297: The Holy Dragon Realm, where multiple races coexist!

After half a month of careful stealth, avoiding territory after territory filled with demonic aura.

Li Shengyuan and Pei Shuyun finally reached the true heartland of the Demon Nation:

The Sacred Dragon Domain!

Unlike the primitive savagery of the borders and the Demon King tribes.

The first impression the cities within the Sacred Dragon Domain gave Li Shengyuan was a strange, mixed sense of “order.”

The Demon Nation, where the Demon Race resides, is not ruled by a single Demon Race.

Instead, it is governed by a tribal alliance of the races belonging to the Ten Great Second-Tier Demon Kings, jointly safeguarding the central Sacred Dragon Domain.

There were frequent conflicts and skirmishes between the major tribes, and the law of the jungle had not completely disappeared.

But nominally, all members of the Demon Race, and indeed all other races living within the Demon Nation's borders, must obey the rule of the supreme Dragon Emperor in Holy Dragon City.

And the “Thousand Anomalies City” right before them, located on the edge of the Sacred Dragon Domain, was a microcosm of this peculiar order.

From a distance, the city's outline, though not as luxurious and magnificent as a Great Qian Grand City, was massive in scale!

The city walls were built along the mountain terrain, not purely for defense, but more to delineate the boundaries of residences.

Stepping into the city, the sight made Li Shengyuan marvel inwardly.

The streets were wide, paved with rough but solid flagstones, lined with shops on both sides, and fluttering banners.

The “pedestrians” coming and going were of all shapes and colors.

Some were completely human in form, only distinguishable as members of the Demon Race by their aura.

More retained partial racial characteristics: fox maidens with fluffy beast ears swayed gracefully, burly men dragging colorful tiger tails charged about, and members of the Feather Race with sharp, hawk-like eyes glided at low altitude... There were even some races mixed in whose appearance was identical to humans but whose aura was distinctly different.

Pei Shuyun whispered to him that those were the Blood Race, Elf Race, and others from more distant regions.

They all subsisted by relying on the Demon Race.

Although figures of the Human Race were relatively scarce, they were not absent.

Most of them were plainly dressed and cautious, but they didn't show much panic in their movements, clearly indicating they had established some living space here.

Although the entire city was noisy, with mixed smells and a rough edge to the clamor, it at least maintained a surface level of coexistence and commerce.

“This place... is quite interesting,” Li Shengyuan murmured to Pei Shuyun.

He was indeed surprised. He had expected the Demon Nation to be a wild and disorderly place, but he hadn't anticipated that under the Dragon Emperor's centuries of governance, it could form a scene of such racial mixture, even showing the nascent form of human civilization.

This sparked intense curiosity and a hint of imperceptible anticipation in Li Shengyuan regarding the Dragon Emperor he had never met, and her philosophy for governing the Demon Nation.

The two did not rush straight to Holy Dragon City but decided to stay temporarily in Thousand Anomalies City first.

Firstly, to rest and recuperate, and secondly, to conveniently gather information, especially rumors regarding the Dragon Emperor's recent status, the dynamics of Holy Dragon City, and whether there were any abnormal faction activities.

They found an inn that looked reasonably clean. The sign displayed a simple bed pattern, next to which the words “Ke Lai An” were written crookedly in both Demonic Script and Human Script.

The inn was run by a Rhino Demon with a single horn on its forehead and a rugged face.

However, before they could step through the inn's front door, a burst of fierce arguing erupted from within.

Mixed within it was a clear and angry female voice, speaking surprisingly standard Human Official Language.

“This is outrageous! Why must the Human Race pay double the price for lodging?”

“That Wolf Demon only has to pay 70%, the Feather Race 80%, but when it comes to us humans, we have to pay a full twenty low-grade Spirit Stones? This is blatant discrimination! Aren't you afraid of incurring the wrath of His Majesty the Dragon Emperor?”

Li Shengyuan and Pei Shuyun exchanged a glance and stepped inside.

Inside the inn lobby.

They saw an exceptionally tall and voluptuous Human woman, whose willow brows were drawn up in anger, pointing and sharply questioning the Rhino Demon innkeeper behind the counter.

To Li Shengyuan, the woman looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, stood nearly 1.9 meters tall, and had a figure with breathtaking curves.

She wore a set of black tight-fitting clothes suitable for movement, which accentuated her wasp waist and long legs, exuding a heroic spirit mixed with mature charm.

Her face was beautiful, and currently slightly flushed with anger, adding a touch of vibrant vitality.

The Rhino Demon innkeeper crossed his thick arms, rolled his large, bell-like eyes, and grumbled, “Rules are rules!”

“His Majesty the Dragon Emperor only decreed that all races coexist equally, but she never mandated that everything must cost the same price!”

“Think it's expensive? Go somewhere else! See which inn is willing to take you humans in cheaply!” The innkeeper's tone was arrogant; clearly, he was accustomed to this.

Some of the surrounding Demon Race or other racial guests and staff were indifferent, while others wore mocking smiles, seemingly pleased to see the Human Race being difficult.

A few scattered Human guests lowered their heads, already used to the situation.

The farther away from Holy Dragon City, the worse this situation became!

It seemed that even in the relatively civilized Sacred Dragon Domain, the Human Race remained at the bottom layer; the so-called “coexistence” was far from true equality.

Li Shengyuan's gaze narrowed as he surveyed the tall woman arguing rationally, and his brow gradually furrowed.

Third-Rank cultivation?

But why does this person look so strange...