Chapter 665: Xiantian punk

Li Qi was completely baffled.

A world that encouraged competition, encouraged slaughter, and placed combat power in the most important position, would actually be content with its lot, even clearing all matter within sixty billion light-years to sever ties with the outside world, creating a huge void outside the domain to prevent anyone from finding the Immortal Heaven.

Shouldn't it be rushing out to sweep the world? This is a First Grade world after all.

Contradictory, so contradictory.

The information is insufficient; only having contact with this small part of the Mortal world prevents me from truly grasping the full picture of the Immortal Heaven. I should enter the city first; perhaps more clues can be found within the city.

Obtain clues in the city, then go to the True World, and finally make contact with the Immortal Heaven, which is the highest level.

Li Qi had already planned it out.

So, he said to Ju Ye, "The scenery outside the city is all pretty much the same, nothing special. Let's go into the city and have a look."

“This…” Ju Ye hesitated for a moment, then nodded, “Yes, please follow me, sir.”

Li Qi knew why he hesitated; the cost for two people to enter the city was enough to make him go bankrupt.

But Li Qi said nothing, just deciding to enter the city first.

Ju Ye finally resigned himself to fate, paid the money, received the tokens for entry—one for each of them—and led Li Qi into Bailu City.

"Sir... I've never been inside this city either, so I'm afraid I can't be your guide," Ju Ye said before they entered.

"No matter, it's good to see it together. Just introduce me to some local products; you should recognize them all, right?" Li Qi said.

“I do recognize quite a few, but I’m afraid I can’t afford them,” Ju Ye said with a bitter smile, preparing Li Qi in advance.

“Just look, no need to buy,” Li Qi smiled, leading Ju Ye forward.

Upon entering Bailu City, a significant difference was immediately noticeable.

The city was clean and tidy, filled with an air of sophistication. Many well-dressed people rode majestic Spirit Beast mounts. Every intersection had clear signs and elegant decorations, and even the air carried a faint scent of perfume. Armed guards patrolled the streets, constantly maintaining safety here.

Here, the number of Spiritual Artifacts had greatly increased. Of course, it couldn't compare to cities of the human Dao, but it had its own unique charm.

However… Li Qi noticed that beneath this beautiful facade, a large number of homeless people were hidden in street corners and even deeper alleys.

Hmm, they must have caused trouble outside and used all their savings to hide from enemies here.

But the prices here are extremely high, and they simply don't have enough funds to live, so they can only wander here, not daring to leave.

This situation, obviously, has led to a large number of 'servants'. Li Qi could see that almost every powerful figure who could truly live here was surrounded by a multitude of servants.

After all, even a Ninth Grade practitioner, in fact, does not abstain from grain and still needs to eat, otherwise they will starve to death.

Those Ninth Grade practitioners with low combat power, those who have just achieved a Breakthrough, or those who have entered to escape enemies and thus cannot afford more money, along with those unranked cultivators, their only way to survive is to become dogs for powerful Great Powers.

That way, they can at least get by.

Li Qi nodded gently; this indeed matched his impression and explained why the city did not expel these people.

This is for a sense of superiority.

Superiority is born from comparison.

If everyone in the city were Great Powers, then it would mean no one was a Great Power, and the experience would be very poor.

Therefore, the Lord of Bailu City skillfully exploited this point, extorting all the money from those who sought refuge, yet still allowing them in to become a source of superiority for the Great Powers. They could even exploit their labor, forcing them to provide cheap manpower and services for the Great Powers, thus forming the city's upper and lower classes.

Li Qi observed these things while continuing to tour Bailu City, which covered an area of two thousand li.

This tour lasted for three full days. For three days, Li Qi moved through the city without rest.

He came to the upper levels of the city, places frequently visited by Great Powers.

Here it was truly clean and tidy, and even the slaves who passed by appeared respectable.

There were brothels and entertainment venues, where highly skilled artists sang, danced, and played instruments remarkably well, entertaining the nobles.

There were also luxurious restaurants, filled with all sorts of delicacies, but Li Qi was short on time, so he only looked and did not go in to taste them.

There were also various Spiritual Artifacts, clothes, and even some rare and exotic treasures for sale, all very impressive.

