"Han Shuo, where have you been? Lord Crosius has sent messengers to hasten you, requesting your presence in the War Demon Great Hall to discuss important matters." Hemanna was the first to see Han Shuo after he emerged from his secret underground chamber. She began to scream in fear at the sight of him.
Hemanna obviously worshipped Crosius. Within the War Demon Valley, Crosius was basically an overlord with absolute authority. Hemanna feared that Crosius would blame Han Shuo for his tardiness, hence her worried reaction.
The passage of time was not quite the same as on the Profound Continent. One day in the Abyss Realm was the same as about half a month on the Profound Continent. Considering that the meeting was to take place two days from the day he went underground, Han Shuo figured that he must have been in his secret chamber for about a month.
"It's no big deal. I'll go over there right away," Han Shuo said in a relaxed manner. After scanning the area with his mind, he asked smilingly, "Where is Sylph?"
"She is asking around to find out where you are. We tried to look for you but had absolutely no idea where you've gone to, so we decided to let her ask around outside while I wait for you here," Hemanna replied.
"Hmm, I should have informed you both before. If I go missing again, don't come looking for me. I will return eventually," Han Shuo said somewhat embarrassed. Then he marched out in big strides and said, "Alright, let's go to the meeting and see if it's finished."
"The War Demon Grand Hall is the largest building in the centre there. I can show you the way, but I cannot escort you into the Grand Hall. I don't have the qualifications. I'm deeply sorry!" Hemanna said apologetically as he followed Han Shuo towards the War Demon Grand Hall.
The division of classes in the Abyss Realm was just as strict and rigid as it was in the Netherworld. They weren't allowed to simply interact with characters of greater strength. Hemanna and Sylph only possessed the power of a Destroyer, and they were not qualified to attend the meeting in the Grand Hall of War Demons.
Those were the rules of the Abyss Realm. Han Shuo did not insist on it either. They made their way to the War Demon Grand Hall very quickly.
On the way, Han Shuo inspected his body with his consciousness and found that his main body had suffered some damage. Even the demon infant was injured. However, after his consciousness went through the extremely treacherous battle, his willpower became even more tenacious. Compared to the minor injuries to his demon infant, the benefit he gained was simply incalculable.
At this moment, Han Shuo's main body, which practised demonic arts, only had the strength of demigods. On the other hand, one of his avatars was a basegod of death, while another was an even more formidable lowgod of destruction.
After gaining two more souls, Han Shuo was far stronger than ever. If he were to return to the Profound Continent right now, Han Shuo reckoned that even the Tribal King of the Six-Horned Soul Race and the Saintess of the Church of Light would face certain death if pitted against him. They might not even be able to escape from his presence alive.
In the entire Profound Continent, perhaps only this Primordial Dragon with unfathomable strength could match Han Shuo. There wasn't a moment when Han Shuo didn't think about his bone-deep enmity with the Primordial Dragon.
"Oh, Captain Nambrough, it turns out that you are in charge of guarding the door. Han Shuo is late for the meeting. Is the meeting still on?" Hemanna asked hastily after seeing the captain of the Shero Regiment, Nambrough, standing tall and upright in front of the entrance upon arriving at the largest building.
Nambrough was still very cordial when he met Han Shuo again. With rather anxious eyes, he replied to Hemanna, "Lord Crosius had informed Mister Han Shuo of the meeting long ago. He even sent men to invite Han Shuo again. Why have you two only come now?"
"Captain Nambrough, it's true that my master is a little late for the meeting. But can he still enter now?" Hemanna asked anxiously.
"I will take Mr Han Shuo inside. You wait outside for a while," Nambrough replied to Hemanna before turning to Han Shuo and saying, "Mister Han Shuo, please follow me.
Han Shuo nodded with a slight smile, not at all anxious or embarrassed as someone who was late should be. He followed Nambrough unperturbed and asked casually, "How long ago did the meeting begin? Who was there? What did they discuss?"
