After Mr. Chen arrived in Sleeping Foothill City-Domain under King Xi's orders, he was brought to a relatively sealed chamber hall. The terrain here was high, affording a fine view of the city.
He said, "I had always learned from reports that Sleeping Foothills was no longer what it used to be. If I hadn't come to see it for myself, I truly wouldn't have known what it looked like. To build such a great city in a mere thirty-odd years is no simple feat. These Celestials truly are remarkable. Zi Rui, what do you think of this city?"
The trusted attendant behind him said in puzzlement, "Sir, from what I can see, only the two Ring Halls are passable. There is no Creation Sunstar, making it difficult to transmit messages or scatter spiritual power in all directions. No matter how one looks at it, something is missing. Without Upper Layer power standing guard, there is really nothing extraordinary about this place."
Mr. Chen said, "That is how it appears on the surface. But though there is no Creation Sunstar here, there is a grand formation laid out, drawing upon the earth veins. This is no different from those great cultivation sects. Instead, it makes these people independent of the Hao Clan, able only to heed the voice of Zhu Zonghu alone. I had originally planned to use the techniques of Creation Sunstar as leverage, but it seems that will not work now."
Beyond what he had spoken of, there was another unusual aspect. He had seen far too many Hao Clan city-domains. The lower folk had always been humble and easily oppressed, yet the lower folk here were optimistic and open-minded, brimming with vitality.
In the past, as the Hao Clan expanded in every direction, both the Upper Layer