Chapter 434: Recruitment
At the very moment when Gu Yue Na and the black serpent were battling in a space unseen by anyone, Kong quietly slipped out alone.
He studied the city lord's residence before him, and after a brief moment of thought, decided to begin his investigation with the city lord's identity and chamber.
"Wife Ei, show me the direction and foresee anyone approaching!"
Although Ei's appearances were limited, that did not mean her spiritual power could not be released. After all, no matter what, she was now one with Kong.
"No problem, husband, leave it to me!"
With those words, a surge of immense spiritual power burst forth from Kong, rapidly spreading outward in every direction.
With Ei's assistance, the movements and conversations of everyone nearby surfaced in his mind.
Thus, without much effort or energy, Kong easily arrived outside the city lord's room.
After glancing around and confirming no one was nearby, he carefully pushed open the door and entered.
"Wife Ei, can you detect if there are secret chambers or spatial formations here?" After searching the chamber and finding no clues, Kong asked his partner for help.
In this place where divine power could not be used, everything was troublesome. Whatever he did, he had to rely on wife Ei.
Living off her strength was not the worst thing, but it still felt embarrassing. As a child it had been one thing, but to depend on her even as an adult—it was not something he had expected.
The reason he asked Ei to check for hidden chambers was because he suspected the true city lord was either dead or imprisoned.
"Yes."
Moments later, Ei finished scanning the entire chamber.
As Kong had guessed, on the eastern side of the room was a very well-hidden secret chamber, one that could not be discovered even with careful inspection.
If not for Ei's formidable strength, even overturning the entire chamber might not have revealed it.
Following her guidance, Kong searched along the eastern wall until he found the mechanism to open it.
With a faint click, the wall before him vanished, revealing a pitch-black passage.
"Good. Now it comes down to luck!" Kong's gaze hardened as he stepped straight inside.
If luck was on his side, then today—this very moment—he might uncover the secrets of this city and the true identity of the city lord's daughter. But if not, not only would he fail to find anything useful, he might even have to rely on Ei to personally deal with the dangers within.
While Kong, aided by Ei, probed the city lord's residence, the battle in the other space reached its peak.
Although Gu Yue Na's race and physical body far surpassed the black serpent, the opponent had the aid of the Dark Origin Will in its prime. As a result, neither side could gain the upper hand in the short term.
"Who exactly are you? What identity do you hold?" The black serpent flicked its red tongue, black pupils filled with confusion and doubt.
An existence of this level, of such a race, should not have appeared in a remote place like this. Why was she here?
"You are not worthy to know!"
Gu Yue Na's eyes narrowed, her icy words ringing out. "If this is the extent of your ability, then today you will not leave alive."
Since this space could not suppress the external laws for long, she had to end the battle quickly. Any further delay risked exposing her, and that would be troublesome.
Gu Yue Na's attacks grew sharper and more ruthless, carrying the intent of tearing her opponent apart completely.
"Wait!"
The black serpent barely blocked one of her strikes, coughing out a mouthful of blood before speaking. "Do you truly wish to stay here forever, never going anywhere else?"
"What do you mean?" Gu Yue Na withdrew her raised dragon claw, her gaze filled with confusion.
What trick was this wretched serpent playing now?
"Considering that we are both of the beast race, I can tell you the rules here."
The black serpent let out a faint laugh before reverting to human form. With a calm expression, she said, "This place is called Sun Moon City, one of the locations on the Tianxuan Continent where humans are imprisoned. It is truly a place where entry is possible, but exit is not."
"So what?" Gu Yue Na's brows furrowed, her tone heavy.
If this was true, it was troublesome. Once she left this sealed space, she would instantly revert to human form, leaving her with no combat strength at all.
"So, within this city, the fate of these humans is decided by me alone."
A glimmer flashed in the woman's eyes as she directly offered an enticing proposal. "And you, my kin, my superior—there is no need for us to fight. If you stay here with me and govern these humans together, would that not be better?"
Gu Yue Na did not answer. She simply watched her quietly, hoping to draw out more information.
Time was precious, but certain information mattered even more. After all, their reason for coming here was precisely to uncover such truths.
"Of course, I can also release you. Since you are not human, allowing you to leave would not count as breaking the rules." The woman added this next.
Truthfully, unless forced to, she had no desire to be enemies with the silver dragon before her. Her opponent's bloodline and physique were too powerful. Without the support of the Dark Origin's power, she would not last three moves in a direct clash. Thus, persuading her to leave voluntarily, or to stay and manage this place together before seeking permission to ascend, was the best option.
"You can release me?" Gu Yue Na's beautiful eyes narrowed as she asked the crucial question.
"Yes." The woman nodded without hesitation. "I am the strongest here, the ruler of this city. Naturally, I have the authority to release beasts that are not human."
"I need—"
Before Gu Yue Na could finish, the entire space around them suddenly erupted into violent upheaval.
This sudden scene left both Gu Yue Na and the woman stunned, unable to react for a brief moment.
Recovering first, the woman wasted no time. Without caring what Gu Yue Na thought or chose, she immediately withdrew the space before her and rushed swiftly toward a nearby chamber.
(End of Chapter)