Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 311: Unexpected Change

Fengchuan City stretched across an expanse of over 10,000 li in both length and breadth. Each of its main roads boasted an astonishing width, ranging from several li to a staggering ten li!

Beyond the majestic structures and floating sky cities, the landscape extended as far as the eye could see, adorned with towering mountain ranges and verdant forests.

Wu Yuan soared through the skies at a height of 100 zhangs alongside the Qiong Sea King, venturing deep into Fengchuan City via one of its main roads.

Occasionally, cultivators would emerge from various buildings and estates, while hordes of puppets and mortal martial practitioners thronged the streets below. Their sheer numbers were nothing short of remarkable.

"Master, you mentioned that Fengchuan City is a realm of immortals. Yet, it appears that the vast majority of its denizens are ordinary folk?" the Qiong Sea King asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

Most of the individuals he observed thus far were mortals, and among the cultivators, almost all of them were at the Qi Sea phase.

A Golden Core cultivator? They had encountered only one after flying for more than 100 li along the road.

"What are you thinking?" Wu Yuan chuckled. "Indeed, Fengchuan City is an immortal city, governing a land radius of a million li. It is said that one out of every ten cultivators within its territory lives in Fengchuan City itself."

"However, it does not imply that all of the inhabitants within Fengchuan City are cultivators." Wu Yuan shook his head thoughtfully. "I estimate that there are only 200,000-300,000 cultivators residing in Fengchuan City on normal days."

200,000-300,000? The Qiong Sea King’s eyes widened. That was a staggering figure.

Wu Yuan smiled. This estimation was based on a variety of sources. Although there might be some margin of error, it wouldn’t be significant.

The Middle Land with a radius of just tens of thousands of li had scarce resources, a lack of teachings and inheritances, and no guidance from predecessors. Yet, it managed to produce nearly 100 Heavenly Rankers.

In due time, Wu Yuan believed that the Middle Land would yield close to a thousand cultivators.

As for Fengchuan City? This city was abundant in treasures, spiritual qi, comprehensive teachings and inheritances, and its territory surpassed that of the Middle Land by hundreds of times.

With over a million cultivators scattered throughout its territory, and numerous treasures and cultivators congregating here, Fengchuan City's status as a cultivation hub was inevitable.

Consequently, a populace of hundreds of thousands of practitioners was perfectly normal.

"Master, doesn’t that mean there are tens of thousands of Golden Core cultivators in Fengchuan City?" Qiong Sea King exclaimed in astonishment. In his mind, the Middle Land couldn’t hold a candle to the macrocosm.

"It’s not that exaggerated," Wu Yuan replied, shaking his head. "In the Middle Land, one Golden Core cultivator is born among dozens of Heavenly Rankers."

"In the macrocosm, the rich spiritual qi makes it easier to reach the Qi Sea phase, but advancing to the Golden Core phase is much more challenging," he continued. "Especially if one aims to reach the fourth-level Domain stage. In terms of Dao comprehension, the late-stage Qi Sea cultivators of the Middle Land have all reached an incredibly high level.”

Qiong Sea King quickly grasped what he meant. The cultivators of Middle Land were not lacking in talent, but rather in external conditions. Those who could reach the Qi Sea phase in such a poor environment were far from untalented.

"There should be nearly 10,000 Golden Core cultivators in Fengchuan City," Wu Yuan estimated. "And on a normal day, I estimate around 2000-3000 of them reside in the city."

2000-3000 Golden Core cultivators? It sounded like a lot, but encountering one was still relatively rare given the size of the city.

"That's quite a lot." Qiong Sea King murmured.

“That’s why we need to keep a low profile,” Wu Yuan smiled. "The strength of a Golden Core cultivator is not a big deal in the broader scope of the macrocosm. Yet, on the other hand, even a seemingly ordinary Qi Sea cultivator could possess Golden Core phase strength."

“I understand,” Qiong Sea King nodded in agreement. "They might wield a puppet or an ethercrystal weapon, like the raiding party."

Wu Yuan chuckled. Indeed, in the macrocosm, the distinction between Qi Sea and Golden Core cultivators was blurred due to the prevalence of powerful puppets and battleships.

Unleashing the strength of the Golden Core phase was not difficult. There were powerful ethercrystal weapons capable of dispatching Golden Core cultivators as easily as slaughtering chickens.

Fengchuan City commanded respect from all sides and deterred anyone from violating its laws. Was its strength derived from the Redmoon Immortal Army? No, it was due to their powerful array!

This array was not under the direct control of the immortal army, but rather operated by a combination of puppets and array spirits, ensuring it remained impervious to external interference.

