267: Recruitment

At the city gate, several Undergoing Tribulation stage demon soldiers were yawning idly, their gazes lazily sweeping over the people entering and exiting the city.

Many people in the crowd wore black robes, and Xiao Zhuo, blending in, did not attract their attention at all. He easily mingled with the flow of people and entered the city.

The battlefield did not seem to be in the Demon Abyss itself; Ziluo City's defenses were extremely lax, and there were no inspections for those entering or exiting.

Along the way, Xiao Zhuo saw many strange-looking demon Cultivators, and even demon Cultivators.

The Eternal Tribulation Demon Abyss was clearly a melting pot where many races coexisted, with the Human Race making up only one or two tenths of the population.

The rest were mostly humanoid races: those with six eyes on their faces, those with long tails trailing behind them, and those with horns on their heads were ubiquitous.

Although Xiao Zhuo had seen similar records in the Immortal-Demon Realm Sea Scroll, he could not identify all these races by name.

However, he did not care.

Among these foreign travelers, the strongest were merely at the Heavenly Immortal Realm, with only a handful of them; there were a dozen True Immortals, and even more were existences below the Immortal Realm, posing no threat to Xiao Zhuo.

In the city center, Xiao Zhuo could clearly sense a Profound Immortal's Qi, whose Realm was newly formed and Foundation still shallow, far weaker than him, and could be extinguished with a flip of his hand.

His Divine Sense quietly expanded like mercury spilling onto the ground, instantly enveloping the entire Ziluo City, every blade of grass and every tree, all within his sight.

Soon, the recruitment notice on the city center's bulletin board appeared in his Sea of Consciousness:

"Recruiting Cultivators at Body Integration stage and above! Those who successfully join the Eternal Calamity Demon Army will be granted a residence in Ziluo City and a settling-in fee of ten demon crystals (equivalent in value to immortal crystals)!"

"Recruiting strong individuals from the Demon Realm! Joining the army can make you a junior officer! You can receive two hundred demon crystals! Those with profound cultivation will be promoted to generals and can receive one thousand demon crystals!"

The corner of Xiao Zhuo's mouth, hidden beneath his hat brim, curved upwards almost imperceptibly.

"As expected."

With one step, his figure vanished from the bustling street.

When he reappeared, he stood precisely in the quiet courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion.

Xiao Zhuo's Qi was as restrained as an abyss; the black-armored guards patrolling inside the mansion did not even notice him for a moment.

It wasn't until a guard's peripheral vision caught sight of the black-robed figure that abruptly appeared in the center of the courtyard that he sharply shouted, "Who dares to trespass into the City Lord's Mansion?!"

The shout startled the mansion, and sounds of rushing through the air echoed one after another.

In the blink of an eye, teams of black-armored guards surged out like a tide, surrounding Xiao Zhuo, their weapons gleaming with cold light and emanating Evil Qi.

Xiao Zhuo's face beneath his hood was as calm as an ancient well, his voice not loud, yet it clearly reverberated in every corner of the entire mansion:

"Loose Devil, Primal Beginning, here to answer the recruitment call!"

Buzz—!

The air suddenly twisted, and a figure about ten feet tall teleported into existence.

This person was covered in silver armor, his physique exceptionally burly, and most peculiar were the dark blue fin-like organs on his cheeks. The pressure of an early Profound Demon, completely undisguised, spread out, stirring up a gust of wind in the courtyard.

"Fellow Daoist!" The silver-armored strongman spoke in a booming voice, his giant, bell-like eyes scrutinizing Xiao Zhuo, "This manner of answering the recruitment call, this is the first time Yu has seen it!"

Though his tone was deep, it did not contain much anger.

"Since the notice is in the city, I naturally sought out the person in charge," Xiao Zhuo said, his tone calm and unwavering.

The gust of wind caused by the pressure, as soon as it approached within three feet of him, was like hitting an invisible barrier, instantly calming down, not even stirring a corner of his black robe.

Yu Miao's pupils constricted slightly, and a sense of apprehension arose in his heart.

His Divine Sense probed towards the black-robed man, like a clay ox entering the sea, unfathomably deep.

He glanced at the guards, who were on high alert, and said in a deep voice, "All of you, retreat!"

