Chapter 294: The Immortal Ascension City

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Teleportation Array used to travel to the True Dominion from the Small Central World was located at the Teleportation Array cluster outside the Sky Route City. Only the five large nine-star sects and the Prophecy Pavilion of the Small Central World had the qualifications to participate in the True Dominion Genius Tournament. Furthermore, there were also eight slots that were open to the public.

20 geniuses from the Small Central World could participate in the True Dominion Genius Tournament in total.

The cultivators of the Small Central World knew how great the difference between them and the True Dominion Geniuses was. Hence, the slots belonging to the five large sects and the eight slots open to the public were not considered valuable in the Small Central World.

A long time ago, a specialized battle had determined who would obtain the eight slots. Later on, people realized that obtaining the slots only meant that they could accompany the Prince in his academic journey and that they could not even enter the top 1,000. Heading to the True Dominion also required large amounts of Spirit Stones. Therefore, no one wanted to compete for the slots anymore, so the battle had ceased to exist. Most of the slots were acquired by people who claimed favors. The slot Di Jiu had obtained had been put up for auction.

By the time Di Jiu and Xian Ze arrived at the Teleportation Array, many participating cultivators had already headed to the True Dominion. One slot could allow one person to accompany the participant. Even if Huan Mingzi had come, he might not have qualified to be teleported to the True Dominion.

Di Jiu sighed silently upon thinking that the geniuses and cultivator of the True Dominion could come to the Small Central World without any restrictions. There was no such thing as fairness in this world.

…

Although the True Dominion’s Immortal Ascension City was called a city, the truth was that there was only one commercial building, one inn, one square and one facility of any other kind there.

It would be a mistake to ever think that the Immortal Ascension City was small simply because it only contained a few buildings. The Immortal Ascension City was very big. It was actually big enough to fit 10 Five Continent Cities or more.

Similarly, the Immortal Ascension Inn in the Immortal Ascension City was bigger than all the inns in the Five Continent City combined. Therefore, all the cultivators who came to the Immortal Ascension City had to head to the Immortal Ascension Inn to find lodging.

There was also only one Teleportation Array in the Immortal Ascension City, which was the same Teleportation Array used to commute between the True Dominion and the Small Central World. The True Dominion was enormous. However, if one wished to visit the Immortal Ascension City, one had to walk over regardless of how powerful their supporters were.

The origin of the Immortal Ascension City’s name was a result of the passageway of the True Dominion to the Immortal World, which was located in the city.

The first thing Di Jiu and Xian Ze saw when they walked out of the Immortal Ascension City’s Teleportation Array was a humongous signboard. The signboard stated that all the cultivators participating in the True Dominion Genius Tournament had to head over to the inn, stay there and wait for the start of the tournament.

There was no registration official and no one to explain the rules of the tournament.

Di Jiu and Xian Ze had no other choice but to head to the only inn in the Immortal Ascension City, the Immortal Ascension Inn.

“Scam!” Di Jiu had just walked to the entrance of the inn when he heard someone bellow. Suddenly, a young cultivator wearing a golden robe was kicked out of the inn.

Someone shouted angrily, “Shame on you for daring to participate in the True Dominion Genius Tournament when you cannot even afford the Spirit Stones required to pay for your lodging!”

Xian Ze, who was standing beside Di Jiu, said, “This person is from the Mirage Sword Sect. I’ve seen him once before.”

Di Jiu frowned. There was some enmity between him and the Mirage Sword Sect. The Mirage Sword Sect was one of the large sects of the Small Central World. Hence, its cultivators should not be unable to afford the Spirit Stones required to pay for lodging.

“Sir, these people are shameless. The cultivators of the True Dominion only need to pay 5,000 Spirit Stones for one night’s stay, yet people like us, who are from the Small Central World, have to pay one million Spirit Stones for one night,” said the golden-robed cultivator hatefully after bowing before Di Jiu.

Judging by his actions, he must have recognized Di Jiu.

Di Jiu frowned upon hearing that one had to pay a fee of one million high-grade Spirit Stones per night. The reason the True Dominion allowed the Small Central World to obtain 20 slots was most likely not for the benefit of the latter, but because the former wanted to earn some Spirit Stones.

“We want two rooms for a three months’ stay.” Di Jiu and Xian Ze walked up to the massive reception desk inside the inn.

Although there was a number of reception desks, Di Jiu deliberately walked up to the receptionist who had scolded the cultivator.

“Where do you come from?” The shop assistant stared at Di Jiu as he spoke in an unfriendly tone. There were many rich pigs from the Small Central World nowadays. He only had to slaughter and squeeze them dry as hard as he could.

The shop assistant did not receive a reply from Di Jiu. Instead, all he received was a slap. Di Jiu’s slap sent the shop assistant flying out of the inn. The shop assistant spat out a mouthful of blood in mid-air. By the time he landed back onto the ground, all his teeth were missing.

The shop assistant activated the alarm almost instantly, causing a piercing sound to fill the place. A ninth-stage Life Tribulation Realm warrior landed in the hall of the inn. “Who dared beat someone up here?”

“I did,” said Di Jiu coolly.

