Immortal City Regulations

Within a mysterious mountain manor of majestic grandeur, a burly, dignified middle-aged man suddenly swung his palm. A palm-shaped dent appeared in the thick chair forged from pure gold beside him, showing just how tremendous his palm strength was.

"Second Brother, it seems Jing'er must have fallen at this man's hands. What should we do next?" Situ Ming asked from the side. It had been a long time since he had seen his elder brother fly into such a great rage.

"The hatred of a murdered son cannot coexist under the same sky. I will personally cut this man down, or the hatred in my heart will never fade!" Situ Yong said, his eyes bloodshot.

"I'll go to Moonwatch Immortal City with you, Second Brother," Situ Ming said.

Situ Yong shook his head. "No need, Third Brother. We still have enemies in Moonwatch Immortal City. Although Liang Province is somewhat barren, the spiritual materials it produces are enough for you and Xian'er to cultivate with for the time being. My prospects on this trip to Moonwatch Immortal City are uncertain. The burden of carrying on the Lineage in the future will be entrusted to you."

"Second Brother..." Situ Ming's voice caught in his throat.

He journeyed west toward the Great Liang Kingdom. Perhaps because he was drawing closer to Moonwatch City, tales of immortals among the common folk grew increasingly numerous.

There were stories such as that of a scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations, who encountered a fox immortal in a ruined temple along the way. He later earned his scholarly honors and lived together with the fox immortal, sharing both roost and nest.

Above a certain Daoist temple, five-colored auspicious clouds appeared, and a white-haired Daoist rode the clouds away upon a crane.

In a certain river, a fish demon caused havoc and harmed fishermen on both banks. Later, an immortal in black came riding the clouds, split the river open with a single sword strike, slew the fish demon, then stepped upon the clouds and departed.

Spirit Stones could actually enter this mysterious Green Fruit Barrier as well. Lu Xiaotian stared at the Spirit Stones on the ground in surprise. On his journey to the Great Liang Kingdom, he traveled while practicing various spells.

On one occasion, while holding a Spirit Stone and pondering how to increase the power and attack speed of his spells, his divine sense unknowingly entered the mysterious space within his body again. To Lu Xiaotian's astonishment, the Spirit Stone had been brought inside with him.

Wondering whether it could be taken back out, Lu Xiaotian tried again. The Spirit Stone was brought out once more, and the discovery filled him with delight.

Could this mysterious space be like a storage pouch, able to bring in and take out anything containing spiritual energy?

He then experimented with Shadow Ants, Purple Spirit Grass, and the pelts of spirit beasts. He found that living spirit beasts could not be brought inside, but Purple Spirit Grass and spirit beast pelts could.

Unfortunately, he had no spirit talismans on hand, or he could have tested those as well. At the thought of spirit talismans, Lu Xiaotian's eyes lit up.

"Hey, good disciple, how come you vanish for months at a time without speaking to me? I haven't absorbed a trace of spiritual energy these past few months. What have you been doing?"

"My strength is limited, and I don't know any spells. I can't find enough spiritual materials, so naturally I can only rely on my own cultivation. Naturally, there is no excess spiritual energy."

Hearing the black-robed old man's hoarse voice, Lu Xiaotian hurriedly took the Purple Spirit Grass out, lest the black-robed old man discover this secret.

"What a hassle. Why don't you just let me out? You keep me trapped here all day, and I consume your spiritual energy besides. Isn't that a losing deal for you?" the black-robed old man said.

"Dream on!" Lu Xiaotian said coldly, ending his conversation with the black-robed old man.

"Hey, hey, don't go. Keep me company and talk for a while." The black-robed old man called out several times, but no one answered him anymore. Dejected, he drifted off on his own again, searching for a possible exit.

"Waiter, ten catties of mutton, a pot of watered wine, and give my horse some good feed too."

Lu Xiaotian entered a tavern, sat at a table near the side, and gave his order. After several months of travel, he had finally reached the Great Liang Kingdom. He had hurried along for months, eating in the wind and sleeping in the open. With no idea what lay ahead on his journey to Moonwatch City, he needed to properly reward himself.

"Coming right up, sir. Please wait a moment." The waiter called out as he came over to pour tea, then said warmly, "Judging by how travel-worn you are, sir, are you headed for Moonwatch Immortal City?"

"How did you know?" Lu Xiaotian's expression stiffened.

"You needn't be nervous, sir. Every year, quite a few people pass by our little establishment on their way to Moonwatch Immortal City. There are worldly martial artists, and there are cultivators too. But martial artists coming from the east must travel in groups to fend off bandits and fierce beasts. Since you have come alone, sir, you are most likely a cultivator of great ability. Besides, you ordered ten catties of mutton and a pot of wine. Ordinary mortals don't have such appetites," the waiter explained.

"Worldly martial artists also go to Moonwatch Immortal City? Isn't that a place where cultivators gather? Are you very familiar with Moonwatch City?" Lu Xiaotian asked in surprise.

"You jest, sir. I'm merely an ordinary mortal. I've never even left this county in my life, so how could I be familiar with Moonwatch City? But many travelers come and go, so I've heard a thing or two. I don't know much about what Moonwatch Immortal City is like either, but every year, many worldly martial artists do indeed enter and leave it. I've occasionally heard those who returned speak of it. There are also many martial artists in Moonwatch Immortal City. They perform simple menial tasks for immortals in hopes of receiving their guidance. Others may be relatives or family members of immortals. After all, the immortal path is misty and distant, and those capable of cultivation are one in ten thousand. Not every immortal's family has an immortal affinity, so there are occasionally ties with the mortal world."

