Chapter 48: The Vast Sea City!
In truth, it was not only Old Huang.
Even Lu Qingyang, upon seeing that clearly transdimensional sight, felt his heart violently shake.
He had never imagined the world still held such a spectacle!
Could it be that the place I stayed before was nothing but a backwater corner of the Prison Dragon Realm?
Lu Qingyang muttered to himself.
He had thought the Prison Dragon Realm was a fairly traditional cultivation world.
But then he saw, above that giant city.
A floating vessel the size of a small mountain, after charging its power for the time it took to brew a cup of tea, suddenly blasted blue tail-flames and rumbled into the clouds, vanishing without a trace.
Only then did he realize that this world seemed far from as simple as he had imagined.
But that seemed only reasonable.
After all, a transcendent world that had evolved over a million years — how could it possibly remain unchanging, like the ancients…
Lu Qingyang and the others set off, flying swiftly toward that giant city.
Except this flight lasted nearly half a year.
Only then did they finally arrive at the foot of that giant city.
…
“So this city is called the Vast Sea City, the capital of Qingnan Shengzhou in the Central Region.”
“No wonder it’s so magnificent.”
Standing beneath the city gate, looking at that azure spiritual power light gate and the floating vessels constantly entering and exiting above the city walls.
Lu Qingyang was astonished.
Over the past half year, they had rushed all the way toward the Vast Sea City while gathering information.
Now they had finally figured out their location.
The Prison Dragon Realm had six great regions: east, south, west, north, and center. The Central Region was the vastest, the Eastern Region the most remote.
Among them, the Central Region was the cultivation and trade hub of the Prison Dragon Realm.
Here, cultivation had long since evolved to an unbelievable height.
And beneath the Central Region were three hundred great provinces, each spanning hundreds of millions of li, vast beyond measure.
It was said that even a Mahayana Venerable would find it difficult to cross all three hundred provinces with spiritual power alone.
As for where the Chaotian Sect had been — that was nothing but a tiny corner in the most backwater nook of the Eastern Region.
Aside from the five regions controlled by the human race, the Prison Dragon Realm had one more region, called the Demon Domain!
“That Venerable Xuanji came from the Demon Domain.”
“The Demon Domain is boundless and vast, with countless races, and it frequently attacks the five human regions.”
“It’s just that I don’t know how that demon suddenly appeared in the Eastern Region.”
Lu Qingyang’s eyes flickered. Venerable Xuanji was the first page of his ledger.
From today onward, if this debt was not collected, he would not be able to sleep.
Thinking of this, Lu Qingyang hesitated no longer, and led the group flying toward that azure spiritual power light gate.
“Buzz!”
The spiritual power light gate trembled slightly, and a massive suction force surged forth, sweeping up Lu Qingyang and the others.
“Human, human, human, human…”
“Six humans. One Golden Core, two Foundation Establishment, three Qi Refining.”
“Please pay the city entry fee. Total: twenty-six thousand spirit stones.”
As soon as they stepped into the spiritual power light gate, an icy, emotionless female voice rang out.
The voice was extremely penetrating. Even Jun Moyan, a late-stage Golden Core, was startled by it.
As for Chao San, amid his shock, his face darkened further.
“No way, just entering a city costs twenty-six thousand?”
“This is highway robbery!”
“Fellow Daoist, please pay the city entry fee. If not paid within ten breaths, a late fee will be charged.”
“One hundred spirit stones per breath… Ten, nine, eight…”
“…”
After hearing the female voice, Chao San nearly couldn’t hold back from spitting blood.
In the end, Jun Moyan pressed a hand onto his shoulder.
And pulled out a pile of spirit stones from his Storage Ring.
“Beep. Payment successful. Please enter the city. Duration of stay within the city: thirty days.”
“Buzz!”
The spiritual power light gate trembled slightly. When Lu Qingyang and the others opened their eyes again, they found the surroundings had undergone a world-shaking change.
Before them, wide and orderly streets ran across heaven and earth.
Along the streets, shops stood row upon row, a scene of bustling prosperity.
In the sky, countless airships and giant vessels, dharma ships and flying swords hovered at the horizon, coming and going, an endless stream of traffic, ceaseless.
And on those streets, many beings of various forms were constantly moving about.
There were strange beasts seven or eight meters tall, their bodies like stone, massive brute-ox dharma carts of enormous size…
In short, creatures of every shape and aura imaginable, a dizzying sight.
