Chapter 8: Purchasing a Residence

“Tengjiao Legion, Jinyu Legion,” Luo Feng sighed. “Each legion commands a supermassive mechanical artifact.”

My own Shi Wu Wings are a single-unit mechanical artifact.

But these two colossal entities before me are legion-class mechanical artifacts! Their value is far greater, and the number of true gods required to activate them is immense.

Mo Yu Hu explained: “The Ten Legions of Hu Yang are each led by an Eternal True God, commanding countless Void True Gods and vast numbers of True Gods. With the aid of supermassive mechanical artifacts, their power unites, even possessing partial power of the Chaos Realm.”

Luo Feng nodded. His Shi Wu Wings could control Chaos to some extent. In terms of power, the single-unit Shi Wu Wings were significantly weaker than these legion-class artifacts.

“Even the lowest soldier in the Ten Legions of Hu Yang must be at least True God Ninth Layer,” Mo Yu Hu remarked. “Together with the Hu Yang Guard, they naturally intimidate the entire Hu Yang City.”

Luo Feng nodded slightly, then waved his hand, releasing the rescue shuttle he had saved earlier, along with the tribal chieftain and the dozen or so True Gods.

The tribal chieftain and the dozen True Gods looked around, seeing the towering, immense Hu Yang City in the distance, and immediately bowed respectfully: “We pay homage to Your Reverence.”

“Ahead lies Hu Yang City,” Luo Feng said. “Your destination is Hu Yang City, correct?”

Before rescuing them, Luo Feng had seen them and ‘heard’ their conversation—he knew clearly this tribal group had come to Hu Yang City.

“Yes, we were heading to Hu Yang City. Thank you, Your Reverence, for saving our lives,” the chieftain said.

“Let us part ways here.”

Luo Feng nodded, then flew directly toward the boundless, majestic eastern gate of Hu Yang City with Mo Luo Sa and Mo Yu Hu.

The chieftain and the dozen tribal True Gods stood where they were, stunned.

“I thought we’d be captured as test subjects.”

“I’d already prepared for drug trials!”

They were all delighted—who would willingly be controlled if they could live freely?

The chieftain looked at his kin and smiled: “We got lucky this time, meeting Your Reverence. After entering the city, we’ll first help Suo Zi and Suo Yun apply for housing, then purchase tribal necessities—we must leave before nightfall.”

Non-residents must leave the city before nightfall.

One day on the Origin Continent equals roughly one year on Earth, so for mere shopping, time is still extremely ample.

“Understood,” the kin all replied.

“Suo Zi, Suo Yun, after settling in Hu Yang City, the Lord’s Mansion charges one Chaos Crystal per eon, and some dark factions also charge about one Chaos Crystal in fees,” the chieftain said. “Once you become Void True Gods, the Mansion’s fee is waived.”

Void True Gods, Eternal True Gods, and above are exempt from residence fees in any city.

Because they are the backbone of a massive city’s operation!

“Even after becoming Void True Gods, do those dark factions still demand bribes?” Suo Zi asked.

“They’ll demand more!” the chieftain said. “Once you’ve lived in the city long enough, you’ll understand—this city isn’t entirely ruled by the Lord’s Mansion.”

Suo Zi and Suo Yun listened obediently.

“Enter the city,” the chieftain ordered. They immediately boarded the shuttle and flew together toward the eastern gate.

…

The eastern gate of Hu Yang City was majestic and wide, capable of accommodating countless True Gods entering and exiting simultaneously.

“The number of cultivators from myriad races entering and leaving Hu Yang City daily is truly immense,” Luo Feng remarked as he flew, eagerly observing. It was his first time visiting a major city on the Origin Continent—he found everything novel.

“There are even people walking,” Mo Luo Sa exclaimed, looking down. Besides countless shuttles, vast numbers of True Gods were walking into the city.

“Not everyone can afford a shuttle,” Luo Feng said.

