The heavy iron gates of Black-River City loomed out of the fog, guarded by towering stone sentinels carved in the shape of snarling beasts. Unlike the lawless chaos of the Ghost Market, Black-River City was an empire of shadows—a metropolis governed by the dark factions under a strict, unforgiving hierarchy.
Word of Li Chen’s ascension to the Core Formation Realm and the total annihilation of the Blood-Skull Syndicate had spread through the underworld like wildfire. As Li Chen and Xiao Feng walked down the wide, stone-paved central avenue, masked cultivators and faction emissaries parted like the sea, bowing their heads in silent terror.
— Master, — Xiao Feng whispered, his eyes darting across the high balconies of the city’s grand palaces. — The aura of the city... it feels as though a hundred eyes are watching our every step.
— They are not watching us, — Li Chen said, his hands tucked inside his dark, silk-embroidered robes. — They are evaluating whether I am a threat to be eliminated or a power to be courted. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
They stopped before the entrance to the Blood-Eclipse Pavilion, the grandest establishment in the city center. At the top of the grand marble steps stood a woman clad in flowing crimson silk, her veil doing little to hide her hauntingly beautiful features and the sharp, dangerous glint in her golden eyes.
She was Cultivator Scarlet-Weaver, an elder of the Soul-Refining Sect and one of the three ruling powers of Black-River City.
— The young master whose name has shaken the entire Ghost Mist Forest in a single night, — Scarlet-Weaver said, her voice smooth as velvet, carrying an underlying ripple of spiritual pressure. — Welcome to Black-River City, Master Li.
— Cut the pleasantries, — Li Chen replied, his voice calm and unyielding as a faint violet-black mist flickered beneath his boots, effortlessly neutralizing her spiritual pressure. — You did not invite me to your pavilion merely to exchange compliments.
Scarlet-Weaver’s golden eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of genuine intrigue replacing her composure. She stepped aside, gesturing toward the open doors.
— Straight to the point. I like that, — she smiled softly. — The ancient ruins of the Abyssal Sovereign’s Tomb open in three days. The righteous sects—including the grand elders of the Sun-Veil Sect—have already dispatched their fleets. If you wish to claim the Sovereign’s remnant soul and the true secrets of the Dark Dan, you will need allies. Read this novel at novelping(.)com for the best experience.
Li Chen stepped past her into the grand hall, his scarlet-violet eyes glowing with a cold, ruthless light.
— I do not need allies, Elder Scarlet, — Li Chen said smoothly. — I only need targets.