Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 292 [City of No Return, Four Directions Tower, Gathering Hall] (7200)

Chapter 286 [City of No Return, Four Directions Tower, Gathering Hall] (7200)

Yun Zhao arrived in the Southern Frontier with the title of: Ancestral Hall Affairs Offering and Sacrificial Ceremony of the Black Feather Sky Sparrow Tribe of the Demon Clan, and Special Envoy for Inspecting Tribal Property.

It is said that Yun Zhao was bored at home and wanted to travel around, so he asked the clan chief for this job of inspecting the clan's property.

He now holds a high position in the tribe—although he doesn't have real power. After all, while the chieftain wants to curry favor with the ancestor, he doesn't do it blindly.

After learning about Yun Zhao's background, the clan leader realized that the boy's cultivation had fallen far behind. He personally spent several years training him, finally laying a solid foundation for Yun Zhao and putting him on the fast track of cultivation.

But the fact remains that thirty years were wasted. After Yun Zhao left the mountain and returned to his clan, he only cultivated for a little over ten years, and now he has barely managed to enter the third realm.

However, despite holding the title of ancestral hall worship and sacrifice, which is a prestigious but nominal position without any specific management, the person holds a high position in the clan and is not required to bow even to the clan leader.

At the same time, nominally, they can participate in all matters, large and small, within the clan.

But the clan chief also knew this guy's true worth. He was given a high position, but in reality, he was the most idle person in the clan.

The old man's wish was for him to live freely, and that wish has been fully fulfilled.

But Yun Zhao, restless and restless, wandered around the territory of the Black Feather Skylark Clan for several years. Finally, unable to suppress his desire to see the world, he managed to obtain this opportunity to travel.

Originally, the clan leader was also a little worried about letting Yun Zhao go on a long trip—although Yun Zhao had some cultivation, he wasn't actually stupid; he was just a bit stubborn from being cooped up.

But after all, he is the darling of the ancestor who has said to take good care of him. If he goes out and something bad happens to him, how can we explain it to the ancestor?

After being rejected several times, Yun Zhao couldn't help but lose his temper.

"You won't allow this, you won't allow that! This offering and sacrifice is so stifling, I have no freedom at all. It's like I'm being house-locked in this 800-mile-long clan territory! I might as well take away my position and let me be a wild demon in the mountains!"

Feeling stifled, lacking freedom, under house arrest...

These three words came crashing down one after another, and even the clan leader couldn't handle them.

If this young master were to run to the back mountain and cry outside the ancestor's secluded cave, what if the ancestor became unhappy?

That's the end of my reign as clan leader!

They had no choice but to carefully select an easy mission to go out on, and even sent a respected cultivator from their clan to accompany them as a protector.

·
"In the city, there is a clan property of my Black Feather tribe located in the Sifang Tower in the north city. It has a shop where we sell some special products from the Yinshan Mountains in the northern frontier. In addition, we also undertake the task of collecting some rare materials."

After the previous manager stepped down last year, a new manager was elected to take over. I was ordered to come and inspect the accounts.

In addition, he also brought a list to collect a batch of goods to take back.

Yun Zhao spoke slowly.

Chen Yan nodded – I understand! This is what they mean by "publicly funded travel."

"Although the City of No Return is in turmoil, my Black Feather Lark Clan and the Ghost Clan have always had a good relationship and do business with each other. We are also part of the same demon clan as the local demon clan in the Southern Frontier, and we have always had some business dealings with each other in the past."

In the end, I have connections with both sides, so I have to give them some face.

So I'm not afraid of encountering any danger here.

After Yun Zhao finished speaking, he looked at Chen Yan and smiled, "Since you are a disciple of the Hehuan Sect, you must be staying at the sect's property shop in the North City this time, right? We hit it off immediately. When you have time, we can visit each other more often."

As he spoke, Yun Zhao began to tell Chen Yan about some fun and interesting things and places in the City of No Return.

It's clear that this guy has been a homebody for too long and is longing for the outside world. Although it's his first time in Southern Xinjiang, he has already done a lot of research and learned a lot about the local customs and culture of the City of No Return.

