Cultivation Online

”Can you prove that you’re human?”

The Supreme General narrowed his eyes at Yuan.

”That’s an unfair question,” Yuan replied calmly. ”If I asked you the same thing, how would you prove it?”

”...”

After a moment of silence, the Supreme General nodded. ”Fair enough.”

Indeed, even he wouldn’t be able to provide such evidence immediately, as the question itself was inherently difficult to prove.

”Then let’s move on to the next question. Why do you want to meet Gaia?”

Yuan shrugged.

”Believe it or not, I’m still trying to figure that out myself. All I know is that I need to meet them.”

”If you want to meet Gaia, you’ll first have to prove to us that you can be trusted—and that you’re not a threat.”

”And how am I supposed to do that when you’re already suspicious of my very existence?”

”Can you blame us?” the Supreme General sneered. ”You appeared out of nowhere with no history whatsoever. Your combat experience and achievements far exceed what should logically be possible.”

”...”

It was Yuan’s turn to fall silent.

Considering the subject of the upcoming assembly and his involvement in it, earning the Supreme General’s trust would undoubtedly become even more difficult—if not outright impossible.

”I understand. I’ll do my best to earn your trust,” Yuan said a moment later.

”I’ll be keeping a close eye on you, Sergeant Yuan. If you do anything suspicious, or if I determine that you pose a threat to our city or Gaia, I’ll personally put you down,” the Supreme General said solemnly.

Yuan left the room shortly after, returning to the Ironwoman’s side.

”What did you talk about?” she inquired.

”The Supreme General doesn’t trust me,” he admitted.

”I’m not surprised.”

”Really?” Yuan was slight surprised by her response.

”If it weren’t for General Mei, I also would have a hard time trusting you,” she admitted. ”Whether it’s your background or actions, your entire existence is shrouded in mysteries and secrets. If you want to earn the Supreme General’s trust, you’ll have to stop being so secretive.”

Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, ”What about you? Does the Supreme General trust you?”

”Of course. The public may not know my identity, but the Supreme General is fully aware of my background. It’s impossible to completely hide your identity in the military, after all.”

”I see...”

After a brief pause, the Ironwoman continued, ”While we’re on the subject, I watched a replay of our drill.”

”And?”

”I saw your performance. You were holding back, weren’t you?”

”What if I was?”

”Things like that make people wonder, which breeds doubt and suspicion. I’m not saying that’s how I feel, but it’s a common reaction.”

Yuan let out a deep sigh before speaking.

”What do you want me to do, really? On one hand, you’re telling me not to reveal certain things because they could cause trouble, and on the other, you’re saying I’m making myself look suspicious by doing exactly that.”

”Sorry, but I don’t know how to answer that. I guess it’s about finding a balance, so you appear trustworthy without revealing everything.”

”I’ll keep that in mind.”

Meanwhile, inside his office, the Supreme General sat back in his seat with a pondering expression.

”He wants to meet Gaia, huh? What a coincidence,” he mumbled.

’But I wasn’t expecting him to reveal that he’s from another world...’ he thought.

”General Mei... what sort of entity did you bring into the military?” he sighed aloud.

Time passed swiftly, and two weeks had gone by since they began their journey.

”Just where does this assembly take place, anyway?” Yuan suddenly asked.

”At the center of this world, the Union.”

”The Union? Is it merely a place built for the assembly, or is there more to it?”

”It’s a city.”

”Huh? I thought the assembly didn’t take place in any of the nine cities—at least, that’s what General Mei told me.” Yuan raised his eyebrows, looking puzzled.

”It doesn’t. The Union is a city, but it’s a neutral territory and isn’t counted among the nine cities. It’s also the smallest city in existence.”

”Neutral?”

”It means the Union doesn’t swear allegiance to any of the nine cities and acts solely in its own interests. If any one of the nine cities attempts to influence or control it, the other eight are permitted to unite against that city,” she elaborated.

”Also, once you set foot in the Union, your identity is essentially stripped away, so your background no longer matters. In other words, if you get into a conflict with someone from another city, neither side can use their background to retaliate or seek compensation afterward.”

”That’s only while you’re in the city, right? What if they come after you once you leave the place?”

”That’s why most visitors tend to wear masks or disguises when they are in the Union.”

”If it’s so safe over there, why is there even a need for escorts?” Yuan then asked, wondering about their real purpose.

”Quite frankly, we’re not here to protect the Supreme General. I mean, if something happens, we’ll obviously ensure his safety, but his squad is already more than capable of doing that. We’re mostly here as trophies—a way for our city to show off its best soldiers to the other cities,” Ironwoman revealed the true purpose of their presence.

”Have you been to an assembly before?” Yuan continued to ask.

”No, this is also my first time going to one.”

After another week of traveling, the Supreme General left his office for the first time.

”We’ll be arriving at the Union soon. Prepare yourselves.”

”Yes, Supreme General!”

A few hours later, the flying treasure began to slow, eventually coming to a complete stop before the towering walls of the Union.

Shortly afterward, a group of individuals dressed in gray and black uniforms approached their flying treasure.

”Welcome to the Union. Please identify yourselves and tell us the reason for visiting,” one of them said.

The Supreme General stepped forward and announced, ”I am Supreme General Tian Xizhi of Gaia’s Heaven, and these are my soldiers. We’re here for the assembly.”

One of his black-suited soldiers then approached the Union soldier and presented their identification, confirming the group’s identity.

After confirming their identity, the Union soldiers saluted them and said, ”Thank you for your cooperation, Supreme General Tian. Please follow us.”

The flying treasure began moving again, slowly following the group of soldiers.

Meanwhile, Yuan turned to look at the Supreme General and asked, ”Your surname is Tian? Are you related to Tian Yuchen?”

”Tian Yuchen is my grandfather. Why are you asking?” The Supreme General revealed.

”I was just curious...” Yuan replied before falling silent.

The Supreme General narrowed his eyes at Yuan but didn’t speak further.

Once they entered the city, the Union soldiers guided their flying treasure to an empty docking area, where they landed and disembarked.

Then they were brought to a nearby teleporter, where they teleported to another area.

”There are still five days until the assembly. Please stay here until then. We will remind you the day before. Of course, you’re free to leave and wander the city as you wish. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let the servants know, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.”

The Union soldiers didn’t linger and left swiftly, keeping things short and simple.

Once they were alone, the Supreme General pointed to a certain building there and said, ”That is mine.”

Then he pointed at the largest building next and continued, ”My soldiers, the Midnight Squad, will live there. The rest of you can figure out the rest. Any questions?”

Yuan raised his hand and said, ”I’d like to explore this place.”

”I don’t care what you do, as long as you return before the assembly,” he said.

”Anything I should keep in mind?” Yuan then asked.

”Use your common sense.”

After saying that, the Supreme General turned around and walked into the building he had picked for himself.

The Midnight Squad also retired into their building.

The Gu Family randomly picked one of the available buildings there and entered it shortly after, leaving Yuan and the Ironwoman lingering outside.

”Are you not going to pick a place?” Yuan asked her.

Ironwoman silently stared at Yuan, as if contemplating something.

After a moment of silence, she turned around and began walking away.

”Try not to cause any trouble,” she said before swiftly disappearing into one of the unoccupied buildings.

She had considered accompanying Yuan to ensure his safety, but quickly realized there was little reason to worry about someone who had outlasted her during the drill.

Yuan had expected to receive a list of rules to follow while exploring the city, but when none came, he simply shrugged and approached one of the many maids stationed around the buildings.

”Can you give me a brief explanation of the city and how I can get out of here? I’d like to look around.”