It was the eighth month, the Limit of Heat. The scorching sun infused the wind with heat, which spread out to warm the lands. However, the solar terms were changing, making it obvious that the heat of summer was waning. Eventually, it would have no choice but to watch helplessly as the geese returned and the crows migrated back to their normal haunts. Then, it would wait until the new solar term, White Dew.  [1]

Compared to the people who lived beneath it, the sun had a much easier time seeing the island below, surrounded by the Sea of Endlessness.

After all, the continent of South Phoenix was really just an island. It had an elliptical shape, and was divided in half by a mountain range that ran diagonally from north to south like a crouching dragon. They were called the Mountains of Truth. The part of the island west of the mountains made up about seventy percent of the continent, and was the largest forbidden region. In fact, it bore the name Forbidden by the Phoenix. It was filled with sinister jungles that covered many ancient ruins, as well as drifting fog, numerous mutant beasts, countless grues, and very strong mutagen. As for the land east of the mountains, it took up about thirty percent of the continent, and was where humankind resided. There happened to be a very unique location there. That was the spot where the northern part of the Mountains of Truth made contact with the sea.

This location had Forbidden by the Phoenix to the west, human lands to the east, the Sea of Endlessness to the north, and a branch of the Mountains of Truth to the south.

The topography created the largest port in South Phoenix, where huge cargo ships sailed in and out constantly. Some came from other islands to trade, while others came from… the Revered Ancient mainland.

Being such a strategic point, it was obvious that a powerful organization would want to control the area. And as such, it made sense that this was where Seven Blood Eyes kept their headquarters.

From a distance, it was possible to see that the city attached to the port was divided into seven sections, with one part being the Port District. Overall, it was an astonishingly beautiful and powerful-looking city.

This place was the capital city of Seven Blood Eyes.

Next to it were seven peaks that were the northern terminus of the Mountains of Truth. Atop each peak was a 300-meter stone statue of an eye. Each eye was a different color, but they all seemed to look out with sharp gazes. Whether it was day or night, those eyes never closed, and in fact, they formed a grand spell formation that covered the area. The seven eyes looked out over the lands like the eyes of a massive beast, awe-inspiring and cold, such that anyone who looked at them felt shaken to the core.

That was the origin of the sect’s name, Seven Blood Eyes.

In fact, the sect headquarters was made up of the capital city and those seven mountain peaks. The tallest were the Seventh Peak, which was next to the port, and the First Peak. They were like two giants looking out over South Phoenix and casting fear into the hearts of all.

Although humans occupied thirty percent of South Phoenix, their lands were still full of many dangers. The wilderness was full of mutagen, and many mutant beasts and vicious outlaws lurked there.

Though the mutant beasts weren’t as fierce as those in the forbidden regions, they were still dangerous enough that any humans who left their cities would need to fear for their lives. As for the outlaws, given there was no law and order in the wilderness, encountering them could be worse than dying.

Therefore, most humans longed for nothing more than to live in a city.

And Seven Blood Eyes’ capital city was the grandest city in all of South Phoenix. It was a bustling place protected by the Seven Blood Eyes Formation, which kept out the mutagen and thus improved the lifespans of everyone who lived inside.

That was why so many people dreamed of joining Seven Blood Eyes. Many people longed to become a member, and those who became members never wanted to leave. However… the capital city had a lot of very strict rules.

And there was a proverbial whip hanging over the heads of everyone who lived in the city.

The name of that whip: survival of the fittest.

In the city center by the port, three enormous teleportation portals were constantly being opened and closed. They were organized like the character 品, and people streamed in and out of them nonstop.

At one point, one of the teleportation portals flared to life, and a young man appeared. He wore a dark jerkin, baggy pants, and hemp sandals. He was covered in dried bloodstains, had wild, unkempt hair, and his face was smudged with grime. However, his eyes sparkled like stars.

As he stepped out of the portal, he heard the bustle of people and the crash of waves. The wind was humid and warm, causing him to immediately feel sticky. They were all new sensations to this young man, who was of course Xu Qing, just having arrived from Antlerville.

I’m here….

Having just experienced teleportation, Xu Qing’s head hurt a bit, and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He didn’t linger on the portal, but stepped off and looked around.

Everything was operating in an orderly fashion.

Guards in black suits of armor patrolled the area. The teleportation portals all had long lines snaking away from them, filled with men and women with packed bags of all sizes. There were also caravans present. All of these people looked hopeful, as though they longed to settle down in the city. These teleportation portals weren’t cheap, which made their hope burn even hotter.

Xu Qing examined his surroundings as he joined the line that led to the exit.

Unlike the Antlerville portals, one had to pass an inspection before being allowed out. As he waited, Xu Qing looked outside and saw the vast, dark sea beyond. In another direction were the mountains, which were particularly conspicuous in the evening sun. That was especially true of the seven statues of the eyes, which sent out fluctuations that stretched high into the sky, and made the area above the statues swirl like a vortex. Within that vortex, the swirling clouds seemed to conceal some massive, rare beast that would occasionally release a holy growl.

The scene left Xu Qing feeling shaken.

Eventually, the person in front of him in line passed inspection, got their jade entry slip, and headed into the city. It was his turn, so he breathed a sigh of relief and focused on the inspection.

“Present your travel permit and explain the purpose of your visit.” 

There was a desk in front of Xu Qing, behind which sat a young man and woman. The young man was handsome and wore a gray robe, but had his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. He emanated intense spirit power fluctuations. The young woman also wore a gray daoist robe, and looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. She was pretty, with fair skin and glittering eyes that a person could easily become lost in.

