Sky-Reach City's nightscape shimmered like a colossal dazzling pearl, set upon the land. And just beyond it, a crack in space slowly closed above the nearby hills.
Yan Qing blinked.
A second ago, he was still inside the cave.
Then the system yanked him straight through the void… and now he was here?
"System, is that Sky-Reach City you were talking about?" he muttered.
[ Affirmative.]
"You said it was a four-hour travel time."
[ … ]
"Hey. System?"
[ … ]
What the—?
"System, are you okay ? ".
[ Affirmative. Host, this feature is part of the beginner gift: Instant Travel. ]
"Oh." Yan Qing nodded, completely unbothered. "Well, I'll take it. Might as well head into the city and check out the local specialties."
He stretched lazily.
"Man, I'm famished."
He wasn't.
Nascent Soul cultivators didn't need food or water in the slightest—he just felt like saying it. This was his first time meeting the natives of this so-called Xuanyuan Continent since transmigrating.
The ancient tome in his arm shrank into a palm-sized book with a soft ripple. Yan Qing held it under one arm and descended from the hillside, hovering lightly mid-air.
He took a slow breath.
The air here felt like Earth—just purer, fresher, threaded with faint floral fragrance drifting from the surrounding vegetation.
After a minute or two, he finally dropped low enough for the city to come fully into view.
Even for his modern eyes, the sight was breathtaking.
Tall towers rose like jade spires; the immense city wall gleamed lush green as if carved from solid imperial jade. The gate itself was split in two: one floating high above for flying cultivators, and one grounded firmly on earth for mortals and those who couldn't fly yet.
Dozens of cultivators streaked through the sky—riding swords, gourds, fans, scrolls, odd treasures of every shape.
Yan Qing decided to take the mortal gate.
I'm only Nascent Soul on paper. Better to stay low-key. No need to provoke whatever monsters live in the Central Plains.
[ Reporting. Suggesting host reduce facial brilliance. ]
Yan Qing snorted. "Reduce my what now?"
[ Host facial appearance currently exceeds the average standard of this world. Recommend forty percent reduction to avoid unnecessary attention. ]
"…That does make sense."
This world was full of strong people. Better safe than sorry.
"Proceed."
[ Affirmative ]
Two seconds later—
[ Reconstruction complete. Host may return to original appearance at any time. ]
His face tingled faintly. After confirming no one stared at him like a rare beast, Yan Qing joined the line at the city gate. People glanced at him only briefly—just another good-looking cultivator among millions.
He reached for his pouch, ready to prepare some spirit stones in case a bribe was needed—
—and froze.
A sharp cracking sound cut through the air.
A group of ten or more people were being whipped—not with leather, but with some kind of spiritual whip. Blood splattered everywhere, but none of them made a sound.
Yan Qing's eyes narrowed.
"The hell?"
He darted forward.
Up close, his modern brain faltered.
The victims' mouths were sealed shut—covered by a glowing crimson sigil that pulsed like living blood. They shook violently, silently, tears streaming down their faces.
Slaves.
Suffering real pain, unable to scream.
"STOP!"
His shout cracked like thunder.
The slaver group turned around.
"Oho! What a beauty," the leader drawled, lips curling in an obscene grin.
Yan Qing stared.
What is this brain-dead dog licking his lips at?
"Are they for sale?" he asked flatly.
The leader looked him up and down, dripping disdain.
"You can't afford it, beauty."
His underlings cackled.
[ Assessing hostile target…
Name: Hu Kun
Cultivation: Core Condensation—Early Stage. ]
Small fry.
The crowd behind them murmured.
Some one whisper he is a busybody.
Another murmured he is Softhearted.
Slavery was common in Xiangyuan, hence the people react that way to Yan Qing.
Yan Qing remained patient. "You're about to miss a huge profit. Just give me the price for all of them."
"Oho~ beauty," Hu Kun smirked, stepping closer. "Why not accompany me tonight, and I'll give you one or two slaves to—"
[ Hostile target detected. Recommending disciplinary action ]
Before Hu Kun could finish, the ground beneath him flared.
A circular array erupted with a dragon-like roar—no incantations, no hand seals, just pure intent made manifest. Hu Kun and his men shot into the air, trapped and suspended like insects caught in amber.
Yan Qing's aura leaked out, calm yet overwhelming.
A Nascent Soul pressure blanketed the area.
Hu Kun froze mid-rant.
"A—A NASCENT SOUL?!"
The crowd gasped.
Common in the Central Plains, yes—
—but not standing in line like an ordinary traveler.
Yan Qing's voice was mild.
"Now. Tell me the price."
"S-Senior, forgive us!" Hu Kun stammered, pale. "These goods are… reserved by someone."
"I'll pay twice as much. Explain it to your buyer."
"S-Senior, I… I can't—"
Yan Qing flicked his hand.
The array ignited.
Flames licked the edges, heat spiraling high. Hu Kun shrieked.
"Senior! Please! Spare my life!"
"You refused my offer."
"No—no! Senior, forgive me! I'll sell! I'll sell all of them to you!"
With a thought, Yan Qing dissolved the array.
The slavers crashed to the ground with a series of graceless thuds.
Hu Kun coughed blood. "F-For tweleve slaves… four thousand mid-grade spirit stones, Senior…"
"That's a scam," someone muttered in the crowd.
[ Host. Carriage contains a hidden compartment. Two additional life signs detected. Conditions: critical. ]
Yan Qing nodded casually.
"Four thousand mid-grade for all tweleve—plus the two hidden inside the carriage."
Hu Kun's face drained.
"H-Hidden…? Senior, this humble one—doesn't understand—"
Yan Qing opened his tome.
His fingertip traced the air.
A small circular array blossomed from his hand—growing, magnifying, swelling until it enveloped everything in its radius.
It grazed Hu Kun's cheek—
sliced a line of blood across his men—
then wrapped around the carriage.
The entire vehicle tore free of the ground, hovering obediently beside Yan Qing.
"This is included in the price."
[ Converting available spirit stones to four thousand mid-grade… Conversion complete. Host may retrieve payment from the Qianqun bag. ]
Yan Qing reached inside, found an unassuming ring, and tossed it.
"Count it. Then get lost."
Hu Kun scanned it with trembling spiritual sense.
Exactly four thousand mid-grade spirit stones.
"Th-Thank you, Senior! This lowly one will take his leave!"
They fled like pigs chased by a butcher.
[ Host. The seals on these slaves are minor derivatives of the basic Crimson Array. Any array formed by host—of any kind—will remove them. ]
"Any kind?"
[ Affirmative. Host possesses innate compatibility. These are equivalent to basic arithmetic. ]
"So convenient."
Yan Qing walked a slow circle around the slaves, his fingers sketching symbols in the air. A silver bagua bloomed beneath their feet—gentle, precise.
One by one, the crimson seals dissolved like mist.
And then—
The screams erupted, raw, agonized and terrifying.
The sound of people who had been tortured in silence finally reclaiming their voices.
It tore through the entire gate plaza like a blade.