The spatial suppression on the Origin Continent is extremely strong; True Gods generally stand only about one blade’s length tall. Being taller would place unbearable pressure on their bones and bodies. Under such crushing pressure, True Gods cannot fly on their own—they must rely on flight artifacts.

Only upon reaching the Void True God realm and mastering Void can one fly independently.

“What’s that?” Luo Feng gazed into the distance, where a deep blue-winged dragon-serpent was also flying toward the eastern gate.

Among the numerous shuttles nearby, the deep blue-winged dragon-serpent stood out sharply, its aura terrifying.

“That’s a mechanical artifact called ‘Chi Yi Long,’ operated by an elite detachment of the Hu Yang Legion,” Mo Yu Hu said, smiling—he had lived in Hu Yang City for years and knew well. “Chi Yi Long requires over a hundred Void True Gods to operate. Its commander must possess extraordinary willpower. With Chi Yi Long, they can even rival Eternal True Gods, excelling especially in aerial mobility.”

Luo Feng nodded in understanding. The Yu Kingdom’s military equipment was indeed formidable.

As Chi Yi Long flew past, nearby shuttles naturally kept their distance. Anyone who had stayed in Hu Yang City long enough knew this ‘Chi Yi Long’ had an extraordinary origin.

…

Inside Chi Yi Long.

A muscular armored woman, surrounded by attendants, had four purple curved horns atop her head, resembling a crown. Her eyes were purple, burning with purple flames. Those who had lived long in Hu Yang City could identify her as a member of the elite Mo Li clan.

“Finally back in Hu Yang City,” said the woman beside her with a fluffy tail, exhaling deeply. “In the wild, you’re always afraid of powerful beasts attacking. It’s so much safer here.”

“Diao Rong, with Elder Gao Wu leading us, what’s there to fear?” the muscular woman glanced toward a figure standing nearby.

That figure resembled metal sculpture—his appearance was ordinary, but his reputation had spread far. He was the favorite young disciple of Mo Li Xiao, supreme commander of the Hu Yang Legion—Gao Wu Shui. Though young, he had already reached Void True God Tenth Layer. With his profound accumulation, outsiders believed he could become an Eternal True God at any moment.

“In the wild, never rely on luck,” Gao Wu Shui said, cold in appearance but gentle in nature. “Always remain vigilant. Otherwise, if you fall into the trap of an Eternal Beast, you won’t even have time to escape.”

“With Elder Gao Wu leading, we’ve never had a single mishap,” the muscular woman clearly trusted him deeply.

"We know how powerful your Elder Gao Wu is, Fei Yun," the fluffy-tailed woman teased.

“Hmm?” Gao Wu Shui suddenly tensed, gazing outward.

As commander of the mechanical artifact Chi Yi Long, his will was the artifact’s will. Through Chi Yi Long, his perception was extremely sharp—he could sense Eternal True God-level beasts from afar in the wild.

Now, he sensed the aura of Luo Feng nearby.

Luo Feng moved with the power of an Eternal True God; his aura was not perfectly concealed, but slightly leaked, like a normal Eternal True God.

Mo Luo Sa, however, had disguised himself as a Void True God and was utterly unremarkable.

“Elder Gao Wu, what’s wrong?” the muscular woman and the fluffy-tailed woman both turned to him.

“A stranger—an Eternal True God,” Gao Wu Shui regarded Luo Feng, who was flying toward the eastern gate. “That man with the dark-gold pointed horns.”

!

“A stranger Eternal True God?” The two women’s expressions changed. They gazed far off—they knew well that in Hu Yang City, no matter how powerful one’s family background, ultimate order was decided by those terrifying Eternal True Gods.

One must have sharp eyes. Otherwise, accidentally offending an Eternal True God could mean death without a trace. Even the Lord’s Mansion might never find the killer.

When Eternal True Gods are involved, the authorities are reluctant to pursue deeply. After all, the highest level of force in Hu Yang City is Eternal True God!

