Outside, the ruins officially opened.
Having learned from last time, nobody rushed in headlong. There was nothing left in the outer city anyway, and with the inner city gates shut, superpowered cultivators could not fly without traversing the second pathway. No one feared someone slipping in ahead of them.
The golden warrior remained inside as well, so there was even less concern that anyone could beat them to the prize.
As before, rogue cultivators were the first to enter, each scrambling frantically as though terrified the treasures would vanish. Yet they were also the fastest to die—on the previous expedition, the rogue cultivators who went in first had been completely wiped out!
Li Hao and his companions were currently disguised among these rogue cultivators.
They paid the fee and entered.
The price for Three Sols was the same as that for martial masters. Hong Yitang held an iron medallion, and no one questioned him. In truth, with the Sword Sect now integrated into the Martial Guard Army, it might not have mattered even if he refused to pay.
Hou Xiaochen and a few others glanced at Hong Yitang, then shifted their gazes to the tiger-masked man beside him.
They were all wondering: was this person... Li Hao?
Naturally, they could not be certain.
Li Hao and Hong Yitang did not seem particularly close. Yet if they were not close, why would Hong Yitang allow a substantial number of Sword Sect martial masters to join Li Hao's Demon Hunt Corps?
As they pondered this, a blur flashed past. A moment later, Southern Fist surged forward with a booming laugh. "Then I'm heading in first! I'll take the good stuff before the rest of you!"
On the perimeter, several powerful figures regarded him with cold indifference.
Rushing in so early—was he courting death?
Did this fellow Southern Fist still think this was the Silver Moon martial arts world of the past?
The Fists of the South and North had long become relics of history. Even Old Demon Five Animals had been hunted to the brink, left with nowhere to run above and nowhere to hide below.
Southern Fist could not have cared less. Leaping into the air, he plunged straight into the rippling, water-like barrier.
Li Hao and Hong Yitang did not linger either, stepping through immediately behind him.
As for Liu Long, he had blended into the crowd among the rogue cultivators. Li Hao left him be; operating separately from them might actually prove safer for him.
***
Darkness fell before his eyes, and when Li Hao emerged, he was standing on a massive platform.
Hong Yitang was well acquainted with this place, having been here last time.
A sizeable crowd had already gathered on the platform, all rogue cultivators who had preceded them.
Southern Fist was there too.
Catching sight of Hong Yitang, he jogged over with a beaming grin, darted a glance at Li Hao, and sent a voice transmission: "This is my first time inside. Mind letting me tag along?"
Both of them had entered before.
Following them was vastly better than blundering around on his own.
Though he was undeniably powerful, an ancient ruin like Battle Heaven City could harbor unfathomable dangers. Never mind someone at his level—it would hardly be surprising if beings an entire tier above him entered and never made it back out alive.
Meanwhile, someone among the rogue cultivators seemed privy to some information and hollered, "Everyone had better stick together! The Three Great Organizations and the Silver Moon authorities are both formidable. If we act alone, they might just use us as cannon fodder to test the waters! Also, there's a tunnel ahead. Follow it straight through and do not step outside it. Step beyond the passage, and you won't be coming back!"
Southern Fist turned to Li Hao. Li Hao rolled his eyes. *Don't look at me—last time, I was teleported straight to the outer city.* For some reason, he had not been sent directly to the outer city this time. Had he grown stronger, to the point where the spatial transport mechanism could no longer move him?
Had he gotten heavier?
Even so, he had traversed that tunnel once on his way back. He transmitted, "Ahead lies a pitch-black passage that leads straight to the outer city. There isn't much danger inside, but I'm not sure what happens if you step outside of it. It's best not to act rashly... Something seems to lurk beyond the passage!"
Hong Yitang also transmitted, "Be on guard. That passage is likely a hollow tree trunk. If you step outside it, you might find yourself in dire peril. That tree probably spans the entire exterior of the outer city... connected to Cross-Cut Gorge outside, it is the key pillar preventing all of Battle Heaven City from being buried."
Li Hao paused in surprise. A tree?
A hollow trunk?
