The thunder above the Abyssal Demonic Star System never truly stopped; it merely paused between tantrums.
Crimson lightning crawled across the thick cosmic clouds like veins pulsing through diseased flesh. The light of distant stars could not pierce the cloud layer, leaving the entire obsidian expanse in a permanent state of twilight- black glass land stretching farther than mortal reason could accept.
And at its center, in that shallow crater, was Obsidian City.
Small, compared to the planetary slab of black crystal that surrounded it, but infinitely more dangerous. Not only was it the resting place of the hoards of Dao Integration-level demonic beasts that called the obsidian structure home, but it was also the central point for the gathering of that bale demonic energy.
Not to mention, the place the Keeper of Obsidian City called home.
Jin Huang stood on a jagged outcrop along the outskirts, golden energy humming beneath his skin like a restrained sun. His eyes were fixed on the distant city as excitement slowly swelled within him.
"I can feel it," he murmured. "It's so... mystical. This must be what the journal meant when it said something about my body telling me what it needs."
Hei Shisan followed his gaze, arms folded within his sleeves. "What exactly do you feel?"
Jin Huang's gaze never left the intimidating visage of Obsidian City. "Hunger."
Xu Ye, who had been lying flat on the obsidian as if auditioning to become a fossil, groaned. "That's not mystical," he said weakly. "That's just your insatiable greed."
Jin Huang ignored him.
Beneath the black glass terrain, thin red cracks pulsed faintly like arteries. The closer one looked toward the heart of Obsidian City, the thicker those cracks became. The demonic energy in the air grew denser- no longer merely chaotic wind, but something with weight.
Jin Huang's body responded instinctively. His divine-saturated bones thrummed as his golden energy stirred. Although his Energy Gathering cultivation had stabilized, it was not satisfied.
The journal had been clear. Heaven nourishes; demons temper.
As of right now? He needed tempering, and a lot of it.
Hei Shisan exhaled slowly, "You're aiming for the center, right?"
Jin Huang nodded, "The very heart of the city."
Xu Ye lifted his head slightly. "That's where the demonic beasts are. The real big ones. "
"I met some of them when I first came here. The Keeper too."
Xu Ye blew air from his mouth in what sounded like a half-assed attempt to whistle, " You met that old witch? Huh. So she told you about the Old Ones?"
Jin Huang frowned, and finally looked away to regard Xu Ye with his questioning gaze. "The Old Ones?"
Xu Ye shook his head, "You said that the demonic beasts ran from you. Those were the impetuous and bratty ones- The youngsters. The Old Ones... That's what we call the ones that didn't run from you. The ones who were waiting for you to come to them."
Hei Shisan frowned, "The Keeper likely came out herself to stop you from chasing after the younglings. If you had gone into Obsidian City then, you might have met them. The Old Ones."
"You sure know a lot, for someone who sleeps all the time," Hei Shisan smirked at Xu Ye.
Xu Ye flopped his head back down. "If you're planning on going in there... Sigh. I guess this is where I die."
Hei Shisan crouched beside him and patted his shoulder gently. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "If you die, I'll drag your corpse back. You can haunt us with your ceaseless yawning."
Xu Ye glared up at him. "I'm beginning to hate both of you."
Jin Huang turned back to the city.
From this distance, Obsidian City looked like a black thorn embedded in the center of a massive wound. Spires rose jagged and cruel, veins of crimson lightning striking intermittently between the taller towers. Massive, shadowy shapes prowled along its edges.
The outskirts were once filled with beasts, but they had long retreated to the center, leaving it lifeless and empty.
But the heart- the very heart- was different.
This time, Jin Huang could properly feel it. It was like a furnace waiting to swallow him whole, the very same desire that he had once felt coming from the younger demonic beasts.
Hei Shisan stood and flourished his robes, folding his arms in front of him as he studied the city. "Charging straight in won't work," he said calmly. "You're strong. You're terrifyingly strong, for your level, and you're beginning to glow like a golden dumpling of doom."
