"Sir, I must ask you once more, are you sure that your level is indeed the sixth official rank?"
The nun asked with a smile, seemingly just to confirm again professionally.
Yet inexplicably, the middle-aged man began to feel a chill.
It must be an illusion!
He had indeed only infused a very weak energy. Such a crystal ball for testing levels wasn't so easily deceived, but that was only true for ordinary lords and professionals. For him, a Senior Lord who had cultivated up to the Fourth-order Peak, an expert exceptionally familiar with all kinds of artifacts, deceiving a testing crystal ball was simply a trivial matter.
He was merely astonished by the tediousness of this territory in accepting refugees. This Lord Tianyuan was really a waste of time and energy.
"Yes, my level is just that. For us, mere Second Star Rank Warrior Professionals, reaching this level is already the limit."
He spoke like one of those common, somewhat downtrodden professionals, his words laced with self-mockery.
After he finished speaking, he asked, "May I enter the city now? I see many people lining up behind me; it doesn't seem right to hold up their time."
The nun narrowed her eyes and smiled slightly, "Not yet."
Her voice was gentle, yet at this moment, it had a cutting chill, as if a cold wind was sweeping through.
She pointed to a nearby area, "According to the laws of Tianyuan City, misreporting one's own level, especially when it greatly differs from the actual rank, will be regarded as an 'intent to disturb public order crime' and actions will be taken."
Tianyuan City was not unwelcoming to foreigners.
If one entered Tianyuan City as a visitor, the inspection would not be so strict; there would be no need to report one's rank. Of course, they would still covertly detect the energy level of the newcomers and supervise them to a certain extent based on their identity.
But this is the refugee registration office.
The refugees registering here will be officially integrated into the Tianyuan City system.
For ordinary refugees, it's nothing more than finding a place to settle. But for a strongman, it is a submission.
Either refuse and turn away.
Or enter, genuinely and sincerely.
Fourth-order Peak, this is standing at the pinnacle of the mortal world.
The middle-aged man glanced around and saw a few members of the Tianyuan City patrol team dressed in uniform, already approaching and separating the other refugees.
He wasn't sure where he had slipped up.
He was a Level 6 Territory Lord, a noble of the 'Tower Federation'.
Unfortunately, his territory was destroyed in this disaster. He was forced to flee and got separated from some of the surviving leaders of his territory, inadvertently arriving in this region.
He was not sure where this place was, only learning through his own means that this was the territory of Tianyuan City.
And Tianyuan City, too, was a Level 6 Territory like his.
Since he had ended up in Tianyuan City, which also seemed to be on the frontline of the disaster and could collapse at any moment, there were potential benefits to be seized.
Having just lost his territory, he urgently needed the capital to rise again.
And Tianyuan City appeared to be very wealthy. He noticed that this section of the city wall was of Superior Grade.
But it seemed his plan had been exposed before it even started.
He was somewhat panicked.
After all, he was on someone else's turf, and a hard confrontation would only result in loss.
But he wasn't overly panicked.
After all, he was a Fourth-order Peak Strongman, one of the very top elites just below the legendary realm.
The middle-aged man dusted off his clothes, and a superior's authority emanated from him.
He dropped the act, "Indeed, I, Earl, am not a common man, but you civilians have no right to speak with me. Bring your Lord here; I have a deal to discuss with him."
His gaze swept around.
The surrounding refugees lowered their heads, some even to the point of kneeling on the spot.
Let alone the refugees, even the mud-legged patrols, and the hired workers at the registration center, were all insignificant civilians in his eyes.
Yet these 'civilians' didn't pay him any heed, slowly closing in the circle around him.
After tightening to a certain distance, a young man with a sword at his waist stepped forward from the crowd.
Security Bureau·Deputy Chief.
The middle-aged Lord had heard others call the young man by this title, but to him, the Security Bureau was but a rudimentary department at best.
Still not worth mentioning.
Until the young man slowly drew his sword.
A chilling aura spread, and the middle-aged Lord's eyes sharpened, "I misjudged; a Fourth-order Strongman, could it be that in Tianyuan City, the Security Bureau is the City Defense Army?"
But there was a world of difference between one Fourth-order and another.
The middle-aged man snorted coldly, and his inconspicuous robe suddenly shimmered, radiating circles of light patterns.
A magnificent staff appeared in his hand.
"Gravity·Nine-story Building Fall!"
"Earth Spur·Sharp Needle Hell!"
He unleashed two Advanced Techniques in a flash, using his equipment's effects.
Invisible ripples spread out, the air turned sluggish, the ground sank, and shattered rocks turned to dust. Following closely were dozens of spurs bursting through the earth with a spluttering sound.
The earth spurs sealed off the space, aiming at the limbs of the young swordsman.
The middle-aged man intended to hold back, after all, he didn't want a life-and-death struggle with the Lord of this place; piercing the limbs to teach a lesson was enough.
But just as he thought this, he saw that within the gravity field, the young swordsman's figure had already vanished, as if the overwhelming gravitational pressure didn't exist at all.
A gleam of cold light broke through miles, and the sword chant split the air.