Devour

Chapter 258: 9 Deep Abyss Secret Realm

Passing through the deep and ancient stone sarcophagus of the Quantai Palace, Cheng Bai and others poked their heads out from the gap of a huge corpse floating in the sky.

"What species is this? It looks like a bird."

Cheng Bai saw that the skeletons there were black in color, and curled up into a ball that was ten thousand meters wide. He spread out his spiritual sense to survey the area and then he could make out that it had two wings and three legs.

Black Dragon and Smoker looked at each other and said in unison, "Golden Crow."

Cheng Bai was surprised and said, "Golden Crow? Legend has it that it is the essence of the sun. Could it be the sun of the Nine-Layered Abyss?"

Hei Long said: "It used to be, but it has long been extinguished. It has lost its light and divine fire, and even its sacred aura has been completely lost."

Cheng Bai knocked on the Golden Crow's skeleton casually, and it made a sound like that of metal and stone. It felt cold to the touch and was dead silent.

“It is stronger than immortal gold but as light as nothing. It was once a divine bird, but it eventually became the entrance to the secret realm, forever floating around the Nine-Layered Abyss.”

After saying this, Cheng Bai shifted his attention and looked down at the vastness. In front of him was a dark and magnificent continent. Just as described in countless legends, there was no curvature on the horizon, so it was definitely not a planet.

The sky is dark and gloomy without the sun or the moon. There are some possibilities for the light on the earth, such as the raging fire formed by the eruption of volcanoes, the eerie red, green, blue and white ghost lights, lights of unknown origin, strange auroras, etc.

There are strange peaks and rocks standing out all over the ground, some are shaped like ghosts, some are like swords and spears, and the dangerous mountains that look like giant beasts lying down are just ordinary in appearance here.

"The first layer of the Nine-Layered Abyss, the City of Steel. Why is it called this name? Where is the city?" Cheng Bai looked down for a moment and did not see a city in his field of vision.

The smoker looked at him in amazement. He had never been here, so of course he didn't know.

The Black Dragon stretched out its body and turned into a giant dragon over a hundred meters long. It let Cheng Bai and the human-shaped Smoker ride on it. While flying in the sky, it narrated the relevant rumors it had heard over the past few days.

"The Nine-Layered Abyss is well-known in the outer regions of the Star Sea. What makes it particularly attractive is its mineral resources. It is rich in luxury silver, burning iron, magic silver, divine ice iron, and various spiritual stones. The gold and stone trading has become the basis for the gathering of city-states."

"When you see the smoke rising and covering a large area of ​​the sky, you will surely find the chaotic city surrounded by mountains and blending into the depths of the mountains in the heat of hellfire."

"The Iron City is visited by creatures from the depths of the Ninefold Abyss and the outer realms, seeking to trade various suspicious items or hire bloodthirsty and murderous soldiers to do desperate deeds."

"Don't be surprised why the secret realm is so bustling. The Iron City is the most prosperous place in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. The lower you go, the more desolate it becomes. Challengers are advised to cherish the resources obtained in the city. It will be of great help in exploring the secret realm."

Cheng Bai listened silently, thought for a moment and asked, "What's the difference with Shanhui City? The difference between order and chaos?"

Hei Long said: "Foreign troops are not allowed to appear in Shanhui City. Tianjian keeps a close eye on the number of people and will expel foreigners who have reached a certain size. You can use it as a passage to various goals. But in the Iron City, as long as you are willing to pay, it is easy to get an army and the corresponding weapons and supplies."

Cheng Bai asked doubtfully, "Is there no one in charge?"

Hei Long said: "According to the people in the Shanhui City, the lord of this place is happy to see war and death. Even if everyone in the Iron City died, he would just stand on the pile of corpses and laugh."

Cheng Bai asked, "Who is the lord?"

"Blood Demon Gao Xiao."

Cheng Bai saw thick smoke in the distance.

If the Golden Crow is in the east, then going west, the dark column of smoke rising from the center of the continent is like a large ghost wandering in the air and constantly rolling, the outer layer slowly dissipates, the inner layer circling up, and strange white and blue sparks occasionally jump in the suffocating darkness.

Hidden under the thick smoke is an endless mountain range. Among the steep cliffs and ridges are countless strange buildings, which blend into the mountains.

For some reason, Cheng Bai thought of the Star-Moon Oasis on the Qiongqi Continent. Although the environments of the two were very different, they had a common goal, which was an open market.

The black dragon landed quietly on the outskirts of the mountain city and transformed into a human form. Cheng Bai did not plan to fly directly into the city out of caution.

Just as he was about to take a step forward, he suddenly saw the ground nearby bulge, dirt and rocks flying everywhere, and an evil ghost with a green face, fangs, a single horn on his head, and fierce eyes poked out.

