The outer lands of Burning Flame City had become densely populated with tall buildings and magnificent structures bathed in mysterious divine light after more than half a year of construction. This was the light of treasures, the light of rituals.
The entire Burning Flame City was protected by a colossal ritual formation. However, many large commercial guilds and powerful factions had also equipped their shops with their own defensive rituals. This was not only for security but also a testament to their strength.
Similar to the level eight oasis period, Burning Flame City, now promoted to level nine, had not utilized the oasis land to its fullest extent, leaving large tracts of land outside its walls. Some of these lands were used to park vehicles for visiting teams. A few awakened ones had also spontaneously formed small trading gatherings outside the city.
Within the oasis, every inch of land was precious, filled with the bustle of life. Yet, just a misty wall away, the land outside was not desolate or silent. A wide, neat road stretched straight into the depths of the gray mist. Mist-dispelling streetlamps stood on both sides of the road, emitting a soft, dim yellow glow, like guiding lights for lost souls. The closer they got to the oasis, the brighter the light became, and the thinner the mist grew. Awakened ones traveling here could even turn off their personal mist-dispelling lamps and still see hundreds of meters ahead.
"But aren't these facilities located within the gray mist, and won't they be damaged by evil spirits?" The land within the gray mist could breed malevolent spirits at any moment, making it impossible to guard against.
"Perhaps it's because the land outside the oasis is also patrolled by awakened ones at all times... this shows the true power of Burning Flame City. The title of humanity's foremost power might not be an exaggeration."
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Two figures walked out from the distant, hazy gray mist. They were like ordinary awakened ones, without any grand or imposing vehicles, simply walking slowly on foot in the perilous spirit world. However, they possessed an ethereal and transcendent aura that set them apart. It was as if royalty mingled among commoners; as if noble myths among ordinary mortals.
Yet, they attracted no attention from anyone. Neither the passing awakened ones, the merchant caravans, nor the occasional patrol team of Burning Flame City by the roadside cast a glance at them. They were like ghosts, existing outside the mortal realm.
One of the figures appeared to be middle-aged, with an indescribable weariness in his eyes. The other was like a maiden of sixteen, brimming with youthful energy. But neither of them were human. They were illusory spirits, a mysterious race that almost exclusively existed in legends.
This was indeed the case. Tens of thousands of years ago, illusory spirits could occasionally be found in some parts of the spirit world, but now, their name only existed in ancient texts. Only a very few human powerhouses knew that a lineage of illusory spirits still survived.
They resided within the Elemental Spirit Court. Furthermore, they were among the royal family of the Elemental Spirit Court! Legend had it that in the past, a great being of the illusory spirit race, along with several other elemental great beings, had jointly founded the Elemental Spirit Court, a transcendent force.
To this day, the overall strength of the illusory spirits far surpassed their past. This was especially true for the number of powerhouses. Upon reaching adulthood, illusory spirits were already in the Mythical realm. With diligent cultivation, reaching the demigod realm was not difficult. And with a considerable base of demigods, the illusory spirit community had produced far more than one high-level being.
However, the portly middle-aged man wore a somber expression. "Our illusory spirits are powerful, yet our numbers are dwindling. If this continues, we illusory spirits will completely vanish from the river of history."
The youthful maiden could not quite comprehend. She was a relatively young illusory spirit, having been born not long ago. The middle-aged man, however, had lived for an incredibly long time, longer than most demigods. He had witnessed the continuous decline in the number of illusory spirits.
From over 140 individuals.
To over 130.
Then to over 120.
In a few more years, the number of illusory spirits might not even reach three digits.
This was related to the life characteristics of illusory spirits. Illusory spirits had male and female distinctions, but they could not reproduce through mating. The birth of illusory spirits either occurred naturally through the laws of space and heaven and earth, or a previous generation of illusory spirits had to use their life essence as a core to nurture offspring. However, this practice would damage the illusory spirit's own essence and lifespan. They usually only expended their essence to reproduce when they were old. And they could only nurture one illusory spirit in their lifetime.
This meant that if heaven and earth could not produce new illusory spirits, the total number of illusory spirits could at most remain stable. Any slight mishap would lead to a decrease in their total population.
"No new members of our race have been born in these tens of thousands of years, but..."
"Two or three years ago, during a human trial, a member of our race appeared who was not within our Elemental Spirit Court. She was very young, perhaps..."
New illusory spirit lives were naturally born in the spirit world. After years of investigation, they had pinpointed the human faction "Xin Huo" (Spark of Hope). It was highly probable that this young fellow member was currently residing within the Xin Huo faction.
"Uncle Hong, are we here to bring back this elder sister?" the maiden chirped.
The middle-aged man, Hong Yuan, nodded. "How could we possibly let a fellow clan member wander outside? Of course, if this junior grew up within a human faction, it might not be easy to persuade her to return to the Elemental Spirit Court with us."
"Then what should we do?"
"Uncle will persuade them." The middle-aged man paused. "A faction like the Xin Huo organization doesn't lack a Mythical realm powerhouse. Even if she is a special illusory spirit, we can reach an agreement through some benefit exchange, and the organization will likely agree."
