bookandnovel Chapter 187 City Lord's Meeting
Chapter 187 City Lord's Meeting
After a short wait, a boy dressed in plain clothes walked out of the high platform hall and glanced at the crowd below.
Finally, the order came down to Shi Jian, who said calmly, "The city lord commands you to bring these distinguished guests into the hall."
Shi Jian felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly bowed and stood to the side, raising his hand in a gesture of leading the way, his tone hurried:
"Esteemed immortals, please follow me up. The native inhabitants of this valley must abide by the etiquette of this high platform, but you are all powerful beings from the outside world, so there is no need for you to be bound by those worldly rules."
Lu Ming already harbored resentment towards the strict class system, so upon hearing this, he simply nodded slightly and followed the others up the steps.
The city lord is only at the Nascent Soul stage. He doesn't abide by these worldly customs, so who can do anything about him?
The stone steps are carved from a single piece of jade, rising higher and higher, making the figures of people in the city below appear increasingly smaller as you go up.
In the center of the high platform stood a magnificent hall with its doors wide open. Inside sat a figure dressed in brocade robes, none other than the city lord of the human territory.
Lu Ming and his group slowly walked into the main hall.
The city lord subconsciously probed outwards with his divine sense. When he sensed the powerful aura of Lu Ming and his group, the city lord felt a chill in his heart and lost all his composure as a ruler.
He quickly rose and strode out of the hall to greet them, his face beaming with smiles, and proactively bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.
"So it is a celestial being from beyond the valley who has come in person! My apologies for not welcoming you properly! Please, everyone, take your seats."
"You're too kind, City Lord," Xia Linxian returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute.
Shi Jian huddled to the side of the palace gate, head bowed and pressed against the wall, not daring to breathe loudly the entire time.
Xia Linxian led everyone into the hall and sat down on either side.
The group from the Taoist temple did not conceal their Nascent Soul cultivation at all, which made the air in the hall feel somewhat stagnant.
The city lord sat upright in the main seat, his body unconsciously lowering itself a few notches.
"The Valley of Abandoned Heaven has been isolated from the world for ten thousand years, and very few powerful beings from the outside world have set foot here. The fact that we can welcome you all today is a great blessing for our human settlement."
"I wonder what brings you all here? Please feel free to ask. I will share whatever I know with you." The city lord's tone was warm and welcoming, no longer displaying any sense of superiority.
Xia Linxian cupped his hands slightly: "City Lord, there's no need for such formality. Along our journey, we've witnessed humans and demonic beasts fighting for the Spirit-Extinguishing Mine everywhere. Besides that, are there any other dangers within the valley that we need to be particularly wary of?"
"I've long heard that there are many taboos in the valley. I wonder if the city lord could tell me about them?"
When the strange taboos within the valley were mentioned, a deep sense of apprehension arose in the city lord's eyes.
He slowly began to speak: "This desolate place is naturally filled with inexplicable yin energy. There are indeed a few unwritten taboos in the valley, and no living being in the valley dares to disobey them. Those who violate them almost never survive."
"Firstly, one must never look at the reflections in the pools around Jue Ling Yuan at dusk."
"Once you look into your reflection, your flesh and skin will slowly dissolve into blood, and there is no cure."
"Secondly, whenever a fierce wind blows, silver-white knife-patterned fragments often scatter on the ground. You must never pick them up, as the fragments will penetrate your flesh and devour your life force."
"Thirdly, every midnight, a dull hum will sound from the bottom of the valley, and at that time, no matter what kind of crisis you encounter, you cannot move."
"With the slightest movement, an invisible spatial blade will appear out of thin air and dismember the living being on the spot."
Chu Tian frowned slightly and pressed, "Where does the root of these three taboos lie? Is it the work of demonic beasts, or a strange law inherent in the world itself?"
The city lord shook his head slightly, looking helpless: "No one can find out the truth. All we know is that the source of all the anomalies is hidden in the Abyss of Annihilation deep in the valley."
"The bottom of the abyss is perpetually filled with a chilling, malevolent aura, and the eerie sights throughout the valley are all caused by this malevolent aura."
"The Abyss of Absolute Spirit is extremely dangerous. Even the locals dare not approach within ten miles of its outer perimeter. The malevolent energy at the mouth of the abyss corrodes the spirit and can easily drive people insane."
Mo Yuan asked, "We have been in the valley for several days and have not seen any other outside cultivators."
"I wonder if another group of outsiders has entered the valley recently?"
The city lord thought for a moment and then came to the answer, not daring to conceal anything: "There was indeed such a group of people, about twenty people, who passed through this place several days ago."
"The leader was a young man dressed in a flamboyant red robe, accompanied by a woman in blue who commanded the group. All of them were highly skilled, and we dared not investigate them."
"All we know is that they went towards the direction of the Abyss of Annihilation and have not returned since. They must have arrived near the Abyss of Annihilation by now."
Upon hearing this information, Xia Linxian and Li Jingyun exchanged a glance, both certain that this group was none other than the Juechen Palace people led by Hua Cheng and Shuangye.
