Chapter 659: Demon Hunter

Asina went out to have fun, and Reslin was alone in the room.

He looked at the two transcendants before him, his gaze landing on the demon hunter as strong as a bear; a barely perceptible frown showed his displeasure, and he asked lightly, "Who is this?"

"Marino has met the lord," the tall demon hunter quickly performed a deep bow, his waist bent low, his face barely concealing his nervousness.

"Sir, the captain is the founder of our 'Green Wild Path', and I am the most trusted person in Albert Bay," Jieweiske thought Reslin was displeased because he had brought people up without permission, and quickly explained, "My abilities are limited, so I asked the captain to help investigate the Dark Realm; the captain has already obtained a clue about the Spirit-absorbing Monster."

Reslin's expression softened slightly.

In fact, he knew Marino had been running around Albert Bay these past two days and understood why the other party was so eager, but he disliked their taking initiative, so he gave a slight warning.

"Captain Marino, thank you for your effort; please have a seat, both of you," Reslin extended his hand, then added, "What clue? Speak it out."

Marino was delighted, and after sitting down cautiously replied, "Sir, there aren't many people in Albert Bay familiar with the Dark Realm, but there are a dozen or so; excluding those not in the city, I've visited them all these two days, yet they all claim they don't know the location of the Spirit-absorbing Monster city."

He carefully observed Reslin's expression while speaking.

His words were deliberately crafted, subtly showing his concern for the matter without bluntly revealing the difficulties he faced when visiting those people—such as spending a fortune to get some to speak, being outright shut out, or even nearly sparking a conflict.

Unfortunately, Reslin's expression did not change at all; he listened calmly.

Marino could only continue, "Today I visited a few senior soul hunters; they've been to the Dark Realm many times and might know some secrets."

"Sure enough, I got a clue."

"An old friend told me that a nameless legendary strongman lives in seclusion in Albert Bay; on the surface of the New Continent, perhaps no one knows the Dark Realm better than that lord."

"I pressed repeatedly until I finally obtained that lord's address, then went to visit…"

At this point, Marino's expression became uneasy, and Jieweiske beside him was the same; both looked apprehensive, as if they'd done something wrong.

"What's wrong?" Reslin asked.

"Sir, we didn't mean to," Jieweiske said anxiously, standing up, "When that lord learned we were probing the Dark Realm, he immediately restrained us and asked about you."

Reslin, expressionless, asked, "And then?"

"I only mentioned your name and the search for the Spirit-absorbing Monster city; that lord didn't ask about your background, so I didn't say anything," Jieweiske said, regretful yet a bit lucky, noting the other seemed uninterested in Reslin's origins and bore no malice.

The Soul Eye confirmed he hadn't lied.

Reslin didn't blame them; neither of them were legends, and their strength was far inferior, so this wasn't a betrayal born of will, nor could it be called treason.

"No problem, it's not your fault."

He waved his hand, letting Jieweiske and Marino both breathe a sigh of relief, and asked, "What is that person's background?"

Marino replied immediately, "He is a Zhuoer from the Dark Realm."

"Dark elf?" Reslin was surprised.

Zhuoer are indeed dark elves, a high‑elf branch that, eight thousand years ago, lost a divine civil war over doctrinal differences and was expelled from the elven kingdom. After fleeing into the New Continent's underground world, they gradually came to dominate the Dark Realm, becoming rulers of this vast subterranean world.

The overwhelming majority of dark elves worship Spider Queen Ros.

She is an outright evil deity—brutal, cold, and extremely malevolent—so her followers are far from kind; the dark elves who universally worship Ros are among the most notorious evil races.

In popular perception, Zhuoer are a selfish, cruel, vicious evil species that take pleasure in torment, enslavement, and slaughter. They hate everyone except themselves, especially surface dwellers and elves, vowing that one day they will destroy the Elf Kingdom Aoroan and exterminate all surface kin.

A dark elf living on the surface is indeed extremely rare.

Reslin asked, "Why didn't that Zhuoer kill you?"

"Sir, he is different from other Zhuoer," Marino recalled his earlier experience, "My old friend said this Zhuoer elf does not worship the Spider Queen; he is an outlier among Zhuoer, which is why I dared to visit him."

Reslin nodded, "Does he know where the Spirit-absorbing Monster city is?"

