From the Carp that Brings Children to the Celestial Officials

Chapter 261 What I Saw and Heard in the City
"You old man, you're so old and you still don't know what's good for you. You should be punished."

You Ming pointed a finger, which seemed ordinary, but there was a Daoist aura flowing from his fingertip, spreading in all directions like a spider web.

The old Taoist priest looked terrified. Before he could even cry for help, he felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him.

His Yin spirit trembled violently, sealed by the Daoist aura. In his struggle, it was like a ball of ink that had been suddenly frozen, slowly shrinking.

Finally, it curled up into a ball and could no longer move.

"From now on, I will properly discipline my disciples to prevent them from causing trouble for my family."

You Ming's magical power surged, and in an instant, the [Transformation at Will] technique was activated. The surrounding void receded continuously, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the spot.

These days of slow and tedious flights have been incredibly frustrating for him.

Now that I've finally broken free from those constraints, I naturally feel carefree and happy.

The cultivators who witnessed this scene nearby were secretly shocked, but also somewhat gloating. How did the [Spirit Control Sect] manage to provoke a Dharma Aspect cultivator for no reason?
Although there are quite a few Dharma Aspect cultivators in Lingzhou, it is still not easy for most cultivators to encounter them on ordinary days.

……

Lingzhou is much more complicated than You Ming imagined.

It's not just the vastness of its territory, but also the sheer number of sects that have set up arrays everywhere.

You Ming cannot freely extend his divine sense, otherwise, if he touches any sect's formation, it will be considered a provocation.

"Where exactly is this Taixu Qingjing Platform? The invitation from last time didn't explain it clearly."

You Ming doesn't know many people here... well, to be precise, he doesn't have many friends, but he does have quite a few enemies.

If only I had grabbed those people from the [Spirit Control Sect] earlier and questioned them, I wouldn't be completely clueless now.

As the thought flashed through You Ming's mind, he hesitated whether to ask someone for directions, when suddenly he sensed a complex but powerful aura from ahead.

"Huh? There's a city..."

You Ming's figure flickered, and he appeared less than ten miles away from the city.

This city is located almost in the center of Lingzhou. Standing on high ground, one can see many spiritual veins spreading out from all around, converging and surrounded by nine mountains. Within it, there are thousands of buildings, making it look much more prosperous than any city in the human world.

As You Ming arrived at the city gate, a layer of light swept over his body, and he transformed into human form.

He looked to be no more than ten years old, with delicate features and a composed demeanor. Although he still had a childish air about him, one could already see some handsome features.

Around him, carriages, treasure ships, and flying pavilions of Daoist temples shuttled and floated in the air, radiating countless lights, and countless cultivators came and went.

Although You Ming was a demon, his aura was pure and his demeanor was harmonious and reserved, so he did not attract the attention of others.

However, as soon as he passed through the city gate, a faint spiritual light gathered from all around and condensed into a small cyan talisman above his head.

“Dharma-type cultivator…”

Several guards outside the city gate saw the talisman, and their expressions changed slightly. They immediately became respectful and solemn when they looked at You Ming.

"What the hell is this?"

You Ming frowned slightly. He didn't sense any harm from this thing, but it was rather strange to have a talisman on his head.

"I've seen the real person."

"Master, this talisman is the [Heavenly Firmament Talisman], used by our Heavenly Mystery City to mark identities. All cultivators of the Dharma Aspect level and above will be automatically marked once they enter the city."

"This talisman will not only be harmless, but you can even enjoy a 20% discount on purchases at any venue."

Seeing that You Ming's expression was somewhat displeased, the leading guard quickly spoke up.

You Ming's brows slowly relaxed. Of course, this didn't mean he believed the other party's words, but he could roughly guess the significance of this item. It was most likely because the combat power of cultivators at the Dharma Aspect and higher levels was too exaggerated. If they wanted to cause trouble in the city, it would be difficult to control them in a hurry.

Therefore, these high-level cultivators would mark the targets in advance and make records so that they could capture them immediately in case of any emergencies.

Of course, this so-called 20% discount is just to make some compensation, after all, high-level cultivators are not easy to deal with.

You Ming didn't have any reservations. It was just a rune on his head; he could treat it as an ornament.

With that thought in mind, he stepped into Tianji City.

The streets are paved with five-colored spirit stones, and the patterns on the ground contain hidden immortal arrays. Not only are they incredibly sturdy, but they can also guide the circulation of spiritual energy. Stepping on them is like walking through a slowly flowing painting.

The buildings along the street have flying eaves and brackets, each reaching tens of feet high. They look magnificent and grand, yet they blend in with the hustle and bustle of the city.

Further away, a pale moon hangs high in the sky. This is actually the "Universal Illumination Pearl" set up by a certain immortal sect, imitating the power of the moon to provide light for the entire city. Even in the dead of night, the entire city remains brightly lit.

This was You Ming's first time entering the Immortal City, and it was indeed much better than the cities in the mortal world.

It was comparable to the metropolises he had seen in his previous life.

Of course, what is similar to the mortal world is the lively atmosphere of the city.

"Fellow Daoist, take a look at this 'Burning Realm Golden Pattern Pill,' an ancient formula from a thousand years ago, to help you break through to the Profound Light realm, for only one hundred spirit stones!"

"The Star Catcher's latest creation, the Divine Speed ​​Ship! It can traverse the east and west of Lingzhou in just one hour..."

"Freshly baked crispy cakes are here! They come from Lingwei Pavilion in Bixiao Mountain. One bite offers three flavors. Don't miss out, or you'll have to wait another ten years!"

On the bustling street next door, various hawking cries could be heard from both sides.

Although practitioners do not value enjoyment, after so many years of development, they have still invented many novel things in terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation.

When You Ming arrived here, he was just like a country bumpkin entering the city.

He had only ever been to the cultivators' market before, but that market was so crude and could never compare to the prosperity of this city.

"Young man... senior... senior..."

The vendor selling crispy cakes was about to greet You Ming warmly when he saw him standing in front of his stall, but his expression instantly turned respectful when he saw the talisman on You Ming's head.

"Give me one... um, two pieces of pastry."

You Ming smelled the aroma emanating from the crispy cake and immediately felt a little hungry.

"Alright, it'll be three coins of low-grade spirit stones in total, you can just give me two coins."

The vendor deftly packed up the two crispy cakes and handed them to You Ming with a bright smile.

The Dharma-image monk came to his house to eat pastries—what a great publicity opportunity!

"Can I use divine power?"

You Ming wasn't a real cultivator, so he naturally didn't have the currency that cultivators usually used.

"Of course, but I can't give you change here. Or how about I give you eight low-grade spirit stones?"

The vendor looked somewhat embarrassed.

This Dharma Aspect Grand Cultivator in front of me is really strange. Why isn't he using spirit stones? Instead, he's using incense, which is commonly used in the divine path.

One unit of divine power is equivalent to ten units of incense. One unit of incense is equivalent to one low-grade spirit stone.

The vendor can give change, but it can only be converted into spirit stones for You Ming.

(End of this chapter)