The Tang Kingdom has arrived.
Li Qi felt a surge of spirit!
He had been looking forward to the Tang Kingdom for so long!
The inside of Wu Deity Mountain was quite peaceful, just as peaceful as the Wu Dao itself. Everyone did their own things without disturbing each other and communicated when necessary.
Letting things take their natural course, maintaining the natural laws of the universe, this was how it should be.
But Humanism wasn't like that.
What Humanism pursued was change.
Innovating every day, constantly striving for a better future.
Holding Shen Shuibei, Li Qi murmured:
"Humanism has myriad threads, rules run through everything, inducing progress with benevolence and righteousness, restraining with punishment, uniting the world and aligning the people."
Li Dao(Reason and Principle), Dao Sects, all had parts of their Dao lineage following Humanism, even breaking away from their original traditions, showing how attractive Humanism truly was.
However, without seeing it firsthand, it was still hard for Li Qi to understand.
The Humanism he had seen before could hardly be called Humanism; rather, it was more akin to tyranny.
Though grandiose, it showed no mercy, crushing all who opposed it with terrifying and incomparable brute force, leaving no room for reason—either submit or perish.
There were no other choices.
But he knew Humanism wasn't that simple, which is why he wanted to see it with his own eyes.
Li Qi was going to study at the Imperial Academy, located in Chang'an.
This was...
Chang'an.
The center of Humanism across countless worlds and endless outer realms, where the Human Sovereign resided.
"Li Qi..." At this moment, Shen Shuibei, in her rabbit form, spoke up.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Shuibei?" Li Qi asked.
Shen Shuibei's ears drooped, her body trembling, seemingly not used to being addressed that way.
But she quickly composed herself and said, "Be careful, I haven't been here either... I'm not familiar with Humanism places, but the Tang Kingdom is very domineering and doesn't like listening to others."
"Don't worry, someone from the Honglu Temple will come to meet us. The Tang Kingdom won't let anything happen to us." Li Qi nodded, comforting the rabbit while stroking her fur and tugging on her tail.
Tugging revealed it was really long.
This made Shen Shuibei curl into a ball, preventing him from continuing his mischief.
Meanwhile, the Kunpeng gradually shrank its body, standing on the edge of its wings. Li Qi slowly began to see the scenery in front of him become clearer.
The high-altitude clouds dissipated, the grotto-world on the Kunpeng's back completely hidden, shrinking to only several meters in wingspan, barely enough for Li Qi to stand alone.
At this point, the Kunpeng spoke.
Using a gentle female voice, she said,
"Young Master, we came hurriedly without any entourage. I have to report back to the Grand Invoker later. It seems you two will be alone in Chang'an for about four to five days... Be careful."
"Don't worry, Senior. I already knew about these arrangements. A few days won't be a problem." Li Qi smiled, knowing this beforehand.
It was normal; he hadn't prepared an envoy after joining a large group.
Instead, after taking Shen Shuibei, fearing Zhizhu would punish him severely upon return, he left hastily to avoid trouble.
Coming to the Tang Kingdom to study meant even Zhizhus couldn't say much, merely glaring at Li Qi helplessly.
Hearing this, the rabbit curled into a ball, head and tail down, pretending to be nothing more than a furball.
"As long as Young Master has a plan, it's fine. We've arrived." The Kunpeng circled in the air, then slowly descended towards the ground.
The ground... was a big city.
Li Qi looked far into the distance but couldn't find the boundaries of Chang'an.
Just like Wu Deity Mountain spanned tens of thousands of miles, though Chang'an didn't cover such an exaggerated area, it easily reached ten thousand square miles?
Honestly, Li Qi found it strange. In his imagination, Chang'an should be boundless.
But it was much smaller than expected.
Spanning ten thousand miles, it was roughly the size of Australia in his previous life.
Calculating, it was around seven to eight million square kilometers, slightly less than Tianchao, slightly larger than the United States.
For a single city to be so vast was already quite astonishing.
But somehow, it felt lacking?
Seemingly noticing Li Qi's confusion, the Kunpeng laughed: "Young Master needn't doubt. Just as Wu Deity Mountain spans the land, Chang'an within Tianxia is merely the core and 'gateway.'"
Gateway?
Li Qi suddenly understood.
Indeed.
The Kunpeng continued descending, breaking through the wind layer.
Here, prosperity became evident.
All around were countless flying vehicles, most unable to break through the wind layer but sufficient to roam here.
These flying vehicles had different characteristics. Some were flying mounts or beasts like Li Qi's.
Others were magical artifacts, such as common boats and carriages.
There were also massive public transport facilities, similar to buses or light rail systems.
Magical pathways crisscrossed, strictly defining routes.
Flying also had designated paths, divided into latitude and longitude, opening straight lines and tracks, many but orderly, each flying within its own range.
So did Li Qi, the Kunpeng seemed to know the 'traffic rules,' following a windless path formed by magic, allowing such numerous flying vehicles to operate smoothly!
Fast yet avoiding collisions with others.
Li Qi saw countless people without rankings, possessing cultivation but not ranked, yet they rode the same public transport as those with ranks.
Some even bought their own flying vehicles.
Looking down from the sky, countless rivers appeared.
Truly countless...
A river possibly eight hundred miles wide ran through Chang'an, branching out into countless smaller streams forming a water network covering the entire city.
This water network seemed meticulously planned, ensuring adequate permeability everywhere, becoming the city's second transportation network.
What a great river! Flowing majestically, its source unknown, its end unseen, enveloping the earth, connecting to the heavens.
One could only see foam rushing southward endlessly, lush vegetation, exotic birds gathering, countless people traveling by boat or riding turtles, adorned splendidly, moving rhythmically along the river.
