Heavenly Demon City

After leaving the Houtu Tribe, Shen Gui arrived at Qingluan City once more.

Compared to Shen Gui's previous visit, Qingluan City had not changed much. After all, six years was far too short a time in the Primordial Wilderness.

"Fellow Daoist Shen Gui, you arrived right on time."

Outside Qingluan's stone house in Qingluan City, Fellow Daoist Qing Luan emerged from within and looked at Shen Gui as he landed directly before the house.

Shen Gui smiled faintly. "Strictly speaking, I am the one asking for your help. How could I make you wait long? Is there anything else you need to arrange?"

Qingluan shook her head slightly. "I am merely protecting this city on the Empress's orders. After I leave, someone else will naturally take over. There is no need for me to concern myself further."

"Then let us set out."

Qingluan nodded, and with a flash, a clear phoenix cry rang through the skies as she directly reverted to her true form.

Seeing Shen Gui's puzzled expression, Qingluan said, "You are too slow. Let me give you a ride."

Shen Gui froze for a moment before finally coming to his senses.

"In that case, many thanks, Fellow Daoist Qing Luan."

"I merely wish to return to the Empress's side sooner."

After offering that casual explanation, Qingluan waited until Shen Gui had settled onto her back, then flapped her wings and shot into the heavens. In an instant, Qingluan City vanished from Shen Gui's sight.

Qingluan City was not particularly far from Mount Buzhou to begin with, and Qingluan's speed was unmatched. Thus, it did not take the two of them long to travel from Qingluan City until Mount Buzhou came into view.

As he looked at Mount Buzhou, which pierced the clouds and stood as tall as the heavens, a trace of awe flashed through Shen Gui's eyes.

So this was Mount Buzhou?

Even from countless tens of thousands of miles away, Shen Gui could still sense the vast, desolate pressure radiating from Mount Buzhou.

Although Pangu had long since fallen, the pressure left behind upon Mount Buzhou alone made Shen Gui feel like an ant.

As they entered the range of Mount Buzhou's influence, affected by its pressure, Qingluan's speed slowed as well.

Still, though Qingluan was much slower than before, she remained extremely fast.

Yet as the two drew closer and closer to Mount Buzhou, the pressure upon it grew heavier and heavier, and Qingluan's speed became slower and slower.

When they were roughly a hundred thousand miles from Mount Buzhou, Qingluan stopped outright and transformed back into human form.

Shen Gui also flew down from Qingluan's back.

"For the next stretch, we can only fly at low altitude. Do not fly too high."

Shen Gui nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Qing Luan."

He could understand that.

Setting aside the pressure of Mount Buzhou, flying lower was also a sign of respect for Pangu.

After Qingluan reminded Shen Gui, the two continued onward toward Mount Buzhou.

Before long, a boundless city without walls appeared in Shen Gui's view.

The city lay at the foot of Mount Buzhou. Even with Shen Gui's eyesight, he could not see its end at a glance.

It was a city without walls, with no city walls surrounding its outskirts. Precisely because of this, the city could expand outward at any time.

At the very least, along the outskirts on Shen Gui's side, he could see many newly built buildings or buildings still under construction.

"This is Heavenly Demon City, then?"

Though phrased as a question, Shen Gui's tone was certain.

Qingluan nodded. "This is Heavenly Demon City. A place without slaughter or conflict."

"How many members of the Demon Race live in a city like this?"

"When I left a hundred years ago, there were already no fewer than ten billion members of the Demon Race in Heavenly Demon City."

Though he had been mentally prepared, Shen Gui still felt a trace of shock when Qingluan spoke the number ten billion.

"Fortunately, this is Mount Buzhou. Otherwise, it could not support so many members of the Demon Race."

The cities he had passed along the way had contained, at most, only a few hundred thousand members of the Demon Race.

"In truth, the Empress and Great Sage Fuxi never intended to develop a power base."

Qingluan said.

"Just as the original purpose of establishing Heavenly Demon City was to shelter members of the Demon Race who could barely even protect themselves, the reason the Empress and Great Sage Fuxi later allowed cities to be built elsewhere in Central Continent and sent people to guard them was simply that, if those members of the Demon Race were made to journey to Mount Buzhou, eight or nine out of ten would likely die on the way. Even so, no one knew how many members of the Demon Race still died upon this land each day. Compared to the entire Demon Race, the number the Empress and Great Sage Fuxi could protect was still far too small."

"No matter how much they can accomplish, Empress Nuwa and Great Sage Fuxi have done it, have they not?" Shen Gui said.

"On that point alone, Empress Nuwa and Great Sage Fuxi are worthy of our admiration."

Qingluan nodded silently, apparently agreeing with Shen Gui's words.

"Enough of this. I will take you to see the Empress. The Empress and Great Sage Fuxi both reside in a cave dwelling on Mount Buzhou, not within Heavenly Demon City."

Shen Gui's body stiffened.

Wasn't she supposed to introduce me to Great Sage Fuxi? How had it become a meeting with Empress Nuwa?