39: The body training is worse than that of a dog!

The carriage had been traveling for several days, and the bumpy ride gradually became a habit.

Li Dong sat cross-legged in the carriage, the Cultivation Technique route of the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal circulating ceaselessly within his body, his Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase cultivation having solidified and condensed further after slaying the Black Wind Eagle on the way.

These past few days, besides Cultivating, he spent most of his time observing the outside world through the gaps in the carriage curtains.

The closer they got to the Prefecture, the more obvious the changes became.

The official road became wider and smoother, and they could even see a road surface paved with special Materials, hard and slick, allowing the cloud steeds to run with hardly any bumps.

There were more pedestrians and carriages on the road, and many people's attire was clearly not that of ordinary commoners. Martial Artists with sabers and swords were everywhere, and occasionally, Cultivators with extraordinary auras, riding strange mounts, would flash past.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi in the air was increasing at a visible speed... oh no, at a speed perceptible to the body.

That feeling was wonderful, like entering an oxygen-rich plain from a thin plateau; every breath brought nourishment, making the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian active and joyful.

"We're almost there," Lord Wei, the usually taciturn coachman, uncharacteristically spoke up. Ever since witnessing Li Dong's power in instantly killing the Black Wind Eagle, his attitude towards Li Dong had become noticeably more polite, no longer the cold, business-like demeanor from before.

Li Dong lifted the curtain and looked in the direction of Lord Wei's gaze.

At the end of the horizon, an indescribably massive silhouette slowly emerged.

It was a city.

No, using the word “city” to describe it seemed somewhat inadequate.

It was a colossal wall stretching across the Heaven and Earth, its grey-green bricks gleaming with a cold luster in the sunlight, soaring into the clouds, as if it would pierce the sky itself.

The city wall stretched endlessly, its boundaries invisible, like an ancient Dragon prostrate on the earth, exuding an ancient, weathered, and incomparably profound pressure.

This was the Prefecture city?

Li Dong's heart sank. Mu Shi County, compared to this, was like a tiny pebble next to a small hill, completely not on the same Rank.

As the carriage drew closer, the oppressive feeling emanating from the city wall grew stronger.

The city gate was even more exaggerated, dozens of meters high, like the gaping maw of an ancient Vicious Beast, swallowing and disgorging an endless stream of people and carriages.

Li Dong noticed that among the crowds entering and exiting the city gate, powerful presences were abundant.

Qi Refining Realm seemed to be just ordinary people here, and Cultivators and Martial Artists of the Foundation Establishment Realm could be seen every now and then. He even... he narrowed his eyes slightly, activating that faint trace of "Spirituality" power to sense.

There were!

Deep within the city, there were faint, elusive auras, extremely weak and hard to pinpoint, but that vast, profound, and flawless feeling was definitely not something the Foundation Establishment Realm could possess!

Golden Core Realm!

In the Prefecture city, there were actually Golden Core Realm powerhouses stationed! And more than one!

Li Dong's heart was solemn. Big Brother Zhang Wu said the Prefecture had deep waters, and he wasn't wrong.

This was just arriving at the city gate, and he already felt a pressure far exceeding that of Mu Shi County.

Golden Core Realm, that was a legendary Realm, with a long Lifespan and vast Divine Abilities, enough to sweep everything in Mu Shi County.

But here, it seemed to be just a cornerstone hidden beneath the prosperity.

The carriage slowly drove into the city gate passage. The moment they passed through the city gate, a tide of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, several times denser than outside the city, surged towards them, almost tangible, washing over Li Dong's body.

He could even feel the pores on his skin greedily absorbing this pure Spiritual Qi.

Such dense Spiritual Qi!

Cultivating here for one day would probably be more effective than Cultivating for three to five days in Mu Shi County!

No wonder the Prefecture could Cultivate so many experts; the basic environment wasn't on the same level.

Entering the city, the sight before Li Dong's eyes was even more astonishing.

The streets were wide enough to accommodate over a dozen carriages side-by-side, paved with smooth bluestone slabs, clean and tidy.

The buildings on both sides were arranged like fish scales, grand and magnificent in style, with flying eaves, carved beams, and painted rafters. Many buildings even had Spiritual Qi fluctuations, clearly indicating the presence of Formations.

Shops lined the streets, their signboards displaying an ancient charm.

"Centuries-old Brand," "Spirit Pill and Miraculous Medicine," "Divine Weapons and Magical Artifacts"—the sight was dazzling.

Li Dong merely glanced at the samples or promotional information displayed at the entrances of a few shops and discovered many rare Materials and high-Rank Magical Artifacts he had never even heard of in Mu Shi County.

The resources here, both in variety and Rank, were far beyond what Mu Shi County could offer.

The pedestrians on the street were shoulder to shoulder, bustling.

Besides ordinary commoners, there were more Martial Artists and Cultivators with cultivation.

Li Dong even saw a patrolling Demon Suppression Guard squad.

This squad had ten members, led by a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment deacon with a steady aura. The other members were all high-Rank Body Tempering Realm, and two or three had even reached Body Tempering Realm Great Perfection!

This was just an ordinary patrol team?

Li Dong secretly gasped. In Mu Shi County, Body Tempering Realm Great Perfection was already a captain-level position, and Foundation Establishment Realm was the level of Deputy Hall Master and Hall Master. But here, they were just members of a patrol squad?

