Heavenly Emperor City

The Southern Wastes stretched for ten thousand li, an endless, boundless sea of green.

Xiao Chen and his companions crossed countless mountain ranges and vast woodlands before finally laying eyes on Heavenly Emperor City.

It was a majestic city, steeped in the weariness of ages. Its walls were tall and thick, twenty to thirty meters high, broad enough for a dozen horses to run side by side along the top. The towering gate towers were magnificent beyond compare, as if a celestial city had fallen from the heavens—ancient, yet grand. Truly, it was a famed city of the mortal realm.

The moat was several dozen meters wide and over ten meters deep. Though lotus blossoms floated upon its surface and schools of fish swam within, a closer look revealed fierce crocodiles and savage fish lurking beneath.

There could be no doubt: Heavenly Emperor City was a majestic, ancient city—the most renowned of the Southern Wastes.

Countless legends surrounded this ancient city. Even its name, "Heavenly Emperor City," hinted at connections to the Celestial Emperor, shrouding it in mystery.

"Finally arrived."

Gazing at the colossal city before him, Xiao Chen led the Little Defiant Dragon and the others forward.

They crossed the drawbridge, passed over the moat, and entered through the city gates. For solitary travelers, there was no inspection or hindrance.

Inside Heavenly Emperor City, boundless prosperity and vitality greeted them. Carts and carriages flowed like water; the streets were thronged with bustling crowds. Shops and stalls lined the avenues, and cries of vendors rose and fell in endless waves.

"Fine quality sub-dragon hide! Only a hundred gold coins!"

"Thousand-year ginseng! A true king of medicinal herbs!"

"New opening! First-day celebration!"

"Strongest battle beasts!"

"Candied hawthorns!"

It was truly a bustling, prosperous metropolis. The streets were packed shoulder to shoulder. Men and women of all ages, shapes, and colors mingled together—a multitude of races. There were those with golden hair and blue eyes, others with yellow skin and dark hair, green-skinned and violet-skinned peoples, and massive, imposing barbarians with wolf ears and beast tails.

Xiao Chen and his party pressed through the crowd, their eyes dazzled. After so many days traveling through the desolate wilderness, entering such a great city felt like waking from a dream.

Heavenly Emperor City had a population of nearly two million, a true giant among cities. Its daily consumption was immense. Apart from supplies brought in from the surrounding towns, a grand canal from the north ensured a steady flow of goods.

"Let's stay here for a while," Xiao Chen said, pleased with the city's liveliness. He led Qin Guangwang and the others onward.

When the passersby saw the Little Defiant Dragon and Keke, they showed no surprise. It was perfectly normal—Heavenly Emperor City boasted several grand battle-beast arenas, and the culture of beast fighting ran deep. Many people walked the streets with exotic beasts in tow.

Xiao Chen checked into a large inn. After washing up, he prepared to go out and explore the city, to familiarize himself with this giant metropolis. The three skeletons did not accompany him; they had no interest. But the two little beasts were full of anticipation for this bustling city, curious about all things new and strange, and followed Xiao Chen out.

They wandered aimlessly, and after asking directions, headed toward Battle Beast Street. On the way, they had to pass through Antique Street, where mostly middle-aged and elderly people congregated—only such folk had a taste for antiquities. Xiao Chen bought a few trinkets and, despite Keke and the Little Defiant Dragon's protests, fastened them onto their necks. The translucent ancient jade complemented them rather well, lending an unexpected charm.

Suddenly, at a street corner, Xiao Chen caught sight of a familiar figure.

"Eh? She's here too?"

It was Yan Qingcheng. She clearly had not seen him. Xiao Chen fell into thought, watching from a distance for a while. He noticed that the antique shop bore a hidden mark of the Undying Sect—clearly one of their minor meeting points.

Battle Beast Street. Rows of arenas lined both sides, and from within came the roars of massive beasts. The street itself was packed with people, the din of voices rising like a tide. This area was far more lively and noisy than any other.

Though dusk had fallen, on Battle Beast Street everything seemed just to be beginning. More people came for night battles. Feeling hungry, Xiao Chen led his two little beasts into a tavern that fronted the street. Business was booming.

He did not take a private room. Instead, he chose a table by the window on the second floor, where he could eat while listening to the spirited conversations at other tables.

"Hey, that Tiger-Dragon Beast was incredible! Not even a real dragon, but it swept through an entire arena undefeated—and it's still growing!"

"In my opinion, that Tiger-Dragon Beast is no match for the Golden Beast at Hughes Arena. That thing is vicious! Still a cub, but it tore apart a sub-dragon king ten times its weight."

"That Snow Dragon Lion at Moss Arena is terrifying too. Barely two meters long, but it crushed a fifteen-meter ferocious beast."