In particular, the "Sifang City" he mentioned was originally a famous place in the northern part of the city.

It was originally a building built by the official seat of the City of No Return, which could accommodate institutions from various sects and tribes from all directions of the realm. It was a distribution center for goods from the south and north, and goods from the east and west.

Furthermore, some restaurants and inns also accommodate guests from all directions. Whether they are rogue cultivators or wild demons, or disciples of noble families and sects traveling abroad, they can all stay at the Four Directions Pavilion.

Chen Yan understood immediately upon hearing this.

It's like a supermarket in a different realm!
The ground floor is a commercial area with various shops, and the upper floor is a hotel.

Isn't this just like Wanda Center?

Fortunately, Chen Yan had heard about it from the ship's steward on the ship he arrived on.

The Hehuan Sect's property store was also located in Sifanglou, so the two of them had the same destination.

·
The two drank tea for a while longer. Yun Zhao was a very curious person, so Chen Yan could only casually tell him about his background.

When Yun Zhao heard that he was a rogue cultivator who had returned from Xueya Pass, he listened with rapt attention, his face full of envy, and he couldn't help but ask a series of questions.

"Are those ferocious beasts really as rumored, possessing immense strength comparable to body cultivators?"

"The vital energy of Bad Earth Mountain is depleted. Even the most powerful cultivators will lose all their cultivation upon arriving there. They can't even match the children of the Beast Clan?"

Is it true that the Ferocious Beast Clan is skilled at taming wild animals?

"I heard they eat raw flesh and blood, and drink blood?"

Chen Yan patiently answered some questions.

He then casually mentioned the great battle outside Snow Cliff Pass, the fighting between the people of the Realm and the Beast Clan on the snowfield, and how rogue cultivators risked their lives as bounty hunters outside the pass to hunt down the Beast Clan in order to earn money to replenish their cultivation resources...

He described the dangers with extreme intensity, but Yun Zhao's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he listened, finally exclaiming with a sigh, "This is what a meaningful life is!! What's the point of living a life where you can see the end from the beginning every day!"

As he was speaking, a series of coughs suddenly came from outside the carriage.

Chen Yan heard it clearly; it was the old servant who drove the carriage.

The cough was powerful and deep, carrying a distinctly intimidating force.

Chen Yan immediately understood that the old servant outside was subtly expressing his dissatisfaction.

Perhaps he felt that his words might be dangerous in bewitching this little darling of the Lark Group.

Clearly, that old servant must be a master sent by the Black Feather Lark tribe to act as Yun Zhao's protector.

Chen Yan didn't want to cause trouble, so he smiled and shut his mouth, not intending to say anything more.

Yun Zhao, however, frowned and said loudly, "Old Liang, we were having a good time talking, don't spoil my mood, okay? It's just a joke, we're not really going."

Old Liang outside didn't speak, but coughed softly again.

The eagerness in Yun Zhao's eyes finally faded. After muttering a few words, he shook his head and said, "It's boring, really boring. I have to be watched even after I come out."

I told Lao Liang, "Stop coughing. From now on, just say what you want to say!"
"You cough so much, doesn't your throat hurt from coughing so much?!"

After a moment of silence outside, Old Liang's deep voice came through: "Young Master Yun Zhao, we've arrived at the north gate of No Return City."

·
The north gate of the City of No Return was built to be exceptionally grand and imposing.

Three massive, arched city gates sit beneath the city walls.

The city gate is nearly ten meters high, and the central gate is the widest, appearing to be as wide as a two-way four-lane road.

The city gates on both sides are slightly narrower, but they still look quite large.

At first glance, the central city gate is specifically for carriages and horses.

The city gate was a bit more lively, with vehicles and various kinds of mounts coming and going.

Chen Yan noticed that the vehicles were all different in design, and even the mounts were varied, including all sorts of rare and exotic beasts.

He saw someone riding a beast that resembled a lion or tiger—this was not unusual.

What astonished him most was that the monk was riding an upright animal that looked just like a kangaroo, only much larger, with a saddle on its back for people to sit on.

