Chapter 2031: Bloodcrow City

Several hours later, Han Li hovered high in the air, gazing at the faintly visible crimson city walls in the distance. He murmured to himself, “So this is Blood Crow City? It does look rather small.”

“Though the city isn’t large, it’s built with stones from near the Bloodlight Crystal Mine. It’s said to have some anti-magic properties, weakening the power of direct spell attacks,” Long Jia the Venerable remarked with a faint smile.

“If that’s the case, this city must have some ability to resist the Butterfly-Tailed Beasts. Our decision to stay here seems wise,” the feathered-robed maiden said with a charming smile.

“When I sealed the memories of those two demons earlier, I took a quick scan. While this region often suffers from beast tides, attacks on Blood Crow City are rare. It seems this city isn’t as simple as it appears. However, there are no formations here capable of detecting our disguised demon cores. When we enter, just suppress your cultivation to the Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation level to avoid drawing attention,” Long Jia the Venerable said decisively.

The others nodded in agreement.

With a flick of his sleeve, Long Jia released a surge of demonic energy, enveloping the group as they swiftly flew toward the distant crimson city walls.

Moments later, the demonic energy dissipated, revealing Han Li and the others standing before a pitch-black city gate.

At the gate, thirty to forty demon guards clad in green armor scrutinized them with extreme vigilance.

But when Long Jia snorted and released the overwhelming aura of a Soul Transformation cultivator, the mostly Nascent Soul-level guards paled and adopted expressions of reverence.

A demon commander at the Nascent Soul level hurriedly stepped forward to greet them. After a few cautious inquiries, he waved his hand, signaling the guards to clear the way, allowing Han Li and the others to stride confidently into the city.

For a small city like this, a Soul Transformation cultivator was an existence not to be offended. The guards’ scrutiny was merely due to heightened security.

Under normal circumstances, given the mixed nature of demons entering and leaving Blood Crow City, even this minimal questioning might not have occurred.

As they passed through the gate, Han Li’s eyes flashed with a faint blue light as he scanned the demonic runes forming a formation on the black gate. His face, however, remained expressionless.

While he couldn’t speak for other areas, the formation at the gate was utterly ordinary, nothing to be wary of.

Inside the city, rows of buildings of varying heights stretched out, most in black or red hues, with a few temporary structures in other colors scattered among them.

Wide streets, capable of accommodating three carriages side by side, crisscrossed between the buildings.

Overall, the city was far from the scale of Spirit Realm metropolises housing hundreds of millions. Though called a “small city,” it was more akin to a large walled town, likely inhabited by no more than five to six million demons.

The city had activated flight restrictions, so aside from patrolling guards exempt from the ban, no other demons flew haphazardly overhead.

After walking for a while, Han Li noted that while Blood Crow City wasn’t overcrowded, it was certainly bustling.

Demons of all shapes and sizes filled the streets—some resembling ferocious beasts, others indistinguishable from ordinary humans.

Most buildings lining the streets were shops or inn-like structures.

Demons constantly streamed in and out, appearing busy.

Most were at the Nascent Soul or Core Formation level, with a minority at the Nascent Soul stage. Soul Transformation cultivators were rare, appearing only occasionally after long stretches of walking, and even then, only at the early stage.

After some time, they spotted a small stone mountain several hundred feet tall occupying a corner of the city.

At its base stood gray-white tower-like structures, tightly encircling most of the mountain.

Between the towers, elite armored demons patrolled diligently.

Midway up the mountain stood a black-and-red stone hall, likely the residence of the demon sovereign known as “Bing Qianren.”

Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the hall from afar.

At a crossroads, Long Jia suddenly halted and turned to the group. “Let’s split up here. I imagine most of you prefer to act alone. Once the Butterfly-Tailed Beasts disperse, we’ll regroup here before continuing. The city is small, so if anything happens, we can easily reconnect.”

“Agreed. I’ve already spotted something of interest, so I’ll take my leave first,” the feathered-robed maiden unexpectedly chimed in with a light laugh.

With a slight bow, she turned and walked away without hesitation.

After exchanging glances, the Holy Maiden Qianqiu and her companions quietly excused themselves, clearly intending to stick together.

“Brother Long, I’ll take my leave as well,” Han Li said with a cupped fist, his expression neutral.

“Safe travels, Brother Han,” Long Jia replied respectfully.

Han Li nodded and turned down a nearby street.

Long Jia watched Han Li’s retreating figure until he vanished around a distant corner, then let his smile fade. He turned to the disheveled Lin family elder and asked coolly, “Brother Lin, have you considered my proposal? May I have your answer now?”

“Brother Long, this matter is of great importance. I need more time to deliberate,” the elder replied after a slight hesitation, his pupils contracting slightly.

“Understandable. Take all the time you need—this journey is long,” Long Jia replied with a faint smile, showing no surprise.

“Then I thank Brother Long for his patience,” the elder said politely.

After a few more exchanges, the Lin family elder also departed.

“Brother Long, he seems unlikely to agree. Perhaps we should approach the Ye family instead. They might better suit our plans,” the black-robed man beside Long Jia said coldly.

“The Ye family won’t work. They’re too wary of us and may have already sensed something. It would only expose us further,” Long Jia dismissed immediately.

“But this Lin fellow is clearly stalling. Even if he agrees later, he may not cooperate sincerely,” the black-robed man frowned.

“Once he agrees, he won’t have the luxury of backing out. Enough—this isn’t the place for such talk. Let’s visit a materials shop first to see if we can find what we need,” Long Jia said with a cryptic smile, waving his hand.

“A materials shop is indeed our first stop. The others likely had the same idea. Let’s take a different route to avoid crossing paths,” the black-robed man agreed.

“Precisely my thought. Let’s go.”

With a low chuckle, Long Jia led the way forward.

—

Elsewhere, Holy Maiden Qianqiu and her group moved slowly down another street, conversing rapidly in hushed tones.

“Zhi Shui’s condition is unstable. The seal is loosening—we must find a place to reinforce it immediately,” Qianqiu said gravely.

“How? The last seal was applied not long ago. Why is it failing so soon?” the figure in white light asked sharply.

“I’m not certain, but it’s likely due to the dense demonic energy here. As you know, its origin is tied to the Demon Realm. The ambient energy seems to be agitating it,” Qianqiu sighed.

“Zhi Shui must not be compromised—it’s our trump card. Find lodging at once. We’ll guard while you reinforce the seal,” the white figure commanded.

“Agreed.”

Qianqiu nodded and soon led them into an alley, where a tall inn-like structure stood. Several travel-worn demons were entering.

—

In a crimson-hued shop, the feathered-robed maiden accepted an emerald-green ore from a pale-skinned demon.

As the demon rambled on, she scanned the ore with her spiritual sense and smiled faintly.

—

Meanwhile, Han Li strolled down a narrow street lined with densely packed stalls of varying sizes.

Behind each stall sat or stood demons of diverse appearances.

Despite the chaotic setting, numerous powerful demons browsed the stalls, some engaging in heated bargaining.

Watching the familiar scene, Han Li’s lips curled into a faint smile.