Chapter 8, The Monument of the Vast Sky

Subconsciously taking a step back, only then did I realize my own impropriety

Beijing is an ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, and the Forbidden City in Beijing is renowned as the world's largest royal palace complex. The number of tourists visiting this attraction daily can almost overwhelm it, and except during the off-peak season, there is always a bustling crowd waiting in line to purchase tickets, often necessitating the presence of armed police to maintain order

Zhao Yanqin held Xu Liao's hand and directly approached the Haoyu Heavenly Monument, saying: "You must first detect which bloodline you have awakened before proceeding with the naturalization process; otherwise, the species on the demon registration card cannot be classified. The Haoyu Heavenly Monument is a legendary treasure that has fallen from the heavenly court to the mortal realm. The demons inscribed on its surface are living demons that have been suppressed by the heavenly court, unable to leave this monument. As long as you place your hand on its surface and sense the sealed demons, if you feel a sense of kinship with any of the demons, that will be your bloodline ancestor. If you are fortunate, you may even comprehend the bloodline inheritance and obtain a cultivation technique." The Haoyu Heavenly Monument is a legendary treasure that has fallen from the heavenly court to the mortal realm. The demons inscribed on its surface are living demons that have been suppressed by the heavenly court, unable to leave this monument. As long as you place your hand on its surface and sense the sealed demons, if you feel a sense of kinship with any of the demons, that will be your bloodline ancestor. If you are fortunate, you may even comprehend the bloodline inheritance and obtain a cultivation technique.

Zhao Yanqin pointed to the palace and introduced, "This palace is called Yunxi Palace. There is no trace of it in any historical records of humanity; it can only be found in the historical records of our demons. At that time, the ruler of the Ming Dynasty unified the world, not only as the sovereign of humans but also as the commander of all demons. In Yunxi Palace, he erected the Haotian Monument to suppress the national fortune. Later, as the Ming Dynasty declined, this place was sealed by the Qing emperors, and it was not until the fall of the Qing Dynasty that the seal was lifted."

The monument is divided into nine tiers, intricately engraved with countless spiritual birds and extraordinary beasts, as well as demons and monsters. Each figure appears as if it were alive, instantly evoking a sense of reality, as if a myriad of demonic armies were about to break through the heavens and descend upon this world

Although Xu knew that those taking this subway train were certainly youkai, he couldn't help but feel a bit of affection for the boy who resembled a neighborly older brother. As he walked out of the subway station, he thought that since everyone was coming to the Kyoto Youkai Affairs Office to handle their business, perhaps he could exchange a few words with them.

With a shy smile, he asked, "Shall we go and handle the naturalization procedures first? Do you need my ID card?"

What does it mean for a subway station to be built inside the Forbidden City

Zhao Yanqin chuckled and said, "You are still doing quite well! Many newly awakened bloodline monsters cannot withstand the pressure of the Haotian Monument, and some even kneel down or faint on the spot, what cowards they are"

Xu Le has completely run out of things to say

Zhao Yanqin seemed to know what he was puzzled about and chuckled, "Don't be confused! This is the subway built by our Ten Thousand Monsters Association. This subway line, specifically designed for monsters, not only connects the major commercial districts and famous attractions of North City, but also links the eighteen monster habitats in the city. Additionally, there are three long-distance lines leading to other cities, making it much more convenient and faster than human subways and trains"

Only after making this promise did I realize that the so-called Kyoto Yokai Affairs Bureau actually occupies a space within the Forbidden City for its operations, truly reaching a certain level of grandeur and sophistication

Apart from the two of them, there was no one else in the carriage, making it exceptionally empty. Compared to the crowded scenes of the subway in Beidu City, this place could almost bring tears of joy to the majority of commuters.

My head was spinning, utterly shocked. I thought to myself: "I always believed that if there were indeed monsters in the world, they would live in deep mountains, leading secluded lives away from the world, adhering to ancient traditions. I never expected that the level of civilization in monster society seems to be no less than that of human society, with a standard of living and technology even surpassing that of humans. Their various systems are even more advanced than those of humans, while human identification cards serve no real function."

