Chapter 1817 — Chapter 1817 City of Radiance(2)

"This City of Radiance is a replica? So it's fake? For what purpose?" Ji Ran questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to make sense of Yuan's revelation.

"I don't know," Yuan replied thoughtfully. "But whoever made this place definitely invested an immense amount of energy and effort to ensure it was as realistic and detailed as possible."

"What about the Immortal Monastery? Are you saying that it's also fake?"

"Possibly, but we won't know for certain until we see it."

Although Yuan claimed he didn't know why anyone would go to such lengths to create a replica of the City of Radiance, several possibilities crossed his mind.

One plausible explanation was that this Hidden Domain could be a trap—a meticulously crafted lure designed to draw people in for some unknown purpose.

Hidden Domains always attracted attention, drawing cultivators from far and wide with the promise of treasures and opportunities. It wasn't unheard of for such places to be disguised traps, crafted to exploit the greed and curiosity of those who entered.

Another possibility was that the City of Radiance had been replicated simply to serve as a replacement for the original, which may have long since perished.

In this case, the replica might not hold any sinister purpose or hidden agenda. Instead, it could be nothing more than a decorative tribute—a way to preserve the memory of a once-glorious city. Perhaps it was created by someone who revered the original City of Radiance, ensuring that its legacy would not be forgotten, even if its inhabitants and purpose had vanished with time.

Sometime later, they arrived at the bottom of the mountain that led to the Immortal Monastery.

"The entrance to the Immortal Monastery is at the top," said Hong Ling as she stepped onto the first step.

Feng Yuxiang raised an eyebrow at her actions and asked, "We're walking? Why don't we just fly up there?"

Hong Ling smiled at her words and calmly responded, "Go ahead and try—flying up there, I mean."

Feng Yuxiang didn't think much about it and gathered her spiritual energy. However, when she tried flying, she realized she couldn't control her spiritual energy, almost as if something was disrupting it.

"What's going on?" Feng Yuxiang muttered as she tried gathering her spiritual energy again, only for them to disperse due to a lack of control.

"Although this world has spiritual energy—and we can cultivate it—we cannot control it for some reason," Hong Ling revealed. "We're almost no different from mortals while we are inside the Hidden Domain."

"Seriously?" Feng Yuxiang muttered.

With their ability to use spiritual energy sealed, they were forced to walk up the mountain, which contained tens of thousands of steps.

Fortunately, while they could not use their spiritual energy, their cultivation wasn't affected, allowing them to climb the mountain without breaking any sweat. It was mostly a chore—an inconvenience than anything.

Upon reaching the peak of the mountain, they found themselves on a spacious flat surface, its layout eerily reminiscent of the peak of the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

In the distance, near the edge of the mountain, stood a massive open gate colored in gold. Above it, a grand sign displayed the words 'Immortal Monastery' in bold, majestic script, exuding an aura of authority and timelessness.

"I never thought I would see the Immortal Gates again…" Ji Ran commented in a teary voice as he stared at the gates.

"That's the Immortal Monastery? Where's the rest of the sect?" Xi Meili asked.

"That gate is also a teleporter. It'll lead us to the Immortal Monastery once it opens," Yuan said.

Hong Ling nodded and said, "Indeed, and only those with a token will be able to enter the Immortal Monastery. Everyone else will have to stay here."

"There's so much more than 20,000 people here," Xi Meili remarked after scanning the area with her gaze.

Despite there only being 20,000 slots available, there were more than 50,000 people at the peak of the mountain. This did not include the thousands of people searching the city.

"Young Master, what do you think about the gate? It looks real to me," Ji Ran asked him.

Yuan narrowed his eyes at the golden gates. After a moment of silence, he said, "It definitely looks real, but I have no real way of knowing whether it's real or just another perfect replica."

"The only reason I knew the City of Radiance is a replica is because something I left in my living quarters at the real one was missing. However, there's nothing about the gate I can use to compare. If anything, you should be more familiar with it than me."

Ji Ran sighed, "Unfortunately, I really can't tell. I haven't seen the Immortal Monastery since the Primordial Era, so my memories of it are not reliable at all. Honestly, even if my memory was perfect, I don't think I'd be able to tell."

"I guess we'll only be certain once we go inside. It's extremely risky, but there's a reason why I am here," Yuan said.

"Well then, you guys can do whatever you want until the Immortal Monastery opens. I'll head back to my master now," Hong Ling said a moment later.

"Alright. Thanks for the tour." Feng Yuxiang said.

Once Hong Ling left, Feng Yuxiang returned to Yuan's Dantian to rest.

"I'll be back," Tan Songyun suddenly said.

"You see your friends?" Yuan guessed.

"Something like that."

Tan Songyun didn't explain further and walked away. Yuan then watched as she approached two beautiful ladies in the crowd.

"Hello, Senior Sister Li, Senior Sister Zhang," Tan Songyun greeted them.

"Oh? If it isn't Junior Sister Tan. What are you doing here?" asked one of the ladies, who was wearing a bright red robe.

"I'm here to participate in the Hidden Domain. Are you also here as participants?" Tan Songyun asked, her tone polite and refined.

Her demeanor was a stark contrast to how she spoke with Yuan—graceful and poised, resembling the renowned Zither Goddess she had been before her heart was broken. Her words carried an air of elegance that drew the attention of those around her.