Liao Qian led Zhao Hai into Northern Garden Immortal City.
The outer city sprawled over an immense area. Its streets were broad, bustling with crowds, and the cries of vendors mingled endlessly with the laughter of children. It was no different from a mortal city.
The only difference was the Immortal Realm's extraordinarily strong gravity. Although formations within the city canceled out most of its effects on the inhabitants, gravity was still far stronger than in the lower realms. As a result, the mortals and cultivators walking the streets had all tempered powerful physiques comparable to those of some body cultivators.
The two did not linger there.
Knowing the route like the back of his hand, Liao Qian passed straight through the outer city, which stretched for thousands of miles, and finally landed before an enormous, shimmering gate of light a thousand feet tall.
Before the gate, two squads of immortal soldiers in silver armor stood solemnly at attention. Their auras were all above the Mahayana middle stage.
"Halt! The inner city is restricted territory. Who goes there?" The captain of the immortal soldiers stepped forward, pointing his long halberd directly at the two. His voice rang like a great bronze bell.
Liao Qian's expression remained unchanged. He produced an octagonal token and said evenly, "Liao Qian of Stone Altar Hall, here under orders to receive an ascender."
The captain swept his divine sense over the token, then glanced at Zhao Hai, whose aura was tightly contained. His wariness eased somewhat, and he stepped aside to clear the passage.
"So it is Senior Liao. Please enter."
Liao Qian put away the token and explained to Zhao Hai, "The immortal qi in the Immortal Realm is so dense that mortal bodies cannot withstand it. The mortals and low-level cultivators in the