The compartment is not filled with ordinary subway hard seats, but rather spacious and comfortable genuine leather sofas. In front of each seat, there is a tabletop that appears to be made of metal. After Zhao Yanqin sat down, she placed the card in her hand on the tabletop, which activated the entire surface, rippling slightly to display an operational interface, surprisingly revealing a full touchscreen.

The passenger stepped down from another carriage, slightly older than Xu Liao and Zhao Yanqin. He appeared to be a high school student, with a flawless handsome face, dressed in a simple white shirt, long pants, and sneakers, exuding an indescribable freshness. Gao Wenhui could also be considered handsome, but compared to him, he resembled a male version of the ugly duckling, completely unremarkable. He held a backpack in one hand and was reading a book. Upon seeing Zhao Yanqin and Xu Liao, he smiled slightly, greeted them, and then quickly walked out of the subway station.

After sitting on the subway for more than ten minutes, the two arrived at the Kyoto Yokai Affairs Bureau Station. As Xu Li and Zhao Yanqin were getting off the train, they unexpectedly spotted another passenger.

Upon entering the Cloud Palace, he immediately saw a towering divine monument. The material resembled lapis lazuli, and its design was ancient and simple. It stood at a height of one thousand meters, resembling a majestic mountain peak that pierced the clouds, exuding a grand aura. The base of the monument was a square with a perimeter of one hundred meters, constructed from mutton fat jade. If he had any understanding of the value of such stone, he would have had to crawl on his knees to see if he could chip off a piece.

Zhao Yanqin operated on the screen of the desktop for a while and said: "I have made an appointment with the Kyoto Yokai Affairs Bureau. Once we arrive at the location, we can proceed with the formalities immediately"

Before Xu could even express his surprise, the subway had already arrived at the station. Zhao Yanqin took out a card and casually swiped it twice at the door, pulling him into the carriage.

Zhao Yanqin led him around a secluded corner gate and entered. After turning left and right, they soon arrived in front of a very majestic palace gate. Compared to other areas of the Forbidden City, this palace appeared desolate, resembling a campus during the winter break, with not a single bird in sight

After Zhao Yanqin pulled Xu Liao out of the hotel, they entered a nearby subway station. She led Xu Liao through two turns in the subway station, and what should have been a crowded subway in the bustling metropolis of Beijing became remarkably empty. The two of them were almost waiting for the subway on a deserted platform.

When Zhao Yanqin put away the card, she glanced at Xu and said: "This is my demon identification card. It serves not only as our identification but also functions as a special bank card and a dedicated transportation card, a membership card for nearly a thousand demon-exclusive shopping malls and supermarkets across the country, as well as more than a dozen other functions, such as paying for the smart system in the subway. These cards can only be activated by their own demon energy waves, ensuring that they cannot be misused by others, with a level of security surpassing any human technology. It serves not only as our identification but also functions as a special bank card and a dedicated transportation card, a membership card for nearly a thousand demon-exclusive shopping malls and supermarkets across the country, as well as more than a dozen other functions, such as paying for the smart system in the subway. These cards can only be activated by their own demon energy waves, ensuring that they cannot be misused by others, with a level of security surpassing any human technology. Depending on the level, they are categorized into black cards, diamond cards, platinum cards, gold cards, silver cards, and ordinary cards, as well as minor cards. Mine is already a silver card, and you will likely be classified as a minor, so I will give you a minor card."

However, when Xu discovered that the subway exit was actually inside the gate of the Forbidden City in Beidu City, he immediately forgot about the matter and was once again startled

Xu had a curious glance at the bus stop sign, and his expression involuntarily became strange; he had never heard of any of the stops on this route.

He was so astonished that he could not even utter a sound of admiration. Today, he had encountered too many new things and could only silently follow Zhao Yanqin as they stepped into Yunxi Palace