"It's not what I imagined!"
Looking into the distance, one can see a majestic city standing between heaven and earth, teeming with people, its bustling activity no less than that of the human race's Nine Continents. However, the occasional flashes of cold steel and the rising, ominous aura within the city indicate that this great city is somewhat special.
"Haha, Brother Feng, this is your first time leaving the Nine Provinces of Humanity, isn't it? Do you think there are no more humans outside the Nine Provinces?"
Stretching across the sky, on a flying boat that swayed in the wind and cast large shadows on an endless green carpet, a dashing young man dressed in animal skins smiled at a Taoist priest beside him.
"This is my first time. I haven't even traveled all over the Nine Provinces of the Human Race yet, but I didn't expect to leave the Nine Provinces first."
As Feng Bingwen gazed at the ever-approaching, increasingly magnificent city, a surge of emotion welled up in his eyes.
"However, I don't believe that there are no human beings outside the Nine Provinces. I just didn't expect that the human race outside the realm could have such a grand scale."
"Because this land belongs to my Great Qin, and every inch of it is stained with the blood of my Great Qin soldiers."
A soft female voice came from behind him, and a young girl walked slowly towards him. She followed Feng Bingwen's gaze and looked into the distance at the city, her eyes also showing ripples of emotion.
"Great Qin is so magnificent!"
Feng Bingwen was full of praise.
After the geniuses gathered, they did not delay at all. They directly used the intercontinental teleportation array set up by the Great Qin to break through the void and arrive at the new land that the Great Qin had opened up in the land of demons and monsters, outside the Nine Provinces of the human race.
The young Taoist looked around. Their group was truly impressive, with not only the imperial princess Zhao Xizhi's carriage beneath them, but also other sacred objects such as flying islands, suspended mountains, and floating cities.
Human prodigies are able to demonstrate their exceptional talent not only through their own efforts, but most importantly, through the support of a powerful and influential force.
The human prodigies who can be favored by Yi Canglan must have considerable power behind them. Or rather, if they are too weak, they are not qualified to be invited by Yi Canglan. If the weak go to the land of demons and fight against them, they will lose face for the human race if they are defeated.
At this time, the travels of many outstanding talents and Daoists can be seen as a testament to the strength of the forces behind these human heroes. They often use floating mountains or floating cities as their mounts, and there are many of them. It's just a matter of whose mount is bigger.
Compared to the vehicles of these prodigies, Empress Zhao Xizhi's hundred-foot flying boat seemed rather inconspicuous, even somewhat shabby. However, naturally no fool would mock the Empress, because the Supreme Daoist and the now renowned Sunset God-King were both on that flying boat.
These two didn't even bring out their cars or anything, but given their reputations, naturally no one would be foolish enough to question them.
What kind of background do they have? One side is the representative of the number one sect of the human race, while the other side is a descendant of gods and humans who have been passed down since ancient times.
"I want to go into the city and have a look!"
Feng Bingwen's gaze finally fell on the desolate human city that stretched across the sky and earth, and then he spoke to Yi Canglan beside him.
"Brother Feng, please do as you please. There's no need to say such things to me!"
"You are in charge, so I naturally need to inform you of any unusual actions I take."
"Brother Feng, is this really necessary?"
Yi Canglan instantly understood Feng Bingwen's thoughts, and a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"It is necessary; you must have the power of decision-making!"
Feng Bingwen corrected the Sunset God's thinking. He encouraged the guy to take a group of geniuses to the land of demons, not only to show off their power but also to earn merit points. However, the most important thing was to ensure their own safety.
What could be safer than having a group of geniuses by your side? Don't be fooled by the impressive sight of these geniuses gathered together; if all the powerful human beings hidden in the shadows were brought out, the situation would be even more terrifying—how could geniuses from all over the Nine Provinces not have protectors?
But Feng Bingwen's biggest worry was that among these geniuses, there were bound to be some arrogant and disrespectful individuals. To put it bluntly, if it weren't for some reservations, someone would probably have already challenged him and Yi Canglan.
When such a group of people get together, there must be a leader who can make decisions at crucial moments. Otherwise, these guys are too self-centered, and if they are not kept in check, they will all go their own way.
