“Who is that man? Is he a real treat to us?” when Manstein heard that someone finally appeared at the doorstep to visit, his eyes changed color slightly before returning to its normal color.

They just returned from the forest and exhausted most of their strength, therefore they could not defend themselves if something happened. Furthermore, they possessed a treasure which could make several influential people drooled and they had a use for that item.

“Perhaps but we cannot arrive at the conclusion before clearly see him act.” Said Wang Yu.

“What are you talking about? Is it perhaps like what you said that someone will use the unremovable ash to do something?”

Manstein had thought of such possibilities. The ash he had found around the city was actually that unremovable ash. Although the ash itself was just a thing but when a certain reaction happened, the ash would react and then it was as good as having no defense at all.

“Yes, that thing. We cannot remove it and even if we can, the time it takes will be long enough that anyone who planned this might already achieve their objective.” Replied Wang Yu.

“Then how should we proceed? Now that we at least know something has gone wrong in this city mean that there is something hidden from our perspective. Just thinking about it is just wasting time and because the cause itself only appeared three years ago then I supposed that this ash is meant for something else entirely.”

Manstein knew that there was something ongoing even as he spoke now but he could not be sure what that thing was.

“First, we need to investigate that person. From the looks of it, he has the clothes from the similar model from the clothes those disciples from Cleansing Ancient Sect wear. Other than that...”

Hou Fei had the experience of the current world condition, therefore, he was the most suitable person to explain it.

“..the energy he has is the same as that kid from Ye family, the one that I recently solved. But the difference in quantity and quality is really great and that man probably reached a certain stage of his cultivation art.”

Everyone turned silent. Manstein had to digest everything in one go, not to mention that they had hostage now but he was not sure about their relationship yet. Even with their successful harvest of getting the Tenth-ranked treasure but it already made all of them in hardship.

‘Now that the treasure is free from its initial place then I’m sure that sooner or later the important person will arrive. This is really infuriating but it can’t be helped either as the treasure is an important thing and also the crucial step for us now.’

Manstein had heard from Wang Yu that the Forbidden Fountain was the fountain that the ancient race Paleo once coveted amongst their ranks.

‘Firstly is to get the stable resources for practicing body cultivation. The black water the fountain possess will be a great assistance to someone that wanted to enter the initial stage of body cultivation.’

The black water was able to strengthen the body, the internal organs, bones, blood veins, nerve system, and also the muscle. But before someone enjoyed that, one had to face torturous ordeal, unlike the person that possessed bloodline power.

The difference between bloodline power and body constitution lied in their practice of cultivation. The body cultivation was suitable for bloodline power while someone with body constitution was more good with energy cultivation.

‘Before that, I have to make things clear. And for that....it’s a wonderful thing that we hold someone in our grasp.’ Countless thoughts appeared inside the imaginary world of Wang Yu as he remembered that there was someone in his grasp.

“I see. Then I want to see him without alarming that person.” Manstein then bade farewell to both Wang Yu and Hou Fei. He only knew the basic foundation of the formation including its structure, the way it worked, the vital part as well as the advantage of each function.

‘Alright, now I can think about it more clearly. The memory that suddenly rose during my meditation, is that a form of warning?’

Manstein could feel the fluctuation from his soul, from the seal which resided within his soul to be exact. That seal, even though it caused nothing, was something that appeared with the world’s will. That was why Manstein knew that something linked to the seal and the memory which caused him remembered that day.

‘I have to admit that in this place, I’m but a nobody, a foreigner. I know nothing about this place and in fact, I don’t even know about anything. But I shall return to where I once belong and not even world will be able to stop this determination!’

Manstein then dipped his finger to a small liquid. This liquid was the result of the accumulated energy and then gathered together to form a group. This liquid was like water and also a part of the formation.

Then the energy from the liquid started to assimilate with Manstein’s body and the different energy that radiated from Manstein’s body then just gone like that.

