"We are now approaching the Baiyun Capital—Yunkong City."
The carriage was indeed slow; it wasn’t until two days later that Lin Ze pointed to a speck the size of a fly in the distance and spoke.
Ling Xiao looked in that direction and saw true to form, a vast, unobstructed plain, with only that tiny speck beyond which seemed to be blocked by two large mountains, creating a narrow passageway.
It was indeed an easily-defended, hard-to-attack location.
In the eyes of others, all of this was just a blurry dot.
However, in Ling Xiao’s eyes, the situation was markedly different.
Under the state of Soul Entry, the distant scenery seemed to enlarge instantly.
The two towering, majestic mountains became even clearer.
Atop both mountains, there were defensive installations, and near the mountain pass, there were stationed troops.
Looking through this narrow passage, about a kilometer away, a stately city came into view.
This Yunkong City was built against the mountains, appearing as if it was floating in the sky, hence its name.
The city’s structure was entirely different from Tianfeng City, and also seemed to be seven or eight times larger, resembling an Ancient Colossal Beast lying in the midst of the mountains.
And that passage was much like the maw of this beast, seemingly ready to swallow all who approached.
"What a magnificent city!"
Ling Xiao couldn’t help but praise.
"You can actually see the specifics of the city?" Lin Ze exclaimed in surprise.
Because even he, at the Ninth Layer Pinnacle of Martial Veins, could only make out a vague shadow of Yunkong City from this position.
The others were worse off, seeing nothing but a speck the size of a fly.
Ling Xiao didn’t elaborate, merely nodding his head.
Beside him, Lin Chen was somewhat unconvinced: "I don’t believe it. At this distance, you can’t possibly see the specifics. Then tell us what you see!"
With a faint smile, Ling Xiao then described the general situation of Yunkong City, leaving the surrounding mounted soldiers gaping in astonishment.
"You’ve been to Yunkong City before, haven’t you?"
Lin Chen still found it hard to believe.
Ling Xiao didn’t explain but continued, "Standing at the very outside of that passage is a man with a knife and a scar between his brows."
"Hahaha, Lin Chen, you should stop being jealous. He can even see who’s on duty today. That’s real talent. It’s beyond comparison; even I must admit defeat," Lin Ze laughed heartily.
Lin Chen said nothing. He thought that they would soon arrive, and he would soon know whether Scar Six was actually on duty, to see if Ling Xiao was boasting.
If he even got that right, then Lin Chen would truly admire Ling Xiao.
Because the guards outside the city rotated irregularly, and even those who lived in Yunkong City couldn’t guess who would be on duty.
The carriage neared the pass.
Lin Chen was dumbfounded.
Because Scar Six had already stepped forward to greet them with a salute.
Originally, some of the soldiers, like Lin Chen, were skeptical of Ling Xiao, but now they all looked at him as if they had seen a ghost.
"Scar Six, how come you are on duty today?" Lin Chen asked, sounding displeased.
"Oh, one of the brothers was sick, so I took over his shift," he explained.
Lin Chen could only smile wryly.
Scar Six was somewhat puzzled until later, a soldier told him that Ling Xiao had spotted the scar on his forehead from miles away, which left him so shocked his jaw almost dropped.
The caravan passed through the gateway without any hindrance; after all, Lin Ze’s status was there, who would dare to stop them?
Following a long, sloping road into Yunkong City, Ling Xiao realized that the city was indeed full of powerful individuals.
In Yunkong City, there seemed to be almost no ordinary people.
Within the city, anyone born would be checked to see what Cultivation Technique they were suited to, then start building their foundation around the ages of two or three.
At the age of seven or eight, even the least talented were already martial artists of the Martial Veins First Layer.
It could be said that in Yunkong City, even the beggars on the streets and those hauling manure were martial artists.
Keep in mind that in Tianfeng City, ordinary people made up more than eighty percent of the population.
The Baiyun Capital truly stands out as the capital of Baiyun Province; it really is different indeed.
It seemed that the citizens of Yunkong City had a very good impression of Lin Ze; along the way, wherever the carriage passed, people would salute and their faces were brimming with joyful smiles.
It was as if a long-awaited family member had returned from afar.
The architectural style in Yunkong City was not much different from that of Tianfeng City, but the buildings were mostly more grand and spectacular.
The streets were also paved with blue stone slabs, not only spacious but also flat; even six or seven carriages could pass side by side without any issues.
Ling Xiao even noticed some people riding Monster Beasts on the streets without causing panic among the citizens.
He curiously asked Lin Ze.
The answer he received was—
Many people in Yunkong City can tame Monster Beasts, which can be used as combat power, or as mounts.
Actually, Lin Ze also had a Monster Beast as a mount capable of flight, but he didn’t use it in consideration of the majority of the people.
"That over there is the Town General’s Mansion."
Suddenly, Lin Chen exclaimed excitedly.
Ling Xiao looked up and saw that the General’s Mansion was not as luxurious as he had imagined, and it was even less impressive than the Ling Family mansion.
Compared to the residences of many of Yunkong City’s dignitaries, it looked quite modest.
"The General is considerate of the people, that’s why the General’s Mansion was built so simply,"
Lin Chen explained, "But we are not going there; we’re heading to the military camp. General, may I take Ling Xiao and Ling Yixue to the military camp?"
He looked at Lin Ze as he asked.
Lin Ze stood in front of the General’s Mansion and after pondering for a moment suddenly asked, "Ling Xiao, I will give you two choices, one is to cultivate by my side, where no one will compete with you for cultivation resources, and you might even get my personal guidance."
"The other is to enter the military camp, to undergo the same hardships as the other geniuses, which will be strenuous, and where you must strive for cultivation resources on your own, without any interference from me."
Ling Xiao replied after a moment of thought.
Surprise tinged with admiration showed in Lin Ze’s voice.
"Flowers in a greenhouse are unlikely to thrive,"
Ling Xiao said flatly, "During my time with the Ling Family, I realized that people including Ling Feifan, Ling Chen, and Ling Yun had been spoiled, losing their drive to compete; hence, they would crumble at the slightest failure."
He was not a masochist, but he also understood it was best not to live under Lin Ze’s protection; otherwise, he would remain but a fledgling forever.
"Good! I, Lin Ze, haven’t misjudged you!"
Lin Ze said with a smile, "Lin Chen, take the two of them to report to the Town Border Army. Don’t go out of your way to look after them. After arranging for their entry into the Hidden Dragon Camp, come back."
"General, we will take our leave now."
Ling Xiao and Ling Yixue both paid their respects and then followed Lin Chen as they left.
As they were departing, Ling Xiao glanced casually at two guards outside the Town General’s Mansion.
"They are actually Martial Artists in the Early Sixth Level of Martial Vein!"
Ling Xiao was taken aback.
Warriors of such cultivation levels were merely gatekeepers at the Border Guarding General’s Mansion!
Such cultivation levels would make one a distinguished guest in any family clan back in Tianfeng City, even earning them an Elder position in some medium-sized clans.
Yet here, they were just gatekeepers.