Chapter 88: Chapter 81 Celestial Ladder
On top of his inverted pyramid head, he wore a Ring Snake Crown, with the snake body covered in a circle of Demon Gold Candles.
Ring Snake Crown, one layer of candles.
A Demon Duke among the Candleholders.
He wore Demon Gold Armor, and in the center of his chest and abdomen, a candelabra tree was embroidered on a twelve-pointed star.
Under the candelabra tree, twelve Dark Gold Candlesticks were embroidered.
Candelabra, the symbol of the Demon Purgatory’s ninth layer, Endless City’s Demons.
Twelve candlesticks, six on each side, is the symbol of the progeny of the Demon God, the highest race in Demon Purgatory.
Behind this Demon Duke, a team of various demons from Demon Purgatory carried a more than one-meter-tall black Demon Gold urn, intricately carved with luxurious golden Demon Patterns on its surface.
All the demons bore symbols of candlesticks and candles, each with one candlestick.
"Put it down."
"Yes, Lord Star of Dim Light."
The demons slowly bent down and placed the Demon Gold urn on the ground.
Star of Dim Light, the Demon Duke, walked to the Demon Gold urn, glanced around, nodded slightly, and tapped the Demon Gold urn.
The edge of the urn spread out, transforming into a dark red flesh carpet, spreading in all directions.
Plants emerged from the carpet, and within moments, the flesh carpet sprouted a hundred giant flowers.
The green stalks, as thick as a human waist, stood three meters high.
The green stalks rose high then drooped down, with giant Flesh Demonic Flowers hanging at the ends.
The bell-shaped flowers, about a meter high, appeared blood-stained, with veins pulsating.
The flower mouth faced upwards, and the flower had twelve petals, like living flesh.
It resembled a large bag with the mouth facing up.
Magic Bag Flower.
Through the translucent flesh of the flower, a white flesh-like magic bag bean, about a foot in size, vaguely appeared inside, reminiscent of a fetus.
Magic Bag Beans.
The Magic Bag Flower is the most common Flesh and Blood Potion in Demon Purgatory, producing Magic Bag Beans of lower, middle, and upper ranks for Qi Blood Realm demons.
In Demon Language, Qi Blood Realm translates to Qi Blood Realm in Chinese.
Around the hundred mature Magic Bag Flowers, as the flesh carpet slowly expanded, new Magic Bag Flowers emerged.
The new Magic Bag Flowers were much more fragile, with no white light beans inside.
Magic Bag Garden.
Star of Dim Light’s candle-lit eyes gazed in the direction of Shuizhou Base, speaking slowly in Demon Language.
"They are near. Once the army arrives, you will lead the troops to slaughter and place the human corpses into the immature Magic Bag Flowers."
"A ten-thousand Magic Bag Garden is sufficient to express our sincerity."
"Now, use your blood to nourish the flesh carpet."
"At your command!"
One by one, the demons bit into their own flesh, allowing the demon blood to flow, falling onto the flesh carpet.
The flesh carpet writhed and expanded more quickly.
Star of Dim Light walked to a Magic Bag Flower and bowed his head.
A tubular stamen of the Magic Bag Flower stood upright.
Star of Dim Light absorbed it with his right eye, gently inhaling.
The Magic Bag Bean liquefied, like brain matter flowing backward, entering Star of Dim Light’s right eye, which also served as a mouthpiece.
Before long, the Magic Bag Bean inside was completely absorbed.
The entire Magic Bag Flower withered.
Star of Dim Light released the stamen, blinked his right eye, and smiled.
He looked around.
Currently, this is just equivalent to a human’s late Blood Transporting Period, making coming here somewhat risky.
However, more demons will soon arrive.
The distant mountains.
At the foot of the mountains, hundreds of experts from the Huang Meng Sect were cultivating, with strict discipline, not one speaking.
A large flag hung high, depicting a Red River on it.
As the wind blew, the flag fluttered.
Red River Banner.
At the mountain top, stood a bronzed Tong Tianxia, gazing in the direction of Shuizhou Demon City Base.
Shuizhou Demon City Base.
A pioneer team, composed of several experts in the Blood Transporting Period and one in the Body Refining Stage, walked out of the base.
Leading them was Tian Chengchang, son of Tian Wenbao, nephew of Tian Wenhua.
He is a sophomore at East China Martial Arts Academy, in the late stage of Blood Transporting.
Behind him were subordinates of Yan Fenggang, the fifth of the Five Tigers of Shuizhou, including one in leather, Tu Rong.
He had previously planned with Jiang Yan and Tao Bing to deal with Zhou Leng but ended up being beaten by Zhou Leng in a nightclub.
"Brothers, it’s up to you next. As long as it’s done, each of you will receive five hundred thousand, guaranteed."
Everyone responded in unison, except Tu Rong, who looked helpless.
He didn’t want to come, but it was related to him, and Yan Fenggang specifically requested him.
"Young Master Tian, let’s be careful. Interfering with the joint exam could lead to severe punishment, or worse, being executed on the spot by the Demon City Army," Tu Rong said.
