Gu Yun once said, "Rice is dear in Chang'an; living in a great city is no easy matter."
It was hard to imagine that a place like Heaven Dou City, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, could still contain such a magnificent, sprawling estate.
The Sky-Blasting Gang's headquarters nestled against mountains beside flowing water. Neither the mountains nor the water had formed naturally; they had been fashioned afterward. Yet they were no less beautiful than nature's own scenery, like a melody with clear, lilting rhythms, carrying a unique freshness and a soul-soothing breeze.
Pine forests rose and fell across the ridges beside the lanes, and fruit trees flourished. Below the ridges, the rivers were clear enough to see the bottom, their waterways encircling the entire range with abundant water. Listening to the murmuring streams and gazing at the fruit-covered slopes and jade-like mountains, one could seek the pure music of the landscape and admire the earth's beauty.
No matter how many times he saw this sight, Emperor Xue Ye felt as awestruck as anyone else.
He still remembered that the Sky-Blasting Gang's headquarters had not been so grand at first. Only as Yang Ming's cultivation deepened, and especially after he achieved success in cultivating the Indestructible Scripture, had he gone alone into Sunset Forest outside the city, shouldered several mountain ridges, and carried them back. He had then ordered people to dig through to the moat and divert its waters around the ridges, creating the incredible sight before him.
Supported by a maid, Emperor Xue Ye stepped down from his carriage.
An Imperial Guard beside him presented Yang Ming's invitation. Only then did the two level-seventy Soul Saints guarding the entrance respectfully step aside and open the gates.
Emperor Xue Ye glanced at the two