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Chapter 23: Qingxu City
🕑 Added 2023-12-08 16:09:37 +0000 UTCImmortal Path Space : Table of Content/Chapter List
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In the western part of Chu State, within the Qingxu Mountains, stands a colossal city that seems to reach the heavens. The city walls soar to dozens of yards, piercing into the clouds, constructed entirely from massive stones weighing thousands of kilograms. The city gate, ten yards wide, is forged from a black metallic substance.
Luxurious vehicles of various kinds come in and out of the city gate. Some emit a dazzling array of colors, clearly indicating their extraordinary quality. The creatures pulling these carts are evidently different from ordinary horses, resembling them in appearance but standing at a height of one zhang (about three meters) with muscles bulging all over. Each has a single horn on its head, and pulling a large cart appears effortless for them.
Some individuals even ride out on giant tigers, except these tigers have wings on their backs.
A young man emerges from the city gate, taking out a small pouch the size of a palm. He releases a large bird with a wingspan of two to three zhang from it. The young man casually sits on the bird's back, and with a flap of its wings, the bird effortlessly soars dozens of yards into the sky.
These scenes leave the four people standing by the city gate dumbfounded, resembling rural folks entering the city for the first time.
These four individuals are dressed in tattered clothes, unkempt. The apparent leader seems to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, with an ordinary appearance.
The other three, though dressed in rags, exude a robust and fierce demeanor. A subtle sense of killing intent lingers around them, a kind of killing aura formed through countless battles.
However, in the presence of the young leader, they show great respect, not daring to offend in the slightest. The look they cast towards the young man is tinged with admiration.
This young man is naturally Wang Hong. Since the victory of Tiger's Lair City over the Qin Army three years ago, the Chu Army has achieved several victories. They reclaimed territories lost to the Qin Army, and both sides returned to their original borders, facing each other once more.
During these three years, Wang Hong trained a group of elite soldiers, and he himself engaged in numerous battles without a single defeat. He achieved remarkable feats, such as breaking through enemy lines with a force of two thousand and personally leading a hundred soldiers to kill the enemy's commanding general in the midst of a massive army, capturing him alive.
These significant accomplishments made him a rising star in the Chu State military.
With accumulated military merits, Wang Hong rose to the position of the Northern Expedition General, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers.
Through the aid of Dragon Tiger Pills and various Medicinal cuisines, Wang Hong's cultivation finally reached the peak of the Innate Realm.
At this moment, Wang Hong's meridians are unobstructed, his five senses keen, and a single strike from him carries the force of thousands of kilograms. He has also mastered the ninth level of the "Horizontal Refining Six Harmonies Technique." It can be said that Wang Hong is now invincible among martial practitioners.
Having witnessed the methods of the immortal realm, his aspirations no longer lie in earthly power, fame, and fortune. These are mere fleeting struggles on the horns of a snail for him.
He yearns for the freedom of immortals, to travel across the North Sea and the Cangwu region, wandering between heaven and earth, aging only once every five hundred years—forever young while the world ages.
A few months ago, Wang Hong submitted his resignation to the Grand General, accompanied by a two-hundred-year-old Ginseng. The Grand General happily accepted and promised to forward it to the imperial court, taking care of everything on his behalf.
Before leaving, Wang Hong gathered Zhang Tie Mao, Lu Jin Gou, and others for a meal. He also gave each of them a bottle of White Jade Life-Extending Pill and a bottle of Dragon Tiger Pill.
These individuals had been studying and fighting alongside Wang Hong for several years. Following Wang Hong in battles, they had all attained the rank of School Captain.
Wang Hong hoped they would live well in the future.
In these years, Wang Hong cultivated a personal guard of a hundred people, investing considerable effort in their training. When he left, ninety-seven of them willingly chose to continue following him.
It's a good thing he brought this group along; otherwise, Wang Hong, traveling alone, might not have made it to Qingxu City.
