Chapter 303: Litian Holy City (Transition chapter, optional to subscribe)

Over the course of four days, Lin Chao carried Li Ming with him as he hurried toward Litian Holy City.

During these four days, Lin Chao gained quite a bit of understanding regarding the Inner World.

The Inner World consists of twenty-one domains in total.

Each domain is extremely vast, larger than the entire Outer World.

It can be said that the twenty-one domains are almost entirely occupied by Evil Spirits and the Blood Clan.

Only the North Heaven Domain and the Southern Heaven Domain possess Holy Cities of the Human Race.

Other domains also have humans, but they lack Holy Cities; some are humans like Wang Zhen who live in Earth Caves.

Currently, the place where Lin Chao is located is the North Heaven Domain.

The North Heaven Domain has nine Holy Cities in total, while the Southern Heaven Domain has ninety.

The Holy Cities of the Human Race can be said to be the final barrier for all humans in the Inner World.

The Holy Cities have now also become the hope for survival for humans in the Inner World, or rather, a spiritual symbol.

The lifelong wish of humans in the other nineteen domains is to come to the North Heaven Domain and the Southern Heaven Domain to see a Holy City.

Once a Holy City falls, it can be said that the sky will collapse and the earth will shatter.

The number of Holy Cities in the North Heaven Domain is not high, and the confrontation with the Blood Clan is at a disadvantage.

Only the Southern Heaven Domain truly stands toe-to-toe with the Blood Clan within its borders.

The places Lin Chao has appeared in during these days have been in the North Heaven Domain.

He witnessed many humans being made into dried meat and hung up in the small courtyards of the Blood Clan.

This is still in the North Heaven Domain, which has Holy Cities; it is hard to imagine how arduous human survival is in other domains without Holy Cities.

It can be said that this is not the Inner World; this is a purgatory for humans.

"Every Holy City has an Eighth Rank powerhouse stationed there," Li Ming mentioned this, a proud expression appearing on his face.

An Eighth Rank powerhouse is comparable to a Blood Prince of the Blood Clan.

In the Inner World, they count as the top-tier combat strength.

"Are there many Blood Princes in this North Heaven Domain?" Lin Chao asked.

Every Blood Prince is a treasure to him.

After all, the stronger the strength, the greater the utility of the Blood Crystal provided.

"Blood Princes in the North Heaven Domain..." Li Ming frowned, revealing a grave expression, "I don't know, but at least double digits."

"At least double digits?" Lin Chao's eyes lit up.

However, he was also quite wary in his heart.

The more Princes there are, the more powerhouses there are.

His current strength is still too weak.

He must kill more of the Blood Clan; only in this way can he have a foothold in the Inner World.

"If there are dozens of Eighth Rank Blood Princes, how do these nine Holy Cities maintain their footing?" Lin Chao asked.

After all, among the twenty-one domains, the human forces of the North Heaven Domain rank second.

Yet even so, there is still a huge gap compared to the forces of the Blood Clan.

"This is due to many factors," Li Ming mused, "First, the Blood Clan is not of one mind either; they are mutually hostile, while the human Holy Cities survive in the cracks, so they are more united."

"There is another reason, but this is a rumor; even I don't know if it's true."

It is rumored that in every Holy City, there is a Saint Spirit guarding it.

If a Holy City encounters danger, these Saint Spirits will take action.

However, whether Saint Spirits exist has always been an unknown; no one knows."

"Saint Spirit?" Lin Chao silently noted this term.

If the Holy Cities are truly guarded by Saint Spirits, then these Saint Spirits could make the Blood Princes hesitate to act.

The strength of these Saint Spirits must be absolutely terrifying.

Four days passed, and along the way, Lin Chao did not encounter many more of the Blood Clan.

The Blood Crystals he had available for cultivation were also reduced to only a small portion.

"Once I find a map and understand the power distribution of the Blood Clan, I must continue to look for the Blood Clan."

To him, these Blood Clan members are all fat sheep.

Not long after, a towering, massive city appeared in Lin Chao's field of vision.

The city was divided into two parts: one part was an Ordinary city, while the other part was suspended in the air.

The entire city could not be seen from end to end at a single glance.

The city walls were wide and thick, built from unknown materials.

Facing the Holy City, a sense of desolation swept over him.

"This is the Holy City, where nearly ten million people live," Li Ming said, a happy expression appearing in his eyes as he saw the Holy City.

This time, he had gone out on a mission and ended up being captured by a Marquis.

If it weren't for Xu Ling, he certainly wouldn't have been able to return.

"Senior, I will take you into the Holy City."

The Holy City is the largest gathering point for humans.

Wanting to enter is very troublesome and requires a series of passes.

Li Ming is different; he was originally a resident of the Holy City.

Bringing an Ordinary human inside is not a big problem.

Moreover, Li Ming's family also holds quite a status within the Holy City.

Not long after, the two passed the inspection by the martial artists and stepped into the Holy City.

"Senior, would you like to reside in the Holy City in the future?

I have quite a bit of status in the Holy City; obtaining a Residence Permit for you would be a trivial matter."

