Oblivious to his father's actions, Ekosus is happily walking towards the entrance of the manor.
The City Lord manor sat right in the middle of Starlight City, atop the highest hill, making it visible from anywhere within the city.
After walking for half an hour, Ekosus reached the Entrance of the manor, and stood before a huge bronze-colored gate. Connected to both sides of that gate were walls that surrounded the whole manor, reaching a towering 30 meters in height.
Guards could be seen patrolling on top of the walls. Each of them giving off a distinct oppressive aura. These weren't just any guards however. They were members of Iskar's elite army. Each member had to slaughter at least 100 enemies with strength equal to their own before being allowed entry, making them all masters of their combat classes. They are known to the world as the Asura Legion, a name that they earned following Iskar into battle. Though they're only 50,000 in total, they can easily make an army of 250,000 men retreat in despair before their might.
The majority of the guards are only in the Qi Absorption stage, but even the lowest of them has reached late Qi Absorption.
Noticing Ekosus at the gate, a large man jumps from the top of the wall to the ground right in front of Ekosus, his feet landing with a very loud thud.
"Hello Young Lord, what brings you out to the gate?" the large man asks with a smile.
"I'm planning on taking a trip into town, so I'd like for you to open the gates so I can pass." Ekosus said while checking the man out slightly. 'He must be a Captain rank soldier of dad's if he can make a jump like that with ease.'
Depending on the cultivation of the soldier in Iskar's legion, as well as the merits they earn, they earn a rank. Captain rank soldiers have to either be a Mid Foundation Building stage cultivator, or an early one with many merits.
"That's of no issue, because I'm guessing that you wouldn't be leaving without the lords consent, but knowing him, you'll be bringing some guards with you. I'll go ahead and round up a few of them so they can escort you." The large man said before turning to talk to some of the other guards
"Actually, dad said I can go alone." Ekosus said before the man could say anything.
Turning back around, the man looks at Ekosus with confusion.
"I find it hard to believe that your father is willing to let you leave without some guards, especially after what happened last time." The man said bewildered.
"Dad is in a very happy mood today, and he gave me some items for protection just in case anything would happen to me." Ekosus replied calmly.
"If that's what the Lord wants, then I shall obey! Men, open the gates!" The man replied before commanding the guards.
"Many thanks, Captain. Could I get your name?" Ekosus asked with a smile
"I'm not too fond of my real name. Most people call me Ark, so that's what I go by." Captain Ark replied before gesturing Ekosus towards the now open gate.
Ekosus gives a small bow towards Ark before departing from the City Lord manor, and follows a path down the hill towards the bustling city he can see from afar.
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Starlight City is known as the 3rd largest city in the Coldmoon Kingdom, making it home to millions of inhabitants.
Because of this, the city is always bustling with excitement from dawn to dusk.
Walking through a market street filled with all manners of the sounds of life, Ekosus is entranced by the sights before him.
Street vendors are everywhere, as well as many large buildings with signs listing their businesses.
The biggest of the buildings were only a few stories tall, but they were all built with very beautiful and intricate designs.
'Architectural design must be a pretty important part of this city's culture' Ekosus thought to himself before beginning to look around at the vendors, looking at all the interesting and foreign objects that he's never looked at before.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spies an old man working a rather shabby looking cart with very rusty and old items up for sale. As he's about to dismiss the old man, he feels a sort of pulling sensation, making him want to walk towards the cart. Confused by the feeling, Ekosus doesn't realize that he's already made his way towards it, and is standing right in front of the cart.
"Find something you fancy among my treasures young man?" The old man's calm voice echos throughout Ekosus' mind, bringing him out of his stupor.
"Oh, uhh, yeah. I just felt like taking a look at them for a minute." Ekosus said in surprise, still trying to make sense of his bodies actions.
"That's quite alright, take as long as you'd like, and if you find anything you want, let me know." The old man said before sitting down in a chair and closing his eyes.
'He's a little laid back for a item vendor, must not think he has anything worth stealing.' Ekosus thought to himself before scanning over the items on display.
There was a broken, rusty sword, a few broken pieces of pottery, a black and a white pearl, a few pieces of slightly burned paper, and a small jade pendant.
The moment Ekosus' eyes locked onto the pendant, he felt like all of the blood inside his body was boiling, trying to pull him towards the pendant. Resisting the pull, Ekosus asks Kaiser if he knows anything about why his body is doing what it is doing.
"Let me take a look and see." Kaiser says with a little annoyance from being disturbed.
