Chapter 793
The moment Jonathan entered the slums, he felt something amiss about the place.
Regardless of whether it was in Chanaea or West Region, the existence of cultivators had always been secretive. Cultivators
were considered a rare breed.
However, in that particular slums, everyone he encountered seemed to have a minimum cultivation level of Precelestial.
Even the elderly with unimposing appearances in their seventies and eighties possessed a light bout of spiritual energy.
As he walked, Jonathan began to think he was imagining things.
It was as if cultivators were the most common type of people in that place.
All of them were staring at Jonathan with sharp gazes akin to hungry wolves choosing their prey.
If Kaga had not led the way and constantly showcased her spiritual energy to fend off these people, Jonathan and Hossom
would have already been attacked.
“Kaga, what exactly is this place?” Hossom could not contain his curiosity.
“This is Dellmoor,” Kaga answered casually.
“If we are to calculate based on population density, Dellmoor probably has the highest density of cultivators. As you've seen,
everyone here of all ages is a cultivator. This phenomenon should be related to the place we're heading to now.” As Kaga spoke,
she brought both of them to the entrance of a bar.
“There's three of us. We're premium members,” Kaga shouted to the young girl standing at the entrance while fishing a black
card from her pocket.
The young girl took the card and glanced at it quickly. She then turned her head toward the interior of the bar.
“Three regular patrons,” the young girl shouted in the main language of West Region after returning the card to Kaga.
Jonathan glanced at Hossom, who had a bewildered look on his face.
Kaga beckoned them to enter the bar and follow a burly man. “You need not understand the exact situation of this place. Just
concentrate on your purchase. As for the low-level cultivators that you saw outside, they're the result of this exchange center.”
“In the 1920s, someone created a large-scale underground black market here where revealing one's identity was not required.
The goods sold here are mainly sourced via dirty means such as robbing and looting. The founder charges a commission for
each transaction to ensure everyone can trade safely at the exchange center. As the number of transactions grew, this unknown
exchange center grew in size and reputation too,” Kaga then started to explain the background of this place. “However, some
cultivators had difficulties thriving in this place as their goods were not particularly valuable. Thus, they resorted to setting up
stalls outside. Violent crimes then became almost a daily affair here, given that the buyers and sellers are crooks in one way or
another. Hence, with time, the congregation of cultivators here increased, and the mortals were either killed or driven away. After
more than a hundred years of development, this place then became what it is today.”
As Jonathan and Hossom listened to Kaga, they reached an elevator.
After the burly man pressed the button and the elevator door opened, Jonathan abruptly felt a surge of intense spiritual energy.
Hossom's eyes widened when he saw the interior of the elevator.
The interior was huge; it could comfortably accommodate twenty to thirty standing persons.
The interior of the elevator was decorated with dazzling patterns and carvings.
A mortal would be awed by the intricacies of these patterns, but Jonathan and the rest could sense peculiar lines within the
patterns.
An intense spiritual energy was flowing within these lines.
“This is a... portal formation?” Jonathan stepped into the elevator and raised his left hand to touch the lines when Kaga grabbed
his wrist.
“Don't touch it,” Kaga said.
Jonathan looked at Kaga and followed her gaze toward the elevator door, where the burly man stood holding a sword. He looked
ready to wield it should Jonathan touch the lines.
“We know the rules.”
Kaga chuckled after speaking to the burly man.
The burly man put away his sword and threw three black masks at them. “You'd better not get into any trouble. It's best for
everyone that you behave.”
Kaga took the masks and distributed them to Jonathan and Hossom. “Put it on. We're about to be teleported.”
Jonathan placed the mask in his hands and tried to apply his spiritual sense. That was when he discovered the mask was
covered with a unique substance that could entirely block off his spiritual sense and spiritual energy. “What material is this mask
made of? How is it able to block off spiritual sense?”
Hossom exclaimed in surprise after putting on the mask. “Mr. Goldstein, quick, look at me. Can you check my face out behind
this mask?”
Hossom exclaimed in surprise after putting on the mask. “Mr. Goldstein, quick, look at me. Can you check my face out behind
this mask?”
Kaga rolled her eyes at Hossom and questioned Jonathan, “Do we have to bring him along?”
Jonathan smiled and put on the mask. “I can't help it. Hossom is an important partner of mine.”
“Partner?” Kaga looked at Hossom doubtfully for a moment before realization dawned upon her. “I understand now. You need
someone to be cannon fodder.”
“You're the cannon fodder!” Hossom shouted bitterly.
Just then, the elevator door shut completely. A radiant beam of light appeared, blinding the trio.
In the next instant, the light disappeared. Jonathan found himself in a crowded square upon slowly opening his eyes.
Throngs of people wearing the same black mask could be seen walking around the square.
They glanced at the trio momentarily before moving off hurriedly.
Jonathan wanted to use his spiritual sense but realized he could not utilize it.
When he instinctively raised his hands to reach for his mask, Kaga reminded in a muffled voice, “Don't take off your mask.”
“This mask is made to block spiritual sense to prevent people from checking us out and vice versa. This is a form of self-
concealment that helps to lower the threat toward other people. You're declaring war on the members here if you remove your
mask,” Kaga explained.
Jonathan slowly moved his hands away from his face after hearing what Kaga said.
At that moment, Hossom sneered, “I guess the only way to protect one's identity is to fundamentally restrict the cultivators from
reading other people.”
Hossom observed the passing human traffic around him. “You mean I can't identify a person from other physical traits? For
example, the body measurements or other—”
Hossom had not finished speaking when a masked man in a black robe approached them.
“Hello, folks. Let me introduce you to a magical cloak that can make you invisible.”