Chapter 333: Shadowed Canopy

Evening a few days later.

In an unmarked carriage, Kangbas looked at Lei En across from him and, with a wry smile, said, "Count, ever since I spread the news about the Green Dragon's Soul, people have been coming to inquire every day, all of them important figures, nearly tearing my house down."

Lei En laughed, thinking the slave trader was exaggerating again.

Kangbas's grandfather, Xiwen*Gereif, is a legendary Mid-stage Wizard and a student of Lord Heistav, so with that connection, how many people in Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng would dare to trouble him?

Nevertheless, he pretended to be concerned and said, "You've worked hard."

"It is my honor to serve the Count," Kangbas immediately put on a proud demeanor.

Lei En hummed and asked, "How are the slaves I bought doing?"

"They were all loaded onto a passenger ship yesterday and sent off; barring any mishap, they should arrive at Harbridge Port within a week, so rest assured, Sir." Kangbas didn't close the matter, noting that sea weather is fickle and complications are likely.

Lei En saw through his thoughts, didn't expose him, and turned his gaze toward the carriage window.

Shiwifute rode a tall warhorse in pursuit, and Kangbas's own squad of extraordinary guards followed, though all had removed their family crests and rode on either side of the carriage. Six Extreme Warriors had no mounts nor armor, bearing great swords on foot, casually trailing behind the carriage.

The party passed through the dirty, crowded dock; the workers on the road, seeing the scene, hurriedly cleared the way.

Moments later, the carriage arrived at a bustling pier.

It was adjacent to the eastern district's cliff wall, where a passage ten‑plus meters high had been hewn into the rock, descending into the mountain interior; the passage continued downward, and the pedestrians were no longer workers but humans dressed as extraordinary beings, or other races.

"Sir, we are about to enter Skull Port," Kangbas said, looking outside.

Lei En gave a slight nod.

Skull Port is a massive underground palace beneath Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng, once a dwarf fortress and ancient mine, now long abandoned.

In fact, Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng was built atop the ruins of that dwarf fortress.

For years, various factions have excavated numerous tunnels from Skull Port to the sea, constructing hidden underwater piers for smuggling, giving rise to the Empire's largest black market. Most of Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng's illicit dealings occur within Skull Port; Lord Heistav turns a blind eye, and his Watcher Wizard troops do not enforce the law there.

Without Skull Port, Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng would not enjoy its current prosperity.

It is like Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng's twin brother: one a radiant city above ground, the other a realm of darkness and chaos below.

At this moment, the passage the carriage traversed is merely one entrance to Skull Port.

After winding downward for several minutes, the carriage emerged from the passage, and the view instantly opened to reveal a vast underground city.

Lei En looked out the window, his first impression being dimness and chaos.

Skull Port differed from the "Hoshikintark" underground fortress he had seen before; it lacked grandeur, the carved spaces were lower, and the dwarven stone structures had long been destroyed, turned into cramped streets.

The street layout was poor; the houses on both sides were shoddily built, as if assembled from building blocks, with no aesthetic appeal.

Pedestrians were varied, humans mixed with other races, keeping a safe distance and watchful eyes.

In some dark alleys, unfriendly eyes seemed to lurk.

When the carriage passed, it drew many eyes.

Lei En's soul eye casually swept the scene, detecting many ill‑intenteds, but upon seeing the guards outside the carriage, the greed in his eyes softened slightly.

The carriage delved deeper into the underground city.

In this brief ten‑plus‑minute journey, Lei En encountered three bloody incidents.

Two of them were battles among extraordinary beings, with several humans and elves clashing, spells flying, several houses destroyed, sparking a larger conflict.

One was a murder: a passerby was suddenly slit throat and fell dead on the spot.

Lei En saw the half‑elf thief murderer, who slipped away after the kill.

Nearby passers glanced at the corpse and walked away, their gazes indifferent, as if death were not a person but a chicken.

"What a place of madness and chaos, utterly without order," Lei En couldn't help exclaiming.

Kangbas, unfazed, whispered, "That's how Skull Port is. It is a paradise for the extraordinary, and also their Abyss; it is a place for famed adventurers to make a name, and the greatest tomb of heroes known to people."

Lei En couldn't help admiring him, impressed by his deep understanding of this lawless land.

"That's not my words," Kangbas said sheepishly, "It is said a great Wizard described Skull Port after arriving here, and the tale spread widely in Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng."

I told you, you don't seem like the kind of person to say that…

Lei En was about to reply when his gaze suddenly changed.

The world before his eyes seemed draped in a thin black veil; Skull Port was already dim, and ordinary people would scarcely notice the shift, but to Lei En it was as obvious as a light bulb covered with black cloth, the brightness changing instantly.

Meanwhile, Kangbas across from him remained oblivious.

Shadow energy?

