The two stone tablets were now in his hands.
"Then I'll be leaving."
With the stone tablets secured, there was no longer any need to linger.
He rose and said, "If you ever need my help to repay a favor, you can tell me anytime."
"Good."
Madam Howard also rose. "I'll escort City Lord Chen."
"..."
Chen Fan did not refuse.
...
Leaving the building, people from Wenlan City were already waiting outside.
"City Lord."
An unfamiliar face appeared before Chen Fan. "Your subordinate is an envoy from the Wen Mos family, stationed at the Monster Beast Central City. Your residence has already been arranged. Would you like to go there now, or..."
"Let's go now."
"Yes, City Lord, please get in the car."
The person proactively opened the car door, and Chen Fan got in.
...
Currently, the four major powers each had people stationed within the territories of the others.
Although not explicitly stated, it was an unwritten rule.
For instance, Wenlan City also had people from the Monster Beast Legion, the Dark Church, and the Skull Society stationed there.
Amidst a peaceful atmosphere, all parties were lying in wait.
No one knew how long this peace would last; perhaps it would be very soon...
But at least for now, it was peaceful.
A luxurious, ancient manor – this was Wenlan City's base in the Monster Beast Central City.
Because of Chen Fan, the preference of Wenlan City's people had shifted from extravagance to simplicity.
Everywhere he looked, there were tall buildings and skyscrapers. Only this manor was a special exception.
Chen Fan entered the manor and found a room to rest.
Old Mo knocked on the door. "City Lord."
"What is it?"
The door opened without any wind.
Old Mo walked into the room, his expression grave. "Fire Demon has gone missing..."
"Hm?"
Chen Fan's expression changed drastically.
"Missing?"
"Yes."
Old Mo said, "Lan Kuang just called. They've searched all over Wenlan City and couldn't find any trace of Fire Demon."
"What happened?" Chen Fan's face was solemn.
Fire Demon was too important to him.
Perhaps only Fire Demon could recognize the ancient text on the stone tablet.
At such a crucial juncture, Fire Demon had actually gone missing.
His first thought was that someone was targeting him, but he immediately shook his head.
Wenlan City was his base, after all. Coupled with Fire Demon's power, it was impossible for him to be harmed or abducted without a trace.
The only possibility was that Fire Demon had left on his own.
Old Mo spoke again. "When I called Lan Kuang earlier, he went to the Eastern Manor. By then, Fire Demon was already gone. Lan Kuang thought Fire Demon had gone out for a stroll and sent people to look for him."
"However, they searched all over Wenlan City and still couldn't find any trace of Fire Demon."
"..."
Chen Fan was silent for a long time.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
His fingers tapped lightly on the table as his mind raced.
On the current continent of Damelia, who could take Fire Demon away without a trace? The answer was no one...
That meant Fire Demon had left on his own. But why?
He couldn't understand.
"Tell Lan Kuang to keep searching," Chen Fan decided.
"Yes."
Old Mo turned to make the call.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
His fingers moved with precision, like keys on a piano.
The path of Fire Demon would have to be temporarily abandoned.
The remaining options were the Dark Church or the Skull Society.
Especially the Dark Church, which had existed on this continent for hundreds of years; they must possess many unknown depths.
Perhaps they could recognize the text on it.
No sooner said than done...
"Let's go."
Chen Fan left the room directly. Old Mo, who had just hung up the phone, quickly followed.
The car was waiting at the entrance, and the driver was also waiting.
"Leave the city."
"Yes."
The car sped off towards the port.
This time, there were no benefits of a city lockdown.
Perhaps some people knew Chen Fan was in the car, but many more either didn't know or pretended to be oblivious.
By the time Chen Fan reached the port, it was already close to midnight.
"Let's go."
This time, Chen Fan soared into the sky directly.
Sword energy sprang from beneath his feet, carrying him straight into the clouds, and he disappeared into the sky above Monster Beast Central City.
"I'm here."
Demonic energy surged.
...
As soon as the two left, Grey arrived at Madam's top-floor restricted area.
He did not knock, nor did he speak.
Only when Madam had finished clearing everything in the room and voluntarily opened the door did Grey say, "City Lord Chen and Old Mo have left."
"I know."
Madam closed the door and walked straight up the stairs.
Grey followed.
Madam Howard continued, "Send a message to the Dark Church and the Skull Society. Tell them that Chen Fan's next stop might be one of them."
"Yes."
Grey did not ask unnecessary questions and immediately went to execute the order.
...
In the Southern Domain, above the Endless Marshland.
Two streams of light were traveling at high speed.
"City Lord."
Old Mo, beside him, suddenly spoke. "Your expression is a bit troubled. Are you preoccupied? If you don't mind, you can tell me about it, and I'll help you figure it out."
Chen Fan glanced at Old Mo and shook his head.
For some reason, he suddenly had a very bad premonition.
As for the source of the premonition, he didn't know.
He just felt unwell.
Old Mo said nothing more, just kept pace.
The night slowly passed as the two of them raced on.
The continent was divided into four regions. Chen Fan spent the entire night and finally reached the Northern Region.
The continent of Damelia was vast; even a powerful cultivator like Chen Fan needed several hours to reach the Northern Region.
...
"Hmm, it's a different scene here." Standing at the boundary marker, Old Mo sighed.
Unlike the Endless Marshland in the Southern Region.
It was much colder here. The occasional gust of wind felt like a knife.
The wind here was fierce.
Not just the wind; the entire Northern Region seemed to be shrouded in a deeply oppressive aura.
Before his eyes, mountains rose and fell in endless waves.
The Northern Region was mountainous, known as the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Every mountain was shrouded in Yin energy, as if a great demon with soaring evil energy resided within.
Between the mountains lay cities.
Roads branched out in all directions, built within the gaps between the mountains.
"Let's go down."
Similar to their journey to the Monster Beast Legion, they did not want to cause too much disturbance.
Since they were here to visit, they had to maintain the proper decorum.
However, before they could descend, they were discovered.
"Whoosh."
An阴风 (Yin wind) converged, like black smoke billowing from a chimney. A distorted figure shrouded in mist spoke, "City Lord Chen's esteemed arrival is a great honor, and we have failed to welcome you. I am the third Skull Emissary of the Skull Society, Human Skull."
The Skull Society had three powerful Skull Emissaries: Heaven, Earth, and Human.
Human Skull, ranked third.
"Take me to see the Skull King," Chen Fan said directly.
"Uh..."
The other party did not expect Chen Fan to be so direct.
As a greeter, quick reflexes were a mandatory skill.
The other party reacted and gestured, "Heaven Skull is awaiting City Lord Chen. City Lord Chen, please..."
"Let's go."
Without further ado, they teleported away.
The sky was completely bright.
The Yin energy was dispelled, and light once again shone.