Chapter 880: Demon Sealing City
Meanwhile, Yi Feng had already set off on his journey to the Demon-Sealing City.
He showed the map drawn by the Wolf to Manman, the automatic navigation snail, and then climbed onto its back. The duo sped off, one human and one snail, racing toward their destination.
Not long after, Yi Feng finally arrived at the Demon-Sealing City. Compared to the Demon City, the Demon-Sealing City was much smaller. True to the Wolf's word, as soon as Yi Feng entered the city, countless demonic creatures lunged at him.
Yi Feng welcomed the onslaught with joy, his face filled with excitement.
However, as time passed, his excitement gradually faded, and his expression visibly darkened. Although there were many demonic creatures, none of them posed any real threat to his life.
Still, he didn't give up hope. Just like humans, most of these creatures were ordinary, and true powerhouses were rare. He comforted himself with this thought and continued to search every corner of the Demon-Sealing City for stronger foes.
Two days later, when he finally stomped on the last seemingly ferocious demonic creature and found the city devoid of any remaining threats, he reluctantly accepted that his plan to find death had failed.
---
At the same time, outside the Demon-Sealing City, a small team of five—four men and one woman—was cautiously advancing. Their eyes were filled with vigilance, and above their heads, faint ripples of energy suggested the activation of some kind of formation.
"We're about to enter the city," the only woman in the group said nervously, swallowing hard.
The other four nodded, their nerves taut and breaths quickening.
---
Far away in the Heavenly Domain, a crowded square was surrounded by formations. In the center, five massive screens displayed real-time images of the surroundings of the five explorers. The crowd watched intently, holding their breath.
This was not unusual in the Heavenly Domain. The emergence of the misty demonic creatures had caused 90% of the land in Yunxing to fall into chaos, but it also brought opportunities for wealth. Everything in the fallen territories had become ownerless, making treasure hunting and recovering lost legacies a common practice for major factions.
However, while opportunities abounded, the dangers within the mist were no joke. Those who ventured in rarely returned alive, and the dead couldn't bring back any clues. This led to the creation of formations that allowed outsiders to observe the explorers' surroundings in real time, even if the explorers perished.
Under such perilous conditions, few would willingly enter, but there were exceptions. Some thrill-seeking cultivators, desperate death-row convicts promised freedom upon success, and brave souls lured by hefty rewards would take the risk.
The cost of exploring different forbidden zones varied. Level 9 zones were the least dangerous, though still deadly, with occasional survivors. Level 8 zones were far more perilous, and only Dao Mirror experts with powerful self-preservation abilities could hope to return unscathed. Level 7 zones were even worse, with only one survivor ever emerging—a man who had gone mad from the horrors he witnessed. As for the sole Level 6 zone, it was a place of unimaginable terror, and no one had ever returned from it.
The Demon-Sealing City was a Level 7 forbidden zone. Previous expeditions had failed even to reach the city walls, let alone enter the city. This time, however, a joint expedition by several Heavenly Domain factions had managed to reach the city gates without encountering a single demonic creature.
The five-member team had been carefully assembled. The sole woman had been promised unrestricted access to the treasure vaults of major sects if she returned. Three of the men were death-row convicts, willing to gamble their lives for a chance at freedom. The fifth member was an enigma—a man who had volunteered without revealing his origins or demanding any reward.
Now, the team cautiously approached the city gates, only to be shocked to find them slightly ajar. On the thick, blackened gates, a deep footprint was clearly visible, as if someone had kicked them open.
"The gates are open," one of the team members murmured in disbelief.
"And this footprint... it looks human?"
"Does that mean someone kicked the gates open?"
The team exchanged astonished glances.
Back in the distant square, the crowd erupted in murmurs of surprise.
"This clue is crucial!"
"Who could have left that footprint?"
"Has someone else successfully explored this Level 7 forbidden zone?"
"No matter what, this discovery is significant."
The leaders of the factions sponsoring the expedition also voiced their amazement.
Despite the mystery of the footprint, the team had no choice but to press on. Turning back would mean forfeiting their rewards and rendering the entire expedition pointless.
The woman at the forefront pushed against the gates with both hands, but they didn't budge. She was stunned—she was a Dao Mirror expert, yet she couldn't move a single gate?
"Let me try," one of the convicts stepped forward. As a fellow Dao Mirror expert, he channeled his full strength, but the gates remained immovable.
"Let's all try together," another man suggested.
The four of them combined their strength, but the gates still refused to move.
"What kind of gate is this?" the crowd in the square gasped in shock. Even several Dao Mirror experts couldn't open it?
Just then, the gates creaked open with a gentle push.
The entire square erupted in astonishment.
"Heavens! The last man opened it alone!"
"Who is he?"
"This man is... strange."
"Who exactly is he?"
The leaders of the factions stood up, their eyes fixed on the fifth member of the team. While the other four had failed to move the gates, he had simply reached out and pushed them open with ease.
The four team members stared at him in awe.
With a meaningful smile, he stepped through the gates, and the others hurriedly followed.