Azure River Satellite City, Three Districts, Fifteen Rings

Azure River Satellite City lay in the southwest of human territory, an incomparably vast and prosperous supercity.

Every satellite city was among the Human Federation's most important assets, sheltering hundreds of millions of people. Naturally, their defensive capabilities were of the highest order.

Not only were they guarded by powerful Starry-Sky Warrior legions, but their city lords were also among the Human Federation's foremost Eighty-One Marquises—the Azure River Marquis!

The Human Federation's Eighty-One Marquises were each Azure Star's most elite Starry-Sky Warriors. They had traveled far along the Stellar Martial Path, witnessing the earliest upheavals and prosperity of human civilization.

They had emerged from blood and fire. They were the earliest batch of Starry-Sky Warriors, the pioneers and contributors on humanity's path forward, as well as the strongest guardians of human civilization.

Thanks to their immense sacrifices, human civilization had risen from its initial fear and confusion, once again becoming the master of Azure Star.

Thus, the Human Federation bestowed upon them the most honored distinction among Starry-Sky Warriors—Marquis-Sealing Realm!

If becoming a true Starry-Sky Warrior was the greatest dream of countless ordinary people,

then attaining the Marquis-Sealing Realm was the pursuit most fervently desired by tens of millions of Starry-Sky Warriors!

The Era of Stellar Changes had already begun several centuries ago. Generation after generation of geniuses had emerged; it was truly a sky filled with brilliant stars.

Yet to this day, only eighty-one Marquises had been born, showing just how difficult the Marquis-Sealing Realm was to attain.

Every Marquis guarded a satellite city and protected territory stretching ten thousand miles. The cities where they resided were also human civilization's most impregnable fortresses, which likewise showed the strength of a Marquis!

In the Human Federation, every satellite city's main urban area had city walls stretching for tens of thousands of meters. The stone used to build them was a special alloy mixed with Star Iron, tempered blue within black, indestructible.

For a hundred miles around, powerful Starry-Sky Warriors had swept everything clean. Mountains had been blasted apart and moved away, forests burned and cleared, and all ferocious beasts driven off or slaughtered, opening up an absolutely safe, vast plain.

Across the plain, railways stretched in every direction, linking the various Wilderness Zones and other satellite cities. Every day, people and vehicles came and went, creating a flourishing scene.

Finally home...

A silver-white train raced along the tracks, like a colossal dragon speeding onward.

Lin Yuan looked out the window at the rows of artificial woods rapidly retreating behind him, his expression inscrutable.

A month ago, he had still been an ordinary high school student who had failed the joint entrance examination. After six years of bitter cultivation, he had ultimately been no match for aptitude and fate, ending in obscurity and frustration.

Yet one month later, he could sweep through countless ferocious beasts in the Wilderness Zone alone. Even the Tyrant Ferocious Tiger, hailed as the king of ferocious beasts, had fallen beneath his sword.

But in the end, they're only ferocious beasts. They can only show their savagery before ordinary people. In the eyes of the lofty Starry-Sky Warriors, they're not worth mentioning...

Lin Yuan was very clear-headed. He had not grown complacent over this minor achievement.

His gaze fell upon the Talent Traits on his personal panel—

"Swordsmanship Mastery," "Martial Prodigy," "Immunity to All Poisons," "Late-Blooming Greatness," "Heaven-Defying Earth-Shaking," "Devouring Vitality," "Transcendent Comprehension," "Infinite Space," "Invincible Golden Body," "Life Plunder," "Swallowing the Starry Sky"!

A full eleven Talent Traits, equivalent to eleven natal talents.

This was also the key reason he had grown so quickly.

His foundation was simply too profound. Moreover, as his level rose, this foundation would only grow stronger and stronger!

Next, I need to enter seclusion and cultivate bitterly...

Body Tempering is ultimately only the apprentice stage. Only by attaining Flesh Perfection, absorbing the energy of the cosmic starry sky, and refining my own Natal Stellar Force can I truly step through the gates of the Stellar Martial Path.

Lin Yuan's goal was clear, and he was filled with confidence.

Although Body Tempering was difficult, before his current aptitude, it was merely a matter of time.

Before long, Lin Yuan returned to Azure River Satellite City by train.

The instant he stepped off the train and entered the city, he saw the bustling traffic, dazzling lights, thriving nightlife, and the warm bustle of human life.

Lin Yuan's mind drifted. Only after standing silently for a long while did he come back to himself.

Humans truly are social animals... It's only been a month, yet I can already feel the discomfort clearly.

He sighed inwardly.

After all, it had been his first time entering the Wilderness Zone, his first time going so long without seeing any trace of human life, fighting ferocious beasts day after day.

Some loneliness was inevitable.

But as his cultivation deepened and his lifespan lengthened, such things would likely become commonplace. He would naturally grow accustomed to them.

First, I'll go to the Hunter Association and deal with the remaining materials.

After taking a brief stroll, Lin Yuan boarded another vehicle and left again.

Azure River Satellite City was enormous. After all, it housed hundreds of millions of people, so its urban area was divided into three districts and fifteen rings.

The three districts referred to the outer city, inner city, and central city.

The outer city was the largest, with nine residential rings inhabited by the largest population of ordinary people.

Hunters, butchers, workers, teachers, and people from every social class gathered in the outer nine rings. It contained everything beneath the heavens, spread out like stars across a chessboard, and was incomparably prosperous.

The inner city had five rings. That was the territory of true Starry-Sky Warriors, home to ninety-nine percent of Azure River Satellite City's Starry-Sky Warriors, along with their families and relatives.

Although ordinary people were generally not forbidden from entering the inner city, Federation law stipulated that those who were not Starry-Sky Warriors could not purchase property there. Ordinary people could basically only visit normally, then had to leave that same day.

Added to that, the satellite city was simply too large. Even a round trip by vehicle took most of a day, so ordinary people rarely appeared in the inner city. Over time, this gave rise to the current class structure.

The Hunter Association was in the third outer ring, and the ride there took nearly three hours.

After getting off, Lin Yuan looked up to see a vast black iron building, as though cast from bronze and forged from iron. It stood five stories tall, every floor imposing and majestic. Above the main entrance was a special emblem of a blade and a sword—the symbol of Hunters.

As the headquarters for Azure River City's tens of millions of Hunters, the Hunter Association handled registration, announcements, Hunter team evaluations, material trading, and many other services. It was packed almost every day, brimming with activity.

Upon entering the first-floor hall, Lin Yuan expertly found the trading area.

Swish, swish, swish!

Before he could even speak, all the surrounding staff turned to look at him in unison.

His backpack was simply too enticing!

The Hunter backpack, which originally held one cubic meter, had now been stuffed larger than Lin Yuan himself, nearly bursting apart.

One look was enough to tell that his haul was overflowing!

The staff here were all professionals from the major trading houses of Azure River Satellite City. Whether in ability or discernment, they were top-tier.

Without needing another word, they knew a major client had arrived.

They immediately came forward with beaming smiles.

Take inventory. Whoever offers the highest price gets the sale.

Before they could speak, Lin Yuan had already seized the initiative. His expression was calm, his gaze indifferent.

He knew that they belonged to different trading houses, and each had daily quotas for purchasing ferocious beast materials.

The ferocious beast materials he had accumulated over a month were worth several million!

Though that was nothing in the circle of Starry-Sky Warriors, not even worth mentioning, it was still highly attractive within the Hunter circle.

After all, not every Hunter team could reap such gains...

"This..."

The traders from the various firms looked at one another, but they could only agree helplessly and begin taking inventory...