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

Lin Xuan paid ten low-grade spirit stones, accepted the wooden token and the animal skin paper recording the city rules, and was about to follow the crowd into the magnificent city gate that was a hundred feet high.

"stop."

A slightly cold and hard voice sounded from the side.

Lin Xuan paused, glancing sideways. He saw a Foundation Establishment cultivator, clad in cyan spirit armor and seemingly the leader of the squad, scrutinizing him sharply. The leader had a gaunt face, and his eyes held a scrutinizing arrogance born from long-term control over entry-level authority.

"What is it?" Lin Xuan asked in a calm tone.

The guard leader walked up to him and first glanced at the stone tablet that had just recorded Lin Xuan's magical power imprint. It only showed a simple point of spiritual energy and a vague judgment of "mid-Foundation Establishment", without any sect or family markings.

"You look unfamiliar, and your spiritual energy attribute is quite unfamiliar as well, not the kind of thing commonly seen in our Tianfeng Starfield." The guard leader's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the several cultivators and guards in the queue to hear clearly. "State your background, which sect or faction you belong to, or which starfield you come from?"

All eyes immediately turned to them, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and even a hint of schadenfreude. In Chenxi Ancient City, being personally questioned by the head guard usually meant trouble.

Lin Xuan's expression remained unchanged, his deep pupils revealing no emotion: "A rogue cultivator, who came from the Ancient Burial Star Road."

"The Ancient Road to Burial of Stars?" The guard leader frowned. That area was notoriously barren and chaotic. Any rogue cultivator who could emerge from there alone was either extremely lucky or a desperate outlaw with some skill. His scrutinizing gaze deepened. "From the Ancient Road to Burial of Stars? Do you have an introducer? Or any token that can prove your identity?"

This is deliberate obstruction. In a place like the Ancient Burial Star Road, where would one find an introducer or legitimate tokens?

"No," Lin Xuan answered crisply.

"No?" The guard leader's voice rose a few decibels, carrying an undeniable air of authority. "Then it will be difficult for me to let you in. Chenxi Ancient City is a vital stronghold in the Tianfeng Star Region. How can we allow people of unknown origin to come and go as they please? What if evil cultivators or alien spies infiltrate? Who will take responsibility?"

As he spoke, the spiritual pressure of an early Foundation Establishment cultivator subtly emanated from his body, attempting to put pressure on Lin Xuan. The guards beside him also quietly shifted their positions, subtly forming an encirclement. The light from the ancient bronze mirror above the city gate once again focused on Lin Xuan, its radiance seemingly intensifying.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

A low murmur arose from the queue.

"It's Boss Wang, he's at it again..." "Sigh, this rogue cultivator is unlucky, looks like he's going to get extorted." "From the Ancient Burial Star Road? No wonder he's being targeted, a poor, remote place with no background."

Clearly, this is not an isolated incident. Some guards abuse their power to make things difficult for seemingly unconnected and newcomer cultivators, with the sole purpose of extorting "benefits."

Lin Xuan immediately understood the other party's intention. It wasn't that he couldn't afford some spirit stones, but his path lay in directly addressing his own heart, preferring to obtain things honestly rather than through crooked means. If he easily bowed his head today, his Dao heart would be clouded, and how could he ever climb to the pinnacle in this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation?

His eyes remained calm, but beneath that calm, it seemed as if a cold undercurrent was beginning to surge.

"Oh?" Lin Xuan slightly raised his eyes, meeting the gaze of the guard leader. "In your opinion, what constitutes 'clear origins'?"

The guard captain felt a jolt of fear under the man's deep, star-like gaze, but emboldened by the presence of the ancient city and the protection afforded by its array and rules, he sneered, "Either you have a reliable guarantor, or you pay a deposit of five hundred... no, one thousand low-grade spirit stones! Prove that you've come here to ensure your safety and not with malicious intent!"

One thousand low-grade spirit stones! For an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, this is almost half of their entire fortune! This is not just making things difficult, it's blatant extortion!

