More than a hundred Domain Stage cultivators, each with a clear goal and plan, set out to build an Immortal City. This city was changing almost daily.
The cultivators who came to establish Starhaven City had seen countless Immortal Cities before. Although these cities were more like fortresses at best, a basic Fortune Convergence Array simply couldn't accommodate a city of this size.
But when it came to Starhaven City's layout, in their eyes, this was no mere Immortal City—it was practically a small Immortal Domain. Even before the Twilight Immortal Realm, true Immortal Cities were never this large.
Main and secondary streets, ranging from several meters to dozens of meters wide, crisscrossed Starhaven City in a highly organized fashion. Centered on the City Lord's Manor, the city radiated outward in concentric rings. Along the streets were all kinds of merchant buildings, cave residences, and rest lodges...
As for the City Lord's Manor, it was the heart of the entire Immortal City, occupying the largest area.
That was just the beginning. In Starhaven City, besides these ordinary buildings, there were also guild halls, Pill Hall, Artifact Hall, Array Hall, and other structures—even a Judgment Hall and the City Administration Tower.
In fact, everyone doubted whether such a city, even if completed, would be of any use. With a place this large, even the strongest Fortune Convergence Array wouldn't be able to function.
However, everyone had witnessed Joe Di's strength. Since Joe Di was the City Lord and instructed them to build this way, they simply followed his orders.
Joe Di possessed such formidable strength—he was definitely no fool. Since he wasn't a fool, it meant their new City Lord had his own methods.
After handing over the construction of the Immortal City to the others, Joe Di devoted himself entirely to the study of arrays. His research site was at the bottom of the Celestial Bamboo River, beside a slender spring.
Beside the clear spring, Joe Di could clearly sense the breath of the Immortal Realm’s laws. With the World Tome and the golden Dao Principles aiding him, his study of arrays was smooth and effortless, his progress astonishingly swift.
As City Lords, Zheng Sanxing and Guy Jinxuan had collected a great number of Immortal Realm materials. The common ones were handed to Yvonne Liu and the others for building the Immortal City, while Joe Di kept the rare and precious ones for himself.
The most crucial component of Starhaven City was now in his hands. If he could not set up a top-tier Guardian Array, then no matter how vast or magnificent Starhaven City became, it would remain a castle in the air.
After half a year, Joe Di’s true essence had already transformed into immortal essence. Although his cultivation still lingered at the fourth layer of True Immortal, he could now forge top-grade, low-tier immortal artifacts.
As for his arraycraft, he could now independently arrange peak third-grade Immortal Arrays.
During the Twilight Immortal Era, anyone who could set up a peak third-grade Immortal Array was truly a master among array experts.
Yet Joe Di still felt this was not enough; he needed to be able to arrange fourth-grade Immortal Arrays at minimum. Each day, he refined array banners and deduced new formations.
Another half year passed. Sweeping his spiritual sense across Starhaven City, Joe Di saw that more than half of the city was now complete, its layout executed precisely as he had envisioned.
Over a hundred Domain Stage cultivators had spent more than a year to finish just half the city, a testament to Starhaven City’s immense scale.
Half a year ago, Joe Di could easily arrange peak third-grade Immortal Arrays. Now, another six months later, he found he was still only able to arrange peak third-grade arrays.
It wasn’t that his knowledge of arrays was lacking, nor that the help he received in studying formations was insufficient. He had the World Tome, the golden Dao Principles, and the array techniques taught by Qian Fenghua.
The real issue lay in the grade of his flame—his Cosmic Flame, powerful as it was, remained only a cultivation world flame.
According to the World Tome, the higher the quality of the flame, the more caution must be exercised when advancing it to Immortal Flame.
There were many immortal materials that could help a cultivation world flame ascend to Immortal Flame, but Joe Di refused to simply use materials to upgrade his Cosmic Flame.
The World Tome also stated that the truly supreme flames only advanced to Immortal Flame through Nirvana. If Joe Di wanted his Cosmic Flame to reach a higher level, he would have to find a way for it to undergo Nirvana.
A message arrived through his Commsphere. Seeing the contents, Joe Di was instantly delighted. His spiritual sense swept out, and sure enough, he saw Quinn Tong and Ben Taylor returning—alongside a man he did not recognize.
If the newcomer was deliberately concealing his cultivation and harbored ulterior motives, Joe Di would send him packing without hesitation.