Overall, for the upper class, life in Bailu City, though somewhat expensive, was absolutely guaranteed in quality, truly worth the price.

Because, Li Qi had already learned that in the Mortal realm of the Immortal Heaven, most areas were wilderness, and such prosperous urban centers were rare.

Maintaining a city requires extremely high costs, and it also needs a large number of experts to maintain order, otherwise it can easily be targeted by covetous bandits.

This is a big piece of fat meat, and naturally many people will covet it. It can only be said that the Lord of Bailu City is very strong, so strong that ordinary opponents dare not covet it, which is why Bailu City can exist.

After seeing the upper levels, Li Qi went to observe the lower levels.

The lower levels were also as Li Qi had imagined.

This place was simply a slum.

Here, it was no longer glamorous; brokenness, disarray, and chaos filled the winding alleys of the entire slum.

In this place, a large number of desperate individuals gathered. If they weren't desperate already, they soon would be.

The rules of Bailu City do not permit murders here, but the control over this area is not as strict, so anyone is willing to risk their life for their next meal.

Life here, how should I put it… is quite exciting. For those living in it, it's definitely not boring, but it's likely very short-lived; few can live here for long.

Either they are oppressed to death, or they cannot endure and escape outside the city, or they climb up the social ladder and become servants or thugs for Great Powers outside.

There are many reasons for falling to this state: perhaps being defeated by an enemy, or running out of talent, or being swindled out of all money. But no matter what, at this moment, they are all penniless.

There is almost no way to make a living here, so as long as they can survive, the people here will do anything.

Theft, robbery, deception, anything is possible, even selling one's life.

When Li Qi was touring here, he was once robbed, but Li Qi casually flicked the person away. Ju Ye was once again shocked, and Li Qi also gained a certain reputation, making some petty criminals dare not approach him casually.

After all, in such a place, news must spread very quickly.

Besides this, Li Qi also discovered that some Great Powers frequented the lower district. They wouldn't come personally, but Li Qi witnessed many lackeys of Great Powers coming here to recruit a group of low-life thugs or some suicidal assassins who valued money over life.

However, there is not a complete lack of order here; in fact, Gangs and Sects rule this area, and there are also strong individuals among them, though these strong individuals usually do not reside here.

These strong individuals ruled the lower district, but they themselves lived in the glamorous upper district.

After touring the upper and lower levels, Li Qi finally understood what kind of place this so-called Bailu City truly was.

This is, by God…

Xianxia Cyberpunk?

A clear distinction between upper and lower, with the upper class controlling everything, appearing powerful and elegant on the surface, living affluent lives, full of sunshine, and even having the opportunity to achieve immortality.

The lower class, on the other hand, exists purely as an appendage to the upper class. They are not even 'oppressed,' because the upper class doesn't need them at all. Powerful cultivators could easily sweep them out, as their only use to the Great Powers is to run errands or provide a source of superiority.

From the very beginning, the upper and lower classes were unequal. This inequality was not caused by oppression and exploitation, but by the vast disparity in power between the two sides.

For cultivators, equality is only established upon strength and productivity. An Eighth Grade practitioner is completely superior to a Ninth Grade and unranked practitioner, with an immense gap. The lower class can only become an appendage, and they must actively attach themselves; otherwise, if someone kicks them out, they can only cry.

This isn't the difference between a boss and employees; if all employees leave, the boss can only cry without tears, because the boss actually relies on the employees to maintain the company.

This is the difference between a Dragon and small fish and shrimp around it. The Dragon will be perfectly fine without the fish and shrimp, but the fish and shrimp will die without the Dragon.

Therefore, even if the Dragon often eats some, and occasionally accidentally crushes a few schools, they dare not voice any opinions. Instead, they rush forward in groups, wishing to be even closer.

This is a completely different kind of dependency.

As he thought this, Li Qi suddenly noticed that Ju Ye beside him seemed a bit dejected.

Hmm? What's wrong?

However, Li Qi glanced at him and immediately understood.

He hadn't slept or eaten for three days, constantly accompanying Li Qi on his tours, and he was almost exhausted.

Oh, having just achieved a Breakthrough to Ninth Grade, he had neither abstained from grain nor possessed the Golden Core Qi cultivation of a Dao Sect's Ninth Grade, so naturally, he couldn't hold on for long.

