Chapter Ninety-Three: The Nameless Pressure

Lin Dong smiled and said, “Yes, let’s go. We have to reach Nameless City before nightfall, or there’ll be nowhere to stay tomorrow. Too many people are heading to Nameless Hill now.”

He understood very well how fierce the struggle for Nameless City would be. By then, not only would the people of the Beast Domain go there to contend for it, but even the strong from Demon Prison and the Human World would be tempted to make a move.

Nameless City had originally been a neutral power in the Beast Domain. Although Nameless Hill was still an ownerless city, Nameless City’s strength was by no means weaker than the likes of Xuanwu Marsh, and now it had become the liveliest place on the Illusion God Continent. That was why Lin Dong and the others had no choice but to hurry.

Ye Zihan smiled and said, “Brother Lin Dong is right. Let’s keep moving for now. I only hope we won’t end up sleeping on the streets.” When he finished speaking, he quickly followed after them. With Xuanwu Marsh’s protection behind them now, those assassins should no longer come troubling them, so they no longer had to worry about ambushes and the like.

In an instant, Chen Yiyan, Ye Zihan, and the others vanished into the vast forest.

For them, the battle with those black-clad men today had also brought gains. Yan Chen in particular had now nearly reached the Five Elements Realm, and Ye Zihan was the same. He had already entered the middle stage of the Five Elements Realm. He had never imagined that cultivating the Illusion God Art would advance him so quickly.

Ye Zihan did not know much about the Illusion God Art, but since it could raise his cultivation so rapidly, it had to be an extraordinary technique. That was why he was deeply grateful to his two masters, Red Flame and Blue Rain. Yet they had not been revived, and in the future Ye Zihan would certainly do everything he could to bring them back to life.

Red Flame and Blue Rain had died protecting him, so Ye Zihan inevitably felt deeply guilty toward them. Until the day they were restored, he could never truly be at ease. In truth, this had become the spiritual pillar of his struggle against the Hall of the Illusion God.

Lin Dong led Ye Zihan and the others through the boundless forest by air. One tribal settlement after another appeared before them. Some were wolfmen tribes, others tigermen tribes, but they did not descend to disturb any of them. So long as those settlements posed no threat to their safety, no one would make a move against them.

Ye Zihan had not expected the Beast Domain to have so many desolate regions, and aside from the great ancient cities, most of it existed in the form of small villages and tribes. Many races lived here, beastmen and half-beastmen alike, yet astonishingly, countless humans also lived here. That was the deep impression the Beast Domain left on him.

Moreover, Lin Lei and his son were also human. So the Beast Domain was not necessarily a world of monsters and beasts; it was a world of fierce competition, a region where strength reigned supreme. That was the enormous impact it left on Ye Zihan and the others.

“Brother Ye, we’re almost at Nameless City. Look ahead—after those small villages and towns, that’s Nameless City in Nameless Hill. The place we’re in now is also under Nameless City’s jurisdiction.”

Lin Dong was introducing it to them. They were about to reach Nameless City, and he could not hide his excitement.

Ye Zihan looked ahead and, sure enough, a vast ancient city appeared before them. Layers of archaic aura drifted out from that immense city. Even from such a distance, Ye Zihan could not help feeling his blood stir, for such a great city was clearly steeped in history.

From afar, this giant city was unquestionably somewhat larger than Black Tortoise City of Xuanwu Marsh, though not so much larger as to be outrageous. At the very least, it was no smaller than Black Tortoise City. What shocked Ye Zihan most was that this ownerless city was actually flourishing, fully comparable to Black Tortoise City.

Even though it was an ownerless city, that did not hinder its growth in the slightest. Nameless City was home to countless hunters trading inner cores here—cores dug from the bodies of magical beasts—and the half-beastfolk here were no small number either, including the small villages around Nameless City. It was all the same.

“This is my first time here. I never expected it to be even more magnificent than I imagined,” Yan Chen said with a smile. Although he had been to the Beast Domain several times, this was his first time penetrating so deep into its heartland.

Chen Yiyan smiled and said, “There are many strong people here. We’d better be careful.” It seemed he had been to Nameless City quite a few times, otherwise he could not have known this place so well. Judging by his tone, he seemed to have been taught a lesson by the experts here before.

“Haha, why are you saying that, Yiyan? Did you run into someone strong here? Tell us about it—just how formidable is this place?” Lin Dong said. Hearing even the usually arrogant Chen Yiyan speak so modestly, he was puzzled. Could this place really be hiding dragons and crouching tigers? Nameless City’s strength was indeed formidable, but Lin Dong did not know much about it, since this was the first time he had left Xuanwu Marsh to travel. That was why he wanted to ask Chen Yiyan, who had roamed all over the Illusion God Continent, because he would surely know.

Chen Yiyan nodded and said, “I don’t want to bring up the past. Let’s descend slowly for now. We can’t fly into Nameless City, or people will throw us out.” Having said that, he quickly descended, for in the blink of an eye they had already reached the outside of the villages near Nameless City. By now there were already quite a few cultivators coming and going in Nameless City, and they all seemed to be enjoying everything the city had to offer.

