Chapter 125: Rules

"What's happening?" Meng Jingzhou was startled as the flying vehicle plummeted rapidly.Lu Yang's forehead beaded with cold sweat. Despite desperately trying to activate his sword-flying technique, the vehicle continued its descent. He had lost control of the Azure Peak Sword and couldn't even sense its presence.

Daoist Bu Yu said gravely, "Spiritual energy cannot be used here; all spells are ineffective!""What?!"

Daoist Bu Yu, being well-traveled and knowledgeable, had a rough idea of what was happening. If his suspicions were correct, then the three of them were truly unlucky. However, this was not the time for explanations. The immediate priority was to rescue Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.He stood up, tore open the vehicle's roof, and with one arm around Lu Yang and the other around Meng Jingzhou, holding them at his waist, he leaped out. Although spiritual energy was suppressed here, their physical bodies were not restricted. As a Mahayana stage mighty figure, Daoist Bu Yu would be perfectly fine jumping directly from such a height.

Lu Yang tried to open his eyes several times to survey their surroundings, but the powerful wind during the descent prevented both him and Meng Jingzhou from doing so. Just as the three were about to hit the ground, Daoist Bu Yu released them, gently slowed their descent, and landed first, creating a large crater upon impact. Immediately after, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou landed, caught by Daoist Bu Yu, with less than a second's difference between their landings. If Daoist Bu Yu had directly embraced them both upon impact, he would have been fine, but Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou would not have survived the shock; they would have been either dead or severely injured!

"Pant, pant, pant!" Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were still shaken. This journey was certainly unique; they had barely left before their vehicle crashed."Where are we?" Lu Yang frowned. He saw they were in an ordinary small town and couldn't understand why spiritual energy was unusable here."Why isn't anyone coming out?" Lu Yang noticed another anomaly. It was already *Hai Shi* (9-11 PM), and the crashing sound of their vehicle had been immense, yet no one had emerged to investigate. Could the town be deserted, a ghost town? No, candles were lit in the thatched cottages and inns, and he could see silhouettes moving behind the paper windows. There were definitely people here.What was going on? Lu Yang felt an unsettling oddity about this place. He looked at Meng Jingzhou, who shook his head, equally perplexed.

Daoist Bu Yu walked to the wreckage of the flying vehicle and pulled the Azure Peak Sword from underneath. The Azure Peak Sword, a gift from Yun Zhi to Lu Yang, was of extremely high quality, and this level of impact couldn't cause it any damage."Take this for self-defense," Daoist Bu Yu said, handing the sword to Lu Yang. His usual jovial demeanor was gone, replaced by a solemn expression. Daoist Bu Yu realized that the suppression of spiritual energy here was incredibly potent; even he couldn't harness it.

Suddenly, a piece of paper appeared in each of their hands, densely covered with writing on both sides.

**Rules of Commoner Town:**

1. There is no spiritual energy within the town limits; spiritual power cannot be used.2. From 9 PM to 7 AM, thatched cottages with closed doors and inn rooms with closed doors are absolutely safe. Any other place is dangerous.3. You must leave thatched cottages and inns by 9 AM. You cannot return to a thatched cottage or inn before 7 PM.4. You must go to sleep before 11 PM.5. Do not enter "Heavenly" designated rooms.6. If you hear knocking on a door or window in a thatched cottage or inn, no matter what is said, do not open the door or window.7. There are only spotted dogs and white dogs in the town, no black dogs. If you see a black dog, flee immediately.8. The private academy has been abandoned for many years; there is no tutor in the town. Only dog barks will be heard from the private academy, not the sound of reading.9. The person wearing gray clothes is the private academy tutor. If you encounter the tutor, no matter what they say, you must pretend not to hear.10. Do not make eye contact with the private academy tutor. If you make eye contact, you will turn into a black dog.11. All food in the town is provided free of charge and can be taken freely, but you must not eat meat buns.12. Be wary of government officials. Those wearing black clothes are government officials. If you encounter a government official, flee immediately and do not look back, no matter what they call out.13. If you feel someone is following you, believe it is a delusion. Do not show signs of unease or irritation.14. A body after death is called a corpse. It is normal for corpses to move.15. For problems inside the inn, ask the innkeeper. For problems outside the inn, ask the pharmacy owner. However, you must not speak to them.16. After entering a black door, do not speak or eat anything inside.17. Do not easily trust the words of strangers, but people wearing white clothes always speak the truth.18. There are man-eating monsters in the ancestral hall.19. The ancestral hall is safe.20. The people of this town must not reveal anything about it to outsiders.21. Leaving the town or killing the town master will release you from the rules of Commoner Town.

