Normally, border regions had few inhabitants besides soldiers.
Even commoners were scarce. Border regions were prone to conflict, and once war broke out, ordinary people would be caught in the crossfire. Thus, soldiers always outnumbered civilians.
Any commoner with a choice would stay far away. The exceptions, of course, were the families of some soldiers—a fact that also discouraged those same soldiers from deserting.
Yu City was one such city on the border of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. In normal times, it was well-populated, but the vast majority were soldiers. They guarded the border, remaining stationed at all times to prevent sneak attacks from the Celestial Wind Imperial Dynasty.
When Imperial Dynasties clashed, the borderlands became the battlefield.
But now, Yu City was teeming with newcomers from all over. They came not only from the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty but from other Imperial Dynasties as well.
These people weren’t in Yu City to fight in a border war. They were here for the large-scale Secret Realm that had recently manifested just outside the city.
This particular Secret Realm was different from most; it had been nearly a month since its appearance, yet it showed no signs of vanishing.
Those who specialized in studying Secret Realms speculated that this one could persist for a very long time, offering ample opportunity for fortune-seekers within.
Consequently, it attracted a great many people. The first to arrive were from the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty and the Celestial Wind Imperial Dynasty, who entered the Secret Realm and obtained numerous Treasures. Afterward, people from more distant Imperial Dynasties and Holy Lands began to arrive.
Some stayed in the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s Yu City, while others were in the Celestial Wind Imperial Dynasty’s border city. But most had already entered the Secret Realm to seek their fortunes.
The Secret Realm was filled with opportunities, but also fraught with peril. There were unknown Arrays, powerful Exotic Beasts, strange members of Alien Races, and even the legendary Dragon Race.
Within this massive Secret Realm, one could find many creatures and Arrays long thought to have vanished. However, encountering them was not necessarily good news; it could very well mean one’s demise.
The powerful Exotic Beasts were all incredibly ferocious, their strength immense and exceedingly dangerous.
’So this is Yu City. It’s not much different from other border cities.’
Yang Chan had been to the borderlands before. He could see the marks of time on the city walls, where countless blade scars and arrow holes served as a testament to past border wars.
Even though the walls had been repaired time and again, the scars remained. Normally, a border city would have a grim, desolate atmosphere, but this time, Yu City was different.
The influx of people had swept away that bleakness, infusing the border city with a rare vitality.
Yang Chan arrived at Yu City with the people from the Cyan Yuan Sect. Watching the endless streams of people still flocking to the city, he was deeply struck by the sight.
This was a stark contrast to his previous experience in Lan State’s Jinyun City. Of course, when he had gone to Jinyun City, war had already broken out. Both nations had suffered heavy casualties, so the atmosphere was naturally far more tense, thick with the constant presence of death.
Every day, you could see countless people die, which made the atmosphere incredibly tense. One moment you might watch a comrade fall, and the next, it could be your turn. The casualty rate was just that high.
Yu City, however, was different. This wasn’t a border war; it was the appearance of a large-scale Secret Realm. A war couldn’t possibly break out at a time like this, or it would involve far too many factions.
Neither the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty nor the Celestial Wind Imperial Dynasty could bear such a consequence; the fallout would be too widespread.
Meanwhile, Yu City was offering assistance to the major factions arriving from all over, as a gesture of goodwill.
"Yu City has existed for a very long time—it has a history of several hundred years," Han Bingyu added. "It has defended the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty from the Celestial Wind Imperial Dynasty, allowing the people within our borders to live in peace!"
She had accompanied Yang Chan on this trip to Yu City.
In her own words, coming to Yu City was a chance to collect more Spirit Medicine. It was the closest city to the Secret Realm, and those who obtained Spirit Medicine and Spirit Grass from within would likely choose to sell or trade them in Yu City.
The Han Family had also sent people over who would take orders from her, allowing them to directly assist Yang Chan in his collection efforts.
This time, Yang Chan hadn’t refused her. Yu City was different from Lan State’s Jinyun City. This wasn’t a war, but the emergence of a large-scale Secret Realm. While not entirely without risk, the danger was minimal as long as one remained within the city.
Outside Yu City might be chaotic, but within its walls, everyone had to abide by the rules of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. Fighting wasn’t banned, but killing was strictly forbidden.
Furthermore, Yu City was garrisoned with numerous soldiers who guarded the border. Patrols were conducted daily, with a presence around the clock. Anyone looking to cause trouble would have to consider their own strength first.
After all, the generals guarding the border were by no means weak in their Cultivation. There were even experts at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Level among them, which was the primary reason for Yu City’s stability.
As for the visiting factions, their experts at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Level had mostly entered the Secret Realm already, rarely staying in the city. This made Yu City a relatively safe place.
Han Bingyu’s efforts to collect Spirit Medicine using the Han Family’s channels wouldn’t be affected, since her family was a Sect based within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty.
"When we get inside the city, do as we discussed. Stay in Yu City and focus on collecting Spirit Medicine. Don’t leave the city," Yang Chan instructed Han Bingyu.
Many people were eager to enter the Secret Realm to seek their fortunes, but if it were that easy to find opportunities and return safely, so many wouldn’t have already died.
In the time since the Secret Realm opened, countless people had already vanished within it. One could easily guess the fate of those who failed to emerge.
The longer they were missing, the grimmer their prospects became.
Among those who had accompanied Yang Chan to Yu City this time, many were intent on entering the Secret Realm to seek their own opportunities.
He had no particular thoughts about them; after all, everyone has their own destiny. But he still made arrangements for Han Bingyu.
After all, his relationship with Han Bingyu was rather close, and she was very helpful to him. He certainly didn’t want her to die in the Secret Realm.
’Otherwise, who knows how long it would take to cultivate another person so suitable for my needs. It would be a significant setback for me.’
"Don’t worry, Pharmacist Yang. I’ll stay in Yu City to collect Spirit Medicine. I won’t enter the Secret Realm," Han Bingyu promised emphatically.
She was well aware of the dangers of entering the Secret Realm. All the reports, whether from the Cyan Yuan Sect or the Han Family, had passed through her hands, so she knew exactly how perilous it was.
There were many opportunities inside—plenty of people found Spirit Medicine, Spirit Grass, and even inherited Cultivation Techniques—but far more people died there.
The weaker one’s Cultivation, the higher the chance of dying in the Secret Realm. Some fell to Exotic Beasts, some to the Alien Races within the realm, and still others were killed by the very people who had entered alongside them.
When the stakes were high enough, betrayal and murder were commonplace. It wasn’t unheard of for spouses to turn on each other or for siblings to kill one another.