Li Qi even saw many dragons carrying palaces floating above the river, people drinking and playing music aboard.
Besides aerial and water transportation, land transport was also highly developed.
On land, various vehicles or magical artifacts moved along planned roads, some able to ascend to the sky or dive into the water at certain points.
Some aerial and aquatic vehicles could also land on the ground, each having different procedures.
Countless modes of transportation, billions of people moved through this city the size of Australia, yet followed some mysterious and profound rules, making everything orderly, neatly arranged, without disorder.
This was just traffic.
Below, the architecture was even more astounding.
Buildings soared like mountains, towering into the clouds.
Cloud pavilions stood tall, planted with divine trees and spiritual herbs.
Various shapes and forms, adapted to different environments, beams stretching northward, birds flying southward.
Magnificent pillars, radiant cypress trees, hundreds of columns lined up, thousands of brackets supporting!
Different types of buildings lay below, some resembling residential towers reaching several miles high, piercing the sky, with flying vehicles passing by.
Roads extended from these towers, forming overpasses, vehicles from the ground driving up.
These bridges interconnected, creating a three-dimensional traffic network, but without pedestrians, only vehicles.
Complex yet orderly.
Through certain traffic rules, billions of vehicles navigated this city spanning millions of square kilometers.
Li Qi suspected there might be underground transportation too, sensing the continuous flow of Earth Qi beneath the surface.
This would signal earthquakes in Baiyue regions, but here, everything remained calm.
It reminded him of Jingyan mentioning 'Groundstream Car.'
Seeing just a part reveals the whole.
From this traffic alone, Li Qi could see Chang'an's prosperity.
Prosperous yet orderly, full of vitality.
Rules protected everyone without restricting anyone's freedom.
Rules prevented harm to oneself or others, within this scope, one was free.
Or put another way...
Rules brought freedom.
Wu Deity Mountain set few rules, letting nature take its course, but ordinary people in Baiyue areas had no freedom, still living in feudal times.
Without rules, societal development stagnates, but Wu Deity Mountain didn't care, considering it part of nature.
A stone from a hundred million years ago remains a stone today.
Wu Deity Mountain wouldn't deliberately carve stones into tools unless needed.
"So that's how it is, so that's how it is," Li Qi sighed.
He understood partially.
These rules restrained the strong to give the weak a degree of freedom.
Law enforcement kept ordinary people in check, stronger supervision controlled law enforcement, layer upon layer upwards.
Until the top-ranked ones, who self-regulated, serving as the ultimate constraint on these rules.
Layer upon layer, this social order was formed.
Orderly, granting everyone maximum freedom without infringing on others' freedoms.
Freedom's boundaries were regulated; as long as one didn't infringe on others' freedom, one was free.
Like lanes on a road—if you didn't obstruct others, you could drive as you pleased.
Thus, in this place, restrictive rules actually brought freedom.
This greatly promoted prosperity.
Soon, the Kunpeng followed the aerial route, crossing hundreds of miles, landing at a...
Parking lot?
Not sure what else to call it, but in Li Qi's mind, this was a parking lot.
Covering a vast area, dozens of square kilometers.
Many beasts or unshrinking artifacts were parked here, patrolled by guards, with surveillance-like devices, magical artifact eyes patrolling.
Conspicuous, flashing lights, more warnings than surveillance.
Warning potential troublemakers, "Beware, there are cameras here."
Moreover, the surrounding decor was interesting.
No wonder during the small world 'Earth Oil World,' it had an ancient-modern style.
Back then, it was mentioned Earth Oil World governed with 'humanistic evil laws.'
Here, it was the super-advanced version of Earth Oil World.
Surroundings exuded an ancient charm but carried advanced elements beneath.
Externally, it looked like: Jade halls surrounded by green curtains, silk screens shading clouds, steps cleansed by morning dew, evening winds clearing the forest below.
Upon closer inspection, advanced methods and measures were hidden under the ancient charm.
In the Tang Kingdom, everywhere was filled with magical artifacts!
Yes, everywhere.
Walls played advertisements for flying swords.
Road signs were dynamic, guiding Li Qi out of the parking lot.
Flower beds automatically watered and fertilized themselves.
Even the floor tiles were magical artifacts!
These tiles formed a large array, linking the entire parking lot.
Magic waves filled the surroundings, like radio waves filling the Earth.
Everything seemed automated.
Aside from maintaining a classical Eastern aesthetic, everything else reached a 'sci-fi' level.
Holding the rabbit, until landing at a parking spot, the Kunpeng said, "Young Master, someone from the Honglu Temple just contacted me. They asked us to park here, and someone will come to greet us."
"Contacted? When?" Li Qi was surprised.
"When entering and exiting Chang'an, all must undergo review. They contacted me then, but since the Grand Invoker dislikes disturbances, I couldn't reach you inside the grotto-world, so I didn't speak."
"I see, it's fine. Them coming to greet me is normal anyway." Li Qi nodded, stepping off the Kunpeng.
Following the changing signs on the ground, heading toward the exit of the parking lot.
Li Qi noticed nearby signs adjusting in real-time based on his path, always pointing toward the exit.
Indeed, with a parking lot spanning dozens of kilometers, without guidance, cultivators might manage, but mortals would likely get lost.
After walking for a while, Li Qi saw a group dressed in typical Tang Kingdom attire.
They wore official robes.
Six or seven people, with two leading.
Seeing Li Qi, they quickened their pace, approaching him.
Then, they slightly bowed, not overly respectful, simply stating:
"Minister Chen Wei of the Honglu Temple's Guest Reception Office."
"Guest Reception Official Fang Yuanzheng of the Honglu Temple."
"Here to welcome the young master from Wu Deity Mountain to the residence."