"Did you give it to him?"
"Yes."
"Did he accept it?"
"He did!"
"Very good. Head to the back. Once we enter the city, keep everyone in line and make sure nobody stirs up trouble."
After the incident involving Qu Lingjun and Su Xiaolin, Luo Chen had begun paying closer attention to such matters.
Although Huo Hu's ambush had little to do with that specific conflict, many disasters were like trickling drops of water that accumulated little by little.
Luo Chen did not enjoy cleaning up other people's messes—especially when sparked by trivial, meaningless nonsense.
Sima Huiniang obediently went toward the rear.
Once she departed, Luo Chen walked up to the suspension bridge and looked at the weathered old man in the snow-white robe, who was leisurely sipping tea.
"I'll be troubling you, Fellow Daoist Xu."
Earlier, Xu Jingnian had been loud and abrasive, barking orders left and right. But that had merely been by virtue of his status as an Ice Fort disciple. Now that Luo Chen, a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, was speaking to him with such courtesy and good grace, he naturally did not dare put on airs anymore.
Besides, he had already accepted the spirit stones...
"It's no trouble at all, Senior. There's no need to be so polite. You can just call me Da Nian, or Old Xu."
"Very well, Old Xu it is!"
Standing respectfully nearby, Xu Xiaoliu witnessed this exchange and found it utterly surreal. This genial, soft-spoken Luo Chen was like a completely different person from the man who had verbally humiliated Lu Rong back at the mooring field.
After all, his uncle's cultivation realm was lower than Lu Rong's.
Xu Jingnian looked up and met Luo Chen's gaze. After sizing him up carefully, he nodded slightly.
"Go on ahead. Xiaoliu will serve as your guide for this period. If you run into minor trouble, just give my name. As for major trouble... I assume Senior wouldn't do anything reckless."
"Thank you! Let us share tea together when time permits."
With that, Luo Chen stepped across the suspension bridge and walked toward the colossal city gate.
Yet a barely audible mutter behind him nearly shattered his composed demeanor.
"Unless it's tea from Peach Mountain, I'm not drinking it."
Glancing at Xu Jingnian out of the corner of his eye, Luo Chen fell into thought.
It was said that in these coming years, it was Ice Fort's turn to garrison Tianlan Immortal City. No wonder even a mere Qi Refinement disciple dared to carry himself with such arrogance.
With powerful backing, one truly spoke with far greater confidence.
*Ice Fort, was it?*
***
Was this Tianlan Immortal City?
As far as the eye could see, people bustled in an endless stream, rubbing shoulders and brushing sleeves.
A clamor rose around them as conversationalists spoke in accents from all over. Just listening briefly, Luo Chen noticed that cultivators from Dahe Market possessed rougher, broader cadences.
The thoroughfare was extraordinarily broad—at a glance, it looked almost like an open plaza. Yet from the contrasting architecture lining both sides, it was unmistakably an avenue, wide enough for dozens of horses to gallop abreast!
A casual sweep revealed over a thousand cultivators walking along it, and this was only the first street past the gates.
Judging from the faint ripples of spiritual energy radiating from them, most were Qi Refinement cultivators, predominantly in the late stage. Furthermore, quite a few Foundation Establishment True Cultivators could be seen entering and exiting the various buildings.
"Everyone, please listen to me!"
Xu Xiaoliu stood at the front and waved his hands.
The others paid him little mind, continuing to look all around.
However, the moment Luo Chen cast a glance over them, the rowdy cultivators of the Luotian Association instantly fell silent.
Xu Xiaoliu breathed a sigh of relief. Acting as a guide for so many people truly put him under a great deal of pressure!
"Now that you've arrived in Tianlan City, there are several rules you must keep firmly in mind!
"First, try to avoid using the Spirit Eye Art to pry into cultivators within the city."
Seeing puzzled expressions on several faces, he explained in detail: "There are too many cultivators here, each with their own temper. Unless you are certain you won't be detected, using the Spirit Eye Art to check another's cultivation realm without cause is extremely rude.
