I forge immortality with a pagoda.

Layer upon layer of mountains, undulating like a giant dragon, coiled on the vast land.

Looking out, ancient trees reach for the sky, stretching into an endless sea of ​​trees, covering the majestic mountains with a green carpet.

Shen Yu and his group rode the Nirvana Light Sword and flew for a short while before arriving in the territory of Huayang Kingdom in the central region of Dongling Prefecture.

Nestled within this vast forest stands a magnificent city, Yangshuang City, one of the ten border cities of the Huayang Kingdom.

Near the city, many cultivators could be seen riding various colored lights back and forth, mostly from the Eastern and Southern Regions, while those from the Northern and Western Regions were relatively few.

This is because the Northern and Western Regions border other major states, and many cultivators prefer to travel across states by flying, which takes longer, in order to save on the considerable teleportation fees.

As the three were observing their surroundings and talking in hushed tones, they suddenly saw a group of seven or eight people riding on fiery clouds flying straight toward them.

These people were all dressed in uniform crimson chainmail, wearing gold boots with dragon and tiger patterns, and holding long spears. Judging from their attire, they were not cultivators from a sect, but rather soldiers from the Huayang Kingdom.

As the group approached, the leading general bowed to Shen Yu and his companions, saying, "Greetings, esteemed immortal masters. We are the Imperial Guards of Yangshuang City, here on orders to patrol. We request that you present your 'Huayang Tokens'."

Shen Yu frowned slightly and glanced at Yue Jianxin, only to see that the latter was still sitting cross-legged on the sword with his eyes closed, as if he were in a trance, completely oblivious to the commotion.

He had no choice but to step forward, cup his hands in return, and say:

"Brothers, we have come from afar in the Southern Region and have not prepared any 'Huayang Token'. May I ask what this token specifically refers to?"

The general, named Fang Chi, explained, "Immortal Master, please allow me to inquire. This 'Huayang Token' is a special identity certificate made by the Upper Sect, Xuzheng Immortal Sect, specifically issued to verify the identity of traveling cultivators. Now, all cultivators who wish to enter the territory of Huayang Kingdom must have this token as a guarantee. If they do not have the token, they must come with us to the capital to undergo questioning and identity verification before they can be allowed to pass."

Shen Yu was displeased. "When did this Huayang Decree come about? When I came to Huayang Kingdom to borrow the teleportation array before, there didn't seem to be such a requirement."

Fang Chi said, "Immortal Master came from the Southern Region, and the journey must have taken several months. As for this 'Huayang Decree,' it was only issued by the Xuzheng Immortal Sect two months ago, so it is understandable that Immortal Master was unaware of it."

"Huayang Kingdom is the hub of communication between Dongling Prefecture and the outside world, and can be considered the core of the Five Regions. If all traveling cultivators were required to obtain this order and undergo inspection one by one, it would consume an immeasurable amount of manpower and resources. Surely there must be a reason why the Xuzheng Immortal Sect has suddenly implemented this new policy?"

Fang Chi nodded and sighed, "The Immortal Master's discerning eye is indeed accurate. This decree is not intended for long-term use. The reason why the Immortal Sect issued this decree is actually due to an accident that occurred several months ago."

"An accident?" Shen Yu raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Immortal Master, you may not know this," Fang Chi lowered his voice, "because my Huayang Kingdom has a cross-province array, there are many cultivators coming and going from the south and north every day, a mixed bag of people. Assassinations, duels, revenge and treasure hunting are commonplace. In the past, as long as it didn't escalate too much, the immortal sects mostly turned a blind eye, and our Huayang Kingdom's officials and soldiers were just going through the motions, not having much power to restrain these cultivators with complicated backgrounds."

"However, what happened three months ago was no small matter, and it directly angered the Grand Elder of the Xuzheng Immortal Sect—Wei Lianwu, the True Man Wei."

Nascent Soul cultivator Wei Lianwu!

Upon hearing this name, both Shen Yu and Cui Youxin's expressions turned serious.

Although True Lord Qingjue is the nominal ruler of Dongling Prefecture, the one who actually handles the affairs of the prefecture is Nascent Soul cultivator Wei Lianwu, whose name is renowned throughout the five regions of the prefecture.

Upon hearing that someone could provoke Master Wei's wrath, even Cui Youxin, who had been listening in, couldn't contain his curiosity and asked, "To actually alarm Master Wei? Who is this person, and what earth-shattering incident have they caused?"

