In the end, Paul let it slide, especially since he had some more work to do, and didn't want to wait until he had broken through.
However, the ladies stopped teasing him since they were in no hurry to see if he would not change his mind.
That evening, Paul used the opportunity to gather more information from Sun Ning.
He was mostly interested in the city and the city lord's mansion.
The mansion turned out to have a barrier around it that the ladies could not bypass.
Even when they attacked it all at once in the past, it didn't even crack, much less break.
As for the city, there was nothing much to say, since the people who came before them went through it all house by house in hopes of finding any clue about a way out of there.
Unfortunately, they found nothing and either ascended or died in the attempt to escape.
-A few years spent trapped here can make you go mad, and at some point, you might decide that it is better to try and escape than stay trapped any longer.
The elder said with sadness.
-Why didn't anyone try to destroy the portals to prevent others from falling into this trap?
Paul asked the obvious question.
-It's not that we didn't try, it's that we can't.
Any form of attack directed at any of the portals is deflected back at the attacker, and we have no formation master among us who would know how to disable the formation powering the portals.
The elder explained with a sigh.
Paul then asked about any information regarding the city's abandonment, as it seemed that the people left in a hurry, judging by all the furniture they left behind.
Unfortunately, they haven't found any information about that, and what was a bit strange, they never found any sort of shelter entrance, which they were sure existed in such a city as every town or city had at least one.
Additionally, they were unable to find any buildings related to a sect, other than some living quarters of disciples, judging by the Blue Lotus sect uniforms they found inside.
-All in all, this place is one big trap and even bigger mystery.
Sun Ning said, with a sigh.
She would also love to know why they were trapped here and what happened to this city.
-Then, do we even know where in the beginning realm we are right now?
Natalie asked.
-Yes, there is a map in the city hall that shows us where in the beginning realm we are.
That's also how we found out how far the forest stretches.
Sun Ning explained.
Paul and his ladies were not the only ones learning new things during this meal, and the elder also asked them about their skills, and was more than happy to learn that Irine and Natalie were seamstresses, even though they specialized in underwear.
-All the ladies will be happy to trade with you, since we have no new clothes, much less any fabric left, and the underwear is an especially sought-after item, since there are no seamstresses here, and the ones we make are rough and not comfortable at all.
-It seems that I'll be swamped with work.
Irine said with a smile.
-Yes, you will, and on that note, I'd like to be the first one to order a few sets of underwear, if it's possible.
Sun Ling said with a hopeful expression.
Before she left, Irine took her into her new room and took her measurements.
Once the elder left, everyone in the mansion was thinking about a way out of this place, since they didn't want to stay here for too long, and they definitely didn't want to stay there until they ascended.
-It seems that the only way to get more information is to visit the city lord's mansion.
Paul broke the silence.
-That might be true, but you heard the elder.
There is a barrier protecting it.
Elaina reminded him.
-Yeah, I heard, but that won't stop me.
Paul smiled.
-It looks like you forgot that I can use a shadow element, and according to Sei, there should be no barriers capable of blocking that, anywhere, until we reach the ninth realm.
-And you are forgetting that he is dead, for at least a few tens of thousands of years.
Things might have changed since he was around.
Su reminded him.
-There's only one way to find out.
Paul smiled and took out his battle gear.
-You're going now?
Natalie asked as he was donning his armor.
-The sooner the better.
He smiled.
-Not that I would complain, since staying here for some time could be fun.
But I don't like the idea of living in a death trap, for who knows how long.
These words earned him glares from all the ladies, as they understood what he meant.
In the end, there were not many men who wouldn't want to have a whole city with over three hundred women all to themselves.
Paul only grinned at them as he finished putting on his armor and vanished a moment later, using the shadow jump.
He could have simply walked out, but he didn't want to attract too much attention to himself, so he decided to use a series of shadow jumps to reach his goal.
It was already getting dark, and the city lord's mansion was quite some distance from the district occupied by women.
But as he found out on his way, quite a few ladies were going around the city looking for stuff.
He had no idea what they were looking for, and he didn't care, as long as he remained unseen.
In the end, it took him a while to arrive at the mansion, and just like Sun Ning said, it was surrounded by a barrier.
-Sei, do you think that this thing can block a shadow jump?
Paul asked his reincarnation soul.
-No, it won't, but what's surprising is that this barrier is from the fifth realm, or at least it was when I was still alive.
The soul answered.
-It's no wonder then that the ladies were unable to break it even when they attacked it all at once.
Paul stated the obvious.
-Yes, but what interests me is how this thing is even powered.
Judging by the state of the buildings in the city, it was abandoned at least a few decades ago, if not even longer than that, yet this barrier is still functioning.
-Let's go have a look.
Paul said and used the shadow jump again, appearing on the other side of the barrier without a problem.
-Damn, the density of energy here is insane.
Paul commented as he sensed the change.
After that, he entered the mansion, which was surprisingly open.
The interior was untouched, and all the furniture and items inside were pristine.