Chapter 82: The Demon Nation

Li Zhen’s guess was incorrect; after reaching ground level, the elevator continued downward into the depths of the earth.

After traveling further underground, his sense of direction, though not perfect, indicated that they had arrived at the central area beneath Yunchang City.

The elevator doors opened, and everyone stepped out into an immense metallic space.

Li Zhen felt his hair stand on end as an overwhelming sense of danger washed over him. It seemed as if death could claim him at any moment.

Pei Zhenxiu smiled, her satisfaction with Li Zhen growing. This innate perception of danger was unmistakable, a heightened sensitivity only possessed by those with pure and focused spirits.

Glancing at Mr. Zuo and the other students, she noticed they lacked this crucial ability.

Li Zhen’s sense of impending danger was not deceptive. Hidden within the walls of the vast space were numerous rune cannons, each ready to fire at any instant.

This was merely one layer of defense; the protection around the Tianchang Passage was far more robust than this alone.

At the heart of the immense chamber stood a similar steel structure, except it was entirely crafted from spirit iron. Primarily consisting of first-order spirit iron, Li Zhen sensed traces of second-order spirit iron as he approached.

The surface of the building was visibly etched with countless runes.

He couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath — what an astonishing defense this was.

Two soldiers in the late stage of Qi Refinement inspected everyone’s identity bracelets before finally opening the entrance gate.

The entrance led to a twenty-meter-long corridor, which left Li Zhen increasingly astounded as they walked through it.

“This is the inner wall of the Tianchang Space Channel, and also the first barrier to prevent beasts from entering Tianchang City,” Pei Zhenxiu explained as they walked.

Her explanation was mainly directed at Li Zhen. Without him, she wouldn’t have said anything throughout the entire journey, and even the protection mission would have been entrusted to others.

Given her status, she could easily have dispatched several late-Qi-Refinement cultivators to protect the students. With one such cultivator per student, even if something were to happen, it would have been a sufficient response to Principal Wang’s request.

The twenty-meter-long corridor was entirely constructed from first-order spirit iron, with a trace of second-order spirit iron mixed in. The amount of first-order spirit iron alone consumed here was astronomical.

As they passed through the spirit iron corridor, Li Zhen felt his body grow heavier, and the flow of spiritual energy within him became more sluggish.

“There’s an array protecting this area, which will slow you down and affect your spiritual energy manipulation!” Pei Zhenxiu turned to Li Zhen and provided this additional explanation.

The interior of this area wasn’t expansive. In the center stood a gate emitting a soft blue glow—Li Zhen knew this was the spatial portal leading to the Demon Nation.

The gate towered nearly ten meters high, bathing the entire vicinity in its ethereal blue light.

As they approached the spatial portal, Li Zhen’s spiritual senses prickled with an almost painful intensity, as if some extreme danger was emanating from or guarding the threshold.

This time, Pei Zhenxiu didn’t elaborate further. She led everyone into the spatial portal.

When Li Zhen stepped through, his world dissolved into an indiscernible void. He caught faint glimpses of peculiar space runes flickering amidst the emptiness.

After what felt like ten breaths, he emerged from the void back into the tangible reality.

Surveying his surroundings, he found himself within a vast chamber with rocky walls.

Pei Zhenxiu curiously observed Li Zhen, noting that he had recovered from the spatial transit even faster than she had.

The others who had traversed the portal alongside them, including Mr. Zuo, were still in a state of disorientation.

Little did Pei Zhenxiu know that Li Zhen hadn’t experienced any disorientation at all.

In his past travels between worlds, he had always relied on his spatial divine ability. But this time, circumstances were ideal: a ready-made spatial portal had lessened the strain. All he had to contend with was the influence of the void itself—an influence entirely incapable of affecting one wielding spatial divinity.

“We can’t linger here!” With a wave of Pei Zhenxiu’s hand, Li Zhen felt his body grow light. The others were also lifted off the ground, and they flew forward together.

Only now did Pei Zhenxiu fully display the prowess of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Beyond the rubble lay a vast city constructed entirely of stone, with nary a hint of technology to be seen.

A single runic cannon, bearing a semblance of technology, stood atop a raised platform—higher than any other structure in sight.

“Welcome to Tianchang City,” Pei Zhenxiu announced, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “Within a hundred-mile radius of the city, the environment is relatively safe. No monster in this area will exceed second-rank!”

