Demon Star City
"This time, the Azure Fish Hall's target is actually the Demon Race..."
Su Bai stroked the warm, smooth Azure Fish Talisman with his fingertips. The warmth on it had faded, but the words "Moon Wolf Tribe Crown Prince" remained clearly in his mind.
Demon Cultivator at the Condensing Origin Stage is equivalent to Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Human Race.
However, Demon Cultivator are far from being comparable to ordinary demon Demon Beast. Like Human Race, they are High Antiquity and intelligent race with their own long-standing Body Refinement and civilization.
They are born with strong physiques and are good at close combat. Some special Bloodline Talent or physiques can unleash power that far exceeds that of Demon Beast of the same level.
Heavenly Star City is dominated by Human Race Cultivator, and Demon Race are rarely seen. This time, venturing deep into Demon Star City, the environment, rules, and opponents are all very different from before.
"The mission reward has been increased to 40,000 Spirit Stone, a full 10,000 more than Shangguan Kang."
Su Bai calmly analyzed, "This should be Azure Fish Hall's recognition of my clean and efficient completion of the last mission, without leaving any obvious flaws, hence the upgrade of the mission level."
"It seems that the better you perform within this organization, the more generous the Mission Reward you receive later."
"If we can complete this mission flawlessly again, the rewards for the next mission might increase even further."
"A six-month deadline is more than enough time."
Su Bai gazed at the the North horizon, his eyes deep and thoughtful. "However, the Azure Fish Hall's style remains unchanged: they only provide the most basic target information. Everything else—the target's habits, movement patterns, guard strength, the power structure within Demon Star City, and even the best time and environment to strike—must be investigated and planned by the Assassin themselves."
"I'm afraid most of the next six months will be spent on preliminary preparations."
This means that the peaceful and fulfilling alchemy and cultivation life that had just begun to get on track had to be temporarily interrupted.
The improvement of alchemy skills, the stable consumption of Blue Origin Pill, and even the initial sales channels for Pill established with Zhang Ying all had to give way to this.
But that's the life of Assassin; when a mission comes, you must be as focused as a drawn sword, without any distractions.
Demon Star City is located in the northern part of the vast Demon Star Sea, far away from the southern region dominated by Human Race.
Su Bai estimated the distance. "If we travel at full speed on our Sword Flight without any delays, we should be able to arrive in about ten days. The distance itself is not a problem."
The key lies in the task itself.
"The target is the Crown Prince of the Moon Wolf Tribe Clan, a man of noble birth."
"Upon arriving in Demon Star City, ascertaining his identity and residence might not be difficult. The challenge lies in how to assassinate such a Bloodline descendant of the Demon Race race, Crown Prince whose cultivation has reached the late stage of the Core Formation (Foundation Establishment Late Stage), within the heartland of the demon race, while ensuring one's own safe escape without leaving any clues that could lead to the Azure Fish Hall or myself."
"The six-month timeframe is less about the time allotted for the operation itself, and more about providing the Assassin with a sufficiently long window of opportunity to investigate, plan, and wait for the optimal moment."
Su Bai understood.
This assassination operation requires patience, caution, and a precise grasp of the situation.
He carefully put away the Azure Fish Talisman and did not set off immediately, but instead returned to the courtyard to sit quietly and wait.
Before setting off, we need to make some arrangements for what we have to do, especially to retrieve the Spirit Stone from Zhang Ying and replenish our luggage.
Several hours later, as dusk approached, Zhang Ying's familiar figure hurriedly slipped into the alley, her face showing the ease of completing her task and a slight flush from exhaustion. She was indeed efficient; she even managed to sell those inferior-quality Yellow Dragon Pill, and at a slightly better price than Su Bai had estimated.
"Senior Lu! All the Spirit Stone are here."
Zhang Ying approached Su Bai and presented him with a Storage Bag with both hands, her tone respectful yet filled with the joy of completing her mission.
Su Bai took it and scanned it with his Divine Sense. Inside, there were 750 Low-grade Spirit Stone neatly arranged, slightly more than the 700 he had expected.
It seems this woman does have some sales skills, and may have even given up some of her own profits to get payment quickly.
As for how much she ultimately earned, Su Bai had no intention of delving into it; as long as the matter was resolved, that was enough.
Thus, combined with what he had left, Su Bai's Spirit Stone returned to around 2,300.
Although not a large sum, it was enough to support the initial investment for this operation, along with the expected return of 40,000 Spirit Stone after the completion of the Azure Fish Hall mission.
