Bluewind City was unlike anything Shura had ever seen.
Towering pavilions decorated with carved dragon motifs and glowing lanterns, cultivators in robes on spirit beasts and flying tools, and carriages pulled by huge horses.
Even the side streets were wide and paved with smooth blue stone, let alone the main road.
'Reading about foreign worlds and experiencing them personally are really two completely different things. Even the Astral Essence in the air is far richer than in the Han Clan.'
Shura had the feeling that if he cultivated here for a month, it would equal several months back home.
'This is what a real world of cultivators should look like.'
For the first time, Shura felt just how small and poor the Han Clan truly was, and this made him even more determined to grow stronger.
'I must climb out of that tiny pit called the Han Clan, no matter what it takes.'
Clenching his fist, he continued on his journey with Zeshi, and after a little while, as the city walls fell behind them, the two finally arrived at a broad stone plaza built at the foot of a mountain.
There were already many people gathered there: teenagers in luxurious robes, young masters and young ladies with arrogant faces, their retainers and guards, and at the front, several elders with powerful auras watching over the sealed ruin entrance, which was a huge stone arch embedded in the mountain, flickering with light and strange draconic patterns.
The entrance was still closed, but the seal was thinning rapidly, making Shura narrow his eyes.
'So this is a ruin's entrance.'
Before he could observe more, a shrill voice rang out.
"Well, well. Isn't this our dear little sister?"
Zeshi's body stiffened as she recognized that voice and saw two young women step forward from the other side of the plaza, followed by several handsome young men with powerful auras.
The woman in front was wearing a crimson dress that clung tightly to her curvy figure. Her brows were sharp, and her smile looked malicious.
On the contrary, the second woman beside her was taller and more elegant, dressed in white and gold.
They were both Zeshi's elder sisters.
At that moment, the woman in the crimson dress laughed when her eyes landed on Shura.
"Oh my. Little sister really did bring someone. Did you bring out a hidden lover in desperation? Or is this merely some toyboy you found to save face?"
The surrounding youths burst into laughter, causing Zeshi's face to flush red with humiliation.
"N-No! He is my contracted helper!"
"Contracted helper? With those looks? Little sister, do you take us for fools?"
Another round of laughter erupted.
Standing beside Zeshi, Shura's eyes remained calm, but inwardly, he really couldn't help but wonder.
In the Han Clan world, that mountain of flesh Miyo ogled him like meat, and here, these noble ladies were doing the same thing.
Was his face truly that troublesome?
But then, another loud voice caught his attention.
"Zeshi, so this is why you rejected my offer?"
A handsome young man with broad shoulders, dressed in red armor, stepped forward from behind the sisters.
The aura around him was that of someone in the middle stage of the Iron Body Realm, and he was looking at Shura with open hostility.
"Zhao Feng, this has nothing to do with you." Zeshi frowned.
But Zhao Feng had already pointed his finger at Shura.
"You. Step forward."
In response, Shura looked at him once, spat on the side in disdain, then simply ignored him, making Zhao Feng's face darken.
The surrounding crowd instantly sensed drama and grew excited, causing Zhao Feng to be unable to hold on anymore.
With rage bursting in his chest, he took one step forward and threw a vicious punch straight at Shura's face.
It was extremely fast and sharp, with enough force to cave in an ordinary youth's skull.
However, at that moment, Shura's body moved before his mind could, and he lifted his hand to deflect the punch.
But because Shura hadn't adapted to his increased strength and had no idea how strong he was, he subconsciously didn't hold back, and his hand, like a mountain, hit Zhao Feng's.
Crack!
Instantly, a horrifying sound followed, and Zhao Feng's wrist bent at an impossible angle.
"AAARGH!"
His scream had barely left his mouth before his entire body flew backward like a broken sack, spinning through the air, crashing into the stone ground, bouncing, and rolling several more times before finally coming to a stop.
His eyes rolled up, foam came out of his mouth, and he fell completely unconscious.
"..."
Pin-drop silence.
