Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

The massive flying warship cut through layers of clouds before the view abruptly cleared ahead.

An endless swamp appeared before all the passengers' eyes, eliciting sincere admiration from many.

As the flying warship neared its destination, these passengers one by one made their way to the deck, all to behold the spectacular view of the Green Lotus Marsh.

Among them was Wang Chen.

He had arrived in Wan City on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and then boarded this flying warship to travel to the capital of the Southern Region—Lotus City.

Lotus City, located in the center of the Green Lotus Marsh!Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The colossal ship continued to fly forward for half an hour, and everyone saw a city built amidst a lake.

Lotus City!

The city seemed to float atop millions of acres of azure waves, its elevated position giving a bird's eye view of a blooming lotus, with each petal representing a district, linked to one another by arched bridges.

The layers of petals protected a majestic palace.

Wang Chen knew that this was the Southern Domain Palace of the West Sea Sect, governing tens of thousands of miles of spirit domain.

The highest authority in the southern area of the West Sea Spirit Domain!

As per the protocol, as a newly promoted Inner Sect Disciple of the West Sea Sect, Wang Chen's first task was to report to the Southern Domain Palace.

Then register his name, rectify his identity, extract spiritual energy, and establish his Immortal Register.

Eventually, with the help of the palace's Teleportation Array, he would directly reach the Inner Mountain Gate of the headquarters in the Central Region.

Clenching the jade token in his hand, Wang Chen suppressed the surge of emotion within him.

Woo~

Accompanying the deep and powerful sound of the horn, the flying warship descended toward Lotus City below.

At this moment, two beams of light shot into the sky.

They were clearly two flying boats.

Guided, or perhaps monitored, by the boats, the great ship slowly landed on a berth at the outermost edge of Lotus City.

This berth was built over the lake water, and dozens of similar berths were evenly aligned from left to right, nearly half of them already occupied by various flying warships.

The splendor of Lotus City was clearly evident!

When Wang Chen descended from the flying warship and stepped onto the broad walkway into the largest Immortal City of the Southern Region, he felt like a countryman who had just arrived in a big city.

Even at the outer edge of the city, the concentration of spiritual energy was quite rich, carrying a fresh and watery essence.

Being immersed in it, even the mana within his body became more lively.

Without a doubt, long-term cultivation in such an environment would surely accelerate the pace of his practices.

Standing amid the bustling crowd, Wang Chen couldn't help but take a long breath.

It was at that moment a sprightly young boy, around thirteen or fourteen years old, weaved through the crowd and sprang in front of Wang Chen, greeting him with a beaming smile, "Xiao Guizi greets the Superior. May I ask if you need the most familiar guide in Lotus City?"

Xiao Guizi?

Wang Chen smiled and asked, "How many Spirit Stones?"

The boy looked very lively and appeared to be just as restless, not showing much deference despite Wang Chen's cultivation as a Purple Mansion Superior.

It seemed he had seen too much.

Wang Chen was well aware that in Lotus City, as the capital of the Southern Region and the site of the West Sea Sect's palace, cultivators like him at the Purple Mansion level were as common as blades of grass.

Thus, he did not bother to conceal his own aura.

The boy's attitude could not have been more normal.

Seeing Wang Chen inquire about the price, the boy's eyes lit up, and he promptly raised three fingers, "It's only thirty Spirit Stones for one day."

Wang Chen sighed, "Do I look like a big fool to you?"

Thirty Spirit Stones a day!

Back when he had first crossed over, there were only seven Low Spirit Stones and thirty-nine Fragmented Spirit Stones in his Storage Bag.

That was all the savings from his predecessor's hard work farming and tending the fields!

Although Wang Chen's wealth now exceeded a million, that was no excuse for frivolous spending.

His purpose was very clear, and he wouldn't stay in Lotus City for long; he actually didn't need a guide at all.

"This is the going rate!"

The youth put on an aggrieved expression, "Even if I had the greatest courage, I wouldn't dare to offend a Superior!"

To prove that he really wasn't trying to rip Wang Chen off, he counted on his fingers the benefits of having a guide.

For instance, in finding accommodations, Xiao Guizi could help Wang Chen find the most affordable inn in the city.

The inns in Lotus City were notoriously expensive, and there was also the custom of overcharging outsiders, something many cultivators only understood after being taken advantage of a few times.

With Xiao Guizi leading the way, Wang Chen wouldn't have to suffer such losses.

Is thirty spirit stones a day expensive?

Definitely not, the spirit stones saved from three to five days' lodging would amount to more than that.

Furthermore, Xiao Guizi could take Wang Chen to eat the most authentic lake fish.

Lotus City was built on Green Lotus Lake, where the spiritual fish were extremely famous for their delicious flavor and were known for nourishing both the Divine Soul and Physique.

But due to constant overfishing, the number of lake fish had been decreasing every year, and as a result, the prices were sky-high.

Even for the local residents of Lotus City, getting their hands on authentic lake fish was not easy.

"Many of the restaurants sell lake fish that are brought in from the outside and then soaked in Green Lotus Lake for a few days."

Xiao Guizi whispered to Wang Chen, "The price is still outrageously expensive, you definitely mustn't be fooled!"

Wang Chen: "..."

He was truly impressed by this fellow and couldn't help shaking his head, "Alright, then I'll hire you for a day, start by taking me to the most affordable inn you mentioned."

Dusk was about to fall, and if he went to report to the Southern Domain Palace at this time, he was very likely to be turned away.

It wasn't like he was racing to catch a falling pot of soup, there was no need to be so hasty.

To stay the night and go there in the morning would not be too late!

"Alrighty!"

The youth was immediately overjoyed, and he whistled right away, "Big Bull, there's work to do!"

He had just seen Wang Chen shake his head and thought this deal was going south.

But the turn of events made him beam with joy.

The next moment, the sound of horse hooves clattered and a double-seated carriage quickly pulled up in front of the two of them.

The driver, a dark-skinned youth about fifteen or sixteen years old, reined in the horses and showed Wang Chen a guileless smile.

Xiao Guizi bowed obsequiously, "Superior, please."

Just as Wang Chen was stepping forward, he suddenly asked, "Riding in the carriage is an extra charge, right?"

"Superior is wise."

The youth stood up straight, showing off eight teeth, "The carriage and horse fee is separate, we'll only charge you five spirit stones."

Wang Chen looked at him deeply.

He got into the carriage.

Xiao Guizi felt quite guilty under Wang Chen's gaze; he didn't dare to sit with Wang Chen, preferring to run behind the carriage.

His speed and movement were noteworthy.

As the carriage carried Wang Chen through the streets and alleys of Lotus City, he got a true glimpse of the city.

And Wang Chen's biggest impression was that...

There were so many Purple Mansion cultivators! Find adventures at empire

Although most of the pedestrians on the streets were Qi cultivation practitioners, and quite a few were in the Shedding Mortality phase, Purple Mansion cultivators truly seemed to be everywhere, with one or two noticeable at just a casual glance.

Wang Chen could hardly imagine what sort of sight the Inner Mountain Gate of the West Sea Sect would be!

As he pondered, the carriage stopped in front of a building.

Wang Chen looked up to see three gilded characters on the signboard above the door.

Lichun Courtyard.