"I don't really see anything wrong with the pendant! It's aura is a little weird, and carries a hint of very concealed flame essence, but other than that, there's nothing!" Kaiser said with confusion
"Maybe it's not the pendant, maybe your senses just suck at pointing out what's causing the problem. Let me look at the other items..." Kaiser said with ridicule before pointing his incorporeal gaze upon the other objects.
"Broken and rusty Heaven-grade sword... Not worth much... The pottery is just trash... Those papers look like they were some sort of divine-ranked martial skill before it was destroyed.. Now it's probably unusable because it's Dao laws have crumbled... Yin Yang pearls....WAIT YIN YANG PEARLS?!?!" Kaiser exclaims while analyzing the objects.
"I don't care what else you buy from the cart, but you must get those pearls! You have got to be the luckiest person in the universe! Not only were you born with Primal Chaos meridians, but you actually managed to find Yin Yang pearls in the Mortal Realm!" Kaiser exclaimed manically
"Alright! You don't have to get so excited and yell in my brain!" Ekosus grumbled before turning to the old man.
"Excuse me Sir, but how much for the pearls and the pendant?" Ekosus asked the old man.
The old man opens his eyes and looks at Ekosus with a weird light in his eyes before speaking,
"Young man, I'm sorry to inform you, but all my items are bought as a set! You either buy them all or you get nothing!"
"I don't think that'll be a problem, how much for all your items?" Ekosus asked with a smile
"9 Saint Grade crystals!" The old man said with a slight smile
"That's daylight robbery! 9 Saint Grade crystals for a few old relics?!" Ekosus exclaimed dramatically
"Take it or leave it young man. It's not my problem that the price is too high for you. These are my treasures, and I won't sell them for any less." The old man said before closing his eyes again.
"9 Saint Grade crystals isn't even .000000001% of the value of those Yin Yang pearls, you dumbass!! Especially to you!! Take the deal and you won't regret it!" Kaiser exclaims frantically.
"Fine! Fine! I'll buy!" Ekosus said before looking at the old man and pulling out his bag of crystals, and taking one out before tossing the others to him.
The old man, whose eyes are still closed, catches the bag with ease before storing them away
He then opens his eyes and looks towards Ekosus for a minute before a ring appears inside his hand, and he tosses it to Ekosus.
"Take that spatial ring as a little gift, free of charge."
Ekosus catches the ring before putting it on his finger,turning around, and tapping on all the items of the cart.
"I wish I could say it was a pleasure doing business with you, but I'd be a liar" Ekosus said before he turns around and is greeted by the old man nowhere to be seen.
"You're not going to be able to find him!" Kaiser exclaimed
"And why is that?" Ekosus asked.
"Because he just tore open a dimensional barrier and left this plane!" Kaiser said with some apprehension
"That old man who looked like he was on his deathbed tore through a dimensional barrier?" Ekosus asked in astonishment
"I knew he felt a little off. There's no way those Yin Yang pearls would be here in the Mortal Realm. I can't imagine why someone as powerful as him would sell them to a mortal for only 9 Saint Grade crystals." Kaiser said with confusion
"How powerful was he?" Ekosus asked with curiosity
"High level cultivators can only descend to the mortal realms via either suppressing their true cultivation with some secret techniques, or being strong enough to hide from the Heavenly Laws. Judging by how he split the dimensional barrier like paper, I'd say he was the latter. One would need to be a God at least to accomplish it, and not just any God can do it that easily. He must've been a Spatial God of high rank." Kaiser explained while lost in thought.
"Wow, are God's so easy to find? Pretty sure he's the third I've met." Ekosus said while pondering
"God's are by no means easy to find unless you ascend to Godhood yourself. Only then will you see the many God's of the universe, but lets not dwell on them. You've still got a long road ahead if you want to see the grander universe, knowing too much is sometimes a burden." Kaiser said.
"One day, I'll gladly take that burden!" Ekosus exclaimed with conviction. The next moment, a loud grumbling sound came from his stomach, signaling him that he had forgotten to eat before he had left the manor.
"Guess I can go and find me a nice restaurant or tavern to get a meal." Ekosus said before finding his way out of the merchant street, and heading his way towards the part of the city known for its fine food.
After asking around for a moment, he finally stood before a tavern called Peak Rest.
It was said to be one of the finest place to eat in Starlight City. The food wasn't the main attraction though. The main selling point of the tavern was it's wines. All of the wines sold there are top notch, and make an otherwise 3-star meal turn into a 5-star one.