Chapter 832: Unknown Presence

After confirming that the man in black robes had indeed left, Ye Guan immediately sat down cross-legged and began healing his injuries. The punch he had taken earlier had nearly shattered his fleshly body. Not only was his body injured, but his soul was severely injured as well. Fortunately, his fleshly body was strong, and the Qingxuan Sword had taken the brunt of the attack. Otherwise, his soul would have been annihilated by that punch.

The severe injury made him realize the significant gap between himself and a Path Creation Realm expert.

The difference between being a half-step Path Creation Realm expert and a "true" Path Creation expert was truly massive; it would be an insult to even compare the former to the latter.

However, there was one thing that left Ye Guan confused. The man in black robes clearly wanted to take the Qingxuan Sword away, so why did he change his mind all of a sudden?

Ye Guan pondered briefly over it before setting aside the thought and focusing on healing from his injuries.

Zhou Fan, sitting nearby, also began healing herself. Her injuries weren't light, but she was in a better state than Ye Guan.

Ye Guan had protected her earlier, after all.

After a long while, the two recovered to about seventy to eighty percent of their full health.

Zhou Fan opened her eyes and looked at Ye Guan, who was sitting cross-legged in front of her. There was a hint of curiosity in her eyes. She knew the young man was extraordinary as soon as they met, which was why she had been trying hard to win him over. It turned out that she was correct; the young man was remarkable and had even exceeded her expectations.

The restrictions that could trap even a Path Creation Realm expert were something that Ye Guan managed to break with a single sword strike.

Moreover, the man in black robes had most likely decided to leave out of worry.

What could make a Path Creation Realm expert worry?

Zhou Fan pondered.

Just then, Ye Guan opened his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at Zhou Fan in front of him. "Lady Zhou, can you contact the others?"

Just as Zhou Fan was about to speak, more than a dozen powerful auras erupted from the depths of the abyss in the distance.

Zhuo Yuan and the others soon appeared before Ye Guan and Zhou Fan.

Zhuo Yuan hurried to Ye Guan's side, and his face was pale as he asked, "Young Master Ye, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Ye Guan nodded.

Zhuo Yuan sighed in relief.

Seeing that Zhou Fan was also unharmed, the Right Elder sighed in relief as well.

Meanwhile, Ye Guan was a bit puzzled. "Where did you guys go?"

"A mysterious restriction sealed our cultivation base as soon as we landed," Zhuo Yuan replied gravely, "The restrictions have just disappeared, so we managed to track you down."

Ye Guan nodded slightly. It seemed that the man in black robes' targets were just Zhou Fan and himself.

With that in mind, he couldn't help but glance at Zhou Fan. Since the targets were the two of them, it meant that Zhou Fan had a way to shatter the restrictions. If he had been more patient, he would have discovered her trump card.

However, it didn't really matter. He owed her, after all. Even though she had an ulterior motive, Ye Guan wouldn't forget her kindness. Moreover, it would actually be strange if Zhou Fan had no ulterior motive.

Just then, the black-robed middle-aged man chimed in, "Just now, we heard a commotion at the bottom of the abyss. Did you two encounter that Path Creation Realm expert?"

Everyone looked at Ye Guan and Zhou Fan.

Zhou Fan nodded and replied, "We did."

Everyone's expressions changed slightly.

The black-robed middle-aged man hurriedly asked, "How powerful were they?"

Zhou Fan replied, "Very strong, beyond our ability to defeat."

The group exchanged worried and grave looks.

Zhou Fan smiled and said, "Everyone, don't worry. They left in a hurry after breaking the restrictions. If he wanted to kill us, we would be dead by now."

"Indeed." The black-robed middle-aged man nodded, but there was a strange gleam in his eyes as he stared alternatingly between Ye Guan and Zhou Fan.

Everyone else glanced at the two as well, seemingly musing over their own thoughts.

Zhou Fan did not bother explaining; she turned away and said, "Let's go check out that mysterious pagoda."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Without the restrictions to suppress them, the group swiftly crossed the abyss and arrived at the tall pagoda.

The pagoda had twelve levels, and there were iron chains as thick as pillars securing each corner at the top.

The other end of the chains were anchored deep in the ground around the pagoda, and they were all riddled with ancient and mysterious runes.

Just then, Ye Guan's brows furrowed slightly. The mysterious ancient character within his own pagoda was trembling, obviously reacting to something.

Ye Guan slowly looked up at the top of the pagoda's gate and saw three large characters written boldly. Unfortunately, he could not read them.

Ye Guan stepped forward to approach the pagoda's gate, but Zhou Fan grabbed his arm. He turned to look at her, and she shook her head slightly.

Ye Guan came to a halt, and Zhou Fan released his arm.

"There's an unknown presence inside," Zhou Fan explained.

An unknown presence?

Ye Guan frowned and transmitted,

"Master Pagoda, can you feel that unknown presence?"

Little Pagoda responded, "There is indeed an unknown presence, and it is very strong."

Ye Guan's face darkened. Was it another Path Creation Realm expert? He only had one outcome in the face of a Path Creation Realm expert. He'd get beaten up without a shadow of a doubt. The gap was just too vast.

Upon hearing Zhou Fan's warning about the unknown presence, everyone present became tense and alert.

Zhou Fan turned to the group, speaking earnestly, "Everyone, if there's truly a Path Creation Realm expert inside, we're not going to stand a chance against them. Now the question is... should we go in or not?"

The group hesitated. It'd be tragic if they were forced to leave now.

