Chapter 6084 Flourishing Land
The only person on top of this large transportation formation was Long Chen. When he walked out, someone immediately blocked him.
“Name?” asked the guard.
The guard was a Human Emperor from the older generation. Dressed in milky white robes and a jade belt, he had a tablet with the character “Bai” hanging from it.
As Long Chen sized him up, the guard waved a blank tablet impatiently and frowned.
“Speak!” he snapped.
Long Chen wasn’t sure of the guard’s exact status, but he did appear to be someone from Bai Sovereign City.
“Long Chen.”
Upon hearing the name, the guard snorted and shook his head. “How senseless.”
He then carved Long Chen’s name onto the jade tablet. After handing Long Chen that jade tablet, he held out his hand.
“One violet jade,” the guard demanded.
“It’s that expensive? Why not just rob people?”
Long Chen raised an eyebrow. Two carved characters on a tablet actually cost one piece of primal chaos violet jade?
The guard snapped, “Where did you come from, you country bumpkin? The entrance fee for Bai Sovereign City has been one violet jade for tens of millions of years. If you don’t like it, feel free to go back to where you came from.”
Judging by his attitude, the guard didn’t seem to be scamming him. Long Chen shrugged and handed over a violet jade.
“This tablet contains the rules and a general map of the city. See for yourself. If you break the rules, no one can save you,” the man said frostily, taking the payment.
His temper was clearly no better than his manners, so Long Chen didn’t bother arguing. He grabbed the tablet and moved on.
While walking, Long Chen scanned the tablet with his divine sense. A detailed map of Bai Sovereign City instantly appeared in his mind. As for the city rules—he couldn’t be bothered to read them.
Those things were for people who were staying long term. Long Chen wasn’t planning on setting up shop here, so there was nothing of importance for him to read.
“Oh, Brahma Pill Valley, the Huayun Trading Company, the Soaring Dragon Company... they’re all here?” Long Chen murmured.
Long Chen was surprised to see his three old friends present. Even funnier, on one bustling street, their shops were right next to each other—with the Huayun Trading Company stuck in the middle, sandwiched between the other two.
“If they’re this friendly, I should go say hello,” Long Chen muttered.
He was intrigued. Whoever controlled Bai Sovereign City had to be remarkably capable to force these rivals into peaceful coexistence.
Bai Sovereign City was massive and built into the mountains. Flying was forbidden, so Long Chen could only walk.
As he walked toward the center of the city, things quickly grew more crowded. Long Chen saw many new Human Emperors here.
Long Chen even spotted a few who had reached the third Heavenstage. But upon closer inspection, he saw that their aura lacked stability. It was a sign they had relied entirely on medicinal pills to reach that level.
These people had clearly reached the peak of their potential in the Human Emperor realm and had chosen to go all in, burning their resources to quickly elevate their realm. Even if it was temporary, they could at least intimidate others for a while.
Most of them came from powerful backgrounds but had such poor talent that their families had already given up on grooming them further.
When Long Chen reached the main avenue, it was packed wall-to-wall. New Human Emperors swarmed everywhere.
The shops on both sides had clearly prepared in advance. Everything a new Human Emperor might want was on display: pills, cultivation arts, weapons, battle armor, talismans—you name it.
After stopping a passerby to ask about it, Long Chen learned that most of these people had paid high prices to undergo their tribulations under Bai Sovereign City’s protection. That way, they could safely survive the first wave.
Long Chen was stunned. So even heavenly tribulations had become a business. Judging by the crowd size, Bai Sovereign City had probably made a killing from this service. No wonder the disciples around Long Chen were mostly mediocre.
The person Long Chen had asked was full of pride. He said not just anyone could afford Bai Sovereign City’s protection—connections were essential, even before wealth.
Now, Long Chen fully understood. Bai Sovereign City cared only about money. As long as the people inside followed the rules, with enough pay, the city officers could set up anything for them. It was no wonder the city was thriving.
Humans made up about sixty percent of the city’s population. The rest were various other races, but they were all following the rules.
While open conflict was forbidden, they could still curse or spit on each other.
But if any real conflict arose, the humans would unite instantly, overwhelming the opposition with curses. Long Chen saw it happen more than once on his way. The human race never lost when it came to verbal spats, and that was oddly amusing.
As Long Chen continued forward, he started to encounter more powerful figures. Luckily, his aura concealment was flawless, so they couldn’t gauge his strength. This allowed him to move without drawing attention.
With the jade tablet in his hand, Long Chen followed the map. He looked for the markers to avoid getting lost.
The further ahead Long Chen went, the more people there were. It was noisy like a food market. Some kind of gathering appeared to be underway.
Just as he was examining the crowd, someone suddenly grabbed his arm.
“You’re late! What are you standing there for? Hurry up!” barked an impatient voice.
Long Chen was dragged into the crowd by a very tanned man—also a new Human Emperor. But Long Chen had no idea who he was.
“Brother, do you get the wrong person?” Long Chen asked, baffled.
“What are you talking about? Move it! You’re going to miss your chance!” the man snapped, ignoring Long Chen’s protest and yanking him onto a large stage.
Only then did Long Chen realize there was some kind of event going on here. The stage was packed with people, with over ten elderly men and women sitting down solemnly.
Every single one of them had a paper and brush in front of them, as if they were judges.
The atmosphere was oddly tense.
Long Chen was dumbfounded. What was this? How had he been dragged into it?
“Line up! You’re the last one. And hey, if it weren’t for me, all your preparation would’ve gone to waste,” said the tanned man, pushing Long Chen to the back of the line.
“Preparation?” Long Chen was baffled.
Did this guy know Long Chen wanted to go to the Huayun Trading Company? Did everyone have to line up like this to get into the Huayun Trading Company? Was there even an entrance exam?
Long Chen grumbled but still stepped into the line. He glanced at the person in front of him, who was wearing black robes as well.
The man turned around. The moment Long Chen saw this man’s face, Long Chen nearly cried out in shock.