The Legend of Fangren

After traversing mountains and rivers for half a month, the group finally emerged from the forests and arrived at the plains.

Elder Qian said, "Beyond this verdant forest lies Emerald City, the largest city in the southern part of the eastern border."

Compared to Qingye City, which benefited from the Dragon River Sect and was known as the largest city in the Eastern Boundary, Emerald City has a longer history. Because it is far from major sects and has to face more dangerous mystical beasts and monsters, it has a strong military force and high city walls.

Many wandering cultivators also gathered here because of the strong fortress. Over time, the city became a hub for cultivators and travelers from all directions, which led to the development of many industries and even families.

"Elder, from what you're saying, how come the Emerald City is even more impressive than our Dragon River Sect?" a disciple asked.

Elder Qian said, "The Xuan Realm is vast, and sects are not the only organizations for cultivators. However, for ordinary mortals, sects recruit disciples widely, which is the only way for many mortals without connections to enter the cultivation world. Otherwise, how would ordinary mortals even hear about other sects or halls?"

Although among ordinary people, only a few out of dozens or hundreds of people may have the talent to succeed, which may seem like a small number, cultivators have longer lifespans and their generational turnover is much slower than that of ordinary people. Seven or eight generations, or even ten or twenty generations, can live on, which is quite a large number.

Wherever there are people, there is a world of martial arts and chivalry. And when it comes to the martial arts and chivalry of the cultivation world, it is no smaller than that of the mortal world.

"So, does that mean our sect's claim to be the number one sect in the Eastern Boundary is just a lucky coincidence?"

"Of course not," Qian Shaoyun said. "Without the major sects of all realms constantly cultivating new cultivators, where would the flourishing cultivation world be today? No matter how powerful other sects and courts are, they still have to show some respect to the sect. Moreover, many leaders of cultivator organizations are themselves disciples who came from sects."

If one were to describe it, the sect is actually like the university in Fang Shi's previous life. Every year, more than a thousand disciples enter the sect, and naturally, it is impossible for them all to stay in the sect. Otherwise, no matter how big Canglong Peak is, there would be no spare space.

Regardless of whether a disciple is at the Heaven, Earth, or Human level, many go down the mountain every year. Human level disciples have limited aptitude, and most of them go back to live a comfortable mortal life and never return to the path of cultivation.

The vast majority of disciples at the Heaven and Earth ranks descend the mountain not to abandon the path of cultivation, but precisely to seek better cultivation resources.

The power of mystical beasts is difficult for cultivators of the same level to resist. Even with a variety of magical treasures and techniques, it is difficult to guarantee safety for one person to travel alone. Therefore, it is natural for cultivators to travel together, which in turn leads to a larger group of cultivators.

From Fang Shi's perspective, these cultivator organizations are like many large and small companies in the society of the previous life. Some high-ranking disciples in the sect become elders, which can be understood as staying on to work at the school or as graduate students. Such positions are naturally limited, just like resources. No matter how big the sect is, it is impossible to keep all the disciples. Otherwise, the material and logistics would not be able to support them.

Furthermore, not all disciples can tolerate the rules of the sect. It might be fine for a few years, but what about the decades that follow? Most people are still naturally drawn to prosperity. Even if they later see through the illusions of the world and choose to leave it, they still have to enter the world first. In this case, leaving the mountain is a better option.

The girls were naturally excited. Not to mention ordinary families, even a young lady like Qu Mei was equally excited.

She had heard of Emerald City's fame since childhood, and even her scoundrel father admired it greatly, which shows how prosperous and thriving it was.

The human race has five realms, with four major sects guarding the four directions: southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast. However, in the eight wildernesses, there are still gaps where the four boundaries of the southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast intersect. Without a major town to guard them, it is difficult to protect the safety of the human race's borders.

Elder Qian said, "Now that you've entered the city, remember not to be reckless. Every border city is full of diverse and ever-changing people. Second and third-level cultivators are everywhere, and even fourth-level cultivators can be encountered on the road occasionally. This is also a training opportunity to help you settle down and not be as arrogant as you were when you first entered the sect."

There are always people more capable than you, and there are always higher realms to conquer. You may be a big fish in a small pond, but you are still a small fish in a big pond. You should know your place. Mortals may call you a fairy or an immortal, but in the world of cultivation, you are just a greenhorn. You should be careful with your words and actions.

By the way, speaking of being cautious in speech and action, Elder Qian has been putting up with a certain guy for a long time these past two weeks.

"Fang Shi, you cannot ride your deer into the city."

"Huh?" Fang Shi's face fell instantly, his miserable expression full of grievance.

"Elder, how could you do this to me? This deer carried me through countless mountains and rivers; how could I bear to abandon it!"

"..." Elder Qian pinched his straight nose, looking exasperated, and said, "Do you know how conspicuous this appearance will be in the city? If it causes trouble, even Elder Yun and I can't guarantee our safety..."

Moreover, most of the disciples on this trip were female cultivators, which already attracted attention. The area down the mountain is different from the area up the mountain; all sorts of people can be found there. Some people seeking Daoist partners don't care about civilization, and there are even rumors of people selling their own "essence" in the black market.

"Alright..." Having said that, Fang Shi couldn't ignore his senior and junior sisters, so he reluctantly put away the [Spirit Fruit Fishing Rod].

He had tested it the day before yesterday and confirmed that the thing worked exactly as he had guessed. It could control a mythical beast as a mount, and he could also, just like in the game, feed the beast a bite of food from the fishing rod to encourage it to sprint a certain distance.

In this way, he could use an ordinary fishing rod to travel in the mountains and find mythical beasts to ride on the plains. It was perfect, which made his sisters, who had finally learned the Divine Speed ​​Technique, so angry that they used the excuse that "it's just relying on magic treasures" to deceive their young minds.

However, the power of the food fishing rod is lost after it is put away.

As soon as Fang Shi cast his line, the deer's clear gaze vanished, replaced by a head-down charge at him.

He was naturally familiar with the process, and with a swift movement of his axe, he captured his beloved deer and stored it in his Heavenly Ring.

Not to mention the senior and junior sisters, even the two elders were curious about how big the Heavenly Ring Elder Qu gave this kid was, and how much stuff it contained along the way. It never seemed to be full. Not only was it not full, but Fang Shi was always seen taking out things he had never seen before, which showed that it was originally packed with a lot of things.

So it's good to have a master. Whatever props or abilities that seem unreasonable to him—don't ask. Just say they were given to him by his master. He's the eldest disciple of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion, with a special physique. His master is just being kind to his disciple and giving him more magical treasures to protect him.

It was this that angered Senior Sister Qu; she always felt that her brother loved this guy much more than she loved her.

Elder Qian said, "Prepare to enter the city."

As the words fell, a towering city slowly rose from the edge of the distant forest. Through the gaps in the leaves, one could see the neat stone bricks on the thick city walls, covered with moss, exuding an ancient aura. Even the ancient trees in the forest seemed like newcomers compared to it.