Chapter 183 - 182: The Astonishing Jiuji City

After upgrading a series of his Martial Techniques and equipment to bolster his strength, Tang Yi’s Attribute Panel was as follows.

Player: Tang Yi

Title: Slaughter Master

Level: 44 (Four-star Battle King)

Experience: 1,210,013/10,000,000

Battle God Value: 100

Cultivation Technique: Nightmare Strike (Earth Tier Upper Grade), Six Yang Rejuvenation Finger (Earth Tier Upper Grade), Celestial Heart Guidance (Earth Tier Upper Grade), Flame Dance (Heaven Tier Lower Grade), Ice Seal of Ten Thousand Miles (Heaven Tier Lower Grade)

Skill: Intermediate Boxing Technique, Intermediate Saber Technique, Intermediate Swordsmanship

Body Technique: Formless Divine Shadow Step (Earth Tier Upper Grade)

Finishing Move: Mountain Shattering Earth Splitting Slash (Level 1)

Secondary Profession: Intermediate Alchemy Skill (Alchemy Grandmaster), Intermediate Forging Skill (Master of Forging), Intermediate Puppetry Skill (Puppet Grandmaster)...

Special Slot: Three Thousand Flame Flames (Extreme Fire)

Items in Backpack: Ice Sword, Shadow Remnant Sword, Divine Boots, Black Iron Gloves, Ice Spirit Armor of Light, Full-Attribute Pills x1,000, Full-Attribute Pills (Mid-Level) x100.

...

Seeing this panel, Tang Yi was filled with confidence.

Finding an empty corner, Tang Yi consumed five hundred Full-Attribute Pills and equipped the Black Iron Gloves and the Ice Spirit Armor of Light.

[Black Iron Gloves]: Upon equipping, increases the Player’s Power by 100. When using Fist or Palm Techniques, damage is increased by 15%.

[Ice Spirit Armor of Light]: Reduces damage taken by 20%. When receiving the first attack, it can release an Ice Spirit Light to negate one attack. (Once per day).

After equipping these two pieces of equipment, Tang Yi felt even better. His whole body pulsed with a sense of immense power.

Tang Yi looked toward the horizon. There, a much vaster world had opened its imposing gates to him.

...

「Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.」

On this day, the Void Warship arrived at the North Tomb Gate of Jiuji City.

The North Tomb Gate was one of four passages leading to the West Mansion Headquarter, the others being the East, West, and South Tomb Gates.

Only by passing through one of these four passages could one enter Jiuji City, the location of the West Mansion Headquarter.

Although "City" was in its name, Jiuji City was not a true city. Instead, it was considered a Little World.

Legend had it that an ancestor of the West Mansion found a Sumeru Treasure during his travels. It contained an incredibly vast space within, and after being refined, it became the current site of the West Mansion Headquarter.

To enter, one had to pass through those four passages.

As the West Mansion’s Headquarter, it was not a place one could enter at will. The four passages served as barriers, making it impossible for ordinary people to even set foot inside.

Only disciples of the West Mansion, or examinees who had passed the qualifying exam and earned a spot, were allowed entry.

If an examinee failed the House Entrance Examination, they would be immediately transferred out by designated personnel. No one from outside the West Mansion was allowed to remain within for more than a single double-hour.

"I am Lu Zilin, Chief Elder of the North District. I have brought the examinees from the Thirty-six Cities of the North District to the West Mansion to participate in the House Entrance Examination."

As the Void Warship pulled up before the North Tomb Gate, Elder Lu presented a token.

A Guardian from the West Mansion stepped forward to receive the token. After verifying the identities of Elder Lu and the North District examinees, the Guardian opened the gate and allowed the Void Warship to pass through.

After entering the North Tomb Gate, everyone finally got a clear look at Jiuji City, the West Mansion Headquarter.

Standing on the Void Warship and looking down through the clouds, they could see that Jiuji City covered a vast territory. Within it, eight great cities rose up, surrounding an even more massive city at the center, like stars orbiting the moon.

Using Fengyue City as a point of comparison, each of the eight great cities was ten times its size, while the central metropolis was a hundred times larger. The scale was simply immense and magnificent.

Furthermore, upon entering Jiuji City’s domain, the examinees felt a dense wave of Spiritual Energy wash over them. Merely by circulating their Cultivation Techniques, they could absorb vast amounts of it, feeling it flow through their limbs and bones with a refreshing sensation.

"The Spiritual Energy in Jiuji City is ten times denser than in the outside world! If we cultivate here, we can achieve twice the results with half the effort," one examinee said excitedly. "No wonder the West Mansion forbids outsiders. Why would they share such amazing conditions? Of course, they’d keep it for their own people!"

"No wonder so many young Martial Artists in the Western Domain would fight tooth and nail to pass the exam and enter the West Mansion," another examinee chimed in, nodding. "Forget about all the other resources the West Mansion might have. This dense Spiritual Energy permeating every corner of Jiuji City is enough to make anyone go crazy for it."

"Yeah, I really hope I can pass the exam and stay in the West Mansion," another examinee said with immense hope. "Even if I don’t manage to win the favor of the West Mansion, just being able to cultivate in an environment like this means my future achievements will definitely be far greater than they would be outside."

"I can’t even imagine what incredible Divine Techniques the West Mansion’s ancestor must have possessed to create such a miraculous Little World!" yet another examinee exclaimed, gazing in awe at the nine massive cities.

Jiuji City contained nine cities, arranged in the formation of a Nine Palaces Array. They were, respectively: Qian Palace, Kan Palace, Gen Palace, Zhen Palace, Central Palace, Xun Palace, Lii Palace, Kun Palace, and Dui Palace.

The most massive city in the center was the Central Palace.

However, the North District examinees arriving in Jiuji City would not be staying in the enormous Central Palace, as they were not yet worthy. That was the location of the West Mansion Inner Mansion, home to the West Mansion’s experts and high-ranking members.

The examinees were headed to the last of the Nine Palaces: Dui Palace.

This year’s qualification exam was to be held in Dui Palace and presided over by its senior members.

The Void Warship proceeded toward Dui Palace, and soon, it came into everyone’s view.

Peering through the clouds, everyone could see the halls, pavilions, Martial Arts Arenas, and other buildings of Dui Palace. To the far east, there was an even more magnificent complex. Its architecture was stunning, resplendent with gold and jade decorations. There were elegant verandas and jade-like mansions, pools wreathed in Immortal Energy, and even a majestic Holy Hall floating in mid-air.

Scene after scene left the examinees from the North District speechless, gasping in constant amazement.

Upon entering Dui Palace, the Void Warship landed in a vast plaza. Immediately after, a white-haired expert from the West Mansion, who exuded an incredibly powerful aura, led the North District examinees and their Chief Examiners toward their accommodations.

The examinees followed behind the West Mansion expert, gawking curiously like farmers visiting a capital for the first time. They pointed at everything, bubbling with excitement.

Finally, they stopped in a large courtyard that looked like an Imperial Palace.

The courtyard was immense. Its walls, forged from some unknown material, shimmered with a silvery-white luster. The pillars supporting the grand halls were carved from a translucent white jade, creating a scene of exquisite beauty.