Hong Yitang continued, "Once inside, stay vigilant and don't make reckless moves in the passage. This place is far more perilous than you'd think. Last time, I could sense attacks now and then from tree branches. Those branches still possessed some vitality. They didn't feel overly strong—a Three Sols could handle them easily... but an abundance of caution never hurts!"
Southern Fist raised an eyebrow. Seeing Li Hao and Hong Yitang share intelligence, he did not hold back either, transmitting, "It seems Battle Heaven City really might be extraordinarily dangerous. In fact, certain ancient texts contain fragmentary records. The imperial family provided some information on Battle Heaven City... The texts record that this city once welcomed a supreme expert who passed through this place and left behind supreme treasures, making the entire city a paramount existence that represented his will... The materials from the imperial family weren't entirely clear, but they emphasized one point: this city carries an exceptionally unique significance."
Li Hao could not help recalling the scene he had witnessed back then.
A supreme expert?
The figure addressed as Sovereign Emperor?
That man had left behind the two characters for "Battle Heaven." In that instant, the entire city had erupted into wild celebration, surging with excitement, fervor, and fanaticism, as though the words "Battle Heaven" carried infinite weight.
The aged city lord had looked so overcome with emotion that he nearly fainted.
Evidently, the imperial family possessed considerable knowledge, even knowing about this.
Of course, records must have existed during the ancient civilization. A monumental event like that could hardly pass without leaving a trace, especially given how incredibly powerful and vital that grand figure seemed to be.
Southern Fist added, "Furthermore, that supreme being might have left certain belongings or even a fragment of his will in this city! If so... its value would be boundless! For an entity revered by ancient powerhouses as supreme, his might must have exceeded anything we can fathom. If we could unearth a treasure like that... we'd strike it unimaginably rich!"
*Was he referring to those two characters?*
Li Hao kept the thought to himself. Some things could be shared; others were better kept secret.
Southern Fist asked, "Are we sticking with the rogue cultivators, or striking out on our own?"
"Did we ever agree to go with you?"
Hong Yitang was exasperated. Who wanted to team up with him?
Southern Fist chuckled and sent another transmission: "If not with me, then who? With the two of us together, we can watch each other's backs. Plus, with Li Hao along, the three of us will sweep through the city unchallenged. No one can stand against us—even if Hou Xiaochen shows up, we'll beat him till he cries for his father!"
Hong Yitang was thoroughly speechless.
Li Hao, on the other hand, did not mind. He transmitted, "Let's head to the second pathway first and check it out. I didn't take it last time, but Martial Uncle Hong did. Did it offer any benefits or effects?"
As Hong Yitang walked, he transmitted, "The effects are middling. Perhaps better for superpowered cultivators, but for us... not particularly great. However, that second pathway seems to possess an assimilating effect, attuning our aura to align better with Battle Heaven City so we can evade certain dangers. As for why some superpowered cultivators died, it was likely because they retaliated or unleashed violent energy fluctuations, which was perceived as defiance or insubordination. When we pass through shortly, just act naturally."
Li Hao understood.
Ignoring the rest of the crowd, the three headed inward. Ahead, a pitch-black passage came into view.
They stepped inside. Faint rustling sounds echoed throughout the corridor, as though something was crawling, yet nothing was visible.
Shortly after entering, the whistling sound of wind abruptly tore through the air. Li Hao threw a punch, and whatever was in the dark vanished in an instant. Though it was a fleeting glimpse, Li Hao caught sight of it, matching Hong Yitang's earlier description—it truly was a tree branch, quick to strike and just as quick to withdraw.
Its striking power was not particularly high, roughly comparable to the Solar Radiance level.
During his previous visit, Li Hao had not been able to see clearly, and with Three Sols powerhouses clearing the path ahead, he had never made direct contact with it.
Hong Yitang suddenly caught hold of a branch. The branch thrashed violently, causing the passage itself to tremble faintly. Hong Yitang swiftly let go and transmitted, "Don't try to fight these branches; just drive them off. If you rely on your strength to snap or sever them, you'll court even greater trouble! In a place like this, the weaker you are, the safer you often turn out to be, since you can't break anything even if you try. But powerhouses who act too brazenly tend to die horrible deaths!"
Often, those who drowned were the ones who knew how to swim.
If you couldn't swim, fear kept you cautious.