And this kind of mount moves just like a kangaroo – it can jump seven or eight meters in a single bound.

Chen Yan glanced at it once and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Is this thing even comfortable to ride? Goodness, it bounces and jumps around like a springy bike.
Yun Zhao, on the other hand, looked on with shining eyes and longing, as if he couldn't wait to go down and get one to sit on and try it out.

The city gates on both sides are specifically for people to enter and exit. You enter through the left gate and exit through the right gate, making the distinction clear.

The City of No Return is protected by a powerful array, and flying is prohibited within its walls. When outside cultivators arrive at the city gates, whether they arrive by their own magical artifact or flying sword, they must obediently land on the ground and then line up to enter the city on foot.

Seeing Yun Zhao staring longingly at the "kangaroo" mount, Chen Yan smiled and asked, "Want to try it?"

Yun Zhao smiled and said, "I know what you're thinking. You look down on this thing, right?"
Brother, you're really mistaken.

This beast is called the Mountain-Turning Beast!
If you're running on flat ground, riding it is just asking for trouble.

But this is southern Xinjiang, a mountainous region with mountains stretching as far as the eye can see.

Riding this thing through the mountains, its jumping ability is strong, and it can run through even the steepest mountains as if it were flat ground!

Wow, I'd only ever heard of it before, but I'd never actually seen it in person. Now I've seen it alive!

"Yes, I definitely need to buy two to take back with me. The Yinshan Mountains in northern Xinjiang are a vast area; riding them into the mountains will surely be fun."

When entering the city, Chen Yan originally planned to show his sect token to the city's garrison of immortal soldiers.

Unexpectedly, the driver, Lao Liang, simply took out a flag from the Black Feather Lark tribe and hung it on the carriage. The celestial soldiers guarding the city glanced at it and waved for them to pass.

The roads within the city of No Return are very well constructed, yet they are indeed unique.

Many parts of the city are mountainous, with many ups and downs.

This kind of terrain reminded Chen Yan of the mountain city of Chongqing in reality.

The City of No Return is also a very three-dimensional city.

After the carriage entered the city, Yun Zhao lifted the curtain of the carriage, and the two sat in the carriage looking at the scenery outside.

To Chen Yan's astonishment, there was actually a tunnel in this city of no return!
Because the city has many hilly terrains, in many places where the road extension is blocked by hills, they simply cut through the hills and dug tunnels to continue extending the road.

Chen Yan even saw a site where "tunnel construction" was underway!

Then they saw a huge "long worm" monster with a body the size of a train car, its head buried in the hillside, its mouth with ring-shaped teeth open, its body contracting and expanding, swallowing a large pile of sand and stones!

They kept "eating" like that, and somehow managed to eat their way into a tunnel at the foot of the hillside.

Chen Yan's heart stirred, and he remembered that this thing was called "Stone Devouring Beast", which was a kind of domesticated "engineering beast" in the domain.

This thing doesn't eat meat or grass, but it eats sand and especially likes to eat stones.

Its survival depends on consuming stones and extracting minerals from them.

This is practically a living tunnel boring machine!

Moreover, it can generate electricity automatically, and it works while eating, without even needing to be fed.

The only thing needed is that when a Stone-Eating Beast is working, a team of people needs to clean up its mess—literally, clean up its mess.

Because this thing really does eat while working, and finishes its work while eating all the way.

But... it eats and poops all the way!
It swallows hard rocks and excretes a soft, clay-like substance. It sounds disgusting, being the excrement of a stone-swallowing beast, but it doesn't actually smell bad; it only has a faint, rusty odor. Moreover, it's very useful as a binder for building materials.

However, cultivators do not use such things—after all, they are excrement, and it is considered unseemly to use them.

It is quite popular among ordinary people; many people welcome this material when building houses.

I've heard that in some places, ordinary people use this to make bricks, and it works very well.

As they watched the cave at the construction site, the stone-swallowing beast had already swallowed several meters deep, and sure enough, seven or eight people were following behind it, carrying containers to sweep up the clay it had excreted, then putting it in bags and throwing it onto a cart to collect it.

