A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Immortal Realm

Han Li naturally had his reservations about the Black Weasel King, but he didn't ask any questions.

Initially, he had thought that it was his breakthrough that had attracted the attention of the Ten Hazards, but he had since realized that things weren't so simple, and that it seemed like Shi Chuankong was the one actually being targeted.

Shi Chuankong's status was most likely the reason why the Black Weasel King was being so polite and amicable to him, but Shi Chuankong seemed to have no intention of explaining himself, and Han Li didn't feel it appropriate to ask.

In any case, his best option was to follow Shi Chuankong's lead in the Ten Hazards Mountain Range, and everything else could wait until they were out of the mountain range.

Three days later, Han Li set off for the city north of the Ten Hazards Mountain Range, Preeminent City, along a secret trade route established between Black Weasel City and Preeminent City.

Several months later.

In the southern region of the Devil Realm was an extremely steep and long mountain range that stood between the Ten Hazards Mountain Range and the Vast Seal Plains, and at the center of the mountain range was a col where a massive city wall had been constructed.

The wall was constructed from giant black stone blocks that were etched with complex patterns, and it was enshrouded within a layer of faint thin gray mist. Hanging on top of the wall was a huge plaque that read "Preeminent City", and below the plaque was a massive archway, as well as two smaller gates on either side.

The main gate and the one on the left were both shut, leaving only the right one open, and there were some armorclad guards standing on lookout duty there.

There were very few pedestrians near the gate, and at this moment, there were two people slowly approaching the city together.

One of them had an imposing physique, with dark skin and a set of rough facial features. There was a single black horn on his forehead, and he was clad in a suit of leather armor. His companion was much more similar to a human in appearance, except there were some golden scales on his cheeks.

"Brother Shi, why did we part ways with the merchant convoy the Black Weasel King arranged for us instead of entering the city with them?" the man with the golden scales on his face asked.

"There have always been business dealings between Preeminent City and the Black Weasel King, but it's all done in secret under the table, and given our sensitive identities, it would be best for us to not get involved in all of that," the imposing man replied.

These two were none other than Han Li and Shi Chuankong, and before long, they arrived at the city gate, where they were stopped by the armorclad guards.

"Show us your passage tokens," one of the armorclad guards demanded as he reached out a hand.

Shi Chuankong flipped a hand over to produce a pair of palm-sized black jade badges before handing them over.

The armorclad guard accepted the badges, and after giving them a close examination, he said, "These are passage tokens issued by the Serene Mountain Marquis Manor. Why have you come all this way to Preeminent City?"

"We're here to run some errands for our masters, so we don't really have a choice in the matter, do we?" Shi Chuankong sighed.

"Alright, you can go in," the armorclad guard said as he returned the jade badges to Shi Chuankong.

Upon entering through the city gate, Shi Chuankong handed one of the jade badges to Han Li as he said, "We'll be using these things a lot in Preeminent City, so you should carry one too."

"What's this Serene Mountain Marquis Manor?" Han Li asked as he accepted the jade badge.

"Our Holy Realm is different from the Immortal Realm in that it's primarily ruled over by my father, and there are many nobles under him who rule over different areas, one of whom is the Serene Mountain Marquis," Shi Chuankong explained.

"Seeing as you're the son of the Devilish Monarch, you must have a very high noble title, right?" Han Li asked.

"Bloodline is very important in our Holy Realm, but power is championed above all else, so in order to attain the highest noble titles, one has to at least be at the Great Encompassment Stage and have a certain amount of accolades or backing. At the moment, I have no territory of my own, nor any official title, but I'm able to draw upon a great deal of the Vast Origin House's resources," Shi Chuankong explained.

"I see," Han Li replied with a nod.

The city wall was far thicker than Han Li imagined, and even the passageway leading into the city from the gate was over a thousand feet in length.

Upon emerging from the passageway, the natural light immediately returned, making them feel as if they had stepped out in a whole new world.

However, as soon as Han Li set foot in the city, his brows immediately furrowed slightly.

The devilish qi in Preeminent City was several times more abundant than it was outside the city.

Han Li had noticed that the further north they traveled, the more abundant the devilish qi in the environment had become, but he still wasn't prepared for such a drastic change just from crossing a single city wall.