After a person dies, the soul ascends to heaven and the spirit enters the earth, but the resentment of the three corpses lingers and wanders around, and they are called ghosts.

Ghosts are attached to the flesh, and their images change as desires and habits change, becoming various kinds of ghosts, between the living and the dead. The flesh is the living, and the spirit is the dead. They have no soul and no self, and are chaotic and disorderly.

Evil ghosts are rampant in the Nine-Layered Abyss. Perhaps because they are derived from the physical bodies of powerful monks, their strength is far greater than that of ordinary ghosts occasionally seen in the world.

The ghost in front of him quickly emerged from the ground. His strong body was covered with simple animal skins and stood five meters tall. He swung a large stick inlaid with iron nails in one hand, stared at the three people with his big copper bell eyes, and said in a rough voice: "Where did you come from, little demon? How dare you enter the Iron City without permission? Have you paid the entrance fee?"

Cheng Baiqi asked, "If I pay once and for all, will it be free for life?"

The evil ghost shouted, "Each of you pay ten taels of black gold, and stop making noise in front of Master Ju."

But in a short while, Master Ju's head was covered with lumps and he was crying bitterly. He was completely subdued and knelt down to beg for mercy, "Please calm down, three masters. I am Ju Gong, a green-faced ghost from the ghost clan. I am doing this to make a living."

Cheng Bai ordered: "We are in need of a guide. Lead the way and answer all questions. If you are satisfied, you will be rewarded with ten taels of black gold. If you are not satisfied, you will be rewarded with one hundred punches."

Ju Gong quickly thanked him and said, "I hope you will be satisfied."

Most of the buildings built in the mountains are deep in the rock caves. After countless years of excavation, more and more rock caves were found, and houses were built inside. Over and over again, the mountains are connected in all directions like an ant nest, stretching for thousands of miles, forming the so-called Steel City.

Ju Gong introduced: "Although there is no sun or moon in this place, there are actually day and night. When the smoke column in the city covers the sky, it is day. When the smoke column is silent, it is night. No matter whether you are a human, a ghost, an immortal or a saint, you must not walk in the night. The strange underworld wind will corrode everything, and if you fall into it, you will turn into chaotic ashes."

The three of them were secretly shocked after hearing this. The dangerous rules of the Nine-Layered Abyss Secret Realm were unprecedented!

Cheng Bai was surprised and asked, "Is there such a thing?"

Ju Gong said: "Even the Lord dare not touch Mingfeng. If there is no time to avoid it, the best way is to dig a hole as soon as possible like me and bury yourself deep underground, maybe you can save your life."

The Smoker heaved a sigh of relief and said, "This isn't that easy. There's nothing to be afraid of Ming Feng."

Hei Long warned, "Don't say that. When people go through the three calamities, they only know that the wrath of thunder should not be violated, but they don't know that the most terrifying thing is the underworld wind. The Nine-Layered Abyss is really strange, how could the underworld wind blow for no reason? And it hides during the day and comes out at night, which is hard to imagine."

Ju Gong said: "The Iron City is located on the first level of the Nine-Layered Abyss, where the power of the Dark Wind is already the weakest. If it is a few levels deeper, the Dark Wind will be even more violent, and digging a pit to avoid disaster will be useless, as it is equivalent to digging a grave for yourself."

Cheng Bai said: "It's still early, lead the way. I want to find the best burning iron."

Ju Gong bowed his head and said, "Master, you have found the right person. I know the city inside and outside and know where to go for the best value for money."

……

The highest peak in the Iron City is somewhat humanoid, like a terrifying demon lord looking down upon the hustle and bustle of the world, or as if loyally guarding the bottomless boiling abyss in front of it. After noon, the billowing column of smoke gushing out of the abyss begins to fade, indicating that night is about to come.

There is also a palace hidden on the top of the mountain, overlooking the whole city from a high vantage point. It is called the Blood Demon Palace and is the residence of the first-level lord, the Blood Demon Gao Xu.

There is a clear distinction between the demons and ghosts. They are either descendants of the bloodline left behind by the ancient demon gods, or creatures that have been transformed due to infection with demonic energy for some reason. They usually maintain a human-like appearance to disguise themselves.

Gao Xu in the Blood Demon Palace is well-dressed and dressed like a noble king. Only when a smile appears on his pale face and sharp fangs are inadvertently revealed at the corners of his mouth, people will realize that he is different from ordinary people.

"Hiss..."

The Blood Demon Lord laughed in a low, sinister way, and showed courtesy to the distinguished guest in front of him: "Welcome the Crown Prince of the Emperor Yan Dynasty to come and add icing on the cake to the Steel City."

Cai Youling nodded slightly to return the gift, and said calmly: "I only want the Divine Ice Iron and Red-Faced Ghost Soldiers, as long as there are enough of them."