After entering the Holy City, Li Ming extended an invitation to Lin Chao.

Senior Xu Ling was able to Slay a Marquis, so his strength likely has already reached the realm of a Seventh Tier Holy Warrior.

Holy Warriors are considered high-end combat power even within the Holy City.

"No need," Lin Chao shook his head.

He had no interest in residing in the Holy City.

Those Blood Clan members were the only ones who piqued his interest.

A look of disappointment flashed in Li Ming's eyes.

Just then, the sound of hoofbeats approached.

A squad of martial artists wearing armor and riding Fire horses appeared.

The armor was pitch-black, exuding a deep, dark aura.

"Young Master, you have returned."

The armored man dismounted, an expression of excitement on his face.

"Brother Yang, that I was able to return this time is entirely thanks to this Senior Xu Ling.

Senior Xu Ling is a rogue cultivator; he wiped out the fief of Marquis Tai Jia and rescued me," Li Ming felt slightly relieved upon seeing the armored man.

The armored man then began to size up Lin Chao and bowed solemnly: "Many thanks to you, sir, for saving our Young Master!"

"A small matter," Lin Chao glanced at the armored man.

His strength had reached the Seventh Tier, which should be comparable to a Blood Clan Marquis.

The power of the Holy City was indeed formidable.

"Young Master, you went missing unexpectedly, and the Commander is very worried.

Now that you have returned, shouldn't you go home first?"

Li Ming did not hesitate: "Alright."

He needed to go back and report that he was safe.

"Senior, I will take you to my home. After I see my parents, I will accompany you to the Jishi," Li Ming looked at Lin Chao.

"Good," Lin Chao nodded.

Within Litian Holy City, the City Lord is named Lihuo, and he is the only Eighth Rank powerhouse in the Holy City.

Under Lihuo, there are three Grand Commanders and twenty Commanders.

These Commanders are all Half-step Eighth Order, which, according to the calculations of Jiuzhou, is the True Immortal Realm.

Li Lianqi is one of the twenty Commanders.

At this moment, Li Lianqi was leaving the Grand Commander's mansion, his eyes filled with thick clouds of worry.

"The Blood Clan's Silei Princes are eyeing us covetously, and the Blood Clan is making unusual moves; what exactly are they trying to do?"

Every year, the Holy City faces many troubles and threats.

This time, the ones targeting the Holy City are the Silei Princes.

They are Lei Heng, Lei Xing, Lei Ba, and Lei Dao.

In terms of strength, none of the four Princes are a match for the City Lord, but if they unite, the City Lord is far from being their opponent.

Some time ago, the subordinates of the four Princes launched a sneak attack on personnel from the Holy City who were outside.

His son, Li Ming, was one of them and was abducted by a Marquis.

"Fortunately, Ming'er is blessed with good fortune," thinking that Ming'er had returned to the Holy City, Li Lianqi breathed a sigh of relief.

A quarter of an hour later.

Li Lianqi returned to the Commander's mansion.

"Father," Li Ming wore a respectful expression.

Li Lianqi patted Li Ming on the shoulder, checking that his son was unharmed.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where is the gentleman who saved you?"

Li Lianqi asked.

"The gentleman has gone to cultivate," Li Ming replied.

After Lin Chao arrived at the Li residence, he returned to his room to cultivate.

"What is his background?" Li Lianqi asked with a serious expression.

He is a Commander of Litian Holy City, and his status is not ordinary.

One must always be on guard against others.

Within the Holy City, humans are united as one.

But when there are many people, there is all sorts of scum.

In the past, there had been quite a few incidents of betrayal and conspiracy.

A Commander of the Holy City was once injured by the Blood Clan while performing a mission outside and was saved by a human woman.

Later, that Commander brought the woman into the Holy City.

However, that woman had actually long since defected to the Blood Clan; she was a spy who stole the secrets of the Holy City.

It was precisely that incident that caused the City Lord of Litian Holy City, Lihuo, to be severely wounded by several Blood Clan Princes, and his injuries have persisted, never having fully recovered to this day.

Therefore, Li Lianqi still wanted to clarify the identity of Xu Ling to avoid a repeat of the story.

"Sir, he..." Li Ming told Li Lianqi the entire process of how he and Xu Ling met.

"I see."

"Sir is a trustworthy person.

After entering the Holy City, I extended an invitation to him.

However, Sir is accustomed to a life of freedom and is unwilling to stay in the Holy City.

He intends to purchase some maps and then continue traveling through the North Heaven Domain."

"Traveling through the North Heaven Domain? This Xu Ling... his strength is likely not low."

After all, within the Holy City, humans can rest in peace.

In the wilderness, exposing oneself to the sight of the Blood Clan often leads to being besieged by them, isolated and without help.

If one is targeted by a Prince of the Blood Clan, there is no chance of survival.

Therefore, every lone traveler must certainly be quite powerful.

"The entire Tai Jia Marquis territory was wiped out by Sir's hand."

