Infinite Save: I Cultivate Immortality Through Reincarnation - Chapter 343: Ningling City
Ningling City.
This city, located in the southern frontier of the Qingque Kingdom, was a crucial border stronghold for the nation.
Consequently, compared to other towns, Ningling City’s gates appeared more massive and imposing, and the inspection of incoming and outgoing travelers was far more stringent.
On either side of the city gate stood five soldiers clad in iron armor, while in the center of the gate stood a squad leader and a middle-aged official wearing Qingque Kingdom’s official robes and sporting a mustache.
Chen Yan, riding a black-faced, white-forehead steed and dressed in grey daoist robes, stood out conspicuously among the ordinary citizens and merchant caravans coming and going from Ningling City.
The gaze of that middle-aged official was also locked onto Chen Yan.
“Immortal Master, please hold a moment. This humble one is Ningling City’s minor official Chang Xin. Today, I am performing my routine duties at the gate, inspecting those entering and exiting the city. I hope the Immortal Master will cooperate.”
As Chen Yan drew near, the official bowed respectfully in Chen Yan’s direction and spoke.
The squad leader beside him also bowed, the metal plates of his armor clanking together with a jangling sound.
“How should I cooperate?”
Chen Yan asked with a light chuckle.
Seeing that the temper of the Immortal Master before him seemed rather agreeable, the official at the city gate, though his face showed no expression, inwardly breathed a small sigh of relief.
Immortal cultivators were not people a mundane person like him could afford to offend.
To them, crushing him would be as simple as crushing an ant, and the cultivator wouldn’t bear any responsibility for it.
However, orders from above dictated that currently, anyone wishing to enter Ningling City must be interrogated, including immortal cultivators.
“If the Immortal Master is willing, you only need to inform this humble one where you have come from and what business brings you to Ningling City this time.”
The official named Chang Xin said with utmost reverence.
The subtext was that even if he didn’t say, it was fine; he was just asking a couple of questions as part of his routine duty.
“I am from the Xuming County of the Great Bamboo Dynasty, a mere rogue cultivator who practices on Mount Xuming. This time, traveling northward with my sword, I pause in Ningling simply to rest my feet during my journey to tour the mountains and rivers of various kingdoms and to experience the local customs and practices of the Qingque frontier.”
Riding his black-faced, white-forehead steed, Chen Yan introduced himself in a calm tone.
The Great Bamboo Dynasty was a country located south of the Qingque Kingdom.
Over the past twenty years, under the reforms of its new emperor, Great Bamboo’s national power had grown increasingly strong, and it frequently engaged in border friction with the Qingque Kingdom.
This was also one of the reasons why inspections at Ningling City had become stricter and stricter.
“So you are an Immortal Master from Great Bamboo.”
Upon hearing this, the official once again bowed respectfully towards Chen Yan’s direction.
Although relations between the Qingque Kingdom and the Great Bamboo Dynasty were extremely tense, the conflicts between these secular dynasties did not affect immortal cultivators.
It has long been stated that immortal cultivators interfering in the courtly affairs of secular dynasties has always been an absolute taboo.
Even those cultivation families that exist within the mortal world would not meddle in any courtly matters.
If the rule prohibiting interference in court affairs were broken, it would only give other cultivators a pretext to band together and attack.
“However, Immortal Master, forgive my presumption, but this current time may not be the best moment to travel and tour the Qingque Kingdom.”
The official named Chang Xin said this.
“How so?”
Chen Yan asked.
“This humble one has only heard that some time ago, an Immortal Master came to Ningling City from the north. He told me he was fleeing for refuge. He said the cultivation world of Qingque Kingdom is currently a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. If things continue like this, the immortal cultivators of Qingque Kingdom will likely be hunted down and exterminated by the Li Godslayer.”
The official of Ningling City said.
“Li Godslayer?”
Chen Yan was somewhat curious about this figure mentioned by the Ningling City official.
“I heard he is a great Immortal Master from the Kongshan Sect. This humble one does not know the specific name of that great Immortal Master, only that the cultivation families within Ningling City all refer to that great Immortal Master by that title.”
The official said.
“I see.”
Chen Yan nodded thoughtfully.
“If you, Immortal Master, wish to travel around the Qingque Kingdom, please be sure to pay attention to your safety and exercise great caution.”
The Ningling City official advised in this manner.
“Then I thank this lord for your kind intentions. I will be careful.”
Chen Yan said.
Hearing this, the official hastily bowed towards Chen Yan’s direction, his waist bending even lower than before.
“The Immortal Master truly humbles this lowly one. This humble person cannot bear to be addressed as ‘lord’ by you, Immortal Master.”
“May I enter the city now?”
Chen Yan asked.
“Of course, Immortal Master, please proceed at your convenience.”
The official said, stepping aside a few paces to clear the path into the city for Chen Yan.
…
Chenping Continent, Northern Region.
Beiguang River Ferry.
This ferry had long since become the most bustling and busy ferry in the Northern Region of Chenping Continent, second only to the ferry of Wind Ravine Valley. In fact, there was no other that could compare.
Even the ferries of numerous top-tier immortal cultivation sects found it difficult to hold a candle to the Beiguang River Ferry.
Now, the Beiguang River Ferry had already become the most important transportation hub in the Northern Region of Chenping Continent, with absolutely no equal.
And it was precisely by relying on this Beiguang River Ferry that the North Pass Sect was developing better and better.
A ferry from the Southern Region docked steadily at the Beiguang River ferry.
Numerous rogue cultivators from the Southern Region poured from the deck of this ferry into the Beiguang River Ferry. As the most important transportation hub in the Northern Region of Chenping Continent, opportunities here were naturally abundant.
A young man staggered down from the ship, then leaned against a nearby railing, his face pale as he recovered his strength in a corner.
Shi Mingxu was seasick.
And this time, he had ridden a ferry for over a month straight. Just moments ago, he had even wondered if he might die on the ship.
It was finally over.
The sole reason he had traversed nearly ten thousand miles, crossing from the Southern Region over the Heavenly Summit Mountain to reach the Beiguang River Ferry in the Northern Region, was because of a single sentence spoken to him by that great senior who called himself Bao Kai.
Go to the North Pass Sect and find a man named Jiang Liu. Tell him he still owes a little girl three high-grade spirit stones, and he would naturally know who sent you.
To think he would have such an opportunity.
Shi Mingxu gazed at the bustling Beiguang River Ferry before him and sighed with such emotion.
What did the Setting Sun Sword Manor have to compare with this place?
But now, the Setting Sun Sword Manor in Jin’an Country was also on the verge of collapse.
Because during the Setting Sun Sword Manor’s grand ceremony to open its doors and accept disciples, the Manor Lord of Setting Sun Sword Manor, Zhao Zheng, had mysteriously disappeared.
That disciple acceptance ceremony ultimately ended without any resolution; the Setting Sun Sword Manor simply did not accept any disciples.
Within Jin’an Country, the many immortal cultivation sects that had originally been subordinate to the Setting Sun Sword Manor were also growing restless and stirring.
Before Shi Mingxu left Jin’an Country, boarding a ferry from the port to head to the Northern Region, the situation within Jin’an Country was already quite tense.
Now, over a month had passed. Had it already descended into chaos?
I should find time to send a letter home.
Shi Mingxu thought to himself.
Just then, the crowd at the North Pass Sect ferry erupted with many exclamations of surprise.
Shi Mingxu looked up, following the direction the crowd was gazing, and saw two figures soaring through the air, gliding over the ferry.
One figure was clad in deep cyan daoist robes.
The other was in moon-white.
