Ascension City was bustling beyond measure, like a pot of boiling water, with throngs of visitors everywhere.
The cries of vendors, laughter, and lively conversations mingled into a single swell of sound.
Outside the city gates, a sea of heads stretched into the distance, a vast black mass with no end in sight, like an enormous black dragon winding ever onward.
The gateway ahead resembled a ravenous snake with its bloody maw spread wide. No matter how many people entered, it swallowed them all without a trace.
Soldiers from the City Lord's Residence surrounded the gates, clad in matching armor and holding spears. They stood imposing and vigilant, maintaining order.
Working alongside these soldiers were disciples of the Misty Sect in distinctive clothing.
They wore pale white Daoist robes, their sleeves fluttering like immortals descended to earth.
These disciples looked solemn as they carefully inspected everyone entering the city, ensuring that no suspicious people slipped inside.
Under such strict surveillance, no one dared cause trouble here.
Everyone lined up obediently, waiting in orderly queues to enter the city.
Those disciples with power and influence enjoyed special treatment. They had their own entrance lanes and did not need to crowd into line with ordinary people.
These disciples strode proudly down their exclusive lanes, drawing envious looks from passersby.
For the Misty Sect, the spirit stones paid by visiting cultivators to enter the city this time were undoubtedly an enormous fortune.
This source of income alone was enough for the Misty Sect to rake in a tremendous profit.
Naturally, Ying Ming Hao and the others aboard the Flying Ship did not need to get off and queue for inspection or pay spirit stones like everyone else.
Their Flying Ship flew straight over Ascension City, heading directly toward the docking harbor within.