You Mountain City spanned dozens of light-years in both length and width, its entire outline incomparably vast and magnificent.
Seen from afar, it resembled an enormous mystic divine turtle perched atop You Mountain, exuding a vast, weighty presence that gripped the soul.
Multicolored streaks of light shimmered faintly through the void above the city. Each radiated immense power—the power of the city's defensive formation. It was said that a single streak could easily kill any Saint Realm cultivator below the God King level. Even a Tenth-Origin Saint Realm cultivator would be annihilated in one strike.
Flight above most areas of You Mountain City was forbidden. Any violator would be killed!
Luo Feng put away his spaceship and flew toward the city gate.
As for Morosa and Tie Nanhe, he brought them into the Star Tower.
As one of the domain lords of the nine great domains, Luo Feng did not necessarily enjoy special privileges, but his Domain Lord Token served as a pass, allowing him to enter the city with ease.
Enhanced by the formation, the sky inside the city looked more beautiful and pleasant than the sky outside, with its azure expanse and pure white clouds. Apart from the designated "traffic zones" where flight was permitted, almost no spaceships or figures could be seen in the sky, only a scattering of birds.
In You Mountain City, True Gods and those below them were forbidden from flying or using spaceships and other flying vehicles even within the aerial traffic zones. They could only ride spaceships operated by the authorities or other organizations. Only Void True Gods and those above them could fly or use their own spaceships.
Looking around, Luo Feng saw that You Mountain City differed greatly from Azure City. Azure City was packed with buildings, while You Mountain City appeared far less crowded. He could even see stretches of mountain peaks within it. Buildings of many different styles stood in clearly defined districts, making it easy to distinguish those belonging to different civilizations or factions.
Still, almost everyone with a foothold in You Mountain City belonged to a distinguished clan or powerful faction within You Mountain Nation. Behind each of them stood connections to Saint Realm cultivators, or even God Kings, whether living or fallen. Somewhere in their history, from the past to the present, they had enjoyed a period of glory.
Of course, the strongest and most influential faction was the official authority of You Mountain.
Nine Regions Palace, Luo Feng's destination this time, was one of the most influential powers in You Mountain City, second only to You Mountain Prefecture and a handful of other powerful factions.
You Mountain Prefecture governed all of You Mountain, and its prefect was You Mountain, the founding emperor of the You Mountain Empire.
Nine Regions Palace, meanwhile, was an organization directly subordinate to You Mountain Prefecture, responsible for the empire's nine great domains and wielding tremendous authority. The domain lords of those nine domains were merely stewards within Nine Regions Palace, responsible for recruiting troops every Era of Reincarnation and assisting the palace in administering the entire You Mountain Empire.
Although the domain lords of the nine great domains were chosen through challenges, they remained under the direct jurisdiction of Nine Regions Palace, which had the authority to dismiss any domain lord.
Nine Regions Palace stood in the Nine Dragons Mountain Range within You Mountain City, right beside You Mountain Prefecture at the summit.
The Nine Dragons Mountain Range truly lived up to its name. It was said to have once been an ancient dragon beast with nine heads, whose strength rivaled a Peak God King. After You Mountain God King slew it, he placed its corpse atop You Mountain. After countless Eras of Reincarnation, it became the Nine Dragons Mountain Range of today.
Each mountain ridge stretched nearly a dozen light-years, presenting an incredibly magnificent sight from afar.
The division of the You Mountain Empire into Nine Regions had been inspired by Nine Dragons.
Nine Regions Palace was not far from the eastern city gate, only a few light-years away, and Luo Feng soon arrived.
From afar, the Nine Dragons Mountain Range merely resembled dragons. Up close, however, Luo Feng felt as though he were truly standing upon a dragon's body. Even after countless Eras of Reincarnation, he could still sense a kind of "dragon breath" within the ground beneath his feet. Specially processed and transformed, this dragon breath could be absorbed. Anyone who lived here long enough would develop an astonishingly powerful physique, even without cultivating.
"You Mountain God King truly is formidable!" Luo Feng exclaimed. Nine Dragons' malevolent aura had been eliminated, leaving only dragon breath beneficial to divine bodies. Such methods commanded awe.
As Luo Feng marveled, Nine Regions Palace came into view ahead.
The main entrance of Nine Regions Palace was a gateway ten million kilometers high. Above it, the words "Nine Regions" exuded magnificent grandeur, irresistibly drawing Luo Feng's gaze.
What happened? Luo Feng was inwardly startled. When he looked at the words "Nine Regions," he had seemed to fall into some sort of illusion. Had his will not been exceptionally strong, it would have taken him some time to regain his senses.
"Not bad. Your will is quite strong."
Just as Luo Feng recovered from the influence of the Nine Domains Plaque, he noticed a figure emerging from within the gateway. It appeared to be an elderly man.
The old man was not human, though he had two arms and two legs. He wore gray robes, and his distinctly alien face had well-defined features. Wrinkles covered his face, giving him an aged appearance. Numerous round, platinum-colored bumps protruded from his head, making him look somewhat strange.
Luo Feng looked at the old man, whose aura was so completely withdrawn that even he could not sense it. Still, Luo Feng could tell that the old man bore no ill intent.
"You are Galaxy, the new domain lord of the Azure Domain?" Before Luo Feng could speak, the old man studied him and nodded in satisfaction.
"I am Galaxy. May I ask who you are, senior?" Luo Feng asked politely.