"Lately, the arenas have been seeing a lot of spirit beasts—all rare variants. If they're raised right, they might even evolve into sacred beasts when they grow up."

"No kidding! The unusually powerful beasts lately are all young. I bet they'd sell for a fortune. Wonder if the owners will sell."

"Well, strong as they are, they've only fought in the ordinary arenas. Only those that survive the grand arenas are truly exceptional."

"Doesn't it strike you as odd? Why have so many rare spirit beasts appeared in Heavenly Emperor City all at once? I've heard some of them are actually young sacred beasts—races that can rival dragons and phoenixes."

"Shh, keep your voice down. I've heard a few young sacred beasts have arrived. No idea if it's true. Word is they came from the northern cities."

"I've heard inside information: a young dragon king appeared in this city, supposedly in one of the grand arenas. I suspect the people bringing sacred beasts are here to challenge the dragon king."

"Really?! A young dragon king from Dragon Island? Here? How many have appeared?"

"Don't know how many, but they've definitely appeared. Those people brought their sacred beasts specifically to pick a fight with the dragon king. A battle between sacred beasts and a dragon king would accelerate the sacred beast's growth."

"Can't wait. I wonder if there's a sacred beast among them stronger than a dragon king—otherwise, no one would take that risk."

"I'm looking forward to it. If the news is true, I'm sure the grand arenas of other major cities will hear of it and flock to Heavenly Emperor City. Imagine it: the strongest battle beasts from dozens of great cities. Sacred beast against sacred beast, dragon king against dragon king, sacred beast against dragon king! I can hardly wait!"

The entire tavern buzzed with discussion. It was the dinner hour, and news spread fastest in such a setting.

Xiao Chen felt this meal had been well worth it. He had gathered much useful information. So a dragon king had appeared here—which one, or which ones? Back on Dragon Island, he had seen all eleven young dragon kings and knew who had bonded with each.

But he had heard that after the divine ship departed, a fierce battle had erupted on the mainland over the dragon kings, with demigods joining the fray. Some young dragon kings might have changed hands. He wondered if Liu Mu and Yizhen were safe.

Seated by the window, he could clearly see everything on the street. Though night had fallen, the flow of people never ceased. Many battle-beast arenas were now blazing with light.

"Fat swine..." Xiao Chen called out. He had spotted that fat swine, Zhuge Liang. The fellow was strolling along, cradling a pure white Lulan cat in his arms, with several burly men behind him leading a few sub-dragon beasts—a perfect picture of a dandy.

"Who dares curse this gentleman?" The fat swine, clearly used to being called "fat swine," immediately looked around. Looking up, he spotted Xiao Chen on the second floor. Zhuge Liang's eyes sparkled with gold, as if he had spotted a mountain of coins.

"Brother Xiao! Hahaha... Wonderful! Great to see you again!" The fat swine was clearly overjoyed, his eyes literally gleaming green. "Did you bring the Little Defiant Dragon?"

As Xiao Chen left the tavern with the fat swine, he heard someone behind him mutter, "Isn't that the little fatty from the Xuanhuang Beast Arena? That guy's got sharp eyes. Could the little beast with that young man be a rare war beast?"

"Haha..." The fat swine laughed with delight, staring at the Little Defiant Dragon as if he already saw endless gold and beauties raining down on him. Then he turned to Xiao Chen and said, "Brother, I'm so glad to see you! Last time was a close call—damn, we got lost in that wilderness and nearly couldn't make it back. No question, tonight we've got to have a proper reunion and figure out how to make a fortune. Your big brother here is going all out tonight—I'll treat you to a grand time!"

Still holding the white Lulan cat, the fat swine walked alongside Xiao Chen, occasionally pointing things out. "If you want excitement, this area is the best Heavenly Emperor City has to offer. It's not just the beast arenas—the finest restaurants, the most enchanting women, the best gambling dens—they're all here. Heheh, your big brother will take you to the most entertaining place..."

Looking at the fat swine's grinning face, Keke itched to scratch him, but Xiao Chen quickly held the little beast back. The Little Defiant Dragon also gnashed its teeth at the fat man.

Before long, they arrived before a resplendent palace. Xiao Chen was dumbfounded. In the mortal world, only the royal family would be permitted to build such a structure. It was far too magnificent and splendid.

"Heheh, what do you think?" The fat swine grinned, his smile somehow lecherous. "This is the Palace of Shame at Moonrise. We'll enjoy ourselves here tonight. In a few days, I'll take you to the Hall of Sinking Fish and Falling Geese to enjoy the flowers. Heheh... Your big brother here is bleeding gold for you, you know. A place like this—even I only visit once or twice a year. The standard is the highest on the entire continent."