Chapter 356: The Palaces

And now, he saw it.

What he saw was different from others. Through his divine consciousness, he could distinctly feel the presence of those lofty beings within the vast Ancestral Court. The power of the entire plane reached its zenith here, the grand palaces resonating with the Ancestral Mountains’ Thrones, each pulsing with immense energy waves, all mighty beings.

Tang San sighed deeply. He knew that unless he could regain his former God King cultivation, leading the humans of this plane to resist the demons and nymphs was just a pipe dream. It was beyond difficult; it was simply impossible.

These top-tier Demon Emperors and Nymph Emperors could match at least a Second Class God and possibly even reach the strength of a First Class God. Even if Tang San regained his God King status, destroying them all would likely mean battling against the entire plane and obliterating this planet. But if everything was destroyed, how could humans survive? The humans of this plane would perish as well. He couldn't just relocate all the humans on this plane to another planet.

Upon arriving in this world, seeing humans enslaved and treated as the lowest of beings, a fire burned within Tang San. Beyond finding his wife, another goal he set for himself was to aid the rise of humanity in this world. But now, it seemed a daunting and distant task.

To truly elevate humanity on this plane, using force seemed inadvisable. He had to find a new path and seek opportunities; only then might it be possible. This would require long-term planning.

The immediate priority was to find a way to communicate with this plane and seize an opportunity to ascend to godhood. Only by returning to the god level could he mobilize everything.

He had arrived with his memories and a fragment of divine consciousness. If the planar ruler discovered him, it would indeed identify him as an outsider. Once it learned of his God King foundation and his potential to destroy this plane, how would they allow him to become a god once more? It would crush him first. That was Tang San’s greatest peril.

The energy on Falan Planet was rich, and with Tang San's natural talent and divine consciousness, his cultivation level would continue to grow steadily even without cultivation. One day, he would face the bottleneck of godhood, and once he could no longer suppress it, he would break through.

Of course, Tang San would not passively wait for such a disaster; he needed to take the initiative and create opportunities for himself.

Creating such an opportunity could not be just about compromise, nor could it purely involve coercion. He needed to continuously refine his strategy to find the best opportunity and formulate the optimal plan.

After the caravan entered the Ancestral Court, it noticeably slowed down. The Aetherhorn Deer Demon King's merchants seemed to hold some status, nevertheless; although it progressed along the edge of the road, it was still allowed to continue on the main road.

The deeper they ventured into the Ancestral Court, the more they could sense the enormity of this giant city. Even the huge palaces were no longer visible once they entered the streets flanked by buildings.

After about half an hour more, the caravan finally stopped. The caravan's leader approached Tang San's carriage and called them down.

"We're here. You guys can go your way now, but you must sign up at the Great Beast Fighting Arena under the Shrek Squad's name. The arena master has already arranged everything for you. Besides the team battle, you're free to do as you like. Your identities were registered when you entered the city, so carry your noble badges to avoid trouble."

"There are a few important rules to keep in mind. No fighting is allowed within the Ancestral Court. If you’re caught, you will face the Court's enforcers, and that means execution. Of course, fights within the Great Beast Fighting Arena are something else. Also, those below the god level aren't allowed to fly here, and neither are vassals. Even gods have different flight zones. Make sure to remember these rules. Also, do not approach the Ancestral Mountains or the palaces of Demon Emperors and Nymph Emperors. Entering forbidden zones means certain death. Other than that, there are no particular restrictions. After you participate in the team battle, we will have arrangements for your return. You can sign up for the arena no later than seven days from now. Got it?"

Tang San and his four companions nodded in agreement. The leader no longer paid attention to them and went off to attend to other tasks.

The caravan stopped in front of a large shop named Aetherhorn. From what they had learned along the way, the Aetherhorn Merchant Association branches were scattered across the continent, not only in the Empyrean Dominion but also in the Solstice Empire. They were among the top merchants on the Daemon Continent and the only notable economic presence Kali City could boast about. Economically, Kali City's reliance on the Aetherhorn Deer clan’s operations was indeed strong.

In earlier years, the Aetherhorn Deer clan had received great favor from the Peacock Great Demon King, thus remaining utterly loyal to the Peacock Demon clan. However, with their wealth, even if the Peacock Demon clan were truly supplanted by the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor, their allegiance would remain unshaken. Being able to stand equal with the Golden Deerss, the Aetherhorn Deers naturally had their own reasons to be confident.

Wu Bingji looked toward Tang San, who said, "Let's leave this place first. Find somewhere to stay."

It was their first time coming to Ancestral Court, so observing the place thoroughly was paramount. Of course, their immediate task was to meet up with Zhang Haoxuan. Although Zhang Haoxuan hadn’t specified how he would enter Ancestral Court, the god-level mayor surely had his methods. After all, the headquarters of the Redemption Society was right in the middle of Ancestral Court. There had to be a way for him to enter the city so he could report on his duties.

When they left the Aetherhorn caravan, Tang San and his four companions were wearing noble badges on their chests to display their status.

Unlike in other cities, within the Ancestral Court, they rarely saw any humans. However, the variety of races was much richer than in Kali City. Particularly, the nymphs with distinct plant-like features were a true eye-opener for them.

Although the nymphs also had humanoid figures, their skin generally reflected their race—some had roots growing from their heads, others flowers blooming on their shoulders, and still others vines flowing down their backs. The diversity was so vast that the five members of the Shrek Squad found it quite overwhelming.

The security within Ancestral Court was clearly excellent, with a squad of enforcers clad in black armor passing by now and then. Passersby would actively make way for them, contributing to the peaceful atmosphere of Ancestral Court.

Tang San and his group could only roughly tell where they were going; once they settled on a direction, they moved deeper into Ancestral Court. According to their agreement with Zhang Haoxuan, they would first find a place to settle down, and then Zhang Haoxuan would naturally come to find them.

After about half an hour, the five stopped in front of a tall building. A sign above read White Tiger Hotel.

The hotel appeared large, with an entrance door over five meters tall, accommodating the taller statures of the demon and nymph races.

"Are we staying here?" Wu Bingji asked Tang San.

"Let's stay here," Tang San replied.

Wu Bingji led the way, and the five entered in a single file. Their human forms seemed quite small in this place.

Once inside, they saw a grand hotel lobby that soared twenty meters high. The decor was simple, but it felt mighty and domineering. The carvings on the walls depicted various forms of the White Tiger, clearly indicating that, just as the name suggested, the hotel was connected to the lineage of the White Tiger Demon Emperor, if not directly owned by it.