These guys are running around everywhere outside the Nine Provinces of the Human Race. It doesn't matter. What Feng Bingwen is worried about is that the powerful human beings who were following them and protecting them have all scattered and are not gathered in one place.
His status as the Supreme Daoist Child is too illustrious, which might attract powerful demons to take his life. If he has fewer powerful figures around him, who knows what might happen to him.
Therefore, for Feng Bingwen, it would be best if these guys could all stay together and not wander around.
"All right!"
Yi Canglan was a smart man. Although he didn't care about the thoughts of the geniuses he had invited, he could guess Feng Bingwen's concerns from his attitude and agreed.
"I'm going into town for a stroll!"
"I'll go with my fellow Daoist!"
Seeing this, Zhao Xizhi spoke up at the opportune moment. Feng Bingwen turned around and glanced at the kind-looking young woman, who nodded slightly.
"good!"
He had already realized what was going on and figured it out. Rumors about him and this imperial princess were flying everywhere in Xianyang City, which was obviously unreasonable. Either someone was fueling the flames, or someone was secretly condoning it, or both.
Who would dare spread rumors about the royal family in the capital of Qin? The answer is self-evident: Qin is the strongest nation of the human race, and the emperor's power is supreme. No one can defy the emperor's will.
After understanding all this, Feng Bingwen casually inquired about Princess Zhao Xizhi and, unsurprisingly, learned that the princess was not engaged. He could then continue to speculate.
If the Supreme Daoist Prince and the Princess of Qin were to successfully unite, who would benefit?
The answer seemed self-evident. At this point, there was no need to explore further. Feng Bingwen only needed to know one thing—this imperial princess had come with a different purpose when she suddenly proposed to join.
"Being a Supreme Daoist disciple is indeed not an easy job. No wonder my fellow disciples are so humble!"
Feng Bing, carrying the light of culture, glanced at Zhao Xizhi, who was walking alongside him, out of the corner of his eye.
He saw through the other party's purpose and even guessed what the other party's intention was, but so what? Could he be so open and straightforward as to refuse?
Does the imperial princess care about her reputation? Does the Great Qin emperor care about his reputation? He is the Supreme Daoist Child, but not the Supreme Daoist Master. There are some things he still needs to consider. The sect sends him out to bring glory to the Daoist sect, not to cause trouble for it.
"Shuofang!"
As the light of escaped landed, Feng Bingwen and the Empress landed at the city gate. The towering city wall was a hundred feet high. Looking up at it, their hearts surged with emotion. The swords, spears, halberds, and claw marks left on the city wall bricks were terrifying. The dried purplish-black bloodstains emitted a faint, fishy smell.
Buzz!
Above the ancient and imposing city gate, a large mirror, about ten feet in diameter, hung high. When Feng Bingwen approached, a beam of mysterious light shot out from the mirror, illuminating him and Zhao Xizhi. Even though she was an imperial princess, she remained calm and unmoved by this method of investigation, accepting the examination with equanimity.
"This is a demon-revealing mirror! Every border city has one at its entrance!"
Zhao Xizhi explained to Feng Bingwen beside him, without deliberately lowering his voice, because several more streaks of light flew in from behind them, indicating that there were still geniuses interested in the human settlements outside the Nine Continents.
For cultivators, rich experience can temper their character and broaden their horizons, which is crucial for cultivation and can have a decisive impact at times.
"That's really great!"
After glancing at the demon-revealing mirror at the city gate, Feng Bingwen exclaimed in admiration. He then walked into the city with the imperial princess. The armored soldiers standing on both sides of the city gate ignored the two of them. Even when they saw the black bird pattern on Zhao Xi's clothes, they remained unmoved, treating her as an ordinary human.
Such a scene naturally drew gasps of amazement from many. It was extremely rare, even among all the nations of the human race, for the city's defenders could disregard royal relatives and nobles. However, in the Great Qin, this was taken for granted, since Zhao Xizhi had no military merits.
Even the imperial princess was ignored, let alone Feng Bingwen. But such indifference was still a novel experience for Feng Bingwen, which made him even more interested. He entered the city side by side with the imperial princess, and what he saw was a dazzling array of weapons and equipment, which made him smile.
The people are simple and honest, and possess a strong sense of martial spirit!
These are the adjectives that came to Feng Bingwen's mind after he entered the city and saw the clothing and appearance of the city's residents.