But he still didn't raise any objections, which clearly showed that this was simply how the world worked.

So, Li Qi patted him, injecting a trace of Life Qi to temporarily boost his energy, and said, "Let's go find a place to eat. That restaurant will do."

Li Qi pointed to a magnificent restaurant in the upper district, six hundred zhang high and covering four to five li. Li Qi had observed it before; it was filled with exotic beasts, beautiful courtesans, and musicians, extremely luxurious.

Seeing where Li Qi pointed, Ju Ye swallowed hard and nervously said, “Sir… I, I’m out of money.”

“It’s fine, my treat. Let’s go.” Li Qi smiled, leading the way towards it.

At this moment, Ju Ye suddenly felt…

His body seemed to be healing.

Although still very hungry, he felt a bit more energetic.

Was it that pat just now?

Ju Ye touched his shoulder.

Such dense Life Qi.

Joy filled his heart.

Perhaps this was the first step of the other party trusting him? Then maybe he could truly survive!

He still believed that he might very well be discarded after being used, after all… the strong individuals in this world were indeed not easy to get along with.

And now that the other party was willing to say this, and even willing to heal him, did that mean he could truly be a dog for the other party?

Ju Ye did not think this was shameful in any way.

To be a dog for a Great Power, that was the greatest honor! Unlike some wild dogs who run around not knowing who their master is, only snatching food from the ground and fighting each other.

A dog with a master never has to worry about food or clothing.

And… the other party had also promised to save his Senior Sister. Perhaps the other party would truly fulfill the promise?

Right?

As Ju Ye thought this, he looked up and saw that Li Qi had already walked quite a distance.

He quickly caught up, matching Li Qi's pace.

Meanwhile, Li Qi had entered the restaurant.

“Bring out all your signature dishes, anything presentable, one portion of each.” Li Qi walked in, found a table, sat down, and said.

The waiter was slightly surprised, as it was rare for someone to order like that.

However, as a waiter here, he wasn't so foolish as to ask questions like, "Can you afford it?" or "Can you finish it?". Everyone who came here was a Great Power, and he couldn't even discern the cultivation of the person in front of him, so he merely bowed respectfully: "In that case, the tables in the main hall might not be large enough. Please, sir, come to the Heaven's Peak private room."

“Good, lead the way,” Li Qi nodded, not refusing.

The waiter led the way, and Li Qi and the others boarded a large azure bird. The bird carried a pavilion on its back, serving as the elevator here.

The great bird slowly ascended, following the rising air currents, and flew slowly and steadily all the way to the top of the restaurant.

Ju Ye was trembling with fear.

He had never been to a place like this before, and he had just discovered that the bird serving as the elevator… had the same cultivation as him. If it were outside, it would definitely be a Vicious Beast dominating an area.

But here, it could only serve as an elevator for people.

Li Qi, however, felt nothing of it. To be honest, most of his energy was focused on deducing the social structure of the Immortal Heaven, and he didn't really care about these mundane matters of the outside world.

This was the mentality of a high-grade cultivator. By now, Li Qi rarely paid attention to external matters unrelated to himself, as he had seen so much already. Mortals… they were mostly all the same, weren't they?

The things they cared about, the things they pursued, seemed too insignificant in Li Qi's eyes; it was truly difficult to find common ground.

The human Dao might care about the demands of Mortals, as long as they fit the standards of the human Dao, but Li Qi was used to acting alone. Shaman Dao was not a Dao Orthodoxy that would go around saving all living beings.

Arriving at the top floor, Li Qi sat down.

Immediately after, a large amount of food was brought over.

Li Qi ordered many dishes.

Exotic beast meat, rare fish feasts, unseen plants, Spiritual Plants, uniquely flavored spices, different fermentation methods, and various cooking techniques were all laid out, totaling over four hundred dishes.

As a foodie, Li Qi actually quite enjoyed eating, but these were only Ninth Grade, so he only tasted them. To be honest, for the Eighth Grade and Ninth Grade level, they were quite good. Many Spirit Beasts Li Qi had never eaten before had a very exotic flavor to him.

Meanwhile, Ju Ye next to him was eating heartily. Li Qi only tasted a bite of each, leaving the rest for him.

However…

Li Qi suddenly noticed that someone was staring at him.