Once you knew how, caution was thrown to the wind.
Presuming one understood the ruins and relying on sheer strength to be reckless was a surefire way to capsize in a gutter. Even Hong Yitang dared not be careless here.
The passage was not excessively long. Halfway through, startled cries suddenly echoed from behind Li Hao's group.
Shortly after, screams followed.
Evidently, some of the weaker individuals had failed to withstand the branch attacks. Whether they were at the Lunar Nether stage or the weaker end of Solar Radiance, those too slow to react were run through by the branches.
The trio paid it no mind. Entering this place meant accepting the possibility of death.
No one had forced them to enter. Wealth was sought amid peril; danger had arrived, and dying here merely demonstrated poor luck and inadequate strength.
Shouts and screams continued from behind.
A great many people had entered this time. The rogue cultivators alone numbered in the hundreds or even thousands, far exceeding the turnout of the previous expedition.
***
Li Hao and his companions pressed onward.
Along the way, branches harassed them intermittently, but all were repelled without causing real trouble.
After moving through the darkness for a time, a faint gleam of light appeared ahead. Li Hao knew that stepping through would bring them into the outer city. Just outside lay the vast plaza where many had died during the previous expedition.
The moment they emerged... Li Hao's steps halted.
Simultaneously, Hong Yitang stopped dead in his tracks. Both froze, leaving Southern Fist somewhat puzzled as he glanced between them. At that moment, Li Hao's eyes held a mixture of surprise and shock.
Not just him—Hong Yitang's expression shifted as well. Looking into the distance, beyond the plaza, several dark silhouettes seemed to flash past.
The two exchanged a glance, both deeply shaken.
Black armor!
Indeed, they had not mistaken it. Figures clad in black armor had just moved across the plaza.
"What's wrong?" Southern Fist asked curiously.
"Black armor!"
Li Hao transmitted, "Last time, an entire thousand-man guard unit was wiped out by us, and even their black armor was seized. But... I just saw black armor!"
Hong Yitang observed the distance for a moment before transmitting, "Either they are remnants from last time, or... it means the city possessed more than that single unit of black-armored guards. There might be more that never appeared before, or they were stationed in another direction. Currently, we can only enter from this direction. Are there gates on the other sides? If so... it could mean there are four gates and four thousand-man units, and what we eliminated before was merely one of them."
There was another possibility: additional black-armored guards had remained inside the city and were now emerging.
Regardless, this signified that the danger had escalated.
Even Southern Fist, usually boisterous and careless, reined in his presence.
"What do we do?"
"What else? Keep going, of course! We'll take advantage of the fact that the others haven't arrived yet, head to the second pathway first, enter the outer city, and then push into the inner city. Don't go looking for that golden warrior—first, let's gather some divine energy stones for protection!"
This suggestion met with Southern Fist's prompt approval.
Right!
They had to secure enough divine energy stones first. Only with a sufficient hoard would they stand a chance of breaking their seals without transforming into superpowered cultivators.
Without another word, the three briskly moved forward.
Behind them, more rogue cultivators poured in. Many seemed to have heard rumors that the black-armored soldiers were dead and that the outer city posed no threat. Before long, several superpowered cultivators stepped straight into the outer city perimeter.
They moved at blistering speed, terrified that someone might beat them to the spoils.
A moment later... bloodcurdling screams erupted!
While these black-armored warriors might struggle against Three Sols experts, dealing with Solar Radiance cultivators was far from difficult. They moved silently, and though their armored footfalls were distinct, those charging forward so recklessly did not care to listen... believing others had merely arrived ahead of them. Naturally, their deaths were gruesome!
The ground once again began absorbing the spilled blood and corpses.
***
While Li Hao's group headed for the second pathway and entered it, a gathering of powerhouses began their ingress from behind.
Hearing the shrieks drifting from within the city, several faces tightened. Others looked toward Hou Xiaochen's group. Hou Xiaochen furrowed his brows slightly, remarking calmly, "The black armor was wiped out last time, but it seems they've reappeared! Charging blindly into the city is a death sentence. Unless one possesses formidable strength... these black-armored guards will give everyone plenty of grief!"
Among the crowd, Ziyue frowned, her voice deep. "We clearly eradicated all the black armor last time. Why are there more?"
