Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 1408: Chapter 893: Composite Great Array, Tier 2 Puppet (2)

“The rules are this strict?” Yang Zhenshan raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Yes, the White Cloud Patrol isn’t made up of cultivators, but puppets. They follow the rules strictly! Look, those are the White Cloud Patrol!” Yun Xiao pointed to the two statues standing guard at the city gate.

Yang Zhenshan looked over and immediately felt a vague threat emanating from the two statues.

Second-Order Puppet!

And possibly a Second Rank Top Grade Puppet!

Yang Zhenshan’s heart trembled, seeing a part to describe the whole, merely two puppets were enough to convey the profound foundation of White Cloud Immortal City.

Puppets might have many flaws, but Second-Order Puppets possess power comparable to Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

A Third-order Protective Array and Second-Order Puppets, everything hinted at the strength and luxury of White Cloud Immortal City.

“Let’s go!”

Yun Xiao paid two hundred low-grade spirit stones to exchange for two tokens.

“Two hundred spirit stones?”

“Yes, staying in the city for a day requires ten spirit stones!” Yun Xiao said.

“Does everyone have to pay?”

“Of course, anyone without identity in the city has to pay!”

“Then how can one obtain identity in White Cloud Immortal City?”

“It’s simple, just pay a one-time fee of ten thousand low-grade spirit stones and purchase a property in the city!” Yun Xiao said with a smile.

Yang Zhenshan clicked his tongue in amazement at how profit-driven White Cloud Immortal City was.

Passing through the city gates shrouded in mist, the view suddenly opened up. Inside the city were clusters of buildings built following the undulating Cloud Sea. With glazed roofs adding to the charm, it felt like the mountains and waters of the human realm had been melded into the heavens above.

The main road “Sky Street,” about twenty yards wide, wound like a dragon; the road was paved with semi-transparent jade bricks. Cultivators traveled in carriages or rode tame mutant beasts.

“You can ride mutant beasts in the city, but you’d need to register an identity token for them, which costs three thousand low-grade spirit stones!” Yun Xiao said.

As he spoke, he took out a white token and waved it, releasing a docile Cloud Horned Deer.

“This is a Beast Taming Token; three thousand low-grade spirit stones are not expensive!”

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly; the Beast Taming Token was a magic artifact that could store mutant beasts. In Qingli Immortal City, one could cost two thousand low-grade spirit stones.

“Let’s go, I’ll first take you to get an identity token for your mutant beast. You have one, right?” Yun Xiao asked Yang Zhenshan.

“Yes!” Yang Zhenshan took out a Beast Taming Token, which he had prepared in advance as Yun Xiao had informed him beforehand.

White Cloud Immortal City didn’t allow flying, given its vastness. Traveling within the city on foot would be cumbersome, so having a mutant beast for transportation was necessary.

Mutant beasts could be prepared independently, but the identity token for them needed to be processed in White Cloud Immortal City.

Subsequently, Yun Xiao accompanied Yang Zhenshan to obtain an identity token for his mutant beast. The mutant beast Yang Zhenshan carried was none other than a Cloud Tiger Cub, merely a First-order Cloud Tiger Cub.

Since flying was not possible within the city, it was enough to have a mutant beast for travel. There was no need to use a Second-Order mutant beast.

After handling the identity token for the beast, Yun Xiao and Yang Zhenshan rented a cave mansion within the city.

The spiritual vein of White Cloud Immortal City was likely a Third-order top-grade spiritual vein, creating a high concentration of spiritual energy within the city. The Ding-ranked cave mansion they rented had a Second-order low-grade spiritual energy concentration.

The cave mansions in White Cloud Immortal City were categorized into A, B, C, and D, with Qingli Immortal City’s ranking based on that of White Cloud Immortal City.

White Cloud Immortal City indeed had many cultivators. According to Yun Xiao, the city housed three hundred thousand cultivators, with over two thousand being Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

The thought of over two thousand Foundation Establishment Cultivators was daunting.

After settling in, Yun Xiao took Yang Zhenshan on a city tour, visiting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s high towers, paying homage to the Dao Field of White Cloud True Monarch, and observing the headquarters of the Cloud Wild Alliance and the Thousand Array Alliance.

When they reached the Cloud Wild Alliance, it appeared a celebration was underway; many Foundation Establishment Cultivators were coming and going from the alliance’s headquarters.