The person who had just spoken was the girl. Looking up at Xu Qing, she seemed completely oblivious to the grime that covered him. Apparently, she had seen plenty of scavengers like him. After speaking to him, she pulled out a jade slip to record the information he gave. From what Xu Qing could sense, her spirit power fluctuations weren’t very intense, yet for some reason, he felt a sense of danger in her presence.

Even still, he was certain that in a battle to the death, he could kill her. Calmly reaching into his sack, he pulled out his identity medallion and handed it to her.

“Hmm?” Looking surprised, she took the medallion, inspected it, then handed it back to Xu Qing. As she did, her eyes were no longer as cold as before, and in fact, she looked at him with a meaningful expression. “I had no idea you were a new junior brother here to join the sect. I hope you… enjoy your stay in Seven Blood Eyes.”

Xu Qing was a bit puzzled by her wording, but he took the identity medallion and then glanced at the jade slip, which he had expected her to give him as his entry pass.

“You don’t need a jade slip for merit points like ordinary people,” she explained. “You can just use your identity medallion. That medallion also qualifies you to enter the city. However, let me remind you that you must take the entrance assessment as soon as possible. And try to acclimate to life in Seven Blood Eyes as quickly as you can….”

Having said that, she ignored him.

Wrapped up in his thoughts, Xu Qing left the inspection area. As he did, he couldn’t help but notice the envious looks of the people behind him in line. Ducking his head down, he looked at the identity medallion and hurried away.

After he was gone, the young man behind the desk opened his eyes and smiled.

“Since when did you become so friendly?” he asked. “You offered kind words to a newcomer, and gave him some advice?”

“Because he had an identity medallion from the Seventh Peak, just like me,” she replied coolly. “It was only white, but you never know what will happen in the future. It doesn’t take any merit points to say something nice and offer some advice. If he rises to prominence eventually, today might just count as a lucky encounter for me.”

“Next,” she said, beckoning at the next person in line.

“Come on, there’s no way he has a good future ahead of him,” the young man said. “He’s obviously a scavenger. For him, getting a white medallion isn’t going to be some stroke of good fortune. Who knows if he’ll even pass the entry assessment? Besides, how will he even afford the thirty spirit coin living fee, and all the expensive cultivation resources he’ll need? I bet he doesn’t last two months. Either he’ll be expelled, or poof—“ the young man made a fist, then snapped it open wide ”—he’ll just disappear.”

He spoke softly enough that there was no way for Xu Qing to hear him.

After all, Xu Qing was already some distance away in the city. As he walked along, he felt more and more shocked. This place was incredibly prosperous and bustling. Any given building he saw was vastly more luxurious and beautiful than the old city magistrate’s manor.

Blue-gray tiles were everywhere, as were vibrant green plants. Everything looked very neat and clean.

There were people in every direction he looked, and their clothes were all clean. Most of them wore silk, and he saw almost nobody in hemp clothing. At the same time, everyone had indifferent expressions as they hurried on their way.

As the evening grew darker, he noticed colorful lamps and lanterns of all varieties. The light they cast made the streets as bright as day. Surprisingly, the buildings on either side of the street were very quiet.

Off in the distance, he noticed a narrow canal, within which was a small boat. On the boat was a young woman in a daoist robe, her face covered with a veil. She was tossing some medicinal pills into the water, where a host of fish circled, occasionally jumping out and creating ripples in the water. He saw some boys jumping into the water as well, struggling with the fish to get the pills. It was a really strange sight.

Nothing seemed familiar to Xu Qing, so he kept his guard up. This city seemed nothing like the scavenger basecamp, but at the same time, it wasn’t like the small city whose slums he had lived in.

However, there was one similarity….

Xu Qing caught a faint, familiar scent in the air. It wasn’t easy to detect, but he had honed his sense of smell in both the slums and scavenger basecamp, and had detected this smell often in both places. It was the scent of blood. After noticing it, Xu Qing looked around with increased vigilance.

He didn’t walk down the middle of the street. Instead, he stuck to the shadowy areas to the side. That was his custom.

His plan was to find an inn where he could rest. The smell of blood made him want to stay off the street, and he had no interest in investigating where the smell came from. Right now, his priority was to pass the entry assessment, officially join Seven Blood Eyes, and make sure he didn’t have to worry about the Golden Vajra Warrior Sect chasing him down.

As the evening light faded into darkness, Xu Qing continued to look around for a suitable place to stay. Darkness grew deeper, the city became quiet, and pedestrians walked faster to reach their destinations.

Lamplight shone from the buildings, but all doors were closed tight, and there was no sound. Most of the businesses were the same, and the few that still had doors open didn’t have any customers inside.

By the time the sun finally set, the streets were completely empty.

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed, and he hurried on looking for an inn.

After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he finally spotted one up ahead, and was about to head toward it when a shadowy figure emerged from a nearby alley, with eight burly men in hot pursuit, vicious grins on their faces.

“Trying to run? Where do you plan to run to?”

“It’s been a long time since we’ve met someone brazen enough to steal merit points from one of our marks!”

Xu Qing saw that the person being pursued was a woman, apparently injured. She stumbled as she ran, and her hair was in disarray, but a vicious expression was on her face.

Xu Qing looked away. This matter had nothing to do with him, so he simply continued on to the inn.

However, upon seeing Xu Qing, the young woman’s eyes glittered, and she suddenly yelled, “Hey, you have the merit points now! What are you standing around for? Run!”

Xu Qing glared coldly at the woman, wondering if she really thought her clumsy trick would work.

When he looked at her, she shivered subconsciously as a sensation of icy cold swept through her. In fact, the sensation of danger she got from Xu Qing surpassed that from her pursuers. She suddenly had a very bad feeling, but she couldn’t take her words back now, so she gritted her teeth and kept running.