Three days later, in Black Jade City.
Skyscrapers that more than brushed the clouds crowded every corner of the grid. The streets were buzzing with activity, with all kinds of abyssal beings coming and going. War Demon Valley was really just a small village compared to Black Jade City, where the demon king Manticole resided.
All around were buildings like the Giants' Beanstalk. Among them, structures that were hundreds of metres high were a common sight. On his journey, Han Shuo had seen at least a dozen abyssal creatures with bodies even larger than the Primordial Dragon's.
Anyone in this place would feel insignificant and tiny. Hemanna, Sylph, and even Jasper, someone who enjoyed a rather high status in War Demon Valley, all seemed rather reserved and cautious when they arrived in Black Jade City. They also seemed to be more respectful coming from their small mountain village.
When these ladies arrived in Black Jade City, they were not unlike girls back on Earth who came to the city from the countryside for the first time. They were obviously uncomfortable and awkward, deeply afraid that any of their actions might negatively affect Han Shuo in some way. However, aside from the awe, there was a faint excitement in the eyes of the trio of ladies.
Black Jade City was one of the five major capitals of the Abyss Realm. It was the home of Manticole, one of the five overlords of the Abyss. Black Jade City was definitely considered one of the most prosperous cities in the Abyss. For Jasper, Hemanna and Sylph, coming to such a place had filled their hearts not only with awe, but also with expectation.
"Welcome to Black Jade City, hahaha. Mister Han Shuo, how do you find the big city?" Bord beamed at Han Shuo. Bord had been extremely kind to Han Shuo throughout the journey.
"Huge! Everything is huge!" The environment around them, from the buildings to the people, gave Han Shuo exactly that impression. Perhaps it was because of the sheer size of the Abyssal beings that the structures were so gigantic. Were it not for all the Abyssal creatures moving around the city, Han Shuo would have mistaken the area for a mountain range.
"Exactly. The Black Jade City is so magnificent. Look, that's the Demon King's Palace, thousands of metres high - that's where Lord Manticole lives. Hehehe, the people of the Abyss like rough and simple structures. Therefore, the higher and bigger the building, the more appropriate it is to manifest the status of our lord," Bord proudly explained.
Han Shuo raised his head and gazed at the magnificent scene before him. He discovered that the Demon King's Palace was indeed the tallest building in Black Jade City. Majestic and magnificent, the Demon King's Palace looked like a malevolent demon god standing proudly over the world. The structure exuded a contemptuous attitude towards all forms of life, suffocating any observer with an indescribable pressure and feeling of awe in the heart.
"Oh!" Han Shuo gasped. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed. This magnificent Demon King's Palace had a natural ferocity to it. Piercing the blue dome of the sky, the structure was surrounded by clumps of incredibly dense black mist. The dark mist was solidified by the element of darkness and contained defensive energies.
With a single glance, Han Shuo was certain that this Demon King's Palace wasn't as simple as it seemed. The energy it contained must have been for defensive attacks. Those clouds of mist as dark as ink were solidified by the element of darkness. From the appearance of the Demon King's palace alone, Han Shuo could tell that of the eight elements, Demon King Manticole must be cultivating the element of darkness.
"Every time I look at the Demon King's Palace, I feel a sense of awe from the bottom of my heart. The pressure just comes of its own accord. Truly mystical!" Zinia muttered as she raised her head and looked at the Demon King's Palace.
Han Shuo's lips curved to reveal a barely discernible smile, thinking to himself that this palace had indeed been altered by Demon King Manticole using divine energy. Those without a certain level of power wouldn't be able to understand the effects of this mysterious energy around the Demon King's Palace. Perhaps Manticole, as the spiritual leader they believed in, was using this method to force the people to surrender their beliefs to him.
"Han Shuo, this place is truly magnificent!" Hemanna exclaimed in admiration.
"It really is. We finally got the chance to visit the Demon King's City. Hehehe, it really does have a well-deserved reputation!" Hemanna agreed.
In the Abyss Realm, one could not just leave and move to another district without a good reason. In particular, moving from a low-level town to a major city was absolutely forbidden. Since it was the first time that Hemanna, Sylph and Jasper, the ladies who had grown up in War Demon Valley, had visited Black Jade City, it was only natural that they were excited and thrilled.
"Alright, Mister Han Shuo, the two of us will now make a move to get an audience with the lord. You and your ladies can explore the surroundings for now. Later, as soon as the lord commands, we will come over and take you to meet him!" Bord explained.
