Chapter 850: Central Area

Proofreader: Papatonks

The central area, strongest of them all, and ruled by a single nation, Sword Star Empire.

While the entire world lay fragmented, the central area was the most united, filled with experts. While Ethereal Stage experts ran things everywhere else, here, they were errand boys just to earn a living. 

To the point the guards and patrols in cities were mostly made up of Ethereal Stage experts. This came as a shock to any cultivator from the other areas.

This was a land where one nation ruled, where one power held control, not like theirs, split apart in bits and pieces. 

Since Ethereal Stage experts were treated as such, that made all the cultivators below be nothing more than waiters and other odd jobs.

So while the outsiders might be seen as young masters in their homes, here, there were strong people at every step, enough to squash them. All they could do was keep their nose down and not make a scene.

Among them was one odd pair of father and son. The days of being brash, obnoxious, killing whenever and running away when they wanted were long gone. This wasn’t their home and they had to be cautious, especially when their lives were on the line. 

“Halt! Where do you come from?”

The gate had a huge board over it, engraved with the words Flying Cloud City. All flying cultivators were landing before it, making a nice queue to enter the city with calm and order.

On each side of the gate stood two grizzled old men, releasing their mighty power for all to feel and declare they were rare Ethereal Stage experts in other areas, but a dime a dozen here. 

They were given orders to check all newcomers. Something must’ve happened for the situation to be so tense.

A man in black robe, pulling along a cute and adorable seven-year old boy, approached the guards with a bow, “Seniors, I come from western lands. We’ve been hunted down by an enemy and forced to escape here. I hope seniors will help us?” 

“Hunted by an enemy?”

The two squinted and nodded with contempt, “Ha-ha, 5th layer Radiant Stage, and with a child dragging you back. Of course you’d be hunted. Just go, not like a weakling like you can cause anything.”

“Yes, thank you, seniors…”

Bobbing his head, the man in black rushed in and dragged the boy, running even.

The two watched the pair with derision, “This is being weak, unable to rise above their station all their lives.”

“Right? Those bugs will soon find the central area much harder than western lands, ha-ha-ha…”

The two mocked at their expense and continued with the queue. But then they felt a sudden chill in this clear weather that made them shudder.

Like there was some savage beast looming behind them. Swishing around, all they saw was a busy street, with people going to and fro.

The two looked around in doubt.

“Did you feel that, old man?”

“Yeah, like some viper was staring me down, about to take my life. You too?”

“Yeah…”

The other old man nodded, but then he shook his head, “Must be our imagination. It’s only been a month since Lord Dongfang slaughtered hundreds of Soul Harmony experts, driving fear into us. Now everyone is in a panic, but there’s no way those thieves would do anything in broad daylight. Especially not targeting nobodies like us, ha-ha-ha…”

“Yeah, sometimes weakness is good. At least those that are strong will ignore us…” The other one said with a dry laugh. Then he turned serious and went on with his job. Ironic how they already forgot that just now they laughed at the father and son’s weakness. 

In a dark corner of the city, the man in the black robe held the child’s mouth without budging. When the gate situation calmed down, he eased a breath and let go.

The child threw a fit, roaring, “Dad, did those old coots look down on me? This hasn’t happened since I came out the first time. If you hadn’t stopped me, I’d have their heads in my hands right now.”

“If you’d have done that, then we’d be doomed as well.”

The man in black smiled. Zhuo Fan was like a totally different man now. His eyes looked bright, his face calm, curbing his evil tendencies to the max.

Patting Gu Santong’s head, Zhuo Fan smiled, “This isn’t western lands. Flying Cloud City is the center of one of the central area’s nine domains. The ruler is one dreadful expert. Meeting him will make it very hard for us.”

“What’s there to fear? Don’t you have Dragon Ancestor’s Dragon Breath Pill? Just blow it in his face and he’s toast!” Gu Santong stuck out his head while shouting.

Zhuo Fan sighed, “There are only two Dragon Breath Pills left. I don’t want to use them unless absolutely necessary. In the mortal domain, a treasure like Dragon Breath Pill is of utmost value. Especially that…”

Zhuo Fan’s eyes were firm, “People have to be strong themselves to be safe. I don’t want to ruin my cultivation with tools.”

“That’s why these past two years you trained in that True Self Art thingy, regressing your cultivation?” Gu Santong pouted.

Zhuo Fan shook his head, “True Self Art is an art for the heart, not to set my cultivation back. Looking weak is just that, appearances. When in fact, it brings me close to self. If not for the two years spent training in it, who knows how broken my heart would be in this situation. Thoughts give birth to demons and saints. Maybe I’d have already sunk into a demonic state by now, unable to see the surface. 

“My true cultivation easily reached the 5th layer Ethereal Stage all thanks to True Self Art’s calming effect. Elder Yuan truly was my master…”

Seeing his vibrant eyes, Gu Santong sighed, knowing he was recalling the people he forsook. But then he pointed at his neck and grumbled, “What’s with this golden locket then? It’s hideous, like I’m some wee child…” 

“Uhm, aren’t you?”

Zhuo Fan pinched his cute cheeks, teasing, “Young Sanzi, any parent would want to see their child grow up healthy. I made the Everlife Locket myself, with all my love. You have to wear it.”

Gu Santong’s face twitched, “Dad, but I’m three hundred years old, not some kid! You think I don’t know what it does? It just hides my strength. I’m in the 6th layer Ethereal Stage but with this thing on, I look like a defenseless seven-year old. All the way here everyone’s been pinching and ruffling my hair so much, I’d be dead if you didn’t stop them.”

“Hold it in for now. You’re just too freaky. Have you seen any other Ethereal Stage kid around?”

Zhuo Fan waved his hand, “Exposing your strength would be the same as a jester, getting everyone’s attention in the central area. How are we supposed to work then?”

“I know that. Dad made the demonic treasure to hide my aura, but couldn’t you have made it smaller and not so flashy? It’s humiliating wearing this huge thing…”

“Yes, you’re so precious!”

Zhuo Fan cut his grumbling short, “Look at your childish and cute face. Isn’t it innocent? Adding the Everlife Locket and you’re an angel. No one would ever believe an angel like you hides a savage beast. You’ll be the ultimate weapon! Think about it. When we meet some enemy too tough to fight, everyone will ignore you, leaving you room to break them with your fist. Ain’t that cool?”

Gu Santong scrunched up his cute face, then nodded. 

[Makes sense. That’s my dad, already setting up the stage…]

“Dad, when will we fight him?”

“Hopefully never.”

Zhuo Fan’s eye twitched and turned around at the city’s center, “The former best of eastern lands, Shangguan Feiyun, now the lord of one of central area’s nine domains lives there. It would be best if we can avoid him…”

Zhuo Fan’s eyes grew hard…

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