"Our region is called the Nolan Empire and has a history of nearly ten thousand years. The current monarch is Nolan the Eleventh, who has reigned for almost seven hundred years."
On the floating city, Zhan Hua introduced the situation of the Nolan Empire to Zhang Wei.
Such immortal cultivation kingdoms had extremely loose governance. The commoners at the bottom only knew that the prefects of the states were the highest officials and had no idea there was an emperor above them.
The prefectures were divided into two systems: the imperial court that governed mortals, and the imperial court that governed cultivators.
Mortals governed mortals, and cultivators governed cultivators.
However, while the imperial court of mortals was prosperous and glorious, the imperial court of cultivators was very low-key. The various sects rarely heard of any actions from the imperial court, only occasionally attending state-level regular meetings where representatives from the imperial court would participate.
Their ranks were not high, usually two cultivators at the early stage of Core Formation and one at the middle stage, having almost no sense of presence.
However, it was heard that the imperial court had an imperial army composed entirely of cultivators, which was extremely powerful. It was precisely because of the existence of this army that the rule of the dynasty remained relatively stable.
Zhan Hua said, "The Nolan Imperial Capital was sealed off over a thousand years ago. It is shrouded in dense fog day and night, and any cultivator who sets foot there enters but never leaves; it is extremely dangerous. One needs to obtain the approval of the imperial court to enter."
Zhang Wei asked, "Then how do you know the location of the imperial court?"
"The Tianmen Sect possesses a thousand-year-old map of Nolan, which is extremely precious and has been carefully preserved."
Although it had not been a long time, Zhang Wei had already collected most of the empire. However, ingredients above level 70 were very few.
According to Zhan Hua, these precious spiritual herbs would be absorbed by the major sects. And the faction with the most abundant resources in the entire Nolan Empire was naturally the Nolan Imperial Court!
Although the imperial court concealed itself through reclusion, it controlled seventeen famous mountains and a hundred spiritual fields, with countless mineral resources. Even the mid-grade spirit stones, which Zhang Wei favored the most, were only intermittently sold by the imperial court.
Moreover, ordinary mortals would occasionally find good cultivation materials, which were then offered as tribute to the imperial court.
For cultivators, the number of mortals was ten thousand times greater!
Their living areas were spread everywhere, and the probability of discovering some rare items was very high.
Furthermore, mortals themselves were a resource. It was said that the cultivation technique of the Nolan Emperor himself required the dragon qi of an emperor and the obedience of mortals to empower him.
Such a vast number allowed emperors to easily reach the great perfection stage of the Nascent Soul.
...
The heavy fog over the imperial capital gradually dissipated, revealing the magnificent, time-worn city walls.
Above the imperial capital, a slowly approaching floating castle hovered. Below the imperial capital, countless regular troops, trained by the dynasty, stood ready.
Cultivators were scattered and individualistic, making it almost impossible for them to form an army. Moreover, cultivators were better at individual combat, and at most, they could form formations to defend themselves.
But the regular army of the imperial court was different. Selected from among the common people, they learned cultivation techniques in the army from childhood, and all were skilled in team-based combat!
They were instilled with the ideology of loyalty to the emperor and the nation from a young age, possessing extremely tenacious willpower and understanding of teamwork.
Xi Feng, as the highest-ranking officer of the merchant group, personally went to the front lines of the two armies and declared loudly, "Your Majesty Nolan, I bring you the sincerest greetings on behalf of Food, and may the Nolan Empire henceforth be free from the torment of hunger."
At this moment, three cultivators at the great perfection stage of Nascent Soul emerged from the imperial formation.
They were the Imperial Chancellor!
The Grand General of the Frontier Defense Army.
The Marshal of the Three Armies.
And dozens of other cultivators at the late stage of Nascent Soul!
Xi Feng was somewhat surprised by this luxurious lineup. Up to this point, he had encountered fewer than three cultivators at the late stage of Nascent Soul on the floating city.
And here, there were more than thirty!
After the Chancellor and others announced their identities, they said to Xi Feng, "Your Excellency has been acting recklessly within our empire and has now come to our imperial capital. For what reason do you come?"
Xi Feng replied, "I am a traveler from another world. Due to a fortuitous encounter, I have arrived here. I wish to exchange the most precious delicacies from my world for some local specialties. I have no other intentions."
"So, you have come to the imperial capital for trade?"
"Precisely!"
"But the imperial capital does not welcome you!"
Xi Feng said, "I will pay a price that satisfies you!"
"Please leave."
"If the trade cannot be achieved, I will not leave."
The Chancellor, annoyed, said, "It seems you are determined to trade?"
Xi Feng responded, "I can see that you are prepared, but it is best not to offend each other over trade. However, if you insist on refusing, I will have no choice but to resort to force."
The Chancellor pondered for a long time, "I must report this matter to the Great Emperor. May I request some time?"
"How long?"
"The Great Emperor is in seclusion..."
Xi Feng interrupted directly, "Three days. I will only give you three days! After three days, regardless of the outcome, the trade must continue!"
This rhetoric was undeniably overbearing.
It fully displayed arrogance!
But it was also the quickest method!
The floating city did not stop its actions. Merchants and hunters continuously flew to distant places and returned.
The floating city required some time, and resources around the imperial capital were also being collected.
As the merchants acted, news of the floating city's arrival at the imperial capital and its forceful demand for trade spread.
Even the imperial court merely watched passively. Ordinary sects had no ability to resist, and trade became much smoother for a time. More and more sects chose to trade willingly, without the assassins needing to take action.
The final decision of the imperial capital actually concerned the imperial court's ruling power, attracting cultivators from all directions to witness the event.
Within a thousand miles of the imperial capital, cultivators could be seen in twos and threes, as if on an outing, heading towards the area.
Although Zhang Wei enforced trade forcibly, he rarely took lives. Those who resisted desperately were few. Even in desperate resistance, it was mostly about fighting them off or demonstrating strength to calm them down.
The only unforgivable offense was the destruction of ingredients, driven by the thought that if I cannot have it, neither can you. Such individuals were doomed.
And the three days were rapidly passing!
The imperial capital was already densely surrounded by onlookers.
Some even set up odds to see what choice the imperial capital would make.