At the edge of the Huangqiu Plain, four streams of light streaked swiftly along the ground.
Below was an endless wave of golden wheat, the wind carrying a rich fragrance of spirit grain. In the distance, the outlines of continuous cities were faintly visible, with the city walls engraved with the evil-suppressing runes commonly used by Human Race cultivators.
Chen Sheng and the other three restrained most of their auras, transforming into four streams of pale cyan light. Though their speed was slow, they remained ever vigilant.
Celestial Venerable Xiaoyao suddenly slowed down, his Celestial Will Four Symbols Daoist Robe emitting a faint glow, sensing the aura between heaven and earth.
A relieved smile appeared on his face as he stroked his beard and said with a chuckle:
"It should belong to the Human Race!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Xihua, Zuo Xuan, and Chen Sheng all instinctively breathed a sigh of relief.
In the Spirit Realm, myriad races compete for dominance, and the boundaries of each race's territory are strictly delineated. The top races such as the Human Race, Demon Race, and Demon Path occupy areas with the richest spiritual qi.
Cultivators patrol these territorial boundaries year-round, expelling any discovered intruders or even killing them on the spot.
Celestial Venerable Zuo Xuan toyed with the small Geomagnetic Primordial Cauldron in his hand, sighing:
"It's a good thing it's Human Race territory; if we accidentally entered another race's territory, even with the four of us, it would take a lot of effort to get out."
Getting out would be ideal, but likely impossible!
However, Chen Xihua suddenly remembered something. The sword hum of the Taiyue Void-Slaying Sword in his hand faltered slightly. He shook his head, his tone tinged with concern:
"We're safe, but Brother Golden Feather might be in trouble."
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His voice had just fallen when Celestial Venerable Xiaoyao also restrained his smile and sighed lightly:
"Yes, the Spirit Realm is vast, and the Demon Race territories are far from our Human Race territories. I hope Brother Golden Feather can arrive safely."
Celestial Venerable Zuo Xuan also echoed, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes:
"None of us knows how the Golden-Winged Roc Race of the Spirit Realm relates to the Human Race. Their stance might trouble Brother Golden Feather."
Although they were Celestial Venerables of Divinity Transformation, they were new arrivals in the Spirit Realm, ignorant of the grudges and entanglements between races, leaving them only to pray silently.
Only Chen Sheng remained calm, drawing upon the inherited memories of the Yin Soul from the Demon Race, the clan history of the Golden-Winged Roc Race unfolding vividly.
The Golden-Winged Roc Race in the Spirit Realm is a top-tier clan, not only having a Tribulation Crossing Daoist Monarch in control but also managing three critical void thoroughfares; even the top sects of the Human Race must show some deference.
More importantly, though the Roc Race has few members, they are extremely united, with a traditional mechanism in place for receiving descendants who have ascended from the Lower Realm or crossed over illegally.
As long as the Golden Feather Demon Venerable sends out a communication with a bloodline imprint, within a few months, an elder from the clan will come to aid.
What really worried him, however, was themselves!
Chen Sheng inherited the legacy of the Four Seas Wanderer and knew that, as these stowaway cultivators, they carried significant trouble, prompting him to softly remind:
"Everyone, do not let down your guard. Although we are the Human Race and appear in Human Race territory, if our identity as 'Lower Realm Divinity Transformation' is exposed, the trouble will only escalate."
While speaking, the city's outlines became clearer, with a constant flow of cultivators at the city gate.
There were sect disciples in uniform Daoist robes and lone loose cultivators, with cultivations ranging from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, including numerous mortal martial artists, their presence substantial.
Proactively, Chen Sheng spoke up:
"The city ahead is crowded and conspicuous with the four of us journeying together, likely to draw attention. How about I go ahead to investigate the distribution of powers and information channels within the city?"
Carefree and Zuo Xuan exchanged surprised glances: "You go?"
Chen Sheng mainly practiced the Sword Dao, his aura of slaughter unmistakable even when restrained, making his disposition somewhat unfitting for reconnaissance and stealth tasks.
Chen Xihua raised an eyebrow as well. Though he knew of Chen Sheng's formidable methods, he didn't expect him to voluntarily undertake such a meticulous task.
Without much explanation, Chen Sheng rapidly performed a sealing hand gesture, deploying the "Sea Concealment Technique" from the Four Seas Wanderer legacy.
His entire body flickered with spirit light, his previously upright figure like a pine gradually becoming hunched.
The cyan grey Daoist robe transformed into a washed-out rough cloth short coat, his face lined with fine wrinkles, and his once sharp sword-like eyes becoming dull and lifeless.
Simultaneously, his aura plummeted from Divinity Transformation to the early stage of Golden Core, with inner breath obscure and mixed, tinged with the unique chaotic spiritual qi of a loose cultivator. Thrown among the crowd, he would not attract a second glance.