"Moreover, certain powerful or eccentric figures possess secret arts specifically designed to block probes. If it only shields their aura, that's fine, but if it carries an automated counterattack, the consequences could be disastrous!"
Hearing this, Luo Chen wholeheartedly agreed.
Ever since mastering the Breath Concealment Spiritual Art, his perception had grown increasingly sharp. Whenever someone tried to examine him, as long as their cultivation wasn't vastly superior to his own, he could immediately detect it.
His subordinates were mostly rogue cultivators from the market who were accustomed to acting brazenly in their small backwater. Now that they had arrived in a major metropolis, it was far better to keep a low profile. Otherwise, provoking a confrontation over something as foolish as "What are you looking at?" followed by "What if I am?" and ending in a brawl would lead to pointless trouble.
Xu Xiaoliu's warning was well-timed.
"Second, fighting is strictly forbidden within the city! If caught, the law enforcement squad won't care who is right or wrong. At best, you'll be thrown into the Nether Dark Water Prison; at worst, you'll be executed on the spot.
"If disputes arise, try your best to settle them peacefully. If all else fails, take it to the Dao Discussion Platform and sign a life-and-death waiver!"
The Dao Discussion Platform?
The prohibition against fighting was something everyone could accept; most markets and immortal cities had similar rules. What piqued their interest was that Tianlan Immortal City also possessed a Dao Discussion Platform.
Noticing their curiosity, Xu Xiaoliu offered further explanation: "Our Tianlan Dao Discussion Platform isn't something comparable to those in smaller places. It has stood for three hundred years, and every year, numerous prodigies emerge from it.
"Setting everything else aside, just look at the batch from ten years ago!
"What caliber of figures took the top ten spots back then?
"First in Foundation Establishment was Lin Qingxuan. A Golden Core Dao Seed of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, he traversed the ten great immortal cities and challenged dozens of peers at his level without a single defeat, displaying truly peerless combat prowess.
"Then second in Foundation Establishment was Fairy Ice Soul, a Golden Core Dao Seed of Ice Fort...
"And Tao Wan, a descendant of an Azure Pill Valley Golden Core ancestor, who is already at late Foundation Establishment and currently contending for the position of Dao Seed in Azure Pill Valley.
"Every one of them is an illustrious, indomitable genius destined to become a towering figure ruling an entire domain in the future!"
Someone called out from the crowd, "Why are they all disciples of major sects?"
Xu Xiaoliu chuckled. "It's not as though rogue cultivators never make the list. For example, Chu Kui..."
"Enough. You're straying off topic."
Luo Chen cast a cold look at Xu Xiaoliu.
Xu Xiaoliu shrank his neck, realizing he had gotten carried away.
The group steadily advanced along the wide avenue.
Xu Xiaoliu continued, "A third point everyone must remember: Tianlan Immortal City is a strict no-fly zone. Not just flying boats and flight artifacts—even riding the wind is strictly prohibited."
Curious, someone asked, "Tianlan Immortal City is so vast, how are we supposed to travel across it?"
Hearing this, Xu Xiaoliu grinned.
"That's simple. Look behind you."
The crowd turned to look.
A pitch-black beast head was rumbling toward them.
"A demon beast?"
"No, that's not it!"
Watching the approaching contraption, Luo Chen narrowed his eyes, feeling a profound sense of bizarre familiarity.
*Is this... a bus?*
While an overwhelming sense of dissonance washed over him, the hundred-foot-long beast carriage came to a halt by the city gates.
A pretty female cultivator poked her head out from inside.
"Boarding now, boarding now! This run is heading to Huaqing Palace, a two-hour trip. Hurry it up, everyone!"
Before she had even finished speaking, cultivators waiting near the gates scrambled aboard.
With so many people shoving their way in, the pretty female cultivator let out a sharp, shrewish reprimand.
"One spirit stone per person! Don't even think about dodging the fare!
"If I catch you, just wait for the law enforcement squad to deal with you!"
With that shout, the jostling cultivators became noticeably better behaved.
