Soul Emperor Awakening

After studying the city for a moment, Lin Xuan walked toward it. The moment he entered their line of sight, he was spotted. Several sharp gazes locked onto him, scanning him from head to toe.

When they saw he was human, their hostility instantly lessened. As long as you were human, things were much simpler here; after all, they were his own kind.

"Who goes there!" a Guard on the wall called out.

"I am Lin Xuan, a Loose Cultivator who has been wandering the wastes. Might I be able to enter the city?" Lin Xuan asked.

"You may. Open the gate!" The Guard nodded and signaled for the others to open the thick city gate. A moment later, the massive gate slowly creaked open. Once there was a wide enough gap, Lin Xuan turned sideways and slipped through.

The moment he stepped inside, several Guards surrounded him, scrutinizing him from head to toe. When they saw nothing out of the ordinary, one of them asked, "Do you know the rules of Unity City?"

"The rules of Unity City? I’m not very familiar with them. Could you please tell me about them?" Lin Xuan said.

The lead Guard stepped forward and snorted. "If you want to live here in peace, you must make significant contributions. If you contribute nothing yet expect our protection, then you are not welcome here! No pain, no gain. If you want the rewards without putting in the work, we’ll just tell you to get the hell out of this city!"

Lin Xuan nodded. That made perfect sense. In a place this dangerous, it would be completely unreasonable to expect protection without contributing anything in return.

’Unity City actually sounds pretty good,’ Lin Xuan thought. ’Only by uniting can they resist the invasions from the outside world.’

"I agree completely. One must contribute to earn their place here," Lin Xuan said with a faint smile.

The Guard Captain was pleased with Lin Xuan’s attitude, and the stern expression on his resolute face finally softened slightly. "My name is Wei Jun, and I’m the Guard Captain here. You can come to me if you have any problems. For now, familiarize yourself with the city. Once you’ve settled in, you’ll need to start taking on tasks. If you need a weapon or anything else, you can buy it at the market—provided you have money. You can also use Contribution Points, though of course, you don’t have any right now."

"For now, head to the Task Hall inside to learn more and pick up your Identity Token." Wei Jun reached out and clapped Lin Xuan on the shoulder, his voice heavy. "Just focus on surviving here on the Demon Race Continent!" His tone was grave and serious. Looking at his weathered face, it was clear he had endured many farewells.

"Thank you for your concern, Brother Wei!" A warmth spread through Lin Xuan’s heart. Wei Jun had seen how low his Cultivation was and had taken the time to give him extra advice.

A Third Layer Essence Pill Stage Cultivation was not considered high here; it was just barely a passing grade. Those with even lower Cultivation rarely left the city, choosing instead to farm the land inside its walls, waiting for their Cultivation to improve before they could take on any tasks.

To even attempt a task, one needed to be at the Essence Pill Stage at a minimum. After all, members of the Demon Race at the Essence Pill Stage were a common sight outside the walls. To venture out without at least an Essence Pill Stage Cultivation was simply suicide.

After bidding farewell to Wei Jun, Lin Xuan headed deeper into the city. Unity City was neither large nor small, with a population of roughly ten thousand. More than half of its residents had Cultivation below the Essence Pill Stage, meaning only a small fraction possessed any real combat strength.

Although the city wasn’t large, it had all the necessities. Its shops and markets were fully stocked. The shopkeepers themselves were all high-level cultivators; those at the Peak of Essence Pill Stage were common, and there were a fair number at the Spirit Pill Stage as well.

As Lin Xuan walked through the city, it felt like he had entered another world. No one here had a flamboyant aura; instead, they were all composed and grounded. Having survived day after day in a place filled with peril, they were naturally different from those who lived in peaceful territories.

To survive on this continent, one had to relentlessly improve their Cultivation—the alternative was death! As a result, the combat prowess of everyone here far exceeded those who merely practiced their Cultivation at home. Each person was ruthless, and every move they made was for the kill!

One might ask why, with such strong Cultivation, they didn’t just return to the Chenyuan Continent, the human realm. Some wanted to but weren’t strong enough to make the journey back. Others, however, chose to stay, for this land was rife with opportunity. To achieve a breakthrough, one had to constantly teeter on the edge of life and death—that was the surest path.

Otherwise, the average Cultivation level here wouldn’t be so high. When you constantly flirt with death, it’s impossible for your Cultivation to stay low for long.

Lin Xuan observed the people around him, and they observed him in return. Most offered him a kind smile. To them, this might be the last time they ever saw him. The lower one’s Cultivation, the more likely one was to die.

Someone you’d seen and greeted a few days ago could be gone today, likely eaten by a member of the Demon Race.

Following the information from Wei Jun, Lin Xuan arrived at the Task Hall. It was a simple wooden structure; in fact, most buildings here were made of wood. This made both repairs and construction much faster, and it was no great loss if a building was damaged.

Before he even stepped inside, he saw numerous people coming and going. Many of those lingering in the hall were injured. After turning in their tasks, they would head back to rest and recover.

"Hello, I’m here to receive my Identity Token," Lin Xuan said as he approached the front desk.

"Name?" the clerk inquired.

"Lin Xuan." ’No need for a fake name here,’ he thought. ’It’s completely unnecessary. No one here knows me, and in the eyes of these people, even the Soaring Dragon Empire is nothing compared to Unity City.’

’Experts are as common as clouds here. If they truly united, they could crush a place like Qingcheng Mansion without breaking a sweat. I’ve already seen several shopkeepers at the Spirit Pill Stage, and that’s just in one small area. The whole of Unity City must have dozens of such experts. Crushing Qingcheng Mansion would be a piece of cake. Of course, they wouldn’t bother with something so pointless, and they don’t belong to the same sect anyway.’

"Here you go. If you lose it, your Contribution Points will be wiped," the clerk said flatly.

Lin Xuan accepted the simple Token. Carved onto it was just his name, "Lin Xuan." It was nothing more than a piece of wood, laughably crude. Yet, as crude as it was, it would be quite difficult to forge. After all, the name was carved following a specific grain pattern in the wood.

If the pattern didn’t match, they wouldn’t recognize it as one they had issued. Under normal circumstances, however, one would be unlikely to lose it—unless they were dead. That was probably why they were made so simply. Besides, completed tasks were recorded here at the hall, not just on the Token itself.

’Well, I suppose I’m a part of this place now.’ Lin Xuan carefully put the Token away. It seemed he would be staying here for the foreseeable future.