CHAPTER 205— GATHERING
Nine months.
For some, nine months was nothing.
For others, it was enough time for children to be born.
Enough time for kingdoms to rise.
Enough time for cultivators to die.
And enough time for the world to begin moving once more.
The Market Estate had never been more alive.
Even before sunset, the outer districts were overflowing with people.
Merchants shouted from every corner.
Children darted between crowded streets with wooden swords in their hands, pretending to be famous cultivators from stories they barely understood.
Women stood behind stalls lined with fruits, fabrics, medicinal herbs, and roasted meats.
Blacksmiths hammered glowing metal beneath open workshops.
Travelling performers drew crowds around temporary stages.
Laughter rose from taverns.
Arguments erupted beside gambling tables.
Musicians filled the air with drums and stringed instruments.
Everywhere one looked..there were people.Movement.
Life.
The Soulis Conflagration was approaching.
And everyone knew it.
Tickets were being sold throughout the estate.
Information changed hands faster than money.
Every inn was packed, auction halls overflowed.
Every merchant hoped to make a fortune before the event began.
Some came seeking opportunity.
Others came seeking glory.
Most came simply because they did not wish to be left behind.
The entire region seemed to be preparing for something larger than itself.
As though the world had collectively decided to take a breath.
And wait.
Soon,Night arrived.
Yet the activity only increased.Lanterns illuminated the streets.
Golden light spilled from taverns and restaurants.
Auction houses remained open long past sunset.
Voices carried across rooftops.
The outer district had become a sea of movement.
And then,silence spread
Slowly at first as it began like a Whisper,but by the time the sound spread, only one word could be heard from the breathes of these mortals...A Noble
Acaravan entered the estate as Four beasts pulled it.
At first glance they resembled horses.
Only at first glance.
Each possessed six powerful limbs.
Two tails.Two curved horns.
Golden fur shimmered beneath the lantern light.
Every step they took caused the surrounding crowd to instinctively move aside as Even ordinary mortals could feel the pressure.
The aura of a Rank Two Beast
Creatures capable of tearing apart entire groups of cultivators if provoked.
And yet they moved with perfect discipline.
Perfect obedience.
Pulling a carriage crafted almost entirely from gold.
The caravan advanced steadily through the estate.
Past the merchants and Toward the inner district.
No one dared stop it as Many simply watched.
The golden carriage eventually came to a halt before one of the largest inns within the district.
The six-legged beasts lowered their heads.
The streets became strangely quiet.
An old man descended first
His weathered frame hinting at age so absolute it bordered on death...but the straightness of his back suggested otherwise
A wide hat concealed most of his face beneath shadow.
His robes appeared ordinary.
Yet the moment he stepped onto the street, several nearby cultivators unconsciously lowered their gazes.
Seeing this,The old man said nothing as he simply ignored them...they were beneath him
Then, he turned And opened the carriage door.
Letting the figure that was inside finally reveal itself...and reveal it did as a polished boot touched the ground.
Golden leather embroidered with ornate silver as it was Immaculately crafted.
Expensive enough to purchase entire streets within the outer district.
Then another. Until a tall figure emerged.
Six feet and three inches at least.
Broad shouldered.Straight backed.
Every movement carried a natural confidence that bordered on arrogance.
But this wasn't cultivated arrogance.
It was the genuine kind.
The kind possessed by those who had never known weakness.
A long coat of dark gold fabric rested across his frame.
Golden hair flowed freely behind his shoulders.
The lantern light seemed almost drawn toward it.
The man never looked toward the crowd.
Never acknowledged the countless eyes watching him.
As though none of them existed.
As though they were beneath notice.
And truly,they were..then, without so much as a word,He simply stepped forward and entered the inn.
The old man followed.
But not before another figure emerged from the carriage.
A young woman.Perhaps in her early twenties.bearing striking resemblance to the man Infront of her
The same posture.The same features.
The same bloodline.
Only her hair differed, which was slightly longer
Flowing like molten gold down her back.
For a brief moment her gaze swept across the estate
Across the countless cultivators gathered beneath the lantern-lit night.
Then she too turned And followed her companion inside.
The inn doors closed behind them as the noise of the city slowly returned.
Yet long after the carriage had disappeared from sight..people continued staring
Because everyone understood one thing.
The Soulis Conflagration had not yet begun.
And already the monsters were arriving.