Chapter 714: Shenmu City

Leaving Beihuang City and heading south, the landscape of the Wildlands changed dramatically.

Near Beihuang City, the climate was cold, the vegetation sparse, and the land dominated by rocky mountains, appearing desolate; but moving south, the climate became noticeably wetter and much warmer.

The ground was covered with flowers, grasses, and trees, and ancient mountains teemed with all manner of strange beasts.

Even Li Yi, flying through the clouds, endured several attacks from strange beasts—yet his speed was fast enough, and his strength sufficient, that he suffered no mishaps on the road.

Even so, Li Yi avoided several dangerous mountain ranges.

This was Nü Heng's warning.

She said some mountain ranges harbored terrifying mountain lords; approaching them recklessly would invite attack and death.

These so-called mountain lords were in fact powerful strange beasts that ruled over entire mountain ranges; these beasts possessed intelligence rivaling humans and, once strong enough, imitated humans by establishing their own domains.

"Can the Divine Blood Warrior Da Ze fight a mountain lord?" Li Yi asked.

"Da Ze can handle ordinary mountain lords, but if he encounters a powerful one, he will be killed," Nü Heng said. "A mountain lord's strength depends on the size of the territory he controls."

"The larger the territory, the stronger the mountain lord. Our merchant lords precisely classify them by the number of mountains they rule: the weakest are One-Mountain Lords, the strongest are Hundred-Mountain Lords."

"Da Ze can kill at most a Ten-Mountain Lord."

Nü Heng shared much knowledge about the Wildlands, greatly benefiting Li Yi.

"Are there beings stronger than Hundred-Mountain Lords?" Li Yi asked again.

Nü Heng smiled. "Those stronger than Hundred-Mountain Lords are no longer mountain lords—they are regional gods. I've only heard of regional gods, never seen one. When I traveled as a merchant and passed through a regional god's territory, we had to pay vast tributes to pass safely; otherwise, we could never leave."

At this moment, Li Yi had a general understanding of the world's power structure.

A Three-Petal Realm expert here could at best become a Ten-Mountain Lord; he wondered whether a Dao-Realized master could rival a Hundred-Mountain Lord.

As for regional gods, they likely exceeded the upper limit of the Late Dharma cultivation world.

With Nü Heng guiding him, Li Yi's journey south proceeded smoothly; after avoiding major dangers, the remaining troubles were insignificant.

Yet this world was vast beyond measure.

Flying at his cloud-riding speed, Li Yi had to fly for over an hour before spotting a new great city—in other worlds, he would have circled the globe by now.

The city stood nestled against mountains and beside water, majestic and imposing, blending seamlessly with the towering peaks nearby; within the city stood many ancient trees, each hundreds to over a thousand zhang tall.

At the city's center stood a divine tree of extraordinary nature.

Its entire body glowed golden, radiating brilliant light at all times—light that was warm and soothing, and from afar resembled a sun resting within the ancient city.

"Shenmu City?"

Li Yi's flight faltered slightly as he gazed at the divine tree, stunned by its miraculous presence.

This golden divine tree resembled the Fusang tree of myth, capable of lifting the sun and bringing light and warmth to the world.

The land's eternal spring likely stemmed from this divine tree.

Its existence had altered the climate of this realm.

"It's not merely emitting light and heat—this divine tree is like a colossal wonder, radiating a vast energy field; even from this distance, I can sense the immense cosmic energy it emits."

Li Yi couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Though cosmic energy was abundant in this world, Beihuang City was a backwater compared to Shenmu City.

As long as this divine tree stood, this was a sacred land for cultivation.

Even if you knew nothing of cultivation, merely living nearby and receiving the divine tree's radiance would, over time, make you immensely strong and even extend your lifespan.

"Had I known such a city existed, I never should have stayed in Beihuang City—I should have come here," Li Yi thought.

"Da Yi, ahead is Shenmu City—a thriving metropolis. Many merchant lords choose to live here; it's said residents enjoy long life and may even obtain divine tree leaves."

Nü Heng stood atop the auspicious cloud, gazing at the distant city, her eyes filled with relief and joy.

Here, they no longer needed to fear pursuit from the Beihuang lineage.

Of course, only if one remained in Shenmu City for life; leaving the city still carried the risk of being hunted.

"The houses here must be expensive," Li Yi remarked, focusing on something else.

This was perhaps an Earthling's trait.

"In Beihuang City, a hundred gold taels bought a large mansion; here, a thousand gold taels barely buy a narrow dwelling. To purchase a good residence, you need at least ten thousand gold taels," Nü Heng said.