Hou Xiaochen could not be bothered to reply.
*Investigate it yourself!*
He glanced toward the second pathway. Hong Yitang and his companions had entered early, bringing Li Hao along. Had they gone to the second pathway, or headed straight into the city?
By now, people were everywhere.
The silent ancient city had been thoroughly roused.
Clamor and commotion rippled across the area.
Suddenly, someone stepped into the air, attempting to fly straight into the outer city... A deafening boom resounded, and the figure instantly detonated into pieces.
Hou Xiaochen was utterly speechless.
Did these people know nothing at all?
Honestly, with a little inquiry, one could easily learn about the hazards and general layout. Yet some people had come without bothering to learn a single thing, only to... throw their lives away?
Did these superpowered cultivators truly believe they were second only to the heavens, with nothing to fear?
Sure enough, power obtained so hastily was never cherished, nor did its wielders understand the meaning of prudence. A bunch of utter fools!
At that moment, someone roared from the crowd, "Are you idiots? You can't fly! You have to pass through the second pathway before flight is permitted. Otherwise, this place's anti-flight formations will attack, and even a Three Sols expert will die without fail!"
Only then did dawn break upon many in the crowd.
Not everyone had failed to do their homework, but a number of lone wanderers had paid no heed to details, caring only about the pervasive treasures and wealth, charging in on an impulsive whim.
Now, a batch of them had died in an instant.
A few powerful rogue cultivators had repeatedly tried to rally the masses to no avail. Only now, after a pile of corpses had accumulated, did people finally realize this place was far from safe!
Soon, people began forming cliques, seeking to cooperate with the stronger rogue cultivators.
At this juncture, Ziyue stepped forward and called out in a loud voice, "Do not charge recklessly into the city! The city contains black-armored guards with exceptional defense. Any energy fluctuation or leak of supernatural power will provoke their attacks!
"The airspace is restricted by ancient prohibitions. Unless you are at the Rising Light realm, even a peak Three Sols expert without a top-tier Origin God Armament for protection will perish! Those willing to wait may enter alongside Red Moon!"
She was looking for cannon fodder!
Even so, the members of Red Moon harbored their own anxieties. If the black-armored guards had reappeared, could the silver warrior from last time return as well?
That would be truly disastrous!
Though that silver warrior had merely functioned at the Three Sols level, that was only while dormant. Once fully awakened, it likely commanded Rising Light combat strength—an enormous headache.
Moreover, entering the second pathway carried immense peril of its own.
Yet this time, everyone understood that bypassing the second pathway would court even worse troubles if danger arose. They had to take it; otherwise, even reaching the inner city would prove difficult.
The various factions began advancing toward the second pathway.
***
At the same moment.
Li Hao, Hong Yitang, and Southern Fist stepped together into the small chamber housing the second pathway.
Pitch darkness engulfed them.
The instant Li Hao entered, he felt plunged into an abyss. All sound vanished from his surroundings, as if Hong Yitang and Southern Fist, who had walked in alongside him, had simply disappeared.
Yet after waiting a moment, Li Hao's eyes gradually adjusted, beginning to pick out details.
Gradually, more of the space became discernible.
It seemed to be a square room, roughly five to six meters on each side, around thirty square meters in area. Ahead stood a door, apparently meant for exiting. There was no one else inside.
From the ceiling above, a dark net was descending in a rigid, mechanical manner.
Li Hao was slightly taken aback. Was this... the sealing sensation they had described? Did this net seal away supernatural power, preventing leaks so cultivators could walk freely within the city?
He stared up at the net, uncertain whether it harbored any harmful effects.
Yet at this moment, avoiding it seemed impossible.
Where were Southern Fist and Hong Yitang?
Could there be numerous identical chambers, each person entering their own, where the large net descended to stamp them with authorization before allowing smooth passage into the city?
A mechanized operation?
Why was he able to see it?
Suspicion stirred in Li Hao's mind. Did it have something to do with his eyes?
He stopped worrying about the slowly descending net; he couldn't dodge it anyway. He looked around. The front door was closed. Walking over to a side wall, he pressed a hand against it... It felt like pressing into flesh, spongy and soft, sinking inward under his touch.
