Chapter 285: Northern Huangtian

“The thirty-fourth one…”

After merging the last trace of Worldly Qi into the Hongchen Sword, Gu Ning’an reversed his grip and slid the blade into its sheath.

Now, he was only two strands of Worldly Qi away from once again glimpsing the Path of Dao and attempting to enter that returning to silence state.

From Great Qian to Great Wu, he had never forgotten the sight of his own disciple taking his own life.

He had to ascend to the Nine Heavens and seek justice for his student.

At the same time, he needed to uncover the true origins of the Path of Dao and the story hidden within the memories he had lost.

“Chirp—chirp!”

The sound of birdsong suddenly rang in his ears.

Gu Ning’an reached into his sleeve and retrieved a half-inch-long white feather. Placing his index finger against it, he closed his eyes, falling into a deep silence like a meditating monk.

The endless desert stretched beneath a sky of swirling yellow sand.

Within this vast and boundless wilderness stood two ancient cities, so immense that their ends could not be seen.

One to the left, one to the right—they stood facing each other like twin stars in the heavens.

The plump woman who had previously fled now stood at the gates of the left city.

Lifting her gaze to the towering city walls, she exhaled in relief upon seeing the two massive characters inscribed upon them—

“Demon Capital.”

From the moment she had fled Four Corners Town, she had not dared to stop for even a moment.

Pushing the last remnants of Hei Shui’s bestowed magic to its limits, she had desperately fled toward Northern Huangtian.

She had hurried for a reason—she feared that Gu Ning’an might catch up to her at any moment.

But now, standing before the gates of the Demon Capital, she felt at ease.

This was the domain of the Flood Dragon Emperor.

Even if that Mr. Gu truly possessed true immortal strength, he would be powerless against her here.

After all, the Flood Dragon Emperor was also a great demon of the true immortal realm!

Stepping into the city, she found herself on a vast, sprawling street.

The buildings, primarily made of sand bricks, were arranged in a seemingly haphazard yet harmonious manner.

Most were earth-yellow in color, blending into the desert landscape.

When the winds howled and the sands raged, the city itself seemed to vanish into the dunes.

Despite being a demon nation, at a glance, the Demon Capital looked just like any ordinary human city.

Street vendors lined the roads, peddling their wares.

Traveling merchants balanced shoulder poles as they moved along.

Even within the shops, “people” could be seen browsing and making purchases.

The Great Wu region seemed to breed spirits and monsters that could easily take human form—and in Northern Huangtian, it was even easier.

Among the “people” she saw, most were actually demons in human form, their appearances indistinguishable from ordinary humans.

However, a small number of them retained beastly features, whether due to an incomplete transformation or a personal preference.

They had human bodies but animal heads, revealing their true nature at a glance.

Only by seeing these figures would one realize—

This was not a city built or inhabited by humans.

The plump woman had no time to admire the Demon Capital’s grandeur.

She hurried forward, making her way toward the city’s center.

Due to city regulations, flight was forbidden within the capital—violators would face punishment.

Otherwise, she would have soared through the air instead of trudging through the streets.

The Demon Capital was enormous—

Even on horseback, it would take over two hours to ride from the city gates to its center.

Of course, with her power, she was far faster than a horse.

Even so, it still took her half an hour to reach the heart of the city.

There, she found a city within the city—

A place that bore a striking resemblance to a mortal imperial palace.

The palace complex gleamed gold and jade, radiating brilliance beneath the sun.

Its rooftops, covered in multicolored glazed tiles, shimmered with an ethereal glow.

From a distance, the entire palace seemed to be enshrouded in a mystical aura.

Before the palace gates, two rows of heavily armored guards stood at attention.

Their towering, muscular forms made them resemble iron towers, unshakable and immovable.

Before the woman could even approach, one of the guards barked—

“State your identity!”

The woman immediately lowered her posture and spoke respectfully—

“This servant is the Lustful Ghost under Hei Shui’s command. Now that Black King has perished, he has sent me to deliver a message to the Flood Dragon Emperor!”

The name Hei Shui was widely known in the Demon Capital.

With his formidable strength, he had been the most likely candidate to become the city’s second great demon.

Thus, upon hearing of his death, the guards exchanged stunned glances.

Hei Shui… was dead?

They could hardly believe it.

The only ones capable of killing him—and who would actually dare to do so—

Could only be a true immortal from the Hunling Immortal Sect.

The most crucial part was the ambiguous relationship between Hei Shui and the Flood Dragon Emperor. Some rumors claimed they were master and disciple, others said they were sworn father and son… and there were even whispers that Hei Shui was the Flood Dragon Emperor’s “lover.”

Of course, the last one was nothing more than an absurd rumor. No one dared to spread it seriously—at most, a few gossipmongers might entertain the thought in their heads. Even speaking it aloud was unthinkable… at least within the borders of Demon Capital.

After all, as a Great Demon, the Flood Dragon Emperor could monitor all of Demon Capital with a mere thought.

If someone was unlucky enough to be overheard, they’d likely meet a fate of complete annihilation in the very next moment.

“Please wait a moment, I will report this immediately.”

Upon confirming Lustful Ghost’s identity, the guard’s attitude became noticeably more respectful. Even though Hei Shui was dead, his subordinates were not people a mere gate guard could afford to slight.

However, before the guard could turn around and enter the palace, a deep, imposing voice resonated from within:

“Enter.”

In the next instant, all the guards simultaneously dropped to one knee. As for the plump woman standing before them, she vanished in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, the guards bowed their heads even lower. They immediately understood—the Flood Dragon Emperor must value Hei Shui’s death greatly. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have personally transported Lustful Ghost inside.

On the other side, Lustful Ghost felt her vision blur. When her sight cleared again, she found herself facing a towering, mountain-like figure.

She didn’t dare to look closely. Immediately, she dropped to her knees, pressing her hands and forehead to the ground.

“This servant, Lustful Ghost, greets the Flood Dragon Emperor!”

The Flood Dragon Emperor was a man of few words. He simply uttered:

“Speak.”

“Yes! Yes!”

Repeating herself twice, Lustful Ghost remained kneeling and, with meticulous precision, recounted everything she had seen and heard in Four Corners Town—without leaving out a single detail.

Since she had been rehearsing her report in her mind during the entire journey, she spoke quickly. In less than the time it took to finish a cup of tea, she had explained the full sequence of events.

Once she finished, she remained kneeling, tensely awaiting the Flood Dragon Emperor’s response.

A moment later, he exhaled a long breath and said:

“What a pity…”