Devour

Chapter 236: The First Holy City

Yu Xiao Zhenren said: "Mr. Baidi, you don't know that there is a wall full of despair at the edge of the universe. It is the boundary between the underworld and reality. Humans, demons, ghosts and gods can't cross it from afar, so they sigh sadly, so it is called the Wall of Sighs."

Cheng Bai pondered upon hearing this and said, "If Shanhui City also has a Wall of Sighs, doesn't that mean that we might be able to find the Netherworld Road leading to the Underworld?"

Yu Xiao Zhenren nodded and said, "I have similar speculations, so I have repeatedly investigated and studied, guided by Taoist scriptures, and tried various methods to open it. I don't know if I can find the key."

Seeing that he had not succeeded so far, Cheng Bai advised: "Speculation requires sufficient evidence. Even if Shanhui City really imitates the structure of the universe, this road may not exist."

Yu Xiao Zhenren insisted, "I have found many paths to the underworld that I have never seen before. I am more and more convinced that there must be a Wall of Sighs, but I am not sure of the conditions to open it."

"I'll take my leave." This matter was mysterious and had nothing to do with him. After Cheng Bai inquired about it clearly, he planned to slip away.

Yu Xiao Zhenren hurriedly said, "Master Baidi, you and I are blessed with a lot of luck, and we will definitely meet again in the future. If one day you come back from the Wall of Sighs, when we meet again, please give me something from the underworld as a small reward for providing the clues. How do you think?"

Cheng Bai was slightly stunned and asked, "What's the use of that?"

Yuxiao Zhenren said: "The past can predict the future, and you will know when the time comes."

Cheng Bai nodded and said, "Okay." Then he turned and left.

Ge Chuwu led the way. When he had walked a long way, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to say, "The head of the Immortal Master Sect, the Holy Lord Yuxiao Zhenren, ranked third among the seventy-two sages. I didn't expect him to look so young and handsome."

Finally arrived at the Star Palace.

Walking into the hall, you will see clouds paved with crystal jade bricks, walls made of spirit stones reflecting the splendor, the dome decorated with starlight, and the bright moon inlaid with lights shining brilliantly. It is like walking into a dazzling nebula, grand and magnificent, mysterious and colorful.

There was a man and a woman sitting cross-legged and discussing Taoism in the hall. They noticed Cheng Bai and others moving around and turned to look at them.

The man was Li Haotian, and he looked even more energetic.

The woman had a beautiful face, a fit body, and healthy, gleaming wheat-colored skin. Unlike other weak women, she wore silk armor forged from cloud steel, which was as light as a feather, with a soft and restrained luster.

Cheng Bai recognized that she was wearing a protective armor favored by high-ranking female monks, called Gaozhen Flying Armor. He had obtained a set from Gou Shangniang not long ago, and it was still under study.

Ge Chuwu bowed and saluted, saying, "I have brought Cheng Bai here."

Li Haotian looked at Cheng Bai for a few times and said, "We haven't seen each other for just over a month, but you have already reached the 50th level of the Ladder of All Things. Your skills have improved a lot, but you can't tell the depth of your cultivation from the surface. You are worthy of being the strongest hunter king in Qiongqi Continent."

The woman beside him was quite interested when she heard this. She stood up. She was very tall, even half a head taller than Cheng Bai. She walked closer and looked him up and down and said, "Your talent is a bit strange and unclear. Did you use some secret technique to cover it up?"

Cheng Bai bowed and said, "I wonder where you are from, senior? I am Cheng Bai and I am honored to meet you."

The woman was quite confident about her height. She felt particularly comfortable hearing the word "expert". She smiled and said, "My name is Jinlian. I am the current leader of the Ranger Association. All the Taoist friends in the city know me."

Cheng Bai's face was full of admiration, and he said flatteringly: "Sister Pan is extremely elegant and has extraordinary cultivation."

Jin Lian asked curiously, "What did you call me? My last name is Jin, why do you call me Sister Pan?"

Cheng Bai was almost petrified, secretly saying that it was not good. His conditioned reflex had become a habit, and he hurriedly said, "In our hometown, Sister Pan is an exaggerated compliment to a peerless beauty."

Jinlian said happily, "You can call me Sister Pan, you are so sweet."

Cheng Bai secretly thought it was a fluke.

Li Haotian said: "Golden Dragon Head admires your Majesty's growth process. The Rangers will ally with us from now on. A righteous cause will bring many supporters."

Ge Chuwu continued, "Golden Lotus Dragon Head ranks fifth among the seventy-two sages. The Rangers Association has a large number of people and is a strong support. Your Majesty has a bright future ahead of him."

Jin Lian said modestly: "If Her Majesty wants to embark on the path to the throne, the key lies in her own strength. We are just assisting her."