Celestial Venerable Xiaoyao quickly activated the Spiritual Eye Technique, and Celestial Venerable Zuo Xuan also brought out the Geomagnetic Primordial Cauldron for illumination, but they could only see an ordinary Golden Core loose cultivator, devoid of even a trace of Divinity Transformation aura.
Only Chen Xihua, with the Third Realm Perfection of the Void Destruction Dao Principle, carefully perceived a faint ripple of space around Chen Sheng.
Celestial Venerable Xiaoyao sincerely praised, "What a subtle technique!"
"No wonder the Eastern Domain Demon Path was terrified of you in the past; such concealment techniques are undetectable by those Nascent Soul Demon Monarchs, truly an unrivaled sublime method for assassination and reconnaissance."
Celestial Venerable Zuo Xuan nodded in agreement.
Chen Sheng cupped his hands to the three of them, his voice now aged and hoarse:
"I must trouble you three Daoist friends to wait temporarily in this valley. I will return immediately after scoping out the situation. If an emergency arises, crush this talisman, and I will sense your location."
He handed out three pale blue communication talismans, then turned and transformed into an escape light heading towards the city, blending into the stream of cultivators entering the city, vanishing without a trace.
Chen Xihua and the others concealed themselves in a nearby valley, watching the direction Chen Sheng disappeared to. Celestial Venerable Zuo Xuan whispered:
"Fellow Daoist Life-Annihilating's means are truly unfathomable. With him investigating, there should be no mistakes."
Chen Xihua gazed towards the direction of the city, his brows slightly furrowed:
"I always feel that the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in this territory has a faint tension, but hopefully, I'm just being paranoid."
...
The grayish-blue city walls towered majestically, with the ancient block-style characters "White Cloud City" soaring like dragons and dancing like phoenixes on the top, hundreds of zhang high.
A faint Spirit Light of an Array, reaching Tier Four Top Grade, tightly enveloped this city.
Chen Sheng mingled with the crowd entering the city, glancing up at those three characters. By his ear, martial artists nearby excitedly discussed, their voices full of enthusiasm.
"Have you heard? The Celestial Capital Martial Arts Academy is recruiting new students again! This is the biggest event in White Cloud City in nearly a hundred years!"
A young man with a long sword on his back clapped his companion's shoulder, his voice so loud that it drew the attention of those around.
The young man in a brocade robe next to him hurriedly tugged at his sleeve, lowering his voice yet unable to hide his excitement:
"Quiet! Last time, the chief disciple of the Celestial Capital Martial Arts Academy, a Martial Arts Golden Core, was noticed by an Elder of the Bai Chu Sect and taken in as a Named Disciple."
"The threshold this time is probably raised to Innate level, with our level of cultivation, we're just here to enjoy the event."
The young man retorted with his neck stiffened:
"So what? There's no harm in going to take a look!"
"I heard from a servant at the City Lord Mansion that even the three young masters of the City Lord's family are going to participate in the assessment, showing how formidable the academy is!"
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Their dispute reached Chen Sheng's ears. The fingers hanging in his sleeves moved slightly, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief:
"Fortunately, I can understand the writing, and the language is also familiar."
The Human Race territory in the Spirit Realm spans countless trillions of miles. Even the Four Seas Wanderer was only active in a few Dao Domains and knew little about the cultures and customs of other Dao Domains.
Fortunately, the basic languages and writings of the Human Race across the Spirit World are identical and have not changed much over the tens of thousands of years.
He had already learned them from the inheritance memories of the Four Seas Wanderer, so he didn't need to resort to Soul Search to acquire linguistic basics as he did when he first entered an unfamiliar realm.
Entering the city gates, the hustle and bustle of the marketplace hit him directly, and the streets paved with bluestone slabs were wide and even.
Lining the streets were rows of shops with signs reading "Pill Pavilion," "Artifact Shop," and "Intelligence Tower," embroidered with simple runes, exuding a faint Spiritual Qi.
Chen Sheng hunched over, assuming the appearance of an elderly Loose Cultivator, meandering slowly through the crowd, gathering various information in the most primitive way, unnoticed.
In this city, mortals and cultivators mingled, and Chen Sheng saw many martial artists similar to the two young men.
These people had no Mana, yet their auras were extraordinary, matching many in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. As he gathered information, he gradually understood.
"This is the Martial Arts cultivation of the Spirit Realm, Acquired Ten Layers, Innate Ten Layers, True Gang Ten Layers, Martial Arts Golden Core..."
"Martial Arts cultivation does not require a Spiritual Root but consumes more resources than Qi Refining cultivation. For the mortals of the Spirit Realm, it's a viable path."
"An Innate Martial Artist cultivating a special Martial Arts Technique can rival a Qi Refining Cultivator. The True Gang Realm compares to Foundation Establishment, although their methods may slightly lack, they can still contend somewhat."
