"Are you serious, Your Highness?" Aldrian asked.
"What do you think?" Sylphia replied with a smile.
Aldrian could only smile back and glance at the emperor behind him.
"Your Maj—"
"Aldrian, we hope you can take care of my daughter. She can be your support," Emperor Ladwin said.
"Please take care of Sylphia. She's quite excited, and this will be her first time traveling to the western side of the continent," added the empress.
"Look after our little sister, Brother Aldrian," said Aran Evergreen.
Aldrian was stunned as he looked at them.
"They already knew about this! Heck, maybe they even planned it," he thought. But he felt relieved that Sylphia was just playing a prank, pretending not to care. He then bowed to them.
"I will take care of her. Don't worry."
"Now go. Be careful once you're out there, you are on your own" Emperor Ladwin said with smile, "and I believe the continent will be in for another shock," he added in his mind.
Aldrian bowed once again and walked away, leaving his back view to the imperial family. Imperial Teacher Elthar watched him go.
"We were too naive to think we could hide him from the world. Even if he tries to remain hidden, he will shine brightly and attract the masses. I wonder what stories he will create in the future?" he mused.
Aldrian walked away, followed by Eleine and Sylphia, heading toward the outsiders' area. Their destination was the luxury inn that Xin Haotian had pointed out the day before. As they approached, Aldrian was surprised to see Xin Haotian already waiting outside the inn.
"You've been waiting? Have you been standing here since yesterday?" Aldrian asked as he walked closer.
"Of course not," Xin Haotian replied with a smile. "I sensed you as soon as you entered the outsiders' district. I must say, your relationship with the Evergreen imperial family is quite close, especially if the emperor trusts you enough to let his daughter follow you."
Xin Haotian looked at Sylphia, who was in disguise, with interest. She, in turn, observed him with curiosity.
"So, this is Xin Haotian, the strongest of the great swordmasters," she thought.
"You could say that," Aldrian responded. "Are we ready to go, or is there something else we need to wait?"
"No, let's get going. We need to transit through several cities before reaching the nearest one to my secret realm in the western region," Xin Haotian answered.
They then headed to the teleportation station in Evergreen. Upon arrival, they needed to provide their destination city to the operators. Aldrian was jolted back to reality, after being pampered by the Evergreen imperial family for so long, he had always used the teleportation station with their accompaniment. This was his first experience as an ordinary citizen navigating the process on his own.
Now, without the privilege, Aldrian had to follow the standard procedures for using the teleportation station. First, they had to tell the operator the destination city. After that, they paid the required amount of energy stones, depending on the distance, and then waited for their turn. When their turn came, the operator directed the teleportation formation to the destination city. All that was left was to enter the portal, step onto the formation, and done!
Their destination was a city within Demon territory, near the border of the Ivory Empire. They couldn't simply teleport directly to the western region of the continent because the teleportation formations couldn't accommodate all the cities across the continent. The formations weren't designed to handle too many destinations, which was why they needed to transit through several cities before reaching their final destination.
Each teleportation station provided a list of cities it could connect to, making it easier for them to plan their journey. After securing their place in the queue number, they found a bench near the portal and sat down to wait. While they waited, Xin Haotian turned to Aldrian and outlined their route.
"We'll first transit through Dual Horns Peak City in Demon territory, then continue to Thorny Flower Garden, also in Demon territory. After that, we'll head to the capital of the Dwarf Kingdom, Forgeheart City. The last stop will be in the Buddhist sect territory before we travel on foot to the secret realm."
Aldrian nodded as he listened to the journey plan.
"Can we stop in the Forgeheart Kingdom for a while? I need to get my sword fixed," Aldrian said.
"So, you didn't use your sword against me because it's damaged? Let me take a look at it," Xin Haotian responded.
Aldrian handed him the sword, and Xin Haotian carefully inspected it, unsheathing it to examine its condition.
"It's really broken," Xin Haotian said, examining the sword. "Though it looks like it only needs minor repairs on the outside, it actually requires major work. I'm surprised it hasn't crumbled yet. How did you come by a sword of this quality? Did the Evergreen imperial family give it to you?"
"No, it was my father who gave it to me," Aldrian replied.
"Who is your father?"
"Not telling."
"Acting mysterious, I see. What about your mother?"
"You're quite the curious cat, aren't you?" Aldrian said, looking at Xin Haotian.
"You're quite rude to your elder."
"The elder who suddenly attacked me with his sword?"
"Do you still hold a grudge about that? Are you still taking it to heart?"
"No, I never felt it was an offense."
The two ladies observed the bickering between the two men, a young man and a middle-aged looking man, though they knew these appearances were mere disguises. Although they appeared compatible with their calm faces, their interaction revealed underlying tension. After a while, they fell silent as they waited for their turn. Aldrian, meanwhile, reviewed his own information.
-------------------------------------
Aldrian Aster
Domain : The secret realm, The Ivory empire
Age : 13 years
Cultivation : Low Earl
Current energy : 321,702 (+2 /15m)
Energy needed for the next stage : 420.001
---------------------------------------
He had broken through to the Low Earl stage over a week ago, and he felt the control of his domain had become smoother. He felt much stronger, with a clearer and sharper mind. With this newfound confidence, he eagerly anticipated what his journey would bring. They continued to wait until their turn finally came, and they were ushered into the portal.
After stepping onto the teleportation formation, the scenery remained the same, but they knew they had entered demon territory. Sylphia quickly pulled a hood over her head to conceal her elven features. Since they were no longer in the Ivory Empire, she needed to be cautious. When they emerged from the portal, they were greeted by the plaza of the teleportation station and buildings with architecture distinct from that of the Ivory Empire.
The area around them had fewer trees and featured buildings with an Eastern architectural style. Aldrian noted that he couldn't see any elves here, making the environment quite unfamiliar to him. Having spent most of his time surrounded by elves and trees after emerging from the secret realm, the predominantly human presence felt strange.
Not only was the racial composition new, but Aldrian also sensed something different in the atmosphere. This was the first time he encountered such a thick concentration of demonic energy in one place. Though the people around him were not actively emitting their demonic energy, his sharp senses picked up the presence of it. The energy felt less violent than that of the devils but still carried a certain ominousness.
But still, the most striking feature after emerging from the portal was the twin peaks in the distance, their height reaching the clouds and shaped like horns from his vantage point. The scenery was so breathtaking that any newcomer stepping out of the portal would likely be stunned by the view.
"Let's move on if we don't have any business here," Xin Haotian said. He approached the operator to state his next destination and paid the required energy stones.
"You'll need to wait approximately 4 hours. You can either stay here in the plaza or explore the city. However, if you're not back in time for your turn, we'll consider your trip canceled and your energy stones will not be refunded," one of the operators informed them.
For Aldrian, of course he chose to wander outside the plaza and explore the city. He felt it would be a waste to simply wait and not take the opportunity to enjoy the new surroundings. His choice was supported by the two ladies, so Xin Haotian agreed to join them in exploring the city. They strolled leisurely, observing the various stalls lining the streets. The bustling atmosphere, filled with many demonic cultivators, revealed that these people were much like those in the orthodox cultivation world.
As they continued walking, Aldrian suddenly sensed a young boy, much younger than himself, approaching from the side of the street. Curious about the boy's intentions, Aldrian watched as the boy collided with him.
Thud!