Chapter 909 - Five Hundred Thousand Underworld Soldiers

There were millions of people in Underworld City, but because it was a large city, it wasn’t too crowded.

Once Long Chen descended from Heavenly Eagle Mountain, he saw an incomprehensibly large city wall that stabbed into the black clouds above. He couldn’t see where the wall ended.

He had to raise his head and look up to see the city guards. They weren’t Underworld Soldiers, but their gear was elite. At the very least, the weakest guard was at the Fourth Heavenly Martial Stage.

The Underworld Soldiers are probably the forces of the Underworld Estate. The reason they are stationed in large cities is most likely to intimidate and control the City Lords while also defending the cities. The usual duties of a guard like maintaining the peace are most likely the job of those city guards.

That was Long Chen’s thought as he looked around. Ninety million Underworld Soldiers were the main force of the Underworld Estate. They were precious manpower used to protect the land.

Long Chen was now in Underworld City, one of the hundred largest cities of the Underworld Estate.

He looked at the people coming from all different directions to enter the cty. Heavenly Eagle Canyon was but one of the smaller routes.

Long Chen joined a group of people and headed towards Underworld City. In a city where experts were everywhere, Long Chen was almost invisible.

Hundreds of thousands of people flowed in and out of the city on the daily.

Long Chen noticed that the people entering were all much more refined than those from Scarlet Sun City. Those who traveled from faraway places had Mech Horses or demonic beasts. There were some who appeared weak, but their auras revealed how strong they actually were. Long Chen took special care to avoid people like them.

I need to enter the Underworld Battlefield to reach the Divine Martial Realm! I shouldn’t go to the Underworld Estate until I do that. Only then will I feel safer.

While Long Chen was planning his future, he followed the people and successfully entered Underworld City. There were tens of thousands of city guards, and all of them were sweeping the crowd for anyone suspicious. Everyone felt their scalps growing numb.

Who would be stupid enough to cause trouble here with all of the guards?

Even a tiger would retract their claws.

After passing through the thick, ink-colored city wall, Long Chen finally reached the inside of Underworld City. The city walls had been reinforced by runes.

Long Chen had a feeling that he couldn’t break the walls at all, given how thick they were and how the Scribes had reinforced them with runes.

Underworld City was very organized, and each street had a sign. The buildings were large and sturdy with runes carved on them. The entire city was as strong as steel. It was stronger than even the Metal District of the Ancient Graveyard.

Underworld City was being managed strictly and properly by the City Lord. Through the militaristic way of managing it, very few people would dare to fight openly in the city.

That was why it was so peaceful.

There were a lot of people walking on the main street. The main street was further subdivided into numerous smaller streets. Most of the buildings beside the main street were shops, each peddling different wares. There was everything a cultivator would ever need here, from medicines to Divine Weapons to martial techniques.

I need to find out where the Underworld Soldiers are stationed so I can ask about the selection process to join them.

Ah Dong and the others were already in the city, but Long Chen chose not to look for them. Due to the True Martial Overlord Soul, Long Chen’s journey would be different from theirs. Even though he was in the Three Emperor Territory, Long Chen’s potential was still very incredible.

Everyone had their own destiny. Long Chen had already helped them enough by saving their lives.

Long Chen found a tea shop and sat down inside. He listened to the conversations of the people and observed them. There were a lot of experts here. Most children were at the Earthly Martial Realm, while regular adults were at the Heavenly Martial Realm, with a majority of them falling in between the First and Third Heavenly Martial Stages.

Everyone here was cultivating to some degree. Even a lady chopping up vegetables had an understanding of her own martial arts.

There were also a lot beyond the Fourth Heavenly Martial Stage. Long Chen encountered a lot of people at the Seventh or Eighth Heavenly Martial Stages too. There were even some who were comparable to the six demons that had brought Long Chen here.

People like them were legends in the Ancient Graveyard, but here, they were nothing but regular people.