"I am the gatekeeper here. You may call me Chi Yi," Chi Yi replied with a smile.
"A gatekeeper? Senior Chi Yi, does Nine Regions Palace need someone to guard its gate?" Luo Feng was surprised. What sort of place was You Mountain City? Surely no one would dare come here looking for trouble.
Chi Yi smiled, understanding Luo Feng's confusion.
Unhurriedly, Chi Yi said with a smile, "Gatekeeper is only a position. It does not signify anything. When you looked at the Nine Domains Plaque just now, what did you see?"
"Senior, I saw an entire world," Luo Feng replied.
"What? An entire world?" Chi Yi exclaimed in shock. "His Majesty You Mountain God King fashioned this Nine Domains Plaque from Nine Dragons' brains. It contains endless mysteries and can measure the strength of a person's 'Heart Force.' The stronger your Heart Force, the greater your potential and your future achievements."
Heart Force?
Luo Feng was puzzled. "What is Heart Force?"
"Heart Force? I do not understand it either." Chi Yi shook his head. "It is a term His Majesty used. According to him, Heart Force is neither divine power nor soul power. It is an internal strength that represents a person's conviction in and commitment to their goals. Those with stronger Heart Force often accomplish great things, provided they do not perish along the way."
"When some people look at the plaque, they see a ladle of water, a shower of rain, a saber, or a spear. Others see a mountain or a sea. Everyone sees something different, reflecting the differences in their Heart Force. The larger the thing they see, the stronger their Heart Force."
"The fact that you saw an entire world means your Heart Force is exceptionally powerful. Your convictions could be said to be utterly unshakable."
Chi Yi looked at Luo Feng with a trace of admiration in his eyes.
After listening to Chi Yi's explanation, Luo Feng finally understood. Wasn't this Heart Force the very thing spoken of in Ancient Huaxia? Within Huaxia's historical traditions, Wang Yangming had founded Heart Studies, which included methods of cultivating Heart Force.
Heart Force was indeed a mysterious, unfathomable power, capable of quietly influencing a person's entire life.
The Earth Lineage created by Mountain Guest seemed to have been transformed deep within the soul, strengthening its Heart Force so that supremely powerful cultivators could emerge.
Heart Force could fully compensate for a lack of talent. No matter how poor one's talent, with sufficiently strong Heart Force, effort could carry one wherever the heart aspired to go. Hong of the Earth Lineage, for instance, was far less talented than Luo Feng, yet his heart was as vast as the world. Wherever he believed he could reach, he would arrive, even if the entire path was strewn with thorns.
"Senior Chi Yi, among those who have viewed this plaque, whose Heart Force was the strongest?" Luo Feng could not help asking.
"The strongest?" Chi Yi pondered. "That I do not know. Of those I know about, you should be the strongest, followed by the chief steward of our Nine Regions Palace. He saw a vast ocean, while I saw only a mountain."
"However, you must remember that Heart Force is only a reference. It does not represent everything. Never grow arrogant or impatient, or your Heart Force will amount to nothing, however strong it may be."
Chi Yi gave Luo Feng a stern look.
"You are right, senior. I will remember your words!" Luo Feng nodded repeatedly.
An arrogant army was bound to lose. He understood that principle well. Perhaps he could afford some pride in the Universe Ocean, but on the Origin Continent, Luo Feng knew he had yet to earn that right.
"Mm." Chi Yi nodded. "I have heard some of your exploits. You likely have secrets of your own, or Mad Demon would not have fallen at your hands. You must still be wary of Palace Master Lihua. Her capabilities are far beyond Mad Demon's. While you remain in You Mountain City, she cannot do much to you, but once you leave, she has plenty of ways to deal with you.
"Still, you can rest assured that her true body will not return for nearly an Era of Reincarnation. During that time, as long as you give her no opening, she should be unable to kill you with the means at your disposal."
"Thank you for the warning, senior." Luo Feng shivered.
Chi Yi nodded. "You Mountain City is not as peaceful as it seems. His Majesty has never explicitly forbidden conflict. Even if people cannot act openly, there are still tricks they can employ in secret. Palace Master Lihua's status is far from ordinary. With her capabilities, hiring someone like Mad Demon was a trivial matter. Who knows which old monster she might enlist next?"
"In You Mountain City, your potential is also part of your strength. The more outstanding your performance, the more importance others will attach to you, and the less they will dare act against you. After studying the Primal Chaos Stele, you can try challenging the Nine Dragons Tower. The farther you advance, the greater your potential will appear, and naturally, the more highly you will be valued."
Looking at the silver-armored human before him, Chi Yi could not help feeling a sense of warmth toward him. After all, Luo Feng belonged to his Nine Regions Palace.
Although Nine Regions Palace belonged to the You Mountain Empire, there were factional struggles within the empire as well.
In his eyes, Luo Feng was a promising prospect.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Chi Yi. Once I finish with the Primal Chaos Stele, I will challenge the Nine Dragons Tower," Luo Feng said. He, too, could feel Chi Yi's warmth toward him.
He knew about the Primal Chaos Stele, and the Domain Lord Token also contained records of the Nine Dragons Tower.
The Nine Dragons Tower consisted of nine Dragon Towers, each with nine floors. Three tested comprehension, three tested combat strength, and the remaining three tested willpower.
Only You Mountain's three God Kings had cleared all nine Dragon Towers!