Qi Zhiheng did not interrupt his thoughts, but said, "There are still a few days before we reach the shore. During this time, you should think carefully about your plans. If anyone wants to leave, I will not stop them."

After receiving Qi Zhiheng's confirmation, everyone began discussing their plans with acquaintances.

The spirit boat traveled at a considerable speed, and with Qi Zhiheng on board to oversee the operation, no fearless sea beasts dared to attack them. Three days later, they saw land.

It was at this moment that Qi Zhiheng instructed these hundreds of cultivators to make their own decisions.

Half of them chose to leave to inquire about their relatives and friends, to see if they could still rely on them. Others felt that too much time had passed and they didn't know if their original relatives and friends were still alive or what their current attitude was, so they gave up the idea of ​​leaving. With Qi Zhiheng, a Mahayana stage cultivator, protecting them, at least some sect members would have some reservations.

It would be a good idea for them to form another small faction.

Because some people had this idea and felt that Qi Zhiheng was not bad, they thought that staying might be the wisest choice. As for their original relatives and friends, they could look for news of them after they had settled down.

Qi Zhiheng checked the number of people on his side and found that about 500 people remained, which was more than half of the original number. They were mostly cultivators who had been trapped in that world for more than 300 years and decided to stay because they were unsure of the consequences of leaving.

Those who left were mostly those who had been trapped for less than two hundred years. They felt that with this much time, they might be able to find their old relatives and friends, so they decided to go and inquire about them themselves.

Those who shared the same goal decided to travel together.

Qi Zhiheng wasn't heartless; he gave them some spirit stones as travel expenses.

Those who left were trapped for a relatively short time, so they might still have some spirit stones, but probably not many. It's inconvenient to go looking for someone empty-handed, so Qi Zhiheng didn't give them much. He also had Xiong Shuang send them a communication jade slip, instructing them: "Your journey is dangerous. This is Xiong Shuang's contact information. If you don't find the person you're looking for or change your mind, you can come back to us."

This deeply moved the group of people who were leaving, and they all expressed their gratitude repeatedly.

Qi Zhiheng didn't care much, and waved for them to leave after the spirit boat docked.

After everyone had left, Qi Zhiheng turned his attention back to the men he had brought with him.

Although we've reached the shore, there's no sign of human habitation on the beach. Some sea creatures are active on the distant sea surface, suggesting that the area is teeming with marine life, which is why so few people live here.

However, Qi Zhiheng's soul power detected a city some distance away. He now had a target.

However, he did not rush to leave. Instead, he gathered everyone together and planned to give some instructions on what to pay attention to.

"I don't care what you were like in the past, but since you've decided to join my ranks, I expect you to abide by the rules I've set," Qi Zhiheng said, looking at the crowd.

"Please speak, senior! We will certainly act in accordance with your wishes."

Qi Zhiheng spoke out to restrain them. First, they were the ones who had signed the contract, and second, he was issuing orders on their behalf, which these cultivators had to obey.

Qi Zhiheng continued, "There are countless experts in the Central Continent. One wrong move and we could be wiped out. We haven't yet established a firm foothold in any of these places, so unless someone provokes us, I don't want any of you to actively seek trouble. If anyone tries to harm you, inform me first. If they are truly at fault, we won't stand idly by and let you suffer. But if you caused the trouble yourselves, you'll have to deal with it yourselves. I don't have the time or energy to clean up your messes, understand?"

"Understood!" everyone responded.

"Secondly, although you are on the same side, I will not allow you to engage in infighting among yourselves, regardless of any past grudges. If there are any conflicts, you can inform Xiong Shuang first and let him handle them. You can fight each other in his presence, but if you secretly plot against me, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison, "Yes!"

Qi Zhiheng led the group away and continued, "We don't have a place to stay yet. After I find out some information, I will establish a small force. At that time, you will be members of the force."

Qi Zhiheng was initially hesitant about establishing a power base, but considering that his family might come here in ten years or so, he decided to create a stronghold here. At least he couldn't let his family members be subservient to other powers. Who knew how those powers would treat them then? It would be safer to establish his own power base.

A group of people arrived at the small town that Qi Zhiheng had explored with his soul power.

A few cultivators were sparsely lined up at the city gate to enter the city. Qi Zhiheng led his men to join the queue.

The city's plaque bears the three large characters "Smoke Overwhelms the City".

Yang Yitian said, "I bet the person in charge of this city is a woman."

Qi Zhiheng raised an eyebrow and asked, "How did you know?"

