Entering Heaven Dou City as If No One Were There

The gates of Heaven Dou City were gradually beginning to close, but this did not affect Lin Xiao. He continued toward the city gates, brushing past the people who had no choice but to leave because the gates were closing.

Yet strangely, those who passed by Lin Xiao seemed not to notice his existence at all. They simply went on their way, hurriedly leaving Heaven Dou City.

Lin Xiao's expression was cool and detached, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked forward unhurriedly. At the very instant the gates of Heaven Dou City shut, he swaggered into the city, and even the soldiers pushing the gates closed failed to notice him in the slightest.

Upon entering Heaven Dou City, the first thing he saw was an exceptionally broad and impeccably clean street. All kinds of buildings stood in neat rows along both sides, with exquisite and beautiful structures visible everywhere.

Although it was already night and Heaven Dou City's gates had closed, the city itself was brilliantly illuminated. Lights shone everywhere, presenting the flourishing splendor of a prosperous age.

Crowds surged back and forth on both sides of the road, shops stood packed closely together, and the clamor never ceased. All manner of colorful banners fluttered gently in the wind.

His eyes were filled with dazzling goods that were almost too numerous to take in. From exceedingly precious medicinal herbs and strange gemstones to finely crafted handicrafts, everything was available.

The bustling crowds within Heaven Dou City had not diminished or returned home with the coming of night. They still wove through its streets and alleys, full of vitality and enthusiasm, seemingly entirely unaffected by the nightfall as they maintained the city's lively bustle.

As the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City's security was naturally well guaranteed. When night came, there was no such thing as a curfew here.

Whether they had been born and raised in the city or had traveled from faraway places, its residents could move about freely at night as they pleased.

Soldiers also frequently patrolled the streets. If anyone dared to cause trouble in Heaven Dou City, they would be seized by the soldiers without hesitation if discovered!

Lin Xiao quietly watched the prosperous scene before him. None of the countless passersby could notice his presence, because he had concealed his aura.

For ordinary people, discovering him was indeed an extremely difficult matter.

"How much of this flourishing prosperity is real, and how much is false?" Lin Xiao could not help but chuckle and shake his head before continuing forward with light steps.

As the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City was enormous, its roads crisscrossing in every direction. If he wanted to accurately find the Crown Prince's Mansion by blindly relying on his own instincts, Lin Xiao did not think he would find it even by tomorrow.

Knowing that he might not be able to find the Crown Prince's Mansion on his own, Lin Xiao finally lifted his concealment and fully exposed himself to the passersby. Everyone who saw him revealed surprised expressions.

Lin Xiao paid no attention to this. Instead, he began asking around for the location of the Crown Prince's Mansion. However, most people had no idea where it was. After making inquiries and gaining no useful information, Lin Xiao could only head deeper into Heaven Dou City and try his luck.

As he gradually moved away from the noisy, bustling district, the clamor slowly faded from his ears. Fewer and fewer ordinary residents could be seen, while the number of patrolling soldiers continued to increase.

As he ventured deeper, Lin Xiao encountered many patrols, yet none of them discovered him. With his aura concealed, ordinary patrol soldiers could not detect him; only Soul Masters could.

"This place is brightly lit, so why does almost no one leave their rooms and come outside? It even feels somewhat oppressive and stifling." Lin Xiao was filled with doubt.

He was simply too unfamiliar with Heaven Dou City, a place he had entered for the first time. Since awakening his Martial Soul, he had hardly ever left Spirit Hall, spending all year cultivating.

There were many things about Heaven Dou City that puzzled him. Why did only its outskirts feel prosperous and thriving? Yet after leaving the noisy district and arriving here, he found the city increasingly difficult to understand.

Compared to the noisy prosperity on Heaven Dou City's outskirts, the atmosphere here was exceedingly oppressive and dreary. The soldiers patrolling back and forth looked hurried, their steps brisk, and their patrols came at an extremely high frequency.

It was as though the prosperity displayed on the outskirts was merely an illusion, while this was the true Heaven Dou City—its real face!

"No wonder. No wonder they knew nothing when I asked where the Crown Prince's Mansion was. They clearly live in Heaven Dou City, so how could they not know?"

"Now it seems Heaven Dou City has a wealthy district as well. The merchants and ordinary residents living on the outskirts can only remain there, while this place, where the true nobles reside, is beyond their reach."

"The prosperity of the outskirts is merely the prosperity of commoners. Compared to this place, it may be oppressive and dreary here, but it is also safer," Lin Xiao murmured softly.

Of course, this was only his speculation. He did not know what Heaven Dou City was truly like. Perhaps he would only learn the real answer after meeting Qian Renxue.

He continued forward when Lin Xiao suddenly became alert and murmured, "Soul Masters?!"

He could clearly sense that the patrol approaching him was no longer made up of ordinary soldiers, but Soul Masters, with strength generally at the level of Soul Grandmasters and Soul Elders.

Lin Xiao leaped up and landed steadily atop an eave. Bathed in moonlight, he appeared exceptionally mysterious. He then lowered his head to look down at the street below, and sure enough, before long, a patrol squad slowly passed by.

Unlike ordinary patrol soldiers, these men were extraordinarily tall and powerfully built. Golden insignias adorned the chests of their silver armor, and every one of them wore a solemn expression while holding a silver spear, giving off an extraordinary bearing.

After the patrol soldiers left, Lin Xiao darted across the rooftops and began to pick up speed in search of the Crown Prince's Mansion. Along the way, he encountered no one else—only patrolling soldiers.

Moreover, as Lin Xiao continued deeper into Heaven Dou City, ordinary patrol soldiers completely disappeared, all replaced by Soul Master soldiers. Their strength grew increasingly formidable, until at last, fortune favored his perseverance, and Lin Xiao finally found the location of the Crown Prince's Mansion.