This sword is truly too sinister, and the woman in his dreams was becoming more and more intriguing to him. Perhaps there was some earth-shattering secret hidden within this decayed sword.

Anyway, whenever he slept, the sword would return to his side. He might as well take it back and study it carefully.

If, after studying it, he still couldn't figure it out, then he would ask a craftsman in the city to completely melt the sword down!

Yue City was just forty li away. Adam Carter ran at full speed through the dense forest, moving as swiftly as a rabbit or a falcon, covering ten li in just a quarter of an hour.

This was also one of the training routines he had set for himself: running at high speed, constantly dodging trees, practicing the arts of dashing and evasion on land.

But when he was about three li from Yue City, Adam Carter suddenly slowed down and became extremely cautious.

Chapter 2: Yue City Wudao

Yue City stretched sixty-five li from north to south, and was said to have a population of over 2.6 million, making it one of the largest cities in the Eastern Wu Kingdom.

However, it stood isolated in a sea of forests, surrounded by primeval woods, with almost no villages or towns nearby. A hundred li out, countless fierce beasts and monsters roamed.

The reason for this was that the area around Yue City was rich in countless mineral veins. Silver, gold, iron, copper, and even the yuan stones and refined iron used by cultivators—almost everything could be found here.

Over time, people gathered and formed a city.

Yue City, being deep within the forest, did not fear attacks from other nations. The only real threat was the beast tides that surged from the depths of the southeastern forest, almost once a month. Thus, the city walls were especially tall, reaching a height of thirty zhang.

However, the reason Adam Carter was being so cautious had nothing to do with any of this. It was because he had made several enemies in this city.

Yue City itself did not produce grain; all food had to be purchased from outside and was controlled by the major powers. For orphans like him, with no parents, survival was especially difficult.

And because the entire Yue City was deep in the forest, the government of Eastern Wu had little real authority here. For hundreds of years, the city had been in chaos—murder, robbery, and theft were commonplace.

Adam Carter was an orphan. His mother had worked herself to death trying to care for him. Though his father's family was once prominent, they had long since severed ties, and he had no wish to be involved with them. Adam Carter had managed to survive safely in Yue City, and even become the top disciple at the Lichen Academy, but not without resorting to some unlawful deeds.

As a child, he stole chickens and dogs; as he grew older, he formed gangs, extorted protection money from the neighborhood. Though he never committed truly heinous crimes, he was by no means a good person.

Recently, due to fighting over territory, he had gotten into several brawls and accidentally killed a few people, making blood enemies. Adam Carter was not afraid, but he did have to be careful when alone.

His strength was just half a step away from the Qi Refining stage, making him the best fighter among his dozen or so brothers in the gang. Naturally, he was also the first target for his enemies' revenge. So these days, Adam Carter was extra cautious whenever he went out.

Once he was within three li of the city, he had to be careful not to be tailed and have his whereabouts discovered. If he were to be ambushed and killed, there would be no one to cry for him.

On the way back, he didn't notice anyone following him, nor was there anything unusual nearby. Still, Adam Carter didn't let his guard down, deliberately taking a detour and entering the city through the east gate, where the wealthy and powerful gathered.

He wound his way through the twisting alleys, circling more than a dozen times before finally returning to the west side of the city. A cunning rabbit has three burrows—this was not his usual residence. Three years ago, Adam Carter had bought a house here, known only to a few of his closest brothers. It was his safe haven, allowing him to sleep soundly these past few days without worrying about being beheaded in his sleep.

This kind of life wouldn't last much longer. As soon as he broke through to the Qi Refining stage and became a cultivator, the world would open up to him. He wouldn't even have to worry about a dozen or so martial artists in the Bone Refining stage.

The Eastern Wu Kingdom was located in the southeast and was considered one of the stronger nations. However, despite its vast territory, cultivators were extremely rare in the southeast. Thus, their status in the kingdom was even more revered. To become a cultivator in Wu-Yue City meant you could even kill someone in the street!

And the increase in strength was tenfold. He had trained in martial arts for seven years, and at the Bone Refining stage, he could take on thirty or forty ordinary strong men. But if he reached the Qi Refining stage, he could fight a hundred men—one person could take on ten Bone Refining martial artists.

The west side of the city was crowded with mine slaves, the houses and streets filthy and dilapidated, and a foul, sour stench filled the air as soon as you approached. Adam Carter's place was a shabby wooden hut, completely unremarkable in the west side of the city.

But when Adam Carter returned, he saw someone standing at the door.

At first, he was startled, but when he saw the person's face in the dim moonlight, Adam Carter was pleasantly surprised.

"Xiao Si? When did you get back, you rascal?"

Eric Bennett was Adam Carter's childhood friend. Also an orphan, he was once one of his sworn brothers.

Though he looked thin and weak, he had actually reached the Blood Refining stage two years ago. But a year and a half ago, he claimed he wanted to wash his hands of crime and become a good, honest man. And sure enough, he left Yue City, and no one knew where he went. Some acquaintances said they had seen Eric Bennett working as a foreman at a dock outside the city, but no one knew if it was true.