However, their lives would be at risk if they were to proceed any further.

Zhou Fan was right. If there truly was a Path Creation Realm expert inside the pagoda, they wouldn't be able to put up a fight against them.

The difference between a half-step Path Creation Realm and a "true" Path Creation Realm was enormous.

Just then, the black-robed middle-aged man asked, "Lady Zhou, Young Master Ye, are you two going to go inside the pagoda?"

Everyone quickly looked at Zhou Fan and Ye Guan.

Zhou Fan glanced at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan nodded slightly without saying anything. He was definitely going in.

Zhou Fan smiled at that and replied, "Like Young Master Ye, I also want to go in and take a look."

The black-robed middle-aged man immediately said, "Then, I'll go in, too."

The others expressed their intention to follow as well, and the thought process behind their decision was not that complicated.

Both Ye Guan and Zhou Fan definitely had extraordinary backgrounds, and they couldn't possibly be foolish enough to throw their lives away.

There had to be a reason behind the two's daringness to enter the pagoda.

Zhou Fan and Ye Guan remained silent.

The black-robed middle-aged man saw that and hurriedly said, "I know that I will be a burden, but if you're willing to take me along, I'm willing to serve you both with utmost loyalty."

There was no free lunch in this world. How could someone expect to profit without any capital?

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The Right Elder asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." the black-robed middle-aged man said, nodding.

"It just so happens that my lady is in the process of recruiting people to her side," the Right Elder said, "You possess extraordinary skills, so why not join us in pursuit of great things together?"

The black-robed middle-aged man glanced at Zhou Fan and said, "Alright."

The old man opened his palm, and an ancient-looking piece of paper appeared before the black-robed middle-aged man. "This is a contract. Once signed, you will become a retainer of the Great Zhou Imperial family for a thousand years. While you're serving the Imperial family, you will receive the benefits of a tier two retainer and will be paid a hundred Ancestral Veins every year as compensation."

A contract!

The black-robed middle-aged man stared silently at the contract. Signing a contract meant he'd be bound by it and would have to truly serve the Imperial family of the Great Zhou. What would happen if he refused to sign? There was a chance that he'd get left behind.

The Right Elder calmly remarked, "If you don't want to, we won't force you."

The black-robed man suddenly looked at Ye Guan. "What about you?"

Ye Guan was slightly taken aback, "What about me?"

The black-robed middle-aged man revealed a helpless look. "Don't you want to recruit some people? Hurry up and make an offer."

Everyone was speechless.

Ye Guan thought for a moment and replied, "Lady Zhou is already recruiting you, so I'll stay out of it."

Zhou Fan smiled, "Thank you, Young Master Ye."

The black-robed man hesitated and then asked, "Young Master Ye, are you from a Tier Four civilization?"

Ye Guan shook his head, "I'm from a Tier One civilization."

Everyone was stunned.

The black-robed man's face darkened. "A Tier One civilization, and yet a half-step Path Creation Realm expert is following you?"

Ye Guan smiled but did not explain.

Seeing that Ye Guan had no intention of recruiting him, the black-robed middle-aged man sighed inwardly. He accepted the contract and pricked his finger, allowing a drop of his blood to fall on it.

Boom!

A mysterious wave of energy burst out of the piece of paper. The wave of energy shot up into the sky and disappeared into the depths of the starry sky.

Ye Guan was astonished. "Lady Zhou, what was that?"

Zhou Fan smiled and explained, "The contract that was just signed has been acknowledged by the Great Dao. If one were to violate it, one would experience a backlash from the Great Dao."

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "I see."

The black-robed middle-aged man glanced at Ye Guan and Zhou Fan, thinking to himself. Were they scheming something?

He couldn't help but notice that Lady Zhou had a warm attitude toward Ye Guan.

However, it made sense. The young man had a half-step Path Creation Realm expert following him, which meant that he most likely had an extraordinary background.

Just where was he from? Was he from a civilization better than the civilization to which the Great Zhou Imperial family belonged?

The reason he was willing to sign the contract was not only because Zhou Fan seemed decent but also because he had some understanding of the Great Zhou Imperial family.

They were from a Tier Four civilization! And there was also a saying about how it was better to rely on a big tree for shade.

The black-robed middle-aged man swept his gaze across the others, but they all remained silent.

Sign a contract? They didn't want to do that at all.

Zhou Fan suddenly smiled, "Everyone, don't overthink it. My Great Zhou Imperial family will never coerce anyone into doing something. This secret realm does not belong to the Great Zhou Imperial family, so you're free to enter and leave as you wish. I have no authority to stop you. Of course, I'm going to be honest and say this. If there truly is a Path Creation Realm expert inside the pagoda, I'll prioritize protecting my people."

With that, Zhou Fan walked slowly toward the pagoda's gate. She opened her palm, revealing a golden dragon seal. She then pressed down gently.

A white light burst out of the seal and entered the pagoda's gate.

Boom!

The seal on the pagoda's gate shattered, and the door opened slowly.

Zhou Fan looked at Ye Guan beside her and smiled. "Young Master Ye, let's go."

Ye Guan nodded and entered the pagoda with Zhou Fan and the others.

The eleven people outside were silent before someone said, "Let's go."

With that, he led the way.

Sign a contract? They didn't want to do that at all.

Zhou Fan was right. This secret realm did not belong to the Great Zhou Imperial family, so they were free to enter and leave.

Why not squeeze as much profit as possible while it was still possible to do so?

With that, the people outside followed suit and entered the pagoda.