247: Chapter 245 Tianyuan City Gate

The three of them walked along the official road for about half an hour before they finally caught sight of the city gate of Tianyuan City.

The bustle at the city gate far exceeded Yun Ming's imagination.

On the open ground outside the city gate, shops, stalls, and temporary sheds were densely packed, stretching as far as the eye could see. Selling Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, Spirit Beasts, Materials, food, and clothes—stalls stood one after another, crowded together. Some were shouting, some were bargaining, some were arguing, and some were laughing. The air was filled with the fragrance of Spirit Medicine, the musky scent of Spirit Beasts, the charred aroma of roasted meat, and the saltiness of sweat, mixing together to form a unique atmosphere of daily life belonging to the gates of Tianyuan City.

This place didn't look like a city gate; it looked like a small city.

Yun Ming stood at the end of the line and looked around. The ground near the city gate was covered with formation patterns, and the fluctuations of the No-Fly Array covered a radius of a hundred miles. No flying vessel dared to fly in the sky; even birds didn't dare to fly over the city walls. Occasionally, a few reckless seabirds would fly close, but as soon as they entered the range of the No-Fly Array, it was as if their necks had been squeezed, and they fell straight down. The guards at the city gate were used to this and didn't even spare a glance.

Just as Yun Ming stood still, several people approached him.

The first was a middle-aged woman, dressed simply with a kind face, holding a wooden sign that said "Guide." She smiled at Yun Ming and spoke in a low but clear voice. "Fellow Daoist, do you need a guide? I know Tianyuan City well; I can walk every street and alley with my eyes closed. It's only two Low-Grade Spirit Stones a day."

The second was a young man, dressed neatly with a token hanging from his waist, looking like someone of status. He cupped his hands to Yun Ming. "Fellow Daoist, do you need help applying for a shendu token? I have connections; I can get it done in three days at a fair price." Yun Ming glanced at him but didn't speak. His shendu token was already processed; although it cost five hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones, he had been ripped off. He didn't want to be ripped off a second time.

The third was a thin old man, leaning on a cane and walking tremulously. "Young man, do you need a place to stay? There are inns inside the city and outside as well. Outside is cheaper, only two Low-Grade Spirit Stones a night." Yun Ming shook his head.

The fourth, fifth, sixth... some were introducing jobs, some were introducing Dao Companions, and some were peddling all sorts of strange things. Yun Ming was surrounded, his ears buzzing as if a hundred flies were flying around. He frowned, scanned the crowd, and finally fixed his gaze on a young man.

The young man stood on the periphery of the crowd, wearing a set of washed-out green cloth clothes, his hair tied with a wooden hairpin. He had a delicate face and clean eyes. He didn't approach proactively like the others, but just stood there holding a wooden sign that said "Guide." He looked over, as if waiting, or perhaps hesitating whether to come over. Yun Ming beckoned to him. The young man was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly squeezed through the crowd to stand before Yun Ming.

"Sir, do you... do you need a guide?" His voice was a bit nervous, as if it were his first time taking a job.

Yun Ming nodded. "Just take us to the city gate. How much?"

The young man hesitated and held up one finger. "One... one Low-Grade Spirit Stone."

Yun Ming fished a Low-Grade Spirit Stone out of his sleeve and handed it to him.

The young man took the Spirit Stone, carefully tucked it into his robe, and a shy smile appeared on his face.

"Sir, this way. The line is too long; I'll take you on a shortcut."

He turned and walked toward the city gate. Yun Ming followed, with Ah Yuan carrying the fox behind him. The young man didn't walk fast, but he was steady, weaving through the crowd with ease, occasionally looking back to see if Yun Ming was keeping up.

"Is this your first time in Tianyuan City, sir?" the young man asked as they walked.

Yun Ming gave a hum of affirmation.

"I could tell at a glance. People who come to Tianyuan City often don't stand at the city gate for so long. They have experience and know which hours are busy and which are not. The time you arrived, sir, happens to be the busiest."

The young man paused and continued, "I live nearby and watch people come and go every day. Having seen so much, I can distinguish at a glance who is a first-timer and who is a regular."

Yun Ming glanced at him. "You've never entered the city?"

The young man's steps faltered for a moment before he continued walking. He lowered his head, his voice softening. "No. Never. You need a shendu token to enter. I've been saving for a long time, but I still haven't saved enough."

Yun Ming didn't respond. The young man continued, "There are ways outside; some people can get cheap shendu tokens for only ten High-Grade Spirit Stones. I've been saving for thirty years and am still short by two. Soon, in a few more months, it should be enough."

Yun Ming thought for a moment and asked, "There are people at the city gate selling shendu tokens for a hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones each. You only need ten; aren't you afraid of being scammed?"

The young man gave a bitter smile. "Those selling for a hundred are all scalpers who have gone through several hands. They get their stock from people with connections and sell them at a markup. Those with connections really can get them for ten each. The person I'm looking for is one of those with connections." He paused. "But that person is hard to find; you need an introduction. I've been hanging around here for three years before I managed to get on that line."

Yun Ming nodded and didn't ask further.

