126: Chapter 126 Practice makes perfect, learn from others' shapes

[Chu Sheng began to walk through this black city.]

[He spent several days walking through every street and alley of Black Iron City.]

[Slave markets, the Gladiatorial Arena, weapon shops, taverns, and even those black markets hidden in the shadows—he visited them all.]

[Then he discovered that his previous understanding of the Demon Race was entirely wrong.]

[Iron Pagoda? That was merely the most ordinary vanguard unit of the Demon Race.]

[Every border city had them; they weren't rare at all.]

[He had fought tooth and nail on the battlefield just to kill a few, but in the eyes of the Demon Race, they were nothing more than consumables.]

[Ah Fu followed behind him, explaining cautiously, "My Lord, in the territory of the Demon Race, Black Iron City doesn't even count for a fart. Three thousand miles to the north, there's a larger city called White Bone City. Its city lord is a High-grade Demon General at the Sea Opening stage. Further north is Blood Moon City; I've heard its lord has half a foot in the Devil King realm."]

[Chu Sheng fell silent.]

[Ah Fu continued, his voice growing smaller, "Even further north, there are three major powers: the Nine Nether Palace, the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons, and the Blood God Sect. Each has a Devil King level expert presiding over it. That is the true core of the Demon Race. Any one of them could be pulled out and crush the seven prefectures of Tianfeng into powder."]

[Chu Sheng stopped in his tracks and looked back at Ah Fu.]

["If the Demon Race is so strong, why didn't they wipe out Tianfeng ninety years ago?"]

[Ah Fu scratched his head, his snot hanging down again.]

["I heard the Righteous Path has major powers on their side too. If they fight, neither side can gain an advantage."]

[Chu Sheng asked again, "Then why do they still have to fight?"]

[Ah Fu thought for a moment, becoming serious for a rare change.]

["They have to fight. If the Demon Race wants to survive, they must expand southward. If the Righteous Path wants to survive, they must push back northward. It's a dead end."]

[Standing on the streets of Black Iron City and looking at the dark red sky, Chu Sheng suddenly felt that his previous little schemes didn't count for a damn thing in this grand game of chess.]

[He thought he was impressive for stirring up trouble in Fengxian Prefecture, and thought the Late stage of True Transformation made him someone of importance.]

[And the result?]

[A random small border city on the Demon Race's side had a Demon General presiding over it. Above that were High-grade Demon Generals of the Sea Opening stage, and above them were Devil Kings.]

[Meanwhile, he hadn't even touched the threshold of the Spirit Sea.]

["If you're weak, practice more," he muttered to himself.]

[At the supervisor's mansion, Chu Sheng was invited to tea once again.]

[This time, the Arena Master's expression was poor, his brows twisted into a knot.]

["The border hasn't been peaceful lately. The Righteous Path is also mobilizing. The hundred-year peace treaty is almost up, and both sides are preparing."]

[Chu Sheng held his wine cup and asked, "Will a war break out?"]

[The Arena Master glanced at him and smiled, a hint of mockery in his expression.]

["The fighting has already started. Lately, Demon Generals have been heading to the battlefield one after another; it's just that the Devil Kings haven't moved yet."]

[Chu Sheng was stunned for a moment.]

[He thought of how the Tianfeng Kingdom was still debating whether to send troops, how Xia Nihuang was slamming the table in the council chamber, and how those city lords were arguing in a heap.]

[It turned out that while they were still arguing, the war had already begun.]

[It turned out the bloody battle he had experienced was merely the prelude to this great war.]

[An earth-shattering war was actually just a warm-up.]

[The Arena Master stood up and patted his shoulder, "Work hard. In this war, there are plenty of opportunities to climb the ranks."]

[Chu Sheng nodded without speaking.]

[He held his wine cup, but didn't take a single sip.]

[Back at his residence, Chu Sheng placed the cracked demon refining pot and the dim immortal slaying gourd on the table, staring at them for a long time.]

[The cracks on the pot were larger than before, and the purple-gold color of the immortal slaying gourd had completely faded, turning a dusty gray like an ordinary stone.]

[The Old Grandfather's voice suddenly rang out, much weaker than before: "Scared?"]

[Chu Sheng smiled bitterly: "A little."]

[The Old Grandfather was silent for a while: "It's right to be scared. Those who aren't afraid die the fastest."]

[Chu Sheng gathered the fragments and put them in the deepest part of his Storage Pouch.]

[He took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "If you're weak, practice more. Before, I didn't have the conditions, but now I do. I'll practice like my life depends on it."]

[Just as he finished speaking, a knock came from the door.]

[Ah Fu's voice rang out from outside, carrying a hint of panic: "My Lord, the Arena Master sent someone... saying he's... saying he's delivering a gift to you."]

[Chu Sheng opened the door, and a woman was standing there.]

[She wore a long black dress with a slit that went up to the root of her thigh.]

[Her features were exquisite.]

[She looked at Chu Sheng, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly to reveal two sharp canine teeth.]

["My Lord, this humble one is Flower Consort. The supervisor sent me to serve you."]

[Chu Sheng looked at her and smiled.]

[Flower Consort was one of the Arena Master's favorite consorts, a succubus at the Middle Stage Gùzhēn. She was considered a top-tier beauty in Black Iron City. To win him over, the man had truly spent a fortune.]

[The Arena Master sending her here made his intentions clear—testing, bribing, and controlling, a three-pronged approach.]

[Send a beauty to see Chu Sheng's reaction.]

[If he accepted her, it meant he had greed and was easy to control.]

[If he didn't, it meant he had ambition and needed to be guarded against.]

[If he accepted her and became infatuated to the point of losing his Divine Soul, that would be even better; he'd be completely under their thumb.]

[Chu Sheng naturally knew this.]