"It was some time ago. The six Rakshas and a few honourable guest advisors are present. The main topic was how to deal with the impending attack from Venomfang Castle." Since Han Shuo had saved Nambrough's Shero Regiment the last time, Nambrough would naturally take special care of Han Shuo. After a short pause, he added, "The forces of Venomfang Castle are approaching our War Demon Valley as we speak. More and more of our scouts placed around the valley are being eliminated. It won't be long before Venomfang Castle launches a full-scale invasion of our valley. This time, with Demon King Golander's Shadow Warriors aiding Venomfang Castle, the future of our War Demon Valley is bleak!"
Han Shuo furrowed his brow. "Shadow Warriors? Are they really that formidable? So terrifying?"
It was as if a formless pressure enveloped Nambrough whenever the Shadow Warriors were mentioned. He forced a smile and nodded before replying, "The Shadow Warriors are the most powerful fighters under the control of the demon king Golander. Each Shadow Warrior has the strength of a demon. Moreover, the most powerful fighter among them was even stronger than Lord Crosius. You can't imagine the devastation a demon can cause." He sighed, "Unfortunately, the message we sent to Black Jade City was too little, too late. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out until the reinforcements sent by Lord Manticole arrive."
As they talked, the two of them quickly climbed up a hundred or so flights of stairs. When they finally reached a huge stone door, guarded by an inordinate number of guards, Nambrough told Han Shuo to wait outside for a moment while he went in alone to announce his arrival. Shortly after, Nambrough made a quick gesture and Han Shuo casually walked into the meeting room.
The room was extremely spacious. In the centre was a huge oval table, surrounded by wide stone chairs. Directly in front of him was Crosius, sitting proudly in the chairman's seat, displaying the magnificent, imposing, and dignified demeanour of a person of high rank.
The seat next to Crosius was occupied by the head of the six Rakshas of the War Demon Valley, Qunoa. The five seats after him were occupied by demigod experts who wore the Rakshas' ornaments. The level two Rakshas that Han Shuo had taught a harsh lesson to, Brakyah, was one of the five.
Next to the six Rakshas were the seats for the visiting advisors. Han Shuo had never met these visiting advisors before. Who knew where in the world they were from. There were a total of five visiting advisors. Three of them possessed demigod strength, and the other two were slightly weaker. They must have been summoned here to help with the crisis.
These five visiting advisors resided in a different place from the area where Han Shuo resided. They seemed to be treated a little better. From the way Crosius looked at them, Han Shuo could tell that he attached great importance to these five visiting advisors.
As soon as Han Shuo appeared, all eyes in the hall turned to him. Qunoa forced a smile at Han Shuo as a gesture of greeting. Even Brakyah nodded at Han Shuo with a slight smile. However, there was a hint of pleasure in his eyes at Han Shuo's misfortune, as if he was ready to watch Han Shuo get roasted.
The other experts of the War Demon Valley who were meeting Han Shuo for the first time all wore expressions of amazement and astonishment. Who knew what impressions they were making as they secretly watched Han Shuo.
In a far corner, Crosius' daughter, Jasper, stood up straight on her slender legs. She was writing on the sheet of documents she held in her hand. When she saw Han Shuo enter the hall, she gave him a few glances, indicating that he should be careful, before burying her head and continuing to write.
Han Shuo learned from Hemanna that Jasper had been acting as a recorder all along. In this role, she attended every meeting of importance to the War Demon Valley. However, as the Abyss Realm was a place where the mighty were honoured, even though she was Crosius' daughter and had a reasonable excuse to be in the meeting room, she could only record from a distance and was not even given a seat.
To be fair, even standing in that room with an inadequate level of power could be considered riding on her father's coattails. She simply did not have the qualifications to sit!
Directly in front of him, Crosius looked at Han Shuo with a somewhat cold expression. In a displeased tone, he said, "I had asked Brakyah to inform you of the meeting in advance, in addition to sending people to invite you before it began. Who knew that Mister Han Shuo could be so contemptuous as to join us just as our meeting was about to adjourn!"
Han Shuo actually felt a slight pang of embarrassment. After all, Crosius had indeed acted fairly and given him a proper warning. His tardiness, combined with the arrogance he had displayed when he first met Crosius, had obviously left Crosius with a completely unsatisfactory impression.