"After reaching Martial Arts Golden Core, one can even derive Spiritual Roots through special Techniques, then switch to Cultivation, so it's not a dead end."
Chen Sheng contemplated the mundane Martial Arts of the Celestial Abyss Realm, comparing it to the Martial Arts of the Spirit Realm, which was evidently still at its beginning stage.
"However, lower realm resources are limited, and there aren't enough Spiritual Root cultivators available, let alone share them with mortals. Only in the Spirit Realm is such grandeur possible."
...
"White Cloud City belongs to the Shang Yuan Ancient Country, and the City Lord White Cloud has a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, while the old ancestor of the Shang Yuan Ancient Country's Imperial Family is a Divinity Transformation Cultivator."
"This region, known as the Huangqiu Plain, comprises hundreds of similar countries."
Chen Sheng marveled in his heart.
"Truly, until you reach the Spirit Realm, you don't know how many High Tier Cultivators there are. The Celestial Venerables of Divinity Transformation, who stand at the top of the Lower Realm, are commonplace here."
"Even though some small countries do not have Divinity Transformation cultivators, the nations combined have dozens of Venerables of Divinity Transformation!"
In the Spirit Realm, although Divinity Transformation Cultivators can integrate their spirits with heaven and earth, they cannot comprehend the operation of the Heavenly Dao or oversee large-scale transformations, so they cannot be called Celestial Venerables and are often called Venerables.
Very soon, the basic information in the market was nearly collected, but these mixed and half-true and half-false pieces of information still needed verification through more professional channels.
Raising his head, Chen Sheng saw a three-story pavilion at the street corner, with the plaque "Zhixiang Tower" hanging from the lintel.
The couplet on either side of the plaque read "Heard from the World" and "Solving All Doubts," and a shop assistant stood at the entrance with a condensed aura, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
As he approached, a middle-aged cultivator in a gray robe with a shrewd look came up to greet him, clearly the shopkeeper of Zhixiang Tower, possessing a late-stage Golden Core cultivation.
The shopkeeper, seeing that a fellow Golden Core cultivator had arrived, immediately greeted him with a smile:
"Please come inside, Daoist! Judging by your bearing, you must be a distinguished guest from afar, and we have some fine tea prepared for you in the inner hall!"
Chen Sheng nodded slightly and followed the shopkeeper into the inner hall.
He then stared into the shopkeeper's eyes, which momentarily froze, as if he had become a puppet controlled by strings.
Chen Sheng quickly gave a few instructions, and the shopkeeper immediately retrieved dozens of Jade Scrolls with respect.
His Primordial Spirit entered the Jade Scroll, and an ocean of information surged into his mind.
The intelligence here focused on White Cloud City and the Shang Yuan Ancient Country, with brief records of neighboring Refining Void forces, but there was nothing beyond that. There was not even a record of which Dao Domain this area belonged to within the Human Race territories.
"A regional medium-small intelligence agency that could never leave the Huangqiu Plain in a lifetime, let alone reach a Dao Domain, is to be expected."
"The Shang Yuan Ancient Country's Imperial Family is surnamed Zhao, with Ancestor Zhao Hongtu being a Divinity Transformation Early-stage Venerable. The four main Refining Void forces include the Bai Chu Sect, Celestial Phenomenon Tower, Longevity Commerce Association, and True Sword Sect."
"The Bai Chu Sect is a sect in name only, a force comprised of the Bai and Chu families, ranking first among the four forces, with two Refining Void Great Powers from the Bai and Chu families."
"Wait, Bai Chu Sect, Star Observatory?!"
Chen Sheng's Primordial Spirit suddenly paused, and the three subsequent words "Star Observatory" made his expression change drastically. Given his inheritance from the Four Seas Wanderer, he naturally knew what it represented.
The Four Seas Wanderer had once placed numerous 'Star Observatories' in a realm full of space nodes, working in conjunction with the central "Observatory Tower" to accurately pinpoint the location of smugglers.
Over the past tens of thousands of years, he had captured dozens of 'Lower Realm smugglers,' and the coordinates of many Small Thousand Worlds in his Star Map came from this.
The Bai Chu Sect's Star Observatory before him was identical in layout to the one in his memory!
"We have most likely been exposed!"
Chen Sheng's heart tensed, but he soon calmed down:
"Thankfully, there's only a Star Observatory and no Observatory Tower. At most, they can determine a general area, but cannot accurately pinpoint our hiding place."
After Chen Sheng left, that late-stage Golden Core shopkeeper immediately cursed: "Poor bastard!"
It turned out that Chen Sheng had woven a false memory, so the shopkeeper would only remember that a Golden Core Loose Cultivator came to inquire about intelligence today but did not make a purchase.