Once the tea was served, Long Chen took the chance to ask, “Do you know where the Underworld Soldiers are stationed?”

The shopkeeper smiled and took out a piece of paper effortlessly. “I’ve written all of the answers here. There are a lot of young cultivators like you who came from outside to join the Underworld Soldiers. At least ten people ask me about it every day, and let’s just say I’m so tired of being asked that I wrote down everything one would want to know about the Underworld Soldiers. You can read it on your own.”

“Thank you.”

Long Chen chuckled sheepishly. Indeed, he would be very tired too if tens of people kept asking the same questions every day. But that also meant that a lot of people wanted to join the Underworld Soldiers. That was how the Underworld Soldiers maintained their numbers even though a lot of them died every year.

“But, young man, you don’t look too strong. I’ve seen a lot of experts at the Seventh Heavenly Martial Stage being sent back every year. Are you here just to watch? It won’t be easy to become an Underworld Soldier. Even someone at the Seventh Heavenly Martial Stage will be sent back if they don’t have a Divine-tier martial technique. It’s very difficult to join them!”

“I’m just here to learn more about them. I want to try joining them in ten years. Thank you for warning me.”

“I see. The Underworld Soldiers are the main force of the Underworld Estate. No one would dare to fight against all ninety-million of them. That’s why their selection process is very rigorous. I wanted to join them when I was younger, but I couldn’t reach the Fourth Heavenly Martial Stage even though tens of years had passed. That was why I gave up and opened up a tea shop here.”

The shopkeeper sighed and looked at his shop with a solemn gaze.

The world was cruel. Long Chen shook his head and read the paper that the shopkeeper had handed him.

Underworld City has four districts named after the four cardinal directions. The Underworld Soldiers are stationed at the east district. The entire district is closed off and no one can trespass into it.

Every month, on the fifteenth, the Underworld Soldiers open up the registration process to join them. Thousands sign up, but ultimately, only a hundred are chosen.

The selection process takes place in the Ghost Arena. There are four judges to assess the candidates. The candidates showcase their strength by battling either feral beasts or mech beasts.

The judges give scores based on battle experience, strength, spirit, strategy, potential, and mental strength to determine the candidate’s worth. A candidate can only successfully join the tentative group if at least three of the judges approve them.

If more than a hundred candidates pass the first round, another selection process is conducted until only a hundred candidates remain. Those who are successful then become the fresh blood of the Underworld Soldiers.

The four judges are all Thousand-Sergeants. Each of them commands a thousand Underworld Soldiers, and they are also experts at the First Divine Martial Stage.

Long Chen slowly read the information on the paper and then consolidated what he had learned. He checked the date and realized it was already the thirteenth. There were two more days before the registration would be opened.

He decided to find out more information for the next two days, such as the kinds of beasts they had to fight during the selection.

Long Chen expected that they would be fighting against a feral beast at the Category Seven Emperor-tier. Additionally, there could be a chance that he would be disqualified if his performance wasn’t jaw-dropping even if he killed the feral beast. He needed at least three of the judges to approve!

Still, Long Chen was confident in his strength and was certain that he could win since he could defeat someone at the Eighth Heavenly Martial Stage.

He wanted to thank the shopkeeper after reading the information, but a large commotion suddenly started outside. Long Chen sipped his tea and looked out.

The other customers in the tea shop were also staring outside.

Surprisingly, the city wasn’t in chaos even though the commotion was huge. This was a testament to how well-managed the city was.

Long Chen noticed the shopkeeper looking out there excitedly.

“Shopkeeper, what’s going on outside?”

“Oh right, you are an outsider, so you don’t know what’s happening here.”

The shopkeeper wasn’t in a hurry since the person of interest wasn’t here yet. “I’m much older than you, so you can just call me ‘Old Wang.’”

Old Wang then pointed towards the city gates. “I’ve heard that the City Lord’s brother is arriving here today from the Underworld Estate. Looking at the commotion, I suppose that he’s already outside.”