Devour

Chapter 237 Asking for Rain

The people on the street had eager eyes and broad smiles, and gave thumbs up to the majestic warriors riding camel dragons and wearing armor and holding weapons, praising them all the way.

"The Lord of Shangguan City is the God King. He eradicates evil spirits for the sake of the people, and his hunting results are rich."

"The harvest of prey is unprecedented. The sacrifice must bring rain."

"After years of drought, there has been no harvest. Our survival depends entirely on you."

Cheng Bai was stunned.

What is a secret realm?

It usually refers to a mysterious space or hidden place that has been sparsely visited for many years and contains treasures.

At the beginning, the Hunter's Guild of the Qiongqi Continent had clearly stipulated that the significance of the Five Continents Continent might be somewhat different, but it was hard to imagine that it would be such a crowded and bustling place.

If it weren't for the mysterious giant corpse, Cheng Bai almost thought he had come to the wrong place.

Looking closely, there was a relatively small monster in the long line of camel dragons, with a different appearance and color. It was the Wind Dragon King. Ningxiang and Yunjuan sat on it, sharing the joy of the harvest.

He Lipang followed closely behind in the much smaller Black Mist Demon Leopard King.

Then there was a golden lizard dragon that was slightly larger than the magic leopard. It was a powerful monster that was good at living in desert areas. Shen Ya, Ruan Taoran and Xing Jue sat on its back together, obviously they had tamed a new spiritual pet.

Cheng Bai was about to shout out his greeting, but swallowed it back and thought, "They look so glorious, I might as well find out more quietly first."

Suddenly, I heard a clear voice beside me: "Who are you and why are you in my house?"

Cheng Bai looked in the direction where the sound came from. He saw a roll of torn straw mat among the many scattered items in the statue's hand. A corner of it was lifted up, revealing a childish little face that was stained but rosy.

"Your home? Can I live here?" Cheng Bai was amazed. There are really all kinds of talented people in the world.

I looked around in shock, only to find that the tattered items around me were actually furniture and daily necessities, most of which were very old.

The child who looked like a little beggar blinked and said, "Why can't I live here? It's spacious, safe, and no one will bother you. No one will come except you."

"What if it rains?"

Cheng Bai looked up and saw the huge stone head leaning forward slightly, barely able to block the top of his palm, but it didn't seem very reliable to protect him from the wind and rain.

The little beggar's eyes sparkled as he emerged from the torn straw mat and used his tiny arms to pick up the cracked clay pots that he had prepared long ago. He said with a grin, "If it really rains, I'll get rich. The raindrops will flow down the tip of the statue's nose and fall into my pots."

Cheng Bai was surprised and said, "You are really experienced. Adventures of drifting in the palm of your hand."

The little beggar was very happy: "I look forward to rain every day, but unfortunately there has been no rain for two years. I heard that the desert outside is getting bigger and bigger."

Cheng Bai was confused and asked, "Isn't this city the secret place of the Eternal Holy City?"

The little beggar nodded and said, "It is the Eternal Holy City, yes, but I have never heard of the secret realm. Are you talking about the desert outside the city? Often, people with great abilities go out to look for treasures, but rarely come back. Most of them are fed to the sand monsters."

Cheng Bai was doubtful. The city in front of him was like a country of its own around the giant's corpse. It didn't look like a secret place at all. He looked down at the little beggar and asked, "What's your name?"

The little beggar said, "My name is... Jing'er, what's yours?"

"Baidi." Cheng Bai said casually, looking from afar at the camel dragon team moving towards the conspicuous City Lord's Mansion.

Under the sunlight, the nearby buildings reflected a strange red light. It was not dark, but it made people feel a little depressed.

Jing'er noticed his gaze, stood up and looked over, sighing, "It's so lively today, they are preparing to pray for rain again. There are more sacrifices to the gods, maybe it will really rain."

Cheng Bai pointed at the giant's corpse and asked, "Do you want to offer a sacrifice to it?"

Jing'er shook her head and said, "That is the ancient God King, whose status is above that of the gods. The gods mentioned in the city refer to those who are blessed by the God King and have divine talents and abilities, such as the city lord Shangguan Longcheng."

Cheng Bai asked in detail: "Is Shangguan a common surname here?"

Jing Er laughed and said, "There are very few people with the last name Shangguan nowadays. There used to be many of them..."

Cheng Bai asked: "What talents does Shangguan Longcheng have, and what are his qualifications?"

Jing'er said in a serious tone, "Throughout the ages, he has looked down upon the heavens and the earth. He was born a god, immortal, and an eternal divine body that defies the will of heaven. Legend has it that even the emperors are afraid of him, the immortals are jealous of him, and the heavens will punish him. He is one of the three great treasures of the Eternal Holy City..."

"It seems to be very powerful." Cheng Bai said perfunctorily, thinking in his heart: "It sounds a bit similar to the Indestructible Demon Body, maybe even more powerful."

