Reborn as a Hatrack in the Mystical Land-Chapter 790 - 40: Mainland Battlefield
Despite earlier, City Lord Changsun briefly explained the Mainland Battlefield, he merely touched upon the subject, clearly not wanting them to know too much about it too soon.
This grocery store appears ordinary, but in reality, the boss lady has another identity as one of the supply providers for the Mainland Battlefield, hence her understanding of it is far more comprehensive than the average local resident.
Perhaps Four Symbols City hasn’t seen such youthful and vibrant faces for a long time, or maybe Yue Jinghua’s face, capable of deceiving housewives, is too striking, so the boss lady spoke about the battlefield without reservation.
"The City Lord should have briefly introduced the Mainland Battlefield and explained the special geographical significance of Four Symbols City. However, the true uniqueness of Four Symbols City lies not only in being the first Boundary City of Canglong Continent but also because it is a Dimensional Boundary City." The grocery store’s boss lady wanted Yue Jinghua and the others to better understand the difference between an ordinary Boundary City and a Dimensional Boundary City, so she specially took out a painting from her store.
It’s a piece left by an unknown master who loved ink and wash painting, whose name and origin are unknown.
The owner of the ink wash seemed to have traveled the Four Great Planes, and this painting is said to be a simplified version of the Plane Map.
On this Plane Map, the Sun Plane, Moon Plane, Star Plane, and Chen District are divided. Through the map, Yue Jinghua and others can clearly see that Canglong Continent is just one among the myriad continents of the Four Great Planes.
However, the position of Canglong Continent is very unique. If the Four Great Planes are said to form a "Tian" character, then Canglong Continent happens to be located at the intersection of the "Tian" character.
This location precisely connects the Four Great Planes, meaning as long as the suitable teleportation points are found, the Four Great Planes can easily communicate with each other. In other words, it is also a very dangerous situation, as if not careful, other planes can enter the Star Plane, then through Canglong Continent of the Star Plane, enter other planes.
But in fact, the Sun Plane and Moon Plane are impossible to lower themselves to invade Canglong Continent of the Star Plane. The only real threats to the continent’s Boundary City in the Star Plane are from the Demon Clan or Dark Creatures of Different Planes.
The difference between an ordinary Boundary City and a Dimensional Boundary City like Four Symbols City is that a Boundary City only needs to block the invasion of ambitious individuals between different continents of the same plane. Meanwhile, a Dimensional Boundary City must also block invaders from Different Planes at times.
Therefore, Four Symbols City’s Mainland Battlefield is fraught with dangers. To ensure the safety of the city’s residents, City Lord Changsun has issued a City Lord Token stipulating that only Dark Practitioners who have broken through the Dan Realm can enter the Mainland Battlefield.
"I see, but boss lady, since you can’t enter the battlefield, how do you earn Merit Points?" Yue Jinghua and others looked at their Merit Rings with the pitiful number "1" engraved and lamented to themselves about when that number would ever change.
"Merit Points are not only gained by killing enemies. The city’s job agency also offers other methods to obtain Merit Points; otherwise, most residents of the Chen District and Star District wouldn’t be able to live," said the grocery store boss lady, one of the few supply providers for Four Symbols City responsible for transporting supplies. Living in the Chen District for over ten years, each time she safely transports supplies she earns ten Merit Points. After deducting daily expenses and store rent, she has accumulated over a hundred Merit Points.
In fact, there are no less than hundreds of residents like the grocery store boss lady who make a living by running businesses related to the Mainland Battlefield. Most of them have lived in Four Symbols City for decades without securing the opportunity to leave the city. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
"Boss lady, there’s one more thing I’m unclear about. Four Symbols City shouldn’t allow family dragging, yet by your age and cultivation, if it were on Canglong Continent, a master of Dark Heavenly Peak could easily become royally appointed in a country. Why do you choose to abandon everything on the continent, even family and children, to live in Four Symbols City?" This was also Yue Jinghua’s most direct impression after entering Four Symbols City.
For the residents of the Chen District, their cultivation limitation makes it challenging to advance like those strong enough to enter the battlefield, to fight and earn rewards or breakthroughs. Why would they stay in Four Symbols City?
Or they could instead, like Long Ao, wait for a breakthrough to the Dan Realm before entering Four Symbols City, wouldn’t that be better?
If it were her, she certainly couldn’t endure leaving her beautiful mother and everything in Yue Residence, to live independently in Four Symbols City as if a Lower Class citizen.
"You are still young, so you won’t understand my sentiments nor those of the elders and strong ones living in other city zones. I was thirty-eight when I inadvertently discovered the existence of Four Symbols City, and at forty, by a twist of fate, I entered Four Symbols City. Over ten years have passed, my appearance remains unchanged since entering the city, yet my cultivation has advanced from initial Dark Earth Peak to Dark Heavenly Peak. If I stay in the city for another fifty years, I can hope to break through to Dan Realm; this is why I stay in Four Symbols City," said the boss lady, as Yue Jinghua mentioned family and friends, a faint melancholy appeared between her not-so-delicate brows, but this hint of melancholy soon got replaced by a peculiar glow.
The unique atmosphere and soil of Four Symbols City, although speeding the decay of external food and weapons, act like elixirs to Dark Practitioners.
The typical life expectancy on Canglong Continent is eighty years for regular residents.
If cultivation succeeds and one breaks through to Dark Heavenly, their life expectancy can reach one hundred fifty years, and after breaking through to the Dan Realm, it can reach two hundred years.
However, after Dark Practitioners pass hundred years, unless they reach the Body Seizing Realm, their cultivation will weaken due to the limitations of the human body, eventually leading to death.
The existence of Four Symbols City breaks this taboo, ensuring that after breaking a hundred years, the practitioner’s body does not decline while cultivation continues to progress, transcending the limits of human lifespan.
The temptation of an immortal body and rapid cultivation progression is irresistible to all Dark Practitioners.
Therefore, whether it’s the grocery store boss lady or other Dark Practitioners in Four Symbols City, without exception, they all choose to stay in Four Symbols City, living a life nearly isolated from the world.
Yue Jinghua then understood why Long Ao, upon hearing of Long Jiuzun’s death, still refused to leave Four Symbols City, as Long Ao’s body might have reached the age limit of a hundred years, leaving Four Symbols City without achieving a certain realm would cause his original cultivation to decline.
"Hence, we chose to stay in Four Symbols City, and among you, some of your cultivation is even higher than mine when I first entered Four Symbols City, and all of you are still young. If you can seize the opportunity to gain permanent residency in Four Symbols City, it will benefit your futures," the boss lady admired the youthful beauty of Qian Luo and Shalman that surpassed even Spring Flowers.
After entering Four Symbols City, one’s appearance will not age, but the years already past are irretrievable.
"Thank you, boss lady, for your guidance, but we won’t stay in Four Symbols City," the three spoke in unison, without any hesitation.
For the members of the July Mercenary Team, Canglong Continent is their true home, and Four Symbols City is merely a temporary dwelling.
Everyone still has their own ties on Canglong Continent, and Four Symbols City is, for them, merely a mercenary task with a longer cycle and unknown difficulty.
