Chapter 2361

When they gathered together and became a force, they clearly meant trouble for Yujing City, so Earth Mother chose to strike first.

"They killed you?" Xi Yu Shen immediately said, "And we're still here. They wouldn't dare act rashly. Besides, even if you destroyed Heishuicheng, it wouldn't stop them from finding another place to gather."

Earth Mother gave a low shout, and the little stone men vanished from the city walls.

The two sides' talk ended pleasantly once again.

Xi Yu Shen placed one hand on the city wall, glanced at his elder brother, and thought:

"This thing is too arrogant, too dismissive of us. It definitely needs a good lesson!"

Wu Yao Shen nodded almost imperceptibly.

They are twins, sharing a special psychic link; as long as both are willing, they can hear each other's thoughts without speaking.

Because of this tacit understanding, Ling Xu Shengzun sent them down to the mortal realm. On Earth Mother's turf, in this demon's stronghold, the two brothers can discuss matters without opening their mouths, avoiding the risk of eavesdropping or leaks.

"What's the rush?" Wu Yao Shen thought, "We want the Great Square Vessel, and Earth Mother's many treasures—we want those too!"

"Earth Mother still thinks we want the Yang Pass Road, the Great Square Vessel." Xi Yu gave a dismissive smile, "Even the ancient great demon is short-sighted!"

"Who let it be covered in treasure?" Wu Yao Shen drawled, "But speaking of which, Earth Mother doesn't mean us well either. It likes hoarding treasures, and a divine object like the Great Square Vessel—it might not easily let go. We must be careful, or we'll be schemed against at the last moment. Otherwise, when Ling Xu Shengzun descends with Lei Ting's wrath, neither of us can bear it."

Xi Yu gazed at the few monsters fighting below the city wall. Earth Mother's anger had passed, and these things became active again.

"Understood."

……

After this little interlude ended, the crane demon, following He Lingchuan's orders, turned its head and flew toward Heishuicheng.

Further ahead lay Hulu Mountain.

It was there that his original body encountered a sand leopard attack and fell off a cliff; when he awoke again, he was atop the current He Lingchuan.

That place is where the legend of the Jiuyou Dadi began, and also where everything started.

He Lingchuan's last visit to Heishuicheng was when he set a trap for He Chunhua and Naluotian—over ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and he can only sigh at how swiftly time flies.

After many years apart, Heishuicheng is no longer what it once was.

In He Lingchuan's memory, Heishuicheng, bordering the Panlong Desert, often had sandstorms filling the sky; windy days outnumbered sunny ones throughout the year. In summer, daytime heat was unbearable, and nighttime brought freezing cold. This climate hindered tree growth, leaving mostly shrubs, and bald hills were common near and far from the city.

But this time, as the crane demon still flew overhead, He Lingchuan saw ahead lush green mountains and clear waters—not only was vegetation dense, but four or five streams had also appeared outside Heishuicheng. From above, the winding waterways looked like jade belts, dotted with flecks of gold.

From high above, Heishuicheng's area had expanded more than threefold compared to before.

After the spiritual energy revival, people began gathering in medium and large cities, banding together to resist wilderness threats while enjoying urban conveniences. This trend had already taken hold across the human realm, and Shen Guo was no exception, so city sizes generally increased.

And to the north of Heishuicheng, what was once an endless expanse of desert—now, the yellow sand had been swallowed by vegetation; He Lingchuan's formerly most familiar Red Cliff trade route was nearly obscured by green forests, invisible from the air. When the crane demon circled, flying north over thirty li, He Lingchuan finally caught sight of the desert's shadow.

The Panlong Desert's area had shrunk considerably, and was fragmented by scrub and oases.

"Land now." He patted the crane's back, "This season, the ponds and streams outside the city have the most fish and frogs—enough for you to feast heartily tonight."

During descent, the crane demons indeed heard the frogs' grand chorus in the pond, so after disembarking, they eagerly flapped their wings and flew off to eat.

After He Chunhua founded Shen Guo, he launched several eastern and western campaigns, successfully expanding territory, but he never led troops northward, so Heishuicheng remained a border city, still bearing the old duty of guarding the northwestern national gate.

He Lingchuan used the Dàyān Tiānzhū to alter his appearance, becoming a man with thick brows and large eyes; Zhu Xiuer's form was no longer spider-like, but that of a large scorpion.

Upon entering the city, it encountered obstruction; the city gate guards came forward to question it, and only after He Lingchuan produced Shen Guo's official pass did they allow passage.

Dong Rui laughed and asked, "Officer, why the sudden strictness?"

"A ghost city has appeared on the Red Cliff Road, often spewing out monsters to eat people!" the guard said, "Orders from above: no wild monsters of unknown origin may enter the city!"

Several people entered the city and found its commerce more prosperous than before, the roads wider, no longer the dusty scene of over a decade ago; the taverns and restaurants along the road had upgraded in class. The streets now had not only teahouses, red-light districts, and perfume shops, but even the Lost Soul Formation, which used to open only in Ducheng, had set up shop in Heishuicheng's bustling old street.

Distant ghost city encroachment, urban revelry—both proceeded without conflict.

He Lingchuan walked the old street, feeling everything was both familiar and strange, as if real yet unreal.

Zhu Xiuer murmured softly, "There are truly many cultivators here."

Just after entering the city, it saw two facing it; after walking less than two hundred zhang, it saw three more sitting in a food stall eating, with a demon beast crouched beside them.

"Their cultivation isn't weak either." One could imagine how many spellcasters remained in the city.

They looked at others, and others looked back at them, especially Zhu Xiuer. But demon beasts walking alongside humans drew no scrutiny.

"Hey, the Hongyan Lou is still here!" Ahead stood an inn, precisely the place He Dasha often frequented in Heishuicheng. That day, Liu Baobao had invited him to eat at Hongyan Lou, where he offended the son of Nian Zengli, Nian Songyu, from afar.

Alas, if not for Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu forcing them father and son into Panlong Ancient City, He Lingchuan and the Great Square Vessel would never have begun their karmic bond, nor would they have the later tumultuous, magnificent life journey.

However, Hongyan Lou had been renovated, its facade altered, even the signboard replaced with gold lacquer, the three characters "Hongyan Lou" looking somewhat familiar.

He Lingchuan looked closer and saw the signature was actually He Chunhua's.

What a find—this is the signboard handwritten by the founding emperor, no wonder Hongyan Lou hung it prominently to proclaim its status.

He Lingchuan was about to pass by when several people turned the corner from the street, all dressed as wealthy gentlemen; one looked up and met his gaze—just that, four eyes locked.

This was actually also an acquaintance of He Lingchuan:

Liu Baobao, whom he had not seen since leaving Heishuicheng!

Liu Baobao is the son of the Liu Chamber of Commerce chairman, who used to hang around He Lingchuan daily, eating, drinking, and playing with him.

One could say this pair is a vivid example of official-business collusion.