"What on earth is this?"
Li Hao found it bizarre. It was exceptionally resilient; though soft, squeezing it with all his might failed to tear the wall.
Furthermore, how did the people who perished here actually die?
That was another mystery.
Looking up again, could it have been related to the net? Were they killed by it?
Liu Long had mentioned some sort of treasure in this chamber that he failed to seize. Yet Li Hao scanned the room and saw nothing. Where was any treasure? It was utterly bare, nothing more than an empty little room.
After another fruitless search, Li Hao sighed inwardly. What nonsense treasure—the captain must have been hallucinating from greed.
Just then, the net settled over him. Li Hao attempted to block it, only to discover it was formless and immaterial, existing outside the physical plane, much like a Red Shadow.
The instant it touched Li Hao, it vanished!
Li Hao felt virtually nothing.
The next instant, as Li Hao was puzzling over this, a key materialized in midair... Yes, a key!
It closely resembled keys from the ancient civilization depicted in books.
Li Hao froze, then reached out to grab it.
The key hovered only briefly, seemingly about to dissolve if he did not take it.
As Li Hao reached forward, his fingers closed securely around the key.
Just as he was about to examine it closely, the sealed door ahead swung open, admitting a beam of light that signaled he could depart. Li Hao stood there, utterly bewildered.
What was going on?
Walking outward, he inspected the key in his palm. Inscribed upon it were characters... ancient script that Li Hao recognized.
"South City, Seventh Street, Tongfu Inn, Room 302, Third Floor."
Li Hao was dumbfounded.
Didn't this look remarkably like a hotel room key?
In that instant, countless thoughts surged through his mind.
One entered the small room, received a stamp of approval granting an entry permit, and was then assigned a room—a room in an inn, signifying that one had acquired residency rights.
Was that how it worked?
Li Hao's eyes flickered. What did possessing residency rights entail?
What benefits did it confer?
Why hadn't the others managed to obtain a key?
If one didn't obtain a key, what did that imply?
Furthermore, this place could presumably be entered repeatedly. Did that mean one received a key with every entry... and what was their purpose?
How strange!
No, the houses here were normally impenetrable and could not be opened at will. Could holding a key allow unrestricted access to that specific residence?
One question after another flashed through Li Hao's mind.
A moment later, he followed the light and stepped outside.
He found himself standing on First Street.
Southern Fist and Hong Yitang had already emerged. Southern Fist was frowning, transmitting, "Something felt like it was blanketing and sealing me. Is that what you called the flight permit? Also, I vaguely saw something flash past in the dark, but time was too tight. I was in a rush to get out and didn't dare linger. Did either of you notice anything?"
Hong Yitang remained silent.
In his hand, he was clutching a key. Having entered once before, he had sensed it last time as well, though he had failed to catch it then. Very few could grab hold of it on their first attempt; in that oppressive darkness where nothing could be seen, who had the courage to reach out blindly?
This time, however, he had succeeded in catching it.
He had initially thought it was some kind of treasure, only to find it was shaped like a key, inscribed with characters... He was not illiterate and recognized some, but he could not decipher them all.
Without specialized study of ancient script, fully understanding such writing was extraordinarily difficult.
Recognizing a few characters was the best he could manage.
For instance, he recognized the character for "South."
Perplexed, Hong Yitang glanced at Li Hao and remembered that this kid had studied ancient script under Yuan Shuo. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Li Hao, you can read ancient script, right?"
"Yes."
"What character is this?"
As he spoke, he traced a character in the air. Li Hao looked at him with a startled expression, pausing before transmitting, "It's the character for *courtyard* or *institution*. Is Martial Uncle looking for some courtyard? A pleasure pavilion, perhaps?"
"..."
Hong Yitang was speechless. *What the devil are you thinking!*
The character for courtyard?
South-something Courtyard...
Li Hao already suspected that Hong Yitang had also obtained a key. Why else would he ask about this character?
It was highly probable!
Hong Yitang hesitated over whether to show the key to Li Hao. Perhaps the kid might understand what it was. Specialization mattered, and Hong Yitang was truly out of his depth here, unlike that tomb-robbing madman Yuan Shuo.
