Zhou Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly, his fingers tapping a soft, rhythmic beat against his thigh.
"The Heavenly Patrol Guards?"
The Old Woman's remnant soul shrank back, seemingly harboring an instinctive fear of that name. She swallowed, tried to steady her spectral form, and continued.
"Back when the Immortal Court ruled the myriad worlds, the Heavenly Patrol Guards were the blade it held over every world's head. They monitored all the heavens and suppressed anyone who refused to submit."
"At the Immortal Court's height, every world bowed in submission wherever the Heavenly Patrol Guards went. They commanded the Immortal Court's most central killing formations. Even a minor squad captain had the power to destroy heaven and earth."
A sickly fanaticism crept into the Old Woman's voice, as though she were recalling some supreme glory.
"Later, the Immortal Court collapsed, and heaven and earth underwent a tremendous upheaval. Rather than perish alongside the Immortal Court, the Heavenly Patrol Guards seized the opportunity to carve out a domain of their own."
"They took control of vast resources and formations left behind by the Immortal Court, becoming one of the most terrifying forces beneath this starry sky."
"They proclaimed themselves the Immortal Court's rightful successors and plundered the origin sources of worlds everywhere to sustain their rule."
Zhou Xuan scoffed, cutting off her boasting.
"Get to the point. What do they have to do with Central Province?"
The Old Woman's remnant soul fluctuated violently several times, as though she were debating whether to reveal the deepest secret.
But when she saw Zhou Xuan raise his right hand, the memory of the Black-Gold Mark's gnawing pain surged back into her mind. She immediately became obedient.
"Central Province... Central Province is the Breeding Ground they fenced off."
The moment the Old Woman said those words,