When he felt hungry, he would swallow a Fasting Pill. When thirsty, he would drink from mountain springs.
Every few days, when he was utterly exhausted, he would find a rock sheltered from the wind and sit cross-legged to rest for a short while. After an hour at most, he would be back on the road, his spirits restored.
This ascetic lifestyle caused his aura to grow deeper and more restrained.
If he was a newly unsheathed sword, its edge sharp and exposed when he first left Dayuan Prefecture, then now, that sword had been returned to its scabbard. Its edge was now concealed, giving it a more profound and tempered presence.
Along the way, he had passed several small county towns under the jurisdiction of Sea Light Prefecture and encountered a few groups of Demons that had emerged to forage during the cold snap.
There were packs of Snow Wolf Demons and Cold Fiend Ghosts hiding in icy crevices.
But to the Chu Bai of today, they weren’t even worthy of being called sharpening stones.
He didn’t even break his stride. A casual Magic Technique or a simple physical impact was all it took to reduce those witless monsters to dust by the roadside.
There was no struggle, no second thought.
Until today.
When a towering, massive city entrenched on the frozen earth finally appeared on the horizon, Chu Bai’s mechanical pace at last began to slow.
He had arrived at Sea Light Prefecture City.
Unlike the prosperous and magnificent Dayuan Prefecture, located deep in the heartlands, this major stronghold served as Qingzhou’s northern gate. It exuded an aura of grimness and iron resolve.
The entire city was built against a mountain. Its walls towered a thousand feet into the air, and the stone glowed with the strange color of warm jade.
’Warm Sun Stone...’
Chu Bai paused to gaze into the distance, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
This stone was a byproduct of Fire Element Spiritual Ore. While not considered a top-tier Spiritual Material, its main advantages were its vast reserves and ability to continuously radiate heat.
Wealthy families typically used it for underfloor heating, but Sea Light Prefecture was so extravagant as to forge its hundred-li-long city walls from the stone!
Outside the walls, the ground was blanketed in white frost and the cold wind howled. Even the moat was sealed under a thick layer of ice.
But within the walls, one could faintly see lush, green trees. Plumes of warm white mist rose up, forming a natural Spiritual Energy Cloud Cover above the city.
A single wall separated two different worlds: one of harsh winter, the other of warm spring.
’What an incredible undertaking. What a formidable defensive line.’
Chu Bai praised it silently. This wasn’t just for comfort; it was to defend against the insidious erosion of Evil Qi from the Extreme North Land.
The city itself was a massive Array hub.
It was noon, but outside the south gate of Sea Light Prefecture, the line of people waiting to enter the city was enormous.
As the main thoroughfare connecting the heartlands of Qingzhou to the Extreme North Wilderness, it attracted countless fortune-seeking desperadoes, powerful merchants trafficking in Spiritual Materials, and various Loose Cultivators of unknown origin.
Consequently, the inspections here were several times stricter than in Dayuan Prefecture.
"Next! Place of origin? Where are you coming from? Where are you headed?"
"Open your Storage Bag! Register your Dharma Artifacts!"
At the city gate, two squads of guards in Red Copper Armor stood with long halberds, their gazes sharp as eagles.
Every guard had a Cultivation at the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation, and the captain in charge of registration was even at the Perfection Realm of the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.
A Bone-Shining Mirror was even suspended above the city gate—a Dharma Artifact specifically designed to see through the disguises of Demons.
All who passed through had to walk under the mirror’s light. If any trace of Demon Qi was detected, they would be executed on the spot.
Chu Bai moved forward slowly with the crowd, not attempting to cut in line.
Though his cyan official robe was new, it had become travel-worn and dusty from his long journey, making it look rather unremarkable.
Combined with the fact that he had deliberately concealed his aura, he looked at first glance like a young traveling scholar, distinguished only by his exceptional bearing.
After waiting in line for about ten minutes, it was finally Chu Bai’s turn.
"Halt."
The Guard Captain, a man at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, took a step to block his path. He looked Chu Bai up and down, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Never seen you before. From the direction of Dayuan Prefecture?"
Chu Bai’s expression was calm as he nodded. "I am."
"What’s your business in Sea Light Prefecture? Merchant or traveler?"
The captain asked robotically, his brush poised over the registry. "If you’re staying, it’s a one-tael silver entry tax. If you’re passing through, you still need to register your destination."
"Passing through."
Chu Bai’s voice was even, showing no anger at the interrogation. "I’m here to resupply, then I’m heading north."
"North?"
The captain’s brush froze, and his gaze sharpened instantly. "Further north are the Frozen Sea and the Extreme North Forbidden Area. It hasn’t been safe there recently. You’ll need to file a report before..."
He trailed off before he could finish.
Because he saw a brilliant light manifest between Chu Bai’s eyebrows—a flash of cyan radiance that vanished as quickly as it appeared.
’That’s...’
The captain’s pupils contracted to pinpoints. The hand holding the brush trembled, and a drop of ink SPLATTED onto the registry.
As someone within the system, he knew exactly what that represented.
A Cyan Talisman!
A Foundation Establishment Immortal Official!
In the Great Zhou’s bureaucratic system, a White Talisman denoted a clerk, while a Cyan Talisman denoted a true Official.
This seemingly young and gentle "scholar" was actually a Lord Immortal Official who had reached Foundation Establishment and held a formal commission from the Court!
In terms of rank, he was equivalent to the County Magistrate of a County under Sea Light Prefecture’s own jurisdiction!
"This..."
The captain’s stern, business-like expression, which had held a hint of scrutiny, instantly crumbled. It was replaced by one of extreme panic and reverence.
Without even a moment to wipe the cold sweat beading on his forehead, he dropped his brush, took two steps back, and clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute. He bowed deeply to Chu Bai, his voice trembling.
"Your subordinate was blind and failed to recognize you, Lord Immortal Official! I have given great offense! Please, forgive me! Forgive me!"

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