Chương 133: Purchasing the Cave Dwelling!

The airship gradually slowed down and eventually hovered on the sea several miles from the coastline.

Only when they got this close did Zhou Ding and his companions truly realize that the outer defenses of this colossal structure called "Tianxing City" were far more stringent than they had imagined.

A colossal city wall, tens of feet high and made entirely of a deep blue color, seemingly forged from metal and boulders, stretches along the coastline of the entire island like a sleeping ancient dragon, seemingly without end, tightly encircling and protecting the entire city.

The city wall is thick and imposing, its surface engraved with countless complex and mysterious defensive runes that faintly shimmer with spiritual light, exuding an aura of indestructibility and impervious to all magic.

Just looking at it from afar inspires awe and makes one dare not have the slightest thought of overstepping boundaries.

The area beneath the city walls was not entirely enclosed. Along the long coastline, more than a dozen gates of varying sizes were carved and constructed.

There was a huge wharf specifically for ordinary people to dock their ships and load and unload cargo. Masts stood like a forest, and the place was bustling with noise. The shouts of laborers and the cries of merchants could be faintly heard.

There are artificial bays that have been created specifically for taming and mooring some relatively docile aquatic monsters or large spirit boats. Cultivators often ride strange-looking sea beasts in and out.

Of course, the most numerous were the city gates for cultivators to pass through.

These city gates appear rather "small" compared to the magnificent city walls, but they are still several meters high and wide, enough to accommodate large magical artifacts or groups of cultivators. At each city gate, there are cultivators guarding the gates, dressed in uniform white robes with stars and palace insignia embroidered on their chests. Their auras are deep and their eyes are sharp, clearly indicating that they are well-trained and are the law enforcement guards of the Star Palace.

At this moment, not far ahead of them, at a city gate, a middle-aged cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage was talking with two Star Palace guards.

The cultivator looked slightly reserved as he took out three low-grade spirit stones and handed them to one of the guards.

The guard took the spirit stone, and after verifying that it was correct, he took out a light blue ring, seemingly made of some kind of spirit jade, from a jade box beside him, handed it to the cultivator, and gave him a few brief instructions.

The middle-aged cultivator took the ring and casually put it on the index finger of his left hand. The ring then flickered slightly and automatically adjusted its size to fit his finger.

The guard then waved for him to pass, and the middle-aged cultivator quickly walked into the city gate and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

"Identity ring..." Zhou Ding's eyes flickered slightly, and he understood.

This is exactly the same as the description in the original work.

As the headquarters of the Star Palace, Tianxing City is managed with extreme strictness. All cultivators entering the city, regardless of their cultivation level, must obtain a "ring" that represents their identity and residency rights.

This is an important means for the Star Palace to control the order within the city, distinguish between insiders and outsiders, and collect the "head tax".

"Let's go, let's go and complete the formalities too." Zhou Ding said to Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei, put away the flying boat, and the three of them rode on their escape light, landing lightly on the open ground in front of the city gate.

Their arrival, especially the heavy spiritual pressure that Zhou Ding and Xin Ruyin, who did not deliberately conceal, possessed as Core Formation cultivators, immediately attracted the attention of the city gate guards.

The two guards who had been standing at attention suddenly became serious, exchanged a quick glance, and their attitude immediately became several times more respectful than when they were facing the Foundation Establishment cultivator.

One of the older, more composed guards stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a respectful but firm voice, "Fellow Daoists, is this your first time entering the city? According to the rules of this city, all cultivators entering the city must obtain an identity ring. Please show us your cultivation credentials, or I may conduct a brief inspection."

Zhou Ding nodded slightly and exchanged a glance with Xin Ruyin. With a slight change of heart, they stopped trying to suppress their spiritual pressure, which was unique to Core Formation stage cultivators and was more condensed and vast, and naturally revealed a trace of it.

Although it was only a trace, it was enough to make the two late-stage Foundation Establishment guards feel a slight tightness in their chests, and their hearts trembled, confirming the truth without a doubt.

The older guard's eyes showed even greater reverence. He quickly stepped aside and led the guard to a slightly more spacious pavilion next to him, furnished with simple tables and chairs: "So it's you two seniors who have arrived! My apologies for my rudeness! Please, seniors, move into the pavilion and have a seat. I will immediately prepare the rings for you."

The Star Palace clearly has different rules and treatment for Core Formation cultivators.

Zhou Ding and his two companions followed the guards into the pavilion. Another guard quickly brought out two exquisite jade plates from the inner room. On each plate was a jade ring with a bright red color, like pigeon blood, with a warm and delicate texture and a faint glow, as well as a thin roll of animal skin.

"Seniors, this is a permanent residence ring for Tianxing City. Core Formation stage seniors can apply for it for free."

