Monarch Of Time

Chapter 992 The Zhong clan (2)

A little more than a month later, a vast, endless sea finally emerged on the horizon, its calm blue waters barely affected by the raging winds that mercilessly struck its surface.

As he lowered his gaze, Shun Long could see dozens of flying magic beasts soaring above it, some of them leaving the central continent while others were arriving, and the target they all seemed to have was the gigantic city situated at the very edge of the continent.

The monumental city didnʼt seem too special at first glance, other than the enormous port with dozens of ships anchored in it, but Shun Long had already heard about this city from Jiang Tianfang and knew better than to underestimate this bastion of the Zhong clan.

During their return from the Blue Star continent, Jiang Tianfang had already mentioned that the Zhong clan had two star-rank alchemists holding down the fort, and that their old clan leader was just a step away from advancing to the Sovereign realm.

Although early-stage Sovereigns werenʼt too rare in the northern region of the central continent, whether a clan could be considered a first-rate or second-rate clan depended solely on whether they had a Sovereign realm expert in their ranks or not.

Without any hesitation, Shun Long and his group headed straight for the city gates at the western entrance of the city.

...

Unlike most major cities in the northern region, the Zhong city didnʼt require a fee of middle-grade spirit stones for cultivators to enter. Once the guards inspected Shun Longʼs group and verified that they werenʼt wanted criminals, they soon allowed them entry.

However, right before passing through the city gates, a tall, burly guard with a bronze saber glanced at them, before he stepped forward and explained

ʼʼYoung friends, I am Lao Feng and I am the one responsible for the western city gates. Since youʼve entered the city under my watch, let me explain the rules to you, so there wonʼt be any misunderstandings later on.

You are allowed to stay in the city for as long as you want, and you are even permitted to purchase property if you wish to stay here for a long time. Our Zhong city doesnʼt require you to be affiliated with any major powers or clans to do so like most cities do. However, keep in mind that if you end up fighting in public or damage any property during your stay, you will be kicked out of the city by the city guards and you will be forced to pay for any damages youʼve done. The Zhong clan doesnʼt tolerate troublemakers so I hope you can adhere to the rules. That is all.ʼʼ

The burly middle-aged man seemed to have noticed Liu Meiʼs and the othersʼ extraordinary auras, which prompted him to step forward and warn them in good faith. After all, the auras of four unknown, peak-stage Dao Kings werenʼt something that the city guards would normally ignore.

Even this middle-aged captain of the guards was only a peak rank 9 Dao King himself, and yet Lao Feng could tell that these 4 people in front of him were much stronger than the average peak-stage Dao Kings.

As for the azure-robed youth leading their group, Lao Feng couldnʼt see through him whatsoever. Shun Longʼs aura was completely retracted making him seem no different from a mere mortal. However, Lao Feng wasnʼt dumb enough to ever think that a mortal would be leading a group of peak rank 9 Dao Kings throughout the continent.

Nodding his head, Shun Long cupped his hands at the middle-aged man in thanks, before he led everyone inside the city.

...

Walking through the populated streets of the city, Shun Long quickly noticed how bustling this Zhong city was.

It was filled with countless shops selling all kinds of things, from medicinal ingredients and rank 6 alchemy pills, to shops that sold clothing imbued with the formations of powerful formation masters. There were even some shops that rented out magic beasts for anyone who wished to cross the continental ocean and visit nearby continents.

However, Shun Long merely glanced at those shops before heading towards the center of the city.

The Zhong clanʼs headquarters was situated at the heart of the city so it was actually very easy to find. After walking around for a little more than an hour, Shun Long and the rest eventually arrived in front of an imposing building that resembled an obsidian palace.

The towering palace was made from some kind of peculiar black stone that looked extremely magnificent, but the dozens of protective formations engraved on its surface made it seem just as dreadful. It was apparent that if a peak-stage Dao King tried to trespass and forcefully enter its premises, these protective formations would instantly flare to life and annihilate them.

At the same time, more than a dozen city guards were stationed around its entrance, all of them armed with peak gold-grade weapons and armor as they surveyed their surroundings.

Eventually, the gaze of one of these guards fell on Shun Longʼs group, before the man stepped forward and shouted loudly as he slammed down his spear

ʼʼHalt! This is the palace of the Zhong clan. State your purpose!ʼʼ

Stepping forward, Jiang Chen faced the guard who was radiating the aura of a powerful peak-stage Dao King, one that was even stronger than Lao Fengʼs, before he explained

ʼʼMy father is Jiang Tianfang and he is acquainted with your Zhong clanʼs leader. He told me to come to the Zhong clanʼs headquarters and find him.ʼʼ

The young guardʼs eyes flashed with an abstruse glint as he looked at Jiang Chen, but eventually, he lowered his spear and turned around as he answered

ʼʼVery well. Follow me.ʼʼ

Then, the young guard led Shun Long, Jiang Chen, and the rest inside the palace.

It was obvious that these guards had already received orders to wait for Jiang Tianfangʼs son and his group, so as soon as Jiang Chen revealed his identity, the guard led them directly into the palace.

As they walked through the lavishly decorated corridors, the guard eventually stopped in front of a large wooden door, where two similarly dressed guards like him stood watch.

However, before the guard could even knock on the door to announce their arrival, a hearty laughter sounded from the inside as the wooden door was pulled open, before two imposing figures walked out of the room.

One of those figures belonged to Jiang Tianfang who stared at his son and the rest with a smile on his face, while the other belonged to a handsome middle-aged man in luxurious green clothes.

However, unlike Jiang Tianfang, the handsome middle-aged man only glanced at Jiang Chen and the others for the briefest of moments before his gaze eventually settled on Shun Long. After a moment of silence, the middle-aged manʼs lips curved into an amused smile as his voice sent a shiver down the surrounding guardsʼ hearts

ʼʼYou... must be Shun Long, huh? The Dao King everyone in the central continent is looking for right now!ʼʼ