The Abyss Realm was a place where the powerful were respected, including the rules they set. Despite the insolence Han Shuo had shown in their first encounter, Crosius could still make an exception and let him go. But this time, Crosius had given Han Shuo advance notice, twice, and yet Han Shuo was still late. From this perspective, Han Shuo was just deliberately breaking the rules. This was something Crosius could not forgive.
"Mister Han Shuo, as a visiting advisor of War Demon Valley, you should learn to play by our rules. Lord Crosius has treated you well. Screwing up at a critical moment is not something a visiting advisor should do. Oh, right, I almost forgot to tell you, I'm the head of the visiting advisors to War Demon Valley. From now on, you will answer to me. Understood?" a two-faced, four-armed alien said to Han Shuo in a mysterious voice.
It looked like a conjoined twin. From the front, it appeared to be a tall and sturdy man, while the back of its head had the face of an enchanting woman with all the features of a woman, including a pair of tall twin peaks. When it spoke, there were two voices, male and female, speaking in unison, causing inexplicable goosebumps and discomfort to any listener.
It was the most powerful of the visiting advisors. Her strength wouldn't pale in comparison to the second-in-command of War Demon Valley, Qunoa. As it spoke, it twisted its body and neck so that both the male and female faces on its head could look at Han Shuo. It was a beast.
" "My apologies, I just got off the boat and haven't quite adjusted to the time in the Abyss Realm yet. I wasn't paying attention and accidentally forgot the time during my cultivation," Han Shuo just looked at Crosius and explained as if it was no big deal. As he spoke, he walked over to the oval table as if he had not heard the chief advisor's words.
"Fine. I will let this pass. You have just become a visiting advisor of the War Demon Valley and may not be aware of the rules of my valley. I will forget about it this time. But the next time this happens, I won't be so kind," Crosius looked deeply at Han Shuo and let out a soft groan. He did not give Han Shuo any punishment at this critical moment. But if it were normal times, this Master of War Demon Valley, who had gained his seat through bloodshed, would definitely not be so forgiving and merciful.
"Thank you!" Han Shuo replied casually. As he walked over to the table to take a seat, he looked at the seat of the lowest rank and furrowed his brow. Then a thought seemed to cross his mind and he showed a faint smile of satisfaction. He walked over to the head of the visiting advisors, who had both male and female faces on the same head, and said, "Hey, cuntboy, get off my seat!
The few Rakshas and a few other visiting advisors who were quietly discussing why Crosius' temper had turned 180 degrees this time stopped talking as soon as Han Shuo spoke. The great hall was suddenly filled with pin-drop silence.
"What... what did you say?" the chief of the visiting advisors was somewhat stunned. The male face facing Han Shuo showed an expression of astonishment.
"You cunt boy, get out of my seat. Do you not understand my words?" When he finished, Han Shuo gently placed his left hand on the shoulder of this chief of the visiting advisors. The aura of destruction that came from the Demonslayer's Edge immediately overflowed onto his body. Every expert in the meeting hall immediately felt a destructive, ruthless, and terrifyingly sinister energy.
The soul within the Demonslayer Edge possessed the power of a lowgod. However, Han Shuo had not fully revealed his true power. First, he released the aura of a demigod and gradually increased the power. When the released aura approached that of a basegod, the chief of the visiting advisors could no longer withstand the overwhelming pressure. He stood up trembling. In a squeaky, trembling tone, as if it had been at fault, the creature said, "It's, it's just a seat... no need to be so rough with me... you scared me...
This time only the female spoke. The male's mouth was completely closed. But the male's face had the strange expression of a shy, dainty and delicate girl.
The strangeness of this visiting advisor sent a shiver down Han Shuo's spine. He sat on the seat he had just been forced to take as he stared blankly at the enchanting woman on the alien's back. Somehow, he was torn between laughter and tears.
"Mr. Han Shuo, from now on, you are allowed to be late for any meeting. This is a new rule of the War Demon Valley, made especially for you!" Crosius said firmly as he looked at Han Shuo with a pleasantly surprised expression.
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