Lei En immediately recognized that the carriage he was riding had entered the area of a shadow spell.

Before he could warn anyone, the carriage went out of control.

Pa pa pa…

The two galloping horses fell to the ground, sliding forward from inertia; the driver and horses were tossed about, and the carriage body slammed onto the ground, shattering into pieces.

Lei En didn't become dizzy from the carriage overturning; he grabbed the screaming Kangbas, with a thud, broke through the carriage and leapt out.

He stepped out and immediately sensed something was wrong.

A thick layer of oily acid liquid covered the street; Shiwifute, the Extreme Warriors, and Kangbas's guard squad had all fallen, struggling in the oily acid, unable to rise, looking as helpless as fish out of water.

Some innocent bystanders were caught, realizing they'd been drawn into the fight, they were shocked and angry, shouting a frenzy of God's Curse.

"What the hell, who cast the oil spell?"

"Pull me out quickly…"

"Dammit, which blind‑sighted fool dared to ambush me? If you've got guts, get the hell out!" Various profanities, even in different tongues, filled the street, causing chaos.

When Lei En hit the ground, he stumbled, his foot slipping, nearly losing balance.

Fortunately, his phone's gyroscope kicked in just in time, letting him stay upright, though he couldn't exert force to move.

"A oil spell of this scale must involve at least five rings; the enemy is a legendary caster," Lei En judged, tossing aside Kangbas, brandishing an Arcane Torrent Staff, accelerating his casting to near‑instant speed to open a random door.

However, as soon as the random door formed, it was filled with shadow and vanished.

Lei En felt a weight settle in his heart.

The Seventh Ring spell "Shadow Canopy" not only disrupts spatial‑type spells, but also conceals movement within its area, preventing outsiders from detecting anything.

This is a technique only a Mid‑stage legendary dark sorcerer possesses.

Lei En inhaled deeply, scanned the surroundings swiftly, and drew the Thunder Hammer into his hand.

A figure shrouded in shadows walked over from the opposite side of the street.

His steps did not seem fast, yet they flashed; the external shadows twisted into afterimages, each stride covering dozens of meters, and in a few steps he reached the edge of the Greasy Technique's range and stopped.

The person wore a pitch‑black mask of unknown material, obscuring his features so that no one could see his appearance, not even his gender.

Lei En's soul eye could not see through, and he instinctively asked, "The masked lord?"

Kangbas lay on the ground, shaking his head, "Sir, he is not Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng's masked lord; the mask is different!"

"Earl of Glamorgan," a hoarse voice rasped from the darkness, "His Majesty Zhanqing has asked me to deliver a message to you."

Lei En's expression turned to shock.

This guy works for the Green Dragon King Zhanqing? Damn, wasn't it just that we killed a young green dragon? No wonder he's so vengeful, sending men from the Sea of Death Forest to chase us all the way to Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng!

"What's the message?" he asked, frowning.

"Surrender Mo Na Jia Si's dragon soul, and your master will spare your life. Since you are an Empire hero, a seat beneath the throne will be reserved for you to serve the master." The dark sorcerer spoke as if it were obvious, with a hint of zeal, as though serving the master were a great honor.

Lei En instantly understood; this Mid‑stage legendary dark sorcerer was Zhanqing's slave.

This made his heart chill; the title of the Green Dragon King was indeed not empty, even a Mid‑stage legendary wizard could be enslaved, and he even sent men to hunt him.

Under normal circumstances, a junior green dragon would not provoke Zhanqing to such lengths; the problem likely lay with him. Green dragons enjoy enslaving famous individuals, just as red dragons relish hoarding gold; the more renowned the hero, the greater satisfaction the green dragon gains from turning him into a slave.

Now his fame throughout the Empire was immense, his reputation soaring, yet Zhanqing had set his sights on him.

It was foreseeable that even if he evaded this time, countless troubles would follow—truly endless repercussions.

"Being too famous brings trouble…"

Lei En was speechless.

Kangbas, upon hearing the dark sorcerer's words, shrank his neck in fear; the news of the green dragon's soul had been released from him, and he hadn't expected it to draw the Green Dragon King's subordinate, instantly trembling with terror.

The dark sorcerer opposite watched Lei En remain silent, assuming he was intimidated by Zhanqing's reputation.

"Hand it over," he said triumphantly.

Lei En pretended to hesitate, reluctantly retrieved something from the ring, then suddenly sprang up and hurled the Thunder Hammer with all his might.

The war hammer shot through the air, crackling with electric light and emitting a terrifying howl.

"Looking for death!"

The dark sorcerer let out a scream, turned into a black shadow, and vanished.

At the same time, dozens of figures emerged from the alleys and houses on both sides of the street—some tall, some stout, some thin—clearly many non‑human races. Their faces were covered with black cloth, weapons in hand, they lunged at Lei En and the squad lying in the oil‑acid.