"Yes," Marino replied, "That lord said he not only knows the location of the Spirit-absorbing Monster city, but has also been there. However… he doesn't want a reward of ten thousand Gold Shields; he has another condition, hoping to have a meeting with you."

Sure enough, Reslin knew the matter wasn't that simple.

If ten thousand Gold Shields could settle it, Marino and the other wouldn't have needed such elaborate efforts.

He thought for a moment, "Then let's meet."

"Sir, that lord doesn't wish to reveal his address, so I need you to make a trip; I've already prepared a carriage downstairs," Marino thought delightedly—if he could arrange a meeting between the two legendary strongmen and negotiate, he and Jieweiske could share the glory.

"Very well," Reslin opened a portal door, the destination being a carriage outside the inn.

The three passed through the portal door and boarded the carriage.

Marino and Jieweiske were secretly alarmed; this carriage was the one they had prepared, yet they hadn't told Reslin its location or markings, and it arrived with such precise teleportation.

They had always heard that a legendary wizard's spells were unfathomably profound; today they truly witnessed it.

The transcendent driving the carriage only then noticed someone inside and exclaimed in surprise, "Captain? Is that you?"

Marino stuck his head out and ordered, "Yutian, it's me. Drive quickly to the address I mentioned earlier."

"Yes, captain."

The carriage slowly set off, traveling along the street, soon moving far away from the Golden Gate Inn.

Reslin's gaze pierced the carriage, observing the city's scenery outside. It was the same as a few days ago: an astonishingly high proportion of transcendants on the streets, a constant torrent of pedestrians, people riding warhorses, magical beasts, and various mounts; transcendent professions were myriad, and beyond human transcendants, many other races were present.

Soon he noticed another thing.

Albert Bay residents' beliefs were complex; followers of the Empire's three gods were numerous here, but no longer the dominant mainstream—followers of the Storm Lord were the most numerous.

There were also the Sun God, Dark Moon Goddess, War God, God of Strength, Elf God, Dwarf God, Goddess of Luck, Mercenary God, Lake Fairy, North Wind God, Goddess of Wealth and Trade, Goddess of Vengeance, Guardian God, Ranger God, Hunting God, Wilderness God, and so on…

The deities most common in the Ai Lun E Si world could all be found with followers in Albert Bay.

Of course, among the crowd were also many followers of evil gods.

Deceiver Luo Xi, Black Emperor Ban'erkou, Spider Queen Ros, Lord of Blood Hakasnu, Mad God Hexstol, Queen of Joy Meikanvita, Mother of Evil Dragon Tiyaxisi, God of Malice Saibat… these are merely the evil deities whose names are recognizable.

There are many more unknown entities, and their followers also walk the streets openly.

Such chaotic, complex faiths are also reflected in the city's architecture.

Throughout Albert Bay one can see churches, temples, monasteries, and altars, as well as many churches disguised as other buildings—both righteous and wicked—so the struggle of faith is everywhere.

Reslin even saw a God of Magic church directly opposite Black Emperor Ban'erkou's missionary altar.

The church and altar faced each other, separated only by a single street.

The churches of the two mortal enemies being so close is unimaginable in the Empire, but Albert Bay's residents have long grown accustomed to it.

The hostile believers emerged from within, brushed past each other, and pretended not to have seen one another.

"Truly worthy of a holy city, I've learned a lot," Reslin thought to himself.

Albert Bay is not only the jewel of humanity on the New Continent, the most populous, largest, and most economically developed city. It is also the headquarters of the Pantheon Church on the New Continent, a contested ground of faith and a holy gathering place for believers of all sides, hence it is called the "Holy City".

The carriage moved south along the bay's shore; no matter which direction one looked, the towering wall blocked the view.

The closer one got to the wall built atop the mountain, the more oppressive it felt.

At a certain crossroads, Reslin halted the carriage for a few seconds, then opened a portal, and A Xina stepped out.

She had just been sightseeing in the city, received Reslin's message, and rushed back midway to rendezvous.

The moment she boarded, A Xina dispelled her disguise.

"Honored lady," Ma Linuo and Jie Weisi Ke hurriedly greeted.

"I am A Xina," the female giant introduced herself casually, then asked, "Reslin, where are we heading?"

Reslin replied, "We are going to see a Zhuo Er."

"Dark elf!"

