Night fell.
The merchant associations of Mortal City looked around in confusion. As soon as night fell, all the Mortal Domain's official members had vanished, as though they had some official mission. Only auxiliary personnel remained in Mortal City.
They tried asking the auxiliary personnel what had happened.
The answer they received was a shake of the head.
It seemed they genuinely knew nothing.
Could it be...
Was the Mortal Domain making another major move?
At the seaside.
The Mortal Domain Harbor.
Chen Fan had changed out of his usual Azure Robe. Dressed in black, he stood at the front with a solemn expression, facing the sea.
Night had already fallen.
Eternal Night shrouded the entire world. Standing within the harbor's Eerie Fire light, he could not see the sea. He could only hear the waves striking the reefs as the sea breeze carried its briny scent toward him.
He looked up.
There were no stars, no moon.
Only boundless darkness, with no end in sight.
Stars. The moon.
Those were legends passed down in ancient books. Many people had never seen a star in their lives, yet they firmly believed stars existed, just as they believed Eternal Night would eventually recede.
This was not a religion.
It was the conviction that kept them alive.
That kept them from sinking into despair.
At least there was a sliver of hope.
Chen Fan stood at the front.
Crippled Monkey, Zhou Mo, and Wang Kui stood behind him. Behind them were the Mortal Domain's official members, all dressed in black. Everyone had gathered here today.
Directly ahead of them...
It was a Stone Stele.
A Stone Stele stood beside the sea.
Its inscription was clearly visible.
"In year 379 of the Eternal Night Calendar."
"The Mortal Domain Commerce Pavilion sailed the seas