Crowds flowed like hundreds of rivers converging to the sea, forming an unstoppable torrent heading east toward that increasingly clear massive shadow. Tang Xiaoqi and Zhao Tiezhu were in this torrent, slowly advancing with the crowd. The spiritual energy in the air had become so abundant it almost turned into substantive spiritual mist. Simply breathing brought a sweet taste. Ordinary cultivators would even slowly increase in cultivation here without deliberately cultivating.
Ahead was a massive mountain range blocking the final road to Tian Shu City, called Welcoming Ridge. This ridge was tall and steep, reportedly a natural outer barrier of Tian Shu City, also the mandatory passage for all land routes to the city.
The process of climbing itself was like an silent screening. The mountain path was steep. Pressure came from all directions, not man-made but the mountain range itself contained heaven and earth pressure. The higher one climbed, the greater the pressure, testing cultivators' spiritual energy, physical bodies, even minds. Many cultivators with insufficient cultivation or weak wills, reaching mid-slope, were already gasping, spiritual energy depleted, having to stop and rest. Some showed frustrated faces, knowing they probably could not even reach Tian Shu City's foot.
Tang Xiaoqi's steps were composed. The mountain's pressure falling on him was like a breeze brushing his face. He even hadspare energy to send a thread of spiritual energy protecting the lower-cultivation Zhao Tiezhu beside him, letting him follow relatively easily. Zhao Tiezhu felt Senior'sunfathomable strength and silent care. His gratitude grew even more. He merelyhead down, working hard climbing, refusing to utter a word of hardship.
Around them, the young geniuses climbing together showed their skills. Sword cultivators transformed into sword light, piercing through pressure swiftly. Body cultivators roared, muscles taut, forcefully bearing the pressure step by step, each step leaving deep footprints. Spell cultivators glowed with spiritual light, runes circulating, cleverlyneutralize or guiding surrounding pressure. Some even rodemagnificent flying artifacts or spirit beast mounts, ignoring the mountain path, directly flying upward, drawing countless envious or jealous gazes below.
No one provoked others anymore. Everyone's goal was only one: to climb over this ridge, to personally witness that legendary city's true appearance.
Tang Xiaoqi's calm gaze swept across those struggling forward. He memorized their techniques and auras. These were his potential opponents. He saw that cold white-clad sword cultivator who had tested him before, his sword light even more condensed. He saw a figure entirely shrouded in black robes with coldeerie aura, wherever he passed, grass and trees withered. He saw a palace-dressed woman ofexquisitely beautiful beauty yet cold as ice, snowflakes floating around her actually freezing the air. He also saw a youth in bright yellow dragon-pattern robes withelegant and noble bearing, leisurely ascending with several powerful elders flanking, as if the mountain path's pressure did not exist.
Stars shone brilliantly, dragons and serpents mixed.
Finally, after spending most of the day, Tang Xiaoqi and Zhao Tiezhu successfully reached the Welcoming Ridge's summit with the first group.
Instantly, the view opened up greatly.
Everyone standing at the peak, regardless of how proud, brilliant, or extraordinary they had been, in this moment, all instinctively held their breath, their hearts completely captured by that incomparably grand, incomparably breathtaking scene.
East of the mountains, at the end of a plain whose vastness and grandeur defied description, a metropolis quietly lay.
That could no longer be called a city. It was more like arolling mountains, an independent continent. The city walls were so high they pierced the clouds. The eye could see to the top, seemingly connecting with heaven. The walls presented adark golden metallic luster, unknown what divine metal they were forged from. Countless ancient and profound runes were inscribed upon them. These runes were not static but slowly circulating, emanating terrifyinglymajestic energy fluctuations. Just gazing from afar made one's soul tremble, feeling infinitesimal like an ant.
The city walls extended left and right, seeing no end, as if encircling all heaven and earth. Above the metropolis, it was not ordinary blue sky and white clouds but an endless starry sky. Countless stars twinkled. A brilliant galaxy like a jade ribbon horizontally spanned the heavens, slowly flowing, surrounding the entire metropolis in dreamlike starlight. Starlight and the city wall runes' light interplayed, forming a scene of sanctity, antiquity, majesty, and vastness to the extreme.
That was Tian Shu City.
The ultimate manifestation of cultivation civilization, the central place where this great world gathered countless epochs of fortune and inheritance.
At the city gate (if that majestic structure a thousand zhang tall inscribed with sun, moon, and star patterns could be called a gate) direction, countless tiny light dots like fireflies entered and exited. Those were cultivators and flying artifacts coming and going. Farther out, one could vaguely see floating immortal mountains within the city, upside-down waterfalls, majestic palace clusters. All sorts ofincredible scenery exceeded ordinary imagination.
A hard-to-describe oppression and attraction simultaneously came from that metropolis. The oppression stemmed from itsits own vastness and majesty, causing heartawe. The attraction stemmed from its represented infinite possibilities, endless fortunes, causing heartyearned for.
"This... this is Tian Shu City." Zhao Tiezhu's mouth gaped. His entire body wasstunned, his mind blank,only left with unparalleled shock. His previous imagination, before this real scene, was so pale and weak.
Tang Xiaoqi's heart also surged, but he quickly stabilized his emotions. His gazepiercing through thatdistant horizon, as if he could feel the countless powerful auras contained in that city, feel the storm about to arrive.
Here, this was his new battlefield.
The Wandering Dragon Nine Turns body technique, the body tempered by Vajra Demon-Subduing Divine Power, the Qing Lotus Purification Origin, chaotic force, the protective sword intent left by his father, Senior Brothers and Sister's expectations and pact. Everything about him would, in this legendary city, undergo the harshest tests and bloom the most dazzling light.
He lightly clenched his fist. His eyes burned with soaring battle intent.
A new legend was about to unfold here.
He turned to the still stunned Zhao Tiezhu, smiling calmly, his voice calm yet carrying undeniable power.
"We have arrived."
End of Volume Three: Shadow Snake Dark Surges.