Chapter 354: The Thrones of the Ancestral Mountains

Tang San's mouth twitched. "Master, those are not my girls."

"Why not?" Zhang Haoxuan asked, a teasing smile on his face.

"

Cough cough.

They're friends, I guess. How's their cultivation going lately?"

Tang San had to admit he hadn’t paid much attention to the Crimson Fox girls as of late.

Zhang Haoxuan explained, "Crimson One is the most talented; she has already reached the fifth order. The others are a bit behind her but are steadily improving. Their bloodline talents are somewhat weak, though. Even with the life energy from the Golden Tree, I think reaching the sixth order will be a big bottleneck for them. Without special measures, it'll be difficult to help them progress further."

Tang San nodded/ "When we go to the Ancestral Court, we'll figure something out together."

Zhang Haoxuan asked, "Are you going to participate in the beast fights there? It's too dangerous. If things go wrong, you might..."

He had a rather complex look in his eyes as he gazed at his disciple. After Tang San had defeated the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint, Zhang Haoxuan had been subjected to serious interrogations by Si Ru and the other teachers.

No one could understand how he had taught such a disciple. Outsiders didn't know Tang San's situation, but these teachers did! A fourteen-year-old boy defeating someone at the level of the Lion-Tiger Sword Saint? This was likely an unmatched feat even among the most talented demons at the Ancestral Court.

Zhang Haoxuan truly wracked his brain. He was even forced to ask the other teachers to keep a tight lid on the fact that Tang San was Asura, insisting that the secret had to be kept from the Redemption Society as well. He even swore on his own life as a guarantee for his disciple, just managing to bluff his way through.

"Master, we have to face it sooner or later. We might finally have a real shot after this trip to the Ancestral Court. We've successfully allied with the Lion-Tiger clan. Once we return, all that’s left is to wait for Mei Gongzi to finish her seclusion."

"Alright. I knew I couldn't talk you out of it. If you must go, then go. When do we leave?"

Tang San said, "I’ll let you know the exact time after I've met with the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King."

"Mm."

They finally set out three days after the meeting. Tang San and the Shrek Squad joined a caravan of the Aetherhorn Deer clan and headed toward the Ancestral Court.

The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King himself arranged this under the guise of having them gain experience at the Ancestral Court and "seizing the opportunity" to participate in the team battles at the Great Beast Fighting Arena.

The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King treated them favorably, especially preparing a luxurious carriage for the five of them.

The carriage was spacious, and it was drawn by eight Horned Horses. While not comparable to the celestial steeds of a Great Demon King, these Horned Horses were exceptionally sturdy, and they could go on long journeys while only resting at night.

The carriage's interior was thirty square meters, more than enough for the five of them. It was stocked with various supplies, ensuring they would travel in comfort.

The journey from Kali City to the Ancestral Court was long. Even with horned horses that could cover over two thousand li in a day, reaching the Ancestral Court would still take fifteen days, illustrating just how vast the Daemon Continent was.

Given Tang San and his companions' cultivation levels, they could outrun the Horned Horses over short distances even without their teleportation arrays. However, for longer distances, unless using the flying ability of the Golden Roc Transformation, they couldn't match the impressive endurance of these Horned Horses.

Horned Horses were demonic beasts, vassals to the horse demon race. Typically, only the wealthiest merchants could afford to use them.

Of course, air transport by flying beasts was more prestigious, but the cost was more than a hundred times that of Horned Horses. They were used only in extremely urgent situations. Flying beasts could go from Kali City to the Ancestral Court in three days.

Lifting the carriage curtain to gaze at the rapidly passing scenery outside, Du Bai couldn't help but exclaim, "It's been such a long time since I've left Kali City. It's great to be out!"

Wu Bingji said, "We're not going to the Ancestral Court for fun, so don't let your guard down. Remember, the Celestial Fox clan lives there. You need to be the most cautious."

Du Bai had the bloodline of the Celestial Fox clan and had now cultivated to the level of a three-tailed Celestial Fox. The trouble he could face if discovered was unpredictable, but one thing was certain: if the Celestial Fox clan decided to act against them, resistance would almost certainly be futile.

"Got it, I'll definitely be careful. After all, my life is pretty important!" Du Bai said with a grin.

Gu Li snorted. "I don't see you taking eldest brother's words to heart."

Du Bai smirked. "Do you want to taste what misfortune feels like?"

Gu Li's expression froze, and he quickly gave a forced laugh. "My bad, brother Du Bai, please let it slide." He had truly experienced the terrifying effects of misfortune Du Bai's abilities were quite formidable now that he was at the sixth order.

The caravan of the Aetherhorn Deer clan moved very steadily. Two days later, they entered another major city. They arrived at night, and before anyone could take a good look at the city, they set out again the following day. The caravan was well-organized, and all necessary goods were transported promptly to the city.

Tang San watched dispassionately, observing the bustling trade. Before their caravan had even arrived, the shops owned by the Aetherhorn Deer clan had been prepared. Upon arrival, everything was handed over immediately, without a moment wasted.

No wonder they were so wealthy; in business matters, the Aetherhorn Deer clan truly had unique expertise.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The internal security of the Empyrean Dominion was fairly good. Along the way, aside from two demon beast attacks, the caravan faced no major issues. The accompanying guards were quite strong, eliminating the demon beasts before they could even get close.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, almost exactly as planned, and they were about to arrive at the Ancestral Court, the most bustling place in the Daemon Continent and also the one with the highest standing, home to many powerful beings!

From a distance, the Ancestral Court could be seen nestled among towering mountains. This style of city-building was somewhat similar to Kali City, but the mountains surrounding the Ancestral Court were significantly taller than those around Kali City.

Atop those nearly cloud-piercing peaks, one could vaguely see several enormous statues.

Each statue was in the form of a great beast. Tang San and his companions had long heard that these statues represented past and present Demon Emperors.

Only Demon Emperors were worthy of having such statues on the mountains surrounding the Ancestral Court. It was said that these statues also contained the divine consciousness of the Demon Emperors, forever guarding the Ancestral Court.

These encircling mountains were known as the Ancestral Mountains.

On the continent's eastern side, the Ancestral Mountains predominantly featured statues of Demon Emperors, while the western side was home to more statues of Nymph Emperors.

These statues were collectively called the Thrones of the Ancestral Mountains. Under their watch, the Ancestral Court held the Daemon Continent and the entire Falan Planet in its grasp. It was no exaggeration to call this place the center of Falan.

Between the mountains, there were eight major roads leading into the Ancestral Court, and there were no city walls, for the Ancestral Court needed none. Who would dare to act against it? The Court was permanently home to at least six Demon Emperors and Nymph Emperors—beings of the twelfth order who could annihilate an opponent thousands of miles away with a mere thought.

Though there were no walls, entry into the Ancestral Court required detailed inspection. The guards consisted entirely of nobles from both demon and nymph clans, and each guard had to be at least at the sixth order.