The Steward Demonic Emperor

Chapter 1188: Advancing Again

Proofreader: Papatonks

Thump~

Zhuo Fan walked over to the Apocalyptic Sword and picked it up with a sigh, “You really are me, but only the young me, twisted, conceited and obnoxious. Ha-ha-ha, foolish boy, you thought by having a Sovereign weapon body, I couldn’t take you on? The five divine swords were affected by the Divine Eye of the Void and this form isn’t any different. Think long and hard about this.” 

Zhuo Fan made a seal and the demonic sword entered his body.

“And you, young Sanzi, there’s always someone better then you out there. This will be your lesson.” Zhuo Fan walked to Gu Santong and warned.

Gu Santong hung his head, giving a heavy nod, “I know, dad. I won’t be as arrogant again.”

“You’ve said that a hundred times already. Why would I believe you this time? Ha-ha-ha, you’ll learn the more you suffer.” Zhuo Fan shook his head.

The others came over and bowed, “Steward Zhuo, how will you handle the Sword Child? He’s a loose cannon.” 

“I’ll handle it, don’t worry.”

Zhuo Fan soothed their fears, “With these few days of peace, we’ve found a temporary residence in the Sacred Domain. To grow bigger however, we must first take down one of the Eight Emperors. That being said, I’ll be setting out to get a feel of the Sacred Domain’s current situation to remove all unknowns. Wait for my message and be ready to move!”

“Won’t it be too dangerous to go alone?”

“Yeah, I’ll come with you!”

Luo Yunchang spoke up, with Bali Yuyu stepping forth.

Zhuo Fan calmed them down, “It’s fine. The Sacred Domain is my world. I know it better than any of you. I have enough strength to survive even an encounter with an Emperor. Rest assured that I’ll be alright.”

“Shuang’er, come over for a minute!”

Zhuo Fan called Yun Shuang to remain after the others were now at ease, and whispered, “Did you finish what I asked you to do? Did you divine her location?” 

Yun Shuang’s brow shook, “For some reason, I am blind to sister Qingcheng’s fate, just like yours. Patriarch said that you lost something. Did you give it to her? Can it hide one’s fate?”

“The Sovereign path?”

Zhuo Fan squinted and asked ardently, “How else am I supposed to find her? Where do I start searching the big Sacred Domain without so much as a clue?”

Shuang’er bit her lip, “Forgive me for being unable to help, but…”

“But what?”

“You alone can find her!”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“I know nothing of reading the stars…”

“Didn’t Patriarch give you something? It will guide you towards what or who you want to find.” Slightly explained, “Patriarch also mentioned that what you’re looking for is yours. The two of you would be drawn to each other. By using the item, you’ll find it and sister Qingcheng.”

Zhuo Fan thought for a bit and nodded, “I see, Sovereign Yun gave me the black sphere for this purpose. But how do I use it?”

“Figure it out yourself. I surely don’t know.” Yun Shuang shrugged. 

Zhuo Fan sighed and nodded, his eyes blazing with determination, “I’ll try it as I go. Now I need to get away so the fear of the Sword Child caused will fade. I must also teach that boy some manners.” 

Zhuo Fan cupped his hands to her and the rest, leaving.

The others gave him a respectful goodbye as well, while only a red-nosed old man just wouldn’t let go of a jar of wine, crying like his parents were dead, like an old woman.

“My precious wine, I could never leave you. How could my foolproof mind ever conceive the risk of betting on Gu Santong?”

“Senior, betting is business. You made the wrong wager so I can’t help you. Now let go!”

The Wine Sword Immortal wailed like a child while Qiu Yanhai fought to try and pry the drunkard’s fingers from the jar. With their gap in cultivation, no amount of effort helped in the end.

Zhuo Fan’s face twitched and gave the two geezers a long look.

[What was I thinking bringing these fools?]

Zhuo Fan left as the rest sent him off. After a good distance, he looked around and found a deserted cave, setting up an array to hide himself as he took out Sovereign Yun’s black orb. 

Looking into the Sacred Domain’s situation was more of a whim, while finding Chu Qingcheng was his real goal.

He couldn’t have said that to the guys, since they came with him to a new world to settle down, not help him find his woman. How could their de-facto leader ever do such a petty and irresponsible thing? When they found out he was up to no good, going on a hike, they might just as well go out and meet their fortune elsewhere. 

A remarkable leader had to, at all times, inspire fairness and grandeur. 

[As for looking after my family and other private stuff, that goes behind doors, he-he.] 

Taking out the black orb, Zhuo Fan stared hard, “Qingcheng, where are you? And how do you start this thing anyway? Sovereign Yun, what a guy, giving me the tools but not the manual. Where do I even start?”

Zhuo Fan whined.

As he stared deep into the orb, his gaze grew hazy and the darkness inside the orb swirled, pulling him in.

Hu~

Zhuo Fan shuddered and his eyes went black. He plopped on the ground with eyes wide open, coming to his senses the next moment, only to find himself surrounded by stars in a black space. Stars flew by him so close, he could reach them with his hands.

“W-where am I? What am I doing here?”

Zhuo Fan jerked around and then recalled, “Sovereign Yun’s place was the same. My mind must’ve entered the orb. Is this how you use the treasure? But how am I supposed to find her now?”

Zhuo Fan frowned, looking up at the glittering stars in doubt while he paced around in thought.

“Yun clan’s Holy Maiden can read the heavens through the stars. Sovereign Yun reads mortals’ fate through the stars as well. Maybe to find Qingcheng I have to understand the stars’ motions? Should I go to Shuang’er for tips? But it looks more like a trait than an art. Yun clan’s leader is the only one able to do it. What to do?”

Zhuo Fan stared at the sky, in a dilemma.

His face began slacking as he took in the stars’ glows, noticing something peculiar. 

“Kid, humans are the ultimate beings of the world, the basic of all other things. Humans hold 360 small cosmoses within that work in tune with the universe. Each person has a protector star. When you observe the skies, you are in fact looking at their fate. Your eyes do not see the starry night sky, but the universe’s cycle of reincarnation. To find what you seek, use your heart and you will grasp it!”

An aged voice whispered in his ears, making his heart jump and focus harder on the stars.

Zhuo Fan stared blankly, ignoring everything, time itself, as he gazed upon the starts and their movements. His Yuan Qi began moving along with the stars, in strange and baffling patterns. 

At one point, he realized the stars melded with him. Looking at the stars was like looking at his body’s innards. The flow of blood, breathing, all made his organs shake, understanding it all. 

[I want to find Qingcheng!]

As he grasped everything, his heart throbbed and the stars followed his wish. His senses perceived as the brightest nine stars formed a line, shooting eastward.

Nine stars in a row, deceiving the heavens and changing fate, hidden from a Sovereign’s power. 

[She’s in the east!]

Zhuo Fan lit up and shook awake. He got up and found the black orb at his side.

Putting it away, Zhuo Fan was in high spirits as he shot out of the cave. He noticed it was dark then, with the stars in the sky being the same ones he saw in the orb, and the brightest nine forming a line.

Was it the black orb affecting the stars, or did they reflect what was in the black orb? Or maybe Zhuo Fan was controlling them?

Confused, Zhuo Fan felt stunned.

[Hot damn, I advanced again, I’m now a late-stage Spirit King!]

What’s more important was that his surface cultivation level had dropped to the 1st layer of Bone Tempering Stage. 

[My heart grew once more…]