Majestic City, Southern Heavens

The fleet slowly drifted toward the sprawling cargo docks of Tian Nan Prefecture City, which crouched like a colossal beast along the river's surface—broad as a sea.

The closer they drew, the more they felt the overwhelming aura and suffocating bustle radiating from this prefecture-dominating metropolis.

The dock itself was a noisy, sprawling town, its scale surpassing the entire urban area of Lin Hai County.

Dozens of stone piers built from giant blue slabs jutted out like the savage tentacles of an ancient beast, plunging deep into the murky, swift river current.

Every pier was packed with ant-like crowds—thousands of bare-backed, sun-blackened laborers, muscles knotted, chanting low, rhythmic work songs.

They shouldered and carried loads as heavy as mountains, sweat streaming down their bronze spines, glistening with an oily sheen under the afternoon sun.

Dressed in various colored uniforms, loud-voiced dock managers and foremen, clutching ledgers or whips, bellowed orders to coordinate the massive, chaotic loading and unloading.

Sharp-eyed vendors pushed creaky wheelbarrows, weaving nimbly through gaps, hawking cheap tea, coarse flatbreads, and low-grade tobacco that gave a quick lift but harmed the body.

Armed martial artists with knives and swords stood alert, well-dressed merchants directed servants, and occasionally a few young cultivators in sect-marked robes with uncommon auras passed by, faint arrogance in their eyes...

The mingled sounds, sweat, cargo smells, river brine, and cooking oil fumes formed a hot, coarse, surging wave that rushed at them, nearly driving away the winter chill.

On the river, a thousand sails competed, vessels bow to stern.

Massive official boats fluttered with banners, ornate passenger ships carried faint strains of silk-string music, plain but deep-laden cargo ships stacked high as buildings, and nimble fishing boats dotted the scene.

A few ships with strange rigging and exotic deities carved on their prows—clearly from distant overseas lands—drew particular attention.

Between the vessels, countless small sampans and covered boats darted like water striders, ferrying scattered passengers or small goods, the boatmen's shouts and oar strokes never ceasing.

"My... my dear mother..." Wang Meng's jaw dropped, eyes wide as brass bells, pure awe in his voice. "The prefecture city's scene—no matter how many times I see it, it's still just as stunning."

Even Sun Yun, usually cool and reserved, couldn't suppress a deep tremor in her clear, cold eyes, instinctively tightening her grip on her sword hilt.

Chen Yuan took a deep breath, drawing in the complex, thick air.

This was the breath of the prefecture city—full of noise, competition, sweat, ambition, and endless opportunity, making the heart race and blood boil.

With the pilot's flag signals and shouts, the fleet struggled mightily to dock at a relatively crowded berth.

Zhou Tai and Li Wei immediately sprang into action, jumping ashore to exchange tedious paperwork with waiting dock tax collectors and inspection officials, tally cargo quantities and types, and arrange reliable hands to oversee unloading—busy as bees, feet barely touching the ground.

Li Wei wiped sweat from his brow, glanced at Chen Yuan and the others curiously looking around, thought a moment, and waved them over.

"Senior Disciple Brother, do you have orders?" Chen Yuan asked.

Li Wei nodded, his expression turning somewhat serious. "The handover documents, cargo checks, and warehouse arrangements—this whole process won't be done until at least tomorrow afternoon. We can't all just wait. Wang Meng."

"Here, Senior Disciple Brother!" Wang Meng answered promptly.

"You're familiar enough with the prefecture city, ran a few trips with me back in the day. I've got a proper task for you." Li Wei pulled a small money pouch and a list from his bosom, handing them over.

"This is the list. Go to the 'Hundred Elixir Pavilion' in the city's market quarter and buy these medicinal herbs the martial arts school urgently needs—the storeroom's nearly empty."

"Then stop by the 'Thousand Forge Workshop' and ask if that batch of custom training blades is done. If so, set a pickup time."

"This is the silver for the purchases. Spend it sparingly. Don't get fooled into buying shoddy goods again like last time and catch an earful."