Is that… a train?
Watching a long gilded train howl past overhead, Lu Qingyang was dazed for a moment.
This should count as the cultivation world’s version of a spiritual power train.
The sound of its wheels, several times faster than a Golden Core True Monarch’s escape speed, echoed through the clouds as it roared past — a magnificent sight.
“So this is the Vast Sea City?”
Jun Moyan looked up, gazing at the architectural complex within the city that resembled a heavenly palace, shock in his eyes.
“Mm.”
Lu Qingyang nodded slightly. “It’s said the Demon Domain is powerful and frequently attacks the human race.”
“Only within a giant city can one be somewhat safe.”
“Every city has several Mahayana Venerables stationed. Never mind the Demon Race — even sparring is not permitted.”
“It’s precisely for this reason that the entry fee is so expensive.”
“Then… Martial-Nephew, where should we go now?”
Jun Moyan looked at Lu Qingyang, somewhat at a loss.
Without realizing it, Lu Qingyang had become the backbone of the group.
Lu Qingyang was silent for a moment.
“To the Sect Management Council.”
He said calmly, his voice tranquil.
Before entering the city, they had once seen an advertisement for the Sect Management Council in the wilderness.
Yes, an advertisement!
A shocking airship had swiftly roamed across the sky.
Drawing streaks of white lines that combined into a passage of text.
It read: Come to the Sect Management Council to found a sect. Not ninety-eight thousand, not nine thousand eight hundred, only nine hundred ninety-eight. Five people to form a sect, and enjoy the grand sect-founding gift package immediately!
When he saw this advertisement, even with Lu Qingyang’s temperament, he had nearly had his jaw drop.
So once civilization developed to a certain level, what inevitably appeared was capital?
Even sects had a management organization?
But the terms offered by this Sect Management Council were indeed tempting.
“According to the Sect Management Council’s rules, as long as there are five people, a sect can be founded.”
“After founding the sect, the Sect Management Council not only allocates territory, but also provides founding support.”
“Though it’s in the wilderness, a sect under a hundred years old can enjoy the protection of a Mahayana Venerable.”
“And after a hundred years, I refuse to believe we won’t be able to stand on our own!”
Lu Qingyang’s gaze burned, his eyes deep.
Hearing this, Jun Moyan and the others nodded in agreement.
After all, aside from founding a sect, they didn’t have enough spirit stones to stay within the Vast Sea City.
Being safe for a hundred years was also a decent choice.
What’s more… the Chaotian Sect’s dao lineage could continue here as well.
Now that the decision was made, Lu Qingyang and the others hesitated no longer.
They intended to head toward the Sect Management Council within the city.
They had no need to ask for directions. After all, the Sect Management Council was the Central Region’s greatest power.
Its conspicuous buildings could be seen anywhere.
Except, to reach the Sect Management Council, flying alone would not do.
After all, the Vast Sea City was magnificent and vast. Even a Golden Core True Monarch riding a sword for several days would find it hard to travel from one end to the other.
For this, Lu Qingyang and the others could only go to ride the cultivation version of the spiritual power train — the Cloud Rail Platform.
At the Cloud Rail Platform, Lu Qingyang and the others lined up and waited.
Before and behind them, aside from humans, there were also some alien races.
But no Demon Race figures could be seen.
And without exception, these figures all had cultivation that was not low.
“Martial-Uncle Lu, is the one in front an Nascent Soul Ancestor?”
Old Huang and Ma Han followed obediently behind Lu Qingyang and the other two.
Lu Qingyang looked over at the words, and was immediately stunned.
On the vast Cloud Rail Platform, a young man with a tall, thin figure, handsome features, and a commanding bearing stood there, gazing distantly toward this side.
Lu Qingyang couldn’t help but secretly click his tongue.
Whether he was Nascent Soul or not, he didn’t know, but the other party was clearly not the strongest among these people.
Because directly ahead, the female cultivator on the Cloud Rail Platform responsible for collecting spirit stones happened to speak.
“Transcending Spirit cultivator, where to? West City Ward? Five thousand spirit stones.”
This must be what they mean by Golden Cores are not as good as dogs, Nascent Souls walk everywhere…
Lu Qingyang sighed inwardly, then led the group forward.
“Six people, the Sect Management Council, thank you.”