Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 937 - 937 0564 Long-term Residency Issues_2

Chapter 937: Chapter 0564: Long-term Residency Issues_2 Chapter 937: Chapter 0564: Long-term Residency Issues_2 The soldiers at the checkpoint weren’t very thorough in their inspections; there weren’t many restrictions on what items people were allowed to bring in. There was no specific ban on flammable or explosive materials—their primary focus was verifying whether the individuals had the qualifications to enter Eastern Capital City. Without the proper qualifications, even if you carried nothing with you, you still couldn’t enter. On the other hand, if you were qualified, you could enter carrying a mountain of gold, and no one would bat an eye.

Almost everyone who wanted to pass through the checkpoint was aware of this and cooperated fully. Upon reaching the inspection area, they would proactively present their identity cards or other items that could prove their identities.

Soon, it was Qi Tian’s turn. He had taken out the Bodyguard Identification Plate given to him by Xiang Bo well in advance. After the guards inspected it and asked Qi Tian a few questions, they let him through the gate.

Qi Tian let out a sigh of relief. Being able to enter the checkpoint smoothly had saved him a great deal of trouble. But even as he breathed easier, he couldn’t help but think of Zhao Haiying and the others. He wondered if they had already passed through the various checkpoints successfully. He hoped they hadn’t acted rashly and attempted to force their way through with violence. If they managed to provoke a Gold Core Realm expert among the checkpoint guards, Qi Tian didn’t need to think twice to know that aside from Zhao Haiying, who might have a chance to escape, the rest of them would be doomed.

However, now separated from Zhao Haiying and the others, there was nothing Qi Tian could do with his worries. He decided to take care of himself first, settle down in Eastern Capital City, and then worry about the others.

After passing through the checkpoint, it wasn’t as if he could immediately enter the city. Between the checkpoint and the city’s walls, there were tens of miles. Along this stretch, there were additional smaller checkpoints and patrolling cultivators who would randomly check the identities of passersby. Any irregularities discovered would cause quite a commotion.

Perhaps because of Qi Tian’s imposing aura, no one stopped him for checks along the way. He rode his horse and arrived safely at the gates of Eastern Capital City.

A massive number of buildings, most of them inns and hotels, were constructed outside the city gates, specifically to accommodate outsiders like Qi Tian.

Being permitted to enter the city and being allowed to settle within were two different matters. Outsiders like Qi Tian had to obtain a temporary identity card at the city gates, which specified the allowed duration of their stay. The shortest such card permitted a stay of only half a day in Eastern Capital City. Once that time exceeded, one had to leave the city. If one hadn’t finished their business and wished to re-enter, they would need to apply for a new card—and each application wasn’t free. It required a payment of varying amounts of spirit stones.

Regardless of how clearly Qi Tian explained his situation to the city gate official, not a shred of sympathy was shown. The limit granted on Qi Tian’s temporary identity card was just one day. Although it wasn’t the lowest grade, it was the second-lowest.

Eastern Capital City was immense, with thirty million people gathered together. Without towering skyscrapers stretching dozens or even hundreds of meters into the sky, the city’s footprint spanned tens of thousands of square kilometers. With only one day at his disposal, let alone attending to any other matter, it was not easy for Qi Tian to even think of reaching the location and finding Xiang Bo.

Although Qi Tian was somewhat dissatisfied, at that point, he couldn’t force the city gate official to give him an identity card with a longer duration. He simply hung the temporary identity card at his waist and entered the city.

Despite its vastness and some places that might truly be comparable to Wanjie City, Qi Tian realized upon entering that Eastern Capital City fell short in many aspects. To mention but one, the concentration of Spirit Qi was significantly different. In Wanjie City, the Spirit Qi was quite dense, such that even in the less significant districts, the level of Spirit Qi was sufficient for those at the Foundation Establishment Stage to live without any problems. However, in Eastern Capital City, Qi Tian could barely sense any Spirit Qi around him on the streets. There were only trace amounts of Spirit Qi. It was only when he deployed the sensing function of the Heavenly Dao Engine to its maximum range that he detected a few areas where the level of Spirit Qi was decent, but most places were suboptimal.

