Liu, the City Lord, led Fang Hao and the other four directly to the Yuelai Inn. After arranging a room for each of them, he gave a serious warning:

"There's still a month before the Hundred City Tournament begins. During this time, plan your own activities. If you decide to go out, keep a low profile. There are too many people and powers in Zhentian City that we simply can't afford to offend."

They all understood. Even the usually arrogant Wu Yuqi kept this advice in mind.

After they all nodded in agreement, Liu left.

That's when Wu Yuqi said,

"Zhentian City's Ruyi Pavilion is famous and bustling. I want to take a look—are you coming?"

Though Wu Yuqi always acted superior to the others, he still felt it was better to have familiar faces with him, especially in a new place.

Yin Dongkai and the other two were tempted. After exchanging glances, they nodded.

"Sure."

They then turned to Fang Hao. He didn't refuse either.

Fang Hao had his own reason—while they were newcomers too, they were still locals of the Immortal Realm. Tagging along might yield useful intel about the tournament.

And if anything went south, he'd just distance himself from them and act uninvolved.

The five of them left the inn and arrived at Ruyi Pavilion, one of the grandest buildings in the city.

It wasn't tall, but near the top, mist curled around it like clouds, evoking the image of a palace in the heavens.

This was Ruyi Pavilion's main branch, and it was naturally magnificent.

Even more impressive was the sheer range of treasures and resources available.

If something couldn't be found here, odds were it couldn't be found anywhere in the Brightmoon Immortal Dynasty.

Fang Hao looked up at the majestic structure.

"Now that I'll be staying in Zhentian City, I'll definitely be a regular here."

Compared to the others, he had real business goals—scouting for rare goods unique to the Immortal Realm that he could trade in the Tianyuan Realm.

But since he was still with Wu Yuqi's group, Fang Hao kept a low profile, following silently behind.

He kept a careful but subtle distance—close enough to overhear useful conversations, but far enough to detach himself immediately if trouble came.

Upon entering, the others were instantly dazzled.

"No wonder this is the main store. So many treasures!"

"Truly dazzling."

They looked like village kids entering a big city for the first time.

Fang Hao felt the same, but his facial control was better. You couldn't tell it was his first visit.

Wu Yuqi said,

"There's plenty to see here later. For now, we should head to the top floor."

"What's on the top floor?" asked Yin Dongkai.

With pride, Wu Yuqi replied,

"Ruyi Pavilion's top floor is always open to young talents. With the Hundred City Tournament near, the top floor is surely filled with geniuses from all over."

He wanted to say "I belong up there—unlike you guys," but he wasn't completely tactless.

Under the guidance of a clerk, they reached the top floor. It was spacious and fragrant with tea and wine.

Each table was surrounded by young elites in lavish clothing, casually discussing lofty topics.

Their arrival went completely unnoticed—a stark contrast to Wu Yuqi's usual life in Qilan City, where he was the center of attention.

Here in Zhentian, he was a nobody.

The best tables were either occupied or deliberately left vacant—normal folks didn't dare sit there.

Because if someone with real power showed up, they'd have to give up the seat in humiliation.

So Wu Yuqi and the others had no choice but to sit at a table in the far corner.

Once seated, Yin Dongkai whispered in awe,

"These people… they're terrifying. I feel like any one of them could obliterate me."

"It's not just a feeling. It's a fact," Wu Yuqi muttered.

Most of the geniuses here weren't bothering to suppress their aura, so it was easy to sense that nearly all of them were stronger.

Wu Yuqi, the strongest among their group at Dharma Manifestation level 4, couldn't spot anyone here below level 5—and many were at level 8 or 9.

Though Wu Yuqi had mentally prepared himself, being surrounded by so many overwhelmingly stronger peers still crushed his confidence.

His usually proud posture visibly sagged.

Fang Hao, meanwhile, observed the room quietly, watching the most noticeable individuals.

These people had prime seats, large tables, and attendants or followers around them offering flattery.

No one looked down on these followers. In fact, people envied them—after all, not everyone was qualified to be a follower of the strong.

If someone offered them the chance, many would kneel in gratitude to accept.

Just then, someone piped up from a nearby table:

"They say this floor gathers geniuses from all over, but I don't see anyone that impressive."

Another replied with a sneer,

"Hah, clearly an outsider. Don't you know? The closer we get to the tournament, the more top talents arrive. The true contenders for the top ten don't even show up here."

"Right. I heard about the Marquis of Kaishan. He was granted nobility at a young age and once single-handedly destroyed a Northern Sea monster tribe!"

"And then there's Cheng Yunlai—a rare prodigy whose city only sent him because no one else was worth sending."

"These are people with potential to become Immortals. We can't even compare. Being able to see them would be an honor."

"Yeah, I just hope to get lucky in the tournament's minor world. Forget making it into the top ten—we'd be happy with a scrap of fortune from that place."

The Hundred City Tournament takes place inside a small world controlled by the Immortal Dynasty—one that once saw the deaths of Saint and even Emperor-level cultivators.

Thus, the opportunities inside are immense.

Only the top ten from the small world's trials gain access to the Ancient Battlefield, where even greater rewards await.

Wu Yuqi and his group had already been dealt a severe psychological blow.

Hearing this made it worse.

Only now did they realize:

They were frogs in a well, mistaking a sliver of sky for the heavens above.

Compared to these people, what kind of "genius" were they really?

Fang Hao remained silent throughout, quietly memorizing every useful piece of information.

After about half an hour, Wu Yuqi couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm going back."

Without waiting for the others to respond, he stood and left.

Yin Dongkai and the other two hesitated, then got up and followed. As they passed other tables, they kept their heads down, avoiding eye contact.

Fang Hao kept his calculated distance and exited with them.

Once outside, Wu Yuqi and the others all exhaled deeply—that oppressive atmosphere had left them breathless.

"If I knew it'd be like that, I wouldn't have gone," they thought.

Fang Hao played along and followed them back to the inn.

In the days that followed, Wu Yuqi and his companions all secluded themselves, never stepping outside again.

Fang Hao, on the other hand, was like a man without a care, wandering the city freely.

He occasionally returned to Duan Mountain City to collect more spirit stones—after all, it'd be awkward to find a treasure and not have the means to buy it.

From Fang Hao's inner voice, Fang Ting realized he'd arrived in the imperial capital and needed funds, so he made up a few excuses and gave him a massive sum.

With his cousin's support, Fang Hao had more freedom to operate.

But even so, his freedom was limited.

There were simply too many treasures and opportunities in Zhentian City.

With the Fang Clan's current financial strength, they couldn't afford most of the real treasures, even if they sold everything they owned.