“This is the Cloud Wild Alliance’s headquarters, but they also have a base outside the city, at Yunye Manor, three hundred miles north of the city, where many independent practitioner families reside,” Yun Xiao explained.

Yang Zhenshan gazed at the layered architecture of the Cloud Wild Alliance and asked, “Can we join the Cloud Wild Alliance?”

The Cloud Wild Alliance was an independent practitioner power composed of many families, immortality cultivation families, noble families, and wandering cultivators.

“It’s possible, but whether it’s your Yang family or my Xuanqing Sect, we’re both powers of our own. Joining the Cloud Wild Alliance wouldn’t grant us close access to its core anytime soon!” Yun Xiao said.

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly, understanding Yun Xiao’s implication.

The core of any power is held by a few individuals. Both the Yang family and Xuanqing Sect are significant powers, and such entities joining the Cloud Wild Alliance might not be welcomed by its upper echelons and could even attract internal hostility.

This is because there are interest divisions within the Cloud Wild Alliance, and a new power joining would inevitably seek to divide the interests.

Yang Zhenshan wasn’t seriously considering joining the Cloud Wild Alliance; he was merely curious.

Of course, if he could gain benefits within the Cloud Wild Alliance, he wouldn’t mind joining.

But as a newcomer, it wasn’t suitable for him to engage with such a major power just yet, better to wait and see first.

While the two were wandering in the city, a streak of light suddenly flew in from outside the Immortal City.

The streak paused briefly upon reaching the city wall, then passed through the protective array on the wall, swiftly heading for the White Cloud Dao Field at the city center.

The Dao Field was where White Cloud True Monarch cultivated and preached and also served as the governing body of White Cloud Immortal City.

In front of the Dao Field stood the True Monarch Tower, the administrative center of White Cloud Immortal City, akin to a city lord mansion or a dynasty’s main court.

The golden light didn’t conceal its approach, streaking across the Immortal City’s sky at incredible speed, landing in the True Monarch Tower.

Many people noticed the fleeting glimmer, looking on with thoughtful expressions.

Yang Zhenshan also noticed the streak and even saw clearly that it was a Female Cultivator wearing golden spirit armor, exuding a vibrant aura.

“What’s going on? I thought flying wasn’t allowed here?” Yang Zhenshan asked.

“Indeed, flying isn’t allowed, but in special circumstances, some people can fly within the city!” Yun Xiao’s expression grew serious.

“What special circumstances?” Yang Zhenshan inquired.

Yun Xiao shook his head slightly, “Not sure, but maybe soon we’ll find out!”

“Let’s go back first!”

As newcomers, they lacked knowledge about many matters in White Cloud Immortal City, and if something significant were to occur, they’d have difficulty coping.

The wisest move was to stay low in the cave mansion, waiting for information to spread to understand what had transpired.

Upon returning to the cave mansion, they weren’t in a hurry, keeping an ear out for outside developments while planning to purchase spiritual objects.

Yang Zhenshan needed to refine two lifebound magical treasures: the Divine Wood Treasure Cauldron and the Green Wood Purple Lightning Sword.

The Divine Wood Treasure Cauldron was a magical treasure paired with the Qingmu Longevity Scripture, primarily for defense, nurturing, healing, and assisting cultivation. Refining it required assembling three kinds of Third-order spirit wood to create the magical treasure embryo, along with various wood attribute spiritual materials.

The exact requirements were not fixed; three kinds of Third-order spirit wood were essential, while other spiritual materials could be flexible—the higher the quality and the greater the quantity, the better.

As for the Green Wood Purple Lightning Sword, Yang Zhenshan had prepared the primary material, the Golden Thunder Bamboo, while ancillary materials were needed from various thunder attribute and wood attribute spiritual objects.

Yang Zhenshan had identified several spiritual materials he wanted to purchase, but he also wanted to see if White Cloud Immortal City offered better materials. If so, he wouldn’t mind buying more.

For him, Second and Third Rank spiritual materials were quite scarce. The Spirit Source Land could currently only produce several Second-Order spiritual materials, far from meeting his needs.

Therefore, his attitude towards materials above Second Order was the more, the merrier.

As long as they could be bought, he’d buy as many as possible.

After all, these items don’t have an expiration date and won’t spoil in storage.

Every additional piece of stored spiritual material equates to increased foundation strength of the Spirit Source Land.

Every powerful force’s deep foundation is built up over time like this.