The stone stele was covered in inscriptions.
Upon seeing the text, Chu Feng's brow furrowed immediately.
The general content stated that this place was a territory that had existed since ancient times.
Anyone who entered this territory would receive unprecedented glory — the glory of becoming his subordinate.
There were two types of subordinates. The first were mere servants.
The second could become his guards.
But there was a difference between the two. Servants could retain their souls, though their task was to perform work much like common civilians.
Servants were required to cultivate a special plant called the Soul Origin Spirit Grass, and each day they had to bring a certain quantity of Soul Origin Spirit Grass to the Soul Offering Hall as tribute.
If they failed to do so, a punitive force would descend upon this world and punish every single person within it.
As for choosing to become a guard, one had to sacrifice one's own soul. The text noted that becoming his guard represented a more loyal allegiance and would grant far greater power.
But what exactly one would do after becoming a guard was not clearly explained.
It only stated that if one wished to become a guard, all one had to do was step through the barrier gate at the base of the stone stele.
If one did not wish to become a guard, then one would have to become a servant. It was clear that Lady Yuwei, Lord Bai, and everyone else in the city had chosen to become servants.
"So everyone here chose to become servants?" Chu Feng asked.
"Yes, Master. We are all people who did not wish to sacrifice our souls. Though we are trapped here, at least we can still be ourselves."
"Of course, we all long for the day when we might leave this place with our descendants. But if we were to sacrifice our souls, then there might never be any way to leave," Lord Bai said.
"All you have to do is grow Soul Origin Spirit Grass?"
"Do you receive any benefits in return?" Chu Feng asked.
"Benefits? There are no benefits."
"We really are nothing more than slaves," Lord Bai said.
"But what about the cultivation of the people here?"
"They all came in from the Grand Mystic Upper Realm, didn't they?"
"Why is it that some of them have already stepped into the Martial Ancestor Realm?" Chu Feng asked again.
"No, no, no, you've misunderstood."
"The entrance to this place isn't only the Darknight Divine River in the Grand Mystic Upper Realm."
"There are also entrances in other star domains, and even other Heavenly Rivers. So in truth, most of the people here came from elsewhere."
"Those of us who came from the Grand Mystic Upper Realm are actually only a very, very small portion."
"But later on, as time passed, the entrances in many places closed. It seems that nowadays, only the entrance in the Grand Mystic Upper Realm remains."
"But it's open for only a very brief period, so not many people come in."
"The last time it opened was when Lady Yuwei entered — and she was the only one who came in that time," Lord Bai explained.
"So that's how it is."
This actually helped Chu Feng understand why the cultivation levels of the people here were so vastly different.
It turned out that the Darknight Divine River's entrance existed not only in the Grand Mystic Upper Realm, but also in other star domains and even other Heavenly Rivers.
It was just that, for reasons unknown, those other entrances had never opened again.
"Then who exactly is the master of this place? Have any of you ever seen him?" Chu Feng asked.
"No, we have never seen him," Lord Bai said.
"Then... the guards who sacrificed their souls — where did they go?" Chu Feng asked further.
"They went to a separate zone. The two zones are completely disconnected from each other. However, once every ten years, the barrier separating the two zones opens."
"When it opens, they come here to claim enormous quantities of Soul Origin Spirit Grass. They also take away ten thousand young, beautiful women and twenty thousand young men."
When Lord Bai reached this point, fury — even killing intent — surged in his eyes.
"Ten thousand young, beautiful women and twenty thousand young men?"
Hearing this, Chu Feng could already sense that those guards were not up to anything good.
But he still asked, "What do they do with them?"