Dao Companions Help Me Live Forever

Chapter 75: Shangyang City

After several hours.

Flying over hundreds of kilometers.

In the distance, a city built around high mountains can be seen.

In terms of size, it is about the same as an ordinary county in Yueguo. At first glance, there is nothing special about it.

It is just ordinary, nothing remarkable.

Yu Xian almost doubted whether he had flown in the wrong direction.

He took out the map he bought from the oasis and compared it with the surrounding landmarks several times, finally confirming with disappointment that this was indeed Shangyang City - the city that he had equated with the immortal city in his heart.

At some point, one of his dreams was to cultivate successfully and then move into this city, which was like a fairyland in the mouths of scattered cultivators.

When they were still about ten miles away from Shangyang City, Yu Xian could already see signs of human activity. He slowly descended from the sky with Yulan and chose to enter the city on foot.

Although Shangyang City was far from the immortal city in his mind, it was also a place with many hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and there were many experts.

As a newcomer, he didn't understand any rules, so it was better to keep a low profile.

If he flew over someone's head in such a casual manner, he might end up making enemies with someone who had a small mind.

There was a road built on the way, and there were traces of wheel tracks left by caravans ahead.

The two of them followed the road and soon saw the city wall of Shangyang City.

Under the city wall were scattered slum areas, arranged in a disorderly manner.

Apart from some exquisite quadrangle courtyards and two-story small pavilions, most of them were simple sheds with a fence around them, which could be considered as houses.

Yu Xian also saw people feeding chickens and ducks, full of vitality.

Seeing this scene, Yu Xian's eyes revealed a nostalgic look.

When he used to work for a certain cultivation family and cultivate the land, he also lived in such a shed. It didn't have any advantages, but it was mainly easy to build and easy to dismantle.

In the middle of the slum area, there was a long and wide avenue that led directly to the city gate.

There were cultivators setting up stalls on both sides of the road.

Occasionally, there would be disputes over the stalls, and the voices would carry far, attracting cultivators who seemed to be city management officers, who would quickly drive away the quarreling stall owners.

But the stall owners here seemed to follow the rules. They only had simple calls and didn't aggressively solicit customers.

Yu Xian held Yulan's hand and they walked slowly, just looking and not buying, but they were secretly shocked.

He thought there wouldn't be anything interesting at the roadside stalls, but after looking closely, he found that the quality of the small stalls here was surprisingly high.

There were elixirs, magical tools, spiritual talismans, medicinal herbs, rare ores, and spiritual pets... They sold everything.

But when Yu Xian thought about it, this was Shangyang City, so he felt relieved.

They walked past the avenue, and Yu Xian saw the city wall up close.

The city wall of Shangyang City was not very high, about five or six zhang, not even half as high as the palace wall of Yueguo.

But Yu Xian carefully noticed that the material used to build the city wall was a kind of unknown metal that had been melted into bricks, and each brick was engraved with shallow runes.

Some of the bricks had indelible dried bloodstains on them, as if they had become part of the city wall.

The entire city wall seemed to be connected as one, giving off an invincible aura.

"It seems that Shangyang City is not very peaceful either."

A thought popped into Yu Xian's mind.

They arrived at the city gate.

The area outside the city was bustling.

But the flow of people entering the city was sparse.

Most of them were cultivators, with a small number of warriors who exuded a strong aura, looking like they were not easy to provoke.

However, these warriors were actually following behind the cultivators, similar to the presence of guards or servants.

Cultivators naturally had an affinity for spiritual energy and frequently exchanged it with the surrounding spiritual energy, as if it was as natural as breathing.

Although warriors could also use spiritual energy, their way of using it was more like plundering, and their interaction with the surrounding spiritual energy was more rigid, giving off a feeling of forcing and pulling.

After seeing it for a while, it was easy to distinguish between the two.

This was also the reason why Yu Xian didn't want to casually take action in the mortal world before. If he encountered a fellow cultivator, his identity as a cultivator would be exposed.

