"Fuck you, bro. It's been several months since your insignia turned off," a man in a dark robe exclaimed, his frustration evident as he gripped his head, revealing a tattoo on his skin.
"Mama, that uncle said 'fuck you'!" a child beside her mother pointed accusingly at the figure, earning Lucas a stern glare.
"How unsophisticated," murmured several pedestrians clad in traditional robes.
They wore loose-fitting tunics and flowing garments adorned with symbolic embroidery, along with sturdy boots or embroidered slippers.
Women accessorized with jade pendants or ornamental hairpins, adding a touch of spiritual significance to their everyday attire, while hats or scarves kept their hairstyles neat and denoted their social status or marital standing.
In the heart of that bustling market district, narrow streets wound between small stalls adorned with colorful awnings.
The air was rich with the enticing scents of grilled meats and exotic spices, drawing in a steady stream of customers.
Amidst the cobblestones, groups of friends and families gathered around makeshift tables, sharing laughter and stories over cups of wine.
Lanterns swayed gently overhead, casting a warm, inviting glow that illuminated the vibrant scene.
Pagodas and other large structures made of wooden carvings stood in the background, though the market area was far from the capital city of the Celestial Phoenix Order.
"Behave at least in front of children, Lucas," Iliantra said as she arrived with two passes for entering the main city of the Jade Dominion's first division, the Celestial Phoenix Order.
"Wooah, Mama, see, is that a nine-tailed beast?" the same child called out, pointing towards Iliantra, whose black furry ears and tails were clearly visible against her black robe dress.
"....." Hearing those words, Iliantra only glanced at the child, whose mother bowed in apology before giving the child a slap on the head and pulling him away for disturbing strangers—a responsible mother indeed.
"Sigh, it's not my fault. You already know how much time we've wasted," Lucas said, rubbing his head as he approached a stall and purchased barbecued meat, revealing the issue they had been facing.
Naturally, as flag bearers, they should be focusing on their mission and exercising regularly, but in these few months, they had not killed any other flag bearers.
Now, they had finally arrived and had just missed a chance after hearing about a flag bearer who got into a fight with an army from a smaller continent.
However, it seemed that the flag bearer had already escaped somewhere after losing his one hand.
So, both of them were going to enter the Upper town to find the two women from the small continent called Heindal who had gone against that flag bearer, and ask them for directions—forcefully, if necessary.
"Hey, damn system, don't tell me you're intentionally making me suffer?" Lin Feng looked at the screen in front of him, feeling the quests provided by the System were too difficult for him to even court a single woman in these past months.
The Neolith Harem System had been with him for a whole fucking year, yet he hadn't managed to get a single damn woman.
He was frustrated.
Even the junior sisters he had hoped to fuck were already dual partners with several other upper disciples.
"Damn it!" Feeling irritated, he snapped upright, looked around, and jumped out of bed before rushing out of the room.
He arrived outside, seating himself near a stone stair, and clenched his head in frustration.
In reality, the system was farming its points by making its host suffer.
Within a few months, the accumulation of depression points would likely result in the System terminating/killing Lin Feng, citing his failure to complete the mission it had given him—the way the Systems typically acted, having already begun the search for another host.
"You know, the selection of new disciples will begin in a few days?" A passing man near Lin Feng conversed with a woman, informing her about the incoming batch of disciples to the capital city.
Technically, each inhabitant of Jade Dominion possessed the Physique, or perhaps just this place had the ability to convert mana into internal energy, enabling them to easily use internal energy instead of mana and creating a completely different atmosphere devoid of mana.
"Hm, Young Master Luo Wen is particularly going to choose some for his art gallery, and Courtesan Hua Xian will also be selecting," the woman beside him informed, tightly pressed against the man with her breasts against his arms, as she spoke of the upcoming events.
With no teaching sect but a single division, hundreds of masters from diverse backgrounds came to choose disciples, some interested in battle arts, others in seduction.
Every year, thousands of disciples arrived in the capital city from across the continent.
Indeed, there were restrictions for both existing orders under the monarchy to send their citizens to learn from each other, but spies were common.
'Huh? A disciple selection ceremony? How could I forget this?' Lin Feng's hands paused, his eyes narrowing as he realized this could be his chance to make an impression on talented women or even form his own harem.
After all, every man desires a harem.
"Hngg~!!, don't pinch my cherries so tightly, Elder Brother."
"Junior Sister, I will chew them today, not just pinch, hahaha."
'Fucking bastards!' Lin Feng, still a virgin, felt his head throb at those words, but he swallowed his pain and stood, moving out of the pavilion.