Yang Yitian raised his chin: "Look at the city name on the city gate, doesn't it sound like the name of a beautiful woman?"

Qi Zhiheng said, "You can't even allow him to be a handsome man?"

"I... my intuition is always very accurate, it's definitely a woman!" Yang Yitian couldn't think of a better explanation for the moment, so he could only give a vague answer.

Qi Zhiheng didn't want to discuss this issue with him, as the queue in front of them was about to turn.

There is an entrance fee to enter the city. Qi Zhiheng took out his spirit stone bag to see how many spirit stones he needed to pay.

He was secretly relieved that he only had about five hundred cultivators at his disposal. If he needed more, it would be a burden he couldn't afford.

"The more than 500 people in the back row are all our people. How many spirit stones are needed for the entry fee?" Qi Zhiheng asked from the front of the table.

The gatekeeper was a Nascent Soul cultivator. Sensing Qi Zhiheng's aura, he immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Senior. May I ask if you have come from afar? Is there anything you wish to do?"

Qi Zhiheng was surprised that the city gate guards would suddenly kneel down. It was also because he had been in the space for too long and had not yet had time to realize his own identity.

He is a cultivator in the Mahayana stage. In the eyes of ordinary people, isn't he someone who can take a life with a wave of his hand?

He raised his hand and said, "No need for formalities. We are just passing through and want to rest here. Just follow the rules and regulations."

The Nascent Soul stage gatekeeper then stood up: "It is an honor for Yanqing City that you would be so kind as to visit us. We would never ask you to pay an entrance fee! Your entire group is welcome to enter."

Qi Zhiheng said, "Doesn't fire break the rules here?"

"Senior, you're overthinking it. Rules are rigid; they weren't created specifically for you." At that moment, another voice came.

Qi Zhiheng's soul power was strong, and he had discovered the newcomer early on. This was a cultivator in the Integration stage, and he clearly held a high position among these guards.

He dismissed the guard and went to attend to his own business, then came forward to greet Qi Zhiheng and the others: "Junior Guangcheng greets senior."

Qi Zhiheng's lips twitched: "No need for formalities."

Guang Cheng said, "Senior has come from afar, so let me greet you first. Please come into the city, senior."

"Lead the way." Qi Zhiheng led more than 500 people into the city under Guang Cheng's guidance.

Qi Zhiheng asked, "Is there anywhere here that can accommodate so many of us?" He needed to find a place to stay, and asking the local natives was the best option.

Guang Cheng chimed in, "The city lord has already learned of your arrival, senior, and has ordered a banquet to be prepared to welcome you. Why don't you and your subordinates stay at the city lord's mansion?"

Free lodging? Qi Zhiheng readily agreed: "Then I'll gladly accept your offer."

A group of people walked towards the city lord's mansion, with Guang Cheng introducing the scenery along the way to Qi Zhiheng.

Qi Zhiheng also inquired about the city's situation and learned that the city lord was a Mahayana cultivator, and the only Mahayana cultivator in the city.

This explains why the guards here were so polite to him; after all, to some extent, his cultivation level was high enough to qualify him as a city lord.

In less than half an hour, they arrived at the city lord's mansion.

The city lord did not come to greet them personally; instead, they were greeted by the steward of the city lord's mansion.

The city lord would only come out to greet guests when the evening banquet began.

Qi Zhiheng didn't mind and led a group of people to the arranged courtyard to stay.

The cultivator who entered the city lord's mansion with him said, "Following Senior Qi was definitely the right decision. If we had acted alone, we wouldn't have received such treatment!"

These words, spoken in front of Qi Zhiheng, carried a hint of flattery.

Knowing that one could become the lord of a city during the Mahayana stage, he felt more confident about building his own power.

But building up a force isn't so easy. First, you need to occupy a piece of land, right? After all these years in Zhongzhou City, he doesn't believe there's still any vacant land that hasn't been occupied by other forces.

If you want to acquire a piece of territory, you might need to take down a certain faction and seize the territory from them.

But since he was unfamiliar with the place and the people there, he had to ask around first.

After settling everyone in, Qi Zhiheng and Yang Yitian went back to their room to tidy themselves up. They were going to attend a welcome-home banquet that evening, so they couldn't be as casual as they were now.

Yang Yitian teased, "I'm saying, are you dressed up so smartly because you're trying to win the favor of that stunning city lord?"

Qi Zhiheng curled the corners of his lips and said, "Maybe they've got their eye on you?"

The two exchanged a few jokes and then sat down to wait for the banquet to begin that evening.