Their illusory spirit race had few members and low consumption. They also possessed the talent for spatial traversal, allowing them to venture into dangerous and forbidden lands to acquire treasures. They lacked nothing, except perhaps wealth. No race was richer than them!
"If the organization values this junior greatly, then they should understand even better that only in the Elemental Spirit Court can illusory spirits receive true cultivation, advance to the demigod realm, and even... glimpse the legendary high-level realm."
Speaking of the high-level realm, Demigod Hong Yuan also felt a sense of melancholy. Illusory spirits were born Mythical, possessed innate talents envied by ancient beings, and had longer lifespans, but the price was... their path to higher realms was more difficult to ascend. The middle-aged man had remained at the peak of the demigod realm for over six thousand years. He had even touched upon multiple laws, including the law of space. Yet, even so, he could not pinpoint his path to the high-level realm. He was still a demigod.
Of course, he was confident that he was a formidable opponent among demigods, let alone human demigods.
The two observed their surroundings as they walked into Burning Flame City. The city was magnificent, but it was nothing to them. The main city of the Elemental Spirit Court was even grander and more aligned with their aesthetic sensibilities.
However, the stream of awakened ones they encountered along the way still surprised Hong Yuan, an ancient and powerful demigod.
"That seems to be a Mythical realm."
"That also seems to be a Mythical realm."
"But they don't seem to possess any strong aura."
Mythical realm beings should exude nobility and be extraordinary. The few Mythical beings he observed, however, were ordinary, like common passersby. He even wondered if his perception was mistaken, but Demigod Hong Yuan was very confident in his eyesight and probing abilities.
Hmm? He looked into the distance.
A tall woman was approaching from afar. The woman was Bai Yan Si, the renowned chief steward of Burning Flame City. The middle-aged demigod did not recognize her, but his intuition told him that she was also a demigod.
They had only just entered the oasis, and they had already been discovered? Their transformed forms as illusory spirits should theoretically be indistinguishable from humans! Perhaps a high-level being had simply cast their gaze upon them?
"Two guests, our mentor has requested your presence."
...
The two illusory spirits had intended to visit the powerhouses of the Xin Huo organization, but they did not expect to meet the leader of the organization upon arrival. Demigod Hong Yuan was somewhat surprised. Perhaps this trip to achieve their objective would be simpler than they had imagined?
He then represented the Illusory Spirit lineage of the Elemental Spirit Court in visiting Xin Huo. After a brief conversation, he carefully proposed that he wished to meet the illusory spirit within the Xin Huo organization.
When he made this request, Demigod Hong Yuan was apprehensive. He considered himself invincible among demigods, but now he was facing a high-level being! He had only come to investigate, but he was discovered by a high-level being upon arrival.
Mentor Fang observed the two individuals before him with a hint of curiosity. Living illusory spirits, aside from Xiao Huan, were a novelty to him as well. How peculiar. After a moment of thought, he said, "Certainly." The esteemed Xin Huo had no reason to hide Xiao Huan's identity.
As his words fell, a golden light converged from nearby, transforming into a lively young girl wearing a knee-length skirt and a beige short-sleeved top. The girl looked at the two before her with curiosity and delight in her eyes. Her age was similar to the young illusory spirit maiden, perhaps even slightly younger. The two quickly began to chat animatedly.
They discussed their exploration experiences and shared many interesting stories about the Elemental Spirit Court. Xiao Huan listened with great interest, and then began to organize the information she gathered. This was purely instinctual.
Seeing them chatting happily, Fang You did not linger and left the space to Xiao Huan. He naturally trusted his Xiao Huan. Xiao Huan was quite happy to meet her own kind for the first time.
Their conversation continued for the better part of the day. They were getting along famously, and there were no high-level figures present. Demigod Hong Yuan subtly probed Xiao Huan's intentions. He had expected it to be a sure thing, but as soon as he spoke, Xiao Huan's smiling face stiffened.
"I am forever a member of Xin Huo."
"...Miss Xiao Huan, you should understand that only in the Elemental Spirit Court can you receive the best cultivation and not waste your talent. The legacies possessed by humans and those of the Elemental Spirit Court are completely different."
Xiao Huan shook her head, her expression becoming less amiable. She glanced at the demigod before her, "If the demigods of the Elemental Spirit Court are only of this level, then perhaps you shouldn't boast so much."
Demigod Hong Yuan: "?" He was an invincible demigod who had touched upon several laws while still in the demigod realm! He wanted to demonstrate his skills and open the eyes of this junior. With a thought, the laws of traversal swarmed around him like fireflies, making him appear even more ethereal and transcendent.
But in the next moment, his eyes widened. He seemed to see boundless light, boundless space, and boundless doors emanating from the junior before him. They were countless lines, woven from the power of laws. Looking at the faint glow around himself, Demigod Hong Yuan couldn't help but fall into thought.
This was not right. Wasn't she just a young junior illusory spirit?
Xiao Huan spoke, "I have a suggestion. Why don't you two stay here and witness what true cultivation looks like?" She paused, then looked at Demigod Hong Yuan with disdain. "You won't do, you're too old. Let this younger sister stay."
Demigod Hong Yuan: "?"