I need to go out for a while.
Su Bai put away his Storage Bag and calmly instructed, "In the meantime, you don't need to wait for my Pill anymore. Also, please look after this small cultivation courtyard of mine and prevent any petty people from disturbing its tranquility."
The long-abandoned cultivation courtyard, located on the edge of a bustling Market, inevitably attracts the attention of some unscrupulous individuals.
Although there were no valuables left in Su Bai's house, it was still unpleasant to have someone break in without cause.
Judging from the fact that this round-faced female cultivator seems to have a lot of free time and lives next door, it would be most suitable to ask her to keep an eye on things.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ying was slightly taken aback. Why would a senior Alchemist suddenly want to go on a long trip instead of focusing on alchemy?
But she knew her place and didn't ask further, only saying with concern, "Of course, no problem! Don't worry, senior, I will keep an eye on what's happening in your courtyard. How long will you be gone this time? I'll have a better idea of what's going on."
Su Bai had already prepared his explanation, maintaining his persona as "Alchemist Lu Jiu," and calmly said, "This time, I've made an appointment with some Fellow Daoist practitioners to go to a dangerous place to search for a rare spirit medicine, which will be of great help in alchemy."
"The return date is uncertain; it could be as short as a month or more, or as long as... perhaps half a year."
Seeking spirit medicine?
This reason is quite common among Alchemist.
Zhang Ying understood. Although she felt that half a year was a bit long, considering the trust Su Bai had placed in her, she immediately patted her chest and assured him, "Senior, please go ahead! I'll take good care of your courtyard; I won't let anyone damage a single blade of grass!"
Su Bai nodded slightly, said no more, and with a flicker of his body, he swept over the courtyard wall. In a few leaps, he disappeared into the deepening twilight and the intermingling figures of the Market, swift and decisive.
Zhang Ying stared in the direction he disappeared, stunned for a moment, before turning her gaze away, silently wishing her senior a safe journey and a speedy return.
For her, guarding the courtyard was just a small matter; maintaining a good relationship with this mysterious alchemist was the most important thing.
Su Bai did not linger in the city. He went straight to a relatively quiet exit, checked his identity Token, paid the exit fee, and left Heavenly Star City without any problems.
After traveling a hundred miles from the city and confirming that no one was watching, Su Bai found a secluded mountain valley.
He moved swiftly, changing into his signature jet-black outfit, and took out the Azure Fish Mask to cover his face. The cold mask blocked out all expressions, leaving only a pair of eyes as calm as a cold pool.
The Soaring Dragon Sword hummed softly as it was drawn from its sheath and hung before him. He leaped into the air, stepping onto the sword, and poured his immense Foundation Establishment Realm Spiritual Power into it without reservation.
"Whoosh--!"
A Sword Light tore through the twilight, soaring into the sky and shooting toward the the North horizon at an astonishing speed, leaving only a wisp of sharp Sword Intent that gradually dissipated in its place.
Flying at full speed on his Sword Flight consumed a huge amount of Spiritual Power, but in order to reach Demon Star City as soon as possible to begin preliminary work, Su Bai chose to disregard the cost.
Between Heavenly Star City and Demon Star City lie vast mountains, plains, and several human kingdoms, scattered with various cultivation forces and gathering places of independent cultivators.
High above, a fierce wind howled, and the scenery below rushed past.
Su Bai withdrew his Divine Sense to a few feet around his body, maintaining only basic vigilance to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Even so, they still inevitably encountered other Artifact Flight flying on magical Cultivator, or patrols by certain forces occupying mountain peaks.
On another occasion, while passing over a swamp shrouded in Miasma, several beams of light of different colors suddenly shot out from below, vaguely forming an encirclement. Clearly, they were a group of Demon Star Sea pirate cultivators specialized in plundering.
However, when they saw the figure in the Sword Light clearly—a tight-fitting black outfit, a signature Azure Fish Mask, and a terrifyingly fast escape speed—their fierce aura immediately froze.
Several beams of light quietly shifted and quickly disappeared into the swampy mist below, as if they had never appeared.
The name of the Azure Fish Hall assassin is no less intimidating than that of the Immortal Palace, which holds sway over order, in the Demon Star Sea Cultivation World, especially among those Cultivator who operate in the gray area.
No one wants to easily provoke this group of elusive, ruthless killers who may be connected to a vast dark network.