The journey was fraught with danger, a near-death experience. The Qingxu Mountains were filled with various perilous terrains, and ferocious beasts were everywhere.
Despite taking the safest route, they still encountered dangers multiple times. Once, they were surrounded by a pack of fierce wolves, each possessing the strength of an Acquired stage martial practitioner. It took the group three days to break through and escape with their lives.
I heard that within the Qingxu Mountains, there's a type of Demonic Beast more formidable than Ferocious beasts. They can even swallow clouds, exhale mist, and cast spells, something only immortals can deal with.
And so, along the way, battling with Ferocious beasts, enduring for several months, we suffered losses of over twenty people to finally reach Qingxu City.
Wang Hong glanced around and said, "The four of us will enter the city first to gather information, then meet here."
Approaching the city gate, Wang Hong noticed a notice board, likely containing guidelines for entering the city.
In essence, it stated: Qingxu City welcomes everyone. Upon entering for the first time, one must register at the city gate. Fighting is prohibited within the city, and those who violate this rule will be severely punished by the city guards. Flying is also forbidden, except for those with a Golden Core stage or higher.
Beside the city gate, Wang Hong saw a table with over a dozen people in line. Behind the table sat an old man with a goatee.
Seeing this, Wang Hong and his three companions joined the queue.
While waiting in line, they observed a thin white-haired youth trying to enter the city. However, when he reached the city gate, it was as if an invisible wall blocked his way. Despite exerting effort, he couldn't move forward.
"Haha."
The youth's struggle amused those around him. Finally, a helpful middle-aged person informed him that he needed to register to enter the city and wouldn't be allowed in without a registration plaque.
Embarrassed, the youth, with a flushed face, hurriedly joined the line.
Soon, it was Wang Hong's turn. The old man with the goatee casually glanced at him, a look that made Wang Hong feel exposed and irresistibly compelled to pay homage.
"Name?" the goatee old man asked indifferently.
"Wang Hong," Wang Hong quickly replied.
The old man wrote something in a book, then wrote Wang Hong's name on a wooden plaque and tossed it to him.
"Thanks," Wang Hong said, accepting the wooden plaque. It was palm-sized, with his name inscribed on it. It felt heavy and solid, made from an unknown wood. After securing the plaque, he headed towards the city gate.
Dozens of guards in black armor stood near the city gate, indifferent to the people coming and going. Some even closed their eyes to rest.
Directly in front of the city gate was a straight street bustling with people, with storefronts lining both sides.
Wang Hong felt that it was somewhat similar to the mortal world, just more majestic. On his left, there was a shop named "Treasure Pavilion," reaching a height of over thirty zhang. Four exceptionally beautiful women stood at the entrance as greeters.
A shop selling clothes was named "Armor and Attire Store," displaying garments in a divine light, including armor.
There was also a weapon refining pavilion, showcasing weapons such as knives, spears, swords, and shields. Wang Hong guessed it was similar to a blacksmith's shop.
Additionally, there were taverns, inns, elixir shops, and more.
Wang Hong strolled along the street for a while and discovered a massive square filled with people. In the center stood a huge sign that read "Free Market Square," shining brightly even in broad daylight.
It resembled a countryside fair, with various stalls offering all kinds of goods. Wang Hong hadn't expected to find such a place in this immortal city, and the lofty image of immortals in his mind suddenly descended.
Without much thought, Wang Hong followed the crowd into the square. In this bustling and diverse place, he thought it was the best way to quickly understand the city.
"Hey! Selling Demonic Beast meat! Just hunted Golden-haired Demon Bull meat!" A dark-faced man shouted energetically, "Selling first-level intermediate Golden-haired Demon Beef, only one Spirit Stone for a hundred pounds!"
As he approached, Wang Hong heard the enthusiastic shouts. In front of the stall, the dark-faced man had a pile of fresh red meat, with a few people haggling over the prices.
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 24: Free Market Square
