The sky was a wash of pure blue, the clouds white as snow.
Across the autumn grasslands, wind howled. Beneath the sunlight, the rolling plains surged in wave after wave of golden light.
Cradled within those waves sat a massive, jet-black city.
Seen from high above, the city's layout was grand and its structure precise.
The outer walls appeared to be built from enormous blocks of stone, black as ink, their surfaces weathered by endless rain and wind, etched with the marks of passing ages.
The entire wall formed a regular hexagon, standing proud on the grassland. Its perimeter exceeded two hundred li, its height approached ten zhang, and its thickness was several zhang — a truly imposing sight. An ordinary person standing on the plain could spot it from a great distance: a titanic black beast crouching amid the lush grass. Up close, one had to crane one's neck to see the towering ramparts and the colossal gate.
At every corner of the wall stood a turret, bristling with arrow slits. Every few li, a broad ramp led up to the battlements. Inside the walls themselves lay hidden soldier caves, well concealed.
For mortals, the walls alone were impregnable. In the Northern Plains' struggle for the Royal Court, these mighty ramparts had held off waves of Gu Master armies more than a dozen times without ever collapsing.
Beyond the walls lay the bustling world within.
This city housed over eight hundred thousand inhabitants of various kinds of Gu Masters.
Inside, streets crisscrossed, shops lined both sides, palaces and mansions rose in rows. Carriages and horses surged like rivers, the flow never ceasing. Voices crashed together in a deafening roar — prosperity at its peak.
One peculiarity stood out: among the city's population, the Moren constituted an overwhelming majority. Walking through the main roads and back alleys, one saw very few humans; everywhere one looked, there were Moren.
This was a city belonging to the Moren.
In the Northern Plains — indeed, across all Five Regions — it was entirely unique.
This was the Moren City.
Rumble…
A muffled boom erupted without warning, and violent earthquakes followed hard on its heels, shattering the city's peace and order in an instant.
"What's happening?"
"Is the ground splitting? Ever since a few years ago, there have been rumors that the earth would suddenly crack open and form enormous chasms reaching all the way to its core!"
"Help!"
"Mommy…"
In moments, chaos consumed the city. Countless mortals ran in every direction, panic spreading, chickens scattering, dogs yelping.
Through the roiling dust, most of the buildings and walls across the Moren City began to emit a faint halo of light.
Then, slowly, the entire Moren City rose into the air, ascending higher and higher.
"Oh heavens! The Moren City is f-flying?!"
"Could the rumors be true? This Moren City is actually a Mortal Gu House?!"
"My god! A Mortal Gu House this massive — something like this has never been heard of!"
The mortals were utterly stunned, gripped by shock.
Just then, an immortal killer move streaked out, scattering into a sky full of green light that blanketed the entire Moren City.
"Sleep now. Just sleep for a little while." Fang Yuan smiled faintly, hovering among the clouds.
Beside him stood a male Moren Gu Immortal — the City Lord of the Moren City, King of the Moren in the Northern Plains, the Sixth Transformation Gu Immortal Mo Tansang. He was one of only two Gu Immortals the Moren City had ever produced.
Under Fang Yuan's Wisdom Path immortal technique, every mortal in the Moren City sank into deep slumber. The entire city fell silent at once.
The Moren City continued to shrink, and moments later it slipped smoothly into Fang Yuan's Supreme Immortal Aperture.
"This Moren City has a population of over eight hundred thousand. It was founded back in the day by the legendary Moren Gu Immortal, Yiyan Xian, and has grown to its present state."
"The Central Continent has the human race's premier metropolis, Emperor City. My Moren City here is already the equivalent of half of it."
Having recruited the Moren Gu Immortals, Fang Yuan naturally had no intention of letting this, the Moren's greatest enterprise, slip away.
"From now on, you will remain City Lord of the Moren City. Devote yourself to its development — cultivate more Moren Gu Immortals. My Supreme Immortal Aperture is vast enough to give you room to show your abilities." Fang Yuan said to Mo Tansang with a smile.
Mo Tansang's face was flushed with emotion. He immediately dropped to his knees and performed a full prostration. "Mo Tansang pledges his all to serve Lord Fang Yuan, and will devote his heart and strength to governing the Moren City well."
"Mm. You may enter as well." Fang Yuan smiled mildly.
Mo Tansang obediently stepped into Fang Yuan's Supreme Immortal Aperture, descending directly into the Small Western Desert along with the Moren City.
Fang Yuan had already selected the location.
The Moren City settled into place, the dust gradually cleared, and the sleeping populace began to stir. Mo Tansang issued commands with methodical efficiency, taking charge of the situation and maintaining the city's stability.
In truth, Mo Tansang's feelings were complex. But facing Fang Yuan, he dared not be the slightest bit presumptuous.