Jing'er continued, "...It's just nonsense. It's actually a scam."

Cheng Bai didn't quite understand, and asked curiously: "Why do you say it's a scam?"

"There is no eternal divine body. Shangguan Longcheng was stubborn and fought against the will of heaven, causing the huge family to fall apart and the talents to wither away, all because of it."

Jing'er sneered, and seemed to realize that she was affected by the secret art of communication and could not help but speak without restraint. Then she turned around and walked away, sitting aside.

Cheng Bai sat cross-legged on the palm of the stone statue, thinking: "I have broken through the realm, and the Phoenix force has become more powerful. It is easy for me to sense the whereabouts of Ningxiang and the others. If I find anything unusual, I can come and go freely. It is better to wait and see the situation here."

I was thinking and watching at a leisurely pace, so I simply took out the remaining python meat to fill my stomach.

Jing'er saw it and hurried over to ask, "Do you have anything to eat or drink?"

Cheng Bai originally had a large amount of Basque snake meat in stock, but his appetite grew bigger and bigger, and coupled with the blood-sucking worms he was raising, there wasn't much left. He tore the meat in his hand and gave half to Jing'er, saying simply, "Specially made jerky."

Jing'er's mouth was drooling. She took it with both hands, smelled it again and again, and carefully put it into her mouth.

Cheng Bai chewed and took out the Wine God Gourd and shook it, but there was no wine at all. He said with regret, "It's a pity to have meat but no wine." Suddenly, an idea came to his mind, "If I can get the right inner elixir, refine it into a real Wine God Gourd, store water from the heavens, the earth, the lakes and the seas, and brew it into fine wine, wouldn't it be better than Min Wushuang's Soul-Slaying Gourd?"

The inheritance magic cube has this map in its collection. The method of refining is relatively simple compared to the soul-slaying gourd. Although it has little lethality, the grade can be high or low, and it is much more powerful than the original one. However, in addition to the appropriate Danling, it is also necessary to collect many spiritual objects from heaven and earth and turn them into fine wine, gradually enlightening the spirit, and the materials are extremely difficult to find.

The Shengjin Pagoda on his body vibrated slightly, and Shi Chi reminded Cheng Baidao: "Master, the smoker has woken up."

……

The City Lord's Mansion was magnificent with carved beams and painted buildings. It was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns like a festival and was bustling with people, as if a grand celebration was being held.

The luxurious hall was exquisite and elegant. The well-arranged long table was filled with feasts, fresh fruits, fragrant barbecues, strong wines, and colorful desserts, which made people unable to resist salivating.

The visiting hunters did not dare to act rashly.

Shen Ya whispered, "The Eternal Holy City has experienced a severe drought, so it's not easy to come up with so much wine and food."

Yun Juan whispered, "We can't eat and drink casually. Without a deep understanding, there's no guarantee that there won't be any treacherous tricks."

Ruan Taoran tried to test the poison with silver needles, poison-repelling stones and other methods without revealing his feelings. He then transmitted his message, "I have tested the toxicity of food and have never been poisoned."

He Lipang observed the clues and whispered, "The city lord is the strongest master I have seen in the city so far. He is about the middle stage of the Yishen realm, which is similar to me. I don't see anything that I need to be wary of."

Ningxiang let go of some of her guard and said loudly, "City Lord Shangguan treated me with sincerity. The eternal heritage of the country of etiquette is admired by our generation."

Shangguan Longcheng was agile and handsome, wearing a brocade robe and sitting high in the main seat. He toasted and said, "Today we have won a great victory in hunting the sand monster, all thanks to the help of the masters from the outside world. The people of the Holy City are grateful. With the solid backing of the righteous people, we will fight side by side, so why worry about not achieving great things?"

Ningxiang raised her glass and responded, "It is natural for comrades to share weal and woe. But... where is the Star Burning Sky Fire that the city lord mentioned hidden deep in the secret realm?"

Shangguan Longcheng said solemnly: "The Star Burning Sky Fire is extraordinary. It is one of the three great treasures of the Eternal Holy City that have been passed down through the ages. It is deep in the dusty secret realm. What comes next is the key."

Ningxiang said: "Please give me some advice."

Shangguan Longcheng's voice was full of magnetism, and he said in a rhythmic manner: "The star-burning sky fire will soon appear in the world, causing a severe drought, and the rivers and lakes will dry up. As long as I succeed in praying for rain this time, it will benefit all living things, and the gate to the secret realm will appear by itself."

Ningxiang said: "The city lord is dedicated to the people and is a pillar of the righteous path. Why don't we finish this as soon as possible and go to the secret realm to find the source of the divine fire and carry out our purpose of coming here."

Shangguan Longcheng drank the wine, put down the glass and said, "I know you are all anxious, and I have already made all the preparations. I have sent all the sand monsters to the altar in the back and ordered the wizard to take their blood for the ritual. Please enjoy the sumptuous banquet, and you will know the clues when you go to watch the ceremony later."

……