Liu Xing began to walk, trying to act normally. But every person he saw, whether walking or riding in carriages, whether sweaty and dirty or dressed in fine clothes, stared at him with wide eyes.

As he walked, people parted from the street, as if Liu Xing was a terrifying menace that couldn't be disturbed. Seeing this, Liu Xing wasn't surprised. Most people had never seen a cultivator before, and even if they had, they knew better than to mess with one.

The bustling market suddenly fell quiet as Liu Xing walked through the streets. The aroma of spices and the sight of colorful fabrics faded into the background as whispers began to spread.

"A-a cultivator," a man in blue clothes with white trim whispered, his voice trembling with awe.

"Did you see? He descended from the sky. I heard they can fly, but to think it's true..." another voice added, filled with wonder.

"I think he used a treasure to fly. I've seen cultivators from the Xia clan before, and they fly by riding swords."

The whispers spread like wildfire. Men and women, grandparents and children, everyone whispered and occasionally pointed at him, their fingers shaking with excitement or fear.

"Is he from the Xia clan?"

"No, the Xia clan always wears yellow robes. He's wearing a purple robe."

"Is he perhaps from the Purple Moon Sect?"

Someone snorted. "The Purple Moon Sect is a mighty sect. There's no way a cultivator from that sect would come here. Even if they visited our empire, they'd only go to the capital. This city is too shabby."

Liu Xing was, in fact, from the Purple Moon Sect. But he decided not to correct them and just walked straight ahead. It was actually kind of awkward. He felt like a monkey paraded through the streets, becoming a spectacle that made people point at him. Liu Xing was tempted to bolt, but doing so would attract more attention. Since he needed to ask around to pinpoint where the treasures he needed to gather were, it was better to just walk normally.

Several moments later, when Liu Xing was in a part of the market where the street was too narrow and crowded, forcing people to squeeze around to create a path for him, two men who looked like guards rushed out from the crowd. They wore armor with intricate tiger carvings that gleamed in the sunlight.

"Who dares to enter this city without a permit? Even a cultivator needs to meet us, the city guards, to enter!" A man with tanned skin and a muscular body, as well as piercing eyes, shouted at him. His voice boomed over the murmur of the crowd.

"That's right! Moreover, it's forbidden to fly above the city! People who break this rule need to be fined!" A younger man, around Liu Xing's age, also shouted. He was skinny and pale, but so tall that everyone, even Liu Xing, only reached his shoulder. His long shadow stretched across the packed dirt road.

Sensing the commotion, the people around started to squeeze out more, trying to back away. The air grew thick with tension.

Liu Xing wondered if he was in trouble. Maybe landing in the middle of the market wasn't so wise. Still, there was nothing he could do now. Moreover, since he had found two city guards, he could ask them about the certain stone he needed to find.

"I apologize," Liu Xing said, his voice calm and measured. "My name is Liu Xing, and I'm a disciple from the Purple Moon Sect. I didn't know such rules existed in this city. I promise I won't break this law again."

"He said he's from the Purple Moon Sect," someone from the crowd whispered, their voice filled with awe.

"That mighty sect? They say each and every disciple there is a genius! Each year, our Twelve Sun Empire has to compete for five places so our youngsters can participate in the entrance ceremony!"

"I heard this year no one from our empire passed the test. Not even the crown prince!"

As the whispers grew louder, Liu Xing eyed the two guards in front of him. He tried to use the Purple Moon Sect name to subtly intimidate the guards. As people said, the Purple Moon Sect was a great sect. Most people wouldn't dare to offend him. He also tried to be as polite as possible to smooth things over. Since the two guards now knew his name and his sect, and he promised not to break the laws again, surely they would let him go.

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The tall, skinny man glanced at his companion, his eyes wavering, while the tanned man licked his lips, looking intimidated, but there was still sharpness in his eyes.

"Let him go. Do you want to offend him?" shouted an old man from the crowd, his wrinkled face contorted with worry.

"Yeah, he's from the mighty Purple Moon Sect. Surely there's an exception for him," a plump woman in a yellow robe called out, her voice carrying over the murmurs.

There was more agreement from the crowd, and Liu Xing nodded to all of them, his face a mask of calm.

"Silence!" shouted the tanned man, his voice cutting through the noise. "I'm a city guard. It's my duty to follow the rules. There are no exceptions. What if he's a demonic cultivator? What if he's lying? Wearing a purple robe doesn't mean someone is from the Purple Moon Sect."