The sudden turn of events caused even the wind to freeze, and Shura couldn't help but look at his own hand, then at Zhao Feng's limp body, then back at his hand again.
"??"
He had not even used a technique and had only blocked instinctively.
Yet the result caused his heart to shake.
What kind of strength was this?
Although he knew his strength had surged drastically since coming to this world, he never expected it to have been so much.
"Impudent brat!"
At that moment, a roar shattered the silence, and one of the elders behind Zhao Feng strode forward furiously.
His aura exploded outward like a furnace blast, instantly making the younger generation retreat in alarm.
Without a doubt, he was a Blood Furnace realm cultivator, one of the experts from Zhao Feng's family.
"How dare you injure a junior so viciously on the eve of the ruin opening!"
He raised a hand, and murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
Noticing this, Zeshi's expression changed immediately, and she stepped in front of Shura without hesitation.
"Elder Zhao! What is the meaning of this?"
The old man's eyes narrowed.
"Move aside, Third Miss."
But Zeshi did not budge.
"I am a daughter of the City Lord. And your Zhao family member attacked my summoned one. An attack on him means an attack on me. Should I take it if your family wants to harm me?"
There was a ruthlessness in her voice, and she immediately pulled out a jade plaque that looked like a communication device from her storage pouch, as if ready to inform her father of the Zhao family's attack.
This caused the elder's scalp to tingle, and his hand froze in midair. But seeing that Zeshi only took it out and didn't create a big deal out of the matter, he sighed inwardly and lowered his hand.
His Zhao family might be powerful, but this was still Bluewind City, and Zeshi, no matter how neglected, was still the City Lord's daughter.
Nevertheless, he did not leave the matter there. Instead, he glared at Shura with his face so ugly it looked as though someone had splashed shit on it and yelled.
"You arrogant little beast! Hiding behind a woman, daring to cripple others with a sneak move! Looking at your face, I can already tell you are no good thing. You have no manners, no family teaching, and no shame! A wild cur like you should be beaten to death before you grow into a threat!"
The insults poured out like sewage, and the surrounding crowd also looked at Shura with strange eyes.
Although Shura himself said nothing, there was murderous intent brewing in his heart.
He endured the bullying and injustice towards himself in his own world because he knew he was weak, and to survive, he had to pretend nothing happened.
But even if he endured here, for what reason was he cultivating?
No more enduring. He had already marked this Zhao family bastard as good as dead.
Still, he wasn't a fool and naturally wouldn't fall for the opponent's taunts and court death by taking a fight head-on.
Instead, he pretended as if he had swallowed this insult and ignored him. But in truth, he was waiting.
And he waited amidst Elder Zhao's loud curses until the huge stone entrance of the ruin trembled violently and a burst of ancient draconic light erupted outward.
"The entrance is opening!"
"Quick!"
"Move!"
In that instant of chaos, Shura seized his chance, and while others were distracted, he finally moved, as silent as a reaper and swift as lightning, arriving in front of Elder Zhao at a terrifying speed.
And then before Elder Zhao could react—
Bang!
Using all the increased strength, he slammed his knee viciously into the old man's crotch.
Crack!
As the loud noise rang out, the world turned silent, and everyone turned their attention to Elder Zhao, whose eyes bulged so far out they nearly fell from their sockets.
His old face twisted hideously in pain, and he let out a scream so loud that even birds on the distant mountain cliffs fled away in terror.
"GRAAAAAAAAHHHH--!"
Every male present felt their legs go weak instinctively, but Shura did not waste even half a breath.
The moment his attack connected, he grabbed Zeshi by the wrist, and—
"Run."
"Ah!?"
Before she could even scream properly, he dragged her forward and shot into the ruin entrance like an arrow released from a bow.
By the time the others reacted, the two had already vanished inside the draconic light.
Behind them, Elder Zhao was still kneeling on the ground with both hands between his legs, trembling like a boiled shrimp while producing sounds no dignified elder should ever make.
The entire plaza fell into silence before someone swallowed and muttered in horror.
"...That guy really is... a madman."