Chapter 333 Discovery in the Ancient City
On the top of the city wall, the soldiers' discussions did not affect the pace of the people entering the city.

Or rather, no one heard their discussions.

As for Li Zhi, he ignored the discussions and just smiled.

After entering the ancient city, you will find a different world.

The natural environment in the city is suitable for the reproduction of living things, and is not much different from the environment on the ancient planet of life. It is like an open-air small world of life.

The city is huge, with wide roads, both sides of which are lined with ancient trees with lush branches and leaves. There are also many commercial buildings, including alchemy shops, weapon shops, restaurants, inns, gambling houses, etc.

Such a prosperous ancient city in the starry sky surprised everyone.

This seemed to be quite different from the iron-blooded and murderous place they had imagined.

Yao Chi Saint Maiden couldn't help but ask, "Changshou, do you know who built the ancient city of Starry Sky? And who built the ancient trial road?"

"I don't know either. In fact, the ancient trial roads of various races seem too strange to me. There should have been a huge force that ruled the entire universe. In order to facilitate the control of the entire universe, countless starry sky stations similar to this ancient city were built in the starry sky of the universe. When that huge force collapsed, the former starry sky stations were transformed into ancient trial roads for various races." Li Zhi said.

"Could it be that the ancient trial road of the human race is actually left behind by the ancient heaven from the mythological era?" Yao Chi Saint asked curiously.

"I'm afraid it's earlier than that era." Li Zhi said.

In Li Zhi's opinion, the ancient trial roads scattered throughout the starry sky could actually bring together cultivators of all races from all over the universe. It seemed as if they were specially built for the purpose of paying homage to a real "Emperor of Heaven".

Li Zhi even suspected that the predecessors of these ancient roads were things left behind by Emperor Huang Tian when he established the Heavenly Palace after the world was destroyed.

Then, led by several soldiers, the crowd walked along the busy streets to the small square in the center of the city.

Along the way, you can see the lives of the people in the city, there are children running in the alleys, people watching them in the shops, and vendors ready to go.

Because of their arrival, temporary traffic control was implemented on the street leading to the city center square.

On weekdays, the streets should be very busy with frequent business activities.

Along the way, Li Zhi felt a strong sense of desire in many shops, as if those merchants were very much looking forward to their arrival.

It’s normal to think about the merchants’ desire.

After all, this is just a city in the starry sky. Although its area is large, its output is limited. Compared with the real ancient life stars, its supplies are still relatively scarce.

Li Zhi and other people who participated in the trial were like a moving treasure trove, bringing many fresh supplies, as well as vitality and vigor to the city.

Of course, the divine source is indispensable.

Under the gaze of many local people, they were brought to the central square.

There were many traces engraved on the ground of the square, which was paved with gray-brown rocks. Li Zhi could faintly sense the powerful fluctuations of the array patterns from them.

Before he could fully comprehend the formation pattern, an old man appeared silently on a tall stone platform in front of the square.

His figure was blurry, but his eyes were frighteningly bright, as if he could see through everyone's disguise.

"I am the guide of the ancient road of the human race and the lord of this city. I just want to say two things here: First, not everyone can continue on the road. You should rest up well. You will soon enter a trial field for the first test and selection. Second, during the time you live in the city, you are prohibited from engaging in warfare. Okay, disperse, find a place to live, and recuperate."

The old man's speech was simple and direct, without even a trace of emotion, and he disappeared from everyone's sight as soon as he finished speaking.

I’m even reluctant to tell everyone more about the taboos and precautions on the ancient road.

This made many monks feel puzzled.

"Is that it? Are we being ignored?" someone whispered.

"I'm afraid our qualifications are not in the eyes of the Guide." Someone also whispered.

"Forget it, let's ask around in the city."

Although everyone was dissatisfied, the powerful aura emanating from the guide made them understand the importance of respecting the strong.

After the crowd dispersed, they did not gather in groups of three or four.

Instead, they will act on their own. From now on, they will be competitors and rivals, and no one wants others to know their cards in advance.

After Li Zhi and the Saint Maiden of Yao Chi left the small square, they walked directly towards the commercial street.

At this time, the originally quiet city has regained its vitality, the streets are full of tourists and vendors, and various hawking sounds can be heard everywhere.

