Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

With his cultivation firmly established at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, Lin Xuan felt his true essence surging like a mighty river, far more vast and refined than in the early stages. That trace of destructive Daoist aura was like the spiritual essence within black jade, deeply hidden at the core of his power. When withdrawn, it was silent and unnoticed; when activated, it could unleash the power to end all things. He slightly circulated his cultivation technique, and a faint jade-colored luster emanated from his body, his every move carrying a natural Daoist aura.

He rose to his feet, standing atop the meteorite. His tattered blue robe had been replaced with a brand-new, simple blue robe, which accentuated his jet-black hair, his star-like eyes, and his handsome features, adding to his otherworldly air. Although his aura had become increasingly deep and restrained, like a deep, still-flowing well, a hint of chilling sharpness would occasionally flash in his eyes.

He took out the Star Compass, its dark golden surface shimmering with a mysterious luster under the starlight. The nebula's halo rotated steadily, pointing in a clear direction. Lin Xuan quickly discerned the direction, then transformed into a pale blue streak of light and set off again. This breakthrough not only caused his true essence to surge, but also increased his escape speed by more than thirty percent, leaving a swift and elegant trail of light across the desolate starry sky, like a shooting star chasing the moon.

The journey became much smoother from there. Perhaps it was because the destructive aura lingered from his sword strike against the star beast horde hadn't completely dissipated, or perhaps it was because his current mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level brought a certain deterrent effect. Although he sensed some prying eyes hidden in the darkness along the way, no more foolish star beasts or cultivators dared to obstruct him. Occasionally, he encountered a few strangely shaped starships, but they all kept their distance and went their own way.

On the star compass, the light representing the ancient city of Chenxi grew closer and brighter, like a guiding light for those who were lost.

After flying for several more days, passing through a sparse meteorite belt, the scenery ahead suddenly opened up, causing Lin Xuan's gaze to sharpen.

At the edge of the horizon, in the center of a vast star belt composed of countless slowly rotating meteorites of varying sizes, a colossal city floats silently!

It wasn't built on the surface of a planet, but rather directly on the foundation of a massive, mutated meteorite, about a thousand miles in diameter! The city possessed a dark cyan metallic sheen, seemingly fused with the meteorite base beneath its feet. The city walls soared into the "clouds"—not real clouds, but a protective shield of spiritual light shimmering with various runes, formed by array formations, like an inverted giant bowl enveloping the entire city, isolating it from the coldness and vacuum of the starry sky. Streams of light occasionally swept across the shield's surface, and the faint shadows of dragons and phoenixes could be seen moving within, radiating a chilling pressure.

Above the city walls, a dense forest of array towers stood, their tops inlaid with various colored crystals that emitted a dangerous glow. Behind the crenellations, the figures of patrolling cultivators in standard armor could be vaguely seen, disciplined and meticulous. Within the city, buildings stood side by side, each with its own unique style. Some towers pierced the "sky," their spires disappearing into a protective shield of spiritual light; others were magnificent palaces, their glazed tiles shimmering with iridescent light under the starlight; and still others were countless seemingly ordinary stone and wooden houses scattered throughout, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys, giving the city a touch of human warmth. Streams of light of various colors, like a meteor shower, ceaselessly crisscrossed the city, displaying an astonishing prosperity and vitality.

Above the main gate of the giant city, two huge ancient characters, outlined with the power of stars, shone brightly—Chenxi! Every stroke contained a unique Daoist charm, as if expounding some kind of ultimate principle of heaven and earth.

Even though they were thousands of miles apart, a majestic, ancient, and strictly ordered aura was already palpable. Compared to the desolate silence of the ancient star Yinghuo and the bleak carnage they had encountered along the way, this place seemed like another world, a beacon of civilization in the starry sky.

"Chenxi Ancient City..." Lin Xuan murmured the name, a barely perceptible ripple flashing in his deep eyes. This was his first stop after entering this unfamiliar star field, and also the starting point for him to understand the cultivation world of the starry sky and acquire resources and information. He could sense that this ancient city held countless opportunities, but also many dangers.

He did not rush to approach, but slowed his speed and stopped on a small meteorite thousands of miles away from the ancient city to observe from a distance. At the same time, his divine sense, like invisible tentacles, cautiously extended forward, sensing the rules and energy flow of that area.

He quickly noticed the anomaly. Within a thousand-mile radius of Chenxi Ancient City, space seemed to be suppressed by an invisible force, becoming exceptionally stable. Long-distance spatial teleportation or the use of escape techniques involving spatial laws became significantly more difficult. Simultaneously, a powerful anti-flight law enveloped the area, growing stronger the closer one got to the ancient city. While free flight was possible a thousand miles away, once within this radius, a palpable pressure emanated from all directions, restricting both altitude and speed.

