After passing through the city gate passage, the sight before him left Zhang Shuai slightly surprised.
The spiritual energy within the market was so thin it made one frown. Compared to any blessed grotto-heaven he had experienced before, or even certain spiritually barren fringe regions of the Primordial World, it was several times thinner.
At this level of spiritual energy density, it was not even enough to support a Saint's prolonged use of divine abilities. If a cultivator were injured here, they could not hope to recover through meditation and breathing exercises. They could only rely on pills they had stockpiled or directly absorb Chaos Spirit Crystals to replenish their expenditure and cultivate.
Still, upon thinking about it, he could understand. After all, within the Infinite Domain, being able to establish a safe zone like this—one that could ward off erosion and provide a stable foothold—was already a miracle.
For many exiles, merely maintaining the most basic survival here was difficult enough. No one would dare hope for abundant spiritual energy to cultivate with. This was not the Three Thousand Great Worlds outside, after all.
The layout of this market was also vastly different from the "markets" he knew. There were no densely packed shops; it was more like a neatly planned, orderly city.
The overall layout was square, roughly divided into four districts—east, south, west, and north. Each district contained rows upon rows of sizable, ancient-style residences with their own courtyards. These residences appeared to be residential areas, providing a place for cultivators who lived here long-term.
Only at the very center of the city was there a relatively concentrated area that could be considered a commercial district.
Yet this area contained only several dozen shops, and every single one of them was an inn!
There was not a