"T-that's right!" agreed the tall man, his voice less certain. "No exceptions."

"Is there any way for me to prove my identity to you?" Liu Xing asked, reaching into his robes. He pulled out a wooden token shaped like a cloud and showed it to them. "Is this enough?"

The two guards focused their eyes on the token, which seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly light. The tall man then whispered to his companion. His whispers were quiet, and amidst the murmuring people, Liu Xing almost didn't hear him.

"What if he really is a Purple Moon Sect disciple?"

The tanned man didn't answer. Instead, he approached Liu Xing and examined the wooden token closely, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized every detail.

He then nodded. "That token looks genuine."

Liu Xing sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Then I assume this matter is over?"

"Yes, but you still need to be fined. After all, the law is the law. No exceptions. And as an example so no other cultivator breaks the law, we've decided to make an example of you. Your fine will be ten times higher. It's a hundred gold coins!"

The crowd gasped, as if they'd heard Liu Xing needed to pay with his limbs. But for Liu Xing, that was actually very cheap. He didn't have any coins on him. He only had spirit stones that he'd taken from the Shadow Wolf Gang, and a spirit stone was worth around a hundred thousand gold coins.

But Liu Xing began to think that maybe these two guards weren't driven solely by duty. Perhaps there was an aspect of extortion here. While a hundred gold coins was cheap, he didn't want to be bullied. However, if he refused, the situation could very well escalate. So he thought of a way out, and soon found it.

"All right. I'll pay." He fished out a spirit stone and flicked it to the tall man. As the spirit stone sailed through the air, catching the sunlight and sparkling brilliantly. The tall man fumbled to catch it, and when he succeeded, he opened his hand and blinked several times when he saw a round blue stone that faintly glowed.

"Are you messing with us? My friend said a hundred gold coins, not a shiny rock!" the tall man said, his voice rising in pitch.

The tanned man's eyes widened at the sight of the spirit stone, looking as if they might pop out of his head. His lips trembled, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Then, as if he'd seen an emperor, he dropped to his knees, his head bowed low.

"This city guard was wrong! I'm sorry if I offended you, esteemed cultivator," he said, his voice quavering.

"This Gao Yangdo apologizes from the depths of his heart," the guard continued. "When I heard you were from the Purple Moon Sect, I felt doubtful. The Purple Moon Sect is a great sect, and many people impersonate being a disciple from there. When I saw your token, fifty percent of my doubt vanished, and when you paid a measly fine of a hundred coins with a spirit stone worth a hundred thousand gold, the doubt disappeared! There's no way an impersonator would pay a fine, let alone use a precious spirit stone to pay it! You're truly a Purple Moon Sect disciple."

After he said that, the crowd erupted into commotion. Every person, from child to grandparent, widened their eyes in shock.

"Have I gone mad? Did the guard say that stone is worth a hundred thousand gold coins?!" someone exclaimed.

"I've never seen a hundred gold coins before. How much is a thousand gold coins worth?" another voice chimed in.

"You could buy half a city with that much money!" said a man with a bushy mustache. He then dropped to his knees, which prompted the youngsters to his left and right to do the same. This created a chain reaction where everyone suddenly knelt, as if they were in the presence of the wisest emperor of mankind.

"All right, then, give me the change." Liu Xing said to the guard. While that spirit stone was the result of him technically robbing people, he still didn't want to waste money. After he said that, the city guard snapped his head so hard his eyes widened to the size of saucers. The tall guard beside him started counting on his fingers, his face scrunched in concentration.

"That would be... ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred gold coins in change," the tall guard mumbled, his face growing pale. He glanced at his companion. "Brother Gao, do we even have that much in the city treasury?"

Gao Yangdo's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. He looked at the spirit stone in his partner's hand, then at Liu Xing, then back at the stone. Finally, with trembling hands, he gestured for his companion to return the spirit stone.

"This lowly guard apologizes, but we... we cannot make change for such a precious item," Gao said, bowing even lower. "Please, take back your spirit stone. Consider the fine... waived. Yes, waived! For the honor of having such an esteemed cultivator visit our humble city!"

Liu Xing accepted the spirit stone back with a slight nod. He smiled in his heart. It's a small ploy that can go either way, and he's happy that the outcome is in his favor.

"Since I don't have to pay the fine, may I go?" Liu Xing asked politely.

"Of course!" the tanned man shouted.

"All right. Before I go, do you know where a big stone in the shape of an inverted triangle is located? My reason for coming to this city is to see that rock."