Beijing.
Besides its bustling vibrancy, it's also known for one thing—
outrageously high real estate prices.
Every young person entering society dreams of making it in Beijing.
But reality often greets them with slap after slap.
After drifting through half a lifetime,
many still can't afford even a public restroom in Beijing.
As the imperial capital of the nation,
Beijing is also home to numerous famous tourist attractions.
The Forbidden City, imperial palaces,
White Pagoda and Buddhist chants,
local delicacies, old Beijing alleys,
the Summer Palace, the Confucius Temple, the Ming Tombs, the Great Wall...
Beijing was the residence of emperors in ancient times—
and in some ways, still is.
At Tiananmen, the national flag rises every day.
In short, visiting this country without seeing the capital is like never having visited at all.
Tour buses full of tourists loop endlessly through the bustling city.
Scenic views and city life flash past the windows,
bringing joy to those who rarely visit the capital.
Ren Asakura looked out at the lively streets and the busy office workers, sighing:
"Man, I really miss this."
They were riding in a luxurious tour bus—
room for dozens of people, equipped with all kinds of modern conveniences.
But right now, only a few were on board.
Those few were none other than Ren Asakura's group,
on their way to raid the Dragon King's nest in Nibelungen.
But at the moment, they looked more like a group of carefree tourists.
Ren Asakura was even holding a little red flag.
"Even in this era, the Dragon Clan's imperial capital is still this prosperous.
Let's start with a food street crawl, then the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the imperial palace...
Wonder if I can sit on the dragon throne and feel what it's like to be emperor."
Ren Asakura's eyes sparkled—
he looked just like one of those travel junkies, intent on checking off every famous attraction in the city.
Mai, watching Ren Asakura's relaxed, cheerful demeanor, asked:
"Boss, aren't we here to find the Dragon King?"
Ren Asakura nodded without hesitation.
Mai asked again:
"Then why does it feel like we're here on vacation?"
Ren Asakura replied calmly:
"Is there a problem?
We're just kidnapping a Dragon King on the side while sightseeing.
What's the issue?"
Mai thought—
that's a huge issue!
The way he said it, it sounded like they were snatching a stray cat or dog.
That's a Dragon King, for crying out loud!
And they were planning to kidnap him inside his own Nibelungen territory.
Lu Mingfei, knowing the kind of power the group leader possessed, spoke casually:
"Relax. If something goes wrong, just run. You're kinda weak, after all."
Mai twitched at the corner of her mouth—that may be true, but did he have to say it so bluntly?
Let's take stock:
Ren Asakura's group consisted of—
Lu Mingfei, a cultivator.
Old Tang and Constantine, Dragon Kings.
Ren Asakura, an immortal.
And Mai... a tiny, weak little hybrid.
Without question, she was the weakest of the group.
"Damn it! I know you're all strong,
but this is Nibelungen we're talking about! I can't run away!
And what about the Dragon King's wide-area Words of Power?
How am I supposed to escape that?"
Mai felt utterly exhausted inside.
This babysitting gig—
she really couldn't keep doing it.
…
…
This luxury tour bus had been arranged by Mai,
and she'd even brought along a full set of professional tourism gear from the previous owner.
It took a lot of money and connections, of course.
But one had to admit—
Su Enxi, one of Lu Mingfei's three "nanny girls," nicknamed Potato Chip Girl, was a genius.
In the business world and tech circles, she was nothing less than a queen. Her network of contacts was vast.
Everyone on this trip was basically living off her dime.
It was fair to say she was singlehandedly bankrolling the whole team.
With such a strong support system,
they could truly travel in comfort.
Su Enxi even hired an elite tourism team to craft the perfect travel itinerary for the group.
Luxury hotels, gourmet feasts, snack streets,
breathtaking sights, must-see landmarks—
Ren Asakura was honestly a little jealous of Lu Mingfei.
Having such a clingy, devoted little brother... wasn't bad at all.
...
The Nibelungen where the King of Earth and Mountains resides does not exist in the real world.
It is a world constructed through the domain of alchemy.
The rules there are defined by the Dragon King.
Each Nibelungen has its own set of laws.
Nibelungen is also known as the land of the dead—
because for humans, entering it almost always means death.
And the entrance to this Nibelungen maze?
It lies beneath the Beijing subway station.
Without the proper key and the master's permission,
no one can enter the Nibelungen.
It is also guarded by gatekeepers.
But this wasn't the time to worry about such things.
Right now was time for vacation, for fun.
Let go of all troubles, and enjoy yourself.
The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, food streets, traditional Beijing cuisine—
everyone was completely immersed.
Today was truly a joyful day.
Mai followed behind the group, feeling like she was babysitting.
Babysitting a bunch of extremely powerful children.
…
…
Inside the luxurious Regent Hotel—
Mai stood in front of a huge map of Beijing spread out on the table.
"After several days of observation and analysis, I can confirm that the Nibelungen of the King of Earth and Mountains lies along this subway line."
Beside her, a computer screen displayed various seismic data.
That subway line had been experiencing frequent, unexplained tremors.
These tremors were coming from within the Nibelungen,
marking the location of the entrance to the labyrinth.
"They've had their fun these past few days. Now comes the real crisis."
The last time Mai entered the City of Bronze,
she had been truly terrified.
That place was extremely dangerous—
especially when confronting a Dragon King directly.
Hybrid-blooded dragons were naturally inferior to pure-blooded ones.
And against a Dragon King, one of the purest and strongest?
Forget it.
Over the past few days,
Lu Mingfei and Ren Asakura had discussed the King of Earth and Mountains openly,
and had even told Mai everything without hesitation.
Because of employee confidentiality agreements, Mai couldn't disclose any of it.
But in turn, she had learned a lot of secrets.
This trip into the Nibelungen would be extremely dangerous.
The King of Earth and Mountains—Fenrir—was in a fully dragonified state.
A slight movement could cause an earthquake.
A glare could crush countless weak-blooded hybrids.
If enraged and he started performing the Dance of Shiva,
the entire city of Beijing would be reduced to ashes—
the realm of death engulfing every living thing.
A fully awakened Dragon King possesses terrifying power—
enough to destroy heaven and earth, move mountains, and drain oceans.
This time, Mai intended to be fully prepared.
As a high-ranking hybrid, she had her own pride.
She would never entrust her life to someone else.
It was always better to hold fate in your own hands.
On the table lay a finely crafted black case.
Mai took out her handgun and opened the box.
Inside was a single bullet.
The bullet's tip was made of crystal,
with red liquid swirling inside.
This was a weapon capable of killing a Dragon King.
The Philosopher's Stone.
°°°
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