Before long, several dozen people were seated, leaving more than half the carriage empty.
Sensing someone looking at her, the woman turned her gaze over, her eyes brightening.
"Do you folks want to ride? Squeeze in a bit and you'll all fit!"
She was looking directly at Luo Chen's party.
Luo Chen frowned slightly. It looked like more than half the seats remained, but their group included over a hundred members from the Luotian Association alone, more than sixty from the Li family, and over a dozen from the Nangong family.
"Can that really fit us all?"
Xu Xiaoliu hurriedly interjected, "It really can! The Black Python carriage is a beast puppet made with excellent elasticity; it can accommodate several times the capacity of its physical body."
A beast puppet?
Luo Chen's thoughts stirred, recalling the little pangolin in his storage bag and the giant bear puppet in Gu Caiyi's possession.
Both seemed to be beast puppets!
He had not expected the craft to develop to such an extent that public transport had emerged.
"How far is our destination?" Luo Chen asked.
Xu Xiaoliu pondered briefly. "Walking would take a bit over three hours. Originally, I planned to take everyone on a stroll through Tianlan Immortal City. But if Senior is pressed for time, taking this carriage is certainly an option. If we disembark halfway, it will only be a brief walk of half a cup of tea to reach it."
"Fine, let's board!"
Luo Chen made the decision without hesitation.
He could see the eager curiosity gleaming in the eyes of many Luotian Association cultivators.
After brief consultation, the Li and Nangong cultivators also agreed to take the carriage.
With such a massive crowd, the longer they lingered on the streets, the more likely trouble would arise. Boarding the carriage eliminated unnecessary complications.
As for the price...
When Sima Huiniang handed over more than a hundred spirit stones, her expression turned rather pained.
"What's the matter?"
Luo Chen, who had taken a seat in the back alongside Li Yixian to study the Black Python carriage, noticed her sour look.
Sima Huiniang offered a forced smile.
"Guild Leader, aren't we burning through spirit stones a bit too fast?"
Luo Chen paused, then could not help but chuckle.
Yet neither Li Yixian beside him nor Sima Huiniang found it amusing.
Mooring the flying boat cost spirit stones, entering the city cost another sum, and now riding the carriage cost yet another. While none of these expenses were massive—just dozens or a hundred stones at a time—they couldn't withstand being spent with such frequency!
Luo Chen shook his head. "You should have realized this long ago."
Sima Huiniang and Li Yixian exchanged glances, unsure what he meant.
Luo Chen adopted a serious tone. "Do you still remember my conversation with Lu Rong at the mooring field?"
Sima Huiniang searched her memory, and realization quickly dawned upon her.
Beside her, Li Yixian was struck with sudden clarity as well.
Looking at Luo Chen's confident expression, she could not help but marvel inwardly. Luo Chen truly was the sort of person who thought ten steps ahead with every single move.
Before even entering the city, from just a single brief exchange of words, he had already grasped the general state of affairs in Tianlan Immortal City.
This place no longer operated under the rough-hewn business models of Dahe Market. Instead, commerce had been refined to an extraordinary level of detail.
Washing a boat depended on its tier, its level of grime, and its dimensions. Repairs were calculated down to the smallest component, and even mooring involved tracking days, months, late penalties, and compensation fees.
And all of that was merely a business built around a single mode of transport.
Yet not everyone owned a flying boat.
From a single drop of water, one could infer the vastness of the ocean; from a single falling leaf, one could foresee the arrival of autumn.
Looking at the broader picture, the commercial breakdown for frequent, everyday businesses in Tianlan Immortal City was bound to be even more terrifying!
Banning fighting protected merchant commerce while generating revenue for the Dao Discussion Platform. Banning flight created a captive market for these puppet beast carriages.
What about other aspects?
A single spirit stone only bought permission to stay within the city for one day, requiring an exit by nightfall. If caught by the law enforcement squad after hours, one faced a month of hard labor in the mines.
And how did one stay legally?
By renting an inn!
By renting a cave dwelling!
All of which demanded substantial sums of spirit stones!