Cheng Bai said: "Ning...Which secret realm did Her Majesty the Empress go to?"

Li Haotian stood up and said, "Just follow me."

Cheng Bai followed him to the back of the hall, while Hei Long and Ge Chu'e stayed in the front hall waiting for orders.

The size of the Hall of Stars is beyond ordinary people's imagination. The overall structure is elliptical, divided into thirty-six square halls and seventy-two round halls. The combination has a unique rhythm, like a huge mysterious celestial body. Standing in it, it feels like being in the universe and dancing with the stars.

Li Haotian stopped at a square hall. The hall was filled with stone statues of all sizes, including humans, animals, flowers and grass. Some were as majestic as mountains, while others were as small as toys.

The tallest statue in the center is a giant statue lost in thought, with his back bent and knees bent, his strong muscles tense, his right hand supporting his chin, his lips biting the back of his right hand, his left hand hanging on his left knee, his expression painful and confused, immersed in infinite reverie, and seemingly examining everything in the world.

"The secret realm they entered is called the Eternal Holy City, also known as the First Holy City. Among the 108 halls in the Star Palace, more than ten secret realms have been discovered, and there are tens of thousands of netherworld paths. This place has the most cultural charm."

Li Haotian talked freely and Cheng Bai listened attentively.

"The statue you saw is the remains of the God King Parkfu. Legend has it that the Parkfu clan was at its peak in the early ancient times. Each of them was a towering physique, a thousand miles tall, and strong enough to carry the stars on their backs, second only to the ancient gods. At the end of the ancient times, they were punished by the Great Emperor and were deprived of food and drink. They fell into decline and are rarely seen again."

Cheng Baidao: "How do I enter the secret realm?"

Li Haotian said: "The method to open the netherworld road leading to the Eternal Holy City is relatively simple, and the divine consciousness is the key. Only those below the Unrestrained Realm can easily communicate with the portrait of the God King, obtain the recognition of their talents and qualifications, and enter and exit freely. Those with higher cultivation have never succeeded."

Cheng Baiqi asked, "Why are there restrictions? Is it to prevent the geniuses with too high cultivation from entering?"

Li Haotian said, "I think so too. Most people who go in to explore return disappointed, and those who are too weak cannot come back. They often regard it as a low- to medium-level secret realm and do not pay much attention to it. But according to the information the Li family has, the Eternal Holy City is the most cost-effective secret realm, and it is by no means trivial."

"Let me try." Cheng Bai activated the Phoenix power and injected his spiritual consciousness into the portrait of the God King to communicate with it.

The hall suddenly trembled slightly, and flames rose from the hollow eyes of the giant statue, as if the fire of life had been ignited. In an instant, the surrounding weather changed suddenly, and the scenery changed as if in another world.

The Star Hall fell silent, and the white figures in the hall had disappeared.

Li Haotian's face changed slightly, and he pondered, "I've never seen such a big reaction from the God King's portrait. Could it be that the Star Burning Sky Fire has finally found a winner?"

……

The sky is bright blue and the sun is shining brightly.

Chengbai stands tall among the majestic buildings that stretch for thousands of miles. Looking around, ancient, magnificent, and exquisite are not enough to describe its age and grandeur.

The Eternal Holy City expands outward around the corpse of a giant as majestic as a giant. The buildings blend in with the environment. Standing in any corner of the city, one can see the astonishingly huge body in the center of the holy city.

The giant sitting on the mountain towers into the clouds, with mist lingering around it, adding a sense of mystery. The sunlight shines on it, giving it a golden glow. Its shape is exactly the same as the statue in the Star Hall of Shanhui City, as if it has fallen into eternal contemplation like an infinite cycle of reincarnation and can never wake up again.

There are many huge stone statues of goddesses in the Eternal Holy City. They are of different heights and shapes. Cheng Bai found himself standing on the palm of one of them.

This statue has a unique shape and a beautiful face. It kneels on the ground with its hands clasped. Its entire body is over a hundred meters tall, taller than most buildings in the city, but insignificant compared to the giant's corpse.

The flat palm as big as the room was littered with a lot of miscellaneous items. Cheng Bai didn't pay attention and thought, "Is it so easy to go back?"

Walking to the edge of the palm and looking down, he saw the crowds of people in the city surging like ants. From time to time, people would prostrate themselves on the ground and worship repeatedly in the direction of the giant's corpse.

The straight and wide streets are particularly busy today.

The person clearing the way in front shouted loudly: "Make way, make way. The city lord is back."

The scene was in chaos, with a large number of people hurriedly making way for the road.

The arrogant camel dragons formed a neat long line, marched with steady and powerful steps, dragging the corpses of sand monsters tied behind them, and passed by in an orderly manner.