I run a casino in the immortal realm.

"The Eastern Divine Continent and the Southern Wilderness are different."

Ouyang Tian sighed and continued, "The Southern Wilderness is full of sects. Whoever has the biggest fist can occupy the spiritual veins and establish a sect. But here, there are no simple sects."

"No sect?"

Zheng Yifei was somewhat surprised.

Murong Hao took over the conversation, his tone solemn: "The territory of the Eastern Divine Continent is boundless, ruled by hundreds of large and small courts, including dynasties, imperial dynasties, and even the legendary divine dynasties. These courts are the true rulers of the Eastern Divine Continent."

"Here, all cultivation resources, including spiritual veins, mines, medicinal gardens, and secret realms, belong to the imperial court. The imperial court has established three levels of local government offices: prefectures, counties, and districts, which are managed and distributed by officials at each level."

Besides government officials, there were also powerful and influential families who were dependent on the imperial court.

These families had held official positions for generations, monopolizing key posts in the imperial court and the vast majority of industries. They lived off the majority, while the lower-level cultivators couldn't even get a sip of soup.

A hint of resentment flashed in Murong Hao's eyes: "The social hierarchy is completely solidified. For a rogue cultivator with no background or backing, it's harder than climbing to heaven to get ahead."

No matter how high your cultivation level is, without the court's approval, you're just a commoner. If you dare to illegally mine a tiny spiritual vein, your entire family will be wiped out by the government's demon-slaying guards the very next day.

Zheng Yifei understood: the Southern Wilderness was a lawless world where whoever was ruthless could rise to the top.

The Eastern Divine Continent, on the other hand, has a strict feudal bureaucratic system where everything is highly monopolized and rules are rigid.

"So where are we now?"

Zheng Yifei asked.

Ouyang Tian took out a tattered animal hide map, spread it on the ground, and pointed to a small red dot on the edge: "Our current location is in a large mountain within the jurisdiction of Liuhua County, Yuanyang Prefecture, Tanzhou County, Tianlong Dynasty."

"Since you two have been here for half a year, why don't you settle down in the county town, instead of staying in this remote mountain forest?"

Xu Tianyang asked, puzzled. In his opinion, Ouyang Tian and Murong Hao were both powerful figures in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. It shouldn't be a problem for them to become retainers or guest elders in the county town.

Upon hearing this question, both Ouyang Tian and Murong Hao's faces darkened.

"You think we don't want to go?"

Ouyang Tian cursed irritably, "We thought the same thing when we first arrived here half a year ago, but we couldn't even get through the city gates."

"Can't get through the city gate?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"Yes, we can't get in."

"When we arrived at the city gate of Liuhua County, the soldiers guarding the city asked us to show our travel permits. We couldn't produce them, so they immediately drew their swords and tried to arrest us."

I was furious and wanted to teach them a lesson, so I unleashed the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Then, the array on the city wall lit up.

Ouyang Tian pointed to his nose: "A sixth-order city-protecting formation. Although I am a fifth-order formation master, I have no power to fight back against a sixth-order formation that is directly powered by spiritual veins."

"What's even more serious is that the magistrate of Liuhua County has been alerted."

Murong Hao continued, "That county magistrate is also at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. In terms of cultivation alone, either I or Old Ghost Ouyang could fight him to a draw, but he has an official seal bestowed by the imperial court."

That was a magical artifact used by the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty to gather fortune and mobilize the power of heaven and earth. The magistrate activated his official seal, and in conjunction with the city's protective formation, their fighting strength instantly doubled. He only used one move, and he forced me and Old Ghost Ouyang back ten miles.

"He stood on the city wall and told us that, considering it was our first offense and the difficulty of spiritual cultivation, we should get out of Liuhua County, otherwise we would be treated as traitors and be directly wanted."

Ouyang Tian took a big gulp of wine: "I was thinking of spending some time breaking that sixth-order formation. If you give me half a month, I'm sure I can find a flaw."

