The Nether Water

The Demon Abyss.

Spanning tens of thousands of miles, its territory was far larger than that of the Northern Borders. It was situated within a celestial chasm, stretching from the banks of the Nether Pool in the east to the Blazing Fortress in the west.

Within the abyss lay countless cities of varying sizes.

However, the inhabitants did not refer to their settlements as cities, but as Capitals—a naming convention that felt oddly modern. Regardless of size, even a place no larger than a small town was called a Capital.

Nearly all the cities and towns within the abyss were built along the Nether Water.

The further upstream one went, the larger the settlements became, and the more members of the demon race one would find residing there.

The Nether Water.

Also known as Ruoshui, it originated from beneath the Nether Pool. Flowing out from the pool, it became the Nether River, which ran for thousands of miles before splitting into three branches. These branches became three Nether Creeks, flowing to the west, south, and north respectively...

They were named the North Nether Creek, the South Nether Creek, and the West Nether Creek.

Wherever the Nether Creeks flowed, the Ruoshui murmured, releasing demon qi day and night to nourish all things along its banks.

Within the Demon Abyss, the closer one was to a Nether Creek, the denser the vegetation became. Along the banks, towering trees could be seen rising from the earth, standing like pillars between heaven and earth.

The territory of the Demon Abyss ended where the Nether Creeks ceased to flow; beyond the dry beds lay lands untouched by civilization.

It could be said that the Nether Water gave birth to the Demon Abyss. Naturally, the source of the Nether Water, the Nether Pool, became the place every demon aspired to visit at least once in their life.

It was also the Promised Land granted to them by the Demon Lord.

While humans, beasts, and elves called it Ruoshui, the demon race called it the Water of Life, and the Nether Pool was known as the Source of Life.

Nether Capital, situated on the banks of the Nether Pool, was the largest city in the entire Demon Abyss. it was the political and cultural heart of the demon race.

The palaces of the current ten great demon gods were all located within Nether Capital, standing tall on the south bank of the Nether Pool.

Directly opposite, on the north bank, stood the Nether Hall, the sacred temple of the demon race. Once, it had been the palace of the Demon Sovereign.

After the Demon Sovereign fell, the Nether Hall came under the control of the Nether Religion. The Nether Religion was a faith similar to Buddhism or Daoism—it was the demon race's own religion, their spiritual anchor, and the source of their beliefs.

The High and Low Priests were the current leaders of the Nether Religion.

It was a fascinating place, governed by a completely different system and set of customs. It possessed entirely different species, beliefs, and values.

What Xu Xian found most incredible of all was that the Nether Water was colorless during the day, but it glowed at night. It looked as if the starry river from the heavens had been poured into the riverbed. That shimmering white light was enough to illuminate the land for dozens of miles on either side of the stream.

When day returned and the world regained its color, the Nether Water would return to its normal state. It was truly a marvel.

Leaning against the counter, Xu Xian gently swirled the wine in his cup and asked with feigned casualness, "They say these Nether Waters contain Shadow Soul Stones. You've run this tavern by the Nether Creek for so many years—have you ever picked up a couple?"

Behind the counter, a gray-haired old man without horns was fiddling with an abacus with one hand while writing with the other. Hearing Xu Xian’s question, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Haha, honored guest, you joke. Look at where we are. This is Ze Capital, the furthest downstream of the West Nether Creek. It's a desolate place with barely a few hundred households. How could Shadow Soul Stones ever drift all the way down here?"

"Up on the Nether River, there's a stone-salvager every ten steps. Forget about us—if even a single Shadow Soul Stone managed to drift into the three Nether Creeks, it would be the talk of the town for a year."

Xu Xian raised an eyebrow and took a small sip of wine.

The old man looked quite aged, but his eyes were sharp. Seeing that Xu Xian’s cup was empty, he hurried to set aside his work and refilled it.

Xu Xian tapped the table and offered a word of thanks.

Taking the opportunity, the old man asked in a joking tone, "Does the honored guest rarely leave home?"

Xu Xian countered, "What makes you say that?"