Ye Zihan had originally thought Nameless City was just an ordinary city, but now he had to change his view. He could clearly see there were indeed many strong cultivators here, and Nameless City also had many guards in blue uniforms. Judging by the look of them, these cultivators were at least at the Spirit Realm level. That was an utterly astonishing thing.

Nameless City was now not only protected by a major power, but that power was formidable as well. Even Ye Zihan, who considered himself well-traveled, could not help but be baffled, because the pressure Nameless City gave him was simply too great—stronger than Black Tortoise City of Xuanwu Marsh.

“Yes, Yan Chen, let’s descend too. This place really is not simple. We can’t afford to provoke those people.”

After speaking, Ye Zihan glanced at the cultivators in identical uniforms. Just like Black Tortoise City, this place had a power guarding it, and even though Nameless City did not yet have a city lord, that in no way affected its operation.

Yan Chen smiled and said, “Since even Yiyan is walking in, how could I dare swagger in?” After saying that, he also quickly landed and walked on foot. They truly did not want to stir up trouble now, because that would certainly be no good.

When Lin Dong saw Chen Yiyan and the others land, he too immediately descended without the slightest hesitation and continued on foot. A power capable of making the proud and unruly Chen Yiyan lower his head was not something Lin Dong dared act recklessly before. Even though he was the young city lord of Black Tortoise City, he still did not dare do anything rash, because his instincts told him there were many experts here—perhaps even more than in Black Tortoise City.

Soon, Chen Yiyan and the others passed the small villages outside the great city and arrived beneath its towering walls. The vermilion gates gave off a chilling, oppressive feeling. Even cultivators with extremely high cultivation did not dare fly inside Nameless City. That was the most distinctive difference between Nameless City and other cities.

Outside Nameless City lay a moat. A chain hung down from the city gate, forming an iron suspension bridge. Countless people came and went across it.

“Let’s go in. Today we’ll first find an inn to stay at. Tomorrow we’ll take part in the struggle for Nameless City. I hope everything goes smoothly for us then.”

After saying that, Chen Yiyan quickly walked into Nameless City.

“Mm.” Ye Zihan nodded and followed him in.

For Ye Zihan, this contest for Nameless City was something he was determined to win. The Heaven-Defying Pavilion still had no territory of its own, and in the future Nameless City would be the pavilion’s stronghold.

Lin Dong also followed them in. He had not expected Nameless City to be even more powerful than he had imagined, and its grand momentum was absolutely greater than that of Black Tortoise City in Xuanwu Marsh. That made Lin Dong marvel endlessly. No wonder the other powers of the Beast Domain would rather die than let anyone else seize control of Nameless Hill. So that was the reason.

If one of the major powers of the Beast Domain gained control of Nameless Hill, its strength would surely multiply. The other forces of the Beast Domain would naturally be afraid, because this threatened their safety. Most importantly, it would shatter the current balance of power in the Beast Domain.

“Brat, you’re here again? Don’t cause any trouble, or we won’t be polite to you this time.”

Just then, a cultivator in blue uniform from Nameless City pointed at Chen Yiyan and shouted. It seemed he was already quite familiar with Chen Yiyan, or else he would not have addressed him so casually.

“Don’t worry. We’re not here to cause trouble this time. We’re here to take Nameless City down, so please put your minds at ease.”

Chen Yiyan did not seem to have a particularly good opinion of this cultivator, though from their tone it was clear they had fought each other before, and that Chen Yiyan had been the one to lose.

“Haha, welcome to join the contest. In any case, so many years have passed, and Nameless City is still the same. I believe no power will be able to obtain control of Nameless City in Nameless Hill this time either, because none of you are qualified.”

When the cultivator spoke, he especially stressed the word none, because the experts protecting Nameless City did not want incompetents to govern it. If anyone tried to gain control of the city, they would certainly stop them.

Chen Yiyan looked at him and laughed loudly. “Who will ultimately have the last laugh is not for you to decide. That will depend on our real skill.”

He was now determined to seize control of Nameless City. Of course, he did not have the same confidence as Ye Zihan, because he had once already lost to the experts of Nameless City, so this time he had surely made the worst possible preparations.

“You may go in. But I think the few of you little brats should go back and cultivate properly. This place is far too competitive for you.”

The cultivator now felt somewhat sorry for Chen Yiyan and the others, because they were nothing more than young experts at the Five Elements Realm. How could they possibly break through successfully? One must know that the people blocking these challengers were no ordinary men, but the very experts guarding Nameless City.

If they did not want some force to gain control of Nameless City, they could simply send even stronger experts to intercept those challengers. So if one wanted control of Nameless City in Nameless Hill, one first had to gain the tacit approval of Nameless City’s own strongmen. Otherwise, it would be nothing less than courting death.