After stowing away his flying sword, Ian Song vigorously rubbed his face. In seconds, his features shifted and morphed, turning him into a completely unremarkable man in his thirties. At the same time, his joints crackled as he compressed his frame, shrinking down to about five foot ten.
Ever since he acquired the Disguise skill, Ian had rarely used it. But this time, since he was infiltrating the Heavensnare Order’s headquarters, there was no way he could go in with his real face. His photo and dossier had surely landed in the hands of the Heavensnare Order’s higher-ups by now—if he just swaggered in, he’d be recognized within minutes.
With his appearance and build altered, Ian pulled a set of old, ragged clothes from his Storage Ring and changed into them.
He was going to play the role of a third-stage Transforming-Gang realm martial artist, using the alias Jason Stone—a name formed by splitting the character for 'Yan' in his real name.
Forty minutes later, Ian arrived before an imposing city. Towering walls, more than ten meters high, loomed overhead, with three grand characters—Heavensnare City—dancing in dragon-and-phoenix calligraphy across the gate.
Before doomsday, only ancient cities ever had walls like this.
But after the apocalypse, every survivor enclave built walls to keep out zombies and mutant beasts.
A squad of soldiers stood guard at the city gate. As Ian drew near, he felt dozens of sharp gazes land on him at once.
"ID card!"
Two guards stepped forward and barked the order in low voices, their expressions wary.
Because Ian didn’t bother to suppress his third-stage Transforming-Gang realm aura, the guards naturally became wary.
"I’m a survivor martial artist here to seek refuge in Heavensnare City," Ian said in a deep voice.
To recruit martial artists from the outside world, the Heavensnare Order set up a dedicated radio frequency to advertise their survivor base.
"So you’re a martial artist seeking asylum! Your cultivation is impressive!" The city gate squad leader, Shawn Huo, stepped forward, sizing Ian up.
"Not bad," Ian replied coolly.
Shawn Huo was an Outer-Sect disciple of the Heavensnare Order, already at late Dan-Jin stage. While he couldn’t pinpoint Ian’s exact cultivation, since Ian wasn’t suppressing his aura, Shawn was sure this newcomer was at least Transforming-Gang realm or higher.
Anyone at the Transforming-Gang realm who joined the Heavensnare Order could become an Inner-Sect disciple—a rare top-tier expert in the pre-apocalypse world. After a brief inquiry, Shawn personally led Ian to register.
Once inside the city, Ian made no attempt to hide his curiosity, openly taking in the sights.
Most buildings in Heavensnare City were low-rise, with the tallest only five stories. There were also markets and shops here.
"Where are you from, Brother Stone?" Shawn asked casually.
"My ancestral home is Plum Mountain," Ian replied offhandedly. Plum Mountain is a prefecture-level city in Westchuan Province.
"What did you do before doomsday, Brother Stone?" Shawn continued to ask.
"I was just a rich drifter, liked to travel. When the apocalypse hit, I was sightseeing at Yellow Mountain. By the time I made it back to Plum Mountain half a year later, my home was deserted—no idea if my family became zombies or were eaten by them."
As he spoke, a trace of grief and sadness flickered in Ian’s eyes.
"Does Brother Stone have any family? If you join the sect, it’ll be much easier to search for them!" Shawn said sincerely.
"Just my wife and daughter—my wife’s name is Hannah Han, and my daughter is Bella Stone." Ian replied after a pause.
"As long as your wife and daughter are still alive, it shouldn’t be hard to find them."
"Let’s hope so."
As they talked, the two arrived at the Heavensnare Order’s survivor registration office.
"Molly Zhao, register this man—Jason Stone, a martial artist seeking refuge in the sect!" Shawn called to a round-faced girl in a black uniform.
"Please have a seat, Mr. Stone!"
Molly Zhao was sharp—she knew Shawn Huo was an Outer-Sect disciple with much higher status than ordinary people, and also a squad captain. Any survivor he brought in must be special, so she was especially polite.
"Mr. Stone, here’s a form. Please fill it out."
Molly smiled as she handed Ian the form and a pen.
The form was simple—just name, age, birthplace, previous occupation, martial artist status, and cultivation level.
Ian quickly filled out the form and handed it back to Molly. When she saw “third-stage Transforming-Gang” in the cultivation level section, her eyes lit up, and she looked at Ian with newfound respect.
Even without joining the Heavensnare Order, a third-stage Transforming-Gang expert could live well in Heavensnare City. Shawn Huo noticed Ian’s cultivation and was glad he’d brought him in. He said, “Are you interested in joining the Heavensnare Order? With your strength, you’d easily qualify as an Inner-Sect disciple!”
"What’s the catch?" Ian asked, feigning confusion.
Shawn quickly explained: “Our Heavensnare Order has four disciple ranks—Outer-Sect, Inner-Sect, Elite, and Core. I’m an Outer-Sect disciple; I get a 2,000 Heavensnare Credits monthly stipend, plus 3,000 credits salary as a city guard captain. You might not know, but Heavensnare City now issues its own currency—Heavensnare Credits. One credit buys a jin of rice, three credits a jin of common mutant beast meat. So, with just 1,000 credits a month, you can live comfortably here.”
If you become an Inner-Sect disciple, you’ll get at least 5,000 credits a month for doing nothing. Take on sect assignments, and it’s easy to earn over 10,000. Our Heavensnare Order has also set up the Martial Arts Hall, Armory Hall, and Pill Hall—only disciples can buy techniques, weapons, and pills there. Joining us comes with plenty of perks.
Ian’s eyes flashed with interest. He asked in a deep voice, “There must be some obligations too, right?”
"That’s right. If we’re invaded, all sect disciples must obey orders!" Shawn nodded.
"What if I want to search for my wife and daughter?" Ian asked again.
"That’s easy—the sect has a Quest Hall. You can post a missing-person quest there, and whoever takes it will help you search for your family." Shawn replied.
"Alright, I’ll join!" Ian agreed.
Shawn was delighted—recommending a strong recruit earned rewards. He smiled, “That’s great! But joining the sect requires a test at the Trial Hall. With your third-stage Transforming-Gang cultivation, you’ll pass easily!”
"Let’s go take the test, then," Ian nodded.
Led by Shawn, Ian entered a spacious hall. Inside, two middle-aged men sat at a table, playing chess.
Shawn bowed respectfully to the two: “Elder Wayne, Elder Wood, this is Brother Stone. He’s here to take the test and join our Heavensnare Order!”