Of course, now that he had mastered the technique of concealing his aura, as a Golden Core True Immortal, he would only let others see what they should see.

The city gate official was a middle-aged male cultivator in the late Qi Refining stage. Seeing that Yu Xian and Yulan didn't have an entry permit, he took the initiative to ask, "Is this your first time entering the city?"

"Yes."

"First, pay the entry fee, one spiritual stone per person."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xian was secretly amazed.

Wow, one-third of his annual income can actually get him into the city.

No wonder everyone builds their houses outside the city and doesn't want to enter.

Going into the city twice would deplete their wealth.

But he didn't say much. The cultivator who was in front of him just now paid the same price. It wasn't about bullying or targeting them as outsiders.

After handing over two spirit stones, the city gate official flipped his hand and took out two bamboo plaques.

"What are your names?"

"Yu Xian."

"Yulan."

One after the other, they honestly answered.

They came here to cultivate, with a clear conscience, not stealing or robbing, so they naturally didn't mind revealing their true names.

"These are your tokens. You can stay in the city until nightfall. If you want to continue staying in the city, you must find a place to live and get a temporary residence permit.

At night, there will be patrol teams in the city. Once they find cultivators staying behind, they will be fined ten times. Be careful yourselves."

The city gate official handed the bamboo plaques with their names engraved on them to the two of them, with a slightly warning tone.

Yu Xian nodded and entered the city with the visibly nervous Yulan.

Buzz!

The moment they entered the city, a gust of fresh air hit their faces.

Just like when they entered the oasis from the Sea of Death a few days ago, the stark contrast between the two environments allowed Yulan to directly break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

And now, Yu Xian also felt the same.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the city was at least fifty percent higher than outside the city!

They came to the right place!

Yu Xian was pleasantly surprised.

Indeed, you get what you pay for. It was reasonable to hope that Yulan's cultivation would gain another level in this place.

Just then.

A man approached them proactively.

"May I ask if you two immortal masters are visiting Shangyang City for the first time?"

Yu Xian looked at the man and nodded:

"Yes."

The man was in his forties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. He was a bit chubby, but one could vaguely see a few traces of his former handsomeness.

When he heard the answer, his face was filled with a smile.

"I'm Zhou Fan. I've been living in Shangyang City for decades and I'm very familiar with the city. If you need a guide, I can serve you."

Yu Xian was surprised: "Can you afford to live in the city?"

Entering the city once costs one spirit stone, and considering the expenses in the city, this person is just an ordinary mortal, yet he can afford to live in the city.

Zhou Fan's smile froze for a moment, and he smiled bitterly:

"In response to the immortal master, I inherited the legacy of my ancestors and have a roof over my head in the city, so I don't have to pay the temporary residence fee."

Yu Xian suddenly understood and asked, "Alright, I do need a guide. What's your price?"

Zhou Fan's expression brightened, and he quickly replied, "I only need three taels of spirit sand per day."

"Friend, I also only need three taels of spirit sand. There are some places in the city that can't be entered without cultivation."

Suddenly, a Qi Refining cultivator who had been observing nearby spoke up.

Yu Xian didn't answer, but instead asked Zhou Fan, "I plan to buy a house in the city. Can you arrange that?"

"I can."

Zhou Fan hesitated slightly, then nodded heavily.

"Friend, I can also introduce you to some houses."

The cultivator behind them was still trying.

Seeing that Yu Xian didn't turn around, the cultivator spat and whispered,

"Damn it, this guy surnamed Zhou is lucky. He can endure a few more days."

While Zhou Fan led the way, he explained,

"I apologize for the trouble, but that person has been trying to buy my house for a long time, and recently, he's been pressuring me a lot."

Yu Xian shook his head and said, "I don't care about your affairs. I pay, you do the job, that's all."

Zhou Fan fell silent immediately.

(End of this chapter)