At first glance, this great human city seems no different from the great cities on the Qin mainland. Stalls on both sides and vendors hawking their wares along the street create a bustling and lively atmosphere, making it seem very popular.
However, upon closer inspection, one can discern the difference. Even the most ordinary street vendors on the street, who appear perfectly normal, exude a menacing aura even when they are all smiles.
Feng Bingwen glanced around and saw a young man selling candied hawthorn-like sweets nearby. Underneath his simple cloth clothes, one could see a silver-scaled breastplate close to his body.
The wooden cane in his hand, covered with candied hawthorns, looked strangely made. Feng Bingwen strained his eyes and immediately realized that it was clearly a horse spear covered with straw.
The candied hawthorns he sells are no ordinary fruit; both the sweet and sour hawthorns and the syrup drizzled on top are brimming with vitality, and no one knows where he finds them.
Looking to the other side, in a butcher shop, the burly butcher had an extremely heavy Suanni shoulder armor on one shoulder, and the butcher shop in front of him was filled with demonic energy, clearly a great demon, dismembered into pieces and sold on his stall.
After entering the city, Feng Bingwen was increasingly surprised, because the number and strength of the martial artists in this great city actually surpassed that of the outer city of Xianyang. Of course, this was only the outer layer, since it was the capital of the Great Qin Dynasty.
However, this novel state that Feng Bingwen found intriguing did not last long. Given their status, they could not be ignored, and the official in charge of Shuofang City quickly sent someone to invite them to the city lord's mansion.
As expected, the person in charge of Shuofang City was a military general, because most of the generals of the Great Qin were all-round talents who were skilled in both civil and military affairs, and could be generals on horseback and govern the people on foot.
As the general guarding the borders of the human race—no, no, as the general who established himself outside the human race and expanded its territory—the commander of Shuofang City, even after understanding the purpose of Feng Bingwen and his group of human prodigies, his ancient and chiseled face did not show much expression. There was neither surprise nor admiration.
"It's good that you younger generation have such thoughts, but you are still too young. Beyond the Nine Provinces, dangers lurk everywhere, and you may encounter misfortune if you are not careful."
Point Guard Here
In the end, the person in charge of Shuofang City, as an elder, still gave Feng Bingwen some advice. Feng Bingwen dared not neglect the elder's words and listened attentively.
"Please enlighten me, senior!"
"What do you think is the most dangerous aspect of this demonic realm?"
The general sat at the head of the table, looking down at Feng Bingwen and asking him questions.
"Golden Crow?"
The general shook his head!
"Qiongqi?"
"Taowu?"
"Taotie?"
"The Roc?"
Feng Bingwen guessed and listed one by one the ferocious species outside the Nine Continents that liked to eat people, but the general shook his head and rejected all of them.
"Wrong. Beyond the Nine Provinces, the most dangerous thing is people!"
The general finally announced the final answer to Feng Bingwen. Upon hearing it, Feng Bingwen was stunned for a moment, then showed a knowing look and nodded in agreement.
"It seems that there are still human beings living and multiplying outside the Nine Provinces of Humanity!"
"No, some of them aren't even human anymore; they just look like us. If you encounter them, show no mercy. If you have the ability, be sure to kill them all!"
"Please explain in more detail, senior!"
Feng Bingwen was in high spirits.
"Demons are not scary. Even those great demons with ancient bloodlines are not scary. If you fight them and die, it is just a matter of strength. You will die cleanly and neatly."
At this point, even this general, who had experienced countless hardships, showed hatred and anger on his face.
"What is truly hateful are those treacherous human slaves who submit to demons. They are ashamed to be born human, and their highest pursuit is to please demons and find joy in their laughter. Their methods of treating people are even more cruel than those of demons."
"Traitor, slave!"
Feng Bingwen straightened his back, and just by looking at the expression on the face of the general in front of him, he knew that the general might have some unpleasant past.
"Can the demon-revealing mirror distinguish them?"
"You can't tell the difference; the human heart is the hardest thing to discern!"
The general before him seemed somewhat discouraged, but this expression only lasted for a moment, so brief that Feng Bingwen, with his exceptional eyesight, wouldn't have even noticed it.
"Just remember, those who devour people are all demons, and you must kill them if you encounter them!"
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