Entering Phoenix Feather City was very easy. To gain entry, one had to undergo a basic inspection. As long as the guards did not find any dangerous or forbidden items, entry was permitted.
Ethan carried nothing with him.
The guards were speechless. Aside from his simple clothes, he had nothing at all—not even money. At this moment, he was practically a beggar.
They didn't care.
They recorded the mandatory information—his name, place of origin, and affiliation. When they learned that he was a disciple of Sacred Wind Academy, everything suddenly made sense to them. Since the academy's decline, no one cared about it anymore. Everyone knew it was on the verge of collapse.
Understanding his situation, they issued him a Guest Token and allowed him to enter the city.
As soon as Ethan stepped through the gates, he was greeted by a beautiful city.
It wasn't like New York, California, or Washington DC. There were no towering skyscrapers or modern buildings. Instead, everything reflected ancient architecture. Yet the city was extremely well planned—every structure carefully designed, every street orderly and clean.
Ethan nodded in satisfaction.
This city was far better than Wind Dragon City. His journey had not been wasted. He could definitely change his fate here and begin the first stage of his plan.
He immediately set up a stall.
It was extremely simple. He took out a large cloth he had brought from the academy and spread it on the ground. Then he placed ten fruits of different varieties on top. The arrangement was neat—almost comparable to supermarket displays on Earth—but the scale was much smaller.
He had intentionally taken out only ten fruits to test the waters on the first day. Naturally, it couldn't compare to a real market stall. Still, Ethan didn't mind. No one here had ever seen a supermarket anyway.
He took a deep breath and began shouting loudly.
"Grade-1 Grapes that replenish Endurance instantly! Limited stock—only ten available! Each fruit costs 10 Gold Coins! Hurry!"
…
"Grade-1 Mangoes that replenish Strength instantly! Limited stock—only ten available! Each fruit costs 10 Gold Coins!"
…
"Grade-1 Bananas that replenish Stamina instantly! Limited stock—only ten available! Each fruit costs 10 Gold Coins!"
Ethan shouted with all his strength.
He knew very well that staying silent would result in zero sales. Back on Earth, he had never done anything like this. He had no experience—but desperation left him no choice.
Sure enough, his shouting attracted attention.
Grade-1 fruits were legendary items in a small place like Grace Continent. People were shocked the moment they heard his words.
However, the moment they saw his stall, their expressions changed.
In their eyes, Ethan was clearly a fraud.
A man without even a proper shop was claiming to sell legendary Grade-1 fruits? Worse—he claimed to have multiple varieties, ten of each!
To them, it was laughable.
They decided he wasn't even worth their time and walked away.
Some cultivators, fueled by arrogance, began mocking him openly.
"Where did this idiot crawl out from?"
"Exactly! Grade-1 fruits aren't cabbages. Even the Union barely has them. Who does he think he's fooling?"
"These kinds of scum should be dragged to the Union and punished."
The Union was the governing authority of the world. It maintained order across all continents. Every major city had a Union branch. Crimes were judged in Union Courts, and once a verdict was delivered, it was absolute.
No one dared defy the Union.
Ethan heard everything clearly—but he didn't care.
If they dragged him to the Union, so be it. He wasn't lying. Their ignorance wasn't his problem.
"Shut your mouths!"
A furious voice rang out nearby.
Instantly, all mocking voices disappeared.
The cultivators who had been ridiculing Ethan fell silent, their faces pale. None of them dared speak again.
Ethan immediately understood—this newcomer held significant status.
He knew two types of arrogant people:
One type abused power and background for personal gain.
The other was strict and proud—but principled.
Ethan observed the newcomer carefully. His instincts told him this person belonged to the second type.
Very soon, murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Young Master Robin from Sacred Fire Academy!"
"Why is Young Master Robin here? Isn't he always cultivating?"
"You don't know? He recently completed his cultivation session!"
"He broke through! He's now at the 8th Level of the Elementary Stage!"
"What?! He's only eighteen!"
People were shocked—but not overly surprised. Everyone knew Young Master Robin's talent.
Because he had spoken, the crowd remained silent.
Then they noticed something else.
Young Master Robin was walking straight toward Ethan.