The fact that the other party went to great lengths to venture into the desolate Abyss of Annihilation proves that something crucial enough to affect the young master of the Heavenly Palace of Separation and Hatred lies hidden at the bottom of the abyss.
Xia Linxian pressed on, "How far is the Absolute Spirit Abyss from here? Will there be any demonic beasts or other forces blocking the way?"
"The straight-line distance is no less than a thousand miles, and the journey involves crossing a large rift valley inhabited by demonic beasts. However, with the strength of you immortals, you need not worry about these demonic beasts."
The city lord paused for a moment, then kindly reminded them, "However, there is another force near the Abyss of Absolute Spirit. They have lived here for generations, cultivating with malevolent energy, and their strength is formidable."
"They are known to outsiders as the Guardians, who prevent all living beings from entering the Abyss of Annihilation."
"If any of you are also going to the Abyss of Extinction, try to avoid direct conflict with them."
"Moreover, the closer one gets to the Abyss of Absolute Spirit, the more sluggish the flow of spiritual energy becomes, and there is also a malevolent aura surrounding it. If one's cultivation is slightly weak, the malevolent aura will enter the body and impact the soul."
"If one's cultivation level is below the Nascent Soul stage, being corrupted by the evil energy from outside the abyss will result in a near-death experience."
Xia Linxian thanked him calmly, "Thank you for the reminder, City Lord. I have another question. Is the constant fighting between humans and demons in the valley solely for the sake of the Spirit-Extinguishing Mine?"
A subtle glint flashed in the city lord's eyes: "The Absolute Spirit Mine is the only resource we can exchange with outside caravans for spirit stones and pills."
"The spiritual energy in the valley is scarce. If you want to cultivate, you must rely on spirit stones or the flesh and blood of demonic beasts to hone your martial arts."
"Demon beasts feed on human flesh and blood, and we also hunt ferocious beasts to cultivate. The two sides are irreconcilable enemies, and the struggle has never stopped."
Chu Tian then asked, "On the demon beast clan's side, is there also a leader like the city lord who governs the entire demon territory? What is their cultivation level?"
"Of course there are. The leader of the Demon Realm is also at the Nascent Soul stage. He is based in the Rift Valley, controlling all the demon beasts, and sharing control of the Abandoned Valley with me."
"Normally, they do not set foot in each other's territories. Only when they are fighting for large mineral veins will large-scale battles break out between their forces."
The city lord picked up the stone cup, took a sip of tea, and then regained his warm demeanor: "You have all traveled a long way and are covered in dust. Why don't you sit down and rest for a while in the hall?"
"I will immediately have a small feast prepared and also give you a batch of rare spirit ore as a gift."
Li Jingyun said calmly, "Thank you for your kindness, City Lord. We appreciate it, but there's no need to trouble yourself."
"What kind of existence lies beneath this Abyss of Desolation, capable of summoning such malevolent energy and strange phenomena?"
The city lord sighed softly, "Such strange phenomena are far beyond our ability to investigate. I truly know nothing about them."
"In that case, thank you in advance, City Lord. We have important matters to attend to, so we'll take our leave now." Xia Linxian stood up to take her leave.
"May I ask if you immortals are going to the Abyss of Desolation to find the group of people from before?" The city lord stood up and asked respectfully.
"Indeed. May I ask what instructions the City Lord may offer?" Xia Linxian asked.
"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance, but I do have a suggestion." The city lord glanced at Lu Ming and said, "The area around the Spirit Abyss is extremely dangerous. The sheer amount of malevolent energy alone is enough to withstand even a Nascent Soul cultivator. Moreover, those people from before were all at least Nascent Soul cultivators."
"If you immortals trust me, you may allow this fellow Daoist to remain in the city for now, lest something unexpected happen upon him/her departure from the Abyss of Extinction."
Lu Ming pointed to himself, "Me?"
"Furthermore, all of you immortals can communicate in real time through this fellow Daoist. If you need any help, I will do my duty without hesitation," the city lord said warmly.
Xia Linxian looked at Lu Ming: "Junior Brother Lu, what do you think?"
"Now that I'm here, there's no reason for me to back down. I'm willing to go to the Abyss of Annihilation with my fellow disciples," Lu Ming said resolutely.
Chu Tianyi pondered for a moment: "Junior brother, you should stay here for now. The group from Lihentian Palace is quite hostile towards you. Besides, you can communicate with us in real time if you stay here."
"The city lord has lived here for a long time and is naturally very familiar with the Absolute Spirit Abyss. If there is any emergency, it will be convenient to ask the city lord for assistance."
A hint of reluctance flashed across Lu Ming's face, but he finally nodded: "Alright, then I'll stay here for now."
After saying this, Xia Linxian and his party left the main hall.
"Be careful on your journey, senior brothers and sisters..." Lu Ming waved and said.
"Respectfully seeing off all the esteemed immortals," the city lord said respectfully as he approached the palace gate.