Guo Xingyue emerged from the woods and looked up at the sky. Two moons, one bright and one dim, hung obliquely in the atmosphere of this planet, casting soft moonlight onto the plains below. The ground appeared as if coated in a layer of faint mercury, and a gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, creating a soft, whispering sound. Although it was already late at night, the lights of the distant city continued to flicker, creating an atmosphere of harmony. Guo Xingyue felt his heart lifted by this tranquility; he relaxed his mood and carefully walked across the plains, making sure to tread softly to avoid disrupting this beautiful harmony.
Not far from the city was a small village, dark and devoid of any light. With a sweep of his spiritual awareness, Guo Xingyue quickly determined that all the villagers were deep in slumber. He swiftly entered the village and searched through the clothes hung outside to find a set that fit him relatively well, then gently entered a small house. Inside, a middle-aged couple slept in the main room while a few children were in another room. Guo Xingyue used the Shadow Printing Technique on the male head of the household, copying all the information from his mind. He then took a small, ordinary crystal stone from his storage ring and placed it on the pillow of the man as payment for the clothes.
Quietly, Guo Xingyue exited the village, changing out of his robe and storing it in his storage bracelet, transforming into a local farmer. Using the Earth-Reducing Technique, he quickly made his way to the foot of the city wall. Though the wall was over ten feet high, it posed no obstacle to a cultivator. Not wanting to alert anyone to his presence, Guo Xingyue scanned the top of the wall with his spiritual awareness and found a blind spot where the guards could not see him. He lightly leaped up and slipped into the city, randomly finding an empty house to hide in.
From the information he obtained from the farmer's mind, Guo Xingyue learned that this city was named Qiyuan City, the capital of the Liro Kingdom. The planet had three main continents: Xinlan, Shenglan, and Minglan; each continent was home to dozens of countries. Frequent wars occurred among these nations, with a strong martial tradition; warriors were the most esteemed profession across the three continents. The Liro Kingdom, where Guo Xingyue found himself, was one of the largest nations on Xinlan and was a dominant force there. There were many "immortals" on this planet, and wars often broke out among these "immortals," sometimes involving them in conflicts among ordinary people. The Liro Kingdom's dominance was a result of the support from the "immortals."
As the farmer belonged to the lower social class, his understanding of the entire continent was limited. The information Guo Xingyue gained was scant, but at least he confirmed that this planet was one of demon cultivators; those so-called "immortals" were undoubtedly demon cultivators (cultivators typically seek personal cultivation and rarely involve themselves in conflicts among ordinary people). As for the affiliations and strengths of these demon cultivators, a farmer wouldn't have such knowledge. Guo Xingyue believed that as long as he blended in with the ordinary people, he could avoid being identified by the demon cultivators, but how to deal with the magical essence on his nascent soul remained a mystery. If he couldn't resolve that magical essence, he wouldn't be able to restore his cultivation, making it impossible to escape back to the realm of cultivation. Given the situation, he had to take things one step at a time.
Morning broke, and the streets began to fill with people. Guo Xingyue stepped out of the house and wandered through the city amidst the crowd. Since leaving Pangu Star, he had never experienced the joy of shopping in the hundreds of years of his cultivation. Now, moving through the throngs of people uplifted his mood. Although Guo Xingyue had acquired the local language from the farmer and could understand conversations, he was illiterate when it came to reading the shop signs lining the streets (the farmer was uneducated and could not read, so Guo Xingyue naturally could not either). This left Guo Xingyue feeling quite awkward.
He understood the principle of great concealment in the court, moderate concealment in the city, and minor concealment in the wilderness. However, considering the lurking presence of demon cultivators behind the scenes, the risk of great concealment was significant. Guo Xingyue felt that it would be safer to blend in with the city until he could recover his cultivation. During his time as an assassin on Pangu Star, he had received various training and understood numerous survival skills, making it easy for him to integrate into ordinary life. As for which identity to adopt, Guo Xingyue was momentarily indecisive. He planned to find someone literate to help him understand the local script first.
From Guo Xingyue's experience, officials (excluding military generals) were bound to be literate individuals. If he could find an official and copy the information from their mind, he would not only gain literacy but also learn more about the demon cultivators behind the Liro Kingdom. After wandering the streets for a while, Guo Xingyue finally spotted a high-ranking official riding a Wind Horse Beast (a local beast of burden similar to a horse but much larger and covered in scales), surrounded by a group of attendants, parading down the street. Guo Xingyue quietly followed this group until they entered a grand estate.
As night deepened, the twin moons hung quietly in the sky, casting soft silver light onto the earth. The city, having buzzed all day, had fallen into slumber. Apart from the night watchmen, most people in the city had already gone to rest. Guo Xingyue stood at the foot of the high wall, carefully scanning for any movement within the wall using his spiritual awareness. Confirming that he had not been detected, he leaped over the wall and skillfully avoided the night watchmen, heading toward the bedroom of the official he had identified during the day. He gently pushed open the door, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him, scrutinizing the room's layout: it was lavishly furnished, with intricately crafted furniture adorned with gold and jade—exquisite luxury. On a large bed, the official lay asleep, embracing a woman and snoring loudly.
Guo Xingyue approached the bedside and used the Shadow Printing Technique on the official's head. Moments later, he withdrew his hand.
After leaving the official's residence, Guo Xingyue utilized his spiritual awareness to casually find an empty house and stepped inside to begin sorting through the information he had acquired. The official's name was Han Benye, the Prime Minister of the Liro Kingdom, enjoying the king's favor. While he wasn't known for being particularly honest, he wasn't excessively greedy either; he could be considered a moderately principled official. His abilities were decent, and he had effectively managed the affairs of the Liro Kingdom. Guo Xingyue also learned that the planet he was on was called Lingyan Star, home to over 200 countries across the three continents, with a population nearing one billion. The Liro Kingdom was among the largest nations. This Lingyan Star had many "immortals" (demon cultivators), belonging to various factions that frequently engaged in battles with one another. The "immortal" faction supporting the Liro Kingdom was called the Beiluo Sect, one of the largest factions among the "immortals" on this planet, with some of its "immortals" residing in the royal palace year-round.
After reviewing the information, Guo Xingyue couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. The multitude of demon cultivator factions on Lingyan Star was daunting. While he did not know the strengths of these factions, given his current situation, even facing an early nascent soul demon cultivator might spell trouble. It seemed he could only continue to blend in with the ordinary people for now.