Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 358: The Palaces Open to the Public

Tang San lingered in the cultivation room for a while and realized that his spiritual power was being significantly enhanced here, nourishing his divine consciousness more effectively. If he could cultivate in such an environment, his divine consciousness would surely recover faster.

And this was just a hotel! Considering this, how much more effective would the cultivation rooms in the palaces of Demon Emperors be?

No wonder they can produce twelfth-order powerhouses. It is something else!

"Is it worth it, Master?" Tang San asked with a half-smile, looking at Zhang Haoxuan.

"Totally worth it," Zhang Haoxuan replied without hesitation.

Indeed, it was! When he felt his divine consciousness being nourished, he immediately understood this place's value. Of course, the price was steep—ten naturae coins could buy a lot in Kali City, but it only paid for one night's stay here.

The master and disciple sat down in the living room.

"You said you’ve been to the Ancestral Court before, right?"

Zhang Haoxuan nodded. "I've been here twice before, but back then, I stayed at the headquarters since I couldn't afford a hotel. Not many can afford to stay at hotels here."

Tang San smiled wryly. "I've already felt the pinch from the prices. Master, when do you plan on going to the headquarters?"

Zhang Haoxuan said, "In the next couple of days. Here's what I'm thinking: it's better to keep your situation under wraps for now, even from the people at the headquarters. I've discussed this with Old Guan and Si Ru. You need more time to grow; after all, you are still very young. We're concerned that if they find out you are the Shrek Squad that caused such a stir in Kali City, they might have other plans for you, and it won't be easy for us to refuse them then."

Tang San nodded in agreement, resolute in his decision to stay in Kali City, where his most important person was.

Zhang Haoxuan continued, "So, I'll just go and report in by myself. I'm now at the tenth order, so it’s a whole different story compared to when they first called me there. Plus, I'm now a Blue Class member of the Redemption Society. Even if the organization has ideas about our Spirit Summoning Array discs, they won't make things difficult for me. I expect it'll just be some encouragement, and then they'll ask about the situation in Kali City. Don't worry.

"We'll need to keep spinning the tale about our array master. I'll report it that way to headquarters, too. Honestly, this breakthrough to godhood has left me feeling a bit disheartened. We've made so much money from the Spirit Summoning Array, but headquarters took the lion’s share and yet they are still so controlling. You mentioned continuing to sell other array discs. I'll try to open up a sales channel this time so we can sell them ourselves in the future."

Hearing Zhang Haoxuan’s words, Tang San said, "Yes, I think it’s best if you report in alone. Let’s not rush the sales channel issue. You know what they say about innocent people having treasures, and there are a lot of parties interested in those array discs. Aren’t we here with the merchant caravan of the Aetherhorn Deers? From what I’ve seen, the Aetherhorn Deers seem to have a very developed commercial network throughout the Daemon Continent.

"Moreover, the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King has close ties with the Peacock Demon clan, which could be advantageous to control future distribution of the array discs. Considering we also need to address the repercussions of the Shrek Squad’s ten consecutive team battle wins, we could consider a direct partnership with them. It would be relatively safer, and the Aetherhorn Deer Demon King is a very shrewd merchant; such merchants know how to secure better and more stable profits."

Hearing this, Zhang Haoxuan’s eyes brightened."Do you mean that in the future, you would like the Aetherhorn Deers to be our distributor for the sales of the array discs? This would also be an opportunity for the Shrek Squad to be free of the suspicions caused by humans being in the Ancestral Court."

Tang San nodded.

Zhang Haoxuan asked, "What do you want to do?"

Tang San unleashed his spiritual power, blocking the transmission of sound around them, and whispered a few words to him.

Gradually, a richer smile spread across Zhang Haoxuan’s face. "You, oh you, you really are..."

Tang San laughed, "Isn’t it all thanks to your good teaching?"

Zhang Haoxuan smiled wryly. "Don't say that; I feel quite ashamed as a master. You've taught me more than I've taught you. In my heart, I haven't seen you as a child for a long time."

Tang San said, "Master, since we're new to Ancestral Court, what places do you think we should visit that would benefit our future growth or increase our knowledge?"

Zhang Haoxuan replied without hesitation, "That would be the palaces of the Demon Emperors! They’re a must-visit. Experiencing the aura of a Demon Emperor is somewhat of a rite of passage for all demons."

"Really?" Tang San looked at him in surprise. "The Demon Emperors’ palaces are open to the public?"

Zhang Haoxuan nodded and smiled. "To be more accurate, the palaces are part of the foundation of each Demon Emperor’s clan. Naturally, some parts would be open for members of the clan to worship, though outsiders can also visit for a higher fee. Members of the Demon Emperor’s clan pay five naturae coins to enter for a visit or worship. Outsiders pay double. But I think it's worth it. For instance, Du Bai should visit the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's palace to pay his respects. It would be beneficial for him to feel the power of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline."

Tang San asked, "Wouldn't our identities be discovered? After all, it's the palace of a Demon Emperor. The divine consciousness of a Demon Emperor must be terrifying."

Zhang Haoxuan shook his head. "No need to worry about that. First, there are countless visitors to each palace. Demon Emperors can't possibly cover them all with their divine consciousness at all times. Moreover, Demon Emperors rarely stay in their own palaces. The most sacred place in the Ancestral Court is the council, where nearly all Demon Emperors and Great Nymph Emperors cultivate. Even if they're not at the council, they are more likely to be at the Ancestral Mountains' Thrones than in their own palaces.

"You must have felt the reciprocal relationship between the Ancestral Mountains' Thrones and the Demon Emperors' palaces. Each Throne of the Ancestral Mountains is a place where Demon Emperors connect with heaven and earth. They transform the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into what their lineage needs, channeling it into their palaces to bless their clan. Demon Emperors and Nymph Emperors compete in this aspect, neither yielding to the other. Thus, they must frequently visit the Thrones of the Ancestral Mountains to strengthen their connection with heaven and earth."

Upon hearing his explanation, Tang San's mind suddenly cleared. "No wonder, no wonder the spiritual energy within Ancestral Court is so rich yet so mixed. It's all due to these powerhouses competing against each other."

Zhang Haoxuan took a deep breath and said, "That's why the cultivation environment in this hotel is so rare. The filtered energy is not only much stronger than in the outside world, but also suitable for anybody’s cultivation; the high price is indeed justified. But let's not dwell on that. Let's continue with the Demon Emperors and Nymph Emperors. Since you've come to the Ancestral Court, I think you must first make a round of these palaces. Don't miss any, visit them all. I believe some of the auras in these palaces will give you different sensations. These sensations will surely benefit our future breakthrough to godhood."Tang San said, "Master, I've always known there are a dozen or so Demon Emperors and Nymph Emperors, but who and what exactly are they?"

Zhang Haoxuan smiled and said, "That's exactly what I was about to explain to you all. Go ahead and call everyone here. I'll explain it to everyone at once."

"Got it."

Immediately, Tang San hurried downstairs and called his companions. They went back up to the sixth floor. Now recognizing him, the guard heard the report of room 666 and let them through. Which Demon King or Great Demon King didn't have some followers?

The five entered room 666, and Wu Bingji and his three companions were instantly full of awe; this room was hands down the most luxurious dwelling they had ever seen.