Li Zhen and the others now hung suspended in mid-air, carried aloft by her spiritual energy. As they ascended, the scene below became clearer and more awe-inspiring.

Tianchang City clung to the slopes of a towering mountain. In the distance, a range of peaks rose majestically. Both the mountains and the surrounding plains were draped in lush greenery.

Li Zhen took a moment to sense the spiritual essence in the air. It was slightly richer than in the Xian Nation, and possessed a greater vitality as well.

“We have two hours till dusk. Let me show you some common monsters around these parts!” With that, Pei Zhenxiu led the group beyond the city walls.

Tianchang City occupied the peak of a mountain, claiming everything from halfway up to the summit as its own.

Pei Zhenxiu led everyone out of the city before descending. “You’re free to explore here for two hours!” She released them about two and a half kilometers from the city walls.

With her instructions given, she sat down cross-legged, closed her eyes, and said no more.

They found themselves in a flat area below the mountain. Short grasses covered the ground, interspersed with shrubs. The presence of rocks of various sizes made the terrain somewhat complex.

“Mr. Zuo, what’s your plan?” Wang Rushi asked.

She didn’t dare disturb Pei Zhenxiu; Mr. Zuo was leading them, after all, and the most experienced cultivator here.

“You’ll explore on your own, but don’t stray too far!” Mr. Zuo’s voice was firm.

The reason he felt confident letting the students go solo was Pei Zhenxiu’s presence. Despite her apparent disinterest, with her nearby, the students were in no danger.

Such an opportunity was rare—many cultivators entering the world of monsters for the first time met their demise during their initial few visits, due to lack of experience and not knowing the dangers.

Li Zhen chose a direction and equipped himself with the Xingrui D13 longsword. He then cast an inferior-grade Lightening Talisman and Diamond Talisman on himself.

Finally, he had a chance to inspect the Dragon Heart Space. Upon passing through the space portal, he had sensed some peculiarities, but with Pei Zhenxiu nearby, he hadn’t been able to examine it.

Focusing on the Dragon Heart Space, he discovered it had grown larger.

It had originally been ten square meters, but now it was twelve square meters.

He shook his head; previously, he hadn’t been paying attention. He couldn’t tell if this change was due to advancing to the middle stage of Qi Refining or if absorbing spatial energy through the portal had benefited the Dragon Heart Space.

Setting aside these thoughts, he concentrated on the spatial divine rune, noticing an additional linked space - the world of this demonic nation.

However, this location was too close to the Great Wall of Heaven. If he were to teleport here again, there was a high chance they would be discovered.

It seemed he’d need to find an opportunity to venture further away and attempt a transmission, leaving a location marker for his next arrival.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, a leopard suddenly leaped out from the undergrowth. The leopard had been hidden exceptionally well, not revealing itself until it was just five meters away.

The leopard was a mid-grade first-rank monster. As it pounced, its claws emanated a terrifying sharpness; if it were to land a hit, his inferior-grade Diamond Talisman would be utterly ineffective.

Though Li Zhen’s mind was divided, his mastery of swordsmanship had rendered his reactions instinctual.

With a sweep of his mid-grade longsword, a blade of light sprang forth. This was his first deployment of the Proficient Swordsmanship Technique since advancing to the Qi Refining Stage’s mid-point.

The sword glow extended to thirty centimeters, striking towards the leopard before Li Zhen himself could fully move.

The leopard contorted its body in mid-air, attempting to block the sword glow with its claws.

Leopard-class monsters were at the pinnacle of agility. Had any other creature faced such a predicament, it would have been utterly unable to react in time.

But Li Zhen’s attack relied not merely on sword glows. The leopard’s attempt to block the glow with its claws resulted in a momentary suspension of its movement in the air.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Zhen thrust the mid-grade longsword forward. Now, the leopard had no strength left to dodge.

The longsword pierced through the leopard’s neck, entering from the front and exiting through the back. Such a grievous wound to a vital area caused the leopard to expire in an instant.

Li Zhen withdrew his longsword, allowing the leopard’s carcass to fall to the ground.

He mentally reviewed the knowledge imparted at school, lamenting that he hadn’t brought along a dissection knife. Otherwise, he might have attempted to extract useful materials from the leopard’s remains on the spot.