After leaving that noisy inn called Wanderer's, Tang Xiaoqi and Zhao Tiezhu continued east. The closer to Tian Shu City, the more the surrounding environment presented a peculiar situation: under the surface calm, undercurrents surged.
The public road became unprecedentedly wide and flat, enough for dozens of carriages to ride abreast. The road surface even faintly glimmered with rune light, clearly blessed by great magic to handle the ever-increasing traffic. Beside the roads were no longer wasteland or ordinary villages and towns. Instead, they were replaced bytemporary marketplaces rising from the ground, welcome guesthouses of various styles, and obviously some strong forces' established posts. Banners fluttered, pavilions stood in rows, spiritual energy lingered, prosperity far exceeding any place they had passed before.
However, in stark contrast to this extreme prosperity was a tangible yet invisible tensionpermeated in the air.
The number of traveling cultivators surged. Moreover, young faces occupied the vast majority. Some wore splendid clothes, their bearing impressive. Others wore plain robes with hidden edge. Some traveled alone with coldaloof, others had retinues. Without exception, these young cultivators' eyes were especially bright and sharp. Their around-body spiritual energy was condensed, auras long, clearly allone in a hundred, evenone in a thousand genius talents.
Their goals were clearly the same as Tang Xiaoqi's: Tian Shu City, Asking the Way of All Things Assembly.
But at this moment, the assembly had not yet begun. Tian Shu City's majestic outline was still far in the distance. This final stretch of journey became a stage where geniuses met, tested each other, even had preliminary clashes.
Tang Xiaoqi still wore that occasionally malfunctioning Omni-Shadow Cloak, his aura maintained at Golden Core early stage. Walking with Foundation Establishment late stage Zhao Tiezhu, he looked like a senior brother from a small sect taking a simple junior on a sightseeing trip,completely unremarkable in this genius-crowded stream of people.
However, unnoticeable did not mean completely able to stay out of things.
"Whoosh."
Afierce sword lightattacked without warning from the side, not directly seeking to kill but carrying a provocativesharpness, brushing past Tang Xiaoqi's clothes' edge, silently cutting the road marker ahead in two. The cut surface was smooth as a mirror.
The attacker was a young man in white,carrying a long sword on his back, with a cold, stern face. He did not look at Tang Xiaoqi, as if casually testing, but his spiritual sense likeintangible secretly curled over, trying to probe Xiao Qi's depth.
Tang Xiaoqi's steps did not pause, even his gaze did not deflect. That thread of probing spiritual sense, upon touching his around-body area, disappeared like a mud ox entering the sea. And that provocative sword intent was easily swept away by a thread ofqi momentum Xiao Qi naturally emitted, not raising a ripple.
The white-clad young man's brow slightly creased. He deeply glanced at Tang Xiaoqi, then withdrew his gaze, accelerating away. His figure quickly disappeared in the flow ahead. This probe, returning with nothing gained, instead made himfelt a hint of wariness toward that seemingly ordinary blue-robed cultivator.
Zhao Tiezhu reacted belatedly, glaring at where the white-clad young man vanished, shouted: "Senior, that guy."
"Never mind." Xiao Qicalmly interrupted. "Let us go."
This was merely a small interlude. Similar probes occurred from time to time on the subsequent journey.
Sometimes were undisguised spiritual sense scans, carrying evaluation and comparison. Sometimes were seemingly unintentionalqi momentum collisions, testing the other's spiritual energy attribute and depth. Sometimes more direct verbal provocations, for competing a better camping spot, or for some roadside spiritual material both wanted.
Tang Xiaoqi always upheld low-profile principles: avoid when possible, yield when possible. Most probes he resolved in a seemingly lucky or the other misjudged wayplayed down, neither revealing true strength nor making deadly enemies.
But some unwise ones, seeing his low cultivation and that seemingly simple and naive follower, wanted topinch this softpersimmon.
The result was naturally kicking an iron board. Xiao Qi did not even need to personally act. Merely by exquisite control of his own aura, or using some gadgets from Second Senior Brother, those provocateurs ate fullbitter suffering. Either mysteriously tripped and fell, or their spiritual energy suddenly became difficult to mobilize, or they were scared away by suddenly appearing bizarreillusions.
After several times, Tang Xiaoqi's reputation of seemingly ordinary yet actuallyshady quietly spread within local circles. Some observant people began noticing this always composed,enigmatic blue-robed cultivator, adding him to lists of people to watch. Of course, more people still dismissed him, thinking he merely had good luck or was skilled inunorthodox methods.
Zhao Tiezhu went from initial indignation to later sharing the honor to nowgot used to it. He figured out that following Tang Senior, safety was absolutely guaranteed, and he could also watch various good shows. He increasingly felt that deciding to follow Senior that day was the wisest decision in his life.
On this day, the two arrived at an open plain. At the end of the plain, on the horizon, one could already see ainterminable, like alike a primeval beast crouching massive shadow outline. Even from so far away, one could feel that rushingcame,vast and desolate, ancient,majestic.
That was Tian Shu City.
The plain had even more people, almost reachingshoulder to shoulder levels. Geniuses from all directions gathered here. Though no longer openly provocative and testing each other, thatintangible competition atmosphere was more intense.
The airpermeated a extreme tranquility before thestorm coming.
No one made moves easily anymore. All eyes turned toward that distant metropolis, eyes full of longing, battle intent, and a barely detectable nervousness. Everyone was gathering strength, adjustingstate, waiting for the assembly to formally begin, waiting todisplay their talents in that legendary city, make names known across the world.
Tang Xiaoqi also stopped, gazing at Tian Shu City's outline in the distance. His heartbeat involuntarily quickened. Not from nervousness but from along-missed, excitement when encountering challenges.
He could feel the incredible energy gathered in that city, the countless supreme geniuses hidden there.
This would be the largest, highest-level stage he had faced sinceembarked on the path of cultivation.
He lightly exhaled turbid air. His gaze became like an ancient well'scalm, alldistracting thoughts expelled, only left anticipation for the road ahead and absolute confidence in his own Dao.
The storm was coming. His heart was like a millstone.
"Ti
ezhu," he spoke softly, "ahead, that is Tian Shu City."
Zhao Tiezhu gazing at that distant massive shadow, his whole body trembled with excitement, nodding vigorously, his voicetrembling: "I... I see it, Senior. I really walked to Tian Shu City."
Tang Xiaoqi smiled faintly, patting his shoulder.
"Let us go. Let us see what this Central Plains core, this Asking the Way of All Things place, truly looks like."
The two, with the mighty stream of people, continued forward. Steps resolute, walking toward that center where the storm was about to gather.