When he saw Di Jiu, who looked fearless, the ninth-stage Life Tribulation Realm cultivator was uncertain of his origin. Thus, he asked, “Who are you? Why did you beat someone up in the Immortal Ascension Inn?”

“Does the Immortal Ascension Inn need to check its customers’ background?” Di Jiu replied coolly,

“That’s naturally not necessary,” replied the Life Tribulation Realm cultivator casually.

Di Jiu nodded his head. “I came to stay at your inn and this weakling actually tried to check my background. I would have killed him with my saber had it not been for the fact that this is the Immortal Ascension City.”

The cultivators standing around them all looked at Di Jiu in shock. The supporters of the Immortal Ascension Inn were very formidable. The inn had been established by the combined efforts of nearly all the powerful powers in the entire True Dominion. Who was this cultivator, who was carrying a saber with red embellishments? His temper was so bad that he had actually dared teach the Immortal Ascension Inn’s receptionist a lesson.

The Life Tribulation Realm cultivator frowned, as he could not sense Di Jiu’s strength. Di Jiu was evidently not an ordinary individual. He had been able to send a late-stage Pioneer Sea Realm receptionist flying with a slap after all.

He had to ask and clarify, regardless of Di Jiu’s background. Before he could do so, however, the killing intent Di Jiu exuded enveloped him momentarily.

Despite his ninth-stage Life Tribulation Realm cultivation, the cultivator sensed a frosty aura. He shuddered subconsciously, certain that Di Jiu was a True Form Realm expert. How could the Small Central World possibly have True Form Realm geniuses? The cultivator before him, who was carrying a red embellished saber, had to be a genius groomed by certain powers of the True Dominion.

“On which floor do you wish to stay? The cheapest room costs only 1,000 high-grade Spirit Stones per night. The most expensive room, which is considered a top-notch luxury cave abode, costs 100,000 high-grade Spirit Stones per night.” The Life Tribulation Realm cultivator made a swift decision when he sensed the powerful True Form Realm aura Di Jiu was exuding.

“Give me two rooms that cost 100,000 high-grade Spirit Stone per night. Each room will be rented for three months,” said Di Jiu with a wave of his hand without hesitation.

The Life Tribulation Realm cultivator did not find anything wrong with this. It would only cost Di Jiu around 10 to 20 million high-grade Spirit Stones in total. This amount was nothing to a True Form Realm expert.

“I will also be staying for three months, just like this Senior Brother.” The Mirage Sword Sect cultivator seized this opportunity to step forward as well when he saw that Di Jiu had obtained a lodging card.

Di Jiu might not have recognized him, but he had recognized Di Jiu. Di Jiu was famous in the Small Central World. He had previously spoken on purpose, so that he could tell Di Jiu what had happened.

When the Life Tribulation Realm cultivator saw that this cultivator was with Di Jiu, he helped him check in without asking any questions.

As Di Jiu was about to go find his room with his lodging card in hand, the golden-robed cultivator hastily walked up to him and bowed. “I’m Gu Jue from the Mirage Sword Sect. Thank you, Sect Master Di.”

He would have most likely been unable to find a place to stay if it hadn’t been for Di Jiu.

“Did you conceal your cultivation level?” The moment Di Jiu’s Spiritual Force landed on Gu Jue, he immediately sensed that his cultivation level was higher than the Pioneer Sea Realm. The Quintessential Essence fluctuations he felt were around the fifth-stage Ekayāna Tripod Realm.

Gu Jue said hurriedly, “That’s right. I obtained some benefits on the Small Central Planet and attained the Ekayāna Tripod Realm.”

“You still have no chance,” Di Jiu said coolly.

He could see that there were two souls within Gu Jue. The stronger soul had yet to possess him, most likely because it was hoping to use Gu Jue to attain one of the top three positions. Gu Jue would most likely not be able to obtain an opportunity to enter the Immortal World, regardless of whether he could pass the checks or not.

Gu Jue sighed and bowed again. He did not provide an explanation this time.

Di Jiu ignored Gu Jue, as he had already found where his room was located. The rooms worth 100,000 Spirit Stones were all located on the topmost floor.

“Di Jiu, your actions earlier could have resulted in a massive fight,” said Xian Ze with some residual fear.

If that had happened, Di Jiu would naturally have lost the qualification necessary to participate in the True Dominion Genius Tournament. Perhaps he would even have lost his life. Xian Ze believed that Di Jiu’s actions had been a little too brash.

Di Jiu smiled. “You don’t have to worry about it. Don’t we have a place to stay now? We also managed to save up quite a bit on Spirit Stones.”

To be honest, Di Jiu had intended to attack earlier, as this was an ideal place for a fight. He had stayed in so many inns before, but this was the first time he had heard that an inn needed to investigate its customers’ background. Therefore, he had been in the right. His strength was on par with a Protectorate Lord, so he did not believe that the True Dominion would dare take away his qualification to participate in the tournament.

There were many people currently in the Immortal Ascension City. He refused to believe that the powers of the True Dominion would want to lose face and turn against him.

If the True Dominion dared to do so, he would not be blamed if he leveled the Immortal Ascension City. The most ideal situation to use his saber array was in a mass battle. Even during a one-on-one battle, he could hold his own against a Protectorate Lord. If two or three Protectorate Lords came forward, he would not be afraid either.