"Marquis Tai Jia? Even if your Uncle Yang were to take action, the odds of victory would only be fifty-fifty.

It seems this Xu Ling's strength is not far from my own."

"Father, Senior Xu Ling wiped out the Tai Jia Marquis territory without sustaining any injuries."

Li Lianqi furrowed his brows: "It seems I underestimated him.

By the way, is there anything Sir Xu Ling lacks?"

"Sir Xu Ling wants maps, and... Blood Crystals," Li Ming added.

"Blood Crystals?" Li Lianqi was slightly stunned.

Blood Crystals can be obtained by slaying the Blood Clan.

Blood Crystals have some uses, but for them, the utility is not very great.

Although Blood Crystals can increase a martial artist's cultivation.

However, the type of Blood Crystal must match the attributes of the martial artist's cultivation.

There are many Blood Clan members in this world, and generally, one must find a matching Blood Crystal among several hundred.

Moreover, over ninety percent of Blood Crystals cannot be matched by any martial artist.

Therefore, while Blood Crystals are important to martial artists, they are also a matter of accumulation.

"What attribute of martial artist is Sir?" Li Lianqi asked.

He was thinking of providing Xu Ling with Blood Crystals of a matching attribute.

"I don't know," Li Ming shook his head, "but Sir wants Blood Crystals of every attribute.

It seems he is conducting some kind of research."

"Is that so?" Li Lianqi furrowed his brows.

"How many Blood Crystals are left in my private treasury?" Li Lianqi asked the middle-aged man beside him.

"Reporting to Commander, there are about thirty-nine thousand."

"Take them out," Li Lianqi said, "and offer them to Sir."

"As you command."

"Set a banquet tonight to host Sir," Li Lianqi continued.

The dinner banquet was very sumptuous.

Lin Chao did not refuse this time.

He also met Commander Li Lianqi.

Li Lianqi expressed his gratitude to him, and his words carried an intention to recruit him, which Lin Chao naturally did not agree to.

The banquet ended, and Li Lianqi presented over thirty thousand Blood Crystals, which came as a pleasant surprise to Lin Chao.

Over thirty thousand Blood Crystals were quite good for him.

When he slaughtered a Marquis territory, he only obtained over three thousand Blood Crystals.

The next day, the sun was high.

Lin Chao felt refreshed.

He had practiced all night and used quite a few Blood Crystals.

One of his martial arts had once again broken through to the Innate Realm.

He was one step closer to becoming a Middle-level Deity.

Lin Chao was certain that if he had enough Blood Crystals, he could step into the Mid-Level God Realm within a month.

Of course, he still lacked a lot right now.

He would not need much time to use up the thirty-odd thousand Blood Crystals.

"Senior Xu Ling, your complexion looks good; have you made progress again?" Li Ming walked out of the courtyard, wearing a Green Robe, looking quite scholarly.

"Mm," Lin Chao nodded.

"Congratulations, Sir," Li Ming said, "Sir, I will take you to the Jishi now to buy maps."

Li Ming grew up in Litian Holy City and held a high status.

He knew Litian Holy City better than anyone.

Soon, Li Ming brought Lin Chao to a large shop called Wanbao Pavilion.

"Wanbao Pavilion is the largest shop in our Holy City.

It has everything inside.

Its maps are also the most extensive in our Litian Holy City."

Entering the Wanbao Pavilion, a youth immediately walked over: "Young Master Li Ming, you have come."

The youth was wearing linen clothes, and his right sleeve was empty, clearly missing an arm.

It was very clear that Li Ming was a regular customer here.

This person recognized Li Ming.

"Mm, bring out the maps you have here, especially those marked with the forces of the Blood Clan," Li Ming said.

His family actually had maps too.

However, those maps were military maps and belonged to classified information.

Without the City Lord's permission, they could not be given to others.

Therefore, Li Ming brought Lin Chao here to buy maps.

"Alright." The youth left, "Young Master Li Ming, please wait a moment."

Lin Chao and Li Ming sat down.

Li Ming spoke: "This youth is named Chen Shi.

His father was a martial artist in the army.

Over a decade ago, the Blood Clan attacked, and to protect a treasure in the Wanbao Pavilion intended for a Holy Warrior's cultivation, his father died in battle.

His arm was also severed by a blade, and he was abducted by the Blood Clan.

In the end, five Holy Warriors from the Holy City took action, fought their way into the Marquis's territory, and only then brought him back.

However, among those five Holy Warriors, one died in the Marquis's territory."

Mentioning this, a look of despondency flashed through Li Ming's eyes.

After all, Chen Shi's father died to protect a treasure that allowed a Holy Warrior to increase their strength.

Chen Shi was also abducted because of this.

As a result, in order to save Chen Shi, a Holy Warrior even died.

Rationally speaking, humanity was absolutely at a loss.

But sometimes, the fact that humans cannot maintain absolute rationality is the true brilliance of human nature, or perhaps the endearing aspect of humanity.

"Young Master Li, the maps are here." Chen Shi had a bright smile in his eyes as he arrived with a stack of maps.

(End of this chapter)