Deepcloud escorted everyone down the mountain and smiled, “I can’t leave the temple grounds. This is where we part ways.”
“Goodbye,” Cai Yue nodded in farewell.
Xu Zimo felt something was off but couldn’t quite figure out what.
He glanced deeply in the direction of White Sage Mountain, then turned and left.
“That Black Demon Temple really is creepy,” Cai Yue commented. “What happened last night... how did things turn out like that?”
“I’m not sure either. Let’s head to Black Demon City first,” Xu Zimo said, then turned to her and asked, “What are your plans after this?”
“Although my Cai Clan is gone, I still have an aunt in the Ninelands Region. I plan to seek her out,” Cai Yue answered honestly.
“In that case, we’ll part ways once we reach Black Demon City,” Xu Zimo nodded.
Cai Yue paused for a moment, gently squeezing the edge of her clothes, then nodded slightly.
The legend of the Black Demon Temple saving this region seemed true, it was well-known throughout Black Demon City.
Of course, everyone had heard of the temple, but because White Sage Mountain had long been sealed, no one had visited the temple in many years.
To reach the Ninelands Region from the Dragon Ridge Mountains, one didn’t need to cross White Sage Mountain; a nearby mountain road existed.
Though steep, they crossed it by noon.
In the distance, the outline of Black Demon City slowly emerged. It looked like a colossal demon, its body cast in black iron, standing mightily upon the earth.
As Xu Zimo approached the city gates, he could faintly make out the scenery inside.
On top of the thick city walls stood numerous small statues of little demons, each with unique expressions and forms.
Looking at them, Xu Zimo was reminded of the figures worshipped in Black Demon Temple.
The heavy city gates were wide open. Between the twin doors, a small demon statue acted as a door handle.
Inside, the bustling scene was surprisingly comforting. The streets were crowded, with merchants yelling and people haggling.
“Where are you headed, Young Master?” Cai Yue asked.
“I plan to visit the Void Valley,” Xu Zimo replied. “But I’m not familiar with the area, so I’ll stay here in the city for a bit to gather information.”
“That works out. I need to send word to my aunt first,” Cai Yue said. “She lives quite far, and I don’t dare travel alone anymore. I’ll wait until she sends someone to pick me up. Let’s find an inn to rest at first.”
Xu Zimo agreed, and the two found an inn in the city, booking two separate rooms. Cai Yue, not trusting the servants who accompanied her, dismissed them all.
Back in his room, Xu Zimo had just entered when Paimon’s figure slowly emerged.
“Alright, talk. What’s going on?” Xu Zimo asked.
“The statues in the Black Demon Temple and on the city walls are modeled after our Ancient Demon Race,” Paimon explained. “Even though I didn’t sense any demonic energy, I still recognize those figures.”
“Demon statues?” Xu Zimo was stunned.
“Yes, they’re newly initiated demons, still very weak,” Paimon replied.
“What about the people in the Black Demon Temple? Can you tell what’s happening with them?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Not exactly,” Paimon said after a moment of thought. “There’s a kind of energy inside them, very similar to our demonic aura, but not quite the same. It’s likely that this strange aura is what caused them to turn into that state.”
“Things are definitely getting more interesting,” Xu Zimo said.
“The Black Demon Temple is definitely hiding something. If you want, I can go investigate,” Chaos offered.
“No rush. We’ll check it out slowly after I return from the Void Valley,” Xu Zimo replied.
…
There wasn’t anything particularly unusual about Black Demon City itself. In the afternoon, Xu Zimo gathered information about the Void Valley.
It was located 300 miles east of the city.
The Void Wood and Void Leaves from that valley were highly prized across the Ninelands Region and sold for sky-high prices.
Because of that, many rogue cultivators risked going there, despite the dangers, hoping to strike it rich.
However, in the past two years, several major imperial lineages had started regulating access to the valley.
Rogue cultivators weren’t banned outright, but they needed a permit to enter.
Permits were only issued in larger cities, Black Demon City wasn’t one of them.
Even after years of exploration by many who risked their lives, no one had reported seeing creatures like the Void Spirit Monkeys.
Still, Xu Zimo believed Jiang Yun wouldn't lie to him. The monkeys must be extremely rare.
Once he collected maps and intel on the valley, Xu Zimo returned to the inn to resume his strength training.
By dusk, he joined Cai Yue for dinner at her invitation.
“Did you know?” Cai Yue said between bites. “I asked around about the Black Demon Temple.”
“What did you hear?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Both the temple and this city aren’t under any faction’s control,” she explained. “There really was something called the ‘Black Demon’ long ago, but it was only around for a short time. Before the imperial lineages could react, they vanished.”
She added with interest, “And the Black Demon Temple used to be called White Sage Temple, just like the mountain.”
“What was the Black Demon?” Xu Zimo asked. “Did you find out?”
“Not really. Very few people saw it back then. Most have forgotten,” Cai Yue shook her head.
“Alright, better not dig too deep. This stuff never leads to anything good,” Xu Zimo warned.
“Got it,” Cai Yue nodded. “I just feel bad for little Xuan Yu.”
“Leave it to me,” Xu Zimo said.
Outside, the sky gradually darkened. The inn was still lively.
Most guests remained in the main hall, chatting away.
A pale moon peeked through the clouds above Black Demon City.
Just then, a chilling scream pierced the air outside.
The sound was horrifying, cutting through the noise of the inn and plunging the place into sudden silence.
“What was that?” someone put down their drink, frowning.
“No idea. Let’s go check.”
Before anyone could move, a blood-soaked figure stumbled into the inn.
The figure collapsed just past the doorway, gasping out a single word, “Help”, before losing consciousness on the floor.