Noticing movement in the distance, Hong Yitang walked onward, saying, "Let's talk inside!"
Ahead, several black-armored figures seemed to be approaching.
Li Hao and the others paid the black armor no heed, walking straight past them, and the black-armored guards... completely ignored them as well.
First, they were martial masters.
Second, having traversed the second pathway, the black armor seemed programmed to pay them no attention unless supernatural power flared to attack.
After walking for a bit, Hong Yitang hesitated before finally pulling out the key and handing it to Li Hao. "Take a look at this for me. What is it? I found it while exploring ruins in the past, but I don't know if it's of any use."
Li Hao was speechless!
*Cut the act!*
These people truly never uttered a straight word of truth. This key was almost identical to the one he had just received.
Inscribed upon it was: "South City, Fifth Street, Hibiscus Courtyard, Cloud Fragrance Pavilion."
Was this an inn as well?
Li Hao pondered the matter. Whenever someone entered, a key appeared to assign them lodgings, but why weren't they placed together? Why were they scattered?
Both were in South City... Which way was South City?
In this pitch-black environment, who could distinguish east from west?
Fifth Street and Seventh Street, at least, were straightforward enough.
He was assigned to Tongfu Inn, while Hong Yitang was assigned to Hibiscus Courtyard. Moreover, while he only had a modest room, Old Hong was allocated something called the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion—was that a higher-class suite?
He glanced back, frowning. Could others obtain keys as well?
Acquiring one on the first attempt was indeed difficult, but with prior experience, it might not be so hard.
Seeing Li Hao remain silent, Hong Yitang transmitted again, "Did you decipher it?"
"Yes. 'South City, Fifth Street, Hibiscus Courtyard, Cloud Fragrance Pavilion.'"
Hong Yitang started. Was this referring to Battle Heaven City?
How bizarre!
Southern Fist, meanwhile, eyed Hong Yitang suspiciously. Where had he gotten that thing?
Li Hao tossed the key back to him without another word.
Soon, the city gate came into view.
The moment he saw it, Hong Yitang's brow furrowed once more. "Sure enough, the silver armor has reappeared!"
Above the city gate, upon the gate tower, a white silhouette flickered faintly.
The silver warrior!
Li Hao transmitted, "Martial Uncle, when that silver warrior awakens, what level of strength does it wield? Did you sense it last time?"
"Late to peak Rising Light. That final sword slash... was roughly on par with one of the four great demons, perhaps even stronger than that giant serpent!"
Li Hao drew in a breath. *Damn!*
That formidable?
Hong Yitang remained frowning. Li Hao thought for a moment and said, "Do we have to defeat it to enter the city? We took the second pathway—maybe... it will treat us as guests? Can't we just walk through normally?"
"How would I know?"
Hong Yitang had never tried it, so how could he tell?
Yet judging from the fact that he had received a key, a similar thought crossed his mind. If this was hospitality for guests, could they enter the city gate by presenting the keys?
Li Hao also recalled that the last time he approached, the city gate had opened on its own. Could it be that entry was possible regardless of having a key?
The first time hadn't worked because he hadn't offered blood.
The second time, he had dripped blood onto the two characters for "Battle Heaven." Perhaps... he could walk right in?
Before the others caught up, Li Hao wasted no time and strode swiftly toward the city gate. Along both sides, black-armored soldiers continued their patrols, utterly ignoring them.
A moment later, the three arrived before the gate.
Li Hao hesitated, glancing up at the silver warrior overhead. After brief deliberation, he stepped forward. The two massive characters above the city gate seemed to shimmer faintly, and a moment later, the long-sealed doors swung open once more!
Completely soundless!
Hong Yitang was stunned. In his astonishment, he could not help looking at Li Hao. Li Hao said nothing, simply striding inside!
Hong Yitang hurriedly followed, his heart pounding in disbelief!
How could this be?
The silver warrior drifted silently downward, cast a glance at Li Hao, and struck his right fist against his chest in what looked like a salute. It was extraordinarily surreal. Li Hao swallowed hard; this was completely different from last time!
Not daring to be disrespectful, he hurriedly struck his right fist against his chest in return.
This silver warrior was no weakling!
