Chapter 112: Jianshui City! Demons at the Gates
Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Jianshui City! Demons at the Gates
Having moved the Bone Monster Avatar underground, Zhu Ge felt a deep sense of relief.
’The gamble paid off!’
Though he wasn’t yet used to multitasking with his new Bone Monster Avatar, Zhu Ge knew that once he adapted, the Bone Monster would be of immense use.
For one thing, the Bone Monster’s body was already as tough as a Divine Weapon.
Once he could adapt to multitasking, he would then practice how to wield the Bone Monster.
Then, the valley would have two ultimate weapons: the Bone Monster and the Fungus God Destruction Array.
’I just wonder if that Morning Star Immortal Monarch is dead after all these years.’
Zhu Ge thought of the Morning Star Immortal Monarch, that great big rooster.
The Bone Monster’s resemblance to a large rooster was clearly due to the interference of some power or law left behind by the Morning Star Immortal Monarch.
’If that Morning Star Immortal Monarch were to discover that the old man’s body had become a Bone Monster, I wonder if he’d come to eliminate this lingering evil.’
"Master, are we still going to Jianshui City?"
Liu Jianjian and the others had just finished preparing Zhu Ge’s underground chamber and were waiting to the side.
Their original plan for the night had been to head to the nearby Jianshui City to scout the situation.
"We’re going!"
Zhu Ge narrowed his eyes. "Jianshui City is the closest to Yuan Yang City, so it’s likely fallen. But the Demon Race tends to fight for themselves. Not even the Plague God Sparrow can command every single demon."
The Demon Race has never been a united front; it’s just a general term for a wide variety of flesh-and-blood creatures.
In reality, it’s subdivided into many different peoples, like the Tiger Race, the Snake Race, and so on.
And crucially, these individual races aren’t united fronts, either.
It’s not as if the Snake Race is ruled by a single snake, or the Tiger Race is ruled by a single Tiger Demon.
’A scattered mess!’
Just look at that Third Realm Great Ape and Black Tiger from before.
If the Human Race discovered a potential prodigy who posed a future threat, any commander with half a brain would move to nip that danger in the bud.
But the Great Ape and Black Tiger couldn’t be bothered with such threats; they were too preoccupied with fighting over the Raincoat Fisherman’s legacy.
That was what gave Zhu Ge the opportunity to escape.
Therefore, even though Jianshui City was so close to Yuan Yang City, it might not have fallen after all.
"Let’s head out now!"
...
The moonlight was clear and bright.
Sword Hero, the Bamboo Stick Insect, perched on Zhu Ge’s shoulder, and Liu Jianjian was by his side.
Zhu Sisi and the Bone Monster remained behind to guard the valley.
Zhu Ge couldn’t hide his aura along the way, so they encountered a few Demon Beasts.
However, these Demon Beasts were all turned into materials for them.
Their souls were devoured by Hua Liusha, their flesh was saved for food, and even their bones could be tossed to the Bone Monster for consumption.
It was safe to say that whenever a Demon Beast fell into their hands, nothing went to waste.
THWACK!!
As they ran, a venomous snake lunged at them, but Zhu Ge killed it with a single swing of his staff and collected it in his grass bowl.
Even though they were both of the First Realm, an ordinary Demon Beast like this stood no chance against Zhu Ge and could be dispatched with a single blow from his staff.
"The Demon Beasts are getting more numerous. Everyone stay alert," Zhu Ge said, his eyes scanning their surroundings.
He could sense the auras of countless First and Second Realm beings packed densely all around them.
Mostly First Realm, with a few Second Realm mixed in.
Fortunately, whether at the First or Second Realm, the auras of the Human Race and the Demon Race weren’t all that different.
That was how Zhu Ge was able to press on.
A short while later, after bludgeoning another seven or eight First Realm Demon Beasts to death, Zhu Ge finally laid eyes on Jianshui City.
Previously, it would have taken Zhu Ge two full days and nights to reach Jianshui City.
