After only a few moments of thought, Alex came to the understanding that there was indeed a place in the Eastern Continent where one could find many treasures that would immediately make one's standing in the Immortal realm higher than it would be on arrival.
A place where the Dragon Emperor was likely to find Immortal artifacts, talismans, and treasures. A place that was so easily accessible, but couldn't be opened because the Dragon Emperor didn't have talent in Space and needed the sword to use.
The Azure Dragon's Soul Space.
Alex feared this was it. He could imagine the Dragon Emperor's greed and could see that with the Azure Dragon's corpse so close how desperately he would want the sword.
When someone became an Immortal, they opened a Soul Space in their body. Once opened, that space would remain there forever unless destroyed. That was what he had been told in the Central Continent by Senior Yang.
Even in death, that Soul Space would not be gone. The only way to get rid of it would be to destroy it completely. But that usually brought forth a possibility of the items inside being destroyed as well.
Sometimes they could just fall out, but most times they would just get destroyed along with the Soul Space.
'So he wants the sword to get the item inside,' Alex thought. 'But doesn't a Soul Space disappear if both the Soul and the body are destroyed? That means the Azure Dragon's corpse must still be inside his realm.'
Alex was certain this was the reason.
He couldn't let the Dragon Emperor have that sword. If he did, he would take what the Azure Dragon had, what Alex was going to trade with him, and then break through to Immortality to run away.
The more he heard the two brothers talking, the more Alex started to become absolutely certain that they were not aware of the fact that the Azure Dragon was dead.
He wondered how they would react if this news was out. He wondered how anyone would react if this news was out in the Empire.
Alex's thoughts paused for a moment as something the 2nd prince said caught his attention. "Wait, what did you say about the Southern Continent?" he asked the man.
"I was there for nearly 40 years. I only came back 20 years ago," the 2nd Prince reiterated his words.
"You were what?" Alex nearly shouted his words. "You were in the Southern Continent?"
"Yes," the 2nd Prince said.
"My sister was there too?" he asked.
"Yes," the 2nd prince said.
"While I was the King," Alex said. "And you didn't come to me? Everyone should have known about my talent in Alchemy by then."
"I did hear about you," the 2nd Prince said. "And I was thinking of coming to meet you, but I didn't want to take the chance. I told you earlier, didn't I? I would've come to you if not for fear of my father's men finding me."
Alex felt his mind go blank. His sister had been in the Southern Continent the entire time, and he hadn't known about it.
"To be honest, I also didn't trust your talent in Alchemy to be better than Father. I grew up knowing his talent was the highest of anyone living, so I found it hard to believe the rumors," the 2nd prince said. "Also, I was worried you would just hand me over to my father. I was certain his men had already met you."
Alex frowned. "They did tell me they were searching for something. Maybe it was good they didn't find you," he said. "If only you had come to meet me."
He sighed but said nothing more. What was done was done now. The 2nd prince didn't know about him and he was right to keep himself hidden.
"So, why did you come back?" Alex asked. "Actually, I don't think I've asked this, but how did you come back?"
"I… I came back to save my wife," he said. "I as planning to do whatever I could to save her. Even going so far as to return to my Father and trade the sword in exchange for healing her."
"But you didn't," Alex said. "Why?"
"I was still hesitant at first, so I met up with sister Luoyang and explained the situation. She told me she would help me and did. I was here for no more than 2 years, however, when the news came that you had defeated my Father in an alchemy match."
"After that, she convinced me not to return and instead wait for you instead," the 2nd prince said. "She's been working hard all this time, trying to heal Hannah as much as she could while keeping it a secret that we're here."
Alex turned to Zhan Luoyang and bowed deeply. "Thank you for everything you've done for my sister. Please give me a chance to repay this favor in the future."
"I did no favor, Your Majesty," the woman said. "I just helped my soon-to-be family."
Alex smiled in return. He planned on giving her everything he gave the Dragon Emperor, but later.
Alex turned toward the 2nd prince. "You've done an incredible job protecting my sister. I cannot imagine how stressful the past few decades must have been for you," he said and bowed deeply. "Thank you."
"I just did what I had to," the 2nd prince said.
"Yes, you did," Alex said. "Now then, you told us why you came back, but not how. As far as I know, the eastern side of the Southern Continent was teeming with soldiers of the Scale Legions. How did you get past them? Also, how did you get to the Southern Continent in the first place? The travel there is treacherous."
"We didn't fly there and back, if that's what you mean," the 2nd Prince said. "We took a shortcut."
"A… shortcut?" the Crown Prince asked. "What did you do? Teleport? You didn't access the Teleportation formation, did you?"
"No, we didn't teleport," the 2nd prince said. "Or wait, maybe you could call it teleportation, I don't know. We came through a very rare place that takes you from one location to another."
"So… teleportation," the Crown Prince said.
"No, not teleportation. This one takes time," the 2nd prince said. "Instead of traveling in this world, you go through another world of bright purple and white, and you appear on the other side."
Alex gasped in surprise at description. "You went through a Voidgate?" he asked the man, amazement clear in his voice.
The 2nd prince gave a surprised look. "I did. How did you know? I hadn't known what the place was called without Old Zhou telling me what it was."
"I know about Voidgates," Alex said. "But I've never seen one. If you've been through one and that took you to the Southern Continent, then… there are two Voidgate in this world that connects the two places."
The 2nd prince nodded slowly.
"Where is it?" Alex asked.
"In the Southern Continent, it's somewhere southwest beyond the mainland. I can give you an approximate map of the place if you give me some time."
"And in the Eastern Continent?" Alex asked.
"Here, the Voidgate is inside the secret realm to the south," the 2nd prince said. "Inside the Harmonious Balance Haven."
