699 Encounter
At the same time that Bai Ning and Hui Ying had begun to explore the underground cave network of the jungle for a way out, Xuan Hao was taking a short break as he laid on top of the large flying demon beast while admiring the vast and beautiful landscape below.
The speed of a Nascent Soul Realm flying demon beast should be comparable to the speed of an ordinary Domain Lord if I didn't slow it down for me to fully recover by the point, I have to pass through the more dangerous locations of the Sky Empire!
Even then, I should still be able to reach the Iron Sky Kingdom in another day or two with my current speed...
Thinking this to himself Xuan Hao remembered the different things about the core region that had been written down in the book that Yi Ming had given to him during his time in the Iron Sky Kingdom.
Even if the core region of the Sky Empire sounded like a more peaceful place due to the core of the Sky Empire being located there, this was simply not the case.
From what information he could get his hands on through the book Yi Ming had given to him and what little he could learn from different records he had come across; the border of the Sky Empire was a far safer place compared to the core region of the Sky Empire.
The main reason for this, was that almost all Domain Lord Realm Experts in the border region were from the Sky Empire and were stationed there to keep a watch on anyone trying to enter the Sky Empire. Few of them had any faction in the border region of the Sky Empire.
For this reason, the scale of conflicts taking place in the border region of the Sky Empire was limited to fights between Nascent Soul Realm Experts and although a Nascent Soul Realm Expert could cause quite a lot of destruction, it was nowhere near the level of destruction a Domain Lord Realm Expert could cause!
Not to mention this, most Domain Lord Realm Experts that appeared in the border region of the Sky Empire would normally move to the core region shortly after due to the environment in the core region being far richer in resources and normally, it would not be easy for a Domain Lord Realm Expert to improve his cultivation realm without going to the core region.
In the core region, there were far more resources that could help improve the strength of a Domain Lord Realm Expert, while at the same time, there were also older Domain Lord Realm experts that might get a chance to ask whenever one encountered a bottleneck.
A case of a sect like the Star Shattering Sect appearing in the border region was an oddity that had never really happened before...
Given how the core region was the place where the top experts of the Sky Empire gathered, there were of course several special locations filled with both opportunities and life-threatening dangers, some of which were life threatening even to experts that had reached the Domain Lord Realm!
During his journey to the capital of the Sky Empire, he would inevitably have to pass through a few of these special locations, some of which were dangerous even to Domain Lord Realm Experts!
Of course, to the current Xuan Hao, he didn't really think that going through any of these places would pose any threat to him. Especially considering that he planned to fully recover before reaching any of them...
"Hm?"
Just as he was deep in thought thinking about the different places he would have to pass through later on when he reached the core region of the Sky Empire, Xuan Hao could not help narrowing his eyes as he sensed a large group of people approaching him from afar on top of flying demon beast.
Even from afar, Xuan Hao could clearly sense that all of the flying demon beasts had reached the Nascent Soul Realm!
Using his divine sense to investigate this group of people more closely, Xuan Hao could not help feeling surprised after realizing that there was close to twenty Nascent Soul Realm flying demon beasts, each with a Late Stage or Peak Nascent Soul Realm Expert on top of it!
Not only this, but there was also three people who had reached the Domain Lord Realm among the group of Nascent Soul Realm Expert!
Looks like it should be a group of people from the Sky Empire or one of the three religious orders... I wonder what caused them to come to the border region...
Not able to think about any other force inside the Sky Empire that would be able to amass such a powerful force outside of those, Xuan Hao could not help wondering why they had suddenly sent such a powerful force towards the border region.
Looks like they also discovered me...
Whoosh~!
Feeling three different divine senses sweep over him just shortly after he finished inspecting the group, Xuan Hao decided to release his aura belonging to the Ninth Stage of the Domain Lord Realm.
Swish~!
Not a second later, the three different divine senses that had come from the group of people approaching his direction quickly retreated in a panic.
From the reaction alone, it was obvious that they had not expected to encounter someone in the Domain Lord Realm at the border region... Let alone someone who had reached the Peak of the Domain Lord Realm!
Hm? Looks like one of them is coming over here...
Noticing that the group of people came to a stop before one of the Domain Lord Realm Experts began approaching him, Xuan Hao decided to wait and see what they wanted...
"Greetings senior!"
Hearing the polite greeting from the Domain Lord Realm Expert that had arrived in front of him from the group now waiting in the distance, Xuan Hao could not help curiously examining him.
Not only was he a Domain Lord Realm Expert in the Third Stage of the Domain Lord Realm, but he was also covered in precious artifacts from head to toe!
Even without knowing where the other party was from yet, it was obvious that it was a large power given how many artifacts he was powerful artifacts he was covered in...
"Greetings, I'm a Grand Elder of the Star Shattering Sect. Might I ask where you are from...?"
Deciding to introduce himself first before asking about where the man floating in front of him was from, Xuan Hao could not help secretly chuckling after seeing the puzzled appearances that appeared on the man's face after he mentioned that he was from the Star Shattering Sect.
It was obvious that although the Star Shattering Sect had started to gain fame in the border region of the Sky Empire, it was still not well known in the core region of the Sky Empire. Not something surprising given that the Star Shattering Sect had only been around for a few years at this point in time and had not been involved in the core region of the Sky Empire.
"I'm a member of the Sky Empire's Imperial Guard! Senior... I do not seem to have heard about the Star Shattering Sect before... Is it perhaps a new sect?"
"Yes! It was just recently established and is located close to the border between the Sky Empire and the Frozen Wastelands!"
"Close to the border between the Frozen Wastelands and the Sky Empire...?"
"Yes!"
Seeing the imperial guard showing an even more puzzled expression after hearing that the Ninth Stage Domain Lord Realm Expert in front of him claimed to be from a sect located in the border region, Xuan Hao could not help smiling wryly.
Indeed, considering that most of Domain Lords from the Sky Empire chose to build their factions in the core region where resources were the most abundant, it was indeed rather weird to hear about a new sect with a powerful Domain Lord Realm Expert behind it being established in the border region of the Sky Empire where resources were far harder to find...
"Ahm-! Excuse my surprise... It's my first time hearing about a senior of such high realm establishing a sect in such a desolate place..."
"No problem at all! By the way... I was wondering why all of you have come all the way out here to the border region."
Having already found out that the group of powerful cultivators belonged to the Sky Empire, Xuan Hao could not help asking why they had come to the border region.
Although he understood that there was a chance that he might not get an answer, Xuan Hao still decided to ask.
After all, for so many powerful cultivators to suddenly appear, something had definitely happened in the border region-
Ah... The demonic cultivators... They are here because of the recent surge in demonic cultivators-
"Sure, we are here to help deal with the recent surge in demonic cultivator in the border kingdoms close to the Frozen Wasteland!"
Interrupting Xuan Hao's train of thought, the imperial guard happily explained the reason why he and the rest of the people waiting a short distance away had come to the border region.
Not to anyone's surprise, they had come due to the recent surge in demonic cultivators...