"So that's how it is." Lu Xiaotian nodded. The waiter was right. Had he not been abducted by the black-robed old man, he would probably still be performing menial work in the Thunder Blade Sect. His family were genuine farmers, not even martial artists.

The waiter said, "It seems you have never been to Immortal Destiny City either, sir. About twenty li northwest from here, I've heard there is an immortal fond of drinking who sells maps to Moonwatch Immortal City. If you're interested, sir, you can give it a try."

"Thank you for the reminder, brother waiter." Lu Xiaotian clasped his hands.

"Not at all, not at all. You're too polite, sir."

After receiving the tip and filling his stomach, Lu Xiaotian mounted his horse and rode in the direction the waiter had indicated. He traveled nearly twenty li without seeing a single person. If not for the fact that there was only one road in this direction, he would have almost thought either that he had taken the wrong road or that the waiter had been spouting nonsense. But on reflection, that seemed unlikely. The waiter was a mere mortal—why would he deceive Lu Xiaotian for no reason?

Burp—

Just as Lu Xiaotian was hesitating, the sound of a loud belch came from a patch of grass dozens of zhang away. Following the sound, he saw a fat man rise from knee-high grass. He was round and plump like Maitreya Buddha, with a large black gourd hanging from his waist. His small, round eyes lent his obese frame a hint of shrewdness.

"Eh, Second Layer of Qi Refining. Little brother, judging by your appearance, you're headed to Moonwatch Immortal City, aren't you?"

The fat man swayed his way out of the grass.

"That's right. I am indeed headed to Moonwatch Immortal City. What advice do you have?" The waiter had been right. The spiritual pressure around this man was stronger than Lu Xiaotian's; he was at least a Third Layer of Qi Refining cultivator. Yet he had simply been sleeping in the grass, reeking of alcohol.

"I wouldn't dare claim to offer advice. I am Zhu Yinhua. My aptitude is limited; after cultivating for several decades, I have only reached the Third Layer of Qi Refining. Unlike you, little brother, you are already not far behind Zhu at such a young age. Your future achievements will be beyond measure. Becoming a Foundation Establishment master may be just around the corner. Is this your first time coming to Moonwatch City from a mortal kingdom?" Zhu Yinhua asked after smilingly flattering him.

"That's right." Lu Xiaotian nodded.

"Excellent! People of destiny like you are exactly whom Zhu has been waiting for." Zhu Yinhua slapped his thigh and said solemnly, "Zhu knows his own aptitude is shallow and that he has no affinity with the great Dao of the immortal path. After bitter reflection, I decided to contribute my humble strength to the prosperity and development of the cultivation world by specially guiding people like you, little brother, who have never been to Moonwatch Immortal City."

"Then many thanks, Brother Zhu. May I ask how one gets to the Immortal City?" Lu Xiaotian automatically filtered out everything Zhu Yinhua had said before that and asked.

"Good question, little brother. Look at this."

Zhu Yinhua took a scroll and a booklet from his storage pouch, then introduced them in a practiced tone. "See this? As the saying goes, a nation has its laws and a family has its rules. Moonwatch Immortal City is the largest gathering place for us independent cultivators. To manage the tens of thousands of Rogue Cultivators within the city, it naturally has its own set of Moonwatch City rules. If you violate them, at best you will be whipped; at worst, your cultivation will be abolished. It is even possible for the city's law enforcement team to execute you on the spot. Therefore, you must memorize these Moonwatch City regulations by heart to avoid bringing disaster upon yourself!"

Hearing Zhu Yinhua make it sound so serious, Lu Xiaotian nodded repeatedly, then asked, "Then what is this scroll?"

"Another good question. This scroll is even more important. As long as you memorize the rules of Moonwatch City and avoid violating them in daily life, that part is relatively easy. But this scroll is more important still. Why has Moonwatch Immortal City become a gathering place for Rogue Cultivators? Because the Moonwatch Mountains contain countless spirit herbs, Spirit Stones, and demon beasts. But the Moonwatch Mountains are also fraught with danger, especially for low-level Qi Refining cultivators like us. Which places can be entered, and which cannot? One small misstep, and encountering a powerful demon beast could mean death and the extinction of one's Dao. If you want to obtain spiritual materials while keeping yourself safe, this terrain map of the Moonwatch Mountains is also indispensable."

"This copy of the Immortal City Regulations costs only one Low-grade Spirit Stone. As for this map scroll, it is priced at three Low-grade Spirit Stones. Equivalent spirit herbs or spirit beast pelts may also be used in exchange." Having said this, Zhu Yinhua looked at Lu Xiaotian with an expectant expression.

Lu Xiaotian hesitated. Thinking that the Purple Spirit Grass was still useful to him, he took a demon tiger pelt from his storage pouch and said, "Will this pelt do?"

"This tiger pelt is fairly intact, but you haven't treated it, and the spiritual energy on it has leaked away badly. It isn't worth much—at most, I can reluctantly value it at one Low-grade Spirit Stone. Do you have any other spiritual materials on you?" Zhu Yinhua asked.

"Nothing else." Seeing the flickering look in Zhu Yinhua's eyes, Lu Xiaotian felt that the man was somewhat sly. Though he wanted the Immortal City Regulations and the map scroll, he decided to test this fat man first.