The older guard respectfully presented a jade plate to Zhou Ding with both hands, then handed another to Xin Ruyin: "With just a drop of your essence blood, the ring will automatically recognize you and record your aura. With this red ring, you can reside permanently in Tianxing City, freely enter and exit all levels, and enjoy certain corresponding conveniences. These are the relevant city rules and regulations; please review them, senior."

He then looked at Xiao Mei, whose cultivation was clearly only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and said in a polite but businesslike tone: "Fellow Daoist, if you wish to apply for a permanent residence ring, you will need to pay eight hundred low-grade spirit stones. If you only wish to reside temporarily, you can apply for a blue temporary ring, which costs one low-grade spirit stone per day, and you can stay for up to one year."

"Get her a permanent one too," Zhou Ding said before Xiao Mei could speak, taking out eight hundred low-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and placing them on the table.

This amount of spirit stones is a drop in the ocean compared to his current wealth.

"Yes!" the guard replied, and quickly retrieved a red ring.

Zhou Ding picked up the red ring that belonged to him and Xin Ruyin. It felt slightly heavy in his hand and had the unique warmth and coolness of jade.

He sent a wisp of his divine sense into the ring. The ring's internal structure was simple, with a tiny identification array engraved at its core. In the center of the array were the ancient seal characters "Tianxing". Apart from that, there were no tracking, monitoring or other abnormal restrictions.

In this respect, the Star Palace is quite generous, giving high-level cultivators enough respect and privacy.

Of course, this is also based on the Star Palace's absolute confidence in its own strength and the city's surveillance system.

Without further hesitation, he drew a drop of crimson blood from his fingertip and dripped it onto the ring.

The blood was instantly absorbed by the ring, and the bright red color seemed to become even more vibrant and profound. The ring became slightly warm and then automatically slipped onto the index finger of his left hand, fitting perfectly, neither too loose nor too tight.

A faint connection was established, as if the ring had become an extension of his body.

Xin Ruyin also followed suit and used blood to acknowledge her master.

Xiao Mei accepted her red ring. Although the cost of eight hundred spirit stones made her feel a little pained, the thought of being able to live permanently in the legendary Tianxing City excited her again, and she quickly dripped blood to put it on.

"Thank you for your cooperation. The ring is now activated; you may enter the city."

The elder guard handed Zhou Ding a copy of the animal-hide scroll recording the city rules, and finally reminded him, "Private duels between cultivators are strictly prohibited within the city. If there are any grudges, you may go to the 'Life and Death Arena' in the center of the city to settle them, or go outside the city to settle them yourself. Violators will be severely punished by the Star Palace Enforcement Team.

At best, their cultivation will be abolished and they will be expelled; at worst, they will be killed on the spot. Please remember this, seniors."

"Understood." Zhou Ding put away the scroll, nodded to the guard, and then, with Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei, turned and stepped into the towering city gate.

The interplay of light and shadow, the overwhelming noise.

The moment you step through the city gate, it feels like entering another world.

In stark contrast to the vast tranquility of the sea and sky outside the city, an indescribable, overwhelming heat wave, a mixture of bustling voices, flowing spiritual energy, humming magical artifacts, and the atmosphere of the marketplace, instantly enveloped the three of them.

The most noticeable change is the sky above our heads.

Unlike Kui Xing City or many other celestial cities, it is not shrouded in a "no-fly zone" that restricts flight.

Looking up, one could see countless streaks of light, varying in color and intensity, of magical artifacts, flowing like a never-ending stream of shooting stars. They moved freely and orderly through the towering buildings and palaces, and along the wide, spiraling mountain paths, following some unseen, conventional trajectory.

A swordsman in a green robe gracefully flew by, a female cultivator on a lotus platform floated by, a cultivator piloted a flying boat slowly, and even a cultivator rode a rare spirit bird or beast, swaggering through the city... The intertwining lights were like a dynamic and incredibly prosperous network of light, showcasing the vitality and freedom of this three-dimensional city to the fullest.

"Wow! You can really fly anywhere!" Xiaomei exclaimed excitedly, tilting her head back in amazement.

This is undoubtedly a huge temptation and convenience for low-level cultivators who are used to walking or taking vehicles within the city, and it saves a lot of time, especially for high-level cultivators.

Xin Ruyin nodded slightly, a hint of admiration in her beautiful eyes.

The "freedom" of Tianxing City is built upon a strong ability to maintain order and the generally high quality of its cultivators, which also demonstrates the confidence and magnanimity of the Star Palace as its ruler.

"Let's go check out the market on the first floor first, and inquire about renting a cave dwelling while we're at it," Zhou Ding said.

He already knew the structure of Tianxing City by heart.

This colossal city, known as the "Holy Mountain," is divided into eighty-one levels, from its foot to its summit hidden in the clouds.