‘What a great formation!’ Manstein exclaimed in astonishment. No wonder that even the image he had seen previously explained the importance of a formation and also the multi-purpose formation type.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

‘With this liquid, even I cannot be detected easily by increasing the sensitivity. Add my concealment technique and I’m basically undetected. But I worry that the man came here with dozens of detection methods. Should I really go?’

Manstein had a faint feeling that the man came to the city with the purpose of recognizing what kind of formation that enveloped the city. And Manstein also knew that Wang Yu let the man in!

‘But then if the man truly can enter then only by purposely letting him in....’ Manstein grinned. Of course, he realized that the plan was good but would that effective?

What if the opponent also prepared for that and instead of capturing the other party, they let him see their trump card for free? Or worse the man became aware of the workings of the formation and prepared a countermeasure?

‘I need to look at him closely.’

It was decided then by Manstein himself that he would watch the man like a ghost, always tailing him as long as he was in the city. Right now, that man was still in the process of discerning the form of the formation.

Of course, what he had seen so far was just the basic formation of the city. It was so standard that he could not relate the link between this defense formation with the one he had heard from the elders.

-

While the peaceful condition of Xuan City was still not affected by the struggle but on the entire continent, several large cities started to showing sign of chaos.

At a certain brothel, a man with his straw hat sat on the chair while around him there were dozens of men seeking pleasure with the women all around them. Some of them truly did that activity at some place.

‘So many men here. It truly is in a state of full offensive and now these militias started to move in large groups.’

Indifferent towards the temptation of the condition and situation around him, Nie Yang coldly glanced around him showing that he was not interested much in people like them.

Fortunately no one really cared either and actually, he scanned the entire building with his gaze alone. The building was made from the rock that specifically dealt and absorb the special sense cultivator had and it was hard to break through the effect with just strong cultivation.

And the location he was in right now was the central plain where several powerhouses resided, where the eye of the storm was.

‘I heard that there was a convoy of elders from Cleansing Ancient Sect coming out from their hall with haste. Of course after that, the other also made the similar movement but with their own destination.’

As he related the event, an uproar suddenly appeared from within the crowd inside the brothel.

“You better roll out else I punish you!” the sound was loud enough for all the people present there to hear. When the soldiers heard the sound, their body trembled in fear. Even some of them started to run while their clothes were still disordered.

“Just move your feet, don’t you! If we’re late then you know the consequences.” A man dragged his friend and directly moved despite the difficulties. There was also the crowd that made the movement slower as well.

‘That sound must be from that person. The garrison unit composed from cultivator that gained fame through the war in the past, did they finally act?’

As soon as the sound came, Nie Yang got out from the place. He floated high in the sky while looking down on the city. He saw the small black dots that gathered together in one place.

While Nie Yang observed the situation, another man arrived at the gate of the city. Hearing the shout from a large number of people made the man turned his head to look.

“Oh, it’s only them. Forget it, I have someone to hunt and I’m sure that he is near.” The man let out a bead. The bead at first just motionless on the man’s palm but the next few seconds the bead started to move.

“I, Wei Liang now will get you. Don’t ever hope to escape again.”

And then Nie Yang felt something came towards him. He knitted his brows and then spread out his sense, only to find a person came to him at full speed.

“You again!” Nie Yang, unfortunately, could not even run away because of his body condition that kept deteriorating each time. This made him hard to execute his maximum power and that was why he could only hide as much as he can.

But in the end, he was caught no matter how good he evaded the other party.

“Please wait a second. Don’t act like a cat whose tail was stepped, I don’t want to make a commotion here. I’m here to discuss something with you.”

Wei Liang finally lets out a sigh when he saw that Nie Yang only stared at him without trying to escape.

“What!? As if I’ll believe your statement when you strike me last time! Do you think that you will not do it again!?” Nie Yang said that while pointing his finger at Wei Liang.

“Alright, that was then. But now I think that you can help me solve something as your way to atone for your deeds. Did you know that thing beyond the Stone Door?” asked Wei Liang.

