up to the Void Refinement stage; there was no mention of how many spirit stones were required for cultivators above the Fusion stage.

"How come it only lists up to the Void Refinement stage? Do cultivators above the Fusion stage not need to pay entrance fees?" Han Li asked casually, glancing over the characters.

"Senior is right. Cultivators above the Fusion stage are highly respected, so they naturally don't need to pay any entrance fees to enter the city," Mu Xue replied with a smile.

"I see," Han Li smiled.

Before long, the two of them were approaching the city gate.

Han Li didn't take out any spirit stones, simply walking toward the city gate with his hands behind his back.

A flash of spiritual light flickered in the hands of the two Dao soldier guards, sweeping past Han Li, and they stood there motionless.

A hint of surprise appeared on Mu Xue's face, but she quickly took out two low-grade spirit stones, handed them to a Dao soldier, and hurried to catch up, her expression becoming even more respectful.

Behind the city gate was a wide street, about seven or eight zhang wide, paved with jade stones, clean and tidy.

The street was bustling with traffic, pedestrians moving to and fro, and cultivators with mana could be seen everywhere. Even high-level cultivators were not uncommon.

On both sides of the street were rows of spacious and bright shops, without a trace of dirt or disorder, mostly dealing in various cultivation materials, all of which were excellent quality.

There were no strict no-fly restrictions within the city. As long as one didn't fly too high, no one would interfere.

Han Li flew into the air, looking around.

From the outside, it didn't seem like much, but now that he was inside the city, prosperous streets stretched as far as the eye could see, lined with shops, a mixture of immortals and mortals, a bustling scene, and a cacophony of noise.

This prosperous scene truly shocked him.

"I wonder, Senior, what are you planning to buy or do in Black Wind City?" Mu Xue asked cautiously, coming to Han Li's side.

"I heard that the teleportation array to the outside of the Black Wind Sea is located in Black Wind City?" Han Li turned to look at Mu Xue, asking seemingly casually.

"Yes, that teleportation array is in the Celestial Star Tower in the center of the city, Senior... do you want to leave the Black Wind Sea?" Mu Xue hesitated for a moment before asking.

Han Li didn't speak, just nodded slightly.

"This... Senior, not to pour cold water on you, but every year many people come to Black Wind City wanting to leave the Black Wind Sea, but basically no one succeeds. To use that teleportation array to go outside is actually... very difficult," Mu Xue said with a wry smile, somewhat hesitant.

"Oh, how difficult is it?" Han Li asked, his expression unchanged.

"The teleportation array connected to the outside world is an ancient teleportation array, controlled by the Island Lord. It's only activated once every hundred years, and the number of people who can teleport each time is limited, so the Island Lord must designate who can go. In other words, to leave, you must first get a spot, and you also need to bear a fee, which is extremely expensive. Even those immortals can't afford it," Mu Xue said eloquently.

"Do you know when the next activation will be?" Han Li frowned slightly upon hearing this.

"It shouldn't be long. Each time the great array is activated, it's after the grand auction that takes place once every hundred years. Now that the auction is approaching, the city is more lively than usual," Mu Xue replied.

"Oh, then how can I get the Island Lord's spot?" Han Li asked, feeling slightly relieved.

"This... this matter is quite secretive, and I am of low cultivation, so I don't know much..." Mu Xue's face stiffened, and she scratched her head as she spoke.

"You just said there's an expensive fee, how many spirit stones is needed?" Han Li didn't blame Mu Xue and asked another question.

"The fee demanded by the Island Lord isn't spirit stones, but Immortal Origin Stones, and five of them are required," Mu Xue shook her head.

"Immortal Origin Stones? What are those?" Han Li asked, his heart stirred.

"Immortal Origin Stones are said to be a special kind of currency used among immortals, formed when they inject their vital energy into a special crystal," Mu Xue said after thinking for a moment.

"Are these stones very valuable? Since they're currency, I should be able to exchange them if I have enough spirit stones, right?" Han Li pondered slightly before continuing to ask, as he was hearing the term "Immortal Origin Stone" for the first time.

"Immortal Origin Stones aren't ordinary currency. It's said that they're very valuable even to immortals, and they basically won't take them out to trade with others. They're not in circulation in the market at all. I've been in Black Wind City for many years, and I've only heard that decades ago, the Fuyuan Merchant Association of Black Wind City exchanged for one Immortal Origin Stone from an immortal. At that time, the merchant association sold several shops on the island to raise enough spirit stones," Mu Xue said with a sigh.

Han Li nodded thoughtfully, becoming interested in the so-called Immortal Origin Stones.

Next, he didn't ask anything else.

He hadn't expected to leave the Black Wind Sea so easily. He'd think about this matter later; he was very curious about Black Wind City itself.