A collective gasp of astonishment filled the air.

Lin Xuan smiled. The smile was faint, but in the eyes of the guard leader, it carried an indescribable coldness and mockery.

"What if I... choose none of them?"

The guard leader's face darkened, and he said sternly, "Then don't blame me for following the rules. I'll take you down and interrogate you carefully!" His hand was already on the standard longsword at his waist, and spiritual light began to flicker.

The other guards also drew their weapons, locking their auras onto Lin Xuan.

Just as tensions were about to rise—

Lin Xuan made a move.

He didn't attack, nor did he even assume any defensive stance. He simply... released a tiny bit of his own aura.

Not all of it, but merely his vast, ocean-like spiritual pressure at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, mixed with a trace of the condensed, tangible killing intent and pressure brought about by his experience of fighting star beasts and being reborn from destruction!

"boom!"

An invisible storm suddenly spread out from Lin Xuan as its center!

That aura, though not particularly violent, was as heavy as a mountain and as deep as a starry abyss! The chilling killing intent contained within it caused everyone present to tremble violently, as if they had instantly been placed on a battlefield of mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and collapsing stars!

The head guard, "Wang Tou'er," felt an irresistible force crash down on him, his legs buckled, and he almost collapsed to his knees! His hand on the hilt of his sword trembled violently, and he couldn't even muster the courage to draw it! His face turned deathly pale, cold sweat poured down his back, and his eyes were filled with extreme fear!

The guards who had formed a pincer movement were even worse off. As if struck by an invisible giant hammer, they groaned and retreated repeatedly. The two weakest guards, who were at the late stage of Qi Refining, even sat down on the ground, trembling all over, unable to even hold their weapons steady.

The ancient bronze mirror above the city gate flickered violently, emitting a buzzing sound as if it were about to collapse under the strain. It could no longer fully reflect Lin Xuan's current state, and the mirror surface became slightly distorted.

The cultivators who had been queuing to watch the spectacle were suddenly silenced, as if their throats had been grabbed. Their faces showed horror, and they involuntarily took several steps back, their gazes towards Lin Xuan filled with awe and disbelief.

"Such...such terrifying spiritual pressure!" "This murderous aura...just how many lives has he killed?!" "He's definitely not an ordinary mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

For a moment, the city gate was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only heavy breathing and the unwilling hum of the ancient bronze mirror remaining.

Lin Xuan slowly withdrew the aura he had released, as if nothing had happened. He calmly looked at the almost limp guard captain and spoke softly:

"May I go in now?"

The guard leader snapped out of his daze, his throat bobbing violently. He no longer dared to harbor any intention of making things difficult. He hurriedly stepped aside, his voice dry and trembling, "Y-yes! Senior, please...please come in!"

He even subconsciously changed his form of address to "senior".

Lin Xuan stopped looking at him and ignored the frightened gazes around him. Holding the wooden token, he calmly stepped into the tall gate of Chenxi Ancient City.

The oppressive atmosphere at the city gate only eased when his figure disappeared into the street inside the city gate.

The guard captain leaned against the city wall, panting heavily, his eyes still showing lingering fear. Several of his men gathered around him, their faces still showing shock.

"Boss, this man..." "Shut up!" the guard captain hissed, glancing warily inside the city gate. "Nobody is to mention this again! Pretend it never happened!"

He knew he had bitten off more than he could chew this time. That concentrated killing intent and oppressive aura were far beyond the capabilities of ordinary cultivators. This person was definitely not someone they could afford to provoke.

Meanwhile, on the high vantage points of some pavilions near the city gate, or among the crowd, several figures silently withdrew their attention. Lin Xuan's slight exertion of pressure not only intimidated the gatekeepers but also caught the attention of some observant individuals within the city.

"An interesting new face..." "His murderous aura is restrained, yet his imposing presence is natural; he's a ruthless character." "Investigate his whereabouts."

Silent commands were quietly transmitted from the shadows.