Around them, the black-armored and bronze-armored soldiers simultaneously slammed their right fists against their breastplates, producing a resounding clang of metal!
Li Hao's scalp tingled, but having grown far stronger than during his previous visit, he suppressed his shock and continued inward.
Hong Yitang followed along without incident.
Southern Fist, looking completely bewildered, moved to follow... when suddenly, the silver warrior extended his longsword, barring the way. Hollow eyes stared at Southern Fist, seemingly waiting for something.
Southern Fist's scalp went numb!
Hong Yitang had just described this being's terrifying strength! More importantly, why?
Li Hao could enter, Hong Yitang could enter... so why was he the only one stopped?
Li Hao considered this with a slight frown. Resigned, he retrieved his earlier key from his storage ring and tossed it to Southern Fist. Holding the key, Southern Fist stood frozen in confusion.
Then... the silver warrior lowered his blade.
Dumbstruck, Southern Fist hurriedly scrambled into the city.
Once inside, the three quickly put distance between themselves and the gate, which swung shut behind them without a sound.
Only then did Southern Fist stammer in utter bewilderment, "Didn't they say getting in was extraordinarily difficult?"
Yet here they were!
Directly inside the inner city!
What kind of sorcery was this?
And that key...
Just as he was thinking, Li Hao snatched the key back from his grasp and stowed it into his storage ring. Hong Yitang's eyes gleamed strangely as he murmured, "One can only enter with a key, right? So anyone holding a key doesn't need to clash with the garrison at all; they won't bar our way in the first place. Battle Heaven City... seems remarkably hospitable."
They simply wouldn't attack guests bearing keys.
Only those without keys who attempted to force their way in would face their wrath.
The large plaza in the outer city was perhaps a loophole, or rather, there had originally been no passage there and one had to take the second pathway; anyone crossing through the plaza was treated as an intruder.
Southern Fist could hold back no longer: "What in the world is going on? Why could we enter the inner city directly? Where did the keys come from? Both you and Hong Yitang had one, so why didn't I? And earlier, that silver warrior seemed to salute Li Hao—that looked like an ancient military salute! Why? I know a bit about what happened when you entered last time, so why wasn't it like this then?"
What kind of game were they playing?!
Li Hao ignored him, looking around instead. This was his first time setting foot in the inner city. He noticed a fixed map board standing to the side, which appeared to be a schematic diagram of the city's districts.
He studied it intently, deciphering the surviving characters.
South City...
Soon, he located the South City sector. Without a word, Li Hao began walking toward South City, keeping his footsteps light. Along the streets stood buildings, most of them tightly shuttered. On an entire street, only one or two doors might stand open, revealing ordinary residences within.
Gathering his courage, Li Hao peered inside an open house... Simple furniture and decor greeted him, no different from an ordinary residential quarter.
However, in a corner, Li Hao spotted a divine energy stone.
It was mounted upon what looked like a wall sconce.
The energy inside the stone seemed completely drained. Li Hao frowned. What... did this imply?
Did residents in the ancient civilization use divine energy stones as power sources for wall sconces?
Such extravagance?
Saying nothing more, he backed out quickly. Seeing him emerge and continue southward, Hong Yitang hesitated slightly. "Going to South City?"
The true treasures lay at the center.
There stood the golden warrior and the Black Tortoise Seal.
"Let's check the locations marked on the keys,"
Li Hao glanced down the deserted street and said, "Since we were assigned specific quarters and rooms, we might as well take a look. We might find unexpected gains."
Hong Yitang considered this and nodded. "Fair enough. We can also check the open rooms along the way. Last time, people found plenty of divine energy stones, though the nearby ones were likely looted. We can search further in."
Southern Fist remained completely in the dark, having no clue what was happening.
Even now, he had not recovered from the shock of walking straight into the inner city.
Why?
Unfortunately, neither of the other two offered an explanation. Left with no choice, he could only follow along.
In its prime, this place must have been magnificent.
The streets were wide, the ground level and smooth. Despite the washing of countless years, the buildings remained sturdy and sound, showing no signs of decay.
This was likely a residential district.
There were few shops; both sides of the street were lined with private courtyards. Only after walking a great distance might one spot a modest shopfront, its doors firmly shut. A closed door meant danger—one could not enter at will, on pain of death!