“Of the three major cities in the Ji Jiang Chaos Region, Hu Yang City has the most Eternal True Gods,” Gao Wu Shui said gravely. “Today, we have one more.”

“Ji Jiang City is where the Ji Jiang Marquis resides! Most Eternal True Gods dislike living and cultivating under the gaze of a Chaos Dominator—it’s unpleasant to have a terrifying presence looming overhead,” the fluffy-tailed woman smiled. “Hu Yang City, as a bustling trade hub, draws powerful figures from all nations—hence its large number of Eternal True Gods.”

These elite clan youths walked like kings within Hu Yang City.

But what they feared most were strangers who were Eternal True Gods.

Stranger… meant unknown!

He might just be passing through Hu Yang City, casually slaughtering a few clan youths, then leaving—no one could trace him.

…

Luo Feng, Mo Luo Sa, and Mo Yu Hu had entered the city and were flying within.

“What a vast city,” Mo Luo Sa said upon entering, gazing out—beyond, mist-shrouded horizons stretched endlessly, with rolling mountains and towering buildings larger than the mountains themselves.

Luo Feng, however, sensed the city’s overall aura and nodded: “Hu Yang City’s grand array is active—it isolates space! To enter or exit, you must use the gates. The upper sky is completely sealed.”

Mo Luo Sa looked up at the high sky and nodded: “The spatial sealing is extremely strong. Within Hu Yang City, Void travel is impossible.”

Mo Yu Hu added: “Within Hu Yang City, you can only fly slowly—you cannot traverse Void. So if anyone commits a crime or causes trouble, they can’t escape quickly and are easily caught by the Hu Yang Guard. Here, we all must fly slowly, but the Hu Yang Guard and the Ten Legions can traverse Void.”

Luo Feng smiled. It sounded terrifying, but an Eternal True God could summon a universe with a thought—there were always ways to handle it.

“Mo Yu Hu, do you know where to buy a residence?” Luo Feng asked.

“I’ll lead the way,” Mo Yu Hu said enthusiastically. Returning alive to Hu Yang City with such treasure filled him with joy.

Huh!

Without Void travel, Luo Feng and the others flew for a long time before arriving at an immensely majestic palace.

The palace had three levels, covering a vast area. The first level’s entrance saw countless True Gods coming and going; the second level’s entrance had only occasional figures; the third level, at the very top, was utterly silent.

“To purchase a residence in Hu Yang City, you must come to this ‘Chaos Palace,’” Mo Yu Hu explained. “The first level serves True Gods. They can apply for a residence free of charge, but must pay one Chaos Crystal per eon in residence fees.”

Luo Feng nodded. Hu Yang City was enormous; providing each True God with a small cave dwelling was effortless. With countless True Gods paying one Chaos Crystal per eon, the accumulated income was enormous.

The Lord’s Mansion’s fees maintained the entire city’s operation: funding the Ten Legions, the Hu Yang Guard, countless officials, and array upkeep. The rest was sent as tribute to the Ji Jiang Marquis and the Yu Kingdom’s sovereign.

The Yu Kingdom’s sovereign, high above, possessed vast resources—many sourced from countless True Gods.

“The second level of Chaos Palace serves Void True Gods. They must purchase their residences.”

“The third level of Chaos Palace serves Eternal True Gods,” Mo Yu Hu added.

Luo Feng nodded and flew directly to the palace’s topmost third level with Mo Luo Sa and Mo Yu Hu.

The third level of Chaos Palace was majestic and empty.

As Luo Feng and his two companions flew in, two officials immediately appeared, their eyes blazing with heat as they looked at Luo Feng, their demeanor extremely respectful.

“We pay homage to Your Divine Majesty,” the two officials spoke with great friendliness.

Mo Luo Sa and Mo Yu Hu, perfectly concealing their auras, were seen by the officials as mere servants of the Eternal True God.

“I intend to temporarily reside in Hu Yang City. I need a residence,” Luo Feng said.

(End of Chapter)