In short, through the incident at the mooring field, the Guild Leader had already pieced together the operating principles of Tianlan Immortal City.
In a place like this, while martial power remained the ultimate governing force, that applied only to pinnacle strength. For the rank and file, an individual cultivator's wealth had surged in relative importance.
Thanks to advanced commerce, all sorts of rare resources had become commonplace. As a result, ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivators—who commanded respect in Dahe Market—were a dime a dozen here. Even Foundation Establishment True Cultivators could not dominate a territory on their own.
Furthermore, due to its prime geographical location, Tianlan Immortal City naturally drew powerful cultivators from a radius of ten thousand li. Personal martial prowess ceased to be decisive until one surpassed the Golden Core realm.
No one was weak.
Instead, because the city was jointly established by the seven sects and governed in rotation by Ice Fort, a relatively stable macro environment had formed.
This stability was precisely what gave rise to the tangled web of countless factions, large and small, coexisting and interlocking throughout Tianlan Immortal City.
Of course, what the full reality truly looked like could not be summarized in a few brief words. Spotting a single leaf only revealed a glimpse of the season; surviving in Tianlan Immortal City would require careful exploration and gradual integration in the days ahead.
"We've arrived!"
"Next stop: Yuelu Street! Anyone looking for lodging or work, get off here!"
As the "ticket conductor's" voice rang out, rogue cultivators throughout the beast carriage began rustling toward the exits.
Xu Xiaoliu stood at the door, waving to them.
"Time to disembark, everyone! We get off here.
"Senior, this way, this way!"
Luo Chen nodded and stepped down from the carriage.
The Black Python carriage was fully enclosed, offering no view of the outside scenery along the route. Stepping out now, a wave of noise washed over them, accompanied by a faint, bizarre odor in the air.
It was a peculiar blend of human scent, beast odor, mineral stench, and herbal fragrance mingled together.
Many instinctively wrinkled their noses.
Someone even complained, "Xiaoliu, did you lead us the wrong way? Why bring us to a dump like this?"
Xiaoliu waved his hands frantically.
"Trust me, the lodging along Yuelu Street is definitely the cheapest in all of Tianlan Immortal City.
"Everyone just needs temporary shelter for now; there's no need to stay at lavish inns that cost ten spirit stones or more per night."
As he explained and introduced the area, the large contingent moved forward, venturing deeper into the alleys.
Luo Chen did not hover over the members of his organization the way Li Yixian and Nangong Jin stayed close to their clansmen; Sima Huiniang handled such logistical trifles for the Luotian Association.
His gaze roved continuously over the storefronts lining the street.
*Talisman skin shops, talisman ink shops, brush-making shops... There are almost no shops selling completed talismans. This looks more like an industrial quarter for raw material processing.*
*No wonder the beast odors and mineral stenches are so thick.*
*The main avenues are dominated by bright, opulent merchant halls, while these humble workshops are relegated to the depths of secluded alleys.*
Recalling a board hung outside one shop advertising for apprentices, Luo Chen's impression of Tianlan Immortal City grew increasingly vivid.
It was often said in the cultivation world that the four essentials were method, wealth, companions, and land.
Yet here, the order seemed inverted: wealth, land, method, companions—with wealth reigning supreme!
*If that is the case, the Luotian Association may not be able to pursue comprehensive development if it wishes to survive here.*
*It would be best to return to our initial model of specialization and refined focus.*
Plans for the Luotian Association flitted through his mind, but Luo Chen's primary attention remained elsewhere.
Xu Xiaoliu, who had been helping Sima Huiniang and the others settle the cultivators, suddenly looked back and trotted eagerly over to Luo Chen.
"Senior, how may I serve you?"
Luo Chen looked at him. Indeed, throughout the journey, the boy had not played any more petty tricks.
It seemed the several hundred spirit stones handed to Xu Jingnian had served their purpose, at least ensuring Xu Xiaoliu performed his duties diligently.
In a calm voice, Luo Chen asked, "Do you know where cave dwellings are rented in this city?"
Chapter 224