"I see that you have a dignified bearing and are clearly no ordinary person. Yet, you seem even less informed about the affairs of the Demon Abyss than an old man like me. You find everything so... fresh."

As dusk approached and the Nether Water began to glow, this white-haired youth with two horns had walked into his tavern. He had ordered a pot of wine and hadn't stopped asking questions since.

He was a new face, clearly not from this small town, yet he was asking about basic common knowledge of the Demon Abyss: the Nether Water, the Nether Pool, the Nether Creeks, the Nether Hall, the Nether Religion, and Nether Capital. He didn't even know why the Nether Water glowed.

It was truly baffling. If it weren't for the pair of horns on his head and the tail behind him, the old man would have suspected he was some monster from the Heaven Beyond Heaven who had infiltrated the Demon Abyss and wandered into this border town.

Xu Xian wrinkled his nose. He realized he had indeed asked too many questions. But what else could he do? Upon arriving in the Demon Abyss, everything he saw had been a constant source of shock and wonder.

He had thought he understood the Demon Abyss reasonably well, but only after arriving did he realize he knew nothing at all.

Out of curiosity, and to ensure he could successfully go undercover in the future, he had to understand the basics thoroughly. He couldn't keep pestering Chi Ji with questions; asking his traveling companions would be no different from exposing himself.

After settling into an inn, he had slipped out quietly. He found a tavern, bought a pot of wine, and started his inquiries. Fortunately, business was slow, and there were no other customers. The old man seemed kind enough, so Xu Xian had pushed his luck with the questions.

He took another calm sip of wine, let out a wistful sigh, and said slowly, "I won't hide it from you, Elder. I grew up with my parents at the Blazing Fortress. This is my first time returning to the Demon Abyss. I've only heard my comrades at the fortress talk about these things, but I've never seen them for myself. I apologize if I've made a fool of myself."

As the old man listened to Xu Xian’s explanation, the expression on his face changed instantly. He hurriedly set down the wine jar, placed his right hand over his left breast, and bowed deeply to Xu Xian.

Xu Xian’s brow furrowed in confusion. "What is this for?"

The old man straightened up, his expression solemn. "This old man failed to recognize a great personage. Please forgive my disrespect. I never imagined that you were a hero defending our borders. If I have been presumptuous, please do not take it to heart."

The garrison of the Blazing Fortress guarded the gates of the Demon Abyss; everyone in the abyss knew of them. It was said to be a desolate land, filled with fires from hell, where conditions were harsh and isolation was absolute.

Within the Demon Abyss, every demon felt a natural respect for the soldiers stationed at the Blazing Fortress. Moreover, if what Xu Xian said was true, it explained everything—why he was a demon yet knew nothing of the abyss.

Xu Xian narrowed his eyes slightly and waved a hand. "It is nothing. You overstate it, Elder."

The old man complimented him, "You guard the borders for our demon race, enduring great hardships. We naturally owe you our gratitude. Tell you what—today’s wine is on the house. I’ll also slice a plate of demon beef for you, my treat."

With that, he turned, intending to call out to the kitchen.

However, Xu Xian stopped him.

"No, that simply won't do."

The old man was about to insist, but Xu Xian boldly pulled out a whole demon yin stone from his sleeve and placed it on the table, teasing, "Your business is already struggling. If you give me free food and drink, won't you lose money? That's no way to run a business."

The old man was first embarrassed, then astonished. A demon yin stone was worth a fortune—it was enough to buy his entire shop. He didn't dare accept it.

"I cannot take this."

"Take it since I'm giving it to you."

"I simply cannot!"

The old man grew anxious.

But Xu Xian was already walking away.

Clutching the Shadow Soul Stone, the old man hurried out the door and shouted, "Honored guest, this is too much! Please take it back!"

Xu Xian didn't look back; he simply raised his hand and gave a wave. He moved with effortless grace and unrestrained generosity.

The old man was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. Looking at the Shadow Soul Stone in his hand and then at the receding back of the youth, he whispered in awe, "A truly great personage..."