The first floor, with the largest area, occupies almost most of the island's plains. Its main function is to serve as the largest and most comprehensive distribution center for cultivation materials in the entire Chaotic Star Sea – the Tianxing City Market!

This place is home to countless shops, stalls, auction houses, and chamber of commerce headquarters. It is the core area for low-level cultivators to hunt for treasures and for mid-to-high-level cultivators to trade rare items. At the same time, it is also a mixed area for a large number of low-level cultivators, martial artists, and even mortals. It is a diverse and vibrant place.

From the second floor upwards, up to the fiftieth floor, it is mainly residential area.

There are numerous houses and courtyards of varying sizes available for rent, as well as more expensive but also more private and spiritually rich independent cave dwellings.

The higher the level, the better the view and the richer and purer the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Of course, the rental price also increases almost exponentially, which is far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.

Especially above the fiftieth floor, it is basically the exclusive area for late-stage Core Formation or Nascent Soul cultivators, or for large forces and powerful families, which is difficult for ordinary cultivators to reach.

As for the 51st to 80th floors, they are said to be the area where the Star Palace's internal personnel, affiliated forces, and some special institutions reside. They are heavily guarded and difficult to enter.

The very top, the legendary eighty-first floor, is a forbidden area that only the "Twin Saints of the Celestial Stars," who rule the Chaotic Star Sea, can enter. It is the true power core and secret realm of the Star Palace.

The three of them walked along the wide, flat main road paved with huge bluestone slabs, which could accommodate ten carriages side by side, and soon they were immersed in the boundless hustle and bustle of the first-level market.

Shops lined both sides of the street, their banners fluttering in the breeze.

There are shops called "Baicaoge" and "Dandinglou" that specialize in selling elixirs, with a strong medicinal aroma.

There are shops specializing in religious artifacts called "Shenbingfang" and "Wanbaozhai," their treasures gleaming faintly.

There are "Scripture Repository" and "Langhuan Academy" that sell jade slips containing cultivation techniques, and they exude a profound Taoist atmosphere.

There are shops called "Wan Shou Tang" and "Qi Zhen Ge" that buy materials from monsters, where the air is thick with the smell of blood and demonic energy.

Countless stalls of all sizes were set up directly along the street, selling all sorts of strange and hard-to-distinguish materials, talismans, elixirs, broken magical artifacts, and even unknown antiques. The shouts of stall owners and the sounds of customers haggling filled the air.

The crowds were shoulder to shoulder, and cultivators of all levels, from Qi Refining to Core Formation, could be seen. Occasionally, one could even sense a few obscure, profound, and unsettling auras flashing by.

The scale of the market, the variety of goods, and the number of cultivators far exceeded those of Tiandu Street on Kuixing Island by many times.

Xiaomei was dazzled by the sights and occasionally let out a soft gasp of surprise.

Xin Ruyin also looked around the shops on both sides with great interest, especially those related to formations and runes.

As Zhou Ding walked, he used his powerful divine sense to quietly cover his surroundings, collecting various information. At the same time, he also sensed the various precious lights emitted by the surrounding objects, which were fed back by Xiao Jin through the "Heavenly Hearing Technique".

Sure enough, in this place where crowds and treasures converge, one could "see" bright or soft cyan light from time to time, and even occasionally a deep cyan treasure light flashed by, indicating the existence of extraordinary treasures. He was secretly delighted, thinking that coming to Tianxing City was definitely the right decision!

After strolling around for about half an hour and getting a basic feel for the bustling market, Zhou Ding decided to find a place to stay first.

"Let's go to the 'Holy Mountain Residence Management Office'." Zhou Ding determined the direction and led the two women through several bustling streets to a relatively quiet area near the inner edge of the first floor.

There are still many people here, but the buildings are more orderly and imposing.

Soon, a seven-story pavilion, covering a large area, constructed entirely of white jade and lapis lazuli wood, with a simple and grand design, came into view.

Cultivators came and went in an endless stream in front of the pavilion, with streaks of light constantly rising and falling.

Above the lintel hangs a huge, spiritually imbued blue jade plaque with five bold, elegant characters that read "Holy Mountain Residence Management Office."

It is an organization established by the Star Palace to be specifically responsible for the leasing, buying and selling, and management of houses and caves on all levels of the Holy Mountain.

Stepping into the lobby on the first floor of the Residence Management Office, the interior space is spacious and decorated in a simple yet dignified manner.

Dozens of jade platforms, each about half a person's height, were neatly arranged. Behind each platform sat a disciple dressed in white Star Palace robes, whose cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment stage, serving the cultivators who came to handle their business.