All the streaks of light flying towards the ancient city consciously reduced their altitude and speed upon reaching a range of a thousand miles, like mortal carriages approaching a formidable pass, orderly converging towards a few specific "entrances." No one dared to fly or fight recklessly near the city. Occasionally, newcomers who did not know the rules would try to force their way through, and would immediately be intercepted by patrolling cultivators, receiving warnings and fines at best, and being killed on the spot at worst.

"Rules..." Lin Xuan immediately understood. This ancient city had its own order and rules, which were established by the powerful beings who controlled this place and could not be challenged. In this vast starry sky, the ability to establish and maintain such order must be backed by awe-inspiring power.

He suppressed the slightly outward aura emanating from his body due to his recent breakthrough, and pushed the "Gathering Star Technique" to its limit, making himself appear like an ordinary, dusty, mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. Then, like the other streaks of light, he lowered his altitude and flew towards the most magnificent and crowded main gate.

The closer one gets, the more one can feel the grandeur of this ancient city and the immense power of its protective array. The runes flowing across the protective aura each contain enough power to easily annihilate a Foundation Establishment cultivator; they are interconnected and form a unified whole, subtly giving him a sense of oppression, as if he were facing a Golden Core cultivator. The spatial fluctuations near the city gates are completely locked down; any spatial spells will be ineffective here.

The city gate, a hundred feet high, was forged from some unknown dark golden metal, engraved with patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and mythical beasts. Ancient and majestic, it exuded an aura of history. The gate was wide open, but two rows of guards, clad in uniform azure spirit armor and exuding a sharp, powerful aura, stood solemnly on either side. These guards, whose cultivation levels ranged from the late Qi Refining stage to the early Foundation Establishment stage, possessed eagle-like eyes, scrutinizing every person entering the city. The long halberds they held gleamed coldly, clearly not for show.

Above the city gate floated a massive bronze mirror, its surface as smooth as water. It occasionally swept across the crowd below, and where the mirror's light passed, it seemed to reveal the spiritual energy attributes within cultivators, whether they were concealing their cultivation levels, or whether they were carrying any forbidden items. Mysterious cloud patterns were carved along the mirror's edge, subtly connecting it to the entire city's protective array.

All those wishing to enter the city must descend into the shadows before a side hall on one side of the city gate, queue up to complete the entry procedures, and pay the fee. The side hall is made of white jade, and although it is only a place to complete the entry procedures, it is still ornately decorated and imposing.

Lin Xuan followed the flow of people and landed on the plaza in front of the side hall. The plaza was paved with white jade, smooth as a mirror, reflecting the starry sky and the figures of the cultivators coming and going. Small shops surrounded the plaza, selling basic pills and talismans, and some people were even recruiting companions to explore dangerous areas of certain star regions, making it quite lively. The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and conversations among cultivators mingled together, creating a unique atmosphere of bustling marketplace.

He joined the queue and observed silently. He discovered that those entering the city needed to leave a magical imprint before a stone tablet and pay ten low-grade spirit stones to obtain a temporary identity token. This token served as proof of entry into the city and was said to have some communication and recording functions. For long-term residence, a higher-grade identity jade token was required, at a higher cost. The entire process was closely monitored by guards, and the order was impeccable.

"Leave a magical imprint..." Lin Xuan's eyes flickered slightly. This was tantamount to leaving a foothold in the City Lord's Mansion, albeit a very basic one, but it still meant being subject to others to some extent. He saw a cultivator ahead raise an objection, but the guard coldly replied, "This is the ironclad rule of Chenxi! Those who are unwilling may leave on their own and are not allowed to enter the city!" His tone left no room for argument. The cultivator's expression changed, but he ultimately compromised, leaving the imprint and paying spirit stones.

Soon, it was Lin Xuan's turn. He walked to the ancient stone tablet, its surface smooth, with countless fine lines faintly visible. Without hesitation, he extended a finger and touched the surface. He didn't use the true essence containing the Dao of Destruction, but instead channeled a wisp of the most ordinary, neutral, and peaceful Foundation Establishment spiritual power into it. The stone tablet flashed slightly, absorbing the spiritual power, and the lines on its surface seemed to light up with a negligible glimmer.

Immediately, a guard handed over a wooden token of ordinary material, engraved with "Chen Xi" on the front and a temporary number on the back, along with a thin piece of animal skin paper. "Temporary identity token, valid for thirty days. Private duels are prohibited within the city, flying above a hundred feet is prohibited, spying on forbidden areas is prohibited... Violators will be severely punished! These are the detailed city rules, please read them yourself." The guard spoke expressionlessly and rapidly, pointing to a huge jade disc standing beside him, on which various rules were listed in detail in divine thought script, densely packed, numbering over a thousand.

Lin Xuan took the token and the animal skin paper, which felt slightly cool to the touch. He nodded slightly, placed the ten low-grade spirit stones on the stone platform beside him, and then stepped through the tall city gate.