Chapter 326 - 275: Half-Demon Master Baitian, Changsheng Su Family! (Double-Length)
If it weren’t for being with her day and night, it would be hard to notice anything unusual about her.
Another two days passed.
On the plains, a giant city appeared before everyone’s eyes.
The towering city walls, when viewed up close, seemed to reach the sky, and the width on both sides was so vast it appeared endless!
Outside the city gates, a few stone pillars bore the ancient character ’Feng’.
This was the Feng City of Cui Bai Dao, the destination of their trip.
Compared to this vast city, the carriages and people going in and out seemed as insignificant as ants, so diminutive in comparison.
"What a massive city!" Song Ping’an sat inside the carriage, looking at the Feng City ahead, feeling as if he had arrived in the realm of giants.
Following Song Changming, he had traveled through every county of Da Lai, yet had never seen a city as magnificent as the one before him.
Even the Imperial Capital Yunling City of Da Lai paled in comparison when it came to the height of its walls.
And yet this Feng City was merely a minor city under Yun Province, far less splendid or grand than the main cities of each Dao.
"It is said that, long ago, there was no habit of erecting such high walls. It was only because of the rampant demon threat that the vast lands of the Nine Provinces were reduced to just three for the Human Race, necessitating such defenses," said Meng Jianli, the City Lord, who was well-read and knowledgeable about many matters, speaking eloquently.
Even Li Jinyu listened intently, much of what Meng Jianli said was not recorded in ancient texts.
"Such a giant city, it must be able to accommodate a population of millions without issue," murmured Song Ping’an, looking at the city gates drawing nearer.
Meng Jianli, hearing this, just shook his head and said with a gentle smile, "The registered households in this city exceed seventy thousand."
"Wow!" Song Ping’an exclaimed.
Even Song Changming was a bit surprised.
Seventy thousand households, even assuming four people per household, would imply nearly three hundred thousand permanent residents.
This number was indeed exaggerated, considering this was only a minor city, capable of accommodating so many people.
From the small picture aspect, the entire Cui Bai Dao, and even the Yun Province’s Human Race population, must already be immeasurably vast!
And if one added the populations of all Human Race territories combined, the numbers would be unimaginable!
Coming from the small places in Da Lai, they were naturally amazed by this.
But Meng Jianli, being a native of the Ancient Abyss Country, had little emotional reaction to it.
He even thought that the seventy thousand registered households in Feng City were rather few, as fewer people meant less potential for the city’s development.
For him, as an uninstalled City Lord, this was a matter of concern.
In contrast, Song Changming quickly understood the rationale, realizing that it made sense for there to be a large population.
In the past, the Human Race ruled the Ancient Abyss Country, occupying the prime lands of the Nine Provinces, achieving peak population growth levels.
Now, with the Six States fallen, the surviving populations of those states who either died or fled gathered in the remaining Yun, Miao, and Feng States, increasing the population, expanding the city further.
Only because each state’s land was vast and the spiritual qi environment could support the production of abundant resources, was it possible to sustain the needs of each state’s large population.
Understanding this, Song Changming didn’t delve further.
In truth, he had another question to ask, something not recorded in ancient books.
How did the once-flourishing Ancient Abyss Human Race collapse?
The rise of demonic beasts couldn’t have happened overnight; there must have been some catalyst for all this.
Curious about this, he wondered if Meng Jianli might solve this mystery for him.
At this moment, the carriage arrived at the city gate.
Outside, a chorus of welcoming sounds broke out, and the carriage came to a halt.
Meng Jianli calmly exited the carriage after exchanging a word with Song Changming.
Outside the carriage, officials lined up, all there to welcome the new City Lord.
The ranks of Feng City easily had over a hundred key officials and military officers, all bowing to Meng Jianli.
"No need for formalities," Meng Jianli stated earnestly.
"Coming here, I feel deeply the severity of the demon threat. Gentlemen, we have much work ahead of us!"
The officials exchanged glances, uncertain if the new City Lord had any hidden meanings in his words, but they promptly assented.
Just then, the Golden-winged Roc descended from the clouds and landed outside the city.
The immense pressure it emanated enveloped most of the officials, who showed visible signs of fear, some stumbling with weak knees, almost unable to stand.
"Father, I am leaving now; I’ll visit you and mother again next time," said Meng Shuxuan, standing on the back of the Great Roc.
"Alright, go on, be careful of everything back home," replied Meng Jianli with a nod.
The Golden-winged Roc, having landed for only a moment, quickly took to the skies again, vanishing into the horizon.
Its appearance left a deep impression on the gathered officials.
"That girl," Meng Jianli chuckled.
He very well knew it was his daughter’s little ploy to back him up before leaving, providing a deterrent to curb the officials’ boldness against her father.
Even though Meng Jianli thought it unnecessary, as he was confident in his ability to govern Feng City smoothly, he didn’t comment since it was a gesture of goodwill from his daughter.
"Let’s enter the city," Meng Jianli said after acknowledging several senior officials in the city, wanting to move on without lingering at the gate.
"Now that we’ve arrived, I’ll not disturb further," said Song Changming, saluting Meng Jianli from the carriage, planning to disembark without staying longer near Meng Jianli.
With him being an esteemed City Lord and newly appointed, he undoubtedly had many matters to attend to and little time to entertain others; it served no purpose to linger.
"Alright, Young Hero Song, if you wish to visit in the future, feel free to come to the City Lord’s Mansion to see me," said Meng Jianli cordially, devoid of any authoritative air.
Song Changming nodded in agreement, deciding that future interactions depended on how long he would stay in Feng City.
Once the carriage entered the city, the officials nearby dispersed, some whispering among themselves as they left in groups.
Standing at the city gate, Song Changming looked up at the large plaque above the gate once more.
The characters for Feng City were written with a vigorous, emphatic stroke, exuding boundless sharpness.
Song Changming sensed a surge of Sword Intent from them, so intense that it stung his eyes.
But when he refrained from deeper scrutiny, merely appreciating it, the characters calmed, their sharpness fading away and returning to normalcy.
"Interesting!" Song Changming couldn’t help but remark.
In truth, not just these two words on the city wall, but the entire Feng City appeared extraordinary.
Subtle energy fluctuations seeped from the massive stones of the city walls; touching the external surface revealed a noticeable repulsive force.
If Song Changming barely mobilized his Innate Qi Aura to touch it, the clash between the energies caused a buzzing noise, attracting more energy from the walls to gather around him.
It seemed that increasing the force of his Innate Qi Aura could provoke more energy from the walls to resist his destructive attempts.
"What kind of technique is this? It’s like the city walls are enveloped in a protective shield!" Song Changming remarked.
This seemed akin to the Golden Shield Talisman he carried, capable of manifesting a small energy shield for personal protection.
Yet his Golden Shield Talisman formed a mere small shield, protecting only himself.
But the energy before him emerged from every corner of the city walls, shielding the entire massive wall, and even the whole of Feng City and its million inhabitants!
The difference in scale was immense!
"This must be the work of a genius!" Song Changming wondered about the creator, feeling both impressed and mystified.
Though a simple probe, it drew the attention of guards near the city gate.
Yet, perhaps because Song Changming’s group alighted from the new City Lord’s carriage, they refrained from reprimanding him.
To avoid misunderstandings, Song Changming didn’t probe further into the city’s protective mechanisms.
"Let’s go inside and take a look."
...