"As expected," Li Yi thought.

Such a prime location was priceless—this truth held firm in any world.

They continued approaching Shenmu City atop the golden auspicious cloud.

The closer they came, the more abundant the cosmic energy became, as they neared the golden tree; only when the city gates came into view did Li Yi descend from the air.

He activated the Five Elements Bracelets and released everyone.

"This—is Shenmu City?" Xiu Xiang emerged and immediately saw the distant golden, radiant tree; his eyes widened in disbelief.

Two hours ago he had been imprisoned, his life or death unknown; two hours later, he stood outside Shenmu City.

Li Yi said, "Xiu Xiang, I've rescued you from Beihuang City. You said your wife lives in Shenmu City, so I brought you here—I hope you can reunite with your family."

"Da Yi," Xiu Xiang was deeply moved. "I will never forget your kindness. Please come with me to Shenmu City, so I may repay you."

"Xiu Xiang, you're too formal. I rescued you not for repayment, but because you once helped me—so now I stand up for you. This time, I've merely dragged Merchant Lord Nü Heng into this; she's from the Beihuang lineage, yet because she saved you, she now faces eternal pursuit from them. If you're willing, please help her survive in Shenmu City."

"Thank you, Nü Heng," Xiu Xiang added solemnly. "I owe you a great debt."

Nü Heng smiled faintly. "No need to thank me—I didn't save you. I helped only because of Da Yi. And you don't need to repay me; I have property in Shenmu City—I can survive."

"Whether Nü Heng or Da Yi, you are both my benefactors. I, Xiu Xiang, swear to repay you," he vowed earnestly.

Li Yi said, "Repayment can wait. Now we must enter Shenmu City—perhaps I'll trouble you again, since we now have no place to stay and are reduced to wandering."

"Even if I sell every possession, I will support you all for life—rest assured," Xiu Xiang said.

"No need," Li Yi smiled, then gestured for the group to continue toward Shenmu City.

"When I was young, I once visited Shenmu City. I never imagined returning after over a hundred years," Grand Priest Dou Kun gazed at the miraculous city and sighed.

"Shenmu City? Bigger than the tree at the center of Shou Village," Shan Guo, overwhelmed by the city, stared blankly—she had seen little of the world, having never ventured beyond Beihuang City in her life.

"A new city," Long Yu, the Bloodline Warrior, still wounded but feeling better, gazed at this utterly different metropolis.

Here, perhaps greater achievements awaited.

At this moment, the massive Qiu Niu grew restless, sensing the terrifying aura within Shenmu City—too many things here could kill him.

In Beihuang City, he could still cause trouble; here, one misstep could see him slain by a passing expert.

As the group advanced toward Shenmu City, warriors of the city stood on either side of the gate, halting all entrants; each person paid a single Qingjin as entry fee.

"To enter Shenmu City, everyone must pay one Qingjin—it's the city lord's rule, unbreakable. Violators are driven out—or killed," Xiu Xiang said.

"I see," Li Yi nodded, understanding the rule.

He paid the entry fee—one Qingjin per person—but Qiu Niu required five Qingjin; the Shenmu City warriors explained simply: strange beasts, being large, occupied more space, so their fee was higher.

Li Yi accepted this.

After entering Shenmu City, Xiu Xiang's spirits lifted immediately; he eagerly invited Li Yi and Nü Heng to his home.

Li Yi did not refuse.

Soon,

Xiu Xiang led Li Yi to his residence in Shenmu City.

Surprisingly, in this land-of-gold city, Xiu Xiang owned a sizable estate; at its center stood a thirty-zhang-tall ancient tree, resembling the city's divine tree but lacking its miraculous qualities.

Yet this ancient tree was still extraordinary, emitting a faint, soothing fragrance that nourished the soul and brought deep comfort—combined with the city's vast, warm energy field, it formed a perfect cultivation haven.

Unfortunately, Xiu Xiang and his servants knew nothing of cultivation, wasting its potential.

"A fine place," Li Yi couldn't help but marvel.

"If Da Yi likes it, I give it to you," Xiu Xiang offered generously.

Compared to his life, a residence in Shenmu City meant nothing.

Li Yi declined. "I've heard that righteous men do not take what others cherish. Don't force me into unrighteousness—I'll stay here temporarily, then buy my own home."

"Da Yi, you remain as admirable as ever. I sincerely hope you become a regional lord soon," Xiu Xiang said, feeling his greatest investment in life had been befriending and aiding Da Yi.

(End of Chapter)