Strong individuals have entered the Central Domain.
Amongst powerhouses, there is always a sense of induction.
The three powerhouses from other directions merely observed with their gazes.
And to the North…
"Boom."
The vast river formation in the sky began to churn violently.
Vaguely, an immense pressure seemed to descend.
Simultaneously, two figures emerged from the river.
Half-Emperors.
Two Half-Emperors appeared at once.
The two Half-Emperors looked down from above at the group entering the Central Domain.
Their gazes were arrogant, exuding a potent sense of deterrence.
"Buzz."
The might of the Half-Emperors descended, pressing down.
"Heh."
Old Demon Chu let out a defiant laugh.
Besides Chen Fan, he was the only Half-Emperor present.
Furthermore, in his life, he had never feared anyone.
What were two Half-Emperors?
They were merely of the same level as Zang Tian, and not necessarily as strong.
"Boom."
Heaven-shattering demonic flames began to burn.
Within the seething demonic flames, he burned a hundred meters high, his flames with an unrivaled ferocity, crashing with a 'boom' against the pressure of the two Half-Emperors.
Within the heaven-shattering demonic flames, a pair of demonic eyes opened.
"Chirp, chirp."
Two streams of demonic light pierced through heaven and earth.
"Rumble."
Heaven and earth roared.
This was the collision of Half-Emperor might.
"Crack."
Old Demon Chu's feet sank into the ground, all the way up to his knees.
Fighting two against one, Old Demon Chu was at a disadvantage.
However, the two figures standing above the great river did not press their attack further; instead, they retracted their Half-Emperor aura.
Deterrence was sufficient for now.
Any more would turn them into sworn enemies.
One of them spoke proactively, "City Lord Chen, your arrival in the Mad Realm is finally here. We apologize for not meeting you sooner, and we hope you will forgive our lack of foresight."
Chen Fan looked up, his gaze calm as he regarded the speaker.
A single glance from him made the hearts of the two Half-Emperors skip a beat.
Their gazes met, eyes colliding.
"Whoosh."
The two figures instantly descended.
Only then did Chen Fan retract his gaze.
The two opposite him let out a sigh of relief.
Internally, however, they were filled with shock.
A mere gaze had made them both feel a sense of crisis. This strength was undoubtedly no weaker than that of the Lord of the North.
The two dared not presume, and cupped their fists again, "City Lord Chen…"
However, Chen Fan did not acknowledge them, proceeding forward.
Behind him, his entourage followed closely, their expressions solemn.
Their City Lord had ignored the two Half-Emperors.
The faces of the two Half-Emperors turned grim. They watched Chen Fan approach step by step, their hearts pounding faster and faster.
Although he exuded no aura, it felt as though each of his steps landed directly on their hearts.
That feeling made the two increasingly tense.
"Buzz."
Suddenly, the space before them distorted.
Space flowed and shifted in an instant.
A figure appeared before Chen Fan. His flowing form gradually solidified, transforming into a figure clad in coarse cloth.
A pocket of space had been formed.
Only Chen Fan had the qualification to appear in such a place.
"City Lord Chen."
The figure in coarse cloth spoke first, "My subordinates were ignorant. I, this old man, apologize to the City Lord here."
The coldness melted away, replaced by a smile. "Senior, you jest. We intruded into the Central Domain without informing Senior and caused offense. This matter, it is I, the junior, who should apologize."
The old man did not dwell on the words and continued, "I am Dao He. May I ask City Lord Chen, for what purpose have you come to the Central Domain?"
Getting straight to the point.
"Naturally, it is for the Primordial Origin of Destruction," Chen Fan replied.
Everyone who entered did so for the Primordial Origin of Destruction. He couldn't be the only one saying he wasn't here for it but for news of divine artifacts.
He had to follow the crowd.
"City Lord Chen is indeed a forthright person," Dao He said with a faint smile.
"Would you believe me if I said I came here for fun?" Chen Fan countered.
"..." Dao He.
This unconventional response left him at a loss for words.
Dao He spoke again, "The Mad Realm will collapse in twenty days."
Chen Fan raised an eyebrow. Such precise timing?
"We have lived in the Mad Realm for a hundred thousand years, or… a mere ten thousand years in the Immortal Domain. A small span of time is something we can keep track of."
"Indeed."
Chen Fan found this statement to be quite agreeable.
Dao He continued, "The Central Domain is the last part of the Mad Realm to crumble. Thus, the Primordial Origin will naturally arise here."
Chen Fan looked at him… and then what?
"And now, various factions have gathered in the Central Domain. All parties have already made secret arrangements. May I ask City Lord Chen…"
"Which side have you allied with?"
Dao He's words were cut short by Chen Fan.
"..." Dao He.
This…
"Is there any inconvenience?"
Dao He smiled and shook his head. "It seems City Lord Chen has no intention of cooperating."
"No, I do."
I'm being very sincere. To say I'm not sincere would be too much. "Senior Dao He, would you like to cooperate?"
"Heh heh."
Dao He scoffed. "It's not that I want to cooperate, but it's the trend of the times. Without cooperation, there will be no opportunity."
"Right, right, right."
Chen Fan nodded vigorously. "You are absolutely correct. Therefore, I also wish to cooperate with Senior to reap the final rewards. However, I need to know how many people will be sharing the fruit."
"Very well."
With that said, Dao He was pleased.
Although the meaning was the same as before, changing the wording always made people feel better.
This was the art of language.
Dao He nodded and said, "I have already secretly contacted seven factions. Among them, the two most powerful are from the Black Emperor Palace and the Azure Emperor Palace."
Chen Fan raised an eyebrow and scrutinized Dao He.
Impressive. One person cooperating with two great Emperor Palaces.
The other three factions, one from each?
That might not be the case.
"As you surmise."
Dao He continued, "Although the Black Emperor Palace and the Azure Emperor Palace claim to cooperate only with me, in secret, they might also be cooperating with the other three factions."
Both sides knew this well.
Just like Dao He, he might not reveal the existence of the Azure Emperor Palace to the Black Emperor Palace.
And to Chen Fan, had he truly spoken the truth?
Who knew if he had any backup plans?
"How will we cooperate?"
Chen Fan asked, "Do we need to sign a contract?"
"What contract?" Dao He was momentarily stunned.
"Heh, my apologies."
The vernacular from the lower realm slipped out again. Chen Fan smiled. "I mean, do we need to forge some sort of pact, or perhaps swear an oath to each other? If it's violated, may lightning strike us…"
"..." Dao He.
He sighed softly. "Do those things have any effect on us Half-Emperors?"
May lightning strike us, heh heh… If the Heavenly Tribulation can't kill people, what use is Heavenly Lightning?
"A verbal agreement will suffice."
Dao He said, "Those who wish to abide will naturally do so, and for those who don't, forging a contract is useless."
"Indeed."
Chen Fan nodded. "Then it's settled."
With that, he casually tore open the space that Dao He had created.
As for the details of cooperation, they were unnecessary.
When the Mad Realm collapses, that's when the cooperation begins. As for any details, they were utterly meaningless.
"Crack."
The space shattered, and Chen Fan calmly walked out.
Dao He's figure disintegrated along with the space. Simultaneously, Dao He's two Half-Emperor subordinates also departed.
"Let's go."
Chen Fan called out, "I've spoken with Senior Dao He. We'll cooperate… and stay in this Northern region for the time being."
"The City Lord is mighty!"
The crowd cheered.