This was precisely why Shangguan had come to Stone Town but still hadn't made any progress after all this time.
Given his identity, the lord of Stone Town was not going to show him any special courtesy.
However, Senju Yukika hadn't expected that the lord of Stone City—one of the thirty-six major cities—wouldn't even give face to someone representing a top-tier sect.
Now, from Shangguan Yan's own words, Yukika learned that the so-called Sword Palace and Tower of Golden Light were ranked among the top three sects in the entire Rakshasa Kingdom.
It was clear that Shangguan Wan'er had told him this on purpose—hoping Yukika could leverage his influence to pressure the Stone Town lord into handing over the stone wall recording.
Yukika pondered for a moment. The reason he had accepted Tanaka Xiaoxiong as his disciple was due to the boy's potential in Buddhist teachings.
But eventually, Yukika would have to leave Stone Town and head for the Ōtsutsuki clan's stronghold. When that time came, it would be difficult to continue looking after Tanaka Kuma.
Conveniently, Kuma's family home was right here in Stone City, and it was inevitable that he would often need to interact with the city lord.
Since that was the case, Yukika decided—it was best to visit the City Lord's Mansion in person.
Thinking this through, Yukika nodded and said, "I'll go with you to the city lord's mansion in a while."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Shangguan Ning was overjoyed!
He had been searching relentlessly without finding any trace of the demon. His only hope was to review the images engraved on the stone wall.
If he could just find a clue in the images, he could then issue a bounty through one of the world's top assassin organizations to track down the demon.
You should know—the assassin organizations on this planet were incredibly advanced. As long as the bounty was generous enough, there was almost nothing and no one they couldn't locate!
Even the daughter of the Lord of Fangtower once put aside her status and sought help from an assassin guild to search for Tanaka Kuma's whereabouts.
This alone showed just how powerful these killer organizations were on this planet!
So, Senju Yukika took Shangguan and Tanaka Xiaoxiong and headed to the City Lord's Mansion.
At that moment, the city lord's estate was buzzing with activity. Inside, there was a massive coliseum. At the center of the arena stood many iron cages of various sizes.
A closer look revealed that each cage was reinforced with thick iron bars—each at least as thick as an arm—and inside were ferocious beasts, locked away one by one.
Above the arena, rows of spectators filled the seats. The Lord of Stone presided in the highest seat, flanked by formidable individuals on both sides, all watching the central pit with interest.
Just then, one of the iron cages creaked open, and a ferocious, tiger-like beast stepped out.
This tiger was enormous, with a massive golden "王" (king) character etched on its forehead. Its fur had started turning white, and its eyes glowed with an ominous, evil glint.
But despite its terrifying aura, in the eyes of the Stone City Lord and the surrounding experts, this beast was like a harmless housecat—merely a toy.
At that moment, from the opposite side of the arena, a man resembling a slave—his legs shackled by iron chains—slowly stepped into the ring.
As soon as the slave entered, the tiger's eyes gleamed with bloodlust. With a thunderous roar, it lunged at him. The battle had begun.
The slave's eyes widened in shock, but then he swiftly swung the chain in his hands like a whip—cracking it through the air!
The strike was so fast that it landed squarely on the tiger's forehead. In an instant, the beast was thrown backwards, crashing to the ground with a series of pitiful howls.
No one expected the slave to possess such strength!
A man seated to the left of the Stone City Lord chuckled and said, "My lord, the people of the Xuanyuan Clan really are something else. Legend says their ancestor was the great hound Rong. Seems like that story wasn't an exaggeration!"
The Stone City Lord stroked his beard and laughed, "Such a powerful slave is exactly what I need!"
He had established this coliseum purely for entertainment—and it required a constant supply of slaves to pit against wild beasts.
In the past, most of the slaves they caught didn't last more than a round or two before being torn to pieces and eaten alive.
But this time, someone had offered him a man said to be of the Xuanyuan Clan, and that had greatly pleased the Stone City Lord.
The Xuanyuan people were said to have disappeared from history long ago, and any survivors were almost impossible to find today.
But their lineage carried a very rare trait—raw, unmatched physical strength!
Even without cultivation, their natural power was enough to fight against wild beasts. And today, that was proven true.
Suddenly, a subordinate rushed up to the city lord and whispered a few words in his ear.
The city lord's expression shifted slightly. After a brief silence, he waved his hand and said, "Let them in."
At that moment, the two men beside him asked curiously, "Sandy, who's arrived?"
The Lord of Stone Town hesitated, then replied, "Are you familiar with the Tanaka family matter?"
The man to the right responded slowly, "I've heard bits and pieces. The mistress of the Tanaka Clan—the daughter of the Tower of Golden Light—was reportedly killed by a sword. Is that true?"
The lord of Stone Town nodded. "Yes. The daughter of the Tower of Golden Light's lord died here in Stone Town. It's a tricky situation."
The man to the left followed up, "If that's the case, why not bring the murderer to justice?"
The city lord replied, "It's said the killer is a disciple of the Sword Palace. That complicates things."
Both men nodded, understanding the delicate nature of the issue.
While Fangtower was a terrifying power in its own right, Sword Palace was also one of the top three factions in the Rakshasa Kingdom. Neither could be offended lightly.
Then, the Stone City Lord added, "If it were just Shangguan Wan'er, the matter would be easier to resolve. But there's someone behind her... someone else entirely."
Those words shocked the two men. They hurriedly asked, "City Lord, who is it that even you fear?"
After all, as the master of one of the thirty-six great cities of the Rakshasa Kingdom, the Stone City Lord held a prestigious and powerful position.
But seeing him act so cautiously now made the mysterious figure seem even more intimidating.
The Stone Town lord replied, "That person is too mysterious. I spent quite a bit of time investigating, but all I found was... nothing. A complete blank."