Thinking this, Han Li headed toward the city.

Mu Xue closely followed behind him, introducing the various aspects of Black Wind City.

The two of them wandered around for the better part of a day before Han Li stopped, feeling as if he hadn't had enough.

What he had heard and seen in this half-day had already opened his eyes.

Especially the central area of Black Wind City, where various pill shops, material shops, and magic weapon shops emerged one after another, making Han Li somewhat dazzled.

However, according to Mu Xue, they had only visited less than 10% of Black Wind City.

Han Li couldn't help but sigh inwardly, Black Wind City lived up to its reputation as the largest city in the Black Wind Sea, truly incomparable to other places.

He suddenly stopped and looked at a tall shop on the side of the road.

It was a five-story building with a wide entrance, luxuriously decorated but not gaudy, instead faintly revealing an ancient and grand feeling. It was a very large pill shop.

"Senior, this Thousand Medicine Pavilion is considered the best pill shop in Black Wind City. It's said to have some relationship with the Black Wind Island Lord. It has a wide variety of precious pills, and the prices are quite fair. There haven't been any reports of cheating customers," Mu Xue quickly introduced.

Han Li nodded slightly and stepped inside.

He didn't have many recovery pills left, and even fewer healing and detoxification pills. Next, he still had to leave the Black Wind Sea and head east to find the Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, so it was best to prepare more emergency pills in advance.

Mu Xue followed.

Inside the store, there were one counter after another, totaling dozens, filled with various pills and spiritual materials for refining pills.

There were many customers inside at the moment, browsing at the counters.

"Welcome to our Thousand Medicine Pavilion, esteemed guests. What kind of pills do you need?" A yellow-clad attendant immediately greeted them upon seeing Han Li and Mu Xue enter.

Han Li looked around, frowning slightly.

Although the pills at these counters were all good, they didn't quite meet his standards.

"Are these the only pills you have here? Do you have any better ones?" Han Li asked.

Hearing this, the yellow-clad attendant sized Han Li up, seemingly judging his worth, and said, "Our shop is the best pill shop in Black Wind City. We naturally have better pills, but the price..."

"Presumptuous! Step aside, I'll take care of this senior," an old man with white eyebrows and a yellow robe, with a refined appearance, walked over quickly and said in a deep voice.

Judging from the clothes he wore, he was probably a manager of this shop.

The yellow-clad attendant felt a jolt of fear, respectfully bowed to Han Li, and lowered his head as he retreated.

"This subordinate was ignorant, please don't be offended, Senior," the yellow-robed old man cupped his hands and bowed to Han Li, with an apologetic expression.

"It's fine. Where are the better pills you have here? Take me to see them," Han Li said, not minding.

"Yes, Senior, please come upstairs with this young man," the yellow-robed old man extended one hand, treating Mu Xue with great courtesy as well.

Mu Xue quickly returned the greeting.

"I am Lu Ping, the manager of Thousand Medicine Pavilion. May I know Senior's esteemed name?" the yellow-robed old man asked as they went upstairs.

"Liu Shi."

"So it's Senior Liu. The pills sold on the lower floors of our Thousand Medicine Pavilion are ordinary pills refined by human-grade alchemists, so they naturally wouldn't catch Senior's eye. If Senior comes again next time, please go directly to the top floor. The pills there are all made by Master Hao, and they should be useful to Senior," Manager Lu said enthusiastically.

To avoid attracting attention, Han Li had suppressed his cultivation to the Integration stage, and the other party, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, could roughly sense the aura on Han Li's body.

"Senior, Master Hao is one of the three great alchemists in the Black Wind Sea, and his attainments in alchemy are said to have reached the Earth grade, rank B," Mu Xue whispered into Han Li's ear.

As they spoke, the three of them had arrived at the fifth floor.

There were no counters here, only exquisitely carved wooden shelves, not many, only three, with several attendants standing beside them, but not a single customer, making it very quiet.

"Our Thousand Medicine Pavilion has a close relationship with Master Hao. Most of the pills he refines are here with us. There are many types. This shelf has pills for improving cultivation, this side has recovery pills, and here are pills for other purposes such as healing and detoxification," Manager Lu gave a rough introduction to the pills on the three wooden shelves.

Han Li looked at these pills, his eyes lighting up.

Worthy of being the top pill shop in Black Wind City, the quality of these pills was very good, not at all worse than the pills he had exchanged for using the Phaseless Order. Some of them were even stronger.

From the previous conversation, it seemed that only those who could refine pills useful for advancing to True Immortal or Immortal could be called Earth-grade alchemists. Alchemists who refined pills for ordinary cultivators should be Human-grade alchemists. Perhaps this was how the Immortal World distinguished alchemists.

As for whether this was the case, he would naturally find an opportunity to learn more about it later.