Mysterious Presence

Upon arriving at the hall, Luo Yin, Mu Kongdong and Jia Lin decided to explore the hotel premises together while the others chose to indulge in a relaxing soak in the hotel's hot spring.

As each of them went about their respective activities, a dense mist descended upon the town, cloaking it in an impenetrable veil of darkness.

"Are you sure that he's truly suitable, Your Highness?" Asked a youthful-looking woman with striking pale skin, black eyes and shoulder-length black hair.

She gazed upon the mist-shrouded town as she walked atop the tall, wide walls encircling the town alongside Mei Ling, exuding an aura of beauty and poise.

Mei Ling remained silent for a while, lost in thought as she took in the eerie atmosphere.

"Well, this is not up to me to decide," Mei Ling said, her voice laced with stillness.

"But he's not even someone of this world. How can he, someone from outside, have any connections with all of this?" The other girl asked with confusion visible on her fair complexion.

"This is also not something that can be determined by place of origin alone. Since time immemorial we have lost several of the records, as such expecting the unexpected is a natural course of action," Mei Ling replied, maintaining a calm demeanor.

"I see..." The other girl muttered to herself.

—

"In all honesty, this location embodies an unparalleled serenity that could only be described as divine, don't you think so?" Zhao Fengge said, reclining in the soothing hot spring waters, reveling in an exquisite sense of contentment.

"I wholeheartedly concur," Zhang Yu responded, his countenance composed as he luxuriated in the thermal waters not too far from Zhao Fengge.

"Indisputably, it was a wise decision to assist Senior Li Mingze," Yang Shen remarked, relishing the warm embrace of the hot spring.

"I wonder about that, not to mention that we have a long way ahead of us," Chang Jianhong interjected.

"Maybe, but this is not a bad start," Yang Shen replied.

"Well, that's Undeniable," Chang Jianhong replied.

Each person present could not help but feel a little tired after everything that had happened.

The funny part was that they had basically been kidnapped from the battlefield here.

"Do you think that we can truly bring an end to the war?" Chang Jianhong asked as he looked at the ceiling.

"I wonder," Yang Shen replied, "To be honest, I don't think that we can end it with just our own efforts but at least we are trying to get some help, right?"

"I just hope that we don't fail miserably," Zhao Fengge added, "Like the several many independent Sects and Clans which tried to go against the will of the Empire and the Alliance to build a third party which stood as a neutral haven for those who sought peace away from war."

"I believe there are still several of those said Independent factions still surviving but they do not possess any free will and often get pressurized and looted by the space pirates," Yang Shen said.

"The only group which stood up to the challenge and negated both the Empire and the Alliance for a long time was probably only the Misty Cloud Peak," Chang Jianhong added, "It was only due to their strong leadership that several other forces grew a spine and decided to against the futile war of the Empire and the Alliance."

"But even they collapsed by time..." Chang Jianhong continued, "The only thing they wished for was the betterment of our civilization but in what way did they get repayed their hardwork?"

"Well, no use fretting about the past at this point. Let us just focus on doing what we are here to do for now," Yang Shen said with a gentle smile.

The others nodded their heads in agreement to Yang Shen.

"I just hope that we are somehow triumphant," Zhang Yu said with a thoughtful expression.

"If the war continues, probably everything will remain the same forever," Zhao Fengge said, "Let us do our best and hope that Senior Li Mingze keeps up his words."

"Indeed," Zhang Yu nodded in agreement.

As they enjoyed the pleasure of being in the hot spring a few moments passed by with nothing eventful but it didn't last for long.

"Yang Shen, do you perceive it too?" Chang Jianhong inquired in hushed tones.

"Yes..." Yang Shen replied as his expression turned serious.

"A group of grotesque, unsightly, horrific creatures which I haven't seen ever before in my life..." Zhang Yu said as his expression grew cold and he stood up from his spot.

"They just appeared out of nowhere... just a moment ago there was nothing..." Zhao Fengge thought as his expression grew serious as well, "Somehow they evaded our Divine Sense."

"Sensing it from here, it doesn't seem too strong but what's troubling me the most is..." Chang Jianhong paused for a moment before continuing, "The feeling that they give off... It is something that I have never felt before... I cannot describe it properly."

"Absolutely," Yang Shen nodded, reclining back in the soothing hot spring, relishing the experience while he still could, "I feel it too."

A battle was near for them.

—

Luo Yin strode through the hushed halls of the hotel, taking note of the near-empty premises around him.

Amidst the stillness, he turned to his companion, Mu Kongdong, and inquired, "May I ask what brought you here with me?"

Mu Kongdong, with a smile playing at his lips, countered, "My presence here is independent of yours. I have my own reasons for exploring these premises."

Intrigued by the admiral's response, Luo Yin's smile broadened, and he pressed further, "Do tell, respected Mu Kongdong. What could those reasons possibly entail?"

A soft chuckle escaped Mu Kongdong's lips as he remarked, "Surely, you cannot be oblivious to the peculiarity of this place and its inhabitants."

A smile graced Luo Yin's lips as he regarded Mu Kongdong for a moment. "I guess that is true, this world seems to be a little backward compared to our civilization and the people here are incapable of cultivation but the interesting bit is that they still give off a sense of power like no other," he mused.

"Be that as it may, I still wonder, what reason you have for following me on this path?" Luo Yin inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Mu Kongdong returned the inquiry with a smile. "Simply put, I seek the pleasure of companionship. Exploring these premises alone can be a dreary affair, and I thought it would be far more enjoyable with someone by my side."

"Even though Jia Lin is with you already?" Luo Yin asked as he regarded Jia Lin who was walking alongside My Kongdong.

"It wouldn't hurt to have more," My Kongdong replied almost instantly, maintaining his smile.

"Very well, I suppose," Luo Yin said, giving up on any further questions.