But using *Dian Xiang* and the Xu Family Rain Swift Fist, his speed was now incredibly fast.
As a Second Realm existence who had also learned the Demon Hunting Divine Technique, Liu Jianjian was not slow either.
Thus, they arrived in no time at all.
"Truly magnificent,"
Zhu Ge marveled.
A colossal teapot sat nestled between several great mountains. It was fashioned entirely from some kind of purple clay that shimmered with a misty light. Its base was fused with the granite ground, making it look like a teapot resting on a table.
It was even positioned as if pouring tea, with the spout serving as the city gate—the sole entrance to the city.
Jianshui City!
The entire city was crafted from purple clay, which was Jianshui City’s most famous product, also known as Five-Colored Jade.
Yuan Yang City, by contrast, was famous for its red rice.
But whether Jianshui City or Yuan Yang City, both were forged by the great artisans of the Mo Family, their interiors filled with all manner of Arrays, restrictions, and Spiritual Artifacts.
Divine craftsmanship!
However, the outer walls of this exquisite and magnificent teapot-shaped city were now riddled with holes, cracks, and fissures of all sizes.
Outside the city walls lay many corpses, both human and non-human alike.
"Such carnage..."
Zhu Ge couldn’t help but sigh.
No one had collected the bodies, nor had any demons devoured them. Clearly, the two sides were locked in such a tense stalemate that anyone attempting to retrieve the corpses would be immediately attacked.
The Human Race wanted to harvest resources and materials from the dead? The non-humans wouldn’t allow it.
The non-humans wanted to devour the corpses to grow stronger? The Human Race wouldn’t allow that either.
And so, the corpses were simply left to rot, claimed by neither side.
’What a shame...’ Looking at the corpses, Zhu Ge gulped.
’So many bones, so much flesh and blood. What a waste!’
’The flesh could be eaten, and the bones could be fed to the Bone Monster for devouring and refining. It’s a real pity not to put them to use!’
"Master, should... should we go back?" Liu Jianjian stammered, finding the field of corpses deeply unsettling. "If we get discovered, we might not be able to make it back."
"Right. Let’s go back." Zhu Ge shook his head and turned to leave without hesitation.
’Looks like entering the city is out of the question,’ he thought.
’It’d probably be easy to get in, but getting out would be the hard part.’
Besides, it didn’t really matter whether he entered the city now or not. After all, Zhu Ge had already obtained a wealth of memories from the old man.
Those memories contained plenty of useful information, which would help fill the gaps in his own fundamental knowledge.
However, they had only just turned to leave when the sound of war drums erupted from behind them.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE...
As the drums thundered, dark clouds billowed out from above Jianshui City, spreading with incredible speed. Flashes of lightning flickered within them.
"Damn it, the battle’s starting!"
Zhu Ge glanced back and knew at once. Jianshui City was launching a counterattack. "Run!"
He knew that they could remain hidden while both sides were resting.
But once the fighting began?
All the Demons, Ghosts, Spirits, and Monsters would crawl out of the woodwork, and a Third Realm existence could easily detect their presence.
"Run, run, run!" Liu Jianjian and Sword Hero understood Zhu Ge’s reasoning instantly.
If they didn’t run now, Zhu Ge would be discovered by the Demon Beasts, and so would Liu Jianjian and Sword Hero.
Zhu Ge would be attacked on sight, while Liu Jianjian and Sword Hero would undoubtedly be forced to join the Demon Race’s ranks and fight.
"My minions! Today, we breach this city! We will feast on human flesh and drink human blood!"
A colossal mantis suddenly appeared in the sky, its Demon Qi billowing out.
A Third Realm, Essence-Devouring Realm Demon Beast!
At the same time, the phantom image of an old man materialized above Jianshui City, and his hearty, carefree laughter echoed faintly:
"To learn, and to practice what you have learned—is this not a joy?"
Then, the phantom and the mantis collided, and the world went silent.