The young man suddenly sighed. "So, the people outside here actually gathered slowly to save money for a shendu token. There are Tianyuan City guards patrolling here, so it's safe and stable; no one dares to cause trouble. Some people, after staying for a long time, actually don't want to enter the city anymore. They do small business here, make a group of friends, and live comfortably, feeling it doesn't matter whether they enter or not. Sometimes I think about not going in either. It's quite nice outside. But if I don't go in, I won't see the world inside. I heard there's a Heaven-Reaching Tower in the city, ten thousand zhang high, touching the stars and overlooking the Immortal Dynasty. I dream of going to see it."

Yun Ming didn't say anything. Ah Yuan followed quietly, holding the fox. She looked up at the towering city wall in the distance, her eyes full of longing.

After walking for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, they finally reached the base of the city gate.

Looking up, the city wall was like a black mountain ridge spanning the horizon, dividing the world into inner and outer realms.

The city wall was ridiculously high; looking up, one couldn't see the top, only the part above the mountainside disappearing into the clouds and mist, flickering in and out of sight.

The wall was built from solid blocks of obsidian. The stones were incredibly huge, each several zhang square and weighing no less than ten thousand catties.

The gaps between the stones were seamless, such that not even a needle could be inserted.

The surface of the wall was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting people's shadows. But looking closer, one could see the wall was covered with dense formation patterns. The patterns were extremely fine and small, almost invisible to the naked eye, requiring Divine Sense to distinguish.

The formation patterns moved across the city wall like living snakes, emitting a faint golden light.

On both sides of the city gate passage sat a huge Spirit Beast statue.

On the left was a White Tiger, entirely snow-white with crimson eyes, its mouth open to reveal sharp fangs.

It was twice the size of an ordinary tiger, crouching there like a small mountain.

On the right was a Xuanwu, a combination of a tortoise and a snake. The tortoise shell was pitch black, and the snake body was wrapped around the shell, head raised and tongue flickering. Both statues were carved from solid blocks of jade. The craftsmanship was exquisite and lifelike, as if they could come to life at any moment. Runes were carved on the bases of the statues, flowing with spiritual light; they were clearly not ordinary decorations but part of the city's protective array.

Yun Ming looked up at the two statues and thought, if these were alive, what would their cultivation be? At least the Nascent Soul Stage.

Two rows of guards stood at the city gate, clad in silver armor, holding spears, and with tokens hanging from their waists.

Their cultivation was all at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with steady auras and sharp gazes. There were two guards in front of each passage, one responsible for checking tokens and the other for maintaining order.

On the high platforms on both sides of the passages sat a captain of the Golden Core Stage, eyes closed in meditation, but their Divine Sense covered the entire city gate area.

Although their cultivation was only at the Early Golden Core Stage, their battle-hardened temperament made people not dare to underestimate them.

Yun Ming noticed that the inspection standards for the eight passages were different. The middle passage was the largest, with a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon carved on the lintel. The dragon's eyes were set with two red gems that sparkled in the sunlight. That was the dedicated passage for the imperial family and government officials; it was the most strictly guarded and also the quietest. Occasionally, a few carriages would pass through, the people inside wearing official robes and possessing an extraordinary air.

The passages on both sides were lined up in order, providing passage for Sect Disciples, merchants, Loose Cultivators, and Mortals. The length of the lines in front of each passage varied, as did the speed.

The passage for Sect Disciples was the fastest; the guards would just glance at the tokens before letting them through.

The passage for Loose Cultivators was the slowest; the guards would repeatedly verify the token information and sometimes ask a few questions.

Yun Ming stood in the line for the Loose Cultivator passage, behind dozens of people. The line moved very slowly, but he wasn't in a hurry. He leaned against the railing of the line, eyes closed, sensing the aura of Tianyuan City. Spiritual Qi was very dense, several times denser than in Qingyao City, even denser than some places in the Three Thousand Dao Prefectures.

The buildings in the city were layered, getting higher the deeper one went. The imperial palace at the very center was magnificent, its glazed roof tiles flashing with piercing light in the setting sun. Next to the imperial palace was a tall tower piercing the clouds, its tip hidden in the mist, making it impossible to see in its entirety.

The line moved forward slowly... one, two, three... finally, it was Yun Ming's turn. He stepped forward and handed the shendu token to the guard. The guard took the token and placed it on a Formation Plate nearby. The Formation Plate lit up, and the information on the token was instantly read—Name: Yun Ming. Cultivation: Late Golden Core Stage. Origin: Loose Cultivator. Accompanying persons: One.

After checking the information, the guard nodded and returned the token to Yun Ming. His gaze passed over Yun Ming and landed on Ah Yuan, then looked at the fox in her arms. The fox squinted its eyes, pretending to sleep, its nine tails hanging down and swaying. The guard's gaze lingered on the fox for a moment but didn't ask further. A fox was a spirit pet, not an accompanying person, and didn't need to be checked.

"Go in." The guard stepped aside.

Yun Ming nodded and stepped into the city gate passage. Ah Yuan followed with light steps, as if skipping. The fox poked its head out of her arms and looked around, its nine tails swishing behind her.

The city gate passage was very long and dark inside, with only the Spirit Stone Lamps on the walls emitting a faint light. After passing through this dim tunnel, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

Tianyuan City had been reached.