"We’re a pioneer team, hunting demons. Even if we encounter examinees, it’s purely coincidental, got it?"
"Yes."
"Then how do we determine Zhou Leng’s whereabouts?"
"We can’t pinpoint it exactly, but as long as we have a rough area, three or four days should be enough to search. Let’s go to the Red Spot Forest and wait for the latest news."
One after another, large buses carried students from various places into Shuizhou Demon City.
The bus stopped, and Zhou Leng and his classmates followed the instructor off the bus, gathering together.
"Everyone, check your packs and see what you might be missing," Deng Zhijue called out loudly.
Zhou Leng put down his pack and quickly took inventory.
pills of Advanced Marching Pills, each costing 1000 yuan, equivalent to a Great Nourishing Pills. Bought painfully for the joint exam.
Great Nourishing Pills, 20 Blood Replenishing Pills, 10 Qi Nourishing Pills.
Replenishing Essence Pills.
Already took 13 Replenishing Essence Pills, leaving only 3.
One Universal Antitoxic Medicine.
A large pack of various healing medicines, iodine swabs, and medical items like bandages and plasters.
And various tools such as a portable water purifier and other items.
One by one, classmates shouted they forgot something, and Deng Zhijue looked for spares in the bus to make up for it.
Afterwards, everyone queued to receive their War Merit Tokens and returned to the original gathering point.
Deng Zhijue stood at the front of the team, loudly advising.
"To prevent leaks, the exact details of the joint exam will be announced at the last moment."
"But the real combat joint exam is mostly the same."
"It’s basically hunting prey, especially unique prey, accumulating war merits, and ranking according to war merit tiers."
"During training before, you thought I wanted to work you to death."
"Today, I tell you, your primary task is not to gain war merits, is not to rank, not even to hunt demons."
"It’s to survive. Only by surviving do you have a ranking, do you have a future."
"Once you’re dead, you have nothing."
"So, remember, in any battlefield, survival is the primary task."
"Unless you need to protect something with your life."
"Let’s go! Remember to wear your school badge, student card, and War Merit Token properly."
Everyone slung their big backpacks and followed behind Deng Zhijue.
Many people remembered Instructor Deng’s words, feeling heavy in their hearts.
Zhou Leng lowered his head to glance at the school badge on his chest.
"There are so many humans, are they attacking the Demon Purgatory?"
A strange accent sounded.
Zhou Leng followed the sound and saw a team of dwarves approaching.
The skin of those dwarves looked like matte stainless steel, shining with a metallic hue, slightly grayish.
Steel Dwarves.
Zhou Leng watched the speaking dwarf, with a head of red hair, and unusually short cropped hair, not the usual braids.
A body as muscular as steel, like chunks of iron.
The dwarf carried a hammer covered in ancestral patterns on his back, smiling as he looked at the surrounding humans.
"Hello, Grandpa Dwarf," Wei Hong said.
The red-haired dwarf glared with both eyes, and in broken Mandarin angrily said, "I’m 19! 19! A handsome young dwarf! You’re the grandpa, your whole family are my grandpas!"
People around burst into laughter, while Wei Hong’s face turned red.
All Steel Dwarves look about the same, humans find it hard to distinguish their ages.
The team continued forward, leaving the base.
From above, the joint army of over fifty thousand wearing camouflage uniforms moved like a flood towards the city outskirts.
A voice broadcast from the high-altitude drone.
"First part of the joint exam, run. Now, everyone run, if you don’t reach the Red Spot Forest in time, you’re eliminated!"
The cold voice pierced everyone’s eardrums.
All examinees looked at each other and stepped into a run.
Deng Zhijue said while running, "Those with the ability, you can accelerate now. Zhou Leng, Lu Juncai, speed up."
"Yes."
Zhou Leng, carrying a backpack, began to accelerate.
A long-distance weighted run competition, farther than a full marathon, began.
Zhou Leng only ran a few steps when he saw from different teams not far ahead, experts began sprinting quickly.
Zhou Leng roughly calculated in his mind and quickened his pace.
Soon, among fifty thousand, over two hundred rushed to the forefront, maintaining a similar speed.
Zhou Leng no longer looked at others, supporting his backpack with one hand, continually running, running.
Before long, the two hundred also divided in ranks.
Only over fifty entered the first tier.
After a while, seven people took the lead, running at the very front.
Zhou Leng was not among those seven.
Zhou Leng knew clearly that his current speed was just right. If he were any faster, the consumption of stamina and True Qi would increase, potentially disadvantaging him if he encountered a sudden enemy.
He was aiming for the ultimate first tier, not temporary bravado.
Zhou Leng carefully observed those seven people.
The seven people’s steps were steady, their breathing orderly, movements uniform, with little sway, and almost no small actions.
The key was, the backpacks these seven carried were very small.
Zhou Leng carefully observed, suspecting these people had Magic Spirit Bags that allowed them to shrink and store items.