Star Gate

Chapter 439: Fine Wine For Fine Guests (III)

Hong Yitang was still frowning.

“Do we have to eliminate the soldiers in order to enter the city?” Li Hao thought it over. “We’ve gone through the second passageway, they might view us as guests. Can’t we get in the regular way?”

“I don’t know.” Hong Yitang had never tried it before, so he had no idea. But that had been on his mind after obtaining the key. This was how guests were treated, so were they able to enter through the city gates now?

Li Hao recalled how the city gates opened when he approached them last time. It didn’t matter if he had a key or not, did it?

He couldn’t enter the first time because he didn’t utilize his blood. He dripped his blood on the two characters the second time. Perhaps he could enter directly now?

Li Hao wanted to make haste before the rest arrived. He quickly walked toward the city gates. Black Armors patrolled beside it, but it was like they didn’t see the trio.

The three humans soon presented themselves in front of the doors. Li Hao hesitated, looked at the Silver Armor overhead, thought for a bit, then walked forward. The characters over the gates twinkled before the long-sealed gates swung open without a sound!

Hong Yitang paused, stunned, and stared at Li Hao. The young man didn’t say a word as he headed inside! A shocked Hong Yitang quickly followed. How was this possible??

The Silver Armor silently drifted down and looked at Li Hao. Balled in a fast, his right hand thumped his chest in what seemed to be a salute. Strange beyond compare, Li Hao swallowed hard. This was very different from last time!

He didn’t dare show disrespect and quickly thumped his chest with his right hand as well, by way of return. The Silver Armor was no weakling!

The Black and Bronze Armors around them all thumped their chests with their right hand, eliciting ringing clangs!

Li Hao’s scalp crawled with numbness, but he was much stronger this expedition than before. He tamped down the shock roiling through his heart and strode in. Hong Yitang followed him without issues. A baffled He Yong made to do so the same, but the Silver Armor extended his sword and blocked the man’s path. The empty eyes turned to He Yong, as if waiting for something.

He Yong’s scalp likewise crawled with numbness! Hong Yitang had mentioned the soldier’s strength, but why was this happening? Li Hao could enter, Hong Yitang could enter, why was he the only one being stopped?

Li Hao frowned in thought for a bit, then took out the key in his storage ring with some resignation. He tossed it at He Yong. The man caught it reflexively, unable to piece together the pieces.

And then... the Silver Armor withdrew his longsword. He Yong stared blankly before he quickly darted into the city.

The three hastily left the vicinity of the city gates once they were all inside. The gates silently swung shut again. He Yong finally had the chance to ask, “Don’t they say it’s really hard to enter?”

We’re inside! Right into the inner city! What the heck? And the key...

Li Hao took the key from his hand while his thoughts ran wild and shoved it back into his storage ring.

“So we can only enter if we have a key, right?” Hong Yitang mused with a strange look in his eyes. “Anyone with a key doesn’t need to clash with the city defenders. They won’t stop us. Battle Heaven... seems to be a very hospitable host.”

They didn’t attack guests with keys at all. Those without keys outside trying to force their way in were the city defenders’ targets. The plaza in the outer city was a loophole, or perhaps there hadn’t been a tunnel there at first. Only the second passageway existed—so that meant everyone who entered through the plaza was a trespasser?

“Seriously, what the heck is going on??” He Yong couldn’t contain himself anymore. “Why can we just waltz into the inner city? Where did those keys come from? You and Hong Yitang both have them, but I don’t! And that Silver Armor seemed to perform an ancient military salute to Li Hao, why?? I know a bit of what happened on the last expedition, why is everything different?!”

The hell?!

Li Hao ignored him and scanned the premises. This was his first time in the inner city. He looked at a fixed map on a plinth off to the side; it seemed to be a directory of the city’s quadrants. The young man deciphered meaning from the ancient characters that still remained.

The southern quadrant...

He quickly located it and headed straight in that direction. There was very little disturbance from their movement; houses lined the side of the street. Most of them were closed. Only one or two were open on a given street. They looked to be ordinary houses.

Li Hao eventually found the courage to duck into one of the open ones. It held simple furnishings that looked no different from those of a regular residential neighborhood. However, he saw a piece of mysterious power stone in a corner. It was attached to what looked to be a wall lamp, the stone was embedded in the lamp. It seemed to be depleted.

Li Hao frowned, what did this indicate? That residents of the ancient civilization used mysterious power stones as energy sources for their lighting? How opulent!

The young man quickly withdrew. When Hong Yitang saw him continue to head south, he asked, “Are you... going to the southern quadrant?”

