Two Worlds: The Demon Cultivator Mistakenly Enters the Lord's World

Chapter 211 Many Troubles Beneath Dragon Tiger Mountain

Upon hearing what the Jade Cicada Taoist said, Lu Feng immediately became interested.

After flying at high altitudes for two consecutive days, seeing mostly ruins and desolation along the way, he had long been weary. Now, hearing that Tianyuan County had a peaceful and prosperous place to live, he wanted to personally witness the "prosperous" scene that the Jade Cicada Daoist had mentioned.

He immediately controlled the "Dark Cloud" to slowly descend, landing on a clearly outlined city below, intending to rest there for a while.

It can relieve the fatigue of traveling for two days and also provide an opportunity to learn about the local customs and culture of Tianyuan County.

Lu Feng slightly propelled the skeletal spire, obscuring "Dark Cloud Hood," and silently swept across the fields on the outskirts of the city.

In the fields below, farmers were working at their backs, and children could be seen chasing and playing on the ridges, a peaceful scene that contrasted sharply with the desolation seen earlier.

As the altitude decreases, the overall view of the city gradually becomes clear.

The tall city wall was built of gray bricks and stones, and the wall was solid and thick. Flags embroidered with the words "Black Sparrow" fluttered on the city wall. People came and went at the city gate. There were merchants carrying goods, travelers on horseback, and soldiers in light armor with solemn expressions. The city was orderly but not oppressive.

As the "Dark Cloud Pouch" landed in a secluded grove outside the city, Lu Feng and Jade Cicada Daoist simultaneously emitted a wisp of pale blue spiritual light from their fingertips, subtly concealing the faint spiritual light emanating from their storage bags and spiritual artifacts.

This is a minor technique commonly used by Xuanmen cultivators to conceal their aura. It can prevent treasures from being exposed and attracting covetous eyes, and also make them appear no different from ordinary cultivators.

After doing all this, the two walked side by side slowly toward the city gate.

"Crow City!"

Lu Feng looked up at the black plaque above the city gate. The three gilded characters "Wuque City" on the plaque shone brightly. He softly read out the name of the city.

"Two copper coins are required to enter the city."

Just as they reached the city gate, a young soldier with an arrogant air stepped forward as usual and spoke.

Before he could finish speaking, a slick old soldier beside him suddenly reached out and covered his mouth, while quickly stepping forward, his face plastered with a fawning smile, bowing and scraping to Lu Feng and his companion:
"Two esteemed immortal masters, we were blind to your greatness! Please come into the city! Hehe!"

Lu Feng and Yu Chan Daoist exchanged a glance, smiled faintly, and walked straight into Wuque City without saying anything, completely disregarding the two guards.

After they left, the two soldiers guarding the city scolded the civilians behind them, and their tone when collecting money became more amiable, as if they were afraid of doing anything that might offend the immortal master and bring about a deadly disaster.

Upon entering Wuque City, one is greeted by wide bluestone streets lined with shops, their cries of vendors rising and falling, creating a seemingly bustling scene.

However, Lu Feng and Yu Chan Dao Ren's identities as cultivators still attracted the attention of many passersby.

Whether it was a vendor carrying a load or a woman leading a child, they would instinctively move to the side of the road and hurry along, avoiding eye contact with the two.

Lu Feng's gaze swept over the pedestrians on both sides, and he clearly saw the awe in their eyes for cultivators, a subservience ingrained in their very bones.

But what bothered him even more was that many people had an undisguised fear and apprehension hidden deep in their eyes, as if they had been hurt by cultivators or had witnessed cultivators bullying mortals. Their cowardice was definitely not feigned.

"It seems that this Black Sparrow City isn't as wonderful as you described. The awe in the eyes of these mortals may be fake, but the deep-seated fear they feel is undeniable. It seems that not all the cultivators in this city abide by the rules of the Xuanmen. There must be quite a few who rely on their cultivation levels to treat mortals as less than human, which is why the people are so wary of them!"

Lu Feng chuckled and transmitted his voice to Daoist Yu Chan, saying...

Upon hearing this, Daoist Yuchan couldn't help but sigh softly, a hint of helplessness creeping into his brows. He responded in kind, using telepathy:

“Alas, what the abbot said makes sense. Although Longhu Mountain has set rules to restrain the cultivators under its jurisdiction and strictly prohibit them from bullying mortals, Tianyuan County is a vast area. How can the tentacles of the sects reach every corner? Orders from above are passed down layer by layer. How and how much they are carried out by the local cultivators depends entirely on their own will.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the people huddled on the street, too ashamed to look up, his tone growing increasingly heavy:

"Power is inherently prone to distortion when it flows from top to bottom, let alone these cultivators who wield extraordinary power—they can kill mortals with ease, and they have no power to directly check and balance them. Over time, it is inevitable that some of them will take advantage of their strength to bully the weak and regard mortals as ants."