"Master, how many Amethyst Cradle Reverends reside in Fengchuan City?" Qiong Sea King inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Amethyst Cradle Reverends?" Wu Yuan paused to think for a moment. "There are probably a few dozen peak powerhouses in Fengchuan City."

"So many?" Qiong Sea King's eyes widened in astonishment.

Dao comprehension was not a requirement for advancing from the Qi Sea phase to the Golden Core phase. But the transition from the Golden Core phase to the Amethyst Cradle phase required one to have a deep understanding of the Dao. Even so, the chances of a successful breakthrough were slim.

At the Amethyst Cradle phase, one's abilities underwent a transformation. Ethercrystal weapons that could match an Amethyst Cradle cultivator’s power were extremely rare.

"Keeping in mind that those in the Amethyst Cradle phase can live for 3000 years, while those in the Shambhala phase can live for 10,000 years, this number is very small." Wu Yuan replied casually.

“Countless Qi Sea and Golden Core cultivators die on their cultivation journey, only a few survive to become high-level powerhouses.”

"Normally, only one Amethyst Cradle Reverend is born from hundreds or even thousands of Golden Core cultivators," Wu Yuan stated.

Wu Yuan idly toyed with a jade slip in his grasp, reading the information contained within. Tu Chi had given it to him, as was customary for all Golden Core cultivators arriving for the first time in Fengchuan City.

Unlike immortal slips, jade slips were less sophisticated, and the information within was more vulnerable to damage, but it cost significantly less to craft.

This particular jade slip included a basic layout of the city as well as its power distribution.

So it appears a quarter of Fengchuan City is under the control of the various Amethyst Cradle families, their estates sprawling across hundreds, even thousands of li, akin to miniature kingdoms. Wu Yuan mused to himself.

Estates spanning such vast distances were unheard of in the Middle Land.

Another quarter of the city is divided between the Redmoon Immortal Army, Moonlight Hall, and Redmoon Immortal Realm.

The Redmoon Immortal Army served as the military force, the Moonlight Hall was a governmental agency, and the Redmoon Immortal Realm was the voidrealm organization. The three represented the official authority of the Redmoon Immortal Hall in Fengchuan City, and was naturally the strongest combined faction.

The remaining sectors are occupied by shops belonging to various immortal families, grotto-heaven pavilions, battle towers, as well as residences of Golden Core families, grottos of loose cultivators, and even the headquarters of some large sects.

The division of land was more or less similar across the Redmoon Immortal Continent. With this rough map in mind, navigating any city in the future would be much easier.

Hm? The Tu Family estate spans 300 li in length and breadth? How large. Wu Yuan's expression shifted slightly as he processed the information.

The jade slip did not specify which families were Amethyst Cradle families, but those with residences exceeding 100 li in length numbered only a few dozen.

300 li? Only four families had such vast holdings. The Tu Family was clearly a force to be reckoned with. It was most likely an Amethyst Cradle family, if not stronger.

I may have offended Tu Chi by turning down his offer earlier. But whether he hails from this Tu Family remains uncertain.

Despite the potential repercussions, Wu Yuan dismissed the matter. Would the other party actually get into a life-and-death fight with him over a mere ninth-stage Communion spirit beast? If that truly ended up happening, Wu Yuan would have to question how Tu Chi managed to cultivate to the Golden Core Phase. Only a fool would behave like that.

Moreover, so what if he’s from that Amethyst Cradle family? Not even Void Refiner or Elysian Field Eminences would risk transgressing the city laws. Wu Yuan reasoned.

"Where to next, Master?" inquired Qiong Sea King.

"The Redmoon Immortal Tower," Wu Yuan replied with a smile. "Let’s get some rest in a grotto."

Qiong Sea King nodded.

The Redmoon Immortal Tower stood on the eastern side of the city. The city imposed limits on flight speeds and heights, hence the pair took longer than usual to cross the distance.

Eventually, they arrived at an opulent compound. Though it was called a tower, the compound had a radius of 500 li, occupying a huge area beyond the main tower.

The area was filled with cultivators, but most would respectfully move to the sides of the road when passing by Wu Yuan, sensing his powerful aura. The sight of Qiong Sea King alone evoked a change in many expressions. A jiaolong spirit beast was beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.

As they neared the threshold of the Redmoon Immortal Tower, Wu Yuan abruptly halted, his countenance darkening.

"What’s the problem, Master?" Qiong Sea King inquired, noting the shift.

"The teleportation array in the Middle Land," Wu Yuan uttered grimly. "It appears to have malfunctioned, rendering it unusable for teleportation."

Qiong Sea King was taken aback.

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