From the fake emperor to the concubine

After walking for about half an hour, they found a valley.

A clear stream flows through the valley, flanked by dense forests. The environment is serene and full of vitality, making it an ideal place for relaxation and rejuvenation.

“Let’s do it here,” Zheng Yi said.

The group settled down in the valley. Zheng Bowen and Xiao Tianxing went hunting, Zheng Hongzhi set up a defensive formation, and Liu Ruyan stayed behind to take care of Zheng Yi.

Zheng Yi sat down against a large tree and began to regulate his breathing and heal his injuries.

His injuries were indeed severe; his meridians were damaged, his internal organs were injured, and his spiritual energy was completely depleted. If these injuries were not properly treated, they might leave lasting effects, impacting his future cultivation.

Fortunately, he had the Hunyuan Jade Pendant.

Zheng Yi held the jade pendant in his hand, guiding its power into his body. The power was as warm and smooth as jade, flowing slowly through his meridians and repairing the damaged areas.

One day, two days, three days.
Zheng Yi secluded himself in the valley to heal his injuries.

During this time, Zheng Bowen and others took turns guarding him to ensure that no one would disturb him. Liu Ruyan stayed by his side at all times, preparing medicinal meals every day to help Zheng Yi recover.

Seven days later, Zheng Yi opened his eyes.

His injuries have mostly healed, and although he is not yet at his peak condition, he can already move around normally.

"Fellow Daoist Zheng, your injuries have healed?" Liu Ruyan asked in surprise.

"That's about it." Zheng Yi stood up and stretched his limbs. "Thanks to everyone's care."

“That’s only right.” Liu Ruyan blushed slightly. “If it weren’t for Fellow Daoist Zheng protecting us as we passed through the domain gate, we would have died in the restriction long ago.”

Zheng Yi smiled but didn't say anything more.

He walked out of the valley and looked into the distance.

The sky in Tianyuan Domain is higher and farther than that in Xuantian Domain, and the air is filled with rich spiritual energy. In the distance, the outlines of several cities can be vaguely seen, and they seem to be quite prosperous.

"Where should we go next?" Zheng Bowen asked.

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "Let's go to the nearest city first and find out what's going on. We know nothing about the Tianyuan Domain; we need to understand its rules and the distribution of power."

"Okay." Everyone nodded.

The group packed their belongings, left the valley, and headed towards the nearest city.

In the Tianyuan Domain, their new journey has only just begun.

And in front of the domain gate of the Xuan Tian Domain.

The middle-aged man whose arm Zheng Yi had severed knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

Before him stood an elderly man dressed in a black brocade robe. The old man's aura was unfathomable, clearly indicating that he was a powerful expert in the Mahayana stage.

"You're saying someone forced their way through the dimensional gate?" The old man's voice was icy cold.

"Yes, yes, sir," the middle-aged man said in a trembling voice, "that man called himself Zheng Yi, and he came from the Xuan Tian Domain. He killed several of our people and even forced his way through the restrictions."

"Forced his way through the barrier?" The old man narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. Anyone capable of passing through a domain gate barrier must be exceptionally strong. Which direction did he go?"

"Your subordinate was unaware that I was seriously injured at the time. By the time I recovered, they were already gone."

The old man was silent for a moment, then let out a cold laugh.

"A mere brat from the Xuan Tian Domain dares to defy the authority of the Town Domain Division. Interesting, truly interesting."

He turned and walked towards the domain gate.

"Sir, are you going to chase after him yourself?" the middle-aged man asked in surprise.

"Chase him? No, I'm just going to take a look," the old man said. "I'm very curious about the background of someone who can pass through the domain gate's restrictions."

He stepped into the light curtain and vanished instantly.

The middle-aged man looked in the direction where the old man had disappeared, a sinister glint in his eyes.

"Zheng Yi, you just wait. Having offended the Town Domain Division, you'll find it impossible to move an inch in the Tianyuan Domain. I'd like to see how long you can remain arrogant."

The following morning, Zheng Yi and his group left the valley and headed towards the distant city.

The sky in Tianyuan Domain was exceptionally blue, and the air was filled with spiritual energy several times richer than that of Xuantian Domain. With each breath, one could feel the spiritual power within their body slowly increasing. No wonder there were so many powerful individuals here; the cultivation environment alone was many times better than that of Xuantian Domain.

After walking for about two hours, a magnificent city appeared before them.

