He couldn't make out of what this creature is, but the feeling of dread that it gave made his heart dropped.
"no matter what, you shouldn't go out of the city"
Hero was surprised, but the old man didn't want to say anything else and went quiet inside him.
Hearing this, Hero wasn't one to take the words lightly. Especially when he noticed the slight shift of tone from the usual, he knew it immediately that the old man wasn't joking.
He pushed himself upwards, his cloak and robe billowing under the wind, and his eyes peered outside the barrier.
Narrowing, "Something orchestrated from beyond the sky?"
He murmured, vividly recalling the words as he clenched his fist first and unclamped it back.
Turning his gaze downward, bringing his palm up, and he discerned the 'Anguished jester' card that he obtained from that strange senior from before.
The sunlight caused the metallic lines to be reflected under his eyes. Especially the face hidden behind the mask, a portrayal of anger against whatever stood above.
"You sure are hooked on that card, boy... " The old voice teased, but Hero didn't mind.
He shook his head and turned his gaze to the sky this time. The clouds weren't visible any longer, red filled the horizon, but faintly, he knew that out there, the once blue sky existed.
"But for a great fate, there must be an equivalent weight to balance it... " He smiled, grasping the card within his palm, and he brought it up to his chest, "These words somehow gave me a strange feeling. I am unsure what it exactly is, but... "
His eyes turned firm, "It made me feel alive... "
"Surely it does... " The old voice responded.
Then, for the next few days, he lay low. Neither seeking trouble nor anything else, just living in his periphery without inciting any issues.
Liam was paying attention to him most of the time. His every move, every decision, none could escape his eyes.
"A very solid will... Indifferent to most but possessed the heart that is willing to protect the vulnerable. "
"However... that heart is only willing to protect the vulnerable that he is acquainted with" Liam analyzed Hero's personality, and with that, he made a rough plan for the plot.
Then, one night.
The opportunity came.
"For the greater benefits, one must be willing to sacrifice, no?"
It was nighttime. Hero sat in his room, eyes closed in meditation, with nothing unusual happening.
Outside, the city's nightlife carried on as usual. From time to time, laughter and brazen voices drifted from the main road into the quieter residential streets.
He didn't find it bothersome. If anything, it was comforting. Despite everything happening beyond the city, there was still life here.
"At the very least, people are still alive," he muttered.
His eyes opened slowly, the dim room casting soft shadows across his face. A breeze slipped in through the open window, stirring the still air.
The balcony doors stood wide open, and his gaze shifted toward them.
The room itself was simple, sparsely decorated, just enough for a temporary stay, nothing more.
"It's beautiful how peaceful this city is… though I wonder how other cities are handling the current issue."
He didn't say much after that. From experience, he already knew, immortals were indifferent to mortals more often than not.
Unless it was an emergency, they rarely interfered.
This city, however, was different. With a Nascent Soul Ancestor holding the sky, the sense of peace here wasn't something other cities could easily match.
"Alas… everything comes down to strength in the end."
He let out a quiet sigh and pushed himself to his feet. His robe brushed lightly against the wooden floor as he walked toward the balcony.
Leaning against the railing, he looked out over the quiet neighborhood. His gaze drifted, distant, as if lost in thought.
Then, almost unconsciously, his hand slipped into his pocket.
He pulled something out and held it up.
The 'Anguished Jester' card.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "I really am hooked on that old man's words, aren't I?"
"But of course you are."
A voice answered from beside him. A faint, illusory figure emerged, an old man in a pristine blue robe.
His long white hair swayed gently as he glanced at the scenery, then turned his attention to Hero. His eyes lingered on the card, studying it carefully.
"The more I think about those words, the more impressed I become," he said. "This city is hiding far more than it shows on the surface. Be careful, boy. You're stepping into deep, murky waters."
"But for a great fate, there must be an equivalent weight against it, no?"
Hero repeated the line as he always did, a quiet chuckle escaping him.
The old man didn't respond right away. He simply shook his head, a faint smile forming.
"It is a powerful sentence… enough to stir even an old heart like mine."
A hint of something sharp flickered in his tone.
"To rebel against the sky itself…"
"Hahaha!"
The two laughed, their voices blending into the quiet night.
They stood there, looking out over the surrounding buildings, letting the cool air settle in their lungs, clearing whatever stray thoughts lingered in their minds.
"I'll be going out."
"Are you still planning to chase that woman?"
The old man glanced at him, hands clasped behind his back as his gaze shifted.
In the distance stood a tall tower, its peak marked with cloud and thunder patterns.
"She's the treasured wife of a Nascent Soul Lord," he continued. "You're bold, approaching her so openly."
"Oh no, old man. You've misunderstood."
Hero smiled faintly, his fingers tapping against the wooden railing. He reached out, brushing the leaves of a potted plant, his expression growing more relaxed.
"It wouldn't be stealing if the feelings are mutual, no?"
"Then you really are a fool." The old man's tone turned heavier. "The consequences are beyond what you can handle. Even I might get dragged into it."
"Relax. It's not like I have better options with the limited resources in this city."
"Hmph… just be careful. These old bones can't take too much strain."
With that, the old man's illusory figure faded, slipping back into Hero's body.
Hero didn't react. He wasn't a fool.
His intentions had always been layered.
Chasing love was never the main course.
He changed into a finer set of clothes, left the house, and made his way toward the entrance of the Purple Cloud Pavilion.
Two cloaked guards stood at the door, their auras clearly at the early Foundation Building stage.
Despite the gap in cultivation, Hero showed no hesitation. Under their watchful gaze, he walked straight inside without being stopped.
He had a special status here now—a guest, a VIP—earned through his skill in formations.
To him, it was simply a way to step into the Pavilion's inner circle.
To Ilya, however, he was a valuable asset, something to be used.
After all, the Pavilion's sales had been rising steadily over the past week, largely because of him.
Even with the thick red fog separating the cities in this region, connections still existed through something known as Immortal Caravans.
Unlike mortal caravans, these traveled by flying ships, transporting goods between cities.
Each journey was typically guarded by at least one Foundation Building cultivator to fend off monster attacks.
But given the current state of the immortal world, very few were willing to risk such trips. Only second-rate forces, those capable of sending higher-level cultivators, continued to maintain these trade routes.
Ilya just happened to have the means, to build ships, send them out, and maintain trade routes between cities despite the red miasma.
After entering the pavilion, Hero didn't head upstairs where Ilya would likely be.
Instead, he moved to the side.
There was another gate there. Once he stepped through, a wide, open field came into view.
Huge flying ships were docked across the ground, lined up one after another.
Wooden crates, containers, and resources were constantly being loaded and unloaded, while workers moved in a steady flow, handling their tasks.
Hero's attention shifted to the cloaked figures standing on the ships. Their auras were noticeably different from the others.
Yet the Purple Cloud pattern tied them all together, giving the pavilion a uniform presence.
The Pavilion's guardians.