After three days, he could finally see merchant caravans heading to the city to sell their wares. " Based on what I've seen so far, I can run at full speed for almost three hours without being exhausted, and my vision is still good even during the night. Since Kael hadn't started cultivating yet, I can only assume that it is the books doing." Kael concluded as he made his way towards the city gate, passing by the carriages and some who were like him, going to take the test.
The city gate was towering 150 feet tall, Kael had to crane his neck in order to see the top of the gate. Standing in front of the gate were two guards, clad in obsidian steel armor. There was a line to pay the entry fee, and those two were in charge of collecting it. "Does this look like a charity to you?" One of the guards hollered at an old man. The queue momentarily stopped for a moment to look at the source of the commotion. "Please, I'm begging you, this is all I have," the old man pleaded as he went to his knees and hooked the guard's leg, refusing to let go.
"Please, my wife…" Before he could finish saying the words, the guard sent him flying with a kick. He shot back like a broken arrow, landing in some bushes. The crowd simply ignored him and returned to their business. This was not a rare occurrence here, every once in a while, someone would try their luck and attempt to get in without paying. The result would always be the same. Kael looked at the old man who was barely conscious and hissed, "No ordinary person can kick a person that hard, he must be a cultivator." He thought as he turned back and looked at the guard. Soon it was his turn and once he paid the fee, he was allowed entry.
As he stepped in, the whole city came into view. Elora City was a mid-sized city among those in the Solaris kingdom. Its streets were bustling with activity. From street vendors to towering pavilions and everything in between. At the center was the city lord's mansion. Kael slowly navigated the crowded streets while checking out what these vendors had to offer. Precious herbs, skill scrolls and weapons could all be found here, but the quality of some items left much to be desired. Some weapons had dents or had been chipped from wear and tear, or negligence.
He soon found a hotel and ordered some food, this was his first decent meal since arriving in this world. He ate as he kept an ear out for any information that might be useful. "Did you hear, the Tenebris sect was eradicated by the crimson sky pavilion?" "What, where did you hear that?" A man gasped as he looked at the man sitting across from him. "It's true, I have a cousin who was accepted as an outer disciple. He told me that a few elders and core disciples marched out, and when they came back, the Tenebris sect was no more." " Why did they suddenly go to war with the Tenebris sect? As far as I know, those two have no outstanding grudges?" The man asked with an astonished gaze." My cousin is only an outer disciple, so how could he know that kind of information?" The man across the table shrugged as he answered.
Kael, who had been listening to the conversation, made a mental note to avoid the crimson sky pavilion in the future because if they are enough to eradicate a whole sect single-handedly, then imagine what would happen to him if he somehow got on their bad side. Kael shuddered just from the thought. After he finished his meal, he went and booked a room. " It seems that only by being a cultivator and advancing in the realms can I be able to protect myself in this world. Too bad that I have to wait until the sect exams to open up my meridians and start absorbing heaven and earth essence." Kael thought as he lay on the bed.
The evening sun illuminated the city, and Kael finally got out of his room and went to the market to look for a weapon. He originally had a pair of daggers, but they were lost in his scuffle with the wind wolves and now he was in need of a new weapon. As he strolled through the city, he saw many shops selling all kinds of weapons, but he couldn't afford any of them. He also passed by some shops that sold a variety of skill scrolls, but he didn't even think of purchasing any of them since activating them requires essence.
After walking around for a while, he found a little stall at the side of the road. It was basically just a stand and some weapons. He walked towards it. A middle-aged woman was the one selling the item. He looked at what he looked at the items, and his eyes landed on an old-looking sword. It looked old, but otherwise it was in good condition. He picked it up and asked," How much for his sword?" The woman looked at him and without any hesitation said," Twelve silver coins." Kael heard this and couldn't help but frown. He only had about twenty-two silver coins left after paying for the room and food." That's a bit expensive for an old sword, don't you think? "He responded. "The woman scoffed and looked at him for a while before finally saying," Make it fifteen silver coins and I'll throw in a scabbard, or do you plan on walking around with the sword in your hands?". Kael couldn't retort and quietly took out fifteen silver coins from his pouch and handed them to the woman. After getting the scabbard, he didn't wait any longer and went back to his room.
It was already dark when he got back and since he had spent most of his money, he didn't bother getting anything to eat. He would have to be frugal for the next two days, until the sect exams began. With nothing to do, he could only stay in his room, occasionally going down to eat and see if he could gather any new information. The city was already bustling with those here for the sect exam. All from various backgrounds had gathered here in hopes of being able to open their meridian and start walking the path of cultivation. Only then would they be able to change their fates.