Traveling swiftly for ten days, covering a distance of ten Ten Thousand Li.
When the shadow of a massive city, predominantly gray-black in color and with a rugged and imposing outline, began to appear on the distant horizon, Su Bai knew that he had arrived at Demon Star City.
He did not fly directly to the city, but instead unleashed his Sword Light in a desolate stone forest more than a hundred miles away from the city.
Sheathed the Soaring Dragon Sword, removed the Black Azure-Fish Robe and mask, and changed into a Gray Veiled Hat and Robe commonly seen in the Cultivation World. A light veil hung down from the wide brim of the hood, completely concealing his face.
His aura was completely concealed, making him appear like a low-key traveler with ordinary cultivation.
After a brief respite to recover the Spiritual Power depleted from days of travel, Su Bai used his movement Movement Method to dash towards Demon Star City.
The speed wasn't fast, just right for the normal travel speed of a Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivator in the early stages.
Before long, the imposing and massive city walls of Demon Star City stood before us.
In stark contrast to the orderly, magnificent city walls of Heavenly Star City, which are full of Human Race architectural aesthetics and the rhythm of formations, the city walls of Demon Star City are crudely piled up from countless unpolished primitive boulders.
The boulders were of various shapes, sharp edges, and different sizes. The crevices were filled with a Dark Red, solidified substance that emitted a faint fishy smell. It was obviously the result of later reinforcement using Secret Method of the Demon Race, mixed with some special materials.
Therefore, the surface of the city wall is covered with various irregular protrusions, depressions and twists, casting mottled and menacing shadows under the midday sun.
Even before you get close, a complex and strong odor hits you.
It was a mixture of the earthy smell of stones, the rust and blood of the dark red filler, and... the body odor emanating from all directions and from all shapes and sizes of Demon Race, far stronger than that of Human Race.
These smells varied depending on the demon; some were fishy and pungent, some were muttony and rancid, some carried the scent of Plants, or minerals, but most were an indescribable, wild hormonal smell belonging to powerful life forms, so intense that it almost created a tangible impact, making the newly arrived Human Race Cultivator extremely uncomfortable.
Su Bai's veiled Veiled Hat and Robe attire didn't seem out of place here.
In the Cultivation World, there are many who hide their identities and conceal their appearances, and among the Demon Race, there are also many special beings who do not like to expose their true appearance or aura.
He silently joined the end of the line to enter the city, his aura concealed as if he were an ordinary Spirit Gathering Stage (Qi Refining Stage) Demon Cultivator.
The management of Demon Star City is indeed lax.
When it was Su Bai's turn, the one guarding the city gate was a tall Demon Soldiers wearing simple iron armor and topped with the head of a wild boar.
He glanced at Su Bai only once, and said in a gruff voice, "Entry fee, one Spirit Stone."
They didn't ask about race, origin, or purpose, and didn't even bother to check Su Bai's true face hidden beneath his disguise.
Su Bai handed over the Spirit Stone, which the other party casually accepted, waving his large, fan-like hand to signal passage.
There were no identity Token, no registration, it was a completely laissez-faire approach.
Stepping through the city gates, the scene inside further confirmed the words "rough" and "chaotic".
The streets were wide but extremely irregular, with the ground being a mixture of uneven, hard soil and gravel.
The buildings on both sides are strikingly different in style and show no signs of planning: on the left, there might be a treehouse carved out of a single giant log, entwined with vines that emit a faint glow.
Right next to it on the right was a square building, shaped like a bunker, constructed of rough-hewn rocks, with a wind chime made of unknown animal bones hanging at the entrance.
Not far ahead, one can even see tent-like dwellings constructed from huge animal hides and skeletons.
Various smells, sounds, and Spiritual Power fluctuations mingled together, creating a unique atmosphere that was both bizarre and full of primal vitality.
Su Bai moved through the area discreetly, his Divine Sense cautiously spreading outwards from himself to gather information.
He needs to familiarize himself with the environment as soon as possible and find ways to obtain intelligence.
After wandering through several streets and alleys, he discovered that his usually reliable sense of direction was failing him in this area.
The layout here seems completely haphazard, more like it was randomly constructed according to the individual preferences of the Demon Race inhabitants.
Ultimately, he pinpointed a location using his Divine Sense of Spiritual Power fluctuations and the direction of the sound source.