It's clear that these are all ordinary people.

Two people dressed in monks' robes sat under a shaded pavilion in the distance, acting as foremen of the construction site—not to keep an eye on these mortals, but to supervise the stone-devouring beasts.

After all, they are beasts, not understanding human nature. I'm worried that if something unexpected happens, they might become ferocious and cause destruction.

·
"This stone-swallowing beast is quite useful, but unfortunately, it prefers humid and hot conditions and cannot withstand cold, so it can only live in the southern border region."

Many years ago, the aristocratic families in the north sent several batches of stone-devouring beasts to the north, but once these creatures arrived in the cold northern regions, they became listless, refused to eat or drink, and died within a few days.

I've heard that over the years, the beast-taming cultivators in Sendai have spent a lot of effort trying to improve the breed of the Stone-Swallowing Beasts, but progress has been very slow.

It's a real shame that such a powerful engineering tool for carving tunnels through mountains can only be used in southern Xinjiang.

Yun Zhao looked at the stone-devouring beast, sighed, but couldn't look away, clearly envious.

Chen Yan figured it out: this young master of the Yun family was even more curious than himself. It was his first time traveling so far from home, and everything was new and exciting to him. He wanted everything he saw.

·
Sifanglou, also known as the domain version of Wanda Center in the northern part of Buguicheng.

After arriving at the foot of the building, Chen Yan looked up and couldn't help but sigh.

This four-sided building, it turns out, meant more than just welcoming guests from all directions...

It's no wonder they chose such a name!
The building's overall shape is also square!

As neat and tidy as if cut by a knife and axe!
Unlike the upturned eaves and corners of ancient times.

The buildings reminded Chen Yan of the large, square buildings in the real world.

Sifanglou is not a single building, but a cluster of buildings.

A rectangular building, seemingly lying on its side, stretched for an entire street.

There is a gap in the passageway at the border. After the carriage stops here, it goes through the gap and enters the inner courtyard of the Sifang Building.

The entire building is shaped like a giant "U".

The gap in the middle leads to the inner courtyard of the Sifang Building.

Once inside, the inner courtyard is quite spacious, with a section on the left for tethering horses and parking.

As soon as the carriage stopped, servants immediately came to greet them. Old Liang showed the servant a token and then tossed him a jade coin.

The servant immediately bowed and took it, addressing him as "Master".

Chen Yan could tell that these servants were all mortals—a trait that made No Return City different from other major cities in the realms.

For example, in Xitai City, the distinction between immortals and mortals is clear, and mortals are generally not allowed to set foot in the inner city's cultivator area.

Instead of returning to the city, it seems that mortals and cultivators live together, with mortals taking on more of the city's miscellaneous tasks.

After Lao Liang tossed out the jade coin and stuffed it into the servant's pocket, he waited for Chen Yan and Yun Zhao to get off the carriage. Then, Lao Liang casually patted the carriage, and the carriage turned into a beam of light, which entered into an iron thumb ring worn on Lao Liang's finger—clearly also a storage magic artifact.

As for the dragon horse that was left to pull the carriage, the servant skillfully led it over, smiling and whispering, "Don't worry, sir, we will take the horse away to wash and feed it, and we will take good care of it!"

"Yes, the costs of cleaning and feeding can be charged to the Black Feather Lark Division's account."

After giving a casual instruction, Lao Liang turned to look at Yun Zhao, and finally his gaze fell on Chen Yan.

Chen Yan was slightly taken aback, but quickly understood the meaning behind Lao Liang's gaze—the old man's look at him was somewhat unfriendly.

She probably felt that her words along the way implied that she was tempting Young Master Yun to take risks.

Chen Yan, of course, wouldn't want to be disliked, so he smiled and said, "Now that we've arrived, Brother Yun Zhao, let's take our leave for now. I still need to go to the Zongchan shop to find a place to stay."

“Alright.” Yun Zhao didn’t press the matter further and simply nodded: “Anyway, we’re all in the Sifang Tower. I can find the Black Feather Cloud Sparrow tribe’s clan property shop, and I can also find your Hehuan Sect’s shop.”