After Lu Yang finished reading, the white paper vanished into thin air.

"What was that?" Lu Yang felt a sense of absurdity; the rules radiated ill omen."A trick by a Mahayana stage cultivator!" Daoist Bu Yu said gravely. Seeing these twenty-one rules, he finally confirmed his suspicions. There was a Mahayana stage mighty figure, and judging by the suppression he felt, there was more than one!"My disciples, Xiao Meng, have you two ever heard of 'The Great Era's Advent'?"

The two nodded, still somewhat confused. The concept of "The Great Era's Advent" was too vague; they didn't know what it specifically referred to."The Great Era's Advent manifests in many ways, one of which is the awakening of powerful individuals from other eras who were in slumber!""Currently, spiritual energy is clear, and Dao essence is active, making cultivation and enlightenment easier. Some even say it's possible to achieve immortality!""The Great Qian and Great Yu eras produced many mighty figures, but limited by their own comprehension, they couldn't break through further. For this reason, they devised a method of slumber, using spiritual marrow as a medium to seal themselves in a state of suspended animation. When the Dao essence became active, they would awaken from their sleep.""After their consciousness awakens, their bodies are not fully revived and need some time to recover. To protect themselves and avoid revealing their whereabouts, they employ various methods.""Defining an area, establishing rules, and trapping those who enter is one such method."

"Do you know the difference between the Void Refinement stage and the Mahayana stage?"The two shook their heads; these concepts were still very distant to them."The difference between the Void Refinement and Mahayana stages lies in whether one has mastered 'rules'.""Rules?" Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou repeated subconsciously."A Mahayana stage cultivator can, within a certain range, modify the rules of reality based on their own will. However, the modified rules cannot be overly contrary to common sense, such as declaring oneself invincible or immortal within that area.""The River Spirit trial and the Heart-Questioning Mountain trial you encountered when joining the sect were also manifestations of rules.""Mahayana stage cultivators have a relatively low level of control over rules, requiring them to set multiple rules to restrict the activities of people within the defined area.""Tribulation Transcending stage cultivators and Immortals have different levels of control over rules. Immortals are the most exaggerated; upon achieving immortality, they condense a Dao Fruit, which is a symbol of rules, and its power covers the entire world."

Lu Yang remembered Immortal Master Bu Xiu's Dao Fruit—as long as someone chanted her honorific title and immortal name, she could revive. From a results perspective, Immortal Master Bu Xiu, as an individual, was immortal and indestructible. But on a global scale, this meant Immortal Master Bu Xiu could directly revive, transcending all limitations of time, space, soul, and body, violating the common sense of the world, which was truly terrifying! Lu Yang shared his conjecture with Immortal Master Bu Xiu, who nodded, affirming his thoughts: "You're young, but your mind works quickly."

Lu Yang momentarily ignored Immortal Master Bu Xiu's teasing and listened as Daoist Bu Yu continued, "Judging by the rules, only this small town is under their control. The range of rules mastered by a Mahayana stage cultivator isn't usually this small. They are afraid of being discovered by the Immortals of the Great Xia Dynasty!""The fact that the rules can even restrict me indicates that there is more than one Mahayana stage cultivator."

Daoist Bu Yu's gaze turned fierce, sharp as a sword. "The Five Great Immortal Sects and the Great Xia Dynasty have already jointly eliminated many awakening Mahayana cultivators. It seems I need to eliminate a few more today!"He flicked his whisk, its tassels as fine as ox hair, releasing millions of sword qi. Swordsmanship was Daoist Bu Yu's foundation, something he had comprehended his entire life. Even without spiritual energy, he could still unleash sword qi!The sword qi struck the town's barrier, which, unable to withstand the attack, burst open, creating a breach. At the breach, four figures awaited Daoist Bu Yu, confirming there was indeed more than one Mahayana stage cultivator! They had to abide by the rules they themselves set; they couldn't use spiritual energy within the town, so they intended to deal with Daoist Bu Yu outside."Kill him!"

Daoist Bu Yu burst into hearty laughter, striding out of the town and unleashing his peak Mahayana stage aura to confront the four Mahayana cultivators!"You scoundrels think you can kill me?"Before leaving, he left Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou with a final instruction: "This battle could last several days. Both of you, stay safe in the town!"The breach healed, and Daoist Bu Yu vanished outside the town.

(End of Chapter)