“That thing? So there are also other than can reach that place. But did you think that because I came from there alive meant I get something good? Or is it about the Treasure inside which even the large power coveted?”

Nie Yang narrowed his eyes. Just what was that man’s intention?

“It’s better to do it this way. Do you know about the Universe Gate?” their way of communication instantly shifted into energy transmission because both of them felt the sense from another people like them, strong.

And no one with the cultivation below them would detect them due to the difference in power. But they could only make their discussion short.

Nie Yang’s interest piqued when Wei Liang mentioned about the Universe Gate. Who doesn’t especially when the gate was the reason that the invasion took place.

“The gate that connects the universe. It is said that the gate itself located at the very center of our world but no one knows about its exact location. And if you noticed it, then you should see that pattern right?”

Nie Yang then drew a symbol and Wei Liang frowned before he stared wide at the pattern that formed in air.

“Alright, you can do whatever you want. I can’t escape anymore.” Nie Yang truly could not escape because his body was not good anymore. Even if he used the special effects of the bag he held, he would still be unable to escape.

‘If not the fact that my current strength is lacking..’ Nie Yang could not blame anyone but himself for his injury. Also, he could not understand why Wei Liang chased him so far just for the thing behind the Stone Door.

And one more thing why Nie Yang tried so hard to escape from someone like Wei Liang, that was because Wei Liang was originally a bounty hunter. And worse, Nie Yang himself was a thief.

“Pfft, I understand why you are trying to run as soon as you see me.” Wei Liang laughed, even as far as slapping his own thigh a few times.

“But this matter I spoke earlier is true. The last time I went there, something that had never been seen appear inside. And that time was the last century ago to commemorate the hundred years post-war event.”

The sound of the war drum reverberated throughout the entire city as they spoke and the accumulated number of people made it like a black dots gathered together at a location outside the city.

“So, do you want to get a share of profit from this? Remember that this decision is in your hand. Just in case you agree then go to that building over there.” Wei Liang pointed out a certain building far in the distance in the city.

“Isn’t that the main building of Alchemist Institution? Why are you pointing there?”

Wei Liang faintly smiled when hearing the question. He knew that Alchemist Institution was where Wu Qing usually trained and she was once the student there. Another reason was that Wei Liang had a friend there that could understand him.

“Oh, it’s because of my relation maybe? And you start to realize something by this sight, right?”

Both of them looked towards the countless figure of men gathered in one place, slowly moved together in unity.

“Some things are inevitable to happen, such as the complete domination over the land. When I saw their bizarre movement three years prior, I knew for sure that some major changes had happened without our knowledge.”

Nie Yang actually wanted to hide in a hole like a rabbit but the circumstances made him unable to do that. Add to the fact that he could not outrun Wei Liang made him fuming with rage. Only when he heard Wei Liang talked about the thing beyond the Stone Door that his mood turned better.

“And here I am, with some fellows that supposed to catch me wanted to ask for my help instead. But did you hear the recent news?”

Nie Yang asked Wei Liang. Wei Liang just silently nodded as a sign of agreement. What Nie Yang meant was the information some people talked about the southeast region where Xuan City located.

“They can defend themselves, that is good to me. But I’m sure they have something at their disposal so I am not worrying them. Come!”

Wei Liang finished his sentence while spinning a thread onto Nie Yang’s hands. Nie Yang turned pale when he saw the thread but fortunately, Wei Liang said something that calmed his heart.

‘Why I started to...’ as Nie Yang thought about that feeling of trust inside his heart, he could not understand why he had such feeling either.

“Looks like I really act like my Junior Brother did in the past, to hold my promise and act without causing destruction left and right. Hmm, it’s certainly strange because I’m the one who supposed to become the role model for my Junior Brother but in the end, it was me that followed his doing all this time.”

Moving through the clouds and unperturbed by the winds, they had countless thought brewing on their mind not knowing how to deal with it. Their destination was the Alchemy Institute!