We agreed to stay in touch! If there's anything good to eat or fun to do, I'll come find you.

Chen Yan stood still, cupped his hands in a salute, and then watched as Yun Zhao was led away by Lao Liang and entered the side building to the left of Sifanglou.

He then summoned a servant and asked him, and learned that the Hehuan Sect's clan property shop was in the side building on the right—directly opposite the building Yun Zhao was heading in.

·
The Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Harmony Sect, as a top-tier saintly sect in the realm and a leader of the righteous path, naturally has a considerable business presence in this City of No Return.

The shop here is called "Hejutang". The word "He" is taken from the word "He" in the Hehuan Sect, implying that the property here belongs to the Hehuan Sect.

Hejutang is located in Buguicheng, the largest city in the entire Southern Frontier, and its influence extends throughout the entire region. It is responsible for purchasing and collecting various materials, medicinal herbs, minerals, and other resources produced in the Southern Frontier.

As a formal disciple of the sect, Chen Yan's arrival was naturally greeted personally by the sect's steward.

The manager of Hejutang was surnamed Ma, and like Chen Yan, he was a formal outer disciple of the Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Hehuan Sect.

His qualifications are much more senior than those of Chen Yan, a newcomer.

He was over ninety years old, but because he was a cultivator, he looked like a middle-aged man in his forties. His speech and behavior were quite orderly, and his words and actions were very pleasant to listen to.

This person's cultivation level is at the early stage of the third realm. At his age of over ninety, such cultivation level is considered to be among those who do not have much talent in cultivation within the Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Joyful Union Sect. However, because he is good at doing things and has a sharp mind, he left the sect early and was sent to serve outside the sect. He served as an outer disciple for over seventy years, and for forty of those years he was assigned to manage sect property in various places.

Manager Ma has been in the City of No Return in Southern Xinjiang for almost fifteen years, and has become quite the expert on Southern Xinjiang.

He treated Chen Yan with courtesy, after all, Chen Yan was not an ordinary errand boy, but a genuine disciple of the outer sect weapon refining hall, and was also young.

These young outer disciples, with their impressive cultivation, might have a brighter future within the sect than I do. Someone as worldly-wise as Steward Ma would naturally want to befriend them.

The servants served fragrant tea and fruit, and Steward Ma chatted with Chen Yan for a while.

This person speaks very cautiously, almost as if leaving no room for error.

After their conversation, Chen Yan learned that this Steward Ma was actually a disciple of Elder Qian from Jing'an Hall—he used to be.

However, due to his limited talent for cultivation, after several years of training under Elder Qian, he was assigned to an external post. It was considered a promising future.

Moreover, this person's family has actually been in the Hehuan Sect for three generations!
His father and grandfather were both outer disciples, making them true descendants of the Hehuan Sect!

In particular, his grandfather and father, decades ago, during a "Red Tide" incident—that is, a war of evil invasion—the Hehuan Sect, as the leader of the righteous path and a saintly sect, also summoned their disciples, formed a team, and rushed to the Three Platforms, Eight Passes, and Sixteen Towns to provide support.

Manager Ma's grandfather and father both died on the front lines in that battle.

After listening to this, Chen Yan felt great respect for Manager Ma!

That's some serious background they have!

This is what it means to have shed blood and sacrificed for the sect!
It can be said that Manager Ma himself was not very talented in cultivation, but he was able to be admitted to Elder Qian's sect as a disciple through special circumstances. Even though his cultivation was stagnant, he was still assigned to a powerful position outside. Such a lucrative post was all thanks to the legacy of his grandfather and father!

It is evident that the Hehuan Sect is a righteous sect and truly treats those who have made great contributions to the sect well.

Although Chen Yan has joined the Hehuan Sect, he has not yet formally become a disciple, which means he has not yet received the sect's official lineage.

According to the rules of the Hehuan Sect, once you enter the sect as an outer disciple, you are initially allowed to roam freely—you can attend public classes on weekdays.