He also saw several Demon Suppression Guard teams that were clearly returning from or going out on missions, many of them led by powerhouses in the Late Foundation Establishment Stage or even Foundation Establishment Realm Perfection!

Foundation Establishment Realm everywhere, Body Refining Realm not even as good as dogs? While this statement was a bit exaggerated, it didn't seem too far-fetched to describe the strength and foundation of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division.

Li Dong deeply understood the meaning of Big Brother Zhang Wu's repeated emphasis: "The Prefecture is different from the county."

The competitive pressure here was probably much greater than he had imagined.

The carriage did not drive directly to its destination but, under the control of Lord Wei, slowly traversed the city.

Lord Wei seemed to intentionally let Li Dong familiarize himself with the environment of the Prefecture city first.

"Lord Li, this is the East Market, one of the Prefecture's largest trading markets. Spirit Medicine, Magical Artifacts, Talismans, Formation Plates—you name it, they have it. But the prices... heh." Lord Wei uncharacteristically explained, his tone carrying a hint of local pride.

Li Dong nodded, his gaze sweeping over the dazzling array of shops and stalls. He indeed saw many good things, but just as Lord Wei said, the prices were ridiculously high.

The few Spirit Stones he had accumulated in Mu Shi County probably wouldn't buy much here.

It seemed that merit points were the true hard currency in the Prefecture.

The carriage continued forward, passing through the bustling commercial district and entering a relatively quiet area. The buildings here were even more magnificent and imposing, with continuous mansions, each guarded by powerful protectors at their gates, and various Family or Sect plaques hanging above their doorways.

Li Dong activated his Spirituality perception, quietly probing.

Indeed, besides the Demon Suppression Division, this massive Prefecture city also housed many other forces. He could sense several places with obscure yet powerful auras, no less than the Demon Suppression Division outposts, and even subtly interconnected and balanced by unique energy fields, forming a complex and vast network of power.

Great Families, Sect strongholds... the forces Big Brother Zhang Wu mentioned indeed existed, hidden in various corners of this city.

Their strength was probably not to be underestimated.

In his perception, Li Dong also caught a few extremely faint but unusually cold auras, full of negative energy. These auras were hidden in certain corners of the city, such as deep in dark alleys or beneath abandoned buildings, like shadows in the sunlight, utterly out of place with the city's prosperity and righteousness.

Were these traces of demons and evil spirits?

Li Dong's heart stirred. The Prefecture city was so heavily guarded and rich in Spiritual Qi; logically, demons and evil spirits should find it difficult to survive. Yet, these cold auras stubbornly persisted, though suppressed to an extremely weak state by the powerful Formations and the Demon Suppression Division's power omnipresent in the city, they had not completely disappeared.

Did this mean that beneath the glamorous facade of the Prefecture city, unknown darkness also lurked?

Recalling the giant python incident in Mu Shi County and the mysterious "demon-attracting incense," Li Dong's mood couldn't help but grow a few shades heavier. The waters of the Prefecture were murkier than he had expected.

The carriage finally headed north. The surrounding buildings gradually became sparse, replaced by increasingly strict guard posts and patrol teams. An air of solemnity and iron-bloodedness permeated the atmosphere, making it somewhat suffocating.

Finally, at the end of an open area, an incredibly vast, city-within-a-city-like black complex of buildings appeared before their eyes.

It was entirely constructed from unknown black megaliths, with a rough, stern, and sharply defined style, like a steel behemoth poised to devour people. The tall walls were covered with profound runes, shimmering with a faint Spiritual light, exuding a chilling pressure.

Within the walls, arrow towers stood tall, guard posts were densely packed, and countless Demon Suppression Guards in black uniforms, with fierce auras, patrolled back and forth, their gazes as sharp as eagles.

Above the main gate hung a massive black plaque, on which four gilded characters were carved in vigorous, powerful strokes—

Demon Suppression Division!

These three words alone seemed to contain infinite majesty and killing intent, inspiring awe.

This was one of the centers of power of the Great Gan Dynasty in the Prefecture, the hub for suppressing demons and evil spirits in the region—the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division outpost!

"Lord Li, we've arrived." Lord Wei steadily parked the carriage not far from the outpost's main gate, jumped down, and respectfully opened the carriage door for Li Dong.

Li Dong stepped out of the carriage, his feet touching the solid ground.

He looked up, gazing at the majestic, stern, and terrifyingly oppressive Demon Suppression Division outpost before him. An unprecedented pressure, as if tangible, enveloped him.

Here, experts were as numerous as clouds, rules were strict, factions were rampant, and undercurrents surged.

Big Brother Zhang Wu's warning, his father's 囑咐, his sister's anticipation, and the clue of the "internal spy" hidden in the dark... countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

The pressure was immense.

But at the same time, an even stronger fighting spirit ignited fiercely in Li Dong's heart.

Mu Shi County was just the starting point; this, was the real stage!

He wanted to gain a firm foothold here, to become stronger, strong enough to protect himself and his Family, strong enough to drag out all the demons and monsters hidden in the darkness!

"Thank you, Lord Wei, for escorting me all the way." Li Dong nodded at Lord Wei.

Lord Wei quickly returned the bow: "You're too kind, Lord Li. It's my duty. Please follow me; we need to complete the onboarding procedures first."