"Sure, go about your business," Bord and Zinia had been flirting with Han Shuo throughout the entire journey, and Han Shuo actually found the pair quite pleasant. Besides, this Black Jade City was indeed magnificent, and Han Shuo was interested in finding out what the city had to offer. Therefore, he immediately agreed with the duo.
Just as the couple was about to leave, a question popped into Hemanna's head, "But Black Jade City is huge, what if you can't find us?"
Zinia laughed condescendingly and said, "Don't worry about that, little girl. It couldn't be easier for us Black Jade Guards to locate a person in Black Jade City, especially since you are all strangers to this city!"
The Black Jade Guards, under the command of Manticole, were similar to Golander's trump card, the Shadow Warriors, in that they answered directly to their respective Demon Kings. Each of them was a demon-grade expert, wielding enormous power and influence. Although there weren't many Black Jade Guards, each one had countless subordinates. The Black Jade Guards were responsible for the security of the entire Black Jade City, so not even an ant could escape their eyes and ears.
"Oh, I see!" Hemanna had no further questions after listening to Zinia's explanation. There were traces of fear in the ladies' eyes. They had long heard of the reputation of the Black Jade Guards. Just like the Shadow Warriors, the Black Jade Guard was an extremely formidable organisation. When it came to ruthlessness, the Black Jade Guard was no inferior to the Shadow Warriors, something that the people under the rule of other demon kings were well aware of.
"Ok, Mister Han Shuo, ladies, please enjoy the Black Jade City. We both need to report back to the lord as soon as possible," Bord said goodbye to Han Shuo before scurrying off with Zinia towards the Demon King's palace, which was enveloped in divine energy.
"Let's go. We will explore this Black Jade City," after Bord and Zinia left, Han Shuo and the three ladies began their leisurely walk through the incredibly wide streets.
The Black Jade City was huge, much bigger than Han Shuo had imagined! After Han Shuo unfolded his consciousness, he discovered that the Black Jade City was at least ten times larger than Ossen City of the Lancelot Empire back on the Profound Continent. All kinds of rare goods that he had never seen before could be found in its various regions. There were all kinds of strange creatures roaming the streets of Black Jade City. Some of them were indistinguishable from rocks, and some even looked like trees. It was completely foreign to him.
The three ladies were also very fascinated and kept talking all the way. Since Hemanna and Sylph had taken to being slave servants from the start, they were not upset when Jasper came along. On the contrary, they got on well with her.
Since the group had no idea about the Black Jade City, their curiosity was aroused. Whenever they saw something interesting, they would stop and investigate. Voices of awe and amazement continued to echo from their mouths.
A vicious screech suddenly stung Han Shuo's ears. "Half-breed, how dare you come out of your cave and prowl the streets! Courting death!"
Glancing in the direction of the voice, Han Shuo saw that five or six alien teenagers had pushed another teenager into a corner. They were punching and kicking him, all the while spitting bloody insults at this youth.
The boy wore a stunned expression, his body curled up, his hands over his head, not saying a word as he was beaten by the few others. The heavy blows of the kicks left red marks on his body that would soon turn purple and swollen. Though he took the beating, the anger in his eyes was cold as ice.
From the looks of it, this teenager should have developed a deep-seated hatred for the few alien teenagers. But since he didn't have much strength, all he could do was let them beat him without putting up the slightest resistance, holding on tight to his skull to avoid brain damage.
There were bound to be many such scenes of bullying on any material plane. Han Shuo was not one to meddle in other people's affairs. Besides, they were in the Abyss, where only the fittest survived. It was adapt or die.
Gradually, this youth, with bitter resentment in his eyes, seemed unable to withstand the endless rounds of beatings. Even his two hands were no longer able to protect his head. It seemed as if he would be beaten to death at any moment.
Han Shuo was about to pull the three ladies away when he suddenly saw something - the dark red blood in this young man's body seemed to want to seep out through his pores. Han Shuo made no effort to hide his astonishment. Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, Han Shuo examined the youth's body with his consciousness. He was startled and blurted out, "Body of Sanguis!"
"What?" Jasper stared at Han Shuo in confusion.
Han Shuo did not answer. His body transformed into a bolt of lightning, slicing through the layers of people and appearing in front of the curled up boy in an instant. He reached out his large hand and grabbed the scrawny boy, lifting him up. The boy's eyes were filled with stubborn resentment even on the brink of death. In a deep voice, Han Shuo asked, "Son, do you want power?"
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