[He cultivated the path of passion and desire. For a succubus to play this game in front of him was like teaching a fish how to swim.]

[Flower Consort walked into the room, her long dress swaying, every step carrying an indescribable charm.]

[She glanced at Ah Fu crouching in the corner, a flash of disdain in her eyes, then turned to Chu Sheng with an even sweeter smile.]

["My Lord, the Arena Master said that since you are alone in Black Iron City, you have no one to care for your needs. He sent me to keep you company."]

[Chu Sheng sat on the couch, looking at her and smiling.]

[There was something in that smile that Flower Consort couldn't see through.]

["Do you know what Dao I cultivate?"]

[Flower Consort was stunned for a moment: "You are a demonic cultivator, so you cultivate the Demonic Path. Could it be the Path of Heartlessness?"]

[Chu Sheng shook his head: "The Demonic Path is divided into many kinds. Some cultivate slaughter, some cultivate devouring, and some cultivate desire."]

[He stood up, walked in front of Flower Consort, and looked down at her.]

["What I cultivate is Passion and Desire."]

[Flower Consort's smile froze for an instant.]

[Chu Sheng reached out and gently pinched her chin, forcing her to look up at him.]

[The aura of the Heavenly Demon Body was released faintly, not high, but just a sliver stronger than Flower Consort.]

[A bit more would be oppressive; a bit less would be insufficient. It was just right.]

["Did your Arena Master send you to test me, or to control me?"]

[Flower Consort's eyes darted around as she tried to say something, but she found her throat tight and could not utter a word.]

[Chu Sheng let go, took a step back, and looked at her with a half-smile.]

["Go back and tell your Arena Master that I accept the gift. However—"]

[He paused.]

["From this day on, you are my person."]

[That night, Ah Fu crouched at the door, holding his head and curling himself into a ball.]

[He couldn't hear the movements inside clearly; he only knew that Flower Consort had entered with her head held high, but when she came out, her legs were weak, her face was flushed, and her gaze was drifting.]

[Ah Fu took a peek and quickly lowered his head.]

[Flower Consort walked past him without even glancing at him.]

[The next day, Flower Consort came to deliver breakfast.]

[She had changed into a plain long dress, her hair was casually tied up, and the exquisite makeup from last night was gone. Her bare face had an indescribable charm to it.]

["Master, breakfast."]

[Chu Sheng took the tray and glanced at her: "How is it? Are you used to it?"]

[Flower Consort lowered her head, her voice very soft: "This servant... is used to it."]

[Chu Sheng smiled: "It's good that you're used to it. Regarding your former master, do you know what to say?"]

[Flower Consort nodded: "I know. I will say whatever Master wishes to hear."]

[Chu Sheng shook his head: "No need to make things up. Just tell the truth. Say that I cultivate the Path of Desire, and that you've been taken by me and can only listen to me from now on. He will understand once he hears it."]

[Flower Consort looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.]

[Tell the truth? Wasn't he afraid the Arena Master would turn hostile?]

[But she didn't ask; she just nodded obediently.]

[Ah Fu crouched in the corner, watching Flower Consort come and go, feeling a bit sour in his heart.]

[Flower Consort was a famous beauty in Black Iron City. A low-level demon like him wouldn't usually dare to even steal a second glance at her.]

[Now, Flower Consort was right in front of him, serving tea and water to Chu Sheng with her head bowed and eyes lowered, like a tamed house cat.]

[Ah Fu sighed, feeling as if his moonlight had been plucked away.]

[Chu Sheng saw this and walked over to pat his head.]

["Stop thinking about it. You can't afford a woman like that. Work hard with your Big Brother, and maybe you can marry an even more beautiful female demon in the future."]

[The promise was made.]

[Ah Fu pursed his lips: "My Lord, I was just looking."]

[Chu Sheng smiled: "Looking isn't allowed either. She's my person now and will be in the future. Between two masters, she has already been mostly developed; you wouldn't be able to handle her."]

[Ah Fu nodded as if he understood and obediently went to boil water.]

[Chu Sheng stood by the window, looking at the streets of Black Iron City.]

[Flower Consort had already returned to the supervisor's mansion to complete the task he had assigned.]

[He actually wasn't worried about the Arena Master turning hostile. Anyone who could survive in a place like Black Iron City was a smart person.]

[Smart people knew what to do and what not to do.]

[A demonic cultivator who could instantly refine a demonic artifact and cultivated the Path of Desire was worth investing in.]

[As for Flower Consort's loyalty? Loyalty wasn't bought in a single instance; time reveals a person's heart.]

[He also didn't plan to truly invest emotions in Flower Consort. She had been the Arena Master's person before, and she only yielded to the Heavenly Demon Body, not to him personally.]

[Regardless, he had plenty of time.]

[He touched the fragments in his Storage Pouch.]

[The immortal slaying gourd was damaged, the phoenix ring was shattered, and the demon refining pot was cracked.]

[Except for the phoenix ring, these things would have to be repaired sooner or later.]

[The immediate priority was to raise his cultivation level first.]

[Late stage of True Transformation—he was only one step away from the Spirit Sea.]

[He couldn't take this step in the Tianfeng Kingdom, but in the Demon Race's territory, he might just succeed.]

[Outside the window, under the dark red sky, the silhouette of Black Iron City was faintly visible.]

[In the distance, the cheers from the Gladiatorial Arena drifted over faintly.]

[Ah Fu was boiling water in the kitchen, humming an out-of-tune little ditty.]

[Flower Consort hadn't returned yet, but her scent lingered in the room, sweet and cloying.]

[Chu Sheng closed his eyes and began to circulate his Heavenly Demon Body.]

[The Devilish Qi of Black Iron City surged from all directions, like countless small streams flowing into the sea.]