Chapter 1071

In the early morning, warm sunlight bathed the entire Zhuque Star, casting a layer of holy light upon the fiery red planet.

A new day meant a new journey.

In Youdu City, cultivators came and went in large numbers. Some formed teams for missions, while others returned to submit tasks. Most were busy making money, hoping to buy property in Youdu as soon as possible to avoid the constant fear of being in the wild.

High in the sky, Ye Chen flew in on his sword and descended straight towards the city gates.

He had removed his Ghost Ming mask. Perhaps because his cultivation seemed unremarkable, no one paid him much attention.

"Did you hear? That Chi Yan Xiong Shi devoured a Quasi-Emperor."

"A Quasi-Emperor? Devoured whole?" Someone gasped in shock.

"The scene was absolutely bloody—I witnessed it myself!"

"A rampaging Chi Yan Xiong Shi is the most terrifying."

"That kid at the Tianjing first level is quite something. I've seen bold people, but never one this impressive." Someone let out a sigh of admiration.

"Looks like we can't go back to that demon beast forest anymore. Chi Yan Xiong Shi holds a grudge." An older cultivator stroked his beard. "Fortunately, Zhuque Star has more than just that one demon beast forest."

Listening to the discussions around him, Ye Chen couldn't help but cough lightly, silently offering a moment of condolence for the Quasi-Emperor in his heart. If he hadn't stolen the Xianlian Lingru in the chaos, that Quasi-Emperor might not have died.

This was the world of cultivators, where the rules of survival were brutal. Life and death came in an instant, as commonplace as breathing. The only fault was that the Quasi-Emperor's skills weren't strong enough.

As he spoke to himself, Ye Chen had already arrived at the stone monument for submitting tasks.

Huh?

The moment Ye Chen appeared, he attracted a lot of attention. Just over ten days ago, he had taken over a hundred task jade plaques from here in one go, leaving everyone stunned.

Even the guard who had been there before couldn't help but glance over, his face darkening slightly.

"Senior, please check these."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ye Chen placed over a hundred task jade plaques and more than a hundred demon beast shou yuan on the jade table.

Damn!

Seeing those over a hundred bloodstained demon beast shou yuan, the cultivators gathered at the stone monument were all shocked.

"Over a hundred demon beast shou yuan—that means over a hundred demon beasts!"

"Completed in just over ten days? And all by himself?"

"The demon beast forest is incredibly dangerous, and he just walks out of it unscathed?" Instantly, everyone looked at Ye Chen with strange eyes, especially those who had mocked him before. Those over a hundred shou yuan felt like slaps across their faces.

"Stay calm!" Compared to the other cultivators, the Youdu elder in charge of accepting tasks remained quite composed.

The Youdu elder carefully counted the demon beast shou yuan. These were proof of task completion and couldn't be damaged. Most task givers were alchemists who needed them for refining pills, so accuracy was essential.

After finishing the count, the Youdu elder smiled faintly and gave Ye Chen an appreciative look, then handed him a storage bag.

"Thank you, senior!" Ye Chen quickly took it, offered a simple bow, and then, still under everyone's gaze, headed to the city gates.

When he approached the guard again, the guard's expression was even more peculiar, eyeing Ye Chen up and down once more. In the guard's eyes, Ye Chen had always been an enigmatic figure.

As he looked, the guard noticed the small eagle perched on Ye Chen's shoulder.

Though it was a Lieyan Jin Ying, it now appeared as just a tiny sparrow. Still, its sharp eyes made the guard shudder involuntarily.

"Daoist friend, here's the source stone!" While the guard was looking at the small eagle, Ye Chen had already slipped a piece of source stone into his hand. This time, it was genuine source stone, not one he had condensed himself.

Since it was real source stone, the guard didn't obstruct him.

Ye Chen took a deep breath and stepped through the Youdu city gates.

Once inside, the scene before him brightened dramatically, leaving him momentarily stunned.

What lay before his eyes was a vast panorama. It was shrouded in mist and ethereal, with majestic immortal pavilions and towers standing tall. People bustled about, and the air was filled with calls and shouts from vendors, creating a scene of unparalleled prosperity, like a paradise on earth.

In the distance, rugged peaks rose in layers, with winding paths through the forests leading to secluded spots, and immortal cranes dancing in the clouds with branches in their beaks.

Looking even higher, the wonders continued—one layer after another, a full Jiuchongtian. Each level radiated with immortal light, veiled in hazy mist, and even with his keen vision, Ye Chen couldn't see it all.

"The Lingxiao Xianque Jiuchongtian—truly an audacious feat."

Ye Chen marveled inwardly, unconsciously taking steps forward, gazing around like a country bumpkin seeing the world for the first time.

In his view, the streets of Youdu were like pathways of dao principles, intersecting in a complex web. The bustling avenues and scattered pavilions were all adorned with intricate carvings and jade railings. Ancient trees of odd shapes dotted the area, their falling leaves glistening with a subtle sheen, while gentle streams babbled with a clear, refreshing sound, flowing endlessly.

The more Ye Chen observed, the more amazed he became. The prosperity of Youdu far exceeded his expectations, and he was deeply shocked by the immense power of the Zhuque family.

Pulling his gaze from the lively streets of Youdu, Ye Chen began to calculate with his fingers.

As he did, he lifted his face toward the distant Jiuchongtian. Youdu had reincarnated individuals, but they weren't below—they were above. To his delight, there was more than one.

Without hesitation, Ye Chen started walking, heading straight for the heavens.

However, to his bewilderment, a force pressed down on him, making it impossible to fly.

Xian Tian Jinzhi!

Ye Chen furrowed his brow, quickly realizing the truth. It wasn't just him—likely everyone in the first level of Youdu was suppressed by this innate restriction, preventing flight. As for whether the same applied from the second to the ninth level, he had no way of knowing.

Once again, Ye Chen felt profound respect for the divine abilities of the Zhuque family, for this innate restriction was overwhelmingly powerful.

Jiuchongtian!

Ye Chen murmured to himself, noting how clearly defined the hierarchy was in Youdu—a pyramid of nine levels, with status growing more exalted the higher one went, emphasizing the rule of the strong.

Unable to fly, Ye Chen wasn't deterred from ascending. If flying wasn't an option, there must be another way.

With that thought, he grabbed a passerby from the crowd—a sharp-featured young man with only Tianjing-level cultivation. The youth had shifty eyes that darted everywhere.

"Are you crazy?" the youth snapped, caught off guard and yanked to a stop, clearly annoyed.

"How do I get up there?"

Ye Chen handed him a piece of source stone.

"There's a Jiutian Transmission Array in the city center," the youth said, his face lighting up at the sight of the source stone. He even bit it to check, afraid Ye Chen was tricking him.

"Does it cost anything to go up?"

"It's free."

"Thanks."

Ye Chen turned to leave, but the youth called him back.

"Do you have a property token?"

"What's a property token?"

"It's for people who own property in Youdu."

"So, without a property token, I can't go up?"

"Isn't that obvious?" The youth glanced at Ye Chen skeptically.

"Without a property token, you can't go up. What kind of ridiculous rule is that?" Ye Chen grumbled inwardly, realizing he'd have to scrape together money to buy a house and end up broke again.

"Got it."

Ye Chen turned and vanished into the crowd in the blink of an eye.

"What a weirdo." The youth muttered behind him, but seeing the source stone in his hand, he broke into a grin. Walking around and getting money like this—it felt like his luck was turning.