"Thank you," Jin Huang said, licking his lips.
"But the center is different. The demonic energy far more potent. The beasts there are of a level that I don't even feel confident facing off against."
He gestured toward the vast slope descending toward the city.
"The outer hordes are inescapable. Then there's the mid-tier guardians, inner wardens, and then whatever lurks at the lowest region. The Keeper won't step in to help us."
Xu Ye sighed, "You forgot the part where he seems also to be a magnet for these beasts."
Jin Huang cracked his knuckles, and they both looked at him. "Not since I sent them running with their tales between their legs," he amended.
Hei Shisan rubbed his temples. "Listen up. You need the most potent demonic energy possible, right?"
Jin Huang nodded eagerly.
"The kind that condenses near apex predators," Hei Shisan continued. "The kind that pools in territories controlled by something strong enough to suppress everything else."
Xu Ye rolled over onto his side and muttered, "Which means we need to find the biggest bully in this hell and knock on its door."
"Yes," Jin Huang said brightly.
Hei Shisan's eyes sharpened, and a mischievous smile crept onto his face. "Except... we won't knock."
He crouched and began sketching lines into the obsidian dust.
"The city lowers gradually toward the center. That means pressure increases as we descend, and the demonic energy will thicken- maybe even condense."
He drew concentric circles. "Most beasts can't endure the deepest levels. Only the strongest."
Jin Huang's golden aura flickered with anticipation. "So I just fight my way down!"
"No!" Xu Ye and Hei Shisan exclaimed in unison.
Jin Huang blinked. "No?"
Hei Shisan smirked slightly.
"We just need you to be as loud as possible."
Xu Ye's eyes slowly opened, his fingers already plugging his ears. "Oh no. This is even worse than what I was thinking."
Hei Shisan continued, voice smooth and calculating. "You won't just defeat beasts, you'll provoke them."
Jin Huang tilted his head. "But I do that naturally."
"Good," Hei Shisan tapped the outer circle in the dust. "You'll start here. Call them out as loud as you can and slaughter efficiently. Obliterate everything that you can. Remember that the main focus is making noise."
Xu Ye groaned. "I really don't like the sound of that."
"The more beasts you disturb, the higher the chances that some of them will flee inward," Hei Shisan said calmly. "They'll be panicked, screaming about the return of the golden monstrosity."
Jin Huang's grin widened. "They'll carry the news, and do the rest of the work for me."
"Exactly," Hei Shisan's eyes gleamed. "The inner beasts will see you not as prey but-"
"As a challenge," Jin Huang finished.
Thunder cracked above them, crimson lightning illuminating Obsidian City in stark relief.
Xu Ye sat up slowly. "You're going to trigger a territorial escalation."
Hei Shisan snapped his fingers. "See? He is useful."
Xu Ye sighed. "I've seen flashes. Nothing clear, thanks to your damn Dao of Mint Flavor, just… patterns."
He stared toward the distant city, eyes unfocused for a moment.
"There's something deep down there," he muttered. "Something that hates disturbances."
Jin Huang's golden aura flared brighter; Hei Shisan chuckled wickedly.
"Perfect."
Hei Shisan continued outlining the plan, "If we're lucky, the stronger ones will underestimate you and send the middle men after you. You fight them, keep making your way in while attracting as much attention as possible, and Xu Ye and I will follow."
Xu Ye raised a finger weakly. "I'm sorry, if we're following, then does that mean we have to step in when he inevitably starts being torn apart?"
Hei Shisan looked at him calmly, "Yes. We will provide support at a crucial moment."
Xu Ye blinked. "Why?"
Hei Shisan smiled thinly, "Because fighting dirty is the only way to ensure victory. Also because we can't let Number Fourteen die."
Xu Ye pulled at his hair and groaned.
Jin Huang's eyes sparkled. "I like this plan."