The true treasure was in the center. The Gold Armor and Black Tortoise Seal was there.

“Let’s go to what’s written on the key.” Li Hao glanced at the empty streets. “Let’s take a look since they’ve given us rooms. Perhaps we’ll have unexpected gains.”

“That works.” Hong Yitang nodded thoughtfully. “We can also investigate the open rooms along the way. People obtained many mysterious power stones from the houses last time, but the ones close by might have already been emptied out. Let’s head further in for a look.”

He Yong was completely baffled and couldn’t begin to make sense of anything. He still didn’t understand why they’d gained direct admittance to the inner city... But those two weren’t bothering to explain the situation. He had no choice but to follow them.

This must have been a very prosperous metropolis back in the day. The streets were wide and level, the houses still durable after the ravages of so many years. There were no cracks or degradation anywhere.

This area might have been a residential neighborhood. There were no storefronts on either side of the street, just standalone houses. It took a long period of walking before the first tiny storefront came into view. Its door was closed, indicating danger.

One could not enter a structure with a closed door, death awaited! Those who entered without welcome were thieves. Battle Heaven did not take kindly to thieves.

Li Hao closely observed the houses on either side to see if any had open front doors. The last expedition had reaped a large sum of mysterious power stones—more than one hundred in total. There were also a few people who hadn’t made it out of the inner city in time. Were they all dead?

He was discovering that the city was a stickler for the rules. A very strong stickler. So long as one followed their rules, danger would never be close. But if one broke the rules, death was nonnegotiable. Who knew how many of the supernaturals to come would die this time!

If they awakened the Silver Armor, who wouldn’t it kill with its final strike other than a select few like Hou Xiaochen, Kong Jie, and others?

Li Hao suddenly looked at the center of the city after prolonged walking. There was a tall pagoda there with light exuding faintly from it. Despite the feebleness of the radiance, it illuminated the entire city. Some other areas could be seen through it. There seemed to have been a line of vision originating from it earlier.

Was someone watching him? Li Hao frowned, moving about more prudently. Obeying the rules was number one here! He couldn’t barge around, that would be too dangerous!

......

At the same time.

A dog beneath the pagoda sniffed the air, its nose twitching when it caught wind of a familiar scent. Its tail wagged as it wanted to run in that direction. Raising its head for a look at the floating turtle, Panther swiftly jumped down the platform when it saw that the turtle hadn’t seemed to notice anything. It streaked through the streets and ran for the southern quadrant of the city.

The big turtle was silent and still, as if it was just a sculpture. Its gaze turned in a southerly direction as various thoughts began to form in its mind.

Destiny was a marvelous thing. The descendent of the monster spirit emissary followed the heir of the Lis. Had it forgotten that the Li ancestor had nearly hacked its ancestor into two with one sword stroke?

The turtle grew lost again when it thought of the Li forefather. Did those people still exist in this world? Were the domineering Human King and others truly dead? Was the turtle itself dead or alive?

It looked outside the city. A lot of people were gathered there. Did they think the city was dead? For fine guests there was fine wine, for enemies there were... coffins!

The light in the turtle’s eyes dimmed and the Gold Armor in the city lord manor suddenly stood up. It seemed to sense something as the seal in its hand floated into the air.

Moments later, troops of intermixed Black and Bronze Armors from the west and south followed a Silver Armor’s lead and trotted through the city, heading for the eastern city gates. Enemies had come!

There were four armies to guard the four directions of the city. The eastern army had fallen, so those of the other directions convened in the east.

The Black Tortoise Seal exuded a faint light. The city seemed to be awakening.

......

Powerhouses that’d passed the second passageway swiftly gathered near the city gates. Some champed impatiently at the bit and jumped up to fly over. Those who’d taken the second passageway last time could fly. The only danger was the Gold Armor.

But a loud bam echoed as soon as someone flew over the city walls! Spears and swords bristled. A troop of Black Armors struck swiftly and riddled a wandering peak Sunflare with holes!

There were defenders on the city gates! A Silver Armor hovering in position caused others to look on with alarm. Violet Moon and the others had previously witnessed the other’s ferocity.

“Don’t make any moves,” she transmitted. “The Silver Armor is very strong and might awaken to full sentience. Once it does, it wields the strength of a Nova—and not just a regular Nova. Be careful!”

A frowning assembly looked at the city gates. Soldiers had appeared again! So they had to repeat the events of the last expedition and pass this difficulty level again?

Hou Xiaochen also looked around with a strange look; he failed to see Li Hao and the others. That was very odd. Had they already gone inside? If so, that would be very interesting!