Chapter 283: Do You Have to Fight to Vote for This List? (Request Subscription)

Qizhoucheng is one of the older cities in the central region of the May Tian Ce Dynasty.

The feng shui here is excellent, producing outstanding people and fertile land.

Qizhoucheng is home to many cultivation clans, some of which have histories spanning over a thousand years.

Outside the city, the forest is dense, with ancient trees towering high, their intertwined branches filtering dappled sunlight.

The air is thick with spiritual energy; every breath brings a subtle increase in cultivation base.

Cultivating here would surely yield twice the results with half the effort.

Low growls of demonic beasts occasionally echoed through the woods, and occasionally one could spot low-tier demonic beasts darting through the underbrush—clearly, the number and cultivation level of these beasts were considerable.

Seeing this environment, Li Chen knew it was a precursor to a demonic beast surge.

No wonder the system sent me here; it seems there are too many demonic beasts.

Li Chen stood on a hill outside the city, his gaze sweeping over the dense forest as he silently planned his next steps.

He had come with Mu Mu Qingrou and Shi Shi Yingying, but Mu Mu Qingrou, as the Mistress of the Zi Yun Immortal Mansion, had spent too long in the imperial palace and still had duties to attend to, so she returned to check on things.

Shi Shi Yingying walked beside Li Chen, smiling as she enthusiastically recounted amusing stories from her childhood cultivation days in Qizhoucheng.

"Your Majesty, you wouldn't believe it—when I first tried to cultivate sword-flight, I nearly tore the roof off our house. My father chased me all over the courtyard in rage, and only my mother stopped him, saying I had talent and shouldn't be beaten."

Shi Shi Yingying laughed, holding Li Chen's arm affectionately.

Only with someone she loved did she willingly share such things.

Li Chen smiled slightly and teased, "So you've always been a troublemaker since childhood."

Shi Shi Yingying blinked, feigning grievance, "Not at all—I was very well-behaved. It's just that cultivation sometimes leads to minor accidents."

With Li Chen beside her, she became a petite, tender woman.

Laughing and chatting, they soon entered Qizhoucheng.

The scene inside the city surprised Li Chen—streets teemed with people, bustling and lively.

Many cultivators had come from all directions, adorned with all manner of magic treasures; some even wore fishbone daggers and fishbone swords, clearly just returned from the eastern coastal regions.

Stalls lining the streets displayed all kinds of seafood—from rare demonic sea creature materials to ordinary fish and shrimp.

Merchants shouted to attract passing cultivators.

Li Chen noticed these seafood items were mostly transported from the eastern coast, clearly benefiting from the new rail lines, which had drastically improved merchant efficiency.

In the past, these goods took at least ten days to reach the central region; now they arrived in just one or two days, and in massive quantities.

As Li Chen observed his surroundings, he suddenly overheard a conversation between a few cultivators nearby.

"Brother Zhang, what are you doing here? Didn't you join the deep-sea exploration?"

"Don't mention it—the Sea Clan's naval guards are brutal and hard to kill. I got injured, so I came here to recuperate for a while before heading back."

"Hahaha, recuperating? More like you came for the view."

"Either way, they say the Top Ten Immortal Beauties list is being held here—are you also voting for your goddess?"

Hearing this, Li Chen raised an eyebrow and turned to Shi Shi Yingying. "What's the Top Ten Immortal Beauties list? What's voting? Do you have to fight to pick this list?"

Shi Shi Yingying smiled mysteriously and explained, "Your Majesty, the Immortal Beauties List ranks the influence of contemporary female cultivators in the Nine Abyss Holy Realm. Beauty is the key criterion for entry."

But beauty is subjective—everyone has a different opinion, so a ranking is needed. That ranking depends on the influence of the candidates, and influence means the strength of their suitors."

Whether through wealth or cultivation base, anyone can vote for their goddess. The more numerous and powerful the suitors, the greater the woman's charm."

Incidentally, many of the women on the last list were from Li Chen's harem.

Figures like the Orchid Immortal, the Moonlight Immortal, and Wen Ting were all famous throughout this region.

That's why Shi Shi Yingying always said that if these women spoke, countless powerful cultivators would die for them.

Li Chen smiled at this. "So you and Mu Qingrou must be top two?"

In his eyes, both Mu Mu Qingrou and Shi Shi Yingying were breathtakingly beautiful, and he greatly admired them.

Hearing this, Shi Shi Yingying straightened her posture confidently. "I didn't enter, but if I had, I'd have ranked high. The Mistress doesn't appear on this list."

Li Chen agreed—it made sense. Mu Mu Qingrou was already a Saint, one of the pinnacle beings on the continent.

She had no need to join this list; few had the qualification to vote for her.

"Want to enter this time? I'll vote for you," Li Chen said with a mischievous grin.

"No way—that'd embarrass me to death." Shi Shi Yingying felt a little shy competing with younger women.

But Li Chen saying that made her happy—she felt she still had charm.

According to Shi Shi Yingying, this list was certified by the Nine Abyss Holy Realm.

Female cultivators ranked on the list not only boosted their sect's influence but also received regular cultivation resources from the Nine Abyss Holy Realm.

Cultivation resources—no cultivator ever had too many.

Not just this list—other lists existed too.

That's why young, beautiful female cultivators eagerly participated.

It was a perfect win-win for fame and gain.

Li Chen now understood why Shi Shi Yingying had said yesterday that she liked this—he thought she meant he had a taste for it?

But then again, it was true!

Li Chen merely expressed pure appreciation for beauty.

As if remembering something, Shi Shi Yingying smiled and said, "This time, our Zi Yun Immortal Mansion has two participants in the Immortal Beauties List—want to go see?"

Li Chen nodded. "Sure, I've got nothing better to do. Might as well go along with local customs."

The demonic beast surge hadn't arrived yet; he truly had nothing else to do.

Shi Shi Yingying smiled gently, linked her arm with Li Chen's, and led him toward a bustling street in the city.

At the end of the street, a grand building came into view, its sign reading "Zi Yun Pavilion" in large characters.

It was one of the Zi Yun Immortal Mansion's properties in Qizhoucheng, specializing in selling all kinds of cultivation resources—from elixirs and magic treasures to cultivation scriptures.

Zi Yun Pavilion was not only the largest cultivation resource trading hub in Qizhoucheng but also one of the Zi Yun Immortal Mansion's public faces in the secular world.

Stepping inside Zi Yun Pavilion, Li Chen immediately felt a thick wave of spiritual energy wash over him.

The interior was elegantly decorated, displaying all manner of cultivation resources, with many cultivators selecting items they needed.

Shi Shi Yingying, as an Elder of the Zi Yun Immortal Mansion, was greeted by several maids as soon as she entered; she waved them off, indicating they need not follow.

Inside Zi Yun Pavilion, a group of stunningly beautiful women had already gathered, seemingly discussing something.

(End of Chapter)