"Back when Preeminent City was first constructed, array masters were hired to bolster its walls in order to keep in as much devilish qi as possible. Hence, once we leave the city and go further northward, the devilish qi will actually be less abundant," Shi Chuankong assured, looking rather amused at Han Li's discomfort.

"In contrast with Preeminent City, the Ten Hazards Mountain Range really is a primordial area with sparse devilish qi," Han Li replied with a nod.

"Are you feeling alright? If the discomfort becomes too severe, I have a Qi Locking Pill that can lock away the devilish qi that you absorb into your body," Shi Chuankong said.

"It's still fine for now," Han Li replied with a shake of his head.

"I suppose this amount of devilish qi won't be much of a bother for a High Zenith cultivator like yourself," Shi Chuankong said with a smile.

Beyond the city gate was a spacious plaza, branching off from which was a paved stone road that led to the center of the city. The road was lined with buildings constructed in an orderly fashion, and the closer one drew to the center of the city, the taller the buildings became.

The construction style of Preeminent City was quite unique, with most of the buildings constructed out of giant black stone blocks, and the roofs were primarily domed or conical in shape. On top of that, there were many intricate decorative statues on the walls and roofs of the buildings, the most prevalent of which were statues of different strange and exotic beasts, presenting some spectacular sights to behold.

There were very few shops lining the streets near the city gate, and most of them were small trading houses where business appeared to be very slow. However, as one made their way deeper into the city, they'd discover that the streets would gradually become more lively and bustling.

"Are we going straight to the city lord's manor to use the teleportation arrays from here?" Han Li asked.

"There's no hurry. There's a Vast Origin House branch in Preeminent City, let's go there first," Shi Chuankong replied with a smile.

Han Li nodded in response, and the two of them hailed a beast-drawn carriage, which promptly set off northward.

Along the way, Han Li spotted a large cluster of tall buildings within a lush garden, and he asked, "Is that the city lord's manor?"

"That's right, and the current city lord is the Heavenly Ax Marquis," Shi Chuankong replied.

"A marquis is serving as the city lord?" Han Li asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Normally, the role of city lord would be undertaken by a baron at most. However, Preeminent City is different in that it's responsible for keeping the threat of the Ten Hazards Mountain Range at bay, which is quite a heavy responsibility, and that's why a marquis is serving as the city lord. On top of Preeminent City, a large area to the north of the city is also under his jurisdiction," Shi Chuankong explained.

"I see," Han Li replied with a nod.

After passing by the city lord's manor, the carriage continued northward, making its way onto a very wide and opulent street.

The street was lined with shops that were selling all types of different wares, and it was far more crowded here than elsewhere in the city, so the carriage was forced to slow down.

The coach driver began introducing to his two passengers some of the shops on the streets with the intention of recommending them to the shops that paid him a commission, but he quickly discovered that one of his passengers was already extremely familiar with the city, so he wisely chose not to put in any recommendations.

Along the way, Shi Chuankong gave Han Li an introduction to many of the shops that he passed by, further demonstrating his knowledge of the city.

"How are you so familiar with Preeminent City, Brother Shi?" Han Li asked.

"Back when I first got involved with the Vast Origin House, Preeminent City was where I started, and that's why I know so much about the Ten Hazards Mountain Range," Shi Chuankong explained through voice transmission.

"I see, so this is a starting point for you," Han Li replied with a nod.

"You could say that," Shi Chuankong agreed with a smile.

As the two of them were conversing with each other, a seven-story building with a conical roof appeared up ahead. The building was adorned with elegant carvings and all types of complex patterns, and there was a plaque outside that read "Vast Origin House".

However, to Han Li's surprise, Shi Chuankong only took a glance at the entrance of the Vast Origin House, then cast his gaze forward once again and instructed the coach driver to continue onward.

"Why aren't we going in?" Han Li asked through voice transmission.

A hesitant look appeared on Shi Chuankong's face upon hearing this.

"Brother Shi, I may have agreed to accompany you to Night Sun City, but that's not the only option available to me. If you're intentionally keeping secrets from me, then I'm afraid that we'll have to part ways here," Han Li warned.

"Please don't jump to conclusions, Brother Li. I'll explain everything to you once we've found a place to settle down in," Shi Chuankong sighed.

Han Li offered no reply, merely nodding silently in response.

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