However, once you have accumulated enough merit, you can take the initiative to seek out the elders of the outer sect and ask to become an introductory disciple—whether they accept you or not depends on your luck.

Or, one might demonstrate exceptional talent, catch the eye of an outer sect elder, and receive an offer of service—this is yet another possibility.

From this perspective, although Steward Ma is an outer disciple of the sect just like Chen Yan, his background is stronger than Chen Yan's.

They have a master! Their master is Elder Qian of the Outer Sect Jing'an Hall, who is not only an elder but also a senior cultivator and an elder with real power!
Having a master means having fellow disciples and a network of personal connections.

As for Chen Yan, he doesn't have any master's lineage in the Hehuan Sect yet. To be honest, his connections are limited to Nangong Sheng and Senior Brother Wang, the tomb keeper, and some familiar faces, like Zhao Wuji.

Strictly speaking, he was actually a wandering ghost.

After hearing from Chen Yan that he knew Elder Qian, Steward Ma took the initiative to inquire about Elder Qian's recent situation from Chen Yan.

"Knowing that my teacher is in good health, I, as his disciple, am at ease."

I only regret that I lack talent and have no potential on the path of cultivation, thus failing my master's cultivation back then.

I hate even more my own inadequacy, that I cannot stay in the sect and serve my master.

As he spoke with heartfelt sincerity, Steward Ma wiped away two tears.

Chen Yan: "…………"

Look at this, this is what it means to be in charge – emotional intelligence, demeanor.

After chatting for a while, it was discovered that although Chen Yan had entered the outer sect, he had not yet become a disciple of any elder, but he had already become friends with Nangong Sheng of the inner sect. Manager Ma did not show the slightest contempt for him.

After finishing the pot of tea, he smiled and said, "Junior Brother Shanhe, since you're new to No Return City, feel free to wander around and take a look. If you need anything, just tell the people in the shop. I already gave the instructions when you came, and they will do their best to accommodate your needs."

"These are all properties belonging to our own sect; you don't need to be so polite."

After a pause, he brought it up again and said with a smile, "It's just that No Return City is not peaceful right now. It's fine for you to wander around the North District, but you shouldn't go to the South or East District."

Although neither the Ghost Clan nor the Demon Clan are to be feared by our Hehuan Sect, there's no need to provoke trouble.

Chen Yan was also very sensible. He stood up properly and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, senior brother. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Most cultivators don't care much about food, especially those in aristocratic families and sects who often practice fasting. So, the tradition of welcoming banquets and similar events is rare in the realm.

This is where they differ from the Brotherhood at Snow Cliff Pass.

Manager Ma didn't host any welcoming dinner, and Chen Yan was happy to have some peace and quiet, so he was arranged to stay in a guest room behind Hejutang that day.

The guest rooms were quite exquisite, with all the utensils and tableware being of exceptional quality—much more luxurious than the simple rooms at the Snow Cliff Brotherhood.

Some fruits were also brought to the room; they were all spiritual foods, not ordinary items.

Two ordinary servants came to Chen Yan's door to report, saying that they were sent by Steward Ma to serve Master Zhao. Both of them were locals and knew the place well.

Chen Yan thought for a moment, then picked one of the two men who looked honest and kind, and sent the other man away: "I don't need so many people around me, just keep one to serve me."

Actually, it was the aura observation technique that revealed the other person's unpredictable and treacherous fortune; such people are generally cunning and fickle.

The man's name was Niu Bufan. After Chen Yan asked him a few questions, the man answered them in a very serious and straightforward manner, without daring to boast or embellish. Chen Yan was very satisfied and told him to come back to see him early the next morning.

Niu Bufan obediently agreed and took his leave. Chen Yan closed the door, closed his eyes to rest, and pondered his plan.

He dismissed the other servant and kept Niu Bufan alone, not just because Niu Bufan was more honest and simple-minded.

More importantly, after he opened his Heavenly Eye to observe the aura, he recognized that this Niu Bufan had the bloodline of the Ghost Clan!
He is a demon, or perhaps a hybrid demon.

·
(End of this chapter)