Chapter 250. Balance Festival

Western Continent.

Serma Empire.

Capital State.

June City.

Serma International Airport.

The evening breeze swept past the airport. It was late autumn in the Serma Empire. The temperature was quite cold.

The airport was busy as usual. People moved in droves, some with luggage, others with nothing on them. Announcers made announcements over PR systems.

A young man in sunglasses, with brown hair, wearing a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, stepped out of the airport towards an open space.

Aiden took out his phone and checked his map.

"It should be about 30 kilometers to the location of the secret sects in the Serma Empire," Aiden thought.

Aiden wore his legendary Rank 3 invisibility bracelet. He turned invisible.

Crimson wings appeared on his back.

Aiden flew into the skies and disappeared on the horizon.

He wanted to get the matter with the secret sects over with.

****

Serma Empire.

Capital State.

Secret Sects Region.

Several mountainous peaks peered through the evening clouds like towering sentinels.

Forests, lakes, and rivers stretched across the place.

The growls of chaotic beasts reverberated across the place.

Aiden floated above one of the forests.

"The secret sects are spread across this area, if the map is correct. I heard there are some inns nearby where travelers who want to venture into the territories of the secret sects can stay before they continue their journey," Aiden thought.

"Before I head to the inn, I should map out the actual locations of the secret sects."

Aiden had taken off his sunglasses. His eyes were crimson. His enhanced sight, hearing, and smell peered across forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, and stretched beyond them.

Eventually, he narrowed down on four different magnificent civilizations spread across four different directions. Each one of them was a secret sect.

Their towering pagoda-like structures peered through the clouds. Some of the structures stretched across forests and mountains.

Several borderlines and mountains, however, separated the secret sects from one another.

"The one to the north of this region is definitely the Nova Secret Sect. The one to the west is the Adams Secret Sect. The one to the east is the Ninehail Secret Sect, and the one to the south is the Halberd Secret Sect," Aiden noted. The names of the sects were largely imprinted on their large gates after all.

"Now, let’s find that inn before some Rank 4 chaotic beast comes here and kills me..." Aiden’s gaze narrowed towards a particular direction.

"Oh, there it is..."

Aiden flew there.

Soon, he arrived at where the inn was.

It was in a small countryside town which was at the edge of the Nova Secret Sect, the first of the secret sects in the Serma Empire one would encounter before the others.

He removed his invisibility bracelet.

Currently, he stood outside the inn.

The town was extremely lively.

People were roaming the streets, dressed in some sort of costumes.

Some were beating drums and others were using fire and other affinities to perform different kinds of circus-like acts. Some people were also carrying musical instruments and playing them.

"Honey, that’s so nice..."

"Yeah, I know, right? The Balance Festival of Took Ancient Town is really nice. This was why I wanted us to come for our vacation here quickly," a couple discussed. The man caressed his wife’s hand gently. The woman had a beaming smile on her face.

Some people were even taking pictures of the festival.

"Buy our fire ferrets meat buns for five dollars!"

"Old woman, how much?"

"Come get our crazy spiced noodles! This is a local dish you can only find in our Took Ancient Town!"

Several people were also buying some delicious foods from various vendors.

Aiden simply stood in front of the inn and observed the crowd of people enjoying the festival of the town with curiosity. Endra was indeed a large world. So many people with so many weird cultures.

"Perhaps I could stay out here and observe the festival while I carry out my plan, instead of heading into the inn," Aiden thought.

He moved towards a vendor and ordered some of the crazy spiced noodles. After that, he sat on a bench where a couple of youngsters, two guys and two ladies full of liveliness, were seated.

"Heh... I’m telling you, Aiden Vhorn is such a monster. Is he really 20 years old?" one of the gentlemen said.

"He’s my dream man," a lady cupped her cheeks and blushed.

"Dream on. Do you know Desmonda Creed? That’s his woman. A monster in her own right. A disciple of Excellency Ashbourne Cane. You think an average girl like you could get into his pants?" Her boyfriend poked her cheek with jealousy as veins were almost popping out of his forehead.

"Hmph!" The lady responded as she pouted, crossing her two arms over her chest.

"Heh, jealous?" another lady said.

"Why won’t I be? He’s the most terrifying young person to have ever appeared on Endra. His talent has overshadowed all the young geniuses," the gentleman replied.

"There’s no doubt about that. Recently, he actually did something terrifying again in Waldhar State of the Iron Empire which earned him the name, The Ghost Strategist. Here, read it..."

The youngsters read the information and the footage on the phone as expressions of shock appeared on their faces.

"How did he even manage to pull off something like this?"

"He’s a madman. A terrifying madman! Are you sure this Aiden Vhorn is not some old schemer who has survived imperial politics for decades?"

"Beats me. There are some people who just defy common sense."

The group of four discussed, completely oblivious that Aiden Vhorn was the brown-haired fellow with crimson eyes currently seated a few distances on the same bench with them, eating noodles.

"Anyway, I hope you guys will be entering the ruins?"

"Oh, the one discovered in the ocean near the town?"

"Heh... only Rank 3 warriors and above can enter. Do you want us to go there and die?"

"Yeah. The Warriors Association branch in the state has issued an official announcement that Rank 3 warriors are free to explore the ruins in the sea. Rank 2 warriors will only go there and die because of the threats discovered over there."

"It looks like we will have to pass then. We should return to campus after this vacation. But just out of curiosity, when are people entering the ruins in the sea?"

"I heard it’s one week from now. There are rumors that an ancient sect which collapsed hundreds of years ago used to be on the sea. Rumors are that there will be lots of cultivation manuals in the sea."

"Interesting. It looks like several powers from the Serma Empire will journey here then."

"I tell you. Only Rank 3 geniuses among geniuses will gather here."

Aiden quietly listened to their conversation as he ate his noodles.

A glint flashed through his eyes.

"I personally don’t need cultivation manuals since I’m not a traditional cultivator. But ancient cultivation manuals are not ordinary. They will be very beneficial for Desmonda and the others. Also, a place where many geniuses from different powers will gather is a place full of a large amount of blood essence. I should check out this ruin when I’m done with the secret sects.

For now, it’s time to initiate my plan," Aiden thought as he ate his noodles.