438: Chapter 438 Law Enforcement Officers

[Year 68,]

[You have been in Nine Heavens Immortal City for over a year.]

[Nine Heavens Immortal City is not a single city, but nine stars—nine giant continents with diameters exceeding three light-years, like nine brilliant pearls guarding the central Immortal City in a ring.]

[They float in the Void Realm, independent yet connected to one another.]

[On every Star Continent, tens of thousands of grand teleportation arrays are laid out, their spiritual light flickering day and night without end.]

[These teleportation arrays connect every corner of the nine great stars, and also link them to that city at the center.]

[The central Immortal City is also called the Heavenly Palace—it floats in the center of the void guarded by the nine stars, like a floating celestial palace.]

[Its size is far beyond what any Mortal imperial palace can compare to.]

[A Mortal might spend their entire life and still not be able to walk the length of one of its main thoroughfares.]

[Inside the city are mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas; there are countless floating palaces, inverted waterfalls, spirit boats traveling through the clouds and mist, and pavilions hidden deep within the rosy dawn light.]

[Only now do you understand why it is called the Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace—nine great Star Continents, nine giant cities, all connected to the central Heavenly Palace.]

[The central Heavenly Palace is naturally not a place you can go.]

[At the time, you chose Beidou City on one of the Star Continents and settled down.]

[During this year and more, you have not been idle.]

[Besides searching for news of Liu Qing, you have focused on comprehending Space Law and Time Law.]

[With the xuantian treasure mirror operating day and night, under the hundredfold time difference, you have reached Minor Achievement in these two Laws.]

[You did not continue to Cultivate to raise your Realm—it was too slow.]

[You know in your heart that this is a problem with your Spiritual Root.]

[The Ice-Fire True Spiritual Root (Pseudo) has clearly become insufficient upon reaching the Void Refining Realm.]

[Spiritual Root Aptitude determines the upper limit of one's Realm; you understand this truth better than anyone.]

[So what you can do for now is comprehend a few more Laws.]

[Today, as usual, you come to the Tianxing Tower in the city.]

[The tower is extremely lively.]

[A storyteller stands on the stage, spittle flying as he animatedly recounts strange anecdotes from across the Immortal Realm.]

[You find a corner to sit in and order a pot of spirit tea.]

[Over a year has passed, but the heat of that incident has not faded.]

[The story of the Liu Clan suffering a setback is brought up and told every few days.]

[There's no helping it; people love to hear it.]

["It is said that on that day in Ziyang Immortal City, blood flowed like a river and corpses littered the fields—"]

[The storyteller strikes his gavel, his voice rising a few notches: "That Yun Xiaozi stood upon the ruins with his hands in his pockets, his disdainful gaze sweeping over Liu Qingtian as he let out a cold laugh—"]

[He mimics the scene from that time, slightly tilting his chin with a supercilious look: "Thieves of the Liu family, listen up for This young master—This young master is called Yun Xiaozi! What I can't stand most is this behavior of your Liu Clan!"]

["Good!"]

["Well scolded!"]

["Clap, clap, clap!"]

[Applause breaks out from the private booths, along with a chorus of cheers.]

[The storyteller's narration is vivid and expressive, and the audience below listens with great interest.]

[A new batch of customers comes to the Tianxing Tower every day, and they never tire of this story no matter how many times they hear it.]

[Someone asks curiously, "Just what is the background of this Yun Xiaozi? To dare challenge the Liu Clan? Isn't he afraid the Heavenly Palace will cause trouble?"]

[A Cultivator nearby shaking a folding fan smiles: "Brother, that is where you are uninformed. That Yun Xiaozi is said to be the Personal Disciple of Venerable Cang Xuan."]

[“Venerable Cang Xuan?” That person scratches his head, “That name sounds a bit familiar...”]

[“You don't even know Venerable Cang Xuan?” The fan-shaking Cultivator rolls his eyes, “The Head of Kunlun Dao Academy!”]

[“Ah?!” That person’s eyes widen, “No wonder! No wonder he's so arrogant! If I had a Master like that, I’d be even more arrogant than him!”]

[The crowd bursts into laughter.]

[Someone follows up: “Then what happened? What happened after?”]

[The storyteller takes a sip of water and is about to continue—when he suddenly puts down his teacup and looks at the audience with a beaming smile:]

[“If you wish to know what happens next...”]

[Everyone's expression changes.]

[“...then tune in for the next installment!”]

[“Bang!” Someone slams the table and curses loudly: “To hell with you! Stuck at the cliffhanger again!”]

[“You old fogey, every time you get to the critical moment, you leave us hanging!”]

[“I waited all day just for you to give me this?”]

[“Beat him! Beat this old thing to death!”]

[Tea bowls, peanut shells, and melon seed skins are hurled at the stage toward his head.]

[The storyteller was prepared; he casually sweeps up the mountain of Spirit Stone bags, then ducks his neck and dives under the table, laughing so hard he can't stand straight:]

[“Everyone, calm down, calm down—please come early tomorrow, please come early tomorrow!”]

[You really can't muster any interest in this story.]

[Your ears have almost grown callouses from hearing it.]

[For over a year, it's been the same few things over and over; the storyteller adds embellishments, and the listeners never get tired of it.]

[Sitting in the corner, you silently scan the room, your gaze finally landing on the Cultivator with the folding fan.]

[This person comes often; you have seen him several times.]

[He is here every time, always acting as if he knows everything.]

[Your understanding of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace is still only surface-level.]

[You need to find someone knowledgeable to ask.]

[You stand up, walk over to sit opposite him, and cup your fists: "I am Qin Tian. It seems Fellow Daoist knows quite a bit about the Heavenly Palace's affairs? Could it be you hold an official position in the Heavenly Palace?"]

[The man looks you up and down, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his mouth: "I am Chu Fan."]

[Chu Fan?]

[You are taken aback.]

[You have an impression of this name—during the thirteenth simulation, at the Holy Land Grand Competition, you personally eliminated him.]

[He is a Prodigy of the Chu Immortal Clan. At the time of the Holy Land Grand Competition, he was only at Nascent Soul Perfection, but now he has also entered Soul Transformation.]

[You didn't expect to run into him here.]

["Fellow Daoist has a good eye."] Chu Fan toys with the folding fan in his hand, ["I am a Captain of the Heavenly Palace Law Enforcement Guard. If Fellow Daoist wishes to seek employment, my team just happens to be short one person."]

[He pauses and scans you from head to toe: "I just don't know... what is your strength, brother?"]

[You smile: "I have just entered Soul Transformation and was looking for some work."]

[The threshold for the Heavenly Palace Law Enforcement Guard is Soul Transformation.]

[Chu Fan himself is also at Soul Transformation, more than enough to lead a team.]

[He didn't come to the Heavenly Palace to be a captain for the meager salary, but to take the opportunity to become a familiar face.]

[After all, in this Heavenly Palace, those coming and going are all Disciples of first-rate forces; getting to know a few more people can't hurt.]

["Interested?" Chu Fan's tone is flat.]

[A captain can recruit members for the Law Enforcement Guard themselves.]

[There is no strict screening, nor much background checking.]

[After all, on the Heavenly Palace's territory, who would dare to mess around?]

[Furthermore, an ordinary member cannot come into contact with any core secrets at all.]

[To put it bluntly, they are cannon fodder.]

[And the kind of cannon fodder that can never be promoted in a lifetime.]

[The members of the Law Enforcement Guard are different from him as a captain; after all, he has the first-rate force of the Chu Immortal Clan behind him, which is why he can serve as captain.]