Qi Tian retracted the sensing function of the Heavenly Dao Engine, as it was his first time entering the Eastern Capital City. He was completely unaware of whether there were any Great Masters with supernatural abilities here. To avoid attracting unnecessary trouble, he decided to be more cautious and use Heavenly Dao Engine’s sensing abilities as little as possible until he had a basic understanding of the Eastern Capital City.

Qi Tian rode his horse directly to the Imperial College. His top priority was to find Xiang Bo, as only with Xiang Bo vouching for him could Qi Tian obtain a residence card that would allow him to stay in the Eastern Capital City for an extended period. If he couldn’t find a guarantor, he would have to leave by this time tomorrow at the latest.

The Imperial College was located in the center of the Eastern Capital City. Riding both fast and slow, Qi Tian finally arrived at the college before nightfall. However, just like at the city gate, entry was not permitted freely. Qi Tian could seek out someone if he wished, but he had to find a way to contact them himself. He quickly took out the Hundred-Mile Message Butterfly that Xiang Bo had given him and tried to send a message, only to find, to his dismay, that the message could not be sent.

Seeing the doorkeeper of the Imperial College smirk at him, Qi Tian had an idea. He quickly took out a handful of low-grade spirit stones, about a dozen or so, and pushed them into the doorkeeper’s hand. Out of consideration for the low-grade spirit stones, the doorkeeper then told Qi Tian that the Imperial College was equipped with a shielding array that blocked messages. Using an outside Hundred-Mile Message Butterfly was useless here, as the signal was jammed. Only the Imperial College’s own butterflies could be used, which outsiders were not eligible to purchase; only teachers and students of the college had the privilege. Qi Tian could not use one no matter how many spirit stones he offered. Only after Xiang Bo, a student of the Imperial College, purchased one himself and gave it to Qi Tian could he use it.

Qi Tian took out another handful of low-grade spirit stones and gave them to the doorkeeper, asking him to help contact Xiang Bo.

The doorkeeper took out a Hundred-Mile Message Butterfly and, following the name Qi Tian provided, input the information. After a while, Qi Tian finally got in touch with Xiang Bo, who asked him to wait at the entrance, as he would come out to meet him immediately.

Qi Tian waited for about half an hour, and then he saw Xiang Bo walking out of the Imperial College with a beaming smile. After showing the brand-new identification plate he had just received from the college to the doorkeeper, Xiang Bo purchased a completely new Hundred-Mile Message Butterfly and handed it to Qi Tian.

After Qi Tian stored away the Hundred-Mile Message Butterfly, Xiang Bo warmly wrapped an arm around Qi Tian’s shoulders and said, “Qi Tian, I’ll take you to find Master Gao and Master Xia right now.”

Qi Tian replied, “My lord, there’s no rush to find them. You need to help me to resolved the issue of a long-term residency in the Eastern Capital City first. The temporary identity card I got at the city gate is only valid for one day, and an afternoon has almost passed.”

Xiang Bo quickly said, “There’s such a matter? Don’t worry, I’ll accompany you to change the temporary identity card right away.”

The process of changing the temporary identity card was straightforward, and they didn’t need to go all the way back to the city gate; there was an office nearby the Imperial College. With Xiang Bo as a guarantor, Qi Tian successfully changed his temporary identity card at the office. This time the validity wasn’t just one day, but a whole year.

With the new temporary identity card in hand, Qi Tian breathed a sigh of relief. At last, he needn’t worry about the issue with the identity card and could comfortably start his investigation and understanding of the Eastern Capital City.

Xiang Bo said, “Next year, I’ll be eligible to apply for a two-year temporary identity card for you. When that time comes, we’ll change it again.”