The city was at least three times larger than Yunxiao City, with walls dozens of feet high, built of dark blue-green stones, exuding an ancient and imposing aura. Above the city gate hung a huge plaque with three large characters written on it in a flamboyant style: Qingyun City.

"What a huge city!" Zheng Bowen exclaimed. "Much more magnificent than Cloud City."

"This is just a small town on the border of the Tianyuan Domain," Liu Ruyan said. "It's said that some cities in the core area of ​​the Tianyuan Domain span thousands of miles and have populations in the hundreds of millions. Compared to those, this Qingyun City is utterly insignificant."

Zheng Yi nodded and led the group toward the city gate.

A long queue formed in front of the city gate, filled with cultivators and ordinary people waiting to enter. Zheng Yi noticed that everyone took out a token from their robes and had it checked by the guards as they entered the city.

"What is that?" Zheng Yi asked, frowning.

“It should be an identity token,” Zheng Hongzhi guessed. “I’ve heard that Tianyuan Domain has a comprehensive identity management system, and everyone must possess a token to move around the city. I don’t know the specific details.”

Zheng Yi's brows furrowed even more.

They just came from the Xuan Tian Domain and don't have any identity tokens. If they need tokens to enter the city, wouldn't they be unable to get in?

"Let's queue up first and then improvise," Zheng Yi said.

The group joined the procession and moved slowly forward.

The procession moved slowly, giving Zheng Yi the opportunity to observe his surroundings. He noticed that the tokens presented by those who showed them were of various colors: black, yellow, white, and even gold. The city guards treated those with tokens of different colors with drastically different attitudes.

Those with black tokens were simply glanced at by the soldiers and allowed to pass. Those with yellow tokens were treated with slightly more courtesy. Those with white and gold tokens, however, were greeted with respectful salutes and given a clear path. "It seems these tokens are graded," Zheng Yi thought to himself.

It was finally their turn.

A city guard in armor stopped them and routinely said, "Show your token."

Zheng Yi was silent for a moment, then said frankly, "We don't have a token."

Upon hearing this, the soldier's expression immediately changed.

"No tokens?" He looked Zheng Yi and the others up and down, a wary glint in his eyes. "Where did you come from?"

"The Xuan Tian Domain," Zheng Yi said. "We've just arrived in the Tian Yuan Domain and don't know the rules here."

"Xuantian Domain?" The soldier's expression turned strange. "That remote, impoverished place? No wonder there's no token."

His tone was clearly contemptuous, as if Xuan Tian Domain were some kind of shameful place.

Zheng Yi ignored his attitude and simply asked, "Excuse me, how can we obtain the token?"

"Obtain a token?" the soldier scoffed. "Do you think tokens are so easy to acquire? To obtain an identity token in the Tianyuan Domain, you must register with the government, submit proof of residency, and pay a considerable fee. You outsiders have neither residency nor guarantors; how could you possibly obtain a token?"

"Then we won't be able to enter the city?" Zheng Bowen asked anxiously.

"Enter the city?" the soldier sneered. "Without a token, let alone entering the city, even walking on the streets of Tianyuan Domain is a violation. According to regulations, those without tokens will be deported, and in serious cases, they will be forced into hard labor."

Zheng Yi's face darkened.

He hadn't expected the rules of the Tianyuan Domain to be so strict. Without a token, they couldn't move an inch—didn't that mean they were practically helpless in the Tianyuan Domain?
“My lord, could you please make an exception?” Liu Ruyan stepped forward and said softly, “We have indeed just arrived in Tianyuan Domain and are unfamiliar with the rules here. If you could allow us into the city, we would certainly go and obtain our tokens as soon as possible.”

As she spoke, she took out a spirit stone from her storage bag and quietly slipped it into the soldier's hand.

The spirit stone was of good quality, at least a mid-grade spirit stone. The soldier accepted the spirit stone, his expression softening slightly.

“Fine, you don’t seem like bad people,” he said in a low voice. “I can let you into the city, but you’d better leave within three days, or find a way to get the token. Otherwise, if you get caught by the patrols, I can’t protect you.”

"Thank you, sir," Liu Ruyan said.

The soldiers waved them into the city.

Upon entering Qingyun City, the group truly witnessed the prosperity of the Tianyuan Domain.

The wide streets were lined with various shops and restaurants. A constant stream of people came and went—cultivators, mortals, and even some strangely shaped demons. Carriages and flying magical artifacts frequently passed by, making the streets bustling and lively.

