Chapter 18: Cultivation Realms!
"This should be the Pavilion Any kept endlessly talking about yesterday, right?"
Sitting beside the wooden door beneath the signboard labeled Immortal Pavilion, Shen could only assume he had arrived at the correct place.
The moment he imagined Any exploding in rage after discovering that he had arrived ahead of her, a wide grin immediately appeared on his face.
"Who told you to make Father and your elder brother worry for weeks?" Shen snorted inwardly. "This is simply your punishment."
Recalling all the descriptions his younger sister had given him, Shen gradually grew restless while waiting for the Pavilion to open.
Truthfully, Shen had never truly doubted Any from the very beginning.
Everything he said yesterday—including the threats and suspicion—had merely been an act to pressure her into revealing the entire truth.
An overnight breakthrough across an entire small realm was simply too outrageous.
If he had acted gently from the start, Shen was certain his stubborn little sister would have hidden half the details until she eventually surpassed him herself.
’Still...’
Shen slightly narrowed his eyes as he recalled the young man Any continuously mentioned.
While eager to enter the Pavilion and become a member, a trace of unease still lingered deep within his heart.
’Could he be one of those hidden experts? Let’s just hope he doesn’t harbor ill intentions while running such a place.’
Creak... Creak...
As Shen remained lost in thought, the sound of wooden movement suddenly echoed nearby.
His expression immediately turned serious as he quickly stood upright beside the Pavilion entrance.
Common etiquette dictated that one should never stand directly before another person’s door.
Tidying his long red robe embroidered with floral patterns, Shen quietly waited.
’Hm?’
Just as he settled down, faint footsteps suddenly sounded beside him.
The moment Shen turned his head toward the source, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
His body trembled violently before he instinctively staggered backward and fell against the wall for support.
"S-Since when..."
Standing quietly beside him was a man around thirty years old dressed in black robes.
A scar stretched from the corner of the man’s left eye down toward his jawline, giving him a cold and intimidating appearance that carried no warmth whatsoever.
The man briefly glanced toward Shen before completely ignoring him.
He calmly stepped forward and stood respectfully beside the Pavilion door where Shen had previously been waiting.
’That attire...’
A chill instantly spread down Shen’s spine as realization struck him.
’Demon Suppression Office!’
No wonder the man had approached without him noticing anything at all.
Shen immediately steadied himself before hurriedly standing upright once more. He brushed the dust off his robes and lowered his gaze respectfully, not daring to ask questions about what had just happened.
After tens of thousands of years of development, Earth’s cultivation system had long since become fully standardized.
Every human cultivated.
From elderly citizens to five-year-old children, cultivation had become deeply integrated into everyday life. Naturally, the difference between individuals depended heavily upon talent and resources.
There were seven known cultivation realms:
True Qi Realm.
Acupoint Opening Realm.
Celestial Human Realm.
Martial Divine Realm.
Martial Venerable Realm.
Martial King Realm.
And beyond that...
Rumors claimed even higher realms existed, though such matters were far beyond the knowledge of ordinary people.
As humanity’s foremost force against demons within the Sanctuary, the Demon Suppression Office represented the dream destination of countless geniuses.
Yet only the absolute elite among elites possessed even the slightest chance of joining.
That alone explained Shen’s earlier reaction.
The man before him was not releasing hostility whatsoever, yet merely standing beside a true Demon Slayer was enough to make ordinary cultivators feel instinctive reverence mixed with fear.
Still, what truly puzzled Shen was something else entirely.
Why would a Demon Slayer appear in the outer district at such an early hour?
And more importantly...
Why was he standing before a newly opened Pavilion that only he and Any supposedly knew about?
Despite the countless questions filling his mind, Shen wisely remained silent.
"Within seven days, I need the regular cultivation room rented a hundred times and the advanced room rented at least ten times... System, do you genuinely think a newly opened Pavilion in this deserted location can accomplish something that ridiculous?"
Darius dragged a chair toward the Pavilion entrance before lazily curling himself up on it while arguing internally with the system.
Completely ignoring the two individuals standing nearby, he basked comfortably beneath the morning sunlight.
"Young man! You are someone destined to become the Supreme Pavilion Master! You must have faith in both your abilities and the greatness of the system!" the system declared solemnly.
"You must believe that one day the entire world will kneel before the Pavilion merely for a chance to rent one of its cultivation rooms!"
Darius merely rolled his eyes.
After spending several days with the system already, he had grown fully accustomed to its exaggerated personality.
"I’d rather peacefully sunbathe than conquer the world."
Even though he had only recently awakened, Darius already felt sleepy once more while lying beneath the warm sunlight.
"Pavilion Master... Umm... may I enter?"
Shen scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
The young man before him had completely ignored both of them from the start, causing Shen to feel somewhat uncertain about how to address him properly.
Darius had only closed his eyes briefly before Shen’s voice pulled him awake once more.
Expressionlessly, he raised his head.
Before him stood a broad-shouldered red-haired man wearing embroidered robes.
Beside him stood a pale-looking man clad entirely in black.
"Huh?"
Truthfully, Darius had intentionally ignored the red-haired man earlier while pretending to act mysterious and aloof.
After all, protagonists in novels often behaved this way, and it somehow always attracted more curious customers.
Naturally, Darius decided to imitate the tactic himself.
However...
The moment his eyes landed upon the black robes worn by the pale-faced man, his expression stiffened slightly.
He immediately recognized the attire.
And suddenly, Darius had a very bad feeling.
The black-robed man noticed Darius’s gaze and calmly spoke in an indifferent tone.
