Chapter 94: Bck Market
It was true in theory, but An Jing still had concerns. “Names and photos don’t matter. Changing a name or altering one’s appearance is simple enough. The only real issue is this spiritual power record…”
“Changing that isn’t difficult either.”
The Sword Spirit, however, was quite experienced. “Because everyone’s spiritual root and mindset differ, the specific patterns of their spiritual power also vary. It truly is a one-of-a-kind imprint. While it’s difficult to disguise, it’s not impossible.
“By borrowing the power of your Heaven-Ordained Fate, you can easily use its attributes in pce of your own. Aside from that, one could also rely on rare treasures that carry their own spiritual power circution. I happen to be one such treasure.
“As for using someone else’s life in your stead, disguising yourself with an innate demon soul, or swapping identities using a Ghost-Hosting Pill—those methods are either of the evil path or involve too many prerequisites. You can’t use them anyway.”
Speaking thus, he grew somewhat nostalgic. “In the old days, I used to investigate evil cultivators who tried to deceive the Heavens and conceal their identities. Times have changed, and I’ve gone from investigator to the one being investigated.”
“Consider it an undercover investigation.” An Jing sounded optimistic. “Let’s just use the Heaven-Ordained Fate disguise. If I happen to commit some offense in this world, I’ll ask you, Sword Spirit, to help me hide my identity once more.”
“And after this cover identity is exposed, I can still use my original spiritual power imprint for registration!”
“In short, I just have to be careful!” he concluded.
“As expected, I reminded you to be cautious and you really listened!” The Sword Spirit sounded quite gratified.
Using one’s Heaven-Ordained Fate to mask spiritual power fluctuations was not difficult. An Jing simply needed to lightly activate his Heaven-Ordained Fate and let a trace of its aura envelop him. Instantly, crimson firelight flickered in his eyes, and his entire bearing changed.
“The Red Star Fate really makes me look like a vilin. Will I pass the security check?”
Though somewhat unsure, An Jing recalled the local hospitality in the Tianyuan World and decided to give it a try rather than overthink it.
Before long, about one shichen had passed.
“Name?”
“An Xuan.”
“Age?”
“Sixteen.”
“Hmm… that doesn’t look quite right, but whatever. You seem pretty badly injured. Do you have enough money on you? Don’t go dying in the city.”
“I’ve brought enough.”
“…Have you really brought enough?”
It happened on the outskirts of Xuanye City, at the entry office.
Serving as the intermediary between the Fuchen Pins and Xuanye City, the entry office functioned much like the highway checkpoints from An Jing’s previous life. People and vehicles queued in long lines here—some proceeded through automated intelligence checks, while others were approved via manual inspection.
Because it was An Jing’s first time entering the city as a barbarian, he was required to undergo manual inspection. At the moment, he was in a small, dim interrogation room, answering questions posed by the inspector through a pane of gss.
Although the inspector found An Jing’s stated age suspicious, he didn’t really care. In barbarian tribes, thirteen or fourteen was indeed a common age to begin working. What truly puzzled him was An Jing’s level of strength—and the fact that he held a legitimate entry permit.
—At such a young age, he had already managed to acquire an entry permit. The tribe behind this kid must have some real power.
But regardless of how strong he was, he remained a barbarian. So, after asking a few basic questions, the inspector ended his inquiry, merely giving An Jing a meaningful look.
“Sir, please check my entry permit again.”
Showing great tact, An Jing politely slid five pale-blue physical merit point certificates beneath his entry permit, pcing them in the tray. The inspector accepted the permit without altering his expression, pocketed the certificates, then pretended to examine An Jing’s documents. Almost immediately, he broke into a wide smile. “Good. No problems here at all.”
He activated An Jing’s permit using a nearby ritual altar–like Magical Artifact, which emitted a faint glow. Handing it back, he said, “Now input your spiritual power, and you’re all set.”
An Jing recognized this as the critical moment to maintain his disguise. Narrowing his eyes slightly to hide the sinister red gleam that appeared whenever he activated his Heaven-Ordained Fate, he channeled his altered spiritual power into the entry permit.
“All right, congratutions, Mister An Xuan. You may enter the city.”
The inspector finished entering the data without a trace of suspicion. Xuanye City was full of hidden masters; even if an entire band of raiding cultivators tried to infiltrate, the city would be the one to wipe them out. Having already pocketed the merit points, he couldn’t be bothered to investigate further.
Stepping out of the inspection room, An Jing let out a long breath. “That was surprisingly easy?”
In truth, it wasn’t designed to be overly complicated. Given the massive flow of traffic in Xuanye City, if arrivals and departures were inspected too rigorously, the city’s operations would grind to a frightening halt.
Just as An Jing walked past the checkpoint and entered the territory beyond the Fuchen Pins—now the outskirts of Xuanye City—he heard a resounding noise.
Boom… boom…
A continuous rumbling echoed across the dome of the sky.
Thunder.
An Jing couldn’t help but look up. Thick bck clouds swirled across the sky, and streaks of purple lightning sliced through the turbulent yers, illuminating their peaks. Rolling thunder followed in their wake.
Considering the time spent traveling and waiting in line, it was already nighttime by the time An Jing reached the checkpoint. The outskirts here were mostly dotted with odd-looking canopies and half-finished buildings, with sparse lighting making it hard to see far into the distance.
But now, a fine rain fell in continuous lines that connected Heaven and Earth, and the fshes of lightning cut through that murky cascade, illuminating each droplet as though countless stars were shimmering everywhere.
An Jing beheld it.
The buildings of this city, constructed atop Spiritual Veins, soared amid neon lights and lightning fshes, forming a steel forest that extended into the clouds. Flying shuttles zipped to and fro between walls shimmering with colorful reflections, and massive airships hovered over the metropolis. In the midst of thunder and rain, these airships cast cascading virtual projections, showcasing their test products to the entire city.
A gloomy downpour, familiar towering buildings, unfamiliar airships and flying shuttles, and sky-filling advertisements… all of it mingled with the grimy, corrosive raindrops falling from above.
“So this is…”
After crossing mountains and wilderness, felling both gang enforcers and wild beasts, he had at st arrived at one of the rgest megacities in the Tianyuan World. An Jing gazed at the towering skyscrapers in the heart of this Spiritual Vein City, their pinnacles piercing the clouds.
He couldn’t help murmuring, “So this is Xuanye City.”
After a moment of awe, An Jing smiled. “Excellent. At a gnce, I can tell that while this pce might ck all sorts of miscelneous items, it definitely doesn’t ck technology or power, nor does it ck opportunities or dangers.”
“In a pce like this, never mind weapons capable of sying sinborn demons—there must be items here strong enough to kill genuine Martial Vein experts!”
Collecting himself, An Jing reminded himself that this was no time to be lost in wonder. Time was short, and he had many tasks to complete in just three days.
He needed to gather resources, enhance his strength, find a weapon capable of killing a sinborn demon, and purchase drones for better information gathering.
Wasting no time, An Jing retrieved his map once again.
Soon after, he arrived in the vicinity of an abandoned pza in Xuanye City’s southern district.
Beneath that pza y Xuanye City’s bck market.
(End of Chapter)
