I Can Extract Divine Power

Shen Bai contemplated for a moment. He used Divine Thousand Miles, turning into a blur as he moved into the shadows.

When he arrived, he overheard a few people talking.

"Hurry, kill this bear! We can trade it for a lot of silver when we get back."

"I can't believe we bagged a bear on our first time out exploring."

"Don't get distracted. The outskirts of the Broken Forest are dangerous. Once we're done, we'll head back immediately."

After talking for a moment, the three men started attacking the bear again.

'They have some foundation as Cultivators, but their strength is too low.'

Shen Bai thought to himself, 'They're probably about as strong as the constables in the county town.'

Just as he was thinking this, the black bear finally collapsed with a THUD under the trio's assault.

"Niu Er, hurry! Skin it quickly. Once you're done, we'll go back," one of the young men said.

Another, slightly stockier man stepped forward, skillfully took out a knife, and began to skin the bear.

The last young man stood guard, surveying their surroundings.

Shen Bai didn't reveal himself, because the scene before him was simply too bizarre.

To think there were living people beneath an ancient city that should no longer exist.

Shen Bai was certain he could sense the aura of living beings from them.

Not only that, but the bear was also made of flesh and blood.

This immense forest, this vibrant environment—it was all so similar to the outside world.

Even the sunlight from the sky, from that fiery orb of unknown origin, radiated a gentle warmth.

This was happening underground, beneath Nanxing Prefecture. Faced with such a strange occurrence, Shen Bai grew increasingly curious.

At that moment, the three men in the woods finally finished their work.

Led by Niu Er, they hoisted the bear's carcass and started walking toward the city.

Shen Bai remained hidden, following them from a distance.

The city was large, but all three men had already crossed the threshold to becoming Cultivators, so they moved quite quickly.

Shen Bai followed from afar, with no intention of revealing himself.

He wanted to see what would happen next. After all, in such an unfamiliar place, recklessly showing himself could lead to danger.

Even though his Divination Divine Power had predicted a fortunate outcome, Shen Bai wasn't willing to be reckless when his own safety was at stake.

Before long, the three men, carrying the black bear's carcass, arrived before the massive city.

Shen Bai still didn't appear. Instead, he activated the Stealth Attribute of his Shadow Kill, hiding himself in the shadows and greatly reducing his presence.

The stealth effect of this Divine Power was extremely potent. As long as he was within the stealth range, even if he walked right past someone, they would see nothing unless they were skilled in Investigation or stronger than him.

And now, Shen Bai could finally take in the full view of the enormous city.

Before him, the city walls stood tall and ancient, covered in marks that looked as if they had been carved by blades and axes.

Above the city gate hung a massive plaque inscribed with the three words "Ruo Shui City."

The calligraphy was powerful and vigorous, exuding an ancient, desolate aura. A single glance was enough to make one praise it as a work of divine inspiration.

At the city gate, a dozen or so soldiers stood in two rows, guarding the entrance with Weapons in hand.

When Niu Er and his companions reached the gate, a soldier stepped forward to question them before letting them pass.

Shen Bai stroked his chin and gave the scene a quick look-over.

Many people similar to Niu Er were coming and going through the city gate.

This underground Ruo Shui City was like a city completely isolated from the rest of the world.

Everyone was carrying various kinds of prey from their hunts.

"Red Makeup, can you sense anything unusual here?"

Amber couldn't sense anything, so Shen Bai asked Red Makeup, who was, after all, from the Era of Ten Thousand Cities.

Red Makeup's voice emerged from the depths of Shen Bai's mind, laced with confusion. "Master, the aura here feels both familiar and strange. It is indeed Ruo Shui City, but how has it remained so vibrant after all this time? Weren't they supposed to have fallen during the Era of Ten Thousand Cities?"

Shen Bai couldn't answer Red Makeup's question, as he currently had no clues.

After a moment's thought, Shen Bai lifted his foot and walked toward the city gate.

Thanks to the effect of Shadow Kill, the surrounding soldiers seemed unable to see him.

As soon as he stepped through the gate, a clamor of voices rose up from all around.

Shen Bai looked up and found that it was even livelier inside the city than it was outside.

Market stalls lined the streets and alleyways.

The common folk were all at their stalls, hawking their wares with gusto.

"Bear meat! Top-quality bear meat! Freshly hunted in the forest, come and take a look!"

Niu Er and his group had spread a square cloth on the ground, placed the bear carcass on top of it, and were now shouting to sell their catch.

It wasn't just them; other people were also hawking their own prey.

Besides the hunted game, there were other goods for sale, such as various fruits and vegetables, even silks, and some small trinkets with a vintage feel.

The city's streets were much like those in Nanxing Prefecture, which Shen Bai himself governed.

Shen Bai stroked his chin, and after a moment of thought, he walked to a corner, dispelled his Shadow Kill, and stepped out into the open.

At first, he had been worried about revealing himself and causing some unforeseen trouble.

But now, it seemed that was no longer necessary.

After all, if he didn't experience everything here firsthand, finding any clues would be next to impossible.

The moment Shen Bai stepped onto the street, many of the common folk turned their gazes toward him.

To Shen Bai's surprise, every single person here had already crossed the threshold to becoming a Cultivator.