Lin Lei heard those two numbers, did a quick calculation in his head, and his heart couldn't help but tremble.
Ten billion miles in diameter — in terms of area, that was a trillion times larger than a thousand-mile radius! Even ten cities combined, in terms of area, would only be a hundred billionth of the Ashmour Prefecture! A hundred billionth — that ratio was truly absurd.
"Anyone who can hold their ground in Emperor Wing City must be considered an elite of Hell," Lin Lei thought to himself.
That green-haired youth, Debora, sighed: "If I could make it in this lifetime — reach the point where I could become a resident of Emperor Wing City — then I'd be perfectly content. Unfortunately, that's just too difficult." Debora didn't have enough confidence in himself.
In Hell, becoming a city resident was something to be deeply proud of.
Lin Lei had just entered Hell. Although he could grasp something from the numbers — one in a hundred billion — without having lived here long enough, the feeling still wasn't very deep.
Along the journey from the Black Dragon Tribe, the group didn't encounter many bandits and robbers. Any bandit forces that had been established in a given area for a long time were familiar with certain tribes… and the Black Dragon Tribe's metal lifeform was always transformed into that distinctive shape.
Even so, they still ran into some newly formed bandit groups.
Butler Edmond and the two demons couldn't be bothered to lower themselves to deal with these bandits — they merely showed their faces briefly to frighten them off.
On the sixteenth morning after departing from the Black Dragon Tribe, nearly everyone inside the metal lifeform's rear cabin grew excited. Through the transparent metal, they could see the massive city ahead — an enormous metropolis constructed from purple mineral stone.
A purple city, radiating an air of ancient splendor.
Emperor Wing City! One of the ten great cities within the ten-billion-mile radius of Ashmour Prefecture!
"Is this Emperor Wing City?" Bei Bei's eyes lit up.
Lin Lei and Dilia were also somewhat excited as they gazed upon this large city. A city spanning a thousand miles in diameter was something you'd never see on the Yulan Continent. And the mineral used to build cities in Hell was of the same hardness grade as black jade stone.
"We're finally here!" Lin Lei murmured silently.
Then, one by one, the numerous people inside the metal lifeform flew out and descended. The group from the Black Dragon Tribe gathered together in midair. The butler, Edmond, looked around at everyone and announced in a loud voice: "Remember — our tribe's metal lifeform will depart back to the Black Dragon Tribe when the Blood Sun sets and the Violet Moon rises. As for the gathering point, it's right here. If it's time to go and some of you haven't arrived, we won't wait."
Everyone understood that.
"Alright, get ready and line up to pay the city entry fee," Edmond said, then led the group toward the gates of Emperor Wing City.
Lin Lei, Dilia, and Bei Bei were seeing a large city in Hell for the first time. They found it all very novel, following along with the other tribe residents while taking in the grand, majestic purple metropolis.
"So many people!" Bei Bei exclaimed, gawking around.
There were far too many people trying to enter Emperor Wing City — they came from every direction. Long queues had already formed outside the city walls. No one dared cut in line. Not even Butler Edmond! Everyone waited very orderly, taking turns to pay the entry fee.
"Hm?" Bei Bei suddenly stared in surprise at the city gates. "Those two black-robed people went through without paying the entry fee."
"They're demons," Lin Lei noticed as well.
The two demons who had traveled with their group didn't queue up to pay the entry fee at all. They simply walked straight into Emperor Wing City, and the garrison soldiers at the gate didn't make a move to stop them.
"The Wisteria Guards, garrison soldiers, and demons — these three types of people don't need to pay the entry fee when entering the city," the green-haired youth Debora explained from behind Lin Lei. "They all enjoy certain privileges. That's why so many people want to become Wisteria Guards, garrison soldiers, or demons. Unfortunately, the selection and examination systems for Wisteria Guards, garrison soldiers, and demons are all extremely strict."
Soon, it was Lin Lei's group's turn.
After paying one ink stone each, Lin Lei and the others entered Emperor Wing City.
Six months ago, during that great battle, they had killed three mid-tier gods. Inside those three mid-tier gods' spatial rings, each had contained nearly a thousand ink stones, along with other items. But there was one thing Lin Lei and the others didn't recognize — a kind of deep blue stone.
It was roughly the same size as an ink stone, but the unique aura it contained was far more dense and concentrated than that of an ink stone.
At the time, Lin Lei had guessed… this deep blue stone, same size as an ink stone, was probably also a form of currency. But that was only a guess. Lin Lei and the others hadn't been in any rush to ask anyone about it. After all, across the rings of those three mid-tier gods combined, there were only a few dozen of these blue stones.
Inside Emperor Wing City.
Stepping into Emperor Wing City, Debora walked alongside Lin Lei and his two companions. Strolling down the wide streets, they looked around at the massive buildings on all sides. What hit them immediately was an aura of ancient elegance. Every single building was practically a work of sculpture.
"Although they don't quite reach the level of masterwork craftsmanship, they're not far off," Lin Lei was well qualified to comment on this.
Now, with his increasingly profound study of the elemental laws, he had essentially mastered the Flat Knife School's carving technique.
"These buildings are all so unique — they're really pleasant to look at," Bei Bei said, his eyes gleaming.
"Of course," Lin Lei remarked with admiration. "I never expected that even constructing large buildings would require the same precision and care as carving. These buildings must be incredibly expensive."
Debora let out a derisive snort. "Expensive? They're outrageously expensive! Every single inch of land in Emperor Wing City costs a fortune, so the prices of these buildings are naturally staggering. And the construction? They hire professional divine-level experts to build them. The price of each building… I don't know how many years it would take me to earn enough ink stones to buy one."
Lin Lei glanced at Debora's expression beside him.
He understood — the terrifying price of these buildings had already reached a point Debora couldn't afford, couldn't even dare to imagine. He could only vent with a few bitter words.
As they continued forward, Lin Lei caught a glimpse of the prosperity of Emperor Wing City.