Entering uninvited was the act of a thief.
And Battle Heaven City did not welcome thieves.
Li Hao kept an eye on the buildings flanking the street, looking for open doors. Last time, the others had reaped a considerable harvest of divine energy stones, totaling over a hundred.
Furthermore, several people had failed to escape the city last time.
Were they dead now?
He had realized by now that Battle Heaven City operated strictly by rules.
Yes, very strict rules.
As long as one adhered to their regulations, danger was nonexistent. But the moment one broke the rules and acted recklessly, death would follow without mercy. As for the superpowered cultivators outside the city, who knew how many would perish this time!
To say nothing of anything else, if they provoked the silver warrior into full awakening, who among them could survive that final sword slash besides the likes of Hou Xiaochen and Kong Jie?
After walking for a while, Li Hao suddenly looked toward the center of the city.
A tall tower stood there.
A faint illumination emanated from that direction, casting a dim glow over the city. Weak though it was, it allowed visibility across certain areas. Just a moment ago, a gaze had seemingly fallen upon him from that tower.
Was someone watching him?
Li Hao frowned and grew even more cautious. In this place, abiding by the rules was paramount!
One must not act recklessly!
It was far too dangerous!
***
At the same time.
Beneath the tall tower, a dog twitched its nose, seeming to catch a familiar scent.
Its tail wagged briefly, and it moved to run in that direction.
It glanced up at the hovering giant tortoise. Seeing that the tortoise seemed not to notice, Black Panther swiftly leapt down from the elevated platform and darted away in a flash, sprinting toward South City.
The giant tortoise remained deathly still, resembling nothing more than a statue.
Its gaze drifted toward South City.
Thoughts slowly surfaced in its mind.
Destiny was truly wondrous.
The descendant of the Demon Suppressing Emissary had actually aligned with the successor of the Li family, one of the Eight Great Families. Had it forgotten that its ancestor was nearly cleaved in half by that very member of the Li family?
Thinking of that figure from the Li family brought a wave of melancholy.
Did those people... still exist in this heaven and earth?
Had the peerlessly mighty Human King and the others truly perished?
Was it itself considered dead, or alive?
The next instant, its gaze shifted beyond the city.
A vast multitude had gathered out there.
Did they believe this was a dead city?
Fine wine awaited friends who came, but for enemies... coffins!
The giant tortoise's gaze drifted faintly. Within the mansion below, the golden warrior suddenly rose to his feet, as though sensing something. The Black Tortoise Seal hovered in his hand.
A moment later, two armies—one from West City, one from South City, comprised of black armor and bronze armor led by a silver warrior—marched swiftly through the city, heading for the eastern gate.
The enemy had arrived!
Four cities, four garrisons. The Eastern City garrison had fallen, and today, the remaining three garrisons were converging upon the eastern gate.
The Black Tortoise Seal radiated a gentle luminescence.
In that moment, the ancient city seemed to awaken.
***
Meanwhile, several powerhouses who had crossed the second pathway were rapidly congregating near the city gate.
Unable to contain their impatience, some attempted to leap over... People had flown across last time; once past the second pathway, one was supposedly safe.
The only danger was that golden warrior.
Yet the moment someone flew up near the city wall—*Boom!*
Spears and swords thrust out as a squad of black-armored soldiers struck with ruthless speed. With a thunderous boom, a peak Solar Radiance rogue cultivator was instantly riddled with holes like a sieve!
There were guards on the city walls!
In the distance, the silhouette of a silver warrior emerged, causing many faces to drain of color.
Figures like Ziyue had witnessed its might firsthand. Ziyue immediately sent a voice transmission: "Do not act rashly! That silver warrior is terrifyingly powerful and capable of full awakening. Once revived, it wields Rising Light strength—and far above ordinary Rising Light at that... Do not move recklessly!"
The crowd stared at the distant city gate, their brows knit tight. The guards had returned!
Did this mean they had to fight their way through all over again?
Hou Xiaochen's eyes also held a peculiar light. He surveyed the surroundings for a moment, finding no trace of Li Hao and his companions. His suspicion deepened. Had those three... already entered?
If so... things were about to get interesting!
Chapter 148