It was at the entrance of a staircase leading down from the side of a rocky bunker. A crooked wooden sign hung at the entrance, engraved with an abstract image of a wine glass, and a rich aroma of Spirit Wine and a cacophony of sounds emanated from below.
An underground Tavern is often a place where information flows and all sorts of people gather, making it a good place for newcomers to gather information.
Without hesitation, Su Bai lowered the brim of his hat and walked down the slightly steep stone steps.
The passageway was inlaid with Fluorite that emitted a dim yellow light, creating a dim atmosphere.
The further down you go, the more intense the smells of alcohol, sweat, and shouts become.
After climbing about thirty or forty steps, the view suddenly opened up before me.
A rather spacious underground space came into view, with a low roof supported by large logs.
In the center was an open space with a simple Stone Platform. On the platform were several Rabbit Demon girls with amazing proportions, wearing only thin gauze clothes and with long, soft ears, swaying their waists to the beat of rough drums, dancing a highly provocative dance.
Dozens of rough wooden tables and stone benches were set up below the stage, and most of them were now occupied by guests, all of whom were Demon Race of various appearances. They were gulping down wine, banging on the tables, and making deafening cheers, whistles, and shouts of approval. The atmosphere was so enthusiastic that it was almost frenzied.
Su Bai's arrival did not attract much attention; in this place, there were quite a few people who concealed their appearance.
His gaze swept across the area and soon spotted several Demon Race sitting around a few tables in a relatively quiet corner near the edge.
They all wore wolf heads with fur of varying shades, their eyes gleaming with a ghostly green or dark yellow light in the dim light. They were talking in hushed tones, with large wine bowls placed in front of them.
They're the ones.
Su Bai walked steadily through the noisy hall, the strong smell of alcohol and various body odors in the air almost suffocating.
He walked to the bar area, where a small, weasel-faced demon, whose cultivation was only at the Body Refinement Stage (Qi Refining Stage), approached him, carrying a heavy wooden wine tray in both hands, and asked solicitously, "Brother Demon, what would you like to drink? We have Fierce Blood Liquor, Hundred Fruit Brew, Earthroot Yellow Liquor..."
Su Bai remained silent to avoid revealing his Human Race accent.
His gaze swept over the wine tray, and he reached out and took the largest glass.
The wine cup, roughly carved from some kind of Dark Red rock, was about the size of a small jar. It was filled almost to the brim with a wine that exuded a faint, sweet, and intensely Spiritual Qi, and probably weighed four or five pounds.
"Hehe, Brother Yao, you have a good eye! This is our shop's signature ' Fierce Blood Liquor,' made primarily with the heart's blood of a level-three Demon Beast, the Blazing Fire Rhino, and brewed with thirteen kinds of potent Spirit Fruit. It's incredibly potent! Thank you for your patronage, fifteen Spirit Stone!"
Seeing this, the little demon immediately quoted a price, a sly glint in its eyes.
Fifteen Spirit Stone?
This price would be considered above average even in Heavenly Star City, and it seems even more expensive in this seemingly shabby underground Tavern.
Was the wine truly exceptional, or was the seller deliberately inflating the price because I was a stranger?
Su Bai had no intention of getting entangled in such a trivial matter. He silently took out fifteen Low-grade Spirit Stone and placed them on the wine tray.
The little demon smiled broadly as she put away the Spirit Stone and stopped bothering her.
Su Bai steadily lifted the heavy stone goblet with one hand; it was slightly warm to the touch, and the wine rippled.
He turned around, his gaze falling once more on the corner where the wolf demons were. He adjusted his breathing to appear more natural, and then strode over.
Under the slightly probing gazes of several wolf demons, Su Bai sat down at a nearby empty table and placed the giant cup on it with a "thud".
He didn't immediately turn to the wolf demon, but instead raised his wine cup to his lips, brought it close to the veil of his Veil Hat, as if taking a deep sniff of the wine, and then tilted his head back and took a big gulp.
The strong liquor burned down my throat like a blazing fire, its Spiritual Power spreading out with a savage, intense heat—truly no ordinary liquor.
Feeling the intense heat of the wine coursing through his body, Su Bai, seemingly drawn by the presence of several people at the next table, turned slightly to the side. Through the light gauze, he spoke in a deliberately low, slightly hoarse voice, mimicking the tone of some kind of Demon Race language:
"These demon brothers possess extraordinary bearing, faintly radiating the Moonlight Essence. Could it be... that they are direct Direct Bloodline the noble Moon Wolf Tribe?"