Then, turning to Xiao Zhuo, he gestured with a large hand: "Fellow Daoist, please follow me."

Yu Miao led Xiao Zhuo through a heavily guarded corridor and into a quiet room filled with a solemn aura.

The room's furnishings were simple, with only a large obsidian table and a few chairs of the same material. The walls were covered with intricate demonic patterns, subtly emanating a spatial barrier power.

"Fellow Daoist Primal Beginning," Yu Miao sat in the main seat, gesturing for Xiao Zhuo to also sit, his gaze like lightning, "There are procedures for joining the demon army; simply register at the city center. Fellow Daoist, by barging into my mansion like this, do you perhaps have other intentions?"

As he spoke, a subtle yet more condensed Divine Sense power quietly permeated the air, attempting to penetrate Xiao Zhuo's protective Qi, like invisible tentacles.

Xiao Zhuo sat down calmly, seemingly oblivious to the probing Divine Sense, allowing it to wander around him without finding a way in.

His voice remained calm: "Loose Cultivators are used to being wild; I dislike formalities. Since I know the City Lord is the leader here, seeking you out, isn't that the most direct approach? As for my intentions..."

He paused, his gaze from beneath the hood's shadow seeming to sweep over Yu Miao, "It's nothing more than a thousand demon crystals and a place to display my abilities."

Yu Miao's Divine Sense returned without success, as if it had struck ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, cold, hard, and unfathomable.

His heart was solemn, but his face remained impassive. He laughed heartily: "Fellow Daoist is a straightforward person! Very well, extraordinary people do extraordinary things. Our Eternal Calamity Demon Army widely recruits talented individuals, and we need someone like Fellow Daoist."

He no longer probed, knowing that continuing would not only be futile but might also anger the other party.

He waved his hand, and a dark purple demonic light shot from his fingertip, condensing in mid-air into a palm-sized crystal token, its edges wreathed in demonic flames. The front of the token bore a ferocious 'Demon' character, while the back displayed the characters 'Primal Beginning' and smaller characters 'Ziluo City Recruitment'.

The token also bore his Divine Sense imprint.

The token slowly flew towards Xiao Zhuo.

"This is the recruitment document, and also your temporary identity credential. Hold this token, and after verification at the camp, arrangements will be made," Yu Miao said. "Fellow Daoist's cultivation is profound, even above mine. According to regulations, you can be directly conferred the rank of Demon General, and the reward of one thousand demon crystals will be personally distributed by the main general upon your arrival at the main camp. In three days, the demon immortals and demon soldiers recruited by this city will collectively set off to gather at the Black Edge Fortress main camp."

Xiao Zhuo raised his hand, and the token landed steadily in his palm, cool to the touch and imbued with Devilish Qi.

He sensed it briefly, then put it away: "Good."

"For these three days, please stay in the guest courtyard of the mansion, to avoid some mundane disturbances," Yu Miao said, seemingly making a kind arrangement, but in reality, also intending to observe him closely. "I will give instructions; whatever you need, Fellow Daoist, just ask."

"Thank you," Xiao Zhuo replied indifferently, noncommittal.

Yu Miao summoned a True Immortal Realm personal guard with a steady aura: "Take Fellow Daoist Primal Beginning to the Quiet Bamboo Courtyard, serve him well, and do not be negligent."

The personal guard respectfully acknowledged the order.

Xiao Zhuo rose, his black robe subtly shifting, and silently left the quiet room with the personal guard.

Watching Xiao Zhuo's disappearing back, Yu Miao's smile slowly faded, and the dark blue fins on his cheeks slightly quivered.

He lightly tapped the cold obsidian tabletop with his fingers, his brows tightly furrowed: "Loose Devil Primal Beginning... his Qi is unfathomably deep, his Divine Sense like an abyss, definitely not an ordinary Profound Demon! Why would such a person come to my Ziluo City for recruitment at this particular time? Is it a blessing or a curse?"

He pondered for a moment, a glint flashing in his eyes, "Forget it. Since I can't discern his depth or his background, I might as well go with the flow and send him to the main camp. The adults there will naturally vet him."

He waved his hand to set up a sound-insulating barrier and began to process other accumulated documents, quickly forgetting the interlude with Xiao Zhuo.