"Mr. Chairman, has something happened?" It was Rivetta speaking. Her position was directly opposite to Chairman Zhuguang, so she was the first to notice Zhuguang’s sidelong glance.
Rivetta’s words also drew everyone else’s attention to Chairman Zhuguang.
Chairman Zhuguang smiled: "It’s nothing, I just had a vague feeling that someone might be watching me."
"Black Duke" Adelaide followed Chairman Zhuguang’s line of sight: "Is it over there?"
Chairman Zhuguang: "My intuition tells me no one is over there."
As for why he turned his head in that direction, he couldn’t say either, it was just an unconscious movement. Where exactly the "gaze" was, he couldn’t pinpoint.
After a pause, Chairman Zhuguang waved it off: "Never mind, it might have been an illusion, nothing to worry about; besides, I didn’t sense any malice."
An illusion? Adelaide and Diescher squinted slightly, not questioning this statement, yet internally they didn’t believe it. With Chairman Zhuguang’s stature, the likelihood of it being an illusion was exceedingly low.
So, there is no need to pay attention to the first half of Chairman Zhuguang’s sentence. The key point is the second half: I didn’t feel any malice either.
This comment seemed to relieve the current tense atmosphere but was actually a warning from Chairman Zhuguang to the others.
— The focus isn’t whether the other party has hostile intent, but that they must not possess any.
For someone to watch Chairman Zhuguang without him sensing the direction and without any trace, the strength of such a person might not absolutely surpass Chairman Zhuguang, but it’s certainly not inferior.
Such a powerful entity is extremely rare in the Southern Domain, almost non-existent.
If the hidden entity indeed came from the Outer Domain, then it’s not limited to entities below legend, and it is highly likely that they have already taken that step. So, facing someone with at least his level of strength, potentially stronger, if they probe with malice, offending them would be utterly unwise.
Therefore, he used vague words to remind the others not to investigate.
"Our visit this time is to record the messages here, not to seize anything, so we should just do our duty. Leave everything else alone." Chairman Zhuguang paused, looking at Diescher: "Diescher, what do you think?"
Since Adelaide herself is a member of the Council of Truth, there is no need to say much, and she will comply. But Diescher is different, representing the "Glowing City Night Talk" journal of Forest of Night Whisper. Although Diescher is with them this time, he is only here to take advantage of the Void projection and he has paid the corresponding price. There is no subordinate relationship between them.
Thus, Chairman Zhuguang specifically asked Diescher individually.
Diescher’s eyes flickered slightly, he was not stupid, and he understood the meaning of Chairman Zhuguang. It appeared to be telling them to do their part but was actually stating to "the others" that: don’t mind us, we will not participate in the seizure of mysterious objects.
As for who this "other" is, it is undoubtedly the person who previously observed Chairman Zhuguang.
The entity to whom even Chairman Zhuguang must make a statement is certainly not within Diescher’s capability to handle.
"Of course, following the agreement signed with the major Wizards’ Alliances, since we are participating as recorders in this incident, it is natural to put greed aside and give up on the contest for mysterious objects."
After Diescher finished speaking, Rivetta also understood the hint and followed up: "Our ’Glowing City Night Talk’ mainly records the intrigues and power struggles among the wizards competing for the mysterious objects, which are most loved by our magazine’s audience. As for analyzing the mysterious object and its contained significance or subsequent evaluation, we cannot handle such professional content, which will have to be left to you, Mr. Chairman."
Upon receiving this response, Chairman Zhuguang smiled with satisfaction.
"In that case, let’s act according to the agreement. Also, you are not council members, there’s no need to address me as chairman; you can just call me by name."
Despite what was said, neither Diescher nor Rivetta dared to call him by name.
"Lord Zhuguang, do you know the origin of this mysterious object?" Diescher asked respectfully.
Chairman Zhuguang gazed into the distance, observing for quite a while before speaking: "That fruit should be the mysterious object, but strangely, although it has the aura of a mysterious object, it feels like it hasn’t ripened yet."
"Its effects are currently unknown. But judging from others’ feedback, it seems to possess an attraction beyond the rules."
"As for the origin, it’s unclear."
After speaking, he looked at Diescher: "By the way, Diescher, you are knowledgeable about the wizard affiliations in the Southern Domain. Do you recognize that tree-like woman standing on the wave crest?"
Diescher shook his head: "I have never seen her. However, I have seen several people with similar numbered marks on their faces, seemingly belonging to a hidden organization, and they have performed sacrifices using living people."
Chairman Zhuguang: "Are they followers of Outer Gods?"
Diescher shook his head again: "Probably not. Their style of doing things is completely different from those Evil God followers. They are more restrained and secretive. Moreover, there are no traces of Evil Gods involved in their sacrifices. They seem to be some sort of ceremonial rituals for prayer, akin to those of primitive tribes."
For this reason, although Diescher obtained some information, he did not pass it on to the Extreme Sect.
However, the members of these hidden organizations intrigued him, and a few years ago, he arranged for an investigation and even prepared a simulated report, waiting to catch a clue to report it.
Unfortunately, the other party was too low-key and didn’t partake in events in the Southern Domain Wizards’ Realm, and no breakthrough has been found to this day.
"I see." Chairman Zhuguang murmured: "To deliberately hide and avoid contact with the Wizards’ Realm, there must be something fishy."
Regrettably, there are no further details.
However, Chairman Zhuguang wasn’t overly concerned with the tree-like woman, leaving those issues for the contenders to worry about. His focus was more on the mysterious fruit.
The mysterious fruit currently reveals little, yet mysteriously it makes him feel somewhat uneasy.
It was an indescribable sensation, staring at that mysterious fruit. It was like he returned to two thousand years ago, standing before an Abyssal Depth in the Abyss World, peering into its depths.
The throbbing deep within, coupled with unparalleled danger, filled his heart at the same time.
Within the Abyssal Depth lurk The Unparalleled Great Demon God and some ancient entities whose names cannot even be mentioned. They are beings that could threaten the existence of the entire Wizards’ Realm.
Yet now, just by looking at that fruit, Zhuguang felt a similar unease.
Needless to say, the Zhuguang of two thousand years ago and the Zhuguang now were entirely different in strength; moreover, his True Body wasn’t present here, this was merely a Phantom Shadow, and even the Phantom Shadow felt such dread—his True Body would likely feel it even more acutely.
What exactly is this mysterious object?
While Zhuguang was frowning and pondering, he suddenly heard Rivetta’s voice calling out: "Black Duke... Sir? Black Duke?"
"Chief Editor, Lord Black Duke isn’t affected by the fruit, is she?"
Rivetta anxiously looked at Diescher.