But when the man's spiritual sense brushed over Joe Di, he immediately realized he had underestimated him. This was no ordinary cultivator on par with Zheng Sanxing—he was far stronger.
The immortal essence within this man was incomparably refined, seemingly even surpassing Joe Di's own.
Ben Taylor accepted the jade slip and quickly explained, "Brother Di, this is Senior Ian Shaw. If not for Senior Shaw's help, I would have become nothing but bones. We were able to return to Starhaven City so quickly thanks to his flying treasure."
"Thank you, Daoist Shaw," Joe Di clasped his fists and offered his gratitude.
Ian Shaw also clasped his fists in return, saying, "I heard from Ben that you wish to build an Immortal City where everyone can coexist peacefully, without oppression or senseless slaughter. So I came along to see for myself. Now that I’m here, I must say—this city is grander than any I’ve ever seen."
"Daoist Shaw, you’re not a cultivator from the Twilight Immortal Domain, are you?" Joe Di suddenly asked.
He could sense it—ten Zheng Sanxings together might not be a match for Ian Shaw. Even Joe Di himself might not be his equal. Still, he was not afraid; once he set up the city’s arrays, even a true immortal like Ian Shaw would not threaten him. As a peak third-grade Immortal Array master, with the Earthfire Banner and Sevenstar Purewater Banner, he was confident he could arrange a fourth-grade Immortal Array.
A trace of melancholy flashed in Ian Shaw’s eyes. "After the twilight fell upon the Immortal Realm, chaos and war broke out everywhere. The whole realm was consumed by slaughter and reckless destruction, and then came the exodus to the Newborn Immortal Realm."
"Then why didn’t you go, Daoist Shaw?" Joe Di realized that Ian Shaw was a true immortal, not a pseudo-immortal like Zheng Sanxing.
Ben Taylor also reacted, staring at Ian Shaw in shock. "Senior Shaw, are you an immortal?"
In truth, all those appearing in the Twilight Immortal Domain now had ascended from the cultivation world. Even if they reached True Immortal or Golden Immortal, they were still pseudo-immortals.
Ian Shaw existed before the twilight of the Immortal Realm, so he was undoubtedly a true immortal.
Ian Shaw shook his head and, after a long silence, said, "Does it really make a difference whether I go or not? It would only mean witnessing the misery of the twilight era all over again. I’ve seen enough—I don’t wish to go through it any longer. In fact, there are others like me, those who have lost hope and simply hide in some corner of the Immortal Realm."
Joe Di could sense that Ian Shaw had other reasons for not wishing to go to the Newborn Immortal Realm.
"Starhaven City is about to be established. Daoist Shaw, would you be willing to serve as the city’s Guardian?" Joe Di didn’t ask about Ian Shaw’s cultivation—he assumed Ian Shaw was at the Immortal Lord stage.
Ian Shaw didn’t answer Joe Di directly, but instead asked, "Daoist Di, your city is indeed grand and vast, and I sense a kind of new vitality here. But even if I become Starhaven City’s Guardian, I fear I still won’t be able to truly protect it. Besides, I can’t be here to guard the city at all times."
Joe Di nodded. "I’m planning to arrange an Immortal Array, but unfortunately I lack an Immortal Flame, so the Guardian Array’s level will be a bit low for now. When I obtain an Immortal Flame in the future, I’ll upgrade it again."
"You’re an Immortal Array master as well?" Ian Shaw asked in surprise. To him, even being a first-grade Immortal Array master was already impressive.
"Yes, I am an Immortal Array master," Joe Di replied.
Ian Shaw opened his palm, revealing a pale blue flame dancing in his hand. "I happen to have a fourth-grade Immortal Flame. I’ll lend it to you for now."
"Is this the Kalan Flame?" Joe Di gazed at the flame in Ian Shaw’s hand with delight.
"That’s right. Is it useful to you?" Ian Shaw smiled.
"It’s very useful—thank you, Daoist Shaw," Joe Di said at once.
To lend one's own flame to another, even if Ian Shaw believed his strength far surpassed Joe Di’s and that Joe Di could never forcibly seize his flame, it still showed that Ian Shaw was an upright cultivator.
With Ian Shaw’s Kalan Flame, Joe Di was confident he could raise the Guardian Array’s grade by one or even two levels.