Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 236: Shocking News...

a surprise chapter :3 , can you surprise me with a review to pls :(

In a relatively secluded commercial street in the eastern part of Sky Dome City, there stood an inconspicuous magic bookstore.

Today, it welcomed its first customer.

With the sound of the doorbell, a man dressed in a black robe, his face completely hidden by a hood, slowly pushed open the doors and entered.

In the next moment, a vast space filled with an antique and mysterious ambiance revealed itself before the mysterious man’s eyes. Countless books, magical artifacts, and herbs adorned the shelves, presenting a spectacular sight that one could never have imagined by simply looking at the store’s exterior.

Even though the man had been here before, he couldn’t help but show a hint of astonishment.

The immense independent space, towering spiral bookshelves, and numerous lost magical tomes...

It was like a colossal treasure trove.

Each visit left the man in awe, and his desire to establish a connection with the bookstore owner grew stronger.

Under the hood, a smile appeared on the man’s face.

In front of him, a little girl with a large blue bow tied behind her hair and aqua-colored twin ponytails silently organized the accounts, completely unaffected by the man’s entrance.

However, the man didn’t mind being completely ignored. After all, he had come here for a different purpose, not to see this little girl...

Though the girl paid him no attention, the mysterious man politely greeted her with a glance before slowly lifting his gaze upward, focusing on the person he came to see this time.

At that moment, a graceful woman, surrounded by five or six floating magic books, sat on a flying carpet beside the bookshelf, tidying up the books.

Despite her youthful appearance of around seventeen or eighteen, her body was full, her movements light and elegant. Her platinum hair cascaded beautifully, her skin was as fair as jade, and her captivating eyes exuded a mature charm and a hint of indescribable "dangerous" aura with every smile and frown.

And there stood the woman, dressed in a modest brown checkered skirt, her head adorned with two fluffy fox ears, capturing an exquisite appearance. She was the very person the mysterious man sought.

Extending a friendly greeting, the enigmatic figure politely spoke,

"It has been quite some time, Miss Noya."

Upon hearing these words, Noya, slowly closing the enchanted tome in her grasp, playfully turned her head, raising an eyebrow with her seductive eyes as she regarded the man concealed in the black robe.

"Oh? The Arrogance Emperor Xue Tianao, is it? Shouldn’t someone of your stature be entertaining esteemed guests at the palace or preparing for a grand coronation ceremony? Why have you suddenly graced our humble little shop with your presence?"

"...,"

The man in the black robe chuckled helplessly as his guise and fabricated voice were effortlessly laid bare.

With a swift motion, he unveiled the hood that obscured his identity, revealing his resplendent golden locks, his strikingly handsome countenance with sharp features, and his self-assured azure blue eyes.

"A modest shop? The scale hardly warrants such a descriptor,"

Emperor Xue Tianao quipped, his gaze sweeping across the myriad of magical tomes that surrounded them.

"Isn’t this nothing more than an overlooked establishment, forsaken by visitors?"

"Well, isn’t it because, Miss Noya, you have no desire for others to stumble upon this place?"

Emperor Xue Tianao remarked with a smile.

Locating this arcane bookstore requires a certain level of prowess to dismantle the enchanting illusions that shroud it.

Simultaneously, as Emperor Xue Tianao’s eyes fell upon the vixen-like lady, an imperceptible trace of desire flickered within his gaze.

This person before him, having undergone the system test, held an ’S+’ level of significance value—a person Xue Tianao naturally wished to have under his control.

Alas, the process of captivating her was proving to be less than seamless. However, for the present, Xue Tianao had no inclination to pursue conquest with this maternal figure before him.

In the realm of Sky Dome City, two higher-priority targets awaited his attention. Moreover, the shopkeeper had consistently operated the store within Sky Dome, making her discovery an effortless task. There was no need for hasty actions.

Upon hearing Emperor Xue Tianao’s words, Noya merely smiled and inquired,

"Very well, Emperor Xue Tianao, what brings you suddenly to my humble shop? Is there something you seek to acquire?"

With those words, Noya’s eyes gleamed with a fondness for wealth as she scrutinized the person standing before her—the Chosen One of Fate.

"No need for further pleasantries. Speak your mind," she stated.

In response, Xue Tianao nodded slowly,

"Indeed, there are a few things I wish to purchase. Since Miss Noya has mentioned it, I will get straight to the point. I need the Horn of the Ice Dragon, Tears of Nature, the Root of Black Coral, the Buds of the Bewilderment Flower, the Leaves of the Love-Wounded Ghost Flower, and the Essence of Summer..."

...

As Xue Tianao listed the names of these rare materials one by one, a mischievous glint danced in Noya’s eyes.