The conflict between them was deeply rooted and could not be easily resolved by a single order from Longhu Mountain.

Lu Feng knew this all too well.

The fact that cultivators and ordinary people can live in harmony in the Xuan Yin Temple territory that he controls has come at a considerable cost.

Not only did they establish strict laws, clearly stipulating that cultivators who harmed mortals would pay a heavy price, but anyone who violated these laws would be subjected to merciless slaughter to deter others.

More importantly, there is the suppression of special rules brought about by the Lord's World.

Under the influence of the Lord's Rules, the power of cultivators is subject to certain constraints, and the livelihood of mortals can be improved through the cultivation of spiritual fields and the allocation of resources. This has barely suppressed the conflict between cultivators and mortals to a minimum.

At least on the surface, there has never been any injustice of cultivators oppressing mortals in the territory of Xuan Yin Temple.

While the common people still held cultivators in awe, it was by no means the deep-seated fear that permeated the hearts of the people in Wuque City.

They would bow to monks without flinching or avoiding them.

When monks pass through villages, they will occasionally stop to instruct mortals on how to deal with pests in the fields or to provide simple medical treatment to sick people.

Scenes of cultivators and mortals peacefully exchanging ideas and working together in the spirit fields have long been the norm in the territory of Xuan Yin Temple. That harmony is unique beneath the prosperous facade of Wu Que City.

Lu Feng took in every detail of Wuque City, from the evasive gazes of pedestrians to the forced smiles of street vendors. His initial infatuation with the renowned Longhu Mountain gradually faded.

I originally thought that Longhu Mountain, known as the "Taoist Court of the World," would be able to govern its subordinate areas in an orderly manner, allowing cultivators and mortals to live in harmony.

But now it seems that in this Liang Kingdom that has long since fallen into ruin, even the renowned Longhu Mountain is only slightly better than the Vajra Temple or other Xuanmen forces.

In essence, it still hasn't solved the problem of cultivators bullying the weak, and they are ultimately no different from those forces that ignore the suffering of mortals.

Slightly disappointed, Lu Feng and Daoist Yu Chan did not linger there. They found a decent-looking restaurant, ate some local dishes from Wuque City, and then prepared to leave Wuque City.

Slightly disappointed, Lu Feng lost interest in continuing to explore Wuque City.

He and Daoist Yuchan stopped lingering there and scanned the shops along the street before finally choosing a restaurant with elegant decor and many customers.

We ordered several local dishes from Wuque City, including steamed Luxi fish and braised bamboo shoots. While the flavors weren't particularly amazing, they were fresh and delicious. After a quick meal, the two of us got up to pay the bill and headed out of the city, ready to head to Longhu Mountain as soon as possible to complete the real purpose of our trip.

As soon as he left Wuque City, before he could even take out the "Dark Cloud Pouch" and ride the clouds, he suddenly heard a dense chirping of birds overhead.

The two looked up and saw a flock of black sparrows circling and flying. Then, seven or eight Taoist priests dressed in blue robes descended from the flock of sparrows like ghosts.

They stood firmly in front of them, forming a semicircle, which blocked Lu Feng and Yu Chan Dao Ren's path.

The leading Taoist was tall and thin, with three short tufts of beard on his chin. His face was as cold as ice, and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, fixed on Lu Feng and his companion. His tone was filled with undisguised hostility.
"Fellow Daoists, please wait! I am Xu Ziru from the Xu family of Wuque City. May I ask where you two are from? Passing through my Wuque City without a word of greeting or a visit, you are simply leaving without a sound. Isn't that rather impolite?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Feng's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He was already somewhat disappointed by the sight of Wuque City, and now that he was being blocked and made difficult by people, he immediately felt a bit impatient.

With a thought, he used his divine sense to probe the group of cultivators.

The group, led by Xu Ziru, had the highest cultivation level, but Xu Ziru was only at the late stage of Qi Refining, while the others were only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

Such strength is considered decent in the Liang Kingdom's cultivation world, barely qualifying as mid-tier, but it's nothing compared to theirs.

But the fact that they dared to speak in such an unfriendly tone clearly shows that they wanted to extract some benefits from them, treating them as easy targets to manipulate.

"Have the Xu family of Wuque City always been this brave and arrogant?"

Lu Feng turned his head to look at the Jade Cicada Daoist beside him, whose expression was slightly gloomy.

He had traveled extensively and was quite knowledgeable, but he never expected to encounter such an arrogant and ignorant cultivator right under the nose of Longhu Mountain.

He had heard of the Xu family of Wuque City, but they were just a small family that relied on the protection of Longhu Mountain and bullied the weak and feared the strong in the local area. It seemed that there was an old ancestor in the family who had forged a low-grade Dao foundation, and he was not young.

It's one thing to bully ordinary people on a regular basis, but now they even dare to block the road and provoke outsider cultivators. They're practically courting death.

