Translator: CinderTL
Mystic Realm.
Demon Subduing City!
The city walls of Demon Subduing City soared, piercing the clouds and reaching over a thousand feet high.
The walls were thick, spanning several miles, and etched with countless mystic formation patterns.
The patterns were mottled, stained with dark blood.
On the walls, watchtowers stood tall, and wide paths bustled with cultivators.
Outside the city walls, a river dozens of miles wide flowed around the city.
The river surged from the east, roaring as it circled Demon Subduing City before heading west.
To the east of Demon Subduing City lay towering mountains.
To the west stretched an endless plain.
Suddenly, a massive Black Hole appeared high in the sky, drawing the gaze of everyone on the city walls and within the city.
In the center of the city stood a complex of grand halls.
A coldly elegant female cultivator emerged from one of the palaces, gazing at the Black Hole above with a hint of surprise.
"So someone from a lower realm has ascended here."
Raising her voice, she commanded, "Someone, bring the ascended cultivator to me. With demon beasts frequently harassing the border lately, we're short-handed. A Divine Transformation cultivator might still be useful."
"Yes!"
As her words faded, four figures shot up from the ground, gathering beneath the Black Hole.
After enduring endless darkness for so long, Song Wen was suddenly enveloped in blinding light. His vision blurred, and he struggled to see.
Then, a crushing force descended, pulling him downward.
To his astonishment, the gravity here was at least ten times stronger than in the Tianyuan Realm.
He channeled his Spiritual Power to resist the pull while simultaneously extending his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings.
But as soon as his Divine Sense reached out, Song Wen heard four whistling sounds from below.
He focused his Divine Sense and saw four black chains hurtling toward him.
"Mortal from the Lower Realm, do not resist. We are from the Jiang Family of Shangchu City. Our family elder wishes to see you."
A cold voice echoed in Song Wen's ears.
He had been preparing to use a Minor Teleportation Talisman to escape, but he abruptly abandoned the idea.
His Spirit Sense had detected that the four figures approaching from below were all at the Divine Transformation Realm, with cultivation levels higher than his own—at least mid-stage Divine Transformation or beyond.
The coldly elegant female cultivator's aura was particularly unfathomable.
Even with Song Wen's current Divine Sense cultivation, he couldn't gauge her true strength.
She was at least a Void Refinement Stage cultivator.
The Minor Teleportation Talisman could only teleport one three hundred miles away.
This distance was likely insignificant to a Void Refinement Stage cultivator.
Therefore, instead of rashly provoking the other party, it was wiser to assess the situation, endure for now, and plan for the future.
Seeing that Song Wen didn't resist, the four chains didn't attack him either, merely blocking his escape routes.
A middle-aged male cultivator flew in front of Song Wen, studying him with interest.
When his gaze fell on the Dark Scale Shield in front of Song Wen, a flicker of disdain crossed his eyes.
"Follow me."
By this point, Song Wen's vision had fully recovered.
"Yes!"
Song Wen put away his Dark Scale Shield and passed through the overlapping chains, following the male cultivator.
Moments later, Song Wen stood before the female cultivator.
"Greetings, Senior," Song Wen bowed respectfully.
"What's your name?" she asked, her eyes also filled with curiosity as she studied him.
"Junior..." Song Wen's mind raced, and in an instant, a name from the depths of his memory surfaced. "Junior Ai Kun!"
The coldly elegant female cultivator asked, "Which lower realm did you ascend from?"
"To answer Senior, I come from the Tianyuan Continent," Song Wen replied truthfully.
Song Wen had heard Xu Geng mention that Tianyuan Continent wasn't the only lower realm connected to the mystic realm. However, Xu Geng didn't know the specific names of the other lower realms, making it impossible for Song Wen to lie.
"Tianyuan Continent?" The coldly elegant female cultivator frowned slightly, her tone skeptical. "Why have I never heard of this lower realm? Are you trying to deceive me?"
Song Wen's expression turned terrified as he hastily explained, "I beg Senior to understand! I haven't uttered a single falsehood, nor do I have any reason to deceive you."
The coldly elegant female cultivator pondered for a moment before speaking. "Could it be a lower realm with extremely scarce Spiritual Qi?"
"Senior is correct," Song Wen replied. "Before me, Tianyuan Continent hadn't seen anyone achieve Ascension in over a thousand years."
From the reactions of the group, it was clear that no one had Ascended in this area for a long time. Therefore, Song Wen wasn't worried about his lie being exposed.
"No Ascension in over a thousand years! It truly must be a lower realm with scarce Spiritual Qi," the coldly elegant female cultivator mused, her doubts dispelled. Her tone shifted as she continued, "No Ascension for a millennium, yet you managed to Ascend. It seems your talent and character are truly outstanding."
Song Wen clasped his hands together in a bow, his body bending slightly.
"Senior flatters me. I was merely fortunate."
The coldly elegant female cultivator nodded slightly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
"Considering your arduous cultivation journey, and since Demon Subduing City happens to be short-handed, you shall remain here."
Song Wen paused, his expression puzzled. "Forgive my ignorance, Senior. I am slow-witted and do not understand your meaning. Please clarify."
The coldly elegant female cultivator explained, "When I say you shall remain, I mean you are permitted to join the Jiang Family as an outsider. As long as you serve the Jiang Family wholeheartedly, we will not treat you poorly. We will reward you with cultivation techniques, medicinal pills, spirit stones... all the resources you need.
"The Jiang Family is one of the three great clans of Shangchu City, the largest human city in the Qianchang Wilderness. Joining the Jiang Family will not bring you shame."
Upon hearing this, Song Wen's face flushed with excitement, his expression one of profound gratitude.
"Thank you, Senior. I will dedicate my life to the Jiang Family, serving with utmost loyalty."
Seeing his reaction, the coldly elegant female cultivator's lips curved into a subtle, almost imperceptible smile, as if she were quite pleased with Song Wen's response.
"As a newcomer, you must have many questions. But there's no need to rush. With time, you'll naturally come to understand everything."
After speaking, she beckoned to the middle-aged male cultivator beside her.
"Jiang Xuan, I'll leave him in your care. Take him to make a soul lamp and receive his token."
"Yes," the middle-aged male cultivator, Jiang Xuan, replied before turning and flying toward a corner of the palace complex.
"This junior bids farewell."
After bowing to the coldly elegant female cultivator, Song Wen hurried after Jiang Xuan.
"Brother Jiang... I was wondering, where is Shangchu City located? And what exactly is the Qianchang Wilderness?" Song Wen tried to glean some information from Jiang Xuan.
However, Jiang Xuan was unwilling to say much.
"You don't need to ask. In time, you'll learn everything on your own."
Under Jiang Xuan's guidance, Song Wen quickly completed the soul lamp and received his token.
Then, Jiang Xuan led Song Wen to the towering city walls.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (RDC) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c1178. [+2]
🔑Read UPTO 50 FREE CHAPTERS, visit the pinned post on my pa. treon to learn how!🎉
💥Translated (6) Series, (4.6K+) Chapters, (6.7M+) Words.