"At this point, Xifeng pointed to a dirt slope about ten miles away and said, 'There are a few more strong presences, they've been watching for a long time.'"
"'They must be the masterminds behind the scenes, right? Their auras are weakening, they're probably planning to leave now that things aren't going their way.'"
"Zhang Wei said, 'Bring them over... ah... Qingcheng, you go.'"
"Qingcheng smiled faintly, and then her figure disappeared."
"In less than a few minutes, Qingcheng floated back, stepping on silk, still carrying three old men in her hand."
"The crisis subsided, and the few Foundation Establishment realm invaders were captured alive. Zhan Hua brought people to see this and was immediately horrified!"
"'This... their true qi is like a substance. Could it be... these three are Golden Core realm old monsters?'"
"For a moment, Zhan Hua's hands and feet turned cold. A single Golden Core realm cultivator could destroy the Tianmen Sect with a casual strike!"
"These were beings they absolutely dared not offend."
"He never imagined that selling immortal items would attract these people..."
"'A child holding a great treasure walks in a busy marketplace...'"
"Zhan Hua was filled with sorrow at this moment. If Zhang Wei hadn't intervened today, how many more days could Zhang Wei stay at the Tianmen Sect?"
"Zhang Wei was more interested in the Golden Core realm cultivators, so he released the laborers from levels 41-45..."
"It could be seen that Zhang Wei enjoyed this kind of gladiatorial combat. These dignified Golden Core realm old monsters, under the siege of countless laborers, could neither advance nor retreat, and could only fight with all their might, allowing Zhang Wei to understand the true strength of Golden Core realm cultivators."
"'Kill me! Kill me!'"
"Seeing no hope of escape, one Golden Core realm cultivator could no longer bear the humiliation. His body swelled like a balloon—this was a powerful self-destruction triggered by the breaking of the core!"
"Pfft!"
"A large amount of blood gushed from the abdomen of the self-destructing cultivator. Haru shook the blood from his hands, his fingertip pointing at a shining golden object!"
"'Do you really think a mere self-damaging technique is unbeatable?'"
"'Here, take this broken thing back. Stay put properly!'"
"Saying that, Haru flicked his finger, and the Golden Core shot back into the cultivator's body like a bullet."
"Both were of the same origin, and the Golden Core re-condensed without any rejection."
"However, with the dantian and sea of qi destroyed, it was unknown if he could ever advance further in the future. If he had the opportunity, a Golden Core realm cultivator still had a chance to repair his body."
"He brought the three exhausted Golden Core realm cultivators before Zhang Wei. Zhang Wei promised them a chance at life in exchange for answering questions."
"'What... what do you want to ask?'"
"'Quite astute.'"
"Zhang Wei chuckled and said, 'I want to know what realm comes after the Golden Core, and what happens afterward.'"
"'After the Golden Core is the Nascent Soul, but how would we know about such great cultivators?'"
"If Zhang Wei's guess was correct, this cultivation world, like the Gourmet World, was tiered."
"For example, the world Zhan Hua was in corresponded to the Human World in the Gourmet World. Qi Gathering, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul would correspond to the one hundred capture levels of the Human World."
"And after the Human World, there was an even vaster world."
"The delicious ingredients that Zhang Wei found appealing were all in that vaster world."
"..."
"..."
"The sun rose. The martial arts masters returned to the sect with the Immortal Ascension Tokens and spirit stones. Zhan Hua came with today's offerings."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Zhang Wei shook his head. Most of the collected ingredients were only level 5-15, and they were mostly medicinal. "
"They were of little use to Zhang Wei, but upon careful study, it seemed he could develop medicinal cuisine."
"The levels here were still too low..."
"A day later, the martial arts masters were brought back."
"Zhang Wei said to Zhan Hua, 'It's time for me to leave.'"
"Zhan Hua was grief-stricken, 'If you leave, the Tianmen Sect may face destruction.'"
"'But how long can I take care of you? I always have to leave. Or... will you come with me?'"
"Zhan Hua was stunned, 'What did you say?'"
"'I have another universe within my sleeve, capable of containing the sun and moon. There are mountains, rivers, and fields there, different from the ordinary world. If you truly have nowhere else to go, you can follow me.'"
"Old Cripple had figured out a method to convert spiritual energy, so there was no need to worry about them losing their cultivation realms due to depleted spiritual energy after entering. "
"Zhan Hua was overjoyed. To be able to follow Zhang Wei was a great honor, how could he refuse?"
"As for the foundation of the Tianmen Sect..."
"It was a joke, merely a broken basin and shattered tiles. What was there to be reluctant about in a pile of earth and wood?"
"The foundation of a sect lies in its people. As long as the disciples remain united, upholding the beliefs and martial arts of the Tianmen Sect, where would it not flourish?"
"Only by following Zhang Wei could the Tianmen Sect truly be developed and glorified!"
"Another day passed, and the Tianmen Sect was empty. All movable living supplies were taken, along with the various classics from the Scripture Pavilion, and even the tables and chairs from the residential areas."
"Except for the bricks and tiles, almost nothing was left."
"In the side hall to the left, the residents had become accustomed to the sudden appearance of mountains formed by various ingredients and supplies."
"All they needed to do was to dismantle and classify them, then use boxes to collect any unnecessary trash and stack it at the designated location."
"A flash of light streaked across, and Zhang Wei, the people of the Tianmen Sect, and the hundred martial arts masters appeared together in the side hall to the right."
"Zhuo Bufan took a deep breath and stepped forward, 'Truly incredible divine means, sun and moon within a pot, a universe within a sleeve. This is clearly a world, not a mere Subhūti mustard seed technique.'"
"At a glance, boundless high walls were erected. Lighting was provided by candles and torches. In the far distance, a magnificent palace floated, its size far surpassing ten Tianmen Sects!"
"Shaofeng, standing beside him, respectfully said, 'Does Senior Immortal have no knowledge of such wonders?'"
"'Of course... even cultivators are divided into ranks. How can we speculate on the realms of seniors from the Upper Realm!'"
"Zhang Wei led the group forward and arrived at the laborers' gathering area, where there were many empty houses, enough for the newcomers."
"Xifeng said, 'Calculated, this floating city has been built by hundreds of thousands of laborers for over eight years, and it's starting to take shape.'"
"'Then let's go take a look!'"
"The new Gourmet City adopted a modular design, allowing for infinite assembly and expansion."
"The currently existing areas included underground storage warehouses, which used underground space for material storage, as well as some large mechanical equipment, including airships and heavy defense cannons."
"Underground pipeline systems: used for liquid transportation, including fuel, liquefied gas, sewage, water supply pipes, and so on."
"Above-ground modular transportation routes: there are continuously reciprocating automatic vehicles powered by underground steam within the pipelines, used for rapid transit within the city."
"Command Tower: the second tallest building, used for broadcasting and issuing various signals and commands, and also where high-level officials hold meetings; it is the future hub of governance."
"City Lord's Mansion: Zhang Wei's private residence, located beneath the command tower, occupying a vast area."
"Observation Towers: distributed at the corners of the city, equipped with radar-like detection devices, as well as hunters and fierce beasts skilled in reconnaissance."
"Residential Areas: well-planned residential areas, with ridge-connected villas for families, each unit covering about five hundred square meters, fully equipped inside."
"Production Center: responsible for processing various materials and is where artisans work, handling tailoring, smelting, forging, processing, and so on."
"'The kitchen area, barracks, medical hall, gym, training grounds, and sports fields are currently under construction.'"
"Zhang Wei pondered for a moment and said, 'Then designate two more areas and have the martial arts masters and the people of the Tianmen Sect move here.'"