A Xina's eyes brightened, and she instantly became interested.

Half an hour later, the carriage left Sheng Fang Ji Ge and entered He Sai Cheng. The number of non‑human races on the streets had clearly increased: elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, barbarians, trolls and orcs, all treating He Sai as their own home just like the humans.

He Sai's architecture was varied in style yet harmoniously blended, like a great melting pot of races.

"Stop the carriage!"

A squad of Transcendents patrolling the street stopped the carriage.

Their racial makeup was complex; leading them was a wood elf ranger, and the ranks also included heavily‑armored dwarf defenders, human herbalists, magic swordsmen and warlocks, all equipped with superb enchanted gear. Though the class arrangement was chaotic, their overall spellcasting level was high.

Reslin noticed that each person bore a green emblem on their chest, shaped like a wooden staff adorned with verdant leaves and runes, faintly radiating natural power.

Ma Linuo whispered, "Sir, they are the Jade Staff patrol team; leave it to me to handle."

Having said that, he stepped out of the carriage to negotiate with them.

Reslin quietly observed these people.

These past few days he hasn't been completely oblivious to the world outside; he occasionally activates the Voice of All Things, listening to the Transcendents' conversations in the inn lobby, while A Xina goes out to explore and returns with some observations.

Albert Bay's three city lords each command a Transcendent Army.

"Sea King" Ake Man * Na Mo commands a Sea Lion Guard led by a Storm Priest, whose main members are Iron Guard and magic swordsmen of the Frost and Storm lines; Ou Ke Lan's "One‑Punch Martial Saint" Bu Lu Si founded the "Raging Fist Knights", whose members are mostly close‑combat Transcendent classes—Iron Guard, fighters and berserkers.

In He Sai, the "Radiant Queen"—an ancient emerald dragon who appears as the "Green Prophet"—commands a Transcendent Army called the "Jade Staff".

The members of the Jade Staff are the most complex among the three armies, with the finest equipment and the highest spellcasting level.

The squad that stopped the carriage was the Jade Staff patrol team.

Ma Linuo indeed had a bit of clout; flashing his Soul‑Hunter captain title, the wood elf ranger asked nothing further, glanced into the carriage and let them pass.

In fact, the wood elf only saw Jie Weisi Ke.

Reslin, before the elf poked his head in, had cast invisibility on himself and A Xina; his spell naturally could not be seen through by a high‑level elf ranger. Even though being seen wouldn't cause trouble, fewer complications are better, so direct invisibility was the optimal method.

A moment later, the carriage arrived at the southernmost tip of Albert Bay.

This is the largest flat district in Albert Bay, densely populated, with many non‑human races cohabiting; amid the chaos there is a rare harmony and prosperity.

The carriage continued south, drawing ever nearer to the massive wall.

Looking up, one could see the wall's corner, forming roughly a sixty‑degree angle; the narrowest section resembled a gorge wedged between cliffs over a mile high on either side, offering only a sliver of sky.

After traveling several miles deeper into the gorge, the carriage turned into a secluded alley.

This was already a remote part of He Sai; the alley was unremarkable, indistinguishable from surrounding lanes, lined with simple trees shading the row houses and courtyards. The carriage bore no markings, was not luxurious, and attracted no attention.

Soon, the carriage stopped within a courtyard surrounded by walls.

Ma Linuo respectfully said, "Sir, we have arrived."

Everyone disembarked.

Reslin surveyed the modest courtyard, reminiscent of a bygone siheyuan, yet bearing distinct elven architecture: elegant pointed eaves, walls adorned with exquisite motifs, the yard divided by flower beds into several sections, with pavilions, arbours, and a glass sunroom at its center.

The ground was meticulously cleaned, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air.

Just by its layout and decor—exquisite, elegant, and inventive—one couldn't help but guess the owner to be a refined elf or a genteel, graceful human.

Behind a small grove opposite the courtyard stood a finely crafted wooden house.

A well‑proportioned dark figure opened the door and stepped out, bowing elegantly to the group, and in slightly halting Imperial language said, "Welcome, guests from afar."

A Xina couldn't help but widen her eyes—indeed, a dark elf.

Reslin's soul eye saw more: the counterpart was not only an outlier among the Zhuo Er, but also a far rarer Demonic Hunter!

(End of chapter)