On one side of the hall wall is a huge crystal jade wall with flowing spiritual light. On it, a simplified three-dimensional map of the holy mountain from the second to the fiftieth level is outlined with clear spiritual lines. Different areas are marked with different colors and light spots, representing the specifications, vacancy status and approximate rental range of houses and caves, which is clear at a glance.

The arrival of Zhou Ding and his two companions, especially the aura of the two Core Formation cultivators, immediately attracted the attention of the disciples in charge of the hall.

A middle-aged cultivator in white robes, who appeared to be in charge and whose cultivation level was at the Pseudo-Core stage, hurriedly came out from the inner room and greeted them with a smile.

"Welcome, esteemed seniors, to the Residence Management Office! My surname is Chen, and I am one of the managers on this floor. May I ask if you are looking to rent a house or purchase a cave dwelling? I can provide you with detailed information." Manager Chen's attitude was respectful, and his words were courteous.

"Let's take a look at the cave first. It should be quiet and have decent spiritual energy," Zhou Ding said succinctly.

"Yes, yes, senior, please look at this 'Mountain Spirit Map'." Manager Chen led the three to the huge crystal jade wall and pointed to the various colored lights flashing on it.

"Green dots represent ordinary houses or courtyards, yellow dots represent medium-grade cave dwellings, and red dots represent superior cave dwellings. The darker the color, the richer the spiritual energy, and the higher the price. Does the senior have a preference for any particular level or area?"

Zhou Ding's gaze swept across the jade disc. From the second to the teenth layer, green dots were densely packed, yellow dots were also plentiful, and red dots were scarce.

From the 20th to the 30th floor, the number of green dots decreases, while the number of yellow and red dots increases.

Above the thirtieth floor, green dots are extremely rare; most are yellow or red dots, with the red dots being noticeably darker. Above the fortieth floor, almost all are deep red dots, and their numbers decrease sharply, clearly indicating that these are top-tier, superior cave dwellings, and are quite expensive.

He hesitated for a moment, then pointed to a relatively isolated, deep red area on the forty-seventh floor with few surrounding lights: "How about this place?"

Manager Chen looked at the area, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before becoming even more respectful: "Senior has excellent eyesight! This is the eastern side of the 'Flowing Cloud Zone' on the forty-seventh floor. It's a quiet location, far from the main road, with adjacent cave dwellings spaced far apart, offering excellent privacy. Moreover, a branch of a high-quality spiritual vein happens to pass beneath this area, making its spiritual energy concentration among the best on the forty-seventh floor.

There are currently three vacant cave dwellings. I wonder if Senior has any interest? If renting, a superior cave dwelling starts at a hundred years' rent, and a cave dwelling of this quality would cost nine thousand low-grade spirit stones for a hundred years."

"Let's rent it first." Zhou Ding said without hesitation. Nine thousand spirit stones for a hundred years is equivalent to ninety spirit stones per year. For a Core Formation cultivator, this is not a small amount, but it is definitely within their means, especially for a cave dwelling in such a location.

"Alright! Senior, please follow me to complete the formalities, select a specific cave dwelling, pay the rent, and then you can receive the cave dwelling restriction token." Manager Chen enthusiastically led the way.

The procedures went smoothly. Zhou Ding selected the "No. 7, East of Liuyun District" cave dwelling, paid a hundred-year rent of nine thousand spirit stones in one lump sum, and received from Steward Chen a black iron token engraved with the words "No. 7, East of Liuyun" and containing a special restrictive aura, as well as a jade slip with a detailed diagram of the cave dwelling structure and surrounding precautions.

"Senior, this is the general order for the cave's restrictions. With this order, you can freely open the outer protective array and gates of the cave. The cave is equipped with basic spirit-gathering, protective, and soundproofing restrictions. If needed, you can reinforce or arrange them yourself. This is a detailed map of the cave.

In addition, according to the rules, during the rental period, it is strictly forbidden to sublet, modify the main structure, or engage in activities that endanger the stability of the Holy Mountain. The rental qualification must be reviewed every hundred years," Manager Chen concluded.

"Understood." Zhou Ding put away the token and jade slip and nodded.

Leaving the Sacred Mountain Residence, dusk was approaching. The afterglow of the setting sun draped the towering Sacred Mountain in a magnificent golden-red cloak, and countless streaks of light trailed long tails in the afterglow, making it even more beautiful and dreamlike.

"Let's go see our new home," Zhou Ding said with a smile to Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei, in a good mood.

"Yes!" The two women's faces were also filled with expectant smiles.

Three streaks of light rose from the ground, merging into the flowing light that filled the sky, and flew leisurely along the wide, spiraling mountain path toward the forty-seventh level of the sacred mountain, the "Flowing Cloud Zone".

Chapter update reminder: Chapter 133 Purchasing the Cave Dwelling! Read here.