Wang Meng took the pouch and list, his grin fading a bit, and thumped his chest in assurance: "Don't worry, Senior Disciple Brother! Leave it to me—I'll get it done right, and this time I'll keep my eyes peeled."

"Mm."

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Li Wei nodded, then turned to Chen Yuan and Sun Yun. "Junior Disciple Brother Chen, Junior Disciple Sister Sun, you two are new to the prefecture city and don't know your way around. Let Wang Meng take you along to the market quarter to see the sights and get familiar with the routes and environment."

"Remember: look more, talk less, don't cause trouble. Follow Wang Meng's lead. Once the purchases are done, come straight back—no dawdling."

"Yes, Senior Disciple Brother."

Chen Yuan and Sun Yun answered in unison.

Wang Meng carefully stowed the money pouch, scanned the list thoroughly, then grinned at Chen Yuan and Sun Yun. "Let's go, you two. Your senior brother's gonna show you a real eye-opener!"

The three squeezed out of the deafening, sweat-stinking dock area and finally set foot on the streets of Tian Nan Prefecture City.

If the dock was the hottest rim of a boiling cauldron, then the city's bustling interior was the cauldron itself—enough to cook anyone's ambition and dreams.

The sight before them hit the small-county newcomers with another fierce visual and psychological shock.

The streets were unimaginably wide, paved with uniform giant blue stone slabs polished smooth as mirrors, wide enough for over a dozen carriages to race side by side with room to spare!

On both sides, shops stood in dense ranks, buildings of varying heights, banners and signboards stretching endlessly out of sight.

Architectural styles ranged widely—Central Plains with flying eaves and interlocking brackets, sturdy borderland fort-style, and even some with exotic domes or intricate carvings mixed in.

Taverns and tea houses buzzed with noise, tempting aromas of food and wine wafting out.

Silk shops and jewelry pavilions gleamed, their windows displaying dazzling goods, with richly dressed customers coming and going.

Weapon shops glittered coldly, displaying full racks of swords, spears, halberds, axes, and hooks, with special counters for rune-inscribed arms and armor at jaw-dropping prices.

Even more eye-catching were the stores selling cultivation manuals, pills, talismans, and rare materials—their facades often antique or mysteriously styled, guarded by men with deep auras and sharp eyes, silently discouraging mere looky-loos.

The crowd surged like a tide, shoulder to shoulder.

Wealthy merchants in silk robes, apprentices and clerks in short jackets hurrying by, martial artists in form-fitting gear with keen expressions, nobles in ornate sedan chairs escorted by powerful guards...

People of every status, ethnicity, and dress mingled into a ceaseless torrent.

A massive wave of sound—carriages, hawking, haggling, laughter, scolding—pounded their eardrums without pause.

Occasionally, a carriage drawn by four or even six divine beasts, its decorations lavish, would roll past, flanked by a retinue of fierce-looking guards. Pedestrians hurriedly scrambled out of the way, stirring up a small commotion.

There were also martial artists riding tall horses, weapons strapped to their backs, their auras wild and unruly, who would whistle past, leaving a trail of dust and gazes filled with envy or wariness.

Chen Yuan's heart surged with emotion, unable to calm down.

Compared to this place, the bustling Eastern Market of Lin Hai County was nothing more than a rural bazaar.

The prosperity here, the vitality, and that omnipresent sense of power all struck his senses intensely, making him feel both insignificant and filled with boundless longing.

He keenly noticed that the proportion of martial artists on the streets was extremely high, and their cultivation levels were generally not weak.

Qi and Blood Realm practitioners were everywhere, Skin Grinding Realm cultivators were common, and occasionally he could sense a few auras like blazing furnaces—clearly the unintentional leakage of power from experts at the Sinew Changing or even Bone Forging Realm.

Here, his own cultivation of Skin Grinding - Minor Accomplishment was nothing outstanding. He had to be even more cautious.

"Come on, let's head over there. The biggest and liveliest market in the city, the 'Vast Sea Market,' is on that Heaven-Reaching Street ahead."

Wang Meng pointed excitedly at a main road that was even wider and packed with a jostling crowd. At the end of that street, there seemed to be a massive square.

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