Inside Emperor Ladwin's workroom, Aldrian sat on the sofa in front of the emperor. He had already informed Emperor Ladwin about his encounter with Xin Haotian and his intention to venture outside the Ivory Empire for the time being. Emperor Ladwin sighed,
"It's surprising that he's in the capital. Do you think Xin Haotian is trustworthy? Does he truly mean you no harm? From your story, he seems like someone difficult to deal with. I've only met him a few times, so I can't really tell what kind of person he is." Emperor Ladwin said.
"I'll find out for myself, but during my interaction with him, he seemed sincere in asking for my help—at least for now." Aldrian replied.
"What do you think? Are you truly interested in this endeavor? You can refuse his request if you want. Even though he's the strongest of the great swordmasters, he still has to consider the Evergreen Imperial Family. He won't recklessly cause trouble."
"Well, when he suddenly attacked me, he already caused trouble." Aldrian thought.
"I'll hear him out first, Your Majesty. If there's nothing wrong, I think I can help with his business. Also, this could be beneficial for the Ivory Empire. The empire is gaining too much attention lately, and sooner or later, someone will discover my identity, which wouldn't be good for the empire."
Two incidents involving the mysterious swordsman, the involvement of the devils, and the changes in the Forest of Despair. As for the last point, not long after he left the Forest of Despair, Aldrian created a thick mist wall around the entire outer perimeter of the forest. It was the least he could do to prevent any humans or other races from entering the forest.
This was further reinforced by the decree from the Evergreen Imperial Family, raising the status of the Forest of Despair to a forbidden place. Anyone who dares to violate this decree will have to face the imperial family themselves. This sudden development intrigued many parties, leading them to suspect that the Evergreen Imperial Family might be hiding something in the Forest of Despair.
They speculated that all these events might be interconnected and could reveal the secrets of what the Ivory Empire was trying to hide, including the identity of the mysterious swordmaster or perhaps the swordmaster himself was the secret. With many speculations swirling, Aldrian knew he needed to devise a plan to divert their attention, and he thought that a journey outside the Ivory Empire might do the trick while waiting for the situation to cool down.
"Then I'll support your decision, and—" Emperor Ladwin paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his face before he smiled at Aldrian. "—and you can do what you need to do. This might also be a good way for those searching for you to lose your trail. Perhaps if you make another achievement outside the empire, it will further distract them?"
"That could work, but as I mentioned, I'll first hear what Xin Haotian has to say. Now, I'll take my leave, Your Majesty."
"Go ahead." With that, Aldrian left the workroom and made his way out of the imperial palace. His pace was neither fast nor slow, just enough for him to enjoy the bustling activities of the elves around him.
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In the Outsiders' District, people from various races walked to and fro, though the streets were not as bustling as in other parts of Evergreen City. The contrast between this district and the others was stark, with the mix of races adding to its unique atmosphere. Aldrian now stood in front of a luxurious restaurant in one part of the district. The three-story establishment boasted many ornaments adorning its front door.
Without hesitation, he entered the restaurant and was promptly greeted by a suited waiter.
"Welcome to The Heavenly Taste. Do you have a reservation?"
"I'm here to meet an acquaintance, under the name Mr. Tiandi."
"Please wait for a moment, esteemed guest. I'll check the guest list," the waiter replied as he opened a guest list on the table beside him. After a few moments, he looked up.
"Alright, esteemed guest, let me escort you to the table."
Aldrian was then led to the third floor and into a private room with luxurious decorations. As he entered, he saw Xin Haotian already there, sipping tea in his disguised form. He was still wearing his black robe, and in front of him was a square table with a vacant chair facing him. Aldrian took the empty seat and glanced at the window beside them, offering a view of the street below and the World Tree. Not long after he sat down, the waiters brought in the food and then left shortly after.
"I hope you enjoy the food here. I've heard that The Heavenly Taste's red tail fish with their original spice blend is quite famous." Xin Haotian remarked. Aldrian glanced at Xin Haotian before taking a bite, he savored the taste for a moment before responding.
"I must commend your boldness. Attacking me in the middle of the street inside Evergreen City, are you not afraid of the imperial family's authority here?"
"Well, my initial plan was to test you briefly before the imperial guards arrived, but you unexpectedly teleported us to another location. That turned out to be beneficial, I now know for certain that you are the perfect person to help."
"I haven't agreed to anything yet."
"Oh, but you will."
"So, what exactly are you going to tell me now?" Aldrian asked as he continued eating.
"All this time, the people of the continent have no idea where I came from. They only know me as a vagabond cultivator without any affiliation. But the quality of my sword and my rapid cultivation have raised many doubts about my origin. What they don't know is that the place I come from isn't what they would expect," Xin Haotian explained.
"Do you know why the Everlasting Silent Forest is called that?" Xin Haotian asked.
"Because everything that enters disappears and never returns, lost without a trace, making the forest a silent place, even the beasts are no exception," Aldrian replied.
"Yes, that's true. And only in recent years has the mystery of the Everlasting Silent Forest begun to unravel. It turns out that the people who disappeared were actually trapped in secret realms within the forest."
"Yes, I've heard that. But why—wait, don't tell me...!" Aldrian's eyes widened in realization, while Xin Haotian nodded.
"Yes, I came from one of those secret realms."
Aldrian was stunned by the revelation. "Wait, how many years have you been roaming the continent? People have only been able to exit that forest in the last decade or so."
"What if I told you that I can enter and exit the secret realms whenever I want?" Xin Haotian replied.
Aldrian was shocked once again. "How is that possible? Are you saying you have a mechanism to manually open a space crack to secret realm?"
Xin Haotian nodded again.
"Well, in fact, I'm indigenous to this secret realm—the Xin Secret Realm, as we call it. It's where my family, the Xin clan, resides. We live inside most of the time, so no one knows of our existence. We only come out occasionally to check on the outside world and to buy materials that can't be found in our realm." Aldrian listened intently as Xin Haotian continued.
"Our ancestors were among the original inhabitants of this continent, long before the Everlasting Silent Forest was created and even before the empires as they exist today."
Xin Haotian took a sip of his tea before continuing.
"One day, a giant golden dragon and a phoenix appeared on this land. According to our family's records, the dragon was so immense that its body covered the sky, and the power it exuded was unmatched by any cultivator in history. The phoenix was equally colossal, her wings spanning the sky and emitting golden flames. Both of them could transform into human form."
Suddenly, Aldrian felt a strange sensation within his soul and dantian. A tremor coursed through him, and his emotions became turbulent.
"The feeling of being called has resurfaced!" Aldrian thought, as the intense pull from the place where the giant bones lay began to surge within him once more. He had suppressed this sensation for so long, thinking it had faded over time. It had been manageable since leaving the secret realm and even within the Everlasting Silent Forest. But now, after hearing Xin Haotian's story, that same powerful feeling surged back, overwhelming his soul and dantian with tremors.
He couldn't fully grasp why this was happening, but one thing was clear, the dragon or the phoenix in Xin Haotian's tale seemed intricately connected to the energy and soul within him, bound by a strong karma. The mere mention of their existence triggered a profound reaction inside him, indicating just how deep that connection ran.
He tried to supress it by closing his eyes to calm his mind and when he opened his eyes for a brief moment, he saw a giant golden dragon and a phoenix staring directly at him. He stunned before the vision faded in an instant, returning him to the restaurant where he sat across from Xin Haotian.
In front of him, Xin Haotian's face was more expressive than he had ever seen it when they fought, revealing shock as he looked at Aldrian with trembling eyes.
"Who are you?"