"How dare you! What kind of rubbish is the Xu family! Didn't your elders teach you what humility is?!"

Yu Chan Daoist already harbored little goodwill towards the cultivators of Wuque City because of their oppression of mortals. Now, being harassed by Xu Ziru and the others, his pent-up anger erupted instantly.

He was too lazy to say any more nonsense, and suddenly a powerful aura erupted from his body.

An aura, almost tangible, surged forth from his body like a tidal wave, instantly causing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the air to become restless. An invisible pressure relentlessly crushed down on Xu Ziru and the others.

The oppressive force was like a mountain pressing down, and Xu Ziru and the others' expressions changed drastically, their arrogant demeanor instantly replaced by fear.

They felt as if a huge rock was blocking their chest, making it difficult to breathe. Their legs went weak and they collapsed to their knees.

Xu Ziru, who was in the lead, had his pupils shrink sharply as he stared intently at the Jade Cicada Daoist, his voice trembling with disbelief:
"Foundation... Foundation Establishment stage?!"

He never expected that one of the two seemingly ordinary cultivators he had stopped was actually a Foundation Establishment expert. This was no pushover; he was clearly a tough nut to crack!

Seeing the grim expression on Yu Chan Daoist's face and the growing ferocity in his deep eyes, Xu Ziru was terrified, sensing the danger of death. He hurriedly communicated with a wisp of divine thought sealed within his ancestor, calling out to the Xu family patriarch for help:
"My child is in danger! Please, Ancestor, save me!"

The voice was filled with panic and despair, as if fearing that if they were a second late, they would die on the spot.

Lu Feng noticed Xu Ziru's subtle actions but did not stop him, instead letting him call for backup.

At this moment, in Wuque City, the Xu family patriarch was sitting in the reception room of his cave dwelling, entertaining a young Taoist priest dressed in a blue Taoist robe from Longhu Mountain.

Incense smoke curled inside the cave, and wine and delicacies were laid out on the table. The two men were exchanging toasts and chatting quite amiably.

Suddenly, the Xu family patriarch's expression changed drastically, and his fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the wine glass, causing a few drops of wine to spill out.

He quickly stood up, cupped his hands in apology to the young Taoist priest, and said:

"Fellow Daoist Wang Ling, I am truly sorry, but my good-for-nothing grandson has encountered danger outside the city, and I must go to his rescue immediately. Please forgive me!"

Upon hearing this, the young Taoist priest, known as Wang Ling, put down his wine cup, a gentle smile appearing on his face, and waved his hand, saying:
"It's alright, Fellow Daoist Xu, please go ahead. After all, this is a matter of life and death, so don't delay the opportunity and risk the life of your disciple. That would be terrible."

Seeing that Daoist Wang Ling was so understanding, the Xu family patriarch felt a weight lifted from his heart and quickly bowed to him, repeatedly expressing his gratitude.

"Thank you for your understanding, Fellow Daoist Wang Ling! After I finish dealing with this matter, I will definitely return to have a good drink with you and apologize!"

Without further delay, the Xu family patriarch summoned dozens of black birds, which lifted him up, and he hurriedly flew out of the city.

Almost the instant the Xu family patriarch flew away from his cave, Lu Feng and Daoist Yu Chan outside the city clearly felt a sudden burst of Foundation Establishment aura erupting from the depths of Wuque City.

Compared to the pure and powerful aura of the Jade Cicada Daoist in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, its aura was significantly inferior. Not only was the fluctuation of spiritual energy slightly sluggish, but it also carried an undisguised aura of aging and decay, like a candle flickering in the wind. Although it possessed the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it lacked the vitality of life.

Along with the imposing sight came a cacophony of chirping birds, a dark mass of sparrows that blotted out the sun, like a moving dark cloud.

Through the gaps in the flock of birds, a hunched figure could be seen slowly walking through the air:

The newcomer was dressed in a dark Taoist robe embroidered with sparrow patterns. His hair and beard were all white, but his face was as rosy as a baby's. Dozens of black sparrows surrounded him, and his sharp eyes were looking in this direction. He was clearly the reclusive patriarch of the Xu family.

Yu Chan Daoist looked at the familiar hunched figure, raised an eyebrow, and retrieved the old man's name from the depths of his memory. A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips, and his voice, though not loud, carried clearly throughout the surroundings:

"Xu Lin, you're not very capable either! So many years have passed, and you're still stuck in the early Foundation Establishment stage. You haven't even successfully cultivated the common Longhu Mountain supernatural ability, 'Black Sparrow Soaring Divine Qi.' Tsk tsk... No wonder your family's disciples are all trash who only know how to bully the weak and fear the strong. It's true that the upper beam is crooked and the lower beam is crooked!"

"You are, Yu Chan Daoist of Yu Chan Temple!"

The Xu family patriarch carefully examined Yu Chan Daoist and recognized him as a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator who had recently made a name for himself on Longhu Mountain. A hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)