The complexions of the two had improved more than just a bit compared to when they first entered.

Gu Xuzhi nodded, "We were slightly injured before. When we arrived here, we happened to see some spiritual herbs in the back courtyard. After using some, not only did our injuries heal, our cultivation also advanced quite a bit. Fellow Daoist, you might as well try it too."

Zhou Yin neither agreed nor disagreed.

Bu Shangxue said, "To be honest with you two, those maidservants in your residence, although they seem lively and clever, are actually all puppets. Who knows who made them, but they are ingeniously lifelike, indistinguishable from ordinary people in every way, except when injured no blood flows out, only then revealing they aren't human. So fellow Daoist Chen, it's best you don't get too close to them."

She had heard Zhou Yin say earlier that Zhou Chen was enchanted by the maidservants, hence her words.

Zhou Chen inwardly gnashed his teeth in hatred, but outwardly feigned shock, "What? No way?!"

Gu Xuzhi asked, "I wonder if you two have discovered the abnormalities here?"

Zhou Chen thought for a bit and said, "Could it be a city controlled by cultivators?"

Gu Xuzhi paused, then smiled wryly, "Fellow Daoist hit the nail on the head. Have you two also been invited by the city lord?"

Zhou Chen: "No."

Gu Xuzhi pondered, "It's said Nascent Soul cultivators can gain an audience with the city lord, while those below Nascent Soul are received by the stewards in various parts of the city. You two will probably receive an invitation soon."

Bu Shangxue added, "To be honest, we were previously invited by the city lord and have some understanding of this place."

"This place is called Jixiang Tian, named after the Jixiang Tiannü (Auspicious Heavenly Maiden) in Buddhist beliefs, given by the first city lord."

"Those who come here will be randomly teleported to any residence. The residence and everything in it will become your property, and you naturally become a citizen of Jixiang Tian."

"The spiritual energy here is several times more abundant than in the Taichu Continent. As for spiritual medicines and magic treasures, as long as you can think of it, there is nothing you can't obtain, just like a blessed land. Jixiang Tian has no master, the cultivators are the masters. From the first city lord until now, the capable ones reside here.

"As long as you have the ability, you can challenge the city lord to a duel at any time. Once you win the duel and kill the city lord, you immediately become the new city lord. Therefore, the people here are mostly divided into two factions, either loyal to the city lord or opposed to the city lord."

Zhou Chen asked, "So the city lord has a very high cultivation level?"

The couple Gu Xuzhi and his wife looked at each other and smiled bitterly, "As far as we know, his cultivation has at least reached the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm."

Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Divine Transformation, Void Refinement.

The late stage of Nascent Soul is just one step away from ascending to the upper realm. In Zhou Yin's previous life, before ascending and undergoing tribulation, his cultivation was also like this.

Although Gu Xuzhi and the others were already Nascent Soul cultivators, compared to the Huanxi City Lord, there was undoubtedly still a distance. Therefore, in their words, they were all cautious and apprehensive.

Although they said so much, it was nothing more than hoping to find an ally. While Zhou Yin was fine, their main goal was to win over Zhou Chen.

After listening, Zhou Chen said, "So now you must choose whether to be loyal to the city lord?"

Gu Xuzhi paused for a moment, "City Lord Ma gave us a three-day deadline to consider for ourselves."

Zhou Chen asked, "What if you are unwilling?"

Gu Xuzhi sighed, "When you are invited to meet him, you will naturally know. He has many ways to make people submit."

Bu Shangxue also sighed, "It's really too strange. The residence owner opened up such a place. Even if he wanted to set up a test, for cultivators, teaching them to either kill or be killed here is nothing more than corrupting their state of mind and ruining their cultivation. What good does it do for others or himself?"

Gu Xuzhi said, "Maybe the residence owner didn't want people to come in originally."

Bu Shangxue shook her head, "If he didn't want people to come in, he wouldn't have set up so many checkpoints. These puppets and spiritual medicines, any one of them is a rare treasure. What kind of background does that person have to be so extravagant?"

At first, this place looked like a fairyland specially opened up by the heavens for cultivators.

There were countless treasures, but the number of people who could enter was limited. Either by coincidence or by high cultivation.

After going through various tests such as glaciers and illusions, the exhausted cultivators, even those who were seriously injured, suddenly felt like they were in a paradise outside the world when they arrived here, and naturally had the idea of not wanting to leave.

But desire often has no end.

With some, one hopes to have more.

With more, one hopes to have it all.

Human desire is insatiable.

It can be imagined that in this small Jixiang Tian, it is not a true paradise outside the world without conflict.

The cultivators who came here, in order to replace the city lord, or in order to follow the city lord to get more benefits, must join one of the two camps. Even Nascent Soul cultivators like Gu Xuzhi and his wife were no exception. To leave here, there was no third choice.

The couple Gu Xuzhi and his wife asked and answered each other, intending to lead Zhou Yin and the others to discuss.

Gu Xuzhi inquired, "I don't know if you two want to join under the city lord's command?"

Zhou Chen smiled, "We haven't even seen the city lord yet, so naturally we can't have a conclusion yet."

Gu Xuzhi had no other suspicions and nodded, "That's true."

Zhou Chen said, "Have you two already made a decision?"

This couple had been traveling for many years, not in the Tianyan Sect, nor were they people who held power in the Tianyan Sect. Their thoughts were more upright. Being led by Zhou Chen in a few words, they almost said everything they knew.

Gu Xuzhi was a little embarrassed, "Not yet, but we don't want to stay here. The city lord knows the way out, so we have no choice but to flatter him. If you two also have this intention, we can support each other."

Just as they were talking, a team of silver-armored soldiers walked from afar, holding flags and staffs, looking very imposing.

They walked straight to Zhou Chen and Zhou Yin, and the leader smiled, "By order of the city lord, Mr. Number 1203 is invited to have an audience, and Mr. Number 1205 is invited to go with me to see Steward Lü."

He was naturally referring to Zhou Chen and Zhou Yin.

Zhou Chen smiled, "Oh, we've even been assigned numbers."

The man bowed and said, "Please forgive me, sir. Due to the large number of people coming here, the city lord has no choice but to do this. If sir could tell us his surname, we will certainly address you by it."

His words were polite and his reaction was extremely fast. At a glance, one would not think that he was actually a puppet.

Gu Xuzhi also said from the side, "You two should just go with them for a trip."

Bu Shangxue added with a bitter smile, "By then, you will know what we were talking about just now."

Setting reminders:

1. Some readers reminded me that in Zhu Que Ji, a novel by Mao Ni, there is also a place called Jixiang Tian. To avoid future misunderstandings and disputes, I have changed Jixiang Tian to Cloud Dream City. Please take note.

2. Do you still remember Yu Nuo, who appeared at the end of the previous chapter? He was the person who entered the cave under the Dragon Shadow Pond together with Zhou Yin, seemed a bit suspicious, and finally chose the Vast Sea Star Chart before disappearing.