"Wow, it seems that Emperor Xue Tianao wishes to make quite a grand purchase," she exclaimed.

"Hehe, indeed. So, do you have these materials, Miss Noya?" Emperor Xue Tianao asked.

"Of course, I do. However, they are rare materials, and they come with a high price tag," Noya replied with a smile.

"No need to worry about that. As the ruler of this nation, I have no problem purchasing these items," Xue Tianao said confidently.

With a wave of his hand, accompanied by a faint golden glow, the space ring on his index finger emanated a strong spatial force. Countless stacks of gemstones instantly piled up, forming small mountains in front of Noya.

"Will these be enough, shopkeeper?"

Seeing the countless shimmering gemstones, Noya’s fox ears perked up, and even her tail wagged excitedly.

"It’s more than enough! In that case, let me prepare them for you," she said.

With that, Noya controlled her flying carpet and flew towards the direction of the storage room. However, during the flight, she couldn’t help but cast a curious gaze at Xue Tianao and asked tentatively,

"But Your Majesty, with such a sudden demand for these precious materials, the item you want to create must be extraordinary, right? Is it a new type of weapon?"

"No, it’s not a weapon."

"Hmm? Oh, right. These materials don’t seem like they are for making weapons. They must be for making medicine, then?"

"Hehe, Miss Noya, you are quite clever," Emperor Xue Tianao chuckled.

A hint of ambition and greed gradually surfaced in his azure blue eyes.

Indeed, the materials he wanted to purchase were for creating medicine. Not just any ordinary medicine, but an unparalleled elixir that would aid him in conquering the black-haired girl!

--

Last night,

After concluding the banquet and returning to his palace residence, Emperor Xue Tianao met with an important person ranked as ’A’ in value. This person appeared plain and unremarkable, easily lost in a crowd—a black-haired man.

However, it was precisely this man,

When Emperor Xue Tianao saw him in the office, his eyes lit up, and he eagerly approached, helping the black-haired man who was half-kneeling on the ground to stand up.

"Long time no see, Mo Xiao."

After tonight’s banquet,

Xue Tianao’s mind was consumed by the dark silhouette of the black-haired girl. His thoughts revolved around how to conquer this "extraordinary" girl of immense value. To successfully conquer her, he needed to understand her. That’s why he felt so excited upon seeing the black-haired man. After all, this man was the most outstanding information broker he had ever encountered. Xue Tianao had previously tasked him with investigating the young lady from the Black Rose Duchy. Now that Mo Xiao appeared in the palace, he must have some results!

"How are you, Mo Xiao?" Xue Tianao inquired.

"I-I’m... fine, Your Majesty," Mo Xiao replied timidly. Immediately, a nervous and anxious expression appeared on his face, as if he had recalled something terrifying. His entire body began to tremble.

This caused Xue Tianao’s brow to furrow, and he quickly asked,

"Mo Xiao, what’s the matter?"

As he spoke, a faint golden light emanated from Xue Tianao’s palm, gradually enveloping the black-haired man. Under the influence of this power, Mo Xiao’s expression gradually stabilized, and his inner fear seemed to be suppressed.

After catching his breath, Mo Xiao tremulously grasped Xue Tianao’s hand and said anxiously,

"Your Majesty! You, you must be careful! The young lady from the Black Rose Duchy, Miss Yu is the newly born Abyssal Demon, The Demon king class ’Bloody Butterfly’! We cannot allow her to remain in the Imperial City any longer! She... she is dangerous! The entire sky Dome... everything is in danger now! You must..."

"Wait! Calm down!" Xue Tianao interrupted.

Faced with Mo Xiao’s words, Xue Tianao couldn’t help but show a confused expression. Although he had suspected that Miss Yu and Bloody Butterfly were the same person, he had dismissed that thought after sensing her aura during the banquet. But now...

"Mo Xiao, are you sure? The young lady’s aura clearly belongs to a human," Emperor Xue Tianao questioned.

"No! Your Majesty, don’t be deceived!"

Mo Xiao suddenly exclaimed in great agitation.

"She is an Abyssal Demon king, the young lady from the Black Rose Duchy. When she went to explore the Northern Territory, she was infected by the power of the Shadow. The reason her aura appears human now is because she is using a divine artifact called the ’Deceptive Veil’ to conceal her true nature! Bloody Butterfly has come to the sky specifically to use her Demon King status to control Inferno and claim its power for herself! Your Majesty, you must... you must quickly gather your forces and take action against Bloody Butterfly! Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Xue Tianao: "?!"

Upon hearing Mo Xiao’s words, Xue Tianao stood frozen in place, his hand raised to his chin as he fell into deep thinking...