Zhu Chengzhi heard this, and the state of mind he had cultivated over the years vanished. Overjoyed, he said, "Thank you, Steward Liu, for your praise and auspicious words!"

Steward Liu nodded slightly and said no more, his eyes sweeping over the cultivators gathered in crowds, his expression indifferent as he said, "Since you all wish to enter this border city, you need to pay a fee of ten thousand Spirit Crystals. I presume Zhu Chengzhi has already explained this to you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone, without much commotion, silently acknowledged it. Many had accumulated enough background at Xuankong Mountain, after running nearly non-stop for tens of thousands of years. Additionally, the Path of Success to some extent suppresses True Power, leading to a considerable reduction in the power of magical techniques.

After so many years, the Spirit Crystals they had accumulated were almost used up. Nevertheless, ten thousand Spirit Crystals could be gathered together by anyone, let alone these cultivators who were at least in the Post-Heaven Immortal Realm.

Therefore, Steward Liu's demand for ten thousand Spirit Crystals wasn't met with opposition, as the situation was stronger than people. If one wanted to enter this border city, Steward Liu was the only way in.

Everyone paid the ten thousand Spirit Crystals, and Lu Ren didn't stand out either, obediently paying them. Afterward, Steward Liu's icy expression eased ever so slightly, and he said indifferently, "Fellow Daoists, since you come from the Cosmic Realm, each of you holds an aspiration to advance further, which is why you set foot on the Path of Success. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has a kind heart, and only we dare act as guides in such matters; others wouldn't be so altruistic.

This is a place where the vast majority of the top forces of the Cosmic Realm converge. If you wish to enter here through official channels, it might take you tens of thousands of years to have the chance."

After a lengthy and tedious speech, Steward Liu extended a hand and pointed out a speck of Clear Light, which quickly expanded into a three-meter-tall elliptical, azure mirror portal.

"Alright, go in."

Steward Liu pinched his throat, sounding very much like a eunuch from the palace, adopting an affected and rigid tone.

Zhu Chengzhi thanked Steward Liu once again, walked to the edge of the portal, glanced back at the crowd who stood still, a mocking expression appearing on his face. Without hesitation, he turned and stepped inside. The calm and rippleless elliptical mirror swayed slightly, and the person disappeared within, with no trace of their destination.

Seeing this, the Celestial Immortal cultivators looked at each other, but said nothing for a moment. After hesitating briefly, as Steward Liu began to show displeasure, having guessed what these people were worried about, he was about to speak when...

A tall woman holding a great halberd and clad in armor stepped forward, clasping her hands towards Steward Liu, and entered without hesitation.

Steward Liu's face showed a few hints of appreciation, and after turning to face the crowd, he let out a cold snort.

"Hmph, acting like little girls, yet not even comparable to a woman."

Seeing this, the crowd no longer hesitated and entered one after another.

Lu Ren also did not hesitate, following the people inside. The moment he entered the mirror portal, Lu Ren only felt his vision blur slightly, and when his sight cleared, he discovered he was standing in the center of a plaza surrounded by high walls.

Lu Ren looked around and was surprised to find that after entering the portal, he had directly entered the interior of this border city, in a vast plaza within a courtyard-like structure, covering an area of thousands of meters.

The cultivators nearby saw this scene, realizing that they had entered the border city, all appeared excited, never expecting to bypass the city gate and enter this way through the mirror portal.

From this perspective, this majestic border city seemed riddled with corruption. However, that was none of his business. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Following the group of Celestial Immortal cultivators into the side courtyard, they found a place displaying the sign of the Household Registration Bureau. After handling registration procedures, they received something akin to an identity card from the contemporary Huaxia.

"Ding, you have entered the Extreme of the Cosmos, Border City."

A system prompt suddenly appeared in his mind, causing Lu Ren's brows to raise slightly. However, he was unclear about what exactly the Extreme of the Cosmos was; only in the future would he be able to investigate this information.

Playing with the identity recognition card in his hand, he probed it with Divine Thought, and the previously recorded information quietly surfaced on the card, forming a presence similar to a holographic projection.

Looking at his lifelike likeness on the card, Lu Ren found it quite interesting. The array marks on this card were extremely intricate, almost like a complex system where a minor part would affect the whole. If not operated through specific interfaces, the card would explode and send an alert to the Law Enforcement Bureau, placing him in a wanted status.

"Truly remarkably intricate."

Though Lu Ren tread the path of Body Ascension, his witchcraft cultivation was exceedingly profound due to systematic guidance, forming a set of Profound Skill True Technique through the fusion of countless possible and impossible miracles.

"Keep this card safe; your information has been logged in the Heavenly Mirror for preservation. Should you lose it, the procedure to replace it is extremely cumbersome. Since you didn't enter through official channels, any mishap could lead to being executed on the spot or imprisoned."

The official handling the identity documents lazily instructed, seeing the perplexed expressions of the Celestial Immortal cultivators gave a sneering laugh, adding another piece of advice.

"Surviving in this border city is not easy. In your current circumstances, you likely won't find any good means of support. Once you leave this gate, there's a Recruitment Bureau nearby that might solve your living necessities."

With this brief hint, the official said no more and, after processing the credentials for thousands, reclined in his chair, resting his eyes as if asleep.

After leaving the Household Registration Bureau, Lu Ren's vision suddenly cleared. On the bustling street, countless three-dimensional buildings soared into the sky, resembling the modern steel structures or the tall, elegant towers of ancient Huaxia. Above were some floating mountains and plains, with countless towering edifices, alongside high-speed trains as in modern Huaxia, vehicles, and exotic beasts for transport.

The passersby included cultivators in ancient garb, fashionable modern people, and mechanical augmenters like the Purple Robe Taoist pursuing a path of mechanical ascension, exuding a punk style.

It all gave a bizarre sense of the ancient merging with the modern and future.

Glancing back at the courtyard wall behind him, Lu Ren understood there were arrays concealing everything inside, which is why one couldn't see the dense collection of buildings from within.