But Old Ghost Murong stopped me. He said, "Breaking the formation and storming into the city will be easy, but what we'll face next is the elite army of Yuanyang Prefecture and even Tanzhou County. And those won't be early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators; they might be late-stage Nascent Soul or even Void Refinement stage old monsters."

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Two powerful Nascent Soul cultivators who held sway over the Southern Wilderness were forced back by a county magistrate in a single move, using an array and his official seal, when they arrived in a small county town in the Eastern Divine Continent. They couldn't even get through the city gate.

"So, the two seniors have been hiding in these mountains all along?"

Zheng Yifei looked at the simple surroundings.

"Where else can we go?"

Ouyang Tian rolled his eyes: "Without a household registration, we can't stay in inns, we can't enter shops, we can't buy pills, and we can't even earn a single low-grade spirit stone. In the wild, we also have to guard against those groups of high-level demonic beasts. But there's always a way out. While we were wandering in the mountains, we discovered a bandit's den."

"A bandit's den?"

Xu Zhenghai was taken aback.

"Yes, it's a group of bandits from Liuhua County."

Ouyang Tian pointed in the direction outside the valley: "These bandits specialize in robbing rogue cultivators who gather herbs in the mountains. The bandit leader is a fugitive who has reached the Nascent Soul stage, and he has more than three hundred men under his command."

Murong Laogui immediately struck, smashing the bandit leader into a bloody pulp with a single slap. The remaining bandits, seeing their leader dead, immediately knelt down.

"We took over this mountain stronghold, like a cuckoo occupying another bird's nest, which is barely enough to give us a place to stay. In the six months since we settled down, I set up a receiving array in this secluded valley to bring you over. Now we've used up all the savings we brought with us."

Zheng Yifei was completely speechless after hearing this.

The former sect leader of the prestigious Xuantian Sect and the number one rogue cultivator in the Southern Wilderness Region came to the Eastern Divine Continent and actually became a bandit leader.

"So, are these three hundred-odd bandits now under the command of the two seniors?"

Zheng Yifei asked.

Murong Hao snorted coldly: "A bunch of rabble. All they do is eat, drink, gamble, and rob. They are utterly useless. These three hundred-plus bandits consume spirit stones every day, and the stronghold's treasury is almost empty. If we can't get any more money, we won't even be able to eat."

Ouyang Tian looked at Zheng Yifei with a hint of expectation in his eyes: "Zheng boy, we agreed when we were in the Southern Wilderness that when we got to the Eastern Divine Continent, we would provide the military force, and you would take care of making money."

As you can see, we're both undocumented, and we can't move an inch. You're quick-witted and full of clever ideas; you should come up with a plan for what to do next.

Zheng Yifei rubbed his temples.

He originally thought that once he arrived in the Eastern Divine Continent, with two Nascent Soul stage experts protecting him, he could directly start establishing a business association and realize his grand ambitions.

Reality slapped him hard in the face. Not only did he lack start-up capital and legal status, but he also took over a bandit den that was on the verge of bankruptcy.

"So, our current identities are bandits within the jurisdiction of Liuhua County?"

Zheng Yifei looked at Ouyang Tian and confirmed.

"Yes, I am the boss, Murong Laogui is the second boss, and you guys are the new leaders."

Xu Tianyang, Li Jianfeng, and the others looked at each other in disbelief. They were, after all, sect leaders or renowned sword cultivators in the Southern Wilderness, but now they had become bandits.

"Wanqing, Jianfeng."

Zheng Yifei turned to look at his team.

Su Wanqing gripped her sword tightly, her eyes calm: "Wherever you are, I will be; even bandits will do."

Li Jianfeng nodded: "As long as there are fights to fight and sword practice to do, it doesn't matter."

Xu Tianyang gave a wry smile: "I'll do whatever you say."

Zheng Yifei took a deep breath and turned to look out of the valley. Although the start was extremely bad, the concentration of spiritual energy here was genuine.

Social stratification? The household registration system?

In the world of cultivation, rules are always meant to be broken.