Fang Chi paused, a hint of hesitation on his face. After glancing around, he whispered, "Have any of you immortal masters heard of the Void Righteous Immortal Sect's disciple recruitment ceremony held every few years?"

Shen Yu and Cui Youxin exchanged a glance and both shook their heads.

"Every three years, the Xuzheng Immortal Sect opens its gates wide to recruit talented individuals. The scope of disciples recruited ranges from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Golden Core stage. As long as one has excellent aptitude and temperament, one can enter the sect. It can be said that education is for all without discrimination."

Fang Chi explained, "A while ago, it was the Immortal Sect's new round of recruitment. Normally, this matter would be overseen and managed by the senior experts within the Immortal Sect, with layers of screening, so it should have been foolproof. But who knew that a group of initially selected disciples from the Central Region would die mysteriously on the way?"

"They're all dead..." Shen Yu and Cui Youxin exclaimed in shock, "Who dares to ambush and kill disciples of the Void Righteous Immortal Sect who haven't even entered the sect yet? Who is so audacious?"

Fang Chi shook his head, his face grave: "It wasn't as simple as intercepting and killing. It was more like a random massacre. During that time, several important cities within my Huayang Kingdom also experienced a series of sudden deaths of cultivators. Most of the victims were at the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages, and their deaths were extremely gruesome, as if their life essence and vitality had been drained, leaving only a withered human skin."

He paused, his voice lowering slightly: "If that were all, it might not be enough for Master Wei to issue this decree. According to rumors, among those fallen disciples, there was a boy who could be called a peerless genius. At the age of twelve, he had already reached the peak of Qi Refining and had even successfully condensed a ninth-grade high-quality True Qi."

Cui Youxin gasped, his face full of regret. "Such extraordinary talent is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. What a pity! Truly, heaven is jealous of geniuses."

"Who can argue with that?" Fang Chi sighed as well. "After this incident, Master Wei was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. That's how the 'Huayang Order' came about."

"Now, all cultivators entering or leaving the city of Huayang must first obtain this token as proof of their registration before they can move freely. Otherwise, if they are discovered by the patrol team, an immortal from the Xuzheng Immortal Sect will personally come to arrest and interrogate them."

Fang Chi looked helpless and cupped his hands to Shen Yu and the other two, saying, "My cultivation is low, and it is my duty. I would never dare to make things difficult for you immortal masters. However, the sect's orders are strict, and we have no choice but to follow them. I hope you immortal masters will understand."

"This..." Shen Yu was speechless for a moment, looking troubled.

Just then, Yue Jianxin, who had been keeping his eyes closed and silent, slowly opened them.

He did not stand up, but simply said, "We are disciples of the Lu Jing Sect of the Southern Region. We are here to use your esteemed location's teleportation array to search for a missing true disciple of our sect in Dongmi Prefecture. The situation is urgent and concerns our lives."

After speaking, he flicked his sleeve slightly, and a jade token flew out and hovered in front of Fang Chi.

The three characters "Lu Jingzong" are engraved on the jade plaque.

Upon seeing this, General Fang Chi dared not delay. He quickly stepped forward, took the jade token with both hands, and examined it carefully several times.

After confirming that everything was correct, his expression became even more respectful, and he bowed deeply.

"I was blind and did not recognize your greatness. I have met the Immortal of Lujing Sect! As an Immortal Master of a high sect in the Southern Region, this jade token is the best proof. Please, Immortals, you may proceed to the capital without any further obstacles."

He gestured with his hand, and the soldiers behind him immediately made way for him.

After Shen Yu and the other two rode the sword light and sped away into the distance, their figures completely disappearing from sight, a young soldier behind Fang Chi dared to approach.

"General Fang, according to the rules, letting them pass without the Huayang Token would be against the rules, and what if it's discovered..."

Fang Chi glanced at him and said, "You blockhead, didn't you see who those people were? Lu Jing Sect, one of the three major sects in the Southern Region, a sect that ranks highly in the entire Eastern Lingzhou. Their elder jade token is the best proof."

He paused, "Even if these people are stopped by the sect's deacons in the future, how will they know that we were involved? We should just do our job and avoid getting into trouble."

The soldier shrank back and said sheepishly, "General, you are right. I was foolish and didn't think things through. Thanks to your wise judgment, General, I was spared a lot of trouble."

Fang Chi ignored him and turned to look in the direction where Shen Yu and the others had left, muttering to himself.

"The elders of the Lu Jing Sect have personally gone to Dongmi Prefecture to search for someone, and it seems things aren't peaceful there either. Alas, these are truly turbulent times..."

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