"How bustling!" Zheng Bowen exclaimed. "Much more lively than Cloud City."

"This is just a small border town, and it's already so prosperous," Zheng Hongzhi said. "I really wonder what the core area of ​​the Tianyuan Domain will be like."

Zheng Yi had no time to appreciate the city's prosperity. His biggest worry right now was the token issue.

Without the token, they are unregistered in the Tianyuan Domain and could be arrested at any time. A way to obtain the token must be found as soon as possible.

"Let's find a place to sit down and ask around," Zheng Yi said.

The group arrived at a teahouse and found a quiet corner to sit down.

The teahouse was bustling with people from all walks of life. Zheng Yi sipped his tea while listening to the conversations around him, trying to glean some useful information.

"Have you heard? The Town Guardian Bureau has been cracking down on people without tokens lately. Apparently, a group of cultivators from outer realms forcibly broke into the gate and injured the Town Guardian Bureau personnel. Now, orders have been issued to severely punish those who illegally enter the territory."

"Really? Who's so bold as to oppose the Town Commandery?"

"I don't know, but it's said that group of people are very strong; even a Town Guard officer at the Integration Realm is no match for them."

Zheng Yi frowned slightly. It seemed that news of their forced entry into the domain gate had already spread. The Domain Control Division was investigating them, and the situation was more serious than he had imagined.

"Boss, may I ask you something?" Zheng Yi beckoned to the teahouse manager. "What's this identity token all about? Could you explain it to me in detail?"

The shopkeeper was a round-faced middle-aged man who looked very kind. Seeing that Zheng Yi was well-dressed and had an impressive demeanor, he dared not be negligent and quickly came over.

"Sir, you're from another region, aren't you?" the innkeeper chuckled. "Identity tokens are a rule in the Tianyuan Region, and they've been in effect for over a thousand years. Everyone living in the Tianyuan Region must possess an identity token; otherwise, they're considered undocumented and will be expelled or forced into hard labor."

"How many levels are there for the tokens?" Zheng Yi asked.

"There are six levels in total," the shopkeeper said. "From lowest to highest, they are black iron, brass, silver, gilded, jade, and black gold. Ordinary civilians usually hold black iron tokens, merchants and low-level cultivators hold brass tokens, mid-level cultivators and members of small families hold silver tokens, high-level cultivators and members of large families hold gilded tokens, Mahayana stage experts and core members of top forces hold jade tokens, and as for black gold tokens... those are legendary, said to be possessed by only a handful of people."

"What's the difference between the different levels of tokens?" Zheng Yi continued to ask.

"The difference is huge," the shopkeeper said. "The black iron token only allows access to ordinary areas, and there are many places it can't go. The brass token allows access to some medium-sized areas. The silver token allows access to most areas. The gilded token grants many privileges, such as free use of teleportation arrays and priority purchase of rare items. As for the jade and black gold tokens, needless to say, they're practically untouchable in the Tianyuan Domain."

Zheng Yi nodded thoughtfully.

This token system is quite interesting. The level of the token allows one to roughly determine a person's status and strength. No wonder the city guards treat people with different tokens so differently.

"Then how can I obtain the token?" Zheng Yi asked.

"Well," the shopkeeper hesitated, "the normal procedure requires registration with the government, submitting proof of residence and guarantor information, and paying a fee. The black iron token is the cheapest, only 1,000 spirit stones. The brass token costs 10,000 spirit stones. The silver token costs 100,000 spirit stones. As for higher-level tokens, those can't be bought with money; you need sufficient status and background."

“We’re from out of town, we don’t have any household registration or guarantors,” Zheng Yi said. “Is there any other way?”

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "There is a way, but it's not quite in accordance with the rules."

"What method?" Zheng Yi pressed.

The shopkeeper glanced around to make sure no one was watching before whispering, "There's a place in the west of the city called 'Dark Alley,' where some special businessmen live. They can make fake tokens, almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Unless you examine them closely, most people can't tell the difference."

"A fake token?" Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow.

"Shh, keep your voice down," the shopkeeper said nervously. "Making and using counterfeit tokens is a serious crime; if caught, you'll be sentenced to a hundred years of hard labor. But many people from other realms go there because they can't get them through the proper channels."

"Where is the alley? How do we find those people?" Zheng Yi asked.

"Go west from here, cross three streets, and you'll see a very narrow alley. Go in, find a man called 'Old Ghost,' and just tell him my name," the shopkeeper said. "But I didn't tell you any of this." (End of Chapter)