"Red moon fruit bunch, a thousand-year-old medicinal fruit, sweet, crisp and delicious."

"The steamed stuffed buns stuffed with dragon meat are thin in skin and big in filling. They don't taste good and don't cost any money."

Walking on the street, Li Zhi and the Saint Maiden of Yao Chi looked at everything in the prosperous ancient city with interest.

"Changshou, should we find a place to rest first?" After visiting several shops, the Saint Maiden of Yao Chi spoke.

"No need to rest, let's continue shopping. You have accumulated countless negative emotions in your heart over the past few years, and you need to release those pressures by traveling around the world." Li Zhi said.

“But if we don’t rest, how can we face the next trial in the best possible manner?” Saint Maiden Yao Chi said with some concern.

Li Zhi said: "The real purpose of the trial in the first city of the human race is not to make you stronger than others, but to make you recognize what kind of existence you are. You will know it when the time comes. Now you should adjust your mentality first. You have been walking alone on the lonely ancient starry sky road for five years. Your mentality is a little unbalanced and you need to adjust it as soon as possible."

Afterwards, Li Zhi took the Saint Maiden of Yao Chi to continue shopping, and did not find a place to rest like the others.

This move made many monks who were paying attention to them feel puzzled.

Xuan Jian and Qing Yuanzi were both confused by the actions of Li Zhi and the Saint Maiden of Yao Chi.

Li Zhi, who was wealthy, naturally would not indulge his appetite. He spent lavishly in the city, making many shops smile.

"What do those two mean?" Many cultivators were nervous for fear of being ambushed, but after seeing Li Zhi and the Saint Maiden of Yao Chi eating, drinking and having fun after entering the city, they immediately felt like fools.

Although they had learned from the natives that the last time the city was opened, the group of trial participants caused several deaths on the day they entered the city.

Even a saint was assassinated that day.

After hearing this news, most of the trial participants were filled with a sense of crisis. After finding a place to rest that they believed was safe, they dared not go out casually.

However, the actions of Li Zhi and the Saint Maiden of Yao Chi were out of tune with everyone else.

It even attracted the attention of many soldiers guarding the city.

A soldier asked their leader, "Captain, why don't those two look like they are here to take part in the trial?"

After seeing Li Zhi, the captain's expression suddenly became extremely solemn. He said, "Those two are extremely dangerous. Let the brothers pay special attention to them and never provoke them."

The soldier asked curiously, "Captain, you are too sensitive. How could two trial-takers who have just set foot on the Ancient Road make you feel dangerous?"

The captain said, "The man in the Taoist robe gave me a feeling that was even more dangerous than when I faced the commander-in-chief."

"How is this possible!" the soldier was shocked. The great commander mentioned by the captain was one of the three great masters under the command of the Guide. His cultivation had reached the peak level of a Saint, and he was only one step away from entering the realm of a Saint King. He was the second most skilled master in the First Pass City of the Human Race.

"I have been paying attention to the Taoist priest since he entered the city. He gives me a very strange feeling, as if he is not here to compete with the geniuses of other domains. Moreover, I don't see any fear of us in him. Even when the city lord showed up before, he didn't seem to be in any mood." said the captain.

"Could this person be a powerful being on the same level as Emperor Tian, ​​Overlord, Great Demon God, or Fairy Qingshi?" the soldier said with some doubt.

"No, completely different. He gives a completely different feeling from those peerless geniuses who have already gone deep into the ancient road." The captain shook his head.

The captain's intuition was very sharp. He sensed an extreme indifference from Li Zhi, who seemed to have little interest in the magnificent road of trials.

Perhaps out of fear, or perhaps because of their own lack of strength, this group of trial-takers who entered the city did not cause any trouble at all.

Instead, it made the soldiers guarding the city feel a little disappointed.

They stayed in the city for seven days before they received notification of the specific opening date of the trial field.

After seven days of baptism in the worldly world, the Saint Maiden of Yao Chi finally returned to the state she was in Beidou.

The special aura that had been cultivated in the lonely starry sky was actually a false disguise.

The first level of the human race's trial is crucial, and you must never go out with a mask on.

The stars are like waterfalls, the moonlight is like water, and the ancient city seems exceptionally quiet at night.

Under the starry sky, Li Zhi came to the small square in the city alone.

Looking up, the sky is filled with starlight like a waterfall, as if one can see the entire universe clearly.

Walking to the high platform where the guide had appeared before, Li Zhi sat directly on it.

Coming to the first city of the human race in the starry sky, it would be a bit unsatisfying if we only participated in the trials.

Compared to the trial field, Li Zhi’s interest in the ancient city itself is no less.

Sitting on the high platform, Li Zhi quickly entered a state of enlightenment.

The strange phenomenon of the wheel sea - the map of the celestial stars slowly unfolds, and the starlight covers the entire small square.

Then, Li Zhi recited the mysterious scriptures, and the stars on the star map began to move along mysterious paths.

"Buzz!" The entire small square seemed to be under a strong pressure and trembled. Then, the power of the stars in the sky was like a waterfall, and was led to the small square by the star map.

In an instant, the rich starlight submerged the entire small square, making it impossible to see any movement in the square.

In the second half of the night, a thick beam of light as large as the small square suddenly shot up into the sky.

The Starlight Pillar directly penetrated the protective barrier above the ancient city and penetrated deep into the infinitely distant starry sky.

At this moment, Li Zhi's mind seemed to merge into one with the entire ancient city.

He is the ancient city, and the ancient city is him.

The terrifying starlight was drawn from the depths of the starry sky by the Avenue of Starlight.

It seems that every ray of divine light contains a trace of the original power of the Starry Avenue.

Such a wonderful sight instantly attracted the attention of many monks in the city.

The three commanders under the city lord's command went out together and arrived outside the small square.

But after seeing the strange phenomenon appearing in the small square, they all frowned.

The rich starlight was mixed with the terrifying power of the Great Dao, which made them dare not act rashly.

Soon, the local strong men in the city and the monks who came to participate in the trial also arrived at the edge of the small square.

"Is this the origin of the Starry Avenue? Who is comprehending the Starry Avenue here?" Someone recognized the fleeting mysterious runes in the starlight and exclaimed in surprise.

"Commander-in-chief, none of the defensive prohibitions in the city have been triggered. The scene here seems to be just a strange phenomenon caused by someone gaining enlightenment here." A soldier who was responsible for investigating whether there were any loopholes in the ancient city's defenses hurriedly reported to the commander-in-chief.

"Commander-in-chief, do you want to notify the city lord?" the soldier then asked.

"Wait a little longer." The commander-in-chief's eyes were shining brightly, as if he wanted to see who the blurry figure in the starlight was.

However, the human figure in the starlight was enveloped by a mysterious force of the Great Dao, making it difficult for him to see clearly.

However, the commander-in-chief could vaguely sense a fatal threat from Li Zhi, which made him extremely wary.

I originally thought that these trial participants were all trash, but I didn't expect that there was a sky-horned ant hidden among the ordinary ants.

"What kind of magical power is this? Why do I seem to see tens of thousands of terrifying beasts of various shapes in the starlight?" Someone tried to comprehend the Starry Avenue in the starlight, and then saw a dizzying scene.

"Who is the person who attained enlightenment here?" Most of the monks have begun asking each other.

If they are traveling with someone, they should be extra careful.

Unfortunately, the Avenue of Stars lasted for most of the night, and no one could see Li Zhi’s true face.

When the morning light appeared in the sky, the starry avenue that stretched from sky to earth also disappeared.

Those monks who were eagerly looking for the source of this strange phenomenon were extremely disappointed to not find any figure in the small square.

Even the three commanders under the city lord were unable to see clearly how Li Zhi left.

When Li Zhi returned to the inn, he felt that he had gained a lot.

His previous understanding of the Starry Avenue confirmed one of his conjectures.

These ancient cities built in the starry sky are not as simple as building a fortress.

Instead, people have engraved countless laws of the Star Avenue in the ancient city. This allows the ancient city to be like a star, receiving nourishment from other stars and ensuring the eternal vitality of the ancient city.

This confirmed Li Zhi's guess, that is, there is an essential difference between the way cultivators survive in the starry sky and their way of survival on the ancient planet of life.

This difference is more due to the different sources of life essence.

This also explains why cultivators born from the main star of life are often much stronger than cultivators born from small worlds in the celestial realm.

The land and water nurture the people, and the same is true for the stars that give birth to life.

As the great way evolved and the heaven and earth were born, there should have been a tripartite situation of "heaven, earth, and man".

Only when the three elements of "heaven, earth and man" are intact can the heaven and earth be complete.

Ordinary stars cannot replace the position of "earth" among the Three Talents.

The world is flawed, and at this moment Li Zhi had a clearer understanding.

Ever since the primitive ancient world with its vast land of nine heavens and ten earths was destroyed, strictly speaking, there is no real "earth" in this vast universe.

Only when man lives between heaven and earth can he stand upright.

But if the "earth" between heaven and earth disappears and only the "sky" remains, can the cultivators still stand tall and proud?
Before living on the ancient star Beidou, Li Zhi had not considered this problem because the ancient star Beidou was large enough.

But after stepping into the starry sky, Li Zhi felt more and more that "the world is imperfect" had changed from a conceptual cognition to an extremely important problem that he needed to face in practice.

This question is related to his practice. How can he break the limits of heaven and earth by practicing in an imperfect world?

The commotion caused by Li Zhi caused a lot of discussion among the people.

However, because the vision he created did not cause any damage, it did not affect the opening date of the trial field.

The next day.

At dawn, the red sun rises, and a long horn sounds, vast and distant, as if it came from ancient times, like the cry of ancient humans.

The horn sounded, heralding the official start of the strongest trial journey.

All the monks participating in the trial gathered in the small square.

Afterwards, the guide appeared on the platform again, but this time his figure was no longer blurry. Instead, he looked like a kind old man, speaking to everyone with a serious face.

"This is the horn that our ancestors used to call when they were exploring the universe and fighting in the frontier regions. You all should listen carefully."

It seems that at this moment, the other party is qualified to be the guide of the ancient road of the human race.

One of his missions is to let the younger generations from all regions who set out on the ancient road to gain experience remember the great achievements of their ancestors who overcame all difficulties and created a prosperous era.

The sound of ancient horns continued, and the breath of wildness filled the air. Everyone seemed to have returned to that barbaric era when ferocious beasts roamed everywhere and the environment was harsh.

It seems as if I saw a difficult picture of the human sages overcoming difficulties and fighting ferocious beasts to create a prosperous era for the human race.

When the horn sounded, the guide spoke again: "There is only one purpose for entering the trial field today, which is to obtain the great truth of that world. If you don't have this kind of understanding, stop here."

The guide didn't say much, and his words were simple and clear, without any dragging of words, which made Li Zhi quite pleased.

Finally I met a leader who doesn’t like long speeches.

After leading everyone to commemorate the martyrs of the human race with the sound of the horn, the guide disappeared from everyone's sight again.

Then the commander-in-chief under his command appeared in front of everyone, wearing armor exuding iron and murderous aura, riding a heavenly wolf.

"Next, I will lead you on the road. Follow me."

After saying this, the commander-in-chief glanced at everyone, and his gaze seemed to linger on Li Zhi for two more seconds.

Li Zhi smiled at him.

The commander-in-chief also nodded slightly in response.

Then, the commander-in-chief raised the Tiange in his hand and cut through the void above the small square, and a mysterious altar appeared there.

All the trial participants were staring at the commander-in-chief's movements, afraid of missing the opportunity.

The commander-in-chief chanted ancient syllables and used a spell to activate the teleportation array in the void.

"boom!"

A huge beam of light shot out from the altar, piercing through the starry universe, tearing a wide space channel in the void, leading to the unknown other side.

"Get on the road!"

The commander-in-chief was like a celestial general, bringing with him twenty soldiers in full armor, and escorting the trial participants to the real trial site for the first stage of the human race.

After stepping into the starry sky channel, everyone seemed to have entered a long corridor of time. It seemed like a hundred years passed in an instant, and it seemed like eternity passed in a hurry. Occasionally, through the transparent part of the time and space channel, they could see one star field after another left behind.

It seems that the real trial field is at the end of the universe, very far away from the first city of the human race.

All the trial participants held their breath and concentrated, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

They didn't know how long they walked in the passage, but suddenly they felt a wild and murderous breath coming towards them, and then they walked out of the passage.

What comes into view is an island larger than the stars, with an aura of eternal vicissitudes flowing over the island.

It is the first trial site for the human race, the Holy Island of the Fallen.

(End of this chapter)