The ruthless pursuit of Azure Dragonzi, the indulgence and tacit approval of Long Panzi, and the chaotic atmosphere inside and outside the alliance all strengthened his determination to rescue Liu Mei.
Luo Chuan spoke calmly, his voice deep yet carrying an undeniable authority. "So, it seems that entering the city openly and legitimately is now as difficult as ascending to heaven?"
"It's so difficult, so incredibly difficult!"
Nado sighed deeply, his face full of bitterness, and said, "Unless... unless he has an identity that even the Azure Dragonzi fears, or holds enough leverage to prevent the gatekeepers from stopping him."
"But we messengers, who come from humble backgrounds, are all alone and have no one to rely on. Where do we get such confidence? I've seen many people wait for hundreds of years, only to leave disheartened in the end. Some were unwilling to give up and secretly tried to force their way in, but all of them ended up with their souls and bodies destroyed, and not even their bones could be found."
Luo Chuan nodded slightly, already having made his plans. The envoy token in his hand was personally bestowed by the Alliance's Hidden Elder, and should have allowed him to pass through without any obstacles.
But now that Azure Dragonzi has absolute power, rashly revealing the token could easily backfire and expose his identity.
Since the obvious path is difficult, let's use Nado as a lead to find out the outer city's defenses and Azure Dragonzi's movements, and then look for an opportunity to sneak in.
Luo Chuan looked up at Nado, his tone calm yet carrying a hidden meaning. "Brother Nado, my entry into the city is imperative."
"If you are willing to lend me a hand, after I succeed, not only will you be able to enter the outer city, but you will also have the opportunity to break through to the Spirit Severing Realm and advance to the Jingnie Realm, as well as the means to avenge today's humiliation. I can give you all of that."
Upon hearing this, Nado looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
He looked at the young man before him, who was using the alias Zeng Niu. Although he couldn't see his face clearly, the aura he exuded and his knowledge of the Ancient God Land were evident.
The details of Luo Chuan's secrets made him vaguely feel that this person was no ordinary cultivator.
He had personally witnessed Luo Chuan's methods of manipulating events on Vermilion Bird Planet back then, and the person in front of him had a close relationship with Luo Chuan, so he might really have extraordinary abilities.
Suppressing his excitement, Nado quickly lowered his voice. "Brother Zeng Niu, are you serious? As long as I can enter the city, avenge this slap, and break through my cultivation level, Nado will go through fire and water for you!"
"I've been in this Alliance Star Domain for hundreds of years and know everything about it. Whether it's the outer city defenses, the whereabouts of the Azure Dragonzi, or the secrets of those elders, I can tell you everything!"
Luo Chuan nodded slightly, downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, and the icy liquid went down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the murderous intent surging in his heart.
"Very well, from this day forward, the two of us will join forces. First, we will enter the city, then find Azure Dragonzi, and finally... confront the true controller of this Cultivation Alliance."
The next morning at dawn, the rooster crowed.
Luo Chuan and Nado returned to the city gate. The old man from before saw Nado and immediately said, " Nado, haven't you had enough of being beaten? Do you really want to die?"
Just as Nado was about to say something, Luo Chuan stepped in, took out his token, and said, "Fellow Daoist, may I ask if you would allow us to enter this place?"
The old man was about to insult Luo Chuan, but when he saw the token in Luo Chuan's hand, he subconsciously frowned. "This is... Seven-Colored Token. Could this person already be Sunie Realm expert?"
The old gatekeeper's previously cloudy gaze suddenly sharpened, fixed intently on the token in Luo Chuan's palm. His arrogance and tyranny froze instantly, replaced by deep astonishment and suspicion.
The token was not the bronze color of ordinary envoys, but rather it was shimmering with seven-colored light, with the Alliance's supreme dragon rune engraved on the front and fine star marrow inlaid on the edges.
It is precisely because it is a core envoy token, personally bestowed by the hidden elders of the alliance, that only those with cultivation at the Sunie Realm or above are considered to be a hundred times more valuable than ordinary envoy tokens. Even the inner elders of the alliance would show it deference.
The old man's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and he swallowed back the rebuke that was on the tip of his tongue. The fat on his face twitched a few times, and his tone unconsciously softened several times over. He no longer dared to show the slightest contempt, but he still showed no intention of letting them pass.
He frowned, sizing up the mysterious young man in front of him who wore a mask and exuded an aura of restraint, and hesitated before speaking.
"Fellow Daoist... your token is indeed the Alliance Core Envoy Token. According to the rules, you should be able to pass directly through the inner and outer cities without waiting."
At this point, the old man subconsciously glanced at Nado beside him, then lowered his voice and said with a troubled expression:
"However, fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but the entire outer city of Heavenly Pivot Star is now under lockdown by order of Lord Azure Dragonzi himself. No one other than a core elder or a direct confidant is allowed to enter the city without authorization."
"Even with a high-level token, without Azure Dragonzi's personal permission, we gatekeepers would never dare to let anyone pass."
"We are nothing but lowly soldiers following orders. Azure Dragonzi is ruthless. If we disobey his orders, not only will my old life be affected, but even my sect and relatives will be implicated."
"Fellow Daoist, you are of noble status and possess profound cultivation. Why make things difficult for this old man?"
Although the old man's tone was much more polite, his attitude was unusually firm. He was clearly completely intimidated by Azure Dragonzi's power and would rather offend the core envoy than disobey Azure Dragonzi's orders.
Nado watched anxiously from the sidelines. He never expected that Luo Chuan would hold such a precious Seven-Colored Token, yet even so, he was still stuck outside the door.
He couldn't help but curse Azure Dragonzi inwardly for his tyranny, but he dared not say a word and could only nervously look at Luo Chuan, waiting for his decision.
Upon hearing this, Luo Chuan's lips curled into a faint, indifferent smile beneath his mask, for he had already anticipated this outcome.
Azure Dragonzi has been arrogant and domineering both inside and outside the alliance for many years. It is common for the gatekeepers to be sycophantic and afraid of power. A token alone is not enough to make them risk their lives to let him pass.
Luo Chuan didn't argue much; he simply flipped his right hand, and a radiant, ethereal treasure appeared in his palm.
That was a mid-grade Immortal Treasure, the Flowing Cloud Fire-Repelling Pearl?
The bead was perfectly round and translucent, surrounded by a pale blue celestial light. Ancient defensive runes were engraved on its surface, enabling it to withstand not only a full-force attack from a cultivator of the same level, but also...
It is immune to all kinds of fire, making it a protective treasure that countless cultivators dream of.
Even on the Alliance Celestial Pivot Star, which is rich in treasures, mid-grade Immortal Treasure treasures are rare and priceless, far surpassing ordinary spirit crystals and magic weapons.
As soon as the Immortal Treasure appeared, the spiritual energy at the entire city gate stirred. A gentle celestial light spread out, causing the pupils of the waiting cultivators around to shrink. They couldn't help but cast greedy and shocked glances, yet they were wary of Luo Chuan's aura and dared not approach him even a fraction of an inch.
The old gatekeeper's gaze was instantly Flowing Cloud